Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Concocting a Cure for Kids With Issues, New York Times. A reponse.

Dear Judith Warner and Editor:

It may be a diagnosis to our Education system. We are archaic and using somewhat close to snake oils to diagnose and explain a "Gift."

Dyslexia when I was growing up was a disability because there was a lack of tools. Although today it is a "Gift" to me and all who I come in contact with at work, home, church and life.

What if tools (Readplease.com, Read:OutLoud and Victor Reader Soft) which enable me to read 300 to 480 words per minute with 90%+ comprehension where available to all? What if when a student comes to a person, place, word or thing which they do not know; are now only one click away from a picture of the person or one click away from the definition or description? This technology is available and would boost the phrase "no child left behind" by at least 10 to 20% completion rate.

Confidence can change a life and a nation. At my Blog (www.mygiftofdyslexia.Blogspot.com) I have placed 4 Youtube videos which I have made to show this technology at work. The Youtube video titled “Dyslexia and Technology" demonstrates how I read most of my books. This digital textbook technology should be in all schools, by doing so it would put students who are willing to learn on the edge of their reading chair. For those who have no motivation then they would fail because of the lack of effort.

“I can’t”, “I don't know how”, “they won’t teach me” would be turned off as excuse for most but not all. My life has been changed and my reading has put me at the edge of my reading chair for the first time in my life.

New York Times best sellers are a download away; recently I finished "The Middle Place" and “Lift”. When I introduced myself to Kelly Corrigan at a recent Library Association luncheon I could proudly say to her "I read your book".


Sincerely,
Davis

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Dyslexic Students in Kansas Start to Get More Help

Dear Ms. Phillips:

Today I read your article and viewed the video which was done on your mission work for those with the Gift of Dyslexia.
Link:
http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=12121041

Bookshare.org and ReadPlease have changed my life, with each of the programs I excel in enriching my life, family, marriage and my place of work. There is nothing in the written word which stands in the way except for my own effort to read something which is placed in my hands.

Recently, the Bradenton Herald at Bradenton.com has provided a link to download ReadPlease (Free software) as a way to read their articles. Bookshare.org has already done so much to make textbooks available to those with qualifying disabilities, it has put me a non-student member, for the first time on the edge of my reading chair. It is my goal as it is yours to not stop telling the world what a great learning environment teaching dyslexics creates for all who want to learn.

An example is the text-to-speech software Read:OutLoud provides to read their digitized books, if I come to a person place or thing which I don't know, all I have to do is highlight it with the cursor and click the dictionary icon and discover who, where or what the once unknown word was.. Imagine this in the hands of a student today whether they are Gifted with Dyslexia or not. What a powerful tool, it is when it is in the hands or mind of an excited student.

Keep up the great mission, and check out my blog with Youtube demos of the above mentioned, on the World wide web at mygiftofdyslexia.blogspot.com

Sincerely,
Davis W. Graham