In this week’s episode, I will be talking about the Helperbird Chrome Extension.

Find show notes and a full transcript at https://bit.ly/OneFive56 

SHOW NOTES:

Helperbird Chrome Extension https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/helperbird-accessibility/ahmapmilbkfamljbpgphfndeemhnajme 

Helperbird Google Docs/Slides Add-On: https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/helperbird/844716805038 

Helperbird Website: https://www.helperbird.com/

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TRANSCRIPT:

Hello and thanks for joining me for episode number 56 of the one-five. As always, I am your podcast hostess - Tricia Louis - and in this weekly podcast, I hope to bring you some great edtech tools, tips, and tricks.

In this week’s episode, I will be talking about the Helperbird Extension for Google Chrome. The Helperbird browser extension is designed to make the web more accessible and productive. There is a free version of the extension and there is also a pro version that allows for more features. Once the extension is installed, you can trigger the extension by clicking on the “owl” icon in your extension bar. A side-panel will open up over the website you are on and there you can explore some of the great features.

In today’s podcast, I am going to share about features in the free version, but I highly encourage you to take a look at the paid version as there is so much more available.

Here are some key features in the Free version of Helperbird.

Text-to-Speech (TTS): Helperbird includes a text-to-speech feature that allows users to have the text on a webpage read aloud. This can be particularly helpful for individuals with visual impairments or learning disabilities.

Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts and Backgrounds: The extension provides options for dyslexia-friendly fonts and background color adjustments to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Color Adjustments: Helperbird allows users to customize the color scheme of web pages, making it easier for those with visual sensitivities or color vision deficiencies to navigate and read content.

Readability Tools: The extension includes features such as line focus and font adjustments to enhance the overall readability of text on websites. There is also an option to trigger the Immersive Reader tool (like in Microsoft Edge). Also included is a PDF reader - including text-to-speech functions and the ability to open the PDF in Immersive Reader mode.

Customizable Styles: Users can personalize the appearance of websites by adjusting font styles, sizes, and spacing to suit their preferences and needs.

Focus and Productivity Tools: Helperbird includes tools like a reading ruler and a focus mode to help users concentrate on specific parts of the text, reducing distractions.

Zoom and Magnification: The extension allows users to zoom in on web pages and magnify content, catering to individuals with visual impairments who may need larger text.

Translation: Helperbird offers translation capabilities, allowing users to translate text on web pages into different languages.

Also, Helperbird has a Google Docs & Google Slides Add-On where you can bring many of those same functions mentioned before right into your docs and slides projects. Overall, I recommend that you take a few minutes and dig into the Helperbird Extension and experience how it can help students of all ability levels in your classrooms!

Do you want to learn more about edtech in your learning environment? Check out my website - tricialouis.com. There you can explore my resources, subscribe to my weekly email newsletter, and contact me. Don’t want to miss any episodes in the future? Go to your favorite podcast app, search for “The One-Five”  Podcast and subscribe! Feel free to review and rate and let me know what you think of this podcast! Keep in mind the information shared on this podcast may take additional clearances from your tech department to work properly in your district, school, or classroom. I have vetted all of the information shared on this podcast and it is available and/or correct on the date the podcast is originally published. But, remember that services, sites, or products can change or become unavailable without a lot of notice. Thanks for listening and join me next week for another episode of the one five!