Easy AT--Babylon On-line Dictionary (or Great AT Tools in Disguise)

Ellen Hoffenberg-Serfaty, J.D.

In Lessons 1 & 2, we learned about how we learned new adaptive technology for SEN sutdents: how to use the flexibility of our computer programs and settings to adapt to the needs of special learners; and how to find appropriate AT for students with special learning difficulties.

During this session we will:

1. explore in-depth an easy-to-use on-line dictionary that can be used as assistive technology
2. locate resources for downloading Babylon in your home computer or at school
3. experiment with some of the uses of Babylon
4. review some recommended text-to-speech programs

Any of the recommended exercises are for those of you who would like to master this area of AT, and are not required.

1. Exploring Babylon

When we say "assistive technology" or explore replacing the cumbersome process of using tapes for testing students, many teachers will try to download, install and use a text-to-speech program, often called a text or screen reader. Although I will provide links for some of these programs that are offered for free on the net, and make some recommendations, I rarely begin the process of introducing AT with these types of programs. I generally prefer to begin with a program that will help students become more independent, can be used by a wide range of students, and focuses on language learning skills that are essential: using a dictionary. Babylon fits these descriptions because with the addition of their text-to-speech tool and glossary builder, as well as careful exploration of the options and their use by different students, it can enhance and improve any student's reading abilities.

Babylon has a free download version that has advertisements--even with my visually impaired population of students, the advertisements don't seem to bother much. However, Babylon Pro has been released--for a small cost, the program can be purchased without advertising, and with the claim of more efficient technical support.

So let's begin!

I've prepared a worksheet for you to complete during this exercise: if you are interested in learning and mastering this area, you can print out and keep this worksheet so that you can apply what you learn today in your lesson preparation and classroom. Download Babylon Worksheet.. Take a look at this worksheet, and answer some of the pre-tutorial questions.

For newcomers--or anyone who wants a little help going thru this tutorial, I have prepared a Babylon Powerpoint that you can refer to, which will illustrate the points that I am making. I make these slides with a simple graphic program that allows me to take screenshots of the opened Babylon program--a great teaching device for your students!

Downloading Babylon

If you don't have Babylon on your home computers, please refer to this page prepared for ORT teachers for Babylon downloading advice

After you have downloaded successfully, however, come back to this page for instructions for this lesson.

Using Babylon

Now we are ready to "use" Babylon with an eye towards how you will train your students. Here are some thoughts:

• You can start and activate Babylon from your start menu--it will "reside" under your Programs Menu, perhaps in Tools. I suggest you place a shortcut on your desktop as well. When Babylon is activated, you will see a colorful lime-green "b" in a blue circle on the right-bottom of your screen. Do not click left on this icon--that will close the program (the icon will turn gray if you close it. If you do this inadvertently, just click again, and it will become colorful again.)

• Babylon can be used simply by clicking on any word--it does not have to be highlighted. This is sometimes difficult for students to understand, and they studiously highlight the word they want translated with their mouse. To "wean" them of this practice, you might suggest that they can double click on the word. But sometimes, Babylon will not automatically pick up the word--to avoid going back to the text, after the student double clicks the word, they can "copy" it, by using "CTRL + C". Then if the word doesn't appear when the window open, they can "paste" the word--"CTRL + V".
  
  
• Before you begin using Babylon, you have to know how to activate it. Right click on the Babylon icon (NOT left!). You will receive a menu--click on "configuration". The menu that appears will include "Find". On the left side of this menu you will see: "To activate Find:" and a Mouse Button + Keyboard Key combination. The default is usually "CTRL + Right Click", but you can easily change this with the pull-down menus. You can either note the combination you need, and move on, or change it.

• This is a good time to note that based on the size of the text, you will need to adjust the size of the Babylon window. This takes some practice for students sometimes. Use the combination to open Babylon now--by pointing your mouse to any of the four corners, you will see any arrow appear: just hold your left mouse button on the corner that you want to extend, and the window will be enlarged. In addition, by going to the top of the window, and holding your left mouse down, you can move the entire window to another location on the screen.

  Students may also need help on how to scroll the window--you can use sliding right hand bar, or the mouse wheel, if you have one.

• Make sure the languages that you chose appear. If not, adjust them by clicking on "My List" located on the menu to the right of the word window and below the advertisement. When the list opens, just left--click on the languages.

  Most students will want English-Hebrew, and English-English. In addition, I have downloaded the correct fonts for the Center computers, and additional dictionaries for Russian and Arabic.

• Make sure your TTS/ text-to-speech tool is working, and that the speed and volume are OK. The TTS tool is on the main Babylon window--the first menu item "Say It" next to the word window.

  To explore or change the configurations for voice, return to your Babylon menu--you can access this by right-clicking on the Babylon icon at the bottom of your screen, as I previously advised you. Or while the dictionary window is open, click on "Menu" located at the very top-right of the window.

  The menu item "Voice" has some controls you should explore, and encourage your students to do so--if you have installed both male and female voices, you can change these; you can also adjust speed. And make sure the "Enable Text-to-Speech" button is checked.

  I use earphones in the Center so that students using text readers or Babylon won't disturb others. But you can adjust the sound on your computer--there should be another sound icon next to Babylon on the bottom-right of your screen--if you click on this you will see your volume controls.

• Explore some of the other menu items--Configuration has several important features that you will need to set for your personal use as you explore, and many with implications for you students. It is one of the menus that you should teach them to use.

  For example, General--has two important features for your students: "Always use last user-defined window size"--If you have many students using one computer throughout the day or week, this is an important function related to the third menu item, Appearance, below, where the student will be setting the size of the window.

  "Minimize Bablyon" is important, since some SEN students experience coordination problems when first beginning to use the computer. If Babylon automatically "minimizes" it will save students from feeling that they have to close the window every time they finish with one translation, and move on in the text.
  
  

• As we said at the beginning, "Find" is the place where you will define how you activate Bablyon. To "Activate Find" allows you to choose which mouse plus keyboard key combination you will use to open Babylon. This varies, depending on what key combinations you have chosen for other programs. For example, I use "Shift + Right" click at home. But I usually use "Control + Right" click at school. You will need to experiment with this.

• When you begin to use the program, you will see that previous searches can stored in the word window.

• "Appearance" is a very important feature for our students. Note that you can change the text size for both English and the translation language(s) you have chosen. It is important to test the size with the size of the Babylon box on the screen later.
  
  
• Menu language allows you to set the Babylon menu you are working with now in English or another language, including Hebrew.

• Explore the "Web" and "Glossary" buttons.

And now for some important instructional issues:

1. Parts of Speech. It should be apparent that in order to use Babylon, like any other dictionary, students will need to learn parts of speech, in order to select the right meaning. This is an excellent point for preparatory activities for students.
2. Babylon tends to be much more flexible than the word dictionary: it will generally give you meanings for compound words, plural, etc., whereas Word is a purist: students have to know "prefix-root-suffix" pretty well to operate in that environment.
3. A disadvantage of Babylon is that it is basically an image--you can't copy and paste definitions. Another disadvantage, of course, is that it is inaccessible for screen and text readers.
4. I teach my students that the "Say It" tool is like a mini-screen reader. You can actually copy and paste a whole phrase or sentence into the window, and hear it.

Now, if you have some time--check out this link, and "play" with Babylon. Or use a link of your own choosing.

Want your students to "attack" a very hard text? And be glad to do it???
The Discovery Channel is a place that a return to over and over with my students. Lots of interesting information, lots of action, sound...and its about animals!

I love the "Live Cams". Try the Shark video--you will note that a Real Player video will upload, and a text accompanies the live cam or video of a shark in an aquarium in the U.S. No matter what time of the day or nite, I always find some action on the shark cam.

2. "Word" Adaptive Powers

For those of you who really want to spend more time on this whole area, I have a lesson posted on how to use Word, combined with Babylon, to teach students to adapt material from the net. Feel free to access the lesson and work on it:

Adaptive Technology--How to adapt on-line or other material to individual student needs.

On "Bagrut" day, 2001, as many students were struggling through apparently difficulty Ministry of Education 4 & 5 point texts, our students at the Learning Center for the Blind were successfully negotiating some very difficult texts after having only a few months of training in these special adaptive techniques--and these are students with mild to severe visual impairments and learning difficulties. My message: these techniques work!

3. Text-to-Speech Resources

In the other resource pages I have provided you with Where to Start--lists of some free TTS programs, a wonderful "full service" program called Zoom Text, and some resources on the net.

That's it for today. Hope you enjoyed this mini-course, and it has whet your appetite to "jump in" and begin to seriously experiment with AT in your teaching practice...if so, your students will thank you:-)

Have a great summer!

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