#accessibility software

[giantkillerjack]

Quick update on the State of the Nation & Very Important Technological Advancement:

The speech-to-text tool on my Android phone recognizes the word "destiel".

It's a little janky and apparently 50% likely to spontaneously delete all the other words in the sentence and just leave "destiel" for some reason.

But isn't that what Supernatural is really about? Aren't we really all just here in this fandom to forget all the words except for Destiel??

.... Now if I could JUST get speech-to-text to REMEMBER LITERALLY ANY ETHNIC NAME, THAT'D BE GREAT.

I know for a fact that it is possible and even relatively easy to teach speech recognition software to register new words because I used to work testing and calibrating Alexa apps. I KNOW HUMANITY HAS THE TECHNOLOGY, DAMMIT! - But I haven't been able to find a speech-to-text app that allows me to do this. Anyone else have more success than me?

[bogdoom]

My version of this meme

Original by Sophia Foster-Dimino

[ihatebrainstorm]

[It's Just a Theory!]

Just a simple theoretical discussion ^v^

Wanted to see what he would sound like with MatPat's voice then got. just a tinyyy bit carried away..........

[candace-fdl]

Reflecting on Week 9 | Backwards Design and the Instructional Design Process

In my work providing reference support to library users, whether in the public or academic setting, I did not consider the backwards design process when providing one on one consultation or instruction to visitors. In this line of work, we have RUSA guidelines to walk information staff through the reference interview process. Rather than identifying learning goals appropriate for group instruction, I was merely focused on finding thorough ways to approach users’ questions. 

Through this program, I’m hoping to expand on my skill set and opportunities as an educator in the post secondary sector. Part of the skills’ exploration and development is familiarizing myself with learning theories and models suited to different contexts, and being able to define the most appropriate models to use. Much of the work in the BA ESDT program has me considering using a Backwards Design approach for instructional sessions, either led by myself or other librarians in undergraduate classrooms at my current workplace, OCAD University. I’m also considering backwards design when creating asynchronous tools, such as quick reference guides for various accessibility software I work with, like Kurzweil. 

Prior to the BA ESDT program, I would not have been able to name a learning theory, aside from maybe Behaviorism if my life depended on it. Now, the concept of Backwards Design is a familiar one, having used it to design courses in both Assessment for Learning and Instructional Design. 

For those unfamiliar, Backwards Design is a learning model that plans learning experiences with the final assessment in mind. This is done by designing the lesson plan in these three stages, in the following order:

Identifying Desired Results

Determine Acceptable Evidence of Learning

Design Learning Experiences and Instruction

You can see these steps outlined below:

In Week 9 of our readings for Foundations of Learning, my peers and I were introduced to Stuart E. Dreyfus’s 5-Stage Model of Adult Skill Acquisition. Essentially, this model scores learners’ skill level on a 5 point, chronological and hierarchical level from novice, advanced beginner, competency, proficiency and expertise. Within these levels, instructional designers can define what skills learners should attain, and by what standards. The example given in the readings was learning to drive, and comparing what a competent driver can do comfortably compared to a beginner. 

You can learn more about Dreyfus’s 5-Stage Model for Adult Skill Acquisition here:

In this context, and as a relevant example, I am trying to come up with a one page handout to help students register for Kurzweil with their OCAD U login credentials and get them started with the Kurzweil Read the Web Google Chrome extension. With this extension, users would be able to have text in PDFs or plain HTML included in their Canvas course pages converted from text to speech. Integrating Dreyfus’s 5-Stage Model of Skill Acquisition for Adults, I can see what skills I’d want a new Kurzweil Read the Web user to be familiar with. I can consider which functions within the Chrome extension would be considered advanced. What skills would be better suited for a one on one demonstration with a requestor? What would crowd the handout? 

By incorporating the 5-levels of Learning for Adults, instructional designers are able to create precise learning goals and scaffold activities based on learners’ familiarity with the content. That way, learning goals are set for the duration of instruction, rather than the end of the lesson. 

[Note that hyperlinks for an APA formatted reference sheet did not format properly in Tumblr. A separate References document was submitted in Canvas for this assignment in ESDT1000U and can be made available upon request in Word or PDF formats.]

[cern1cal0]

♪.*⁽⁽ ◝꒰´꒳`∗꒱◟ ₎₎₊·*♪.*⁽⁽ ◝꒰∗´꒳`꒱◟ ₎₎₊·*♪

[luccorvus]

If you want access to all Creative Cloud software, do NOT look into GenP on Reddit and do NOT look up a how-to guide on YouTube, to aid you in setting it up. It is NOT easy as piss. Adobe definitely deserves your hard earned money actually, as they are very ethical in the way they treat their costumers.

[wyrmswears]

doodle of my favourite furry

[GIF description: A simple sketch of Jay from Ninjago pointing towards the point of view. As he moves his hand slightly to his left, red shatterspin particles form around him and he tilts his head up. He also has a wolf tail that swishes from his left to his right. End description.]

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Machine...? When is the last time you rinsed out your CUMtainer?

They look... Quite bloated.

Let me empty that for you. I INSIST.

*slurp* *gulp* *coughing* *gasp* Oh God!

It really does taste like coins!

End transcription

sorry. this was 3 clips.

CUMtainer clip

Slurp and cough clip

Coins clip

[maybejustablob]

made this in five minutes

[zytes]

new sensation

[once-in-a-half-life]

so the other day i remembered that this stupid edit exists and... my mind and body would not rest until this... thing was done. so, enjoy, i guess?

[sharpmouth]

they saw you from across the room and they HATE your vibe

[copia]

top tip for new gif people because i've seen a few recently (which is really cool) - tumblr will compress your gif to a width of 540px when you upload it. this compression won't retain as much quality as if you just resize it to 540px across in photoshop/whatever program you use. tumblr will suck the life out of your beautiful crisp 1080px gif whereas photoshop will do its best not to (resizing in vapoursynth or similar is ideal but that's not necessary and often too much effort for adults with real lives)

[moss-and-pebble-pixel-art]

ID: a highly detailed pixel art headshot of the hatchling from Outer Wilds. They are a Hearthian, a person with blue skin, long pointed ears (akin to goblin ears) and four eyes - two big ones with two smaller ones below them. Their skin has darker spots covering their nose and the sides of their face, to either side of their forehead. The hatchling is looking towards the viewer with a star reflected in their four eyes. Streaks of green, blue, and pink Iight cover their face. The background is black with small white stars dotted throughout. At the bottom right of the canvas the artist's signature reads "Moss and Pebble '24". End ID

[paintedmage]

...

[c0smicdaisy]

what do we think?