Graphic: Edtechteacher.org Chromebook Settings and Accessibility to support teaching & learning with Avra Robinson.
Strategy

Chromebook: Learning Targets and Lessons on Ways to Zoom

Learn more about Chromebook accessibility here!

Background

My 3rd grade student uses a large screen Chromebook and she is learning to use keyboard commands and adjust accessibility settings. Chromebooks are used by all the students in the classroom. This student also uses an iPad and video magnifier in class. She needed a large screen Chromebook so she could learn alongside her peers and also be prepared for state testing on a Chromebook.

Goals

During a previous assessment, myself and her team recommended use of a large screen Chromebook. I developed an IEP goal.

By date, during direct instruction or classroom activities, given large screen (15″) Chromebook or computer with accessibility controls enabled, Jenny will type login and passwords without looking, will find and open a Bookshare book and navigate between chapters and read using text to speech, will type 5 sentences without looking at the keys with only 1 correction per sentence, and will increase and decrease magnification using keyboard commands with 90% accuracy on all tasks in last 3/3 trials as measured by rubric and teacher observation.

I simplified the goal into learning targets that student and I could reference. 

Text:

Accessible version of the Learning Target image here.

Lesson

Lesson included typing and practice with zoom keyboard commands and using magnifier. Often, we are able to just work quietly in the class if it is a time when students are working independently. We don’t need very long each session so I can usually drop in and out easily (this works well for this class; other teachers and students may need or prefer another approach like pulling student at very specific times). 

In my short lesson with her, we first practiced sentences using home row and row above. This allowed me to get some data for IEP goal. I learned she was not used to using the right-hand shift key. She was in the habit of allowing Google Doc word processor to capitalize for her. We can practice capitalizing without auto correct next time. 

Text:

She does typing practice in class on Typing Club. I have observed her using that program and she is careful and methodical and practices without looking so I am pleased that she is learning good technique. Our students need to learn accurate touch typing and not get stuck in the habit of looking at the keys. Programs that reward kids for typing fast can become a video game for students and they look at keys since that is easier and faster when you are learning. If no one is encouraging proper technique, bad habits are learned. We need to assess how much we, as TVIs, need to support a student and provide one-on-one typing instruction is needed to learn proper technique. Keyboarding is a vital skill our kids need to develop. 

After quick typing practice, we reviewed ways to zoom. I have tried to learn the names for the parts of the computer screen that we discuss. By watching Google Accessibility videos (link below), I discovered names that I was not familiar with. On a Chromebook, the “shelf” is at the bottom by default and has app icons. The “status tray” is in the bottom right (I misspoke and said status bar in the video). After practicing zooming, we discussed good times to use a particular way to zoom.

Video

The video shows student practicing three ways to zoom and magnify on a Chromebook. At the end of video, I share her answers about when she thinks she would use each method. She had a worksheet to write her answers on; in video, I just show example of filling in worksheet. See attached Chromebook 3 Ways to Zoom Worksheet here.

First: Chromebook zoom keyboard commands – web page and screen resolution zoom

Web page zoom with control-plus/minus/0 and screen resolution zoom with control-shift-plus/minus/0. Web page zoom enlarges everything in web page. Screen resolution zoom enlarges whole Chromebook screen including mouse pointer, tabs, shelf icons at bottom, and status tray in bottom right.

Next: Chromebook magnification accessibility tool

Demonstration on using accessibility magnifying tool. Turn magnifier on in settings which can be found in status tray bottom right corner. If accessibility settings have not been turned on, you may need to search for “magnifier” in settings or look through visual accessibility options.

Last: I note what student replied when asked on a worksheet when you may want to use each kind of zoom.

Resources: for further information on Chromebook and Google accessibility, check out this Chromebook video:

Collage of Chromebook learning targets

Attached File(s)

https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/3%20ways%20to%20zoom.docx https://www.perkins.org/sites/elearning.perkinsdev1.org/files/Chromebook%20Learning%20Targets%20alt%20text.docx
By Jessica McDowell

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