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

Fri Jan 27 17:03:00 UTC 2012

Denise and all,

Here is a direct link to the manufacturer of the echo smartpen.

http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/echo/

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 Dr. Denise M Robinson
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 11:54 AM
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

Steve
Go to this link:
http://www.brookstone.com/echo-smartpen?bkiid=SearchResults|CategoryProductL
ist|650606p
You just need to know how to take it from PDF to text..which is easy if you
have the right PDF converter
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
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