[nobe-l] Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer with a Tablet and handwriting software

Fri Jan 27 16:40:29 UTC 2012

Steve
The digimemo does an excellent job in doing math and science calculations
and problems and these are the classes where the teacher is writing on the
board...most often and students are required to write the information
Denise

On Fri, Jan 27, 2012 at 8:12 AM, Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com>wrote:

> Albert,
>
> I did a search on Google and am either not finding the product you mention
> or the same details that you
> are seeing.  I find pens that contain a digital recorder and the ability
> to save the content to a
> computer, but I don't see anything that clearly states that the
> handwriting is converted to text.  The
> ability to save and organize notes in files on a computer could be of
> great value to people, but it
> doesn't automatically imply text.  Can you help me out?  Is there a
> specific product or model that I
> should be looking for?
>
> Beyond that, though, I admit to sharing some of the skepticism and even
> concern expressed by Mike.
> Products are tools, and as tools, have specific applications that can help
> us.  They have to be seen in
> perspective, though.  Let's take Ashley's example of getting student's
> notes of what was put on a
> blackboard.  Is it really independence that would have us use the results
> of OCR on handwriting of
> another student that copied text from a blackboard that was copied to the
> blackboard from what was
> likely computer-based notes?  There is a lot that can go wrong in that
> process, and in that example, I
> don't believe that another student should be used to make accessible
> information that the teacher likely
> already has in a reasonably accessible format.  How many instances are
> there when one couldn't find a
> more efficient way to get the information if onenew someone well enough to
> get them to use a SmartPen.
> There is still a great deal of difficulty in converting math and science
> notation into text that is
> accessible to us under the best of circumstances, and I fear that even if
> this device works well, it
> probably won't help us with that kind of information.  Often, it is math
> and science that give us the
> most difficulty when an instructor writes on a blackboard or whiteboard.
>  I can see a good deal of
> impact if OCR is developed that would read handwriting from documents
> without
> requiring the use of a special pen, and that will probably happen to some
> degree, but I fear that
> accuracy will be a challenge for a while yet.  I may be misunderstanding
> you, but I just don't see how
> this device will matter that much do us even if it does work as you
> describe.  We are almost to the
> point where hand-written notes are going to be part of the past.  Most
> students can use keyboards faster
> than they can write now, although I recognize that notes are still done
> with handwriting.  Where I work,
> though, we have gone from people taking notes by hand with pencil and
> paper to people writing notes with
> computers in less than ten years.  Still, if you feel my observations are
> incorrect, I'd be very curious
> to understand better how you see this device having the impact that you
> indicate.  Also, if this device
> could be used to accurately capture the notes of an instructor as they
> wrote on a board, I can see
> possibilities there, but there would need to be some rough edges worked
> out.  I also recognize that
> this list is probably not the place for an extended discussion of this
> topic.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
> .
> On Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:51:30 -0500, Albert J Rizzi wrote:
>
> >Mike, that is where you are mistaken. this does recognize handwriting. Do
> a
> >Google search on it and then get back to us. very new, about a year or so
> >old, and very workable. Also, allows the user to independently hand write
> >and keep there own notes. Just an option  which also could and should
> >include braille.  why is it that when options  that are there for our
> blind
> >community to use and access, while being very present in the 21st century
> >always draws discussion and resistance?
>
> >Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
> >Founder
> >My Blind Spot, Inc.
> >90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> >New York, New York  10004
> >www.myblindspot.org
> >PH: 917-553-0347
> >Fax: 212-858-5759
> >"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> >doing it."
>
>
> >Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> >Of Mike Freeman
> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 10:35 PM
> >To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
> >Subject: Re: [nobe-l] Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a
> computerwith
> >a Tablet and handwriting software
>
> >I confess that this seems more like a gimmick to me as opposed to a really
> >useful device. Why not either use an electronic note-taker or, in a pinch,
> >record with a BookSense or Victor Reader Stream than buy a specialized
> >device that doesn't really translate handwriting and still involves a
> second
> >person which these other technologies do not.
>
> >Mike
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> >Of Albert J Rizzi
> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:27 PM
> >To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
> >Subject: Re: [nobe-l] Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer
> with
> >a Tablet and handwriting software
>
> >One and all,
>
> >There is a technology out there that would and could all at once  satisfy
> >everyone, while promoting independence. It is called the echo smart pen.
> It
> >is sold with a note pad, that when used in combination  with the pen or
> >stylus allows any student to write what notes they want, and then have
> them
> >recorded in a micro chip in the pen, that will allow the writer to down
> load
> >the hand written notes to a computer in a text format that allows the
> >student of any age, provided they can write independently, to take control
> >over their own sense and need in determining the importance of what the
> >teacher is saying, when taking notes. It is under $200 and sold at target.
>
>
> >Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
> >Founder
> >My Blind Spot, Inc.
> >90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> >New York, New York  10004
> >www.myblindspot.org
> >PH: 917-553-0347
> >Fax: 212-858-5759
> >"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> >doing it."
>
>
> >Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> >Of Mike Freeman
> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 9:13 PM
> >To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
> >Subject: Re: [nobe-l] Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer
> >witha Tablet and handwriting software
>
> >Um, how is independence of blind students served by having others take
> notes
> >for them?
>
> >Also, it would appear to me that such a system would constrain the person
> >dragooned into taking notes to write in legibile English rather than in
> the
> >shorthand of abbreviations that virtually all of us used when taking
> notes.
>
> >Mike
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> >Of Dr. Denise M Robinson
> >Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 4:27 PM
> >To: Discussion about issues related to blindness; National Organization of
> >Blind Educators Mailing List
> >Subject: [nobe-l] Digital Handwriting -change to Text on a computer with a
> >Tablet and handwriting software
>
> >So I have been using the digimemo for some time now, really trying it out
> >to see if it is all that. Well, it IS all that. More importantly, I have
> >figured out how a blind person can do this all by themselves.
>
> >One of the greatest problems for blind students in school is how to get
> >handwritten notes as the teacher writes them in the front of the room. Now
> >they can get those notes on a digimemo and can translate them into text
> >that their talking software will read INDEPENDENTLY. They just hand the
> >writing tablet to a sighted student who is taking notes for themselves
> >anyway. They finish the notes, take their copy and hand the pad back to
> the
> >blind student. The blind student takes the pad and uses a computer to
> >translate the handwritten notes into text for themselves.
>
> >Yes, a para educator can do all this, but it will not make the student
> >independent and the para educator is not going to graduate and do all this
> >when for them in college or at their job. Using the*
> >DigiMemo<
> http://www.amazon.com/SolidTek-DigiMemo-692-Digital-Notepad/dp/B000
> >9OD4CS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327607962&sr=8-2>
> >* and the handwriting software now gives a blind person the opportunity to
> >get the information they need and translate the handwriting by themselves
> >using a computer.
>
> >If you would like to get an idea of how this works, watch this video from
> >start to finish and be Wowed. Yep, it is that impressive. Translate
> >Handwriting into Text on a computer with a Tablet and handwriting
> >software-audio/visual
> >lesson<
> http://www.yourtechvision.com/content/digital-handwriting-change-text
> >-computer-tablet-and-handwriting-software>
>
>
> >--
> > Denise
>
> >Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
> >CEO, TechVision, LLC
> >Virtual Instructor for blind/low vision
> >509-674-1853
>
> >Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons all done with
> >keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
>
> >"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> >doing it." --Chinese Proverb
>
> >Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are incredibly
> >slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond
> >imagination.
> >--Albert Einstein
>
> >It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
> >--Walt Disney
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-- 
 Denise

Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
CEO, TechVision, LLC
Virtual Instructor for blind/low vision
509-674-1853

Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons all done with
keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com

"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it." --Chinese Proverb

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are incredibly
slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond
imagination.
--Albert Einstein

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
--Walt Disney