Read & Write

One of Read & Write's premium feature is its notes collector. While students are reading an article on the web, they can highlight important information using various colors. Then, Read & Write will capture those notes in a Google Doc, meaning that they will already be categorized depending on the color highlight used. This tool is helpful for students instead of having to toggle back and forth between a notes page and an informational document or webpage. Even as students are required to take notes in their own words, they can still transfer phrases and sentences into the document and then have the categorized information available to then put into their own words.

The one drawback for this software is that every collection of highlights is put into a new Google Doc, so the user then has to reorganize the information from multiple documents into one cohesive outline. Still, this Read & Write tool provides a support to help students transfer information from a webpage to a note-taking document. Deb Woodson, OT, also finds that students with access to premium features often forget to utilize these tools in the classroom, regardless of whether or not they have been trained in how to use them. She suggests that collaboration between OTs and classroom teachers is a vital component of using these technologies in the classroom.

Quick Facts:

• Technology Type: Google Chrome Extension
• Company/Developer: texthelp.com
• Compatibility: Any Chrome-enabled device
• Cost: $145 individual annual license, $12 group annual licenses (minimums required), $1.75 districtwide annual licenses (minimums required), free for teachers