Evaluations

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Dragon Naturally Spreaking

Publisher: Nuance Communications, Inc

Age group:11-17 years

Year published: 2005

Curriculum: Literacy

Recommended Price: $99.99

Format: CD ROM

System: PC

Min spec to run:

• Intel� Pentium� / 1 GHz processor
• 512 MB RAM
• 1 GB free hard disk space
• Microsoft� Windows� XP (SP1 or higher) Home and Professional, 2000 (SP4 or higher)
• Creative� Labs Sound Blaster� 16 or equivalent sound card supporting 16-bit recording
• Microsoft� Internet Explorer 5 or higher
• CD-ROM drive (required for installation)
• Speakers (required for playback of recorded speech and text to speech features)
• Nuance-approved noise-canceling headset microphone (included)
• Web connection required for activation

SUMMARY
Dragon Naturally Speaking is a program that allows the user to talk to his or her computer instead of typing. As the user dictates into a special microphone his / her words are transcribed onto the screen. The user can dictate into Microsoft Word, e-mail Programs, Personal organizers or virtually any other program in which you normally type.

Dragon Naturally Speaking can be of use to students with Dyslexia, particularly those students that have writing difficulties. I started using it in conjunction with my schools involvement with the Laptops Initiative. It gives these students a new way of producing school work that does not involve a lengthy course in typing skills. Many students with Dyslexia are also poor typists hence the advantage of this program. The initial training and tutorial programmes are not particularly Dyslexia friendly, however with assistance and once general training is completed the user can quickly become proficient in its use.