Olney ISD tests translation devices
The Olney Independent School District stars in a promotional video for cutting edge translation devices that the district purchased last year to help an influx of non-English speaking students keep up with their studies.
OISD is one of the first districts in the country to use the Timekettle X-1 Translation Hub, and was featured in the promotional video based on the success that Olney students are having, said Alyssa Betts, the district’s coordinator for emergent bilingual programs.
Mrs. Betts said the district had used Timekettle’s translation tablet and earbuds but had technical difficulties with it.
“We ran into issues where [the tablets] weren’t staying connected and the teacher wasn’t sure what was being translated. Teachers also tried Google Translate but found that it did not translate academic terms correctly, she said.
“I thought, ‘There has to be something out there that is better, faster and safer for our kids,” she said. She discovered the X-1, which had not been released, on a trip to Austin. The company let her try it out in the classroom last March and by April, the administration had purchased 29 of the devices, which consist of a small box that is a combination screen and earbud case. The devices can translate 50 languages and dialects, something that was crucial for Olney ESL learners, who come from Venezuela, Columbia and Mexico and sometimes cannot understand each other perfectly, she said.
“Some of the words are different for different things,” she said. “I think a lot of times it’s like someone in Texas speaking to someone in New York.”
Each device can translate for up to 20 users who speak up to five languages. The box’s display screen allows kids to choose which language or dialect they want to hear, and shows the teacher the text that it is translating for the students.
The district had 93 ESL students at the end of last year, with 33 of them either non-English speaking or limited English speaking, she said.
“The kids love it,” she said. “I’m excited to see the growth for the entire year.”
Texas Education Agency guidelines show that children generally take up to five years to fully acquire a new language.
OISD moved three students out of the ESL program into regular classes this year, and hopes to move 20 more out next year with the help of the Timekettle devices.
“Once they truly understand English we start pulling [the translator] back because we don’t want this to be a crutch,” she said. “It’s a tool to get you going.”
The devices also are helping bridge the language gap between non-English speaker parents at parent-teacher conferences, she said.
At a recent conference with a non-English speaking parent, “everyone just spouted tears because the parent was saying, ‘Thank you for teaching my child and thank you for helping him understand just how smart he is,’” Mrs. Betts said. “It was a beautiful moment to be able to tell a room full of Englishonly speakers exactly what our school meant to her.”
Olney has had an influx of legal immigrant workers in recent years after local businesses could not find Americans to fill the jobs, Mayor Rue Rogers said.
“They are filling voids in the workforce, and becoming an integral part of the community,” Mayor Rogers said. “The surge of people coming to Olney highlights our need for more housing. The City Council, along with the Olney Economic Development Corporation, are working together to bring affordable housing to Olney. We want people to plant roots here and proudly call Olney home.”