Kathy, By all means, feel free to use the list. Hope it's helpful and not too
scary.
Patricia
PCorley@edc.org
____________________Reply Separator____________________
Subject: Re: Top ten skills
Author: spk2wrt@edc.org
Date: 11/30/98 9:25 AM
Pat:
I like your idea in regards to the committment that must be made by others in
training and implementation. Unfortunately, this IS the aspect that most fail
at. And until they are "failing" these teams often still enter VR thinking that
it will be an instant "cure". Several messages back, Bob also made reference to
the web site. I always tell schools that they should read this information to
give them a clear perspecitve. It is excellent, but again I find a limited
number really going in and checking the information. (Committement again). I
have also been giving schools a list of "Dictation Guidelines" which I feel will
help prepare students for VR. With your permission, Pat, I would like to use
your list also. Maybe that was what I was looking for when I asked about a Top
Ten list....I may get them to read a "list" which then may entice them to read
more on the web site.
Thanks for the info.......kathy staugler
mc_staugler@noacsc.org
On 11 xxx -1 spk2wrt@edc.org wrote:
> Hello Kathy,
>
> This issue of prerequisite skills is a very interesting one. When Bob and I
> wrote the proposal for Speaking to Write, one of the products we hoped to
> produce was a sort of "assets inventory" or "needs assessment" that would help
> people decide which students were good candidates for speech recognition. As
we began working with a range of students, we found that some of our assumptions
> (should have a 4th grade reading level or above, should have good attention,
> etc.) did not pan out in every case. We now realize that it depends on the
> student, the circumstance, and the goal of the work.
>
> For example, we worked with a 7th grade student with 2nd grade literacy skills
> very successfully. The goal of this work was not to make him a great
> independent writer, but to enable him to get his words on a page so that he
> could begin to learn to write. At some point we will write up this case, but
it taught us that speech recognition can be a very powerful instructional tool
for teaching bright, illiterate students to write.
>
> Unfortunately, the expectation often is that students who have always failed
at writing will suddenly be able to write with this tool. Or that speech
> recognition will get teachers or parents off the hook in this regard. In fact
> it may require a greater commitment to time and energy to that student.
>
> I would like to turn your concept of the top ten skills needed by students
> around and put the onus on the educators, parents, trainers, etc. who are
> considering the use of speech recognition for students with disabilities.
Here would be a beginning stab at the that the top ten conditions under which
speech recognition should be considered:
>
> 1. Other alternatives have been pursued (e.g. word prediction)
>
> 2. A committed adult who is willing to devote time to learning the ins and
outs of speech recognition to serve as an on-site support person
>
> 3. A realistic expectation about what it takes to train the system.
>
> 4. An ironclad understanding of how important training the system correctly
is.
>
> 5. Some understanding about how to introduce speech recognition to kids in a
> realistic and incremental way that does not overwhelm or frustrate them
>
> 6. The recognition that all other aspects of the writing process (e.g
> brainstorming, webbing, drafting, revising etc.) are critical and that speech
> recognition is just a production tool).
>
> 7. A commitment to teach students how to write using the above methods.
>
> 8. A willingness to persevere when the system isn't up to snuff.
>
> 9. A belief that the student has a right to write and that writing means
> getting your words on paper so that you can communicate them to someone else,
> and that is worth the above effort.
>
> 10. The willingness to stick with it and not jump on the "speech recognition
is just not there yet" bandwagon. For some kids, it's the only game in town.
>
>
> I hope this doesn't scare people off. I know that the effort can pay off big
> time for some kids.
>
> Patricia Corley
> PCorley@edc.org
>
> ____________________Reply Separator____________________
> Subject: Re: Speech recognition conference
> Author: spk2wrt@edc.org
> Date: 11/24/98 5:03 PM
>
> There is a great deal of interest/belief that VR is right for every child
> with a disability....does any one have a reference on an article that
> would include a list of "top ten skills needed to be successful with VR"...or
> something along those lines???
>
> Thanks,
> kathy staugler
> mc_staugler@noacsc.org
> Mercer OC ESC
>
> On Fri, 20 Nov 1998 spk2wrt@edc.org wrote:
>
> >
> > A conference - a chance to share ideas / success / and not so positive
> things??? Sign me up - no, I'll take 4 seats, no, I'll stand - just please
do it!
> >
> > On a more serious note... I know that I am not the only one in the country
> being buried under the idea that every child with a disability must have voice
> > recognition - on Wednesday it was a 4 year old, last week it was a minimally
> > verbal 10 year old.
> >
> > help.
> >
> > Cindy Grob
> > WSWHE BOCES
> > cmtomlins@global2000.net
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