Karl Barksdale

Gates on Speech and Touch Screens

Karl Barksdale — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:59:00 +0000

Tina in VA sent me this link. Check this one out...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080222/gates_goodbye_keyboards.html?.v=2

In light of this, you may want to read my blog on touch screens.

http://www.karlbarksdale.com/2007/08/multi-touch-screens-latest-input.html

Also, the tips for Vista users may be helpful.

http://www.karlbarksdale.com/2007/10/ten-essential-tips-for-windows-vista.html

Karl

Google Apps for Dummies

Karl Barksdale — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:45:00 +0000

If you've been wondering why I've been a bit lax on updating my blog in the past few weeks (okay, months), it's because I've been very much involved in school and writing a little book called "Google Apps for Dummies" with my good friend Ryan Teeter. Ryan has emerged as the key authority on this subject, and worked for me at Google, creating their first formal training materials for Google Apps.

So, to quote Ryan, “ I'll blame my complete lack of blog updates to the overwhelming detail and humor that have gone into creating this amazing tome.

“Now, mind you, this book is chock full of random and amazing stuff that will take you cleverly through the epic journey of Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs (word processing, spreadsheet and presentations apps), and Google Talk and help you make the most of these amazing tools. I'm not too biased, of course, having worked as a trainer at Google, so you can expect only the best information and goodness. And if that weren't enough, we even cover the brand new Google Apps Team Edition, which lets you get going right away with Google Apps using your existing company or school email account.

“Don't trust me, though. It's on Amazon.com so it has to be real, right? Expect to see all of the black-and-yellow goodness at your local bookstore this April!”

With Microsoft offering 44 Billion for Yahoo!, something is going on online that we need to pay attention to. Mainly, we need to question the long-term usefullness of the personal computer as technologies, like the iPhone, move these tools to the phone and handheld computers. When this decade-long change takes place, all data and applications will come from an online source – it has to happen that way. So, Google and Yahoo! are on the long-term correct path and Microsoft has to use its wealth to get into the game that will be the reality a decade from now.

Anyway, that’s why I would hope you would take the time to investigate Google Apps. It’s a peek into our future as Business Educators.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets and Singledocumindedness

Karl Barksdale — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:41:00 +0000

I’m teaching at an early college high school on the Utah Valley University campus. In my preparations, I have found Docs & Spreadsheets an essential tool, making my job a lot easier. The starting point for the suite is called the Docs Home that makes it easy to keep all the documents organized for my three classes. Docs & Spreadsheets is an online office productivity suite that includes:

A) Docs. An online word processing software app
B) Spreadsheets. An online spreadsheet app.
C) Presentations. A PowerPoint-like presentations app.

Advantages of Docs & Spreadsheets

For starters, I have access to my documents online anytime I need them from any computer. In fact, multiple users also have access to the same documents simultaneously, making sharing and collaboration a snap. There are other advantages:

1) Never misplace a document: Google’s sophisticated search tools to find any document on any topic in your personal Docs library quickly, no matter how many documents or folders you have generated

2) Singledocumindedness for sharing, collaboration and version control: Singledocumindedness means that you don’t need to keep multiple versions of any document ever again -- not for yourself and not for your collaborators. A single copy will do because changes are cataloged and maintained within a single master document in your Docs Home. Google Docs will allow you to revert back to any at any point during the creation process at any time.

Singledocumindedness beats the alternative, multidocumindedness; saving multiple copies of the same document in multiple folders, on multiple drives.

3) Multi-folder support: Stop making a zillion new folders! Don’t save copies of the same document in multiple folders or on multiple drives. Instead, any number of folder names can be attached to a file as a label so the document will appear, like magic, in any folder you assign.

4) Platform independence: Docs & Spreadsheets do not care if you’re an Apple OSX user, a Linux user, a Windows XP user, or a Windows Vista user. All it needs is a web browser like Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Safari on any platform and it’s all good.

Regardless of platform, multiple users can edit the same document alongside a Windows Vista user in real time without a problem.

Is there any downside to Google Docs & Spreadsheets?

Yes. If you must be online to use Docs & Spreadsheets. If you need to work offline, you'll need to export your document from the Docs Home to your hard drive into a file format your desktop software will understand.

Ten Essential Tips for Windows Vista Speech Recognition (aka, Going from Dragon to Windows Vista Voice Recognition)

Karl Barksdale — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:44:00 +0000

These questions came from the most experienced Dragon user I know. I hope you find them helpful. (Also, I believe the new book on Microsoft Windows Vista Speech & Handwriting Recognition with the medical and legal activities will be ready starting November 6, 2007 from South-Western / Cengage. (Info at: www.karlbarksdale.com/books.html) The beginning lessons are also found in the DigiTools second edition book.

1. How do you start a new user or are all profiles lumped together?
When you set up a new user in Windows, they receive their own personal copy. In other words, when you create a New User in the Control Panel, that person gets their own copy. This is a lot less hassle than Dragon because students can't accidentally pick the wrong one. They must login with their own username and password to get into Windows, and then they get their own copy.

2. When I say "New Paragraph," it goes to the next line as it does when I say "New Line." What do I do?
This is Word dependent. Depending on your settings in Office Word 2007, there is no difference between the NEW LINE and the NEW PARAGRAPH commands. That is determined by your settings in Microsoft Word. (For example, if you're using Word's default settings you get .10 spacing regardless.)

3. When I selected a phrase that I just wanted to edit, I could not just speak over it. When I would select and speak over it, the new phrase I said came up in the correction box and I had to select it. Is that the only way you can edit by selecting and speaking over?
That is correct. Any correction will appear in the Alternates Panel (correction box) first so you can make sure it is accurate before you paste over a selection of text. This may seem cumbersome to experienced Dragon users, but after you get used to it you find that you make a lot less mistakes and things are fixed more precisely. I don't think you really lose any time doing it this way and it is certainly a lot less frustrating than trying to correct the same mistake multiple times.

4. Is there a toggle key to turn microphone on and off?
There is no toggle key to turn the microphone on or off. Instead, you must say STOP LISTENING or you must click the microphone with your mouse.

5. Is there a way to type in a corrected word that is not in the correction box?
No. You must spell it out letter-by-letter.

6. Can you format by voice such as bold, italicize and underline, change font size and color, etc. without going through the commands to open the font menu, etc.?
Absolutely. In fact, never go through the font menu. Using the SHOW NUMBERS command and choosing the number "#" followed by "OK" will do it. Also, when you use the SHOW NUMBERS command, the actual voice command will appear in the user interface (where it usually says LISTENING). From that point on you can just say that command (for instance, bold, italic, strikethrough). But remember you must always wait until the spinning busy icon stops. If it is a recent action, you may still need to pick the numbers for the Undo and Redo commands or for different alternatives you have chosen, so keep your eye out for the numbers.

7. How do I say a command word?
Don't forget about the INSERT command. Visit an older blog on this subject at http://www.karlbarksdale.com/2007/07/windows-vista-sr-tip-1-insert.html for a lesson about this one. If you don't use the INSERT command, Vista voice recognition can get a bit frustrating.

8. What do I do when Vista speech learns spelling errors?
The other thing you must remember is that Microsoft's speech dynamically learns words in your document - including spelling errors. The only way to get them out is to copy and paste them into the feature that blocks words from being dictated. (SHOW SPEECH OPTIONS, OPEN THE SPEECH DICTIONARY, PREVENT A WORD FROM BEING DICTATED.) You can delete these errors from the dictionary later if you like, but you must prevent them from being dictated first. It is a two-step process.

9. Can I dictate into my web browser?
I have trouble dictating into Firefox, but no problem dictating into my Gmail or Google Docs using Internet Explorer.

10. What do I do if numbers suddenly appear out of nowhere?
Don't forget the CANCEL command. If numbers appear for some reason, to say CANCEL and move on.

Google and Business Education

Karl Barksdale — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:52:00 +0000

About a year ago someone asked me, "What's next?" I knew exactly what she meant. Now that Microsoft's speech & handwriting tools, mobile computers (like the iPhone), Office 2007's Ribbon technology, and the other DigiTools are going mainstream, what's next -- what's out there on the horizon?

It was a fair question. I went fishing for the answer with friends in the industry (Jared in particular) and it came down to one word:

Google

Certainly, a battle is brewing for the hearts and minds of computer users over the next decade. Who will come out on top, nobody knows, but there are legitimate reasons to believe that Google is designing the DigiTools of the future that will make mobility and collaboration oh, so sweet and easy to do. Google is building a new paradigm, and there are eight reasons why they can make it work.

1) Google's Apps for Education: Google has bundled free word processing, spreadsheet, e-mail, calendaring, search, and start page tools for schools. Particularly with e-mail and calendaring software, this could significantly reduce costs in hardware purchasing and in administration. Also, students in the program will be able to do their work for any computer terminal with a web browser and save it safely on Google servers with access from their local schools. Learn more about Google Apps for Education at www.google.com/businesseducators.

2) Many More Free Applications: Google has about 40 applications that are free for individuals to use. many are fun, others are very instructional, and many have uses in different educational subjects. Certainly, CTE programs could benefit from programs like sketch up or... Learn more about all of these tools by viewing www.technonerd.info. More on this in a later posting.

3) Cost: With Apps for Education, Google will allow you to save (all of your work, files, word processing docs, spreadsheets, multiple calendars, chat history, e-mail, you name it) free! Why should you have to pay for personal e-mail? Why should you have to pay for a personal wordprocessing software program? Why should you have to pay for a personal spreadsheet application? Why should you have to pay for personal online website hosting? Why should you have to pay to do a lot of things you pay for now application by application?

4) Free Web/Blogging Tools: Google will host your website, your blog, and even your Google groups free as well.

5) Files Available Anywhere on Any Device: Many of Google's applications are designed to work, not only on someone's PC but on their smartphones and every other other portable device they have with a Web browser. The idea that you can you can get to your documents on any device, from any web browser, anywhere in the world is compelling.

6) Safe Backup and Storage: Google is the ultimate backup and storage system. If you drop your laptop, destroy your hard drive, or of anything else happens to your local data, your data will be safe at Google, if you use their applications. Why should your information be held captive by your hard drive?

7) Collaboration Made Easy: Google has figured out how to make collaboration software work. Google allows almost anything to be shared easily: word processing documents, spreadsheets, calendars, group information, pictures, multimedia, you name it. All it takes to collaborate on most documents is a simple e-mail address and your password.

8) Marketing & Advertising Online: Google has pioneered efforts in search engine marketing (SEM) and in other online advertising efforts Google has changed the landscape in advertising and altered the curriculum for every marketing class in the country. (Visit www.google.com/businesseducators and download their free *Marketing and Advertising with Google* textbook. It's a great read and explains how AdWords and AdSense work. AdSense and Adwords are the keys to Google's financial success.

To learn more visit www.karlbarksdale.com.

Multi-touch Screens: The Latest Input Technology

Karl Barksdale — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 21:34:00 +0000

Just when you thought you knew everything you needed to know about input technologies Apple comes out with something new: multi-touch screens. And they're not the only ones working on multi-touch. Apple was simply the first to make multi-touch a compelling feature in a handheld computer they call the iPhone.

The multi-finger-touch-sensitive screens react to the flicks, pinches, and pushes of your finger tips. Multi-point commands are easy to do, simple to learn and are as intuitive as using a single-point pointing device such as a mouse or digital pen.

The problem is, Apple came out with the iPhone (and a brilliant implementation of multi-touch) before the rest of the industry was ready to respond! How typical of Apple to trump the market. And there are two other problems with the iPhone: cost and availability. Currently, you have to use AT&T as your phone service and then pay 500-600 dollars for the device. So while multi-touch is really cool, very few people can afford it yet. And, the iPhone is totally impractical to teach in the classroom -- we can't give each student a new iPhone/handheld computer regardless of how brilliant it is.

Not to worry. Ubiquitous multi-touch screens are coming soon. And it's something we should keep our eye on. Perhaps we will be buying monitors that handle multi-touch or laptops that allow multi-touch fingertip control for students to try.

Will multi-touch replace a digital pen or mouse? In some ways I hope so. Have you ever lost your pen? It would be nice to use your fingertips in an emergency, wouldn't it? Also, using more than one touch-point, more than one finger on the screen at a time, gives the technology some added features that are just plain exciting. Here are a couple of links to YouTube videos on multi-touch that you might find interesting. Remember, the equal sign at the end of these web addresses is required.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulwA3n8AYM0&amp;eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKqyn-gUbY&mode=related&search=

I don't know where I first heard the term "input technologies." I do believe it was in Virginia. Nevertheless, I'm so glad that back in 2002, business education began talking about "input technologies" as a broad category that encompasses all of these new DigiTools. Who knew that we would move so far beyond just keyboarding and the mouse in such a short period of time? NBEA’s far-sighted National IT Standards admonished students way back then to, use a variety of input technologies and develop proper input techniques (e.g., keyboarding, scanning, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and the use of a touch screen or mouse). Now that’s vision.
(National Standards for Business Education, www.nbea.org, ISBN 0-933964-56-0)

Windows Vista SR Tip 1: INSERT

Karl Barksdale — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:16:00 +0000

The *INSERT* command is essential to know and solves two key problems:

A. *INSERT* allows you to voice-type command words out instead of triggering commands. For example, if you want to type out the command words SELECT, INSERT, or BOLD, simply say:

*INSERT SELECT*
*INSERT INSERT*
*INSERT BOLD*
*INSERT START*
*INSERT START MICROSOFT WORD*

B. If Vista SR dictation seems to stop or gets stuck, precede your dictation with *INSERT* to get dictation moving again. The *INSERT* command can be used as a push start.

Troubleshooting with *INSERT*:

For example, if you are trying to dictate and nothing seems to be happening, first look around and see if any of the *SHOW NUMBERS* are appearing in Microsoft Word's Ribbon. If so, say CANCEL. If dictation still doesn’t seem to be working, simply say:

*INSERT word or phrase*

This will often trigger things quite nicely and gave your dictation a gentle push start. You can then start dictating normally.

Vista Speech at NBEA's National Convention in NY

Karl Barksdale — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:42:00 +0000

This blog gives five reasons why you should make the switch to Windows Vista voice recognition as soon as it is practically possible. But before we jump into that:

DOWNLOAD THE VISTA SPEECH POWERPOINT SHOWS

I posted the two, long-overdue Windows Vista speech recognition PowerPoints I promised at WBITE and NBEA. The shows support the Windows Vista Speech instruction as written in the new “DigiTools 2nd Edition” and “Microsoft Vista Speech & Handwriting Recognition” texts. Look in www.KarlBarksdale.com/books.html and click the links for the two books that are pictured. From there, they can be downloaded in both PowerPoint 2003 or 2007 formats.

PowerPoint 1: The first show is a Getting Started guide for Windows Vista speech recognition. The slide show will allow you to demonstrate what your students will be doing as they first start Microsoft Windows Vista speech recognition.

PowerPoint 2: The second PowerPoint is a collection of my most requested speech recognition slides entitled “Quotes and Concepts.” Feel free to pick and choose from among the slides and use as needed.

UBIQUITY & COST

The two Windows Vista speech recognition training sessions at the NBEA national conference were timely. With the adoption of Windows Vista exceeding even Microsoft's projections --over 200,000,000 will be on desktops very soon--Microsoft Vista speech recognition will give the technology something it has never had before . . .

Ubiquity.

High-quality Microsoft SR will now be available to people for free in their homes, at work and in their schools. As Andy and Chris (co-presenters at the two sessions) pointed out *Now, when we teach speech recognition, students will be able to go home (or off to college or to their jobs) and have free access to the same speech recognition software we're teaching in class without having to spend a couple hundred dollars.*

Call it a gift from Microsoft. Their speech recognition software is now so good that they could have chosen to spin it off as its own separate product and to make a profit on their years of research and development. Instead they chose to make it part of the Vista input technologies suite, which now includes support for:

* Keyboard
* Mouse
* Handwriting recognition
* Speech recognition
* Scanning
* Digital downloads & transfers

It's another historic turning point in the input technologies evolution. In fact, it may be the last quarter turn at the end of a very long marathon that started in the late 1950s. Now that speech will become truly be ubiquitous, it can finally be universally taught and accepted and assume its place as a tool on par with the ubiquitous keyboard.

PERFORMANCE OF VISTA SR

But what about performance? Can Vista SR compete with the other alternatives? At our first session at NBEA, we had the very group of teachers capable of answering that question in an authoritative way. The session was designed for experienced speech recognition teachers eager to compare products.

Near the end of the session, our casual poll of these expert voice recognition teachers was a resounding YES! Windows Vista got people excited!

The Vista voice recognition instructional materials from the new second edition DigiTools book also performed extremely well. (www.karlbarksdale.com/books.html)

There is a caveat: Microsoft hasn't yet fully developed speech recognition yet for Excel and PowerPoint, and there is a trick to sitting it up that we will explore in a future newsletter. However, the Windows Vista program far outshines its competition when controlling the Windows user interface. The new SHOW NUMBERS command gives complete access. It also does a much better job in dialog boxes and makes full use of Microsoft Word.

EASIER TO TEACH

After three teacher training sessions and a classroom trial taught by Andy and Chris with their students, here is the bottom line; Vista speech is just plain easier to teach--by a long shot. The evidence is building. Andy and Chris are the only teachers I know of that have been teaching Vista Speech (in lieu of Dragon) to their students during the 2006-2007 school year. They can validate this claim. Vista SR is easier to teach and learn than any of its previous competitors! For my part, I have been teaching Dragon training sessions every summer since 1999, and the three Vista sessions I have now been part of have been the easiest and most successful of my tenure.

ACCURACY & COST

Vista SR is very accurate. (Some believe, including me, that it’s more accurate than its primary competitor.) And, Vista SR is free with every new Vista PC. For the price, accuracy, and the ease of use, Windows Vista speech recognition has no peer. My final recommendation is to make the switch as soon as it is practically possible, which means when you upgrade your computers to Windows Vista in Microsoft Office 2007.

GOOGLE IS BUILDING A WORLD OF ONLINE LEARNING

Karl Barksdale — Tue, 08 May 2007 04:38:00 +0000

Google has a world-wide-web of learning tools for your students to explore, use and apply. The Mountain View company is building a robust digital teaching and learning environment for all to use.

This first post is a teaser — a small snippet — to help guide you to a few of the education-friendly solutions available at Google.

GOOGLE SEARCH: Naturally, every discussion of Google begins with search and research. However, most students limit themselves to simple keyword searches when there are powerful search options (such as dictionary and academic searches) that can pinpoint research queries like a laser beam.

But there is so much more:

WORD PROCESSING and SPREADSHEET Software: Do your students need free access to powerful word processing and spreadsheet software whenever and wherever they happen to be working? It’s available at DOCS.GOOGLE.COM. Students can save their work at Google's expense on their servers while maintaining backup copies on their own PCs. Then, they can access their documents on any DigiTool: desktop, laptop, tablet PC, ultra mobile PC, or smart phone.

GOOGLE EARTH: Just imagine what Google Earth can do for students in geography, history, geology, meteorology, and many other courses.

PAGES.GOOGLE.COM: Wish to have your students create powerful web pages and have them hosted free of charge? All of the templates available in Google's web page design editor make it a snap to create professional looking pages without buying any expensive Web design software.

ADSENSE and ADWORDS: Are you teaching a marketing or web design class? Explore with your students how money is made online. AdSense and AdWords are powerful new marketing and advertising tools that can help nearly anyone monetize a web site. Teach how this new soon-to-be-a-hundred-billion-dollar-a-year-online-advertising-industry is being created. It’s essential instruction as part of a complete DigiTools, web design, e-commerce, or marketing class.

MULTIMEDIA: Imagine how Picassa and Google's video site can enhance student multimedia, photography, or video production projects by allowing student work to be shared.

MAIL, MESSAGING and RSS: Google's Reader can give any student targeted RSS feeds so they can keep up on current events or the industries they are preparing to enter. As an instructor you can also keep up on current trends. Tools like instant messaging can enhance communications between study groups. And don't forget Gmail, a place to store a lifetimes worth of e-mail from fellow students, teachers, and colleagues.

And this list is just scratches the surface. Return to this site every month for concrete ideas on how Google can enhance teaching and learning. And like Google, all the advice posted here is absolutely free for you to take advantage of -- so take advantage and enjoy!

-Karl Barksdale

First WBITE Vista Speech Recognition Training

Karl Barksdale — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 17:50:00 +0000

It was a fabulous and memorable day. On Saturday, February 17, 2007, I was privileged to teach my first Windows Vista speech recognition teacher training class with the actual shipping version. (Chris and Andy beat me to the punch four months ago at the Washington Business Education Conference with the beta software.)

It was held at the 11-state Western Business and Information Technology Educators (WBITE) conference in Missoula, Montana.

The software and the training materials greatly exceeded expectations. There were 18 participants; seven were experienced Dragon NaturallySpeaking instructors. We started with the tutorial and then went directly to the DigiTools Vista SR training materials. Both the software and the materials got the job done quickly and efficiently.

In my informal polling of the Dragon instructors, I got the impression they all agreed that Windows Vista SR will be much easier to teach. In short, they seemed to really enjoy it. We all noticed that we were passing off the basic techniques far more quickly than with previous SR applications. What's more, Vista speech recognition proved to be very accurate.

Here are the Key takeaways:

1) Windows Vista SR training can be completed much more quickly when compared with previous speech recognition applications. Competent teacher workshops can be conducted comfortably in 3.5 hours (down from 7-12 hours).

2) I’ve been teaching speech recognition courses for over eight years… This was the easiest workshop I have EVER taught because:
a. The tutorial proved to be a much easier way to ease new learners into the software.
b. Experienced Dragon users come up to speed very quickly as a result of the tutorial.
c. The software performed smoothly and accurately.

3) After the tutorial, the teachers worked through the DigiTools speech recognition chapter. While working to the training materials, commands worked quickly and cleanly with many less sticky points than I have ever experienced in the first hour of training. (We had two faulty headsets which were swapped out quickly, and that was the only real hiccup.)

4) The teachers quickly caught on with their timing between commands and dictation.

5) Teachers demonstrated a high level of accuracy right from the start.

6) The error correction techniques -- levels 1, 2, and 3 -- are extremely easy to teach. The error correction system is far less confusing to beginners than previous SR error correction systems. (They loved Microsoft’s implementation of the corrections system and found the "Spell It" option MUCH easier to use.)

7) Teaching the Speech Dictionary options (such as adding new words, editing and deleting newly added words from the dictionary, and creating one-line voice macros) is a piece of cake.

8) The core training materials included 41 pages of practice exercises. After covering the 41 pages, my feeling is that a trained Dragon NaturallySpeaking teacher can immediately teach Vista SR to students as soon as they can get it installed. (New SR teachers should probably practice for a few hours on their own before starting to teach the Vista SR application to students.)

9) Teachers loved the "Show Numbers" option. They also enjoyed using speech in combination with the new Microsoft Word 2007 interface.

We are greatly in debt to David Fuller and his IT team at the College of Technology in Missoula, Montana, and Sue Cheff (President, of the Montana Business and Information Technology Educators Association) and her conference committee for planning the training and installing Windows Vista and Office 2007 for this conference. They took a big risk installing the software so early after its release and seizing the moment to make this historic speech recognition training event possible.

I will post teaching tips and a PowerPoint in the textbook support section at www.karlbarksdale.com/books.html in the days to come that you can use to initiate the instruction process.

THE FIRST WINDOWS VISTA SPEECH RECOGNITION CLASS IN BUSINESS EDUCATION

Karl Barksdale — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 14:32:00 +0000

Someone had to be first. But who could have guessed that the first Business Education Vista SR session ever would take place three months before the release of Windows Vista! Nevertheless, this historic milestone came on Friday, October 13, 2006.

Andy McClure and Chris O'Mara of Fife School District in Washington cobbled together a beta installation of Windows Vista and Office 2007 for the Washington State Business Education Association conference in Yakima, Washington.

And their efforts were rewarded by an enthusiastic group of BE instructors. The participants were ecstatic.

One experienced speech recognition teacher summarized the feelings of most when she said Vista speech "IS A DREAM."

What amazed the instructors most was the instant accuracy right out-of-the-box.

The instructors went directly into the new speech application and began talking. One teacher reported that her first sentences were 100% and said, "THE ACCURACY IS AMAZING." This comment is all the more amazing when you know that the session was only an hour and a half in duration so there wasn't time to complete the tutorial or to read an initial training story. (An initial story reading is not required anymore with Microsoft’s new speech recognition.)

Windows Vista speech recognition was a runaway hit. Every instructor I talked to expressed how easy Vista SR was to use and how much easier it is going to be to teach speech recognition to kids in a Vista lab. It seemed to me that the more experience a teacher had with speech recognition instruction the more excited they were about Vista. The experienced SR instructors seemed in complete agreement that Windows Vista SR is going to make teaching speech much easier when compared with previous SR applications.

And remember, Andy and Chris ran this first ever workshop with beta software. And I can say without hesitation, Andy and Chris are the only two business educators I know of in the entire country that could have pulled this off with beta software three months before the new speech product even releases.

They were the very first to acknowledge the extraordinary help they received from the technical support team back in Fife, led by Cindy Agnew, and the technical team a Yakima Valley Community College, led by Michael Batali.

To run the beta software, special removable drives were built at YVCC by students in the IT103--Operating System class, under the direction of their instructor Mike Batali.

According to Batali, "The drives were built with a dual boot option with Windows XP and Windows Vista RC1 (release candidate 1). On the Windows XP partition, Office 2007 beta 2 was installed, followed quickly by the Technical Refresh for Office 2007. This was a very practical experience for students as the drives were actually used outside of class!"

This is a wonderful example of teamwork between the students and instructors at YVCC personnel, Fife School District and Washington's business educators.

In Utah, we were attempting to capture that top spot. In fact, we were meeting on October 15, 2006 to plan a Train the Trainers Vista SR training program for January 2007. And before we can even have our meeting, Chris , Andy, Mike and his students beat us to the punch. A hearty congratulations on reaching forward and bringing us all up to speed with you.

UPGRADING DIGITOOLS TO WINDOWS VISTA AND OFFICE 2007

Karl Barksdale — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 23:56:00 +0000

AND WHAT IT MAY MEAN FOR SPEECH AND HANDWRITING INSTRUCTION

Clearly, Windows Vista will make teaching speech and handwriting recognition much easier than it has ever been. Since the shift to Windows Vista and Office 2007 is the biggest change for schools in about 15-20 years, it requires serious thought about how to move forward responsibly and expeditiously.

Here are some things to consider:

1) Both the speech and handwriting recognition have moved to Windows Vista.

There is no Microsoft speech recognition in Office 2007.
There is no handwriting recognition in Office 2007 either. (Read MORE IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING HANDWRITING below.)

2) I doublt anyone will be able to use Dragon 6, 7, or 8 with Office 2007. My guess is they will need to upgrade to Dragon 9 and then download a special update for Office 2007 running under Windows XP. Then, they may need to upgrade again when they try to run Dragon with Windows Vista.

All of this sounds like a lot of work and hassle for instructors and system administrators. With speech recognition built into Windows Vista for free, it seems like a win-win to let Microsoft worry about the upgrades and all of the compatibility issues.

3) As long as a school is running Office 2003 with Windows XP, continue with Dragon or teach Microsoft Office 2003 speech. Schools need not feel that they are too far behind with this configuration. At least they’re meeting the core objectives fostered by the new technologies.

But the Office 2007 interface is so new and exciting, it will be hard to see how a school can continue teaching the old Office 97-2003 interface for too long. (Read my earlier blog on this at http://inputtechnologies.blogspot.com/2006/08/wait-for-microsoft-windows-vista-and.html)

4) If a school wants to upgrade to Office 2007, they should consider upgrading the whole enchilada to Windows Vista and Office 2007 at the same time. It may take them several years to do that financially, but it will be easier, I believe, to migrate away from Dragon at that point. The money saved on upgrading to Dragon, approximately $3000 per computer lab, could go toward a computer hardware (RAM) and an OS Windows Vista upgrade.

5) My recommendation for such an upgrade would be:

1 GB of RAM Minimum - 2 GB of RAM or more, much better
A 64 bit, 3 GHz processor or faster (Vista will run on 32 bit processors but will not provide the full Vista multimedia effects.)
A 256 MB video card (Vista will run on lesser cards but will not provide the full Vista multimedia effects.)

IMPORTANT NEWS REGARDING HANDWRITING:

With the release of Windows Vista in early 2007, Microsoft's handwriting software will be standardized and will look very much like what you’re experiencing today on a tablet PC.

There will be no separate Office handwriting recognition tools like there were for Office 2003! It has been replaced by the same high-quality tablet PC tools available on every PC, including desktop PCs with Wacom boards. But you will need Windows Vista to run it.

Let me just reiterate the exciting news! You will get the same handwriting recognition software on both tablet PCs, ultra mobile PCs, as well as on desktop and laptops using Wacom boards. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE VISTA OS ON EVERY NEW COMPUTER SOLD!

This is a major step forward for input technologies instruction. This will make things much, much easier for every input technologies teacher.

Sincerely,

Karl Barksdale
This was voice-written with Microsoft Windows Vista speech recognition.

WAIT FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA AND OFFICE 2007 TO SHOCK YOU!

Karl Barksdale — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:39:00 +0000

There are just a few times in one’s career when software hits like a bolt of lightning and you find yourself saying, “This is really good. Where have you been all of my life!”

My big shockers were WordPerfect 4.2 in the 80’s, Netscape in 90’s, Dragon in 1997, Microsoft’s handwriting recognition in 2002, and Microsoft OneNote in 2003.

Lightning is about to hit again – twice this time. And it will hit hard smack dab in early 2007.

If you drive to Redmond, WA these days and wander around the Microsoft campus, you’ll see a wonderful banner that says “Lightning Strikes Twice.” It’s a reference to Windows Vista with its powerful speech and handwriting tools, and Office 2007 with a completely revamped interface unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Both will both release at the same time.

Wait for them to strike. If you’re thinking about upgrading, make arrangements to upgrade to these new software programs after January 1, 2007. They are incredibly good and well worth the wait.

But if you’re upgrading your hardware this fall, be careful. There are two types of computers being sold this fall:

Windows Vista Compatible: Capable of running the basic components of the new operating system.
Windows Vista Premium Ready: Capable of running all of the tools and special effects provided by the new operating system.

To see the changes in Office 2007 visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx

To read what you need to know to make your computer Windows Vista Compatible/Premium ready visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/vistarpc.mspx

If you want to run at all of the speech and handwriting recognition tools comfortably as well as see all of the special effects provided by the new Aero interface, consider the following hardware:

3.0 GHz processor or faster
2 GB of RAM or more (I would push for 4 GB of RAM)
120 MB video card (An upgraded video card is necessary to see all the special effects)
USB headsets for speech recognition
Wacom board for handwriting recognition (Read the upcoming October post to learn how the handwriting recognition works differently now that it is part of the Windows Vista operating system on desktop and laptop computers. Tablet PC users and ultra mobile users will feel right at home.)

Microsoft Windows Vista Speech Recognition

Karl Barksdale — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 05:08:00 +0000

© Karl Barksdale 2005, 2006

In early 2007 Microsoft will debut the next version of its Windows Vista operating system. Built into Vista is Microsoft's next-generation speech recognition (SR) program. I had the opportunity to try a beta version of this new SR software while visiting Microsoft at the end of July, 2005 and again, a year later with the Beta 2 release in 2006.

It's good -- very good.

I love Vista speech recognition! More importantly, I think students will love it. My main frustration is that we are still months away from its release. I want to start teaching it right away!

If you were frustrated by Office XP or Office 2003 speech, Vista SR should melt those frustrations away with its clean, intuitive user interface (UI). More significantly, early indications are that Vista's speech accuracy and performance will be similar to what Dragon 7 and 8 instructors now take for granted. After experiencing Vista's speech performance firsthand, I believe instructors currently teaching SR will be quite surprised and pleased by Microsoft's Vista SR software. It's so easy to use that any current Dragon-trained instructor should be able to teach Vista SR in a heartbeat.

Why We Need Speech Recognition in Windows Vista

Vista's speech recognition will be part of the Windows OS, not just a part of Microsoft Office; hence, it will be on every new Windows PC sold. That's big. Consider the implications

Implication 1: A training explosion. I believe that Vista SR will ignite the biggest change in Business Education since typewriters gave way to the PC. Vista SR will start fulfilling Bill Gates' 1998 assertion quoted in Business Week: "Speech is not just the future of Windows, but the future of computing itself."(1) Gates knew what he was talking about then, and Microsoft's development team is doing its part to turn that vision into a reality.

Far our part, we can't move our training efforts forward at a more accelerated pace without Microsoft Vista's SR. You see, by the time the decade is out, we need to teach speech and handwriting, along with continued keying skills, to everyone:

80 million students currently in school and those to follow.
8 million teachers and support staff.
Every business and government agency within the sound of our collective voices.

To ignite this training explosion, quality speech recognition must be found on every computer in every Business Education lab. For that matter, SR needs to be on every school computer. This is why the upcoming release of Microsoft's new Windows software (which was code-named Longhorn but renamed Windows Vista) is so very exciting. Pervasive SR can now become a reality. Our job is to make sure students and teachers alike can use it effectively.

Implication 2: Increased productivity. The new Windows OS will sport a speech user interface (UI) that will allow users to control their computers with voice commands. Additionally, voice-typing between 100-200 words per minute will be within the reach of every user. This will dramatically increase the input productivity of those with speech recognition skills. In addition, SR should significantly reduce the number of repetitive-stress injuries caused by improper keying.

Implication 3: The consequences of inaction. My biggest worry is that some of our Business Education colleagues will continue to sit on the sidelines. Wouldn't it be a shame if a board member, principal, or vocational director had to ask the Business Department to start a speech and handwriting recognition training program…instead of the other way around?

I love Business Education, and I worry what the implication will be if the English and Science teachers down the hall start using Windows Vista SR before the Business Department initiates effective SR instruction. Will some comment, quite understandably, "Is our Business Department on top of this?" Input technologies should be the business of Business Education.

Microsoft Windows Vista SR will initiate a new phase in the history of input technologies. Those who have already started their speech recognition programs are positioned to take advantage of this change quickly and with great effect.

Speech recognition, along with its handwriting recognition (HR) counterpart, is finding a place in Business Education. Already, eight U.S. states have included these DigiTools in their course standards(2) and others are updating their standards every day. Our National Business Education Association placed speech and handwriting input tools in its standards in 2001. In 2003, our joint Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education published a national policy encouraging business educators to "take the lead in using, teaching, and integrating" these new input tools in the curriculum.(3) Now, that's leadership!

Every era of dramatic change requires such leadership. The pioneering days of speech and handwriting instruction are coming to an end. With the release of Vista SR, the large-scale retraining of North American teachers and students will move into high gear. And so begins one of the most exciting eras in Business Education's history.

1 Gross, Neil; Judge, Paul C.; Wildstron, Stephen H.; Port, Otis. Let's Talk! Speech Technology is the Next Big Thing in Computing. Business Week, February 23, 1998.

2 Changing Input Standards. Downloaded: August 3, 2005. www.speakingsolutions.com/news/standards.htm.

3 PCEE Policy 73: This We Believe about Computer-Input Technologies. Downloaded: August 3, 2005. www.NBEA.org

We Have an Epidemic on our Hands

Karl Barksdale — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 04:30:00 +0000

Karl Barksdale © 2001

Keyboards should come with warning labels from the Surgeon General reading, "Repetitive use of the keyboard and mouse can be painful and potentially hazardous to your hands, arms, shoulders, necks, backs, etc."

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and related Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) are reaching epidemic proportions due to poorly designed keyboards, a dramatic increase in the amount of typing and clicking people do, and a two-decade long educational push to encourage faster keyboarding at increasingly younger ages. Some schools even have kindergarteners learning to type!Gender Biased Nerve Disorders

Recently, while presenting speech recognition to teachers in Arizona, I asked, "How many are experiencing pain in their hands, arms, shoulders or necks due to keyboarding and mouse clicking?" About 11-12 hands went up. In a room roughly split between the genders, nearly everyone that raised their hand was a woman. Since there were approximately 45 people in the room, this reflected the national trend of 1 in 4 keyboarders suffering RSI symptoms. And nationally, women suffer RSI and carpal symptoms roughly 3 to 1 more than men.

Keyboard and mouse related CTS and RSI are gender biased physical and nerve disorders. I warned the teachers that women over 30 must be especially careful to reduce the number of keystrokes they make each day by at least 50%. But even this may not be enough. Many sufferers must cut their keyboard use by 90 to 95% or suffer the long-term medical consequences.

When You Feel the Pain . . . You’ll Understand

The more you type, the more at risk you are. And the more years that go by, the more likely you are to experience pain and even nerve damage. But for so many computer instructors, it’s business as usual; a – s – d – f – j – k – l – ;

Now, keyboarding is still very, very important and will continue to be essential for some years to come. But given the scope of this epidemic, keyboarding teachers need to approach computer instruction differently with a mind toward using voice to help reduce the potential for injury. Speaking Solutions is asking for a balance in our computer data entry workhabits. Reducing keystrokes is important, eventhough a few instructors don't seem to think so.

And why don't they think it is important?

Because some computer teachers and corporate trainers don’t suffer with RSI themselves, they can easily dismiss their responsibility to teach speech solutions to this growing problem. Normally, teachers don't experience high rates of RSI. Teachers are constantly interrupted by class breaks, calling role, helping students, and performing other instructional tasks. This (thankfully) takes them away from their keyboards, reducing the intensity of their typing experience. This is a nice bit of luck for teachers, but office workers who are chained to their keyboards cannot afford the luxury of frequent breaks. And the QWERTY keyboard is hurting them – by the millions.

When you feel the pain yourself, you will instinctively ask yourself this question, “Is this pain necessary?”

No!

Pain isn’t a “fact-of-life” in the information age. There is an alternative. This epidemic can end quickly if we effectively train students to use speech recognition software.Why Should Kids EVER Be At Risk for RSI?

The sad part is, these disorders are creeping down to younger and younger computer users. Once confined to a demographic between 30 and 55 years of age, hundreds of thousands are suffering RSI in their twenties and more than we care to admit are feeling the pain in their teens. (See the article Kids Wrists at Risk from U.S. News and World Report.)

The more we force keyboarding on young children, the greater their long-term risk for RSI and CTS. Ironically, by the time these young students reach college age, they will be talking to their computers as naturally as we talk on our telephones today. So why are we taking up valuable elementary and middle school instructional time on a skill that is rapidly declining in importance?

As for adults, in 1998, OSHA reported over 647,000 cases of RSI resulting in nearly $15-20 billion in lost work time and workman's compensation claims. Many experts believe the numbers are understated. The problem has increased dramatically since the mid-'80s when keyboards replaced typewriters. One company reported that it costs nearly $50,000 for every carpal tunnel injury an employee suffers.

Let’s not add today’s students to these RSI statistics. Let’s teach alternative ways to use a computer.The Lamentable Legacy of the Typewriter

Typewriters were not as guilty of giving users RSI because constant breaks were built into the typing routine. At the end of each sheet of paper, the typist had to remove the paper and insert a new sheet and adjust the various mechanisms on the machine. This broke up the keystroke routine. Typewriters also stood higher off the desktop, forcing the typist to avoid resting their hands directly on the carpal tunnel region at the base of their wrists. As I am fond of saying in my training sessions, "Today's mass-produced keyboards have few redeeming features. I long for the days of the electric typewriter."

Albeit, the typewriter left us an unfortunate legacy. Back in the days of mechanical typewriters, it was extremely easy for a fast typists to type too fast! This would cause the metal arms of the machine to jam together. Some of us older folks remember jamming the keys on our old portable Remington's or Underwood's.

To slow typists down, the keyboard was organized in the most awkward way possible. The keys we use most often are in the most unbelievable places! For example, the letter A is pressed with the weakest finger of the left hand. The letter E requires a reach of the middle finger on the left hand. Because most typists are right hand, the best way to slow down the greatest number of typists was to emphasize the left hand.

This scientifically designed inefficiency was inherited by the modern computer keyboard, and made worse by low-cost construction and bad keyboard design. Can anyone explain why do we use are weakest fingers to capitalize letters or to press Enter or Return?

With no built-in mechanical need for breaks to remove paper or to adjust the typing mechanism, today's modern keyboard is a devastating tool. Because we failed to change the method of keyboarding at the dawn of the computer age, the current "QWERTY" method lives on, and incidents of carpal tunnel and repetitive strain injuries have skyrocketed from the mid-1980s, reaching epidemic proportions by the dawn of the new millennium.

While I am not advocating the end of keyboarding, prudence dictates that the entire Business Education and workplace training communities to follow these dictums:

Moderation in all things.
Reduce keyboard use by 50 percent.
Don't teach the QWERTY keyboard method before the fourth grade.
Teach the most efficient tool for the job!
Recognize that continuous speech recognition software is simply a more efficient and productive way to enter most types of data into computers.

Our Mission

We are launching a national-level training campaign to help reduce repetitive strain injuries (RSI) such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) caused by the common keyboard and the mouse. Over 200,000 carpal tunnel surgeries are performed in the United States each year. Hundreds of thousands of workers toil with unnecessary pain at their workstations. Computer input devices are particularly harmful to women, who suffer WMSDs at a rate more than three times that of men. The human hand simply was not designed for the constant repetitive motion required by constant keyboard and mouse data entry. WMSDs are dramatically increasing. Eventually, one in every four computer users may be afflicted by workplace computer related injuries — unless something is done.So what are we to do?

For a start, we must reduce the number keystrokes and mouse clicks our fingers make as we enter data into our computers. Continuous speech recognition (CSR) offers a way to increase productivity while reducing keystrokes and mouse clicks dramatically. The astounding improvements in speech recognition software made by Lernout & Hauspie (L&H VoiceXpress), IBM (ViaVoice), and Dragon Systems (NaturallySpeaking), now make it possible to reduce our dependence on the keyboard and the mouse. Users of these software packages routinely voice-type at speeds in excess of 140 words per minute with over 90 percent or better accuracy. Clearly, CSR is more efficient than the keyboard at routine data entry.

We are seeking to retrain 25 to 50 million workers in North America within the next five years in the use of speech software. Our training attacks this health and safety problem in three ways:

Re-trains employees currently on the job
Prepares young people to use continuous speech recognition K-12
Reinforces ergonomic instruction regarding keyboard and mouse use and dispel myths about current keyboarding methods and techniques

To accomplish this initiative we must start by retraining Business Educators and Human Resource Trainers. These are the two training groups that have the greatest reach. Reports are that for every one dollar spent in prevention, four dollars can be saved in lost productivity. Help support the effort to find a win-win solution to this growing problem. It is time to dispel some critical myths.The Proper Technique Myth

For decades and decades we keyboarding/typing instructors have uttered our mantras:

Sit up Straight
Feet on the Floor
Wrists off the Table
Arms in Position
Eyes on Copy
Do It Right and Avoid Injury

If only this were a formula to avoid RSI -- but it isn't. Too many students leave their typing classes thinking that if they just type properly, they can avoid injury.

This is a myth.

For those who are susceptible, the "proper technique" only delays the inevitable and typing in the same position constantly can actually accelerate the problem.

For those who type on-the-job the pattern has been set. How many hundreds of thousands of people will follow these seven simple steps to discomfort, numbness, and pain:

Type Lots and Lots
Notice Discomfort, Numbness, and Pain
Acquire Wrist Bands
Get Worse
Start Cortisone Treatments
Get Worse
End up in the Operating Room

While it is essential that keyboarding/typing teachers emphasize proper workstation ergonomics, hand and wrist position, and to notice the signs of RSI and carpal tunnel, they shouldn't believe for a second that proper technique will in any way make a significant difference in this problem over the long-term.

The body was not made to work in the same position every hour of every day. Move around, take breaks, fidget, adjust your chair if it helps; but remember, if you type and click too much, you will be susceptible. And the most effective injury prevention technique is to reduce keystrokes and mouse clicks significantly.

There are five training goals that we are pushing with all of our energy. If you feel you can endorse our efforts toward attaining these goals, please email Speaking Solutions at http://www.speakingsolutions.com/news/epidemic.html.

Five Goals

Reduce keystrokes and mouse clicks among healthy computer users by 50% in 5 years while improving their overall productivity.
Reduce keystrokes and mouse clicks among WMSD sufferers by 95% in 5 years while improving their productivity.
Encourage continuous speech recognition (CSR) instruction into every K -12 school and college by 2005.
Establish a CSR Trainer of Trainers program for Business Education teachers in every state and province.
Assist corporate Human Resource departments as they implement much needed CSR training on-the-job.

Note: Are their problems associated with talking too much to your computer? Absolutely. Students need to bring water bottles to voice-typing class and sip water constantly. If they talk too much, they should stop talking and type for a while. Don’t forget the dictum, “Moderation in all things.”

Speech Recognition's Role in Reducing Injuries

Karl Barksdale — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 21:37:00 +0000

By Karl Barksdale © 2003
ITS OFFICIAL, AND IT IS HISTORIC and POLICY #73 IS THE KEY!

Amid the flurry of activities at the recent NBEA conference in Dallas, the Policies Committee drafted an insightful new policy to help guide Business Education through the looming input technologies evolution.

The Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education is a national-level commission representing the Association for Career and Technical Education/Business Education Division, Delta Pi Epsilon, and the National Business Education Association. To wet your appetite, here’s the introductory paragraph:

Policy Statement 73: This We Believe about Computer-Input Technologies:

“Trends in technology require business educators to provide opportunities for all students to learn the new technologies and techniques that are emerging in today’s workplace. Current technologies include speech recognition; handwriting recognition tools, such as Tablet PCs; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and other handheld devices; and scanners. While touch keyboarding techniques remain a viable foundation for entering and manipulating text and data, other skills include composing, editing, enunciating, electronic handwriting, and scanning. Educators must provide instruction on a variety of input technologies for successful academic, professional, and personal applications.

Note: Choose this link to policy statement #73.

Business Educators constitute the largest and most effective technology training organization in North America; it has now broadened its definition of what constitutes input technologies training. The new definition goes beyond keyboarding and mouse clicking to include speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and other viable input options. All of your colleagues and administrators MUST read the entire policy statement. The policy asks Business Education teachers to “...take the lead in using, teaching, and integrating computer-input technologies into the curriculum." Please take the time to share the entire document.

ATTACKING THE INJURY PROBLEM

The NBEA Policies Commission also took a powerful position on the injury prevention issue with the following statement:

"We believe that students must be made aware of the health benefits of an integrated approach to text and data input. Research indicates that carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries may be linked to occupations that require repetitive use of the hands (i.e., keyboarding and mouse operations). Varying the use of computer-input technologies reduces the risk of repetitive motion injuries."

Using a computer should not be painful! Varying the input-technologies routine will help reduce injuries for millions of computer users. Teaching students the gamut of technology options will give them the alternative skills they need should they experience discomfort, dysfunction, and difficulties. Learning input alternatives at an early age can mitigate the negative impact that any one technology alone may cause.

And the software can be helpful regardless of age. In an effort to rehabilitate after a recent carpal tunnel operation, my own intrepid mother, age 81, is using Dragon to do her church computer work. A former home economics instructor, her carpal tunnel is the result of years of sewing, needlepoint, and gardening. Albeit, without Dragon, computer use would have been rendered an impossibility.

In terms of injury prevention, speech recognition is the most important of these new tools. While it doesn't take a great deal of time to teach speech recognition effectively, it is far from an easy teach. The future of millions of hands, wrists, shoulders, and necks depend upon our ability to pass along three essential speech recognition skills.

First, speech requires basic reading skills. Sadly, all too many students can’t read aloud effectively. This means the Business teacher of the future will also be a part-time reading coach.

Second, speech requires enunciation skills. The future Business Education instructor will need to go back to something similar to the dictation curriculum popular in the 1970s.

Third, speech requires the ability to compose at speaking rates over 140 words per minute. The Business Education instructor must be grounded in technical writing, composition, and communication skills.

THE TIDE HAS TURNED

It’s no longer an uphill battle to convince instructors of the value of teaching speech recognition. For that matter, handwriting recognition is now receiving general acceptance. At the WBITE conference, in my first session, a third of the participants were already teaching Dragon! In addition, this year I have noticed a huge change in the knowledge level and attitudes of the average person on the street. More and more people now perceive speech recognition as an anecdote to the daily grind of repetitive typing. Everywhere I go someone already knows about Dragon, ViaVoice, or Microsoft speech. I see Tablet PCs in airports, in offices, and at meetings. Colleagues are using their speech software to complete their graduate writing. One of our Business Education colleagues from Missouri was even invited to Finland to conduct seminars on speech recognition!

Students we have trained at Farrer Middle School are entering college already and are finding their community college and university programs accepting of speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and of mobile Tablet PCs, as indicated in an article by Janet Ray Dupree in U.S. News & World Report (5/12/03).

"And what college student, late on a 2,000-word essay, wouldn't rather talk than type? Last semester Seton Hall University in New Jersey, in an effort to keep undergraduates on the cutting edge, started distributing IBM ViaVoice software to its entire freshman class. Says Chief information Officer Stephan Landry, 'They’re the ones who will carry it into the business world. They're the ones who will make all of us want this and need this."

TEACHING EVERYONE? NO PROBLEM

I believe we hit a kind of "critical mass" of acceptance last year sometime without really knowing it. I don't know how it is in your area, but I am getting fewer and fewer "Why" questions. I am now getting mostly "How" questions. The "should we" has given way to the "how do we" mindset -- and changing the mindset is a critical part of the battle.
But now the big job begins. By 2009, we must teach 8 million teachers and support staff and 80 million students how to effectively use speech and handwriting recognition (along with the rest of the input technologies).

For Business educators, this is nothing new. After the personal computer came out in the early 1980s, Business instructors trained an entire generation of students to use personal computers, word processing, and a host of other communications tools before the end of that decade. North America became computer literate as a direct result of Business Education efforts in the 1980s.
This is familiar ground and a familiar responsibility.

What we teach and how we teach it is important. Our efforts have lasting effect. NBEA’s leadership is critical to the productivity and health of our students and of our economy.