Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Well it is time to conclude our group inquiry into short cut tools that are used in the classroom.  We will discuss the tools we researched about, why we were interested in this project, and the pro and cons of using these tools.

The short cut tools we looked at are:

  • Spell check: function that indicates which words have been misspelled in a document.
  • Talk to Text: tool  that takes audio content and transcribes it into written words.
  • Text to talk:  assistive technology that takes digital text and reads it aloud.

Why we were interested in this topic:

  • We wanted to learn how to prevent student dependency on technology shortcuts.
  • Does the use of spell check and auto correct prevent the students from learning valuable grammar skills?
  • We wanted to know if students reach a competent level of literacy and grammar skills, will they diminish with the increased use of shortcut tools?

Pros to using these tools in the classroom:

  • Can help students with learning disabilities.
  • Students can focus on getting ideas down without worrying about editing.
  • Can help students with poor or limited motor skills.
  • Can assist students with vision impairments.
  • Are a good tools to help students who are learning English as a second language.

Cons to using these tools in the classroom:

  • Takes away from the students’ learning.
  • Students stop thinking about the little details of their grammar and spelling.
  • Students begin to rely on these shortcut tools.
  • If students don’t know how to spell a word or make a certain grammatical correction, when given a list of possible correct options, they won’t know which one to choose.

We felt this was a very powerful and relative quote: “Technology can amplify great teaching, but technology cannot replace poor teaching,” (Glowacki, 2015).

This was an interesting topic to explore, and is definitely something to keep in mind in the future.  For myself,  I agree with the research we found stating the importance of ensuring students have solidly learned the necessary grammar and spelling skills before introducing these kinds of shortcut tools.  I think in elementary grades there is no need to be using these tools at all, as convenient as they are.  For older students in middle school, I think they can begin to use use these tools but only secondary to using their knowledge and skills.  For tools like text to talk and talk to text, I think they are a great support tool for students who may have a learning disability or other impairment that makes it difficult for them to read or write.  These tools in particular help make learning accessible to all students.

I hope you enjoyed following our inquiry journey!