Text Summarizer
A text summarizer is a tool that takes an original text and shortens it to reduce content and complexity. This is a useful tool for students who may struggle with reading, either in reading speed or their comprehension level is reduced.
Windows: There are no text summarizers built into Windows internet browsers at this time.
Mac: There are no text summarizers built into the Safari browsers at this time.
Chrome: There are several extension (e) tools that allow dissemination of text:
· TLDR (e): a basic summarizer that uses an algorithm to extract a summary of the most important information in an article. Unfortunately, there are no controls to specify length or complexity.
· Internet abridged (e): another summarizer that extracts segments from a long article
· Read&Write for Google (e): as described in the distilling section, clicking the simplify page icon in the toolbar will first distill the website into a cleaner form. The user then has the additional option to simplify the information by clicking the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ icons that appear in the top left hand corner. Users can click several steps depending on the amount of information in the original document.
· Summarizer (e): this extension uses an algorithm to simplify text. However, it can be configured in a number of ways including the percentage of text to compress, minimum and maximum number of sentences, as well as converting imperial measurements to metric. To activate the summarizing feature, highlight text, right click and select “Summarize selected.
Recommendation(s):
· Mac computer: use the Read&Write extension in Google Chrome.
· iDevice: unfortunately, the only recourse is to use a web-based tool.
· Windows computer: use the Read&Write extension in Google Chrome.
· ChromeBook: use the Read&Write extension.