Using the Writing Tools

Kurzweil 3000 v.11 (Win)

Introduction

Kurzweil 3000 v.11 (Win) has many tools and features to support students who struggle with writing and reading comprehension tasks. In version 11, new tools specifically to help students who have difficulty with the writing process have been added. These tools support students all along the process, from brainstorming or pre-writing, to drafting and then publishing.

This tutorial assumes…

The Kurzweil 3000 v.11software is installed on your computer
If it is not installed, refer to the installation instructions in your Getting Started guide

Learning Objectives

Completion of this tutorial will give you experience with the following:

Creating a new text file
Using Kurzweil 3000 as a talking word processor
Using text reading tools
Spell checking the text
Formatting the text
Saving and printing the document
Using the Brainstorming view during pre-writing
Using the Outlining view to organize writing
Using the Drafting view to draft
Full or split screen
Using Floating Word Lists while writing
Using the Review list while editing

Case Study

Kim is a Grade 6 student who has difficulty with classroom writing assignments. She currently uses a laptop with Kurzweil 3000 and, with the upgrade to version 11, is able to use the software to support her entire writing process. Her team introduced the various parts of the software to her slowly, using simple writing tasks so she could focus on developing the skills she needs to use the software tools effectively.

Creating a New Text File
1 / Launch Kurzweil 3000.

Double-click the shortcut on your desktop or select Kurzweil 3000 from your Programs list.

When the program opens up, by default, you should see four toolbars at the top of the window. This default toolbar set up is “Classic”. If you don’t see these four toolbars, you will need to select that toolbar set up to continue.

Right-click somewhere on the toolbar area that isn’t a button.
On the menu that pops up, select Apply Toolbar Set and then choose Classic.
Your toolbar set up will now have the toolbars and tools needed to complete the tutorial.

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2 / When Kurzweil 3000 first opens, you will need to either open an existing document or create a new one.
To create a new text file…

Go to the Main Toolbar and click on the New button.
Click to place your cursor at the top of that text document and type a few sentences.

Notice that, by default, Kurzweil 3000 gives word and sentence auditory feedback while typing. /

Using the Text Reading Features
1 / For some students, they only need a little support when writing – they can start a file and create text but they need some help when editing. The text reading tools can help them catch spelling and grammar errors.
By default the “Speak as Typing” options are set to speak words and sentences as they are entered. If your student does not require this level of auditory support, you can turn this off.

Go to Tools (menu) Options  General.

On the right side of the window, you will find the Speak as Typing options. You can de-select Whole Words and Whole Sentences if you don’t want that feedback. Selecting All Characters means every letter and punctuation mark will be spoken as it is typed.

Click Apply to save any option changes and OK to close the window.

NOTE: If you don’t click Apply your changes won’t be saved. /

2 / The Main toolbar (red) has text reading tools that can be used to read the completed text aloud during the editing process.

Set your cursor at the beginning of your text in the document.
Click the Read button on the Main Toolbar to have the text read aloud. It will toggle to Pause to stop the reading.
Click Back to move the cursor back one reading unit. Click Forward to move the cursor forward one reading unit.

You can change the reading voice by clicking the drop down menu on the Reading Toolbar (yellow).

Select a different voice from the list. It is highly recommended that you use VW Kate or VW Paul as these are, by far, the best reading voices.

During the editing process, your student will need to adjust HOW Kurzweil 3000 reads to suit the editing step.

To read the text as a whole, select Continuous from the Reading Mode drop down list.
To read the text for details, select Self-paced from that drop down list AND select the Reading Unit from that list (for example, Self-paced by Sentence). This will mean that the student can press the Read button and have one sentence read aloud. He or she would press Read again to hear the next sentence.

Try out the different Reading Modes and Units and consider when each would be appropriate during the editing process.
You can also adjust the Reading Speed on the Reading Toolbar.

Use the Up and Down arrows to raise and lower the reading speed.
Type a value for WPM in the field and then click in the document to set it.

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3 / If you are working with a student who does not use Toolbars, you can access all of the text reading features from the Read menu.
It is helpful to teach students the keyboard shortcuts for reading (e.g. F3 to Start Reading) so they can keep their hands on the keyboard and use the mouse less. /
Spell Checking the Document
1 / At some point during the editing process, most students will need to spell check their work.
On the right end of the Writing Toolbar (blue) you will find the Spell Check tool.

Click Spell Check button to open the Spell Checker.
On the Spelling Correction window you will be able to…
Skip the word if you know it is spelled correctly
Change the existing word to the one in the Change To field
Click on any of the words in the list and the Read button to hear them read aloud
Add the word to the Spelling Dictionary if it is unfamiliar (e.g. Canucks)
Click the Dictionary button to see the words in the Personal Dictionary

NOTE: Double-clicking on any of the words in the list puts it into the Change To field and automatically changes the highlighted misspelling!

Click Exit to close the Spelling Correction window.

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2 / If your student will be writing with words that will be erroneously identified as misspellings (e.g. Canucks, Luongo) you may want to add them to the student’s Private Dictionary. This is particularly helpful when the student types the words frequently.

Go to Tools  Options  Spell Check.
Click the Edit Personal Dictionary button.

On the window that opens up, you can Add new words by typing them in the word field and clicking the Add button.
Click OK to close the Private Spelling Dictionary.

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3 / For students who don’t use toolbars, you can access the Spell Check feature from the Tools menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Shift+F8. /
Formatting the Text
1 / The Writing toolbar (blue) also has typical formatting tools for adjusting the text prior to printing.

Select a different font from the first drop down menu on the left end of the Writing toolbar.

Select a different font size from the next drop down menu.
Select a font style (bold, italic, underline) by clicking those tools on the toolbar.

You can also select text alignment and text spacing from the Writing toolbar.

NOTE: Like any word processor, if you want to change any of the attributes of text you’ve already typed, you need to select it first by highlighting it. /

2 / You will find the other, typical word processing tools under the Edit menu. From this menu you can…

Undo your last action
Cut, copy, and paste text
Adjust the Line Spacing
Adjust the Text Alignment

Notice that, by default, Enable Editing is selected. This must be selected to allow access to editing tools. If, for some reason, you don’t want your student to be able to spell check, change fonts and so on, you can de-select Enable Editing. This will disable the editing and formatting tools. /
Saving and Printing the Text Document
1 / You save Kurzweil 3000 documents like you would any word processing document.

Click the Save button on the Main toolbar OR press Ctrl – S on the keyboard OR go to File  Save as…

On the Save As window that opens up…
Select the location where you want to save the file from the drop down Save in: list at the top of the window
Type the name of your file in the File name: field
Select the file type from the Save as type: drop down menu at the bottom of the window
Click Save.

Notice that you have several options for file type – saving the text file as the default .RTF will ensure that most word processors, including Kurzweil 3000 will be able to open the file. /

2 / Before printing your document, you must set the margins so it will print properly on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet.

Go to Tools  Options  General.
On the left side of the General Options window, you’ll see the Show Ruler option. Select it. Notice you can change the ruler units right underneath that option.
Click Apply to save that change and OK to exit the Options window.

A ruler will appear at the top of your document. You will see that the text you’ve typed has gone past the width of a standard printer page.

Click and drag the red margin marker to about 7 ¾ on the ruler (or whatever width you want that will fit within 8 ½ inches).
Your text will adjust to fit the new margins.

You can now print the document.

Click the Print button on the Main toolbar OR press Ctrl – P on your keyboard OR go to File  Print…
On the Print Options window, select your printer, set any options you would like and then click the Print button.

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Using the Brainstorming View (Pre-Writing)
1 / Kurzweil 3000 v.11 can help students who need more support along the writing process. For those that need help forming and organizing writing ideas, the Brainstorming feature helps get their writing process started.

Close your existing text file by clicking in the white close box in the upper right corner of the document.
Start a new Brainstorming web by clicking the Brainstorm button on the Writing toolbar (blue).
On the Main Idea bubble that appears on the document, double-click the text in the bubble and type in a main idea (e.g. Canucks).
Click outside the text area but still on the bubble itself to set the bubble text.

Notice that, while the text is no longer highlighted, the bubble is still selected. With the bubble selected, you can…

click and drag it to move it to the centre of the document
change the shape of the bubble by clicking the various shapes on the Brainstorm Palette

change the colour of the bubble by clicking the Fill Color tool on the palette

change the colour of the bubble text by clicking the Text Color tool on the palette

set your bubble appearance as the default (so all other bubbles will be created the same) by clicking the Default tool on the palette and selecting Set (selecting Apply returns the bubble to the original default appearance).

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2 / Once you’ve created your main idea bubble, it’s time to add sub-topics or other ideas to the brainstorm web.
To add ideas that are LINKED to the main idea bubble…

click on the main idea bubble to select it
click on the Quick Takes tool on the palette – a red lightning bolt will appear in the text area of the main bubble
type in the next idea (e.g. Players)
press Enter on your keyboard to create the new idea bubble
click somewhere on the web background to move out of the main idea bubble OR continue to add ideas by typing them behind the red lightning bolt and pressing Enter on your keyboard

To add ideas that ARE NOT LINKED to the main idea bubble…

click somewhere on the web background (a crosshair will appear)
click the shape tool on the palette that you want the bubble to be (a bubble appears at the crosshair site)
type in the idea in the bubble (e.g. Uniforms)

You may want to change the appearance of the secondary ideas – select them and use the various palette tools to do so.
To LINK these unlinked ideas to the main idea or each other…

click the Link tool on the palette
click on the starting idea (e.g. Canucks)
click on the ending idea (e.g. Uniforms)

A link is created between the first idea bubble selected and the second idea bubble.
If you make a mistake and
want to remove a link…

click on the link itself to select it
press Delete on your keyboard

Go ahead and fill in your Brainstorm web with linked ideas. /

3 / You can collapse the web by clicking the small web button located in the upper right corner of any bubble that is linked to others.

Click the web button next to the main idea bubble to collapse the web

This feature is helpful for focusing thought on one level of ideas at a time during the pre-writing process.
You can delete any bubble…

Click on the bubble to select it
Click on the Delete tool on the palette

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4 / Notes can now be added to each idea bubble…

Click on an idea bubble (e.g. Players)
Click on the Note tool on the palette

Add notes to the notes window that opens
Close the notes window by clicking the close box in the upper right corner

Notice that a small note icon appears in the upper right corner of the idea bubble when it is selected.

Click the note icon to open and edit the note at any time.

To remove a note entirely…

Delete the text in the note window and close it

Add notes to your idea bubbles. /

5 / Save the Brainstorm document…

Click the Save button on the Main toolbar OR press Ctrl – S on the keyboard OR go to File  Save as…
Select a location, type in a file name, and select a file format type (.KES is recommended to preserve web in its original form).

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Using the Outline View to Organize Ideas (Pre-Writing)
1 / The Outline view can be used after the student completes the Brainstorming view or some students who prefer a linear approach may use it for idea generation.
Either way, it can be used to help organize existing ideas, add new ones or add more information to the outline.
To go to the Outline view, click the Outline tool on the Writing toolbar (blue).
Any topics, subtopics or notes from the Brainstorming view are carried over to the Outline view.
You will also see an Outline palette which contains tools to add and organize topics and notes in this view.
NOTE: Anything you do to the Outline view automatically updates the Brainstorm view. So students can move back and forth between the views during the pre-writing phase.
To move back and forth, simply click the Brainstorm or Outline tool on the Writing toolbar. /

2 / To edit an existing topic or note in Outline view…

click on the topic or note TEXT (so the cursor is active)

edit the topic or note by removing or adding text

To delete an existing topic or note…

click on the topic or note to select it
click the Delete tool on the Outline palette

To add a new topic…

click on an existing topic in the outline (the new topic will be added UNDER the selected one)

click on the Topic or Subtopic tool depending on what level of topic you are adding

To adjust the level of a topic or subtopic…

click on the topic to select it
click on the Left or Right tab tool on the palette

To add a new note to a topic…

click the topic to which you want to add the note (this selects it)
click the Note tool on the palette
type in your new note

To change the prefix labels on your outline topics…

click on the Prefix Label tool on the palette and select a different label

To collapse and open the notes under each topic or subtopic…

click the small blue note icon next to the actual note to collapse or open the note