About Jelani
Jelani is a Year 12 student at a mainstream sixth form college completing his T Level course in Digital Business. Jelani was originally referred to CENMAC by his previous school to support his communication and literacy skills in the lead up to his GCSE exams.
Jelani has a great attitude to his learning. He learns new skills quickly and is always willing to help his peers with their technology. He is determined to work as independently as possible.
Aims of CENMAC support
It was important for Jelani that he was able to maintain pace and keep up with his coursework initially when he was preparing for his GCSEs.
“I like using CENMAC because it has different tools and software that I can use to complete any project or task.“
Technology used to support Jelani’s access to the curriculum
Jelani has a Surface Pro with Microsoft Office, Dragon for dictation, Inspiration to support with the planning of his coursework and revision and DocsPlus to support his writing.
CENMAC provided Jelani and his school training on how to use Dragon and Inspiration.
Successes
A person-centred approach has allowed Jelani to be involved in his CENMAC reviews. It is important for Jelani to be able to express any concerns he has about the assistive technology he is using. He has had great success using Inspiration, Dragon and DocsPlus. They have allowed him to keep up with his peers and maintain pace with his studies.
Examples of Jelani’s great mind maps were used at CENMAC’s annual conference Communication Works during the Inspiration workshop.
Quote from Jelani
I like using CENMAC because it has different tools and software that I can use to complete any project or task.
The Inspiration Software is very helpful because I get to manipulate several mind maps and use different functions to understand the best path to solve each problem.
DocsPlus indicates synonyms and the correct spelling for words.
The fact that in Exam Mode all extra tools are removed is an added bonus, as this feature allows me to use the platform during exams. Using Inspiration on my tablet is also a pleasure.
What impact has the assistive technology provided by CENMAC had on your access to the curriculum and your learning and self-confidence?
The technology has helped me to understand definitions, which therefore helped me to understand the curriculum better. This was helpful to my learning and my self-confidence increased.
Would you recommend the CENMAC service to other schools?
Yes.
“The Inspiration Software is very helpful because I get to manipulate several mind maps and use different functions to understand the best path to solve each problem.“
About the Technology
Microsoft Surface Pro
Microsoft Surface Pro has the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet.
Dragon
Dragon helps to take the stress out of self‑expression.
For students with accessibility needs or those that simply struggle with writing, Dragon brings the freedom to speak ideas onto the page without worrying about spelling or the mechanics of typing. The result? Faster, more natural composition that makes ideation effortless.
Inspiration
Simple to use, but powerful in the impact it has on users, Inspiration 10 is the ideal visual thinking tool for creating mind maps, concept maps, graphic organisers, outlines and presentations with ease!
Inspiration 10 makes it easy to quickly capture your ideas and visually organise them. Then, transfer your visual diagram to a written outline in just one-click, perfect for structuring writing projects.
Inspiration 10 encourages strong critical thinking skills, supports the writing process, and helps you build conceptual understanding to map out your knowledge and communicate it with others.
> Find out more about Inspiration 10
DocsPlus
Help struggling writers overcome barriers to progress with DocsPlus, an award-winning writing tool for secondary schools.