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From spoken word to story Photo by Bob Pennell Ashland Middle School seventh-grader Nate Knapp "types" on the computer with his hands at his sides, using voice-activated software. The software allows kids with learning disabilities to save time, do better work and gain confidence, says teacher Kathy Yeoman. Software writes words kids can't put on paper By SARA MURPHY ASHLAND -- Putting pen to paper can be a nightmare for some of Kathy Yeoman's brightest students. Some of the Ashland Middle School students in her study hall struggle with fine motor control, others with learning disabilities. Whatever the problem, the result is often poor penmanship, mangled spelling and failing grades. But the kids aren't stupid, Yeoman says. And now they're proving it, with help from a computer program that translates speech into the written word. "It's going to change lives for my learning-disabled kids," Yeoman says. "It essentially takes away their disability." Voice-recognition technology isn't new, but it is new to Ashland students. The middle school and high school each have a copy of the program for students who, for whatever reason, have trouble putting their thoughts on paper. Users program the computer to recognize their voice by reading through a 20-minute script, which offers choices from "Alice in Wonderland" to Dave Barry. Then they're ready to go. Of course, the program has its flaws: homonyms, or words that sound the same but are spelled differently, can cause trouble. And the students must speak slowly, with minimal background noise. Still, the result is a world of difference, Yeoman says, showing a what-I-did-on-spring-break essay written in crowded cursive. The author watched the Seattle Mariners' batting practice "in sego fenlnd and me and my brothr omst cont a falm ball and i gotn to see Ken Griffey." The boy almost caught a foul ball. "The ones that (the program) really works for are the ones whose handwriting is very slow and laborious and almost illegible, even to them," Yeoman says. She's spent hours scribing for students, even penning a love note dictated by a boy to give to his girlfriend. "I can only do that for one student at a time," Yeoman says. "And I want them to be more independent." After six weeks in the classroom, the program is already a big hit with the students. They're saving time, doing better work and gaining confidence, Yeoman says. "I can do a page paper in 10 minutes," says Chris Moore, a seventh-grader. Writing the paper by hand, he says, would take 45. "This is a cool program," says Nate Knapp, a seventh-grader. "I like it because I'm a really bad speller." Knapp is just learning to do his assignments orally, talking into a headset microphone. To demonstrate, he tells the computer: "Hello my name is Nate period" His words appear on the screen: Hello mine name is made. Clearly, there's some editing required. But the program will continue to learn Knapp's voice the more he uses it, Yeoman says. It also takes some time to get used to talking to the computer, she says. And some students find that it's easier to type. "For some of them, it's a lifeline; for some, they can type faster," Yeoman says. "Good. Type." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA