Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

Texthelp Blog - Our latest thoughts from the world of technology in education & the workplace

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In this fifth blog in our Back to School series, we’re discussing how you can make a few simple administrative changes to Read&Write to offer assistive/ reasonable adjustment support in assessments.  

Back to School: Here’s how Read&Write can be used in exams

EquatIO isn’t a replacement for pencil and paper, but it compliments the classroom by making maths digital, which in turn can make it much more interactive, engaging and encourages greater creativity. 

With so many features and functionality, we want to make sure you and your students are making the most of what it has to offer. 

Throughout our Back To School blog series, we will explore various themes that matter most to you (the teacher) and demonstrate how the software that your school has invested in can help you think differently about your lesson planning. 

Did you have a good experience of maths in school? Or was it one of your weaker subjects, with the acceptance of just getting yourself through to that much needed pass mark during exam time? 

The digital age has brought all sorts of educational technology into the classroom, but with maths being a slightly different language to digitise, technology in the maths classroom has dramatically lagged behind. 

EquatIO has revolutionised this. We’re working with many teachers to come up with ideas on how best to incorporate this new technology into the classroom, some of which we’d like to share with you below. 

Use EquatIO within Google Forms to help students showcase their working out and understanding of the day’s learning.

Try prediction, dictation or handwriting recognition to create maths in the equation editor and insert into a Google Doc. 

Powered by Desmos, the graphing calculator makes maths visual. Simply enter any expression or data set into EquatIO and see it plotted instantly.

Turn your EquatIO mathspaces into classroom assignments. Share problems with students, keep track of responses, and create an ongoing, valuable feedback loop between teacher and student.

Sometimes it is hard to think how to incorporate technology into good old pen and paper lessons. But we have a few more ideas in this EquatIO database.

If you find these activity examples useful, check out our dedicated Back to School resource page for other handy hints and tips to help you get the most out of EquatIO. 

We’re also running live webinar, for each of our Back to School blog series themes. If you would like to learn more about how our software can help improve accessible maths, sign up to Richard & Anna’s ‘Accessible Maths using Read&Write and EquatIO’ webinar taking place on Tuesday 24th September 2019 from 3:45pm- 4:30pm. 

Lastly, if you would like to share how you use EquatIO in your classroom, feel free to add your ideas to the comments section below. 

In this blog, we’ve pulled together some EquatIO ideas to improve technology use within the maths classroom.

EquatIO Activities for Back to School

Back to School: Are you improving Maths and STEM with EquatIO?

In this third blog of our Back to School series, we’ve pulled together some EquatIO features that can help improve digital maths activities in the classroom. 

In this blog, we speak to Texthelp’s Disability Confident Champion, Edyta Twardowska, about why we joined the scheme and what we’ve done so far…

Why did Texthelp decide to get involved in the Disability Confident scheme?

It’s extremely important that an organisation like Texthelp takes part in a scheme like this. Disabilities - whether mental or physical - are very common, so it’s important that we put our hands up and say, “We welcome every potential employee here. Don’t let having a disability put you off from applying to work at Texthelp.” Since we help millions of people with disabilities through our software every day, it’s definitely part of our DNA to be involved in a scheme like this and to help others in our community recognise its importance.

What have been the most impactful changes or initiatives you've implemented as part of your Disability Confident journey?

Some time ago, I introduced the idea of working with a local mental health organisation, Action Mental Health (AMH) New Horizons, here in Antrim. The project is motivated by a common goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others and involves a 12-month (and hopefully beyond) job shadowing programme to help AMH New Horizons clients take that first step back to employment.

We invite one client per month to join the Texthelp team in the Antrim office to shadow one of our admin roles for a day. We’re proud to actively promote a happy and healthy working environment with various workplace initiatives, so it’s the ideal space for individuals to experience the world of work again.

Through this joint initiative, we hope that the people who come to job shadow here gain some new skills, improve their career opportunities and leave with increased confidence and self-esteem.

Our support of the local organisation doesn’t stop there. We’re working with the team at New Horizons to add our literacy software, Read&Write, to the computers in their offices for both staff and clients to make use of. Plus, we’ve added our digital accessibility tool, Browsealoud, to their website, ensuring all of their visitors can access the online content and information provided there.

Another change that’s been actively implemented at Texthelp is that we now recruit as a disability-friendly organisation, welcoming applications from every member of the community. We’ve also taken steps to ensure we can accommodate for anyone with a physical or mental disability who comes into the office for an in-person interview.

How will operating as a Disability Confident Employer help Texthelp as a business?

Being a Disability Confident Employer is definitely opening up opportunities for us to recruit from a wider talent pool. In the past, we’ve found that potential employees may have been put off from applying to work here because they thought they might not make it through the recruitment process. But, we hope that by working with the Department of Work and Pensions on this scheme, we’re much more aware and inclusive of job applicants with disabilities.

In addition to these benefits, we also have corporate social responsibilities, like the work we are doing with AMH New Horizons. We hope that this work helps encourage other local organisations to realise their potential to make a difference in the community as well.

What does being a Disability Confident Employer mean for the Texthelp team?

Being Disability Confident helps us to support our existing employees with their needs. Someone who may have been reluctant to previously disclose a disability, now hopefully feels they can reach out for the extra support that they need without being singled out or discriminated against.

Our involvement in the scheme has also opened up new channels of communication, especially around the topic of disabilities and mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety. What we’re trying to do here is to say, “It’s good to talk, and we want to be able to support you no matter what’s going on.”

Since we were awarded our Disability Confident Employer status, I’ve had my eyes on the next level: Disability Confident Leader. With all the work that we’re doing, I’m confident that we’ll get there soon.

On a personal level, I’m looking to continue with the AMH New Horizons project, and I’ve been thinking about the possibilities of expanding the job shadow program into other departments here at Texthelp. Some of the clients who’ve taken part already have shown a keen interest in other areas of the business, like our software development team, technical support and marketing.

If you would like to explore more, find out how you could become a Disability Confident Organisation, or hear from other Disability Confident organisations as part of our Disability Inclusion series.

Our vision here at Texthelp is of a world where difference, disability or language are no longer barriers. Couple that with our mission of wanting to help unlock everyone’s full potential through innovative technology, and it only makes sense that we get involved in the Department of Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. Whilst we’ve been committed to the scheme for some time, we’re now a proud Disability Confident Employer with our sights set on becoming a Disability Confident Leader in the near future. So, here’s a little sneak peek into our journey…

Texthelp's Own Journey to Becoming a Disability Confident Employer

Here at Pinsent Masons, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all of our people can be themselves and have the opportunity to reach their potential. We recognise that as an employer, we benefit from being part of wider external networks that enable us to share best practices, benchmark our work and continuously improve.

How has being Disability Confident made a difference to your business? Which changes do you feel have made the biggest impact for both your business and your team?

I think being part of the Disability Confident Scheme sends out a strong message both internally and externally that we are committed to creating a level playing field for all of our people, regardless of disability. We are incredibly proud of the work undertaken by our Disability and Wellbeing Network Group who are a great source of expertise in relation to the implementation and review of internal policies, procedures and training, and running awareness-raising events for our staff, to name a few.

What are your next steps with Disability Confident and your business?

One of the next things we have planned is that we’re running our first Disability and Wellbeing Network Conference in the autumn. We’ll use that event to seek staff feedback, which will help us formulate our plan of action for the next 12 months.  

Why would you recommend the Scheme to others?

I think that we all benefit from the opportunity to be part of a wider network of businesses committed to diversity and inclusion, to be able to benchmark what we are doing and identify how we can continue to improve in the future. I think there is often a danger within diversity and inclusion that we assume we already know what the issues are and how to solve them. Being part of initiatives like Disability Confident forces us to take a step back, evaluate what we are doing against recognised best practices, and ensure we are focussing on making meaningful changes.

Outside of the Disability Confident Scheme, Pinsent Masons has been highly recognised for making diversity and inclusion a strategic priority. What are some of the initiatives you have put in place to create a truly inclusive culture?

We are very proud of our achievements such as being named Stonewall’s Employer of the Year 2019 and recognised as a Times Top 50 Employer for Women and a Working Families Top Ten Employer. However, we are not complacent and we recognise there is always more to do to improve. The engagement of our senior leadership is the one thing which I would always single out as being key to creating an inclusive culture. By way of example, we have Board and senior management sponsors for different diversity network groups and initiatives, which sends out a strong message to the business. It can’t be just a tick box exercise. Those sponsors have to be actively engaged, attending and speaking at events internally and externally, and taking the time to speak to staff about the issues we face and how we can solve them.

In the space of diversity and inclusion, what do you see are the main challenges and opportunities going forward for business?

The legal sector has come a long way in the last 10 years but there is still a lot of work left to be done. I think many law firms would agree with us that we need to focus on race and ethnicity, particularly in relation to senior management and Board representation. In  2018, we launched a new piece of work to build upon what we have been doing around race and ethnicity. In 2019, one of our key priorities is to implement the recommendations of that work with the aim of creating a better balance of race and ethnicity within our workforce and a better workplace for all.

What has been your greatest learning or most exciting experience relating to diversity and inclusion?

I am genuinely excited to see how our employee network groups continue to grow and form such an important part of our firm and our commitment to diversity and inclusion. It is amazing to work with such passionate and committed people who are happy to share their stories, to be role models for others and help us to improve. 

If you would like to explore more, find out how you could become a Disability Confident Organisation, or hear from other Disability Confident organisations as part of our Disability Inclusion series.

Kate Fergusson is Head of Responsible Business at international law firm, Pinsent Masons. Kate studied Law at the University of Sheffield and is a qualified solicitor with over 12 years’ experience of working within the Responsible Business sector and an MA in Applied and Professional Ethics from the University of Leeds. 

Under Kate’s leadership of Pinsent Masons’ Responsible Business initiatives, the firm has been recognised as the ‘Most Inclusive Employer’ in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, a Times Top 50 Employers for Women, a Working Families Top 10 employer and Business in the Community’s National Example of Excellence for Education. The firm has also achieved the EY National Equality Standard. 

Kate has been recognised as a Responsible Business Game Changer by Business in the Community and is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability.

In the first of a series of blogs, we feature Disability Confident organisation, Pinsent Masons and why they decided to join the Department of Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident Scheme to boost diversity and inclusion.

International law firm, Pinsent Masons are reaping the rewards of the Disability Confident scheme

International law firm, Pinsent Masons, are reaping the rewards of the Disability Confident scheme

In this short series of blogs, we’ve teamed up with some of our fellow Disability Confident organisations to explore the benefits of joining the Department of Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident Scheme. In this first blog in the series we asked Kate Fergusson, Head of Responsible Business at International law firm Pinsent Masons, why they joined the scheme and what the rewards have been so far…

Microsoft districts using The PDF Reader in Read&Write for Google Chrome are now able to use game-changing student supports like text to speech, highlighters, collaborative commenting and annotations in any of their PDFs with the Read&Write for Google Chrome PDF Reader. Read on to learn more.

With the PDF Reader extension installed, you can use it with any PDF in your OneDrive, as well as PDFs on the web and saved locally on your device. In OneDrive, just select your PDF and choose ‘Open in browser’ to get started with the PDF Reader toolbar.

Students will have access to several powerful literacy supports like text to speech, talking and picture dictionaries, and a translator. They can also use highlighters for research and color coding key information - and then collect those highlights into a brand new Word document in their OneDrive with the click of a button. 

For PDF worksheets, the Typewriter and Pushpin Annotation tools are perfect for adding typed responses to your document. The Prediction and Talk&Type tools provide added support for students who need help getting their thoughts down on the page. And the Freehand and Shapes Drawing tools make it easy to scribble, handwrite or draw directly on the PDF as well. 

The PDF Reader is also fully collaborative in OneDrive, so anyone else that has access to the PDF can leave comments and see each other’s annotations and markups. This is perfect for students working together on a group project, or teachers who want to leave feedback for students on an assignment. 

The availability of Texthelp’s PDF Reader in OneDrive marks a big advancement in supporting our Microsoft and Office 365 users. And this update comes right on the heels of another recent enhancement to the Read&Write for Google Chrome extension, which provided a streamlined login for Office 365 users to access the toolbar in Word Online, OneNote Online and webpages. Now Office 365 users can take advantage of a robust Read&Write experience with supports available for students wherever they’re working.

To get started with the PDF Reader in Office 365, go grab the extension from the Chrome web store. When installed, the first time you open a PDF you’ll be prompted to sign into your Microsoft account, accept permissions, and then you’re good to go!

If you'd like additional assistance, check out this helpful overview video:

Read&Write for Google Chrome - PDF Reader in Office 365

Have you used the PDF Reader in OneDrive with your students? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Texthelp’s PDF Reader offers powerful reading, writing, research and collaboration tools for working inside PDFs in the Chrome browser.

Coming Soon: Take PDFs to the Next Level in O365 and OneDrive

Take PDFs to the Next Level in O365 and OneDrive

In our efforts to continue empowering all students with the tools they need to succeed, we are excited to announce that the PDF Reader is now available for Office 365 and OneDrive!

As Jennifer Gonzalez argues, “Building solid relationships with your students is arguably the most important thing you can do to be an effective teacher. It helps you build trust so students take academic risks, allows you to better differentiate for individual needs, and prevents the kinds of power struggles often found in poorly managed classrooms.”

For writing teachers specifically, it is also important to get to know your new students as writers. This will “allow you to be able to set meaningful writing goals for your students”. The writing prompt is a great way to get to know your students on both a personal and academic level - keeping the activity fun while gaining some meaningful insight into your students’ writing skills.

Between now and September 20th, we want to hear what writing prompts you use (or plan to use) in your classroom to get to know your students at the beginning of the year.

All you have to do is share your writing prompt ideas on Twitter using the hashtag #WriQChallenge. Feel free to add in any additional details, including grade level, a great student response, or anything else meaningful to the exercise. And of course, share as many writing prompts as you'd like. The more the merrier!

One lucky participant will be chosen at random to win a free, one-year premium license of WriQ, our new writing assessment tool for Google Docs.

If you’re really hoping to get to know your students this new school year, WriQ is a great way to learn about their writing abilities from day one. It automatically checks student writing for spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as provides pre-built rubrics to help you evaluate knowledge, purpose, voice, organization, and more.

Through this standardized assessment of student writing, you can gain an accurate picture of each students’ writing ability, which can help you individualize your feedback and design personalized writing goals for the year. Plus, with the WriQ Dashboard, you can track your students’ progress throughout the year to accurately report on how each student is doing.

So, why not get WriQ from the Chrome Store today to review those writing prompts you’ve assigned?!

Thanks for participating in our #WriQChallenge and good luck!

We want to hear what writing prompts you use (or plan to use) in your classroom to get to know your students at the beginning of the year.

Get to Know Your Students with our WriQ Challenge

For a teacher, some of the most exciting and important “lessons” to plan during the first few days of school are those that help you get to know your new students. While getting-to-know-you exercises are fun for teachers and students alike, they are also critical in building a strong foundation for the rest of the year.

Blog

Back to School: Here’s how Read&Write can be used in exams

Back to School: Are you improving Maths and STEM with EquatIO?

Texthelp's Own Journey to Becoming a Disability Confident Employer

International law firm, Pinsent Masons, are reaping the rewards of the Disability Confident scheme

Take PDFs to the Next Level in O365 and OneDrive

Get to Know Your Students with our WriQ Challenge

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