Produced by: Michael Greenfield

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2001 A Space Odessey graphics sounds courtesy
of http//www.palantir.net/2001/index.html
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Emerging Voices Speech Technology in Schools

• Michael Greenfield
• Director of Technology
• Chappaqua Central School District
• michael.greenfield_at_chappaqua.k12.ny.us

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Overview

• Promise
• Current Applications
• Is it a viable solution?
• Next Generation

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What is speech technology?

• Speech recognition (SR)
• Discrete vs. continuous
• Voice command
• Speech input
• Text-to-speech synthesis (TSS)

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How does speech recognition work?
Diagram Courtesy of http//www.microsoft.com/spee
ch/evaluation/techover/
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What are the leading SR products?

• Microsoft Office XP
• IBM ViaVoice 9
• Dragon Naturally Speaking 6

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What are the leading TTS products?

• Aurora
• Kurzweil 3000
• Write OutLoud
• Microsoft/Apple OS

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Applying Speech Technology

• Supports students with learning disabilities
• Enhances interactivity and communication
• Develops language fluency

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Supports Students with Disabilities

• Graphomotor deficits
• Hearing-impaired or deaf
• Limited mobility

XP Demo
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Enhances Interactivity and Communication
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Develops Language Fluency

• Support reading fluency development
• ESL
• Foreign language learning and translation

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What are its pros and cons?

• Pros
• Reduces dependence on keyboard
• Improves language processing
• Increases independence
• Facilitates differentiation

• Cons
• Significant training requirements
• Expense and equipment intensive
• Immature technology
• Limited utility (still)

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Remember to Proofread
I use NaturallySpeaking, and encountered the
following goofs...   "On a clear day, you can
see forever" came back "On a clear day, you
conceive forever."  "Sociopathic" came back "Go
see a Catholic." - Excerpt from Computing Out
Loud, Susan Fulton http//www.out-loud.com
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Is the keyboard obsolete?
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Is it a viable technology for schools?
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(No Transcript)
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The Turing Test Can Computers Think?
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History Driving Forces

• In 1808, Pellegrino Turri built the first
  typewriter, so that his blind friend could write
  intelligibly.
• Alexander Graham Bell was granted a patent for
  the telephone in 1876, which was one of the
  devices he developed in support of his work with
  the deaf.
• Early speech synthesis work at Bell Labs, such
  as the "voice coder", were originally envisioned
  as machines to help deaf people speak more
  intelligibly.
• - Excerpt from Speech Recognition and Accessible
  Education, Sara Basson, IBM

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Whats on the horizon?

• Speech Application Language Tags (SALT)
• SAPI 5.x, Microsoft .NET
• Natural Language Understanding (NLU), IBM Human
  Language Technologies Department

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What promise does it hold for learning?

• Powerful, accessible, interactive portable
  learning tools
• Cost effective Assistive Technology solutions

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The Potential

• MIT borglab
• People vs. users
• Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

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Atigo L
Xyberkids
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Two trends in technology - integration and
miniaturization - are resulting in portable,
personalizable, versatile equipment. This means
that individuals can have more functionality and
far better quality of speech in a computer they
can transport to different environments. It also
means they can use the same computer and system
of access for word processing, creating
spreadsheets, drawing, controlling their
environments, and using the phone. They might
also choose to access printed text by placing it
in a scanner and letting optical
character-recognition software decode and
transfer it into a standard computer text file,
which can then be read aloud by a computer with a
speech synthesizer. And, if or when the needs of
these individuals change, they can add other
features that will let them control their
computers and their environments or communicate
using eye gaze, brain waves, or thoughts. - A
Millenium Vision, Alliance for Technology Access
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Closing thoughts

• Meeting the Turing Test
• There is an ongoing need for realistic,
  thoughtful experimentation using these
  technologies in schools
• Deliberate patience Dont cut the cord yet