[Athen] Kurzweil 3000 question

[Sharon Trerise]

We provide one workstation on campus with K3000/1000 installed.  If
students want to use Kurzweil, they use it here in the Academic Support
Center which also houses a computer lab which is open to all students.
However, currently none of our students are using Kurzweil, they are
using a variety of other low-cost text-to-speech software.  I'm
attaching a list that I give them to show them what some of the
lower-cost (< $50) choices are.  (if anyone has suggestions of software
to add to the list, please let me know)

 

If the student is unfamiliar with Text-to-speech software, I demonstrate
a few of the more popular ones so they can see how they work and try to
figure out what features are important to them.  Then they take the list
and install whatever software they are going to use on their own
computer.  I let them know that there is other software available that
has many more features than these lower priced ones and would be happy
to discuss/show them if they are interested.

 

For our blind students, we have JAWS installed both in the Academic
Support Center and in the library.  We don't currently have any blind
students using Kurzweil.  Generally our blind students come to us
knowing JAWS rather than Kurzweil.

 

In short, the students are generally not using Kurzweil any longer
because it is a very costly option for them to use off campus.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Sharon

 

Sharon Trerise

Coordinator of Disability Services

Cayuga Community College

197 Franklin St.

Auburn, NY 13021

315-255-1792 x2306

 

________________________________

From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Glen Avery
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 11:17 AM
To: athen at athenpro.org
Subject: [Athen] Kurzweil 3000 question

 

Hello,

 

I am the technology support person for the Student Academic Services
here at Houghton College (Houghton, NY). I deal with the installation of
Kurzweil 3000/1000 on some of our students' laptops and am the general
guru for the SAS department.

 

Houghton College is in the process of evaluating its laptop program and
I need to find out what other institutions do in relation to K3000/1000
(assuming the other institutions don't have a laptop program). Can you
give me some feedback on the following issues:

 

1) Do you make K3000 (or K1000) accessible to students on workstations
located on campus? 

 

2) Do you make either of those software packages available to students
who want the software installed on their personal computers (laptop or
desktop)? If so, how do you deal with the licenses for that situation --
and do you install the software or do you expect the students to install
the software? 

 

3) Do you just provide information about the software and advise
students how they can purchase it from Kurzweil?

 

If you could respond as soon as possible, that would be much
appreciated.

 

Have a great day and take care.

 

Glen Avery

Technology Librarian 

Houghton College

1 Willard Ave

Houghton,NY 14744

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