A Human Voiced Communication Tool or I Never Knew I Could Do That with the LiveScribe Pen

I've been suffering from "Blogger's Block" of late which is surprising considering I just got back from NECC 09 and have "written" many posts in my head. Unfortunately, getting them from my head to the fingers has been especially challenging. I'll ease back into writing with a quick post about a truly innovative way to use the Livescribe SmartPen. I learned about this at the Livescribe booth at NECC09.

If you are new to the SmartPen technology, it is a phenomenal computerized pen that links audio to whatever you write "so you never miss a word!" Great for students who struggle with notetaking or benefit from repetition and review when they need it.
But, here's the incredible part. The Livescribe SmartPen is also an affordable communication support tool! With a human voice no less! Read all about it here - "Augmentative Communication: A Low-Cost and Lightweight Communication Device with Natural Speech."

Here's one way to create image or text-based pages:

1. With the smartpen turned on, but with Paper Replay Record off, write a word on the page.
2. Tap the Paper Replay Record button.
3. Write a check mark (or other small symbol) next to the word.
4. Speak the word.
5. Tap the Stop button.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the list of words.
7. To use the page, the nonspeaking user simply taps on the mark next to each word to hear it spoken.

It is possible to create a communication book with laminated pages.

Additional points to consider:

• The pen that created the pages is the only pen that will work to play back the audio. So, velcro may come in handy here.
• The device user will need to be able to manipulate the pen to touch the keyword or symbol for playback.

Another portable, affordable and cool way (see also the Proloquo2Go which is more full featured) to provide communication support for people who have difficulty speaking.

The Next Generation of Smart Pens

Check this out! (This link was sent from an AT listserve that I belong to.)

LiveScribe is a product in development that takes paper-based computing to new levels. It's not a free product but looks like it has incredible potential for students who struggle with note-taking, organization and/or memory issues. Here's the company's description of one of their products:

Never miss a word – One of the key applications at launch for the Livescribe platform is called “Paper Replay,” which allows total recall from lectures, meetings or conversations by simply tapping on your notes. When used to take notes during a discussion or lecture, the smartpen records the conversation and digitizes the handwriting, automatically synchronizing the ink and audio. By later tapping the ink, the user can replay the conversation from the exact moment the note was written. Notes and audio can also be uploaded to a PC where they can be replayed, saved, searched or sent.

Create, share, and collaborate – Other applications will use the power of the Internet to enable personal expression. Handwritten messages can be sent as emails. Animated, hand-drawn “movies” can be posted and shared online. Spoken messages can be recorded, linked with written notes and emailed directly from a notepad.

Watch the company video here. Does it look cool or what? And seems reasonably priced for under $200.

They have a few other products in development that you can check out. The website says it will be available in the fourth quarter. I can't wait to get my hands on it to test for some of the students with whom I work.

Don't Take My Word For It

Update 5/31/10 - a commenter reported the audio in the video is difficult to understand and suggested I include the transcript. If I have time, I will write out a transcript. In the meantime, be forwarned, you may have a hard time understanding everything Shamin had to say. I still think his words are more valuable to hear than mine. Too bad the audio isn't better.

Nothing speaks to the value of an assistive technology tool better than a student's own words. I can trumpet the value of particular tools, but the power that comes from student testimony is far more effective. In this case, the tool is the Livescribe Smart Pen. I have written about the Smart Pen before and think it's an excellent tool for students with note-taking difficulties. In fact, I use it when I attend professional development so that I can review information later.

But what Shamin Ahmed, of the Arts and Tech High School in New York, has to say is far more important for you to hear. Watch the video below.

Ahmed reported, "Since I started using it (the Livescribe Smart Pen), I've gotten very good grades in all my classes and I'm not as stressed out as I used to be.....What do I like most about this technology? I literally never miss a word." Shamin also stated, "I learned that taking notes can be fun again"

Technology works. Technology bridges the gap. Are you allowing your students the opportunity to succeed and learn that "taking notes can be fun again?" Let this device increase your students' independence so that they never have to depend upon an adult's or peer's copy of notes.

Products I am waiting for....

The Pulse Smart Pen by Livescribe was promised last fall, and then rescheduled for debut in February. Now the release date has been pushed out to the end of March and I can't wait to get my hands on this tool. This looks like a powerful, cool way to remove the obstacles for so many students who struggle with note-taking for whatever reason.

Features include:

The Pulse smartpen records and links audio to what you write, so you never miss a word.
Built-in speaker plays back your recorded audio and provides audio feedback for smartpen applications.
High-speed infrared camera with Dot Positioning System (DPS) tracks everything you write, tap, or draw on Livescribe Dot Paper. The DPS not only enables printed controls for recording and playback on each page, but also interactive paper-based applications.

Watch the videos. This could be truly revolutionary for note-taking!

The second product was mentioned on Miguel Guhlin's blog and the Sungju TangoX Nano has incredible potential as an assistive technology tool - touch screen! portability! compact size! I do wonder about the price, the release date, battery life and the ability to run AT software. Keeping my fingers crossed that this could be a breakthrough tool for numerous applications....


I would LOVE to take both of these products for a test-drive! What a difference they could make for kids with special needs.

ReThinking : Assignment Notebooks

IMPORTANT: First, read The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn.  If, after reading this book, homework is still considered necessary for learning, you will want to consider these alternatives.

Many districts require assignment notebooks for scheduling homework and long-term assignments. For some students, a paper-based system works effectively. For other students, the assignment notebook provides unintended consequences as a method of frustration.  Not all students are able to independently record homework in an assignment notebook, for a variety of reasons (i.e. difficulty with pencil control, difficulty managing multiple paper materials, unable to use notebooks due to vision or physical disabilities) .  

The paper IS the disability for these students.

What are alternatives? Thinking creatively, and considering the ubiquitous technology available, here are a few options:

1.    Embed the assignments on the class webpage. Students (and parents) will know where it is recorded which can become part of the home routine.  
2.    Use Audio Recordings - If homework is assigned at the upper elementary level, have a student be the Homework Recorder for the day using simple tools such as Vocaroo, Fotobabble, or Eyejot (webcam needed). Or, use Audacity or Garage Band to create a podcast as a record of accomplishments as well as the assignments of the day. Whatever method is used, embed or link it to the classroom website or wiki.
3.    Use a Livescribe SmartPen to create audio recordings which are synched with the text for review at home. Audio recordings can be uploaded to the computer and linked to the class website or wiki.
4.   If you have a mobile device, consider these apps - SmartNote, Fotobabble, Evernote, any audio note app that allows you to embed or send to your students' email list.
5.   Allow students to take a picture where the homework is recorded with their cell phones or iPod Touches.
6.   Low tech - Allow students to purchase their own assignment notebooks - do not require a one size fits all mandated approach


Assignment notebooks, can get lost, students can overlook recording an assignment, students may have difficulty reading their own writing due to fine motor issues, When external supports are offered, students with executive skill challenges can flourish. They know (and their parents are grateful that) there is a place where they can find the information they need for success at home.

Keep in mind Toolbelt Theory. We have a responsibility to show students a variety of tools to develop their own toolbelts for use beyond school. Not everyone accomplishes tasks in the same standardized way. Some of us use paper-based organizers, others use cell phones or apps in Smartphones. Offering alternatives helps students develop a system that works for them instead of using a “one-size fits all approach” which may not actually fit.

These suggestions incorporate Universal Design for Learning principles. What is put in place for students with disabilities, benefits all students. Students can be encouraged to purchase the organizer that works best for them, if it is something they need. Some students prefer a daily, weekly or monthly view. One size does not fit all and assignment notebooks do not work for everyone.

Do you have other suggestions?