Dictation App for Chrome

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/voice-recognition/ikjmfindklfaonkodbnidahohdfbdhkn

The Dictation App is a speech recognition app for Chrome, and it is a website as well. It is a great tool for both differently able and typically able students. Students (or even adults) can use a microphone and speak whatever they want to appear on the screen, and Dictation transcribes it onto the screen. It is very good at transcribing even fast-paced speaking (see the demo video below).  You can also speak commands such as “new paragraph,” “new sentence,” and “stop listening.” It can easily be exported to a Google Doc, Drop Box, the computer, or email.

       Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDX-RVCmfWU

Dr. Copeland’s article, School Librarians of the 21st Century: Using Resources and Assistive Technologies to Support Students’ Differences and Abilities included a list of Helpful Hints For Selecting and Evaluating Assistive Technologies, and the Dictation App follows most of these guidelines (Copeland 2011):

• For typically-able students, Dictation will not serve as a distraction to a typical student because the app does not have to be up on the screen unless the child is using it.
• Licensing is not a problem with most school districts because the school district has Google accounts for every student, and it is a free app. It would be pretty easy for each school’s Google Administrator to push out this app to the students at the school.
• Some assistance may be required for a differently-able student to use it. Possibilities might include holding the microphone, clicking the Start Dictation Button, clicking Allow to access the microphone, clocking to export to Google Drive, DropBox, etc. 
• Dictation would potentially help students in all subjects, allowing differently able students to participate in lessons and group work.
• Many differently able students have technologies specified in their IEPs, and it is expected that all teachers and adults follow this throughout the child’s school day. That includes classroom teachers, special education teachers, related arts teachers, aides, etc. Since Dictation is web-based, students can easily take their Chromebook or other device with them to other classes. No bulky equipment necessary--just a small microphone!

Even for a student without an identified disability, some students are slow writers,
but have the ideas in their head. If they could speak into a microphone, they may be able to
keep up with the class better.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/voice-recognition/ikjmfindklfaonkodbnidahohdfbdhkn

This is a great tool for my school district because of the use of Chromebooks and because all students have their own Google account with Drive, etc. It can be used in all types of classrooms (regular ed, special ed, related arts, etc.) because it is for physical and academic disabilities, as well as typically able students. Teachers could tell students to use it for writing things like essays and reports. It would be great for brainstorming, drafting, and publishing. They could do presentations, type emails, create blogs, etc. It so easy to export it to Drive, DropBox, the computer, or email.  The possibilities are endless!

Link to Dictation App
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/voicerecognition/ikjmfindklfaonkodbnidahohdfbdhkn

Link to Dictation website: 
https://dictation.io/

Sources

Copeland, C. A. (2011). School librarians of the 21st century. Knowledge Quest, 39(3), 64-69.