Speech Recognition with Google Docs

This is an example of how to use Chrome's built in speech recognition with Google docs.

Google Docs does not have built in speech recognition but Chrome/Google.com does.

• Open up a Google docs document in Chromium.
• Hold down control and tap n for a new window.
• Navigate to Google.com.

  You should see a microphone icon on the right side of the search box.

Begin sequence
(dictate, copy/paste a sentence at a time.)

• Click the microphone and speak a sentence.
• Hold down control and tap a to highlight the entire sentence.
• Hold down control and tap c for copy.
• Hold down alt and tap tab navigate back to google docs.
• Hold down control and tap v for paste.
• Hold down alt and tap tab navigate back to Google.com

repeat the sequence

Hint:  Start with a period to get  Google to space and capitalize correctly.

Voice dictation is far from perfect.  But it is an effective tool especially for a dyslexic user.

Linux in the Classroom - Setup Ubuntu 12.04 as a Student OS

I've been a fan of Ubuntu but shied away from Unity.  Ubutu 12.04 has some features that are worth looking at: fast boot, simple interface, and reliable.  These should lead to more teaching time and less time waiting for / fighting with the computer.  So I installed and tweaked it for student use.

Our standard student computer is set up with a local shared student account.  We use Google Docs for our primary editing and collaboration.  Student can also log into/mount their share on the file server.

1. Install OS

I installed 12.04 on a custom partion small enough to be cloned out to any computer in the school - 37GB.  You can adjust this later with gparted.

Update - before installing software, replace the opensource Java with Oricale's Java.  I had multiple teachers complain that some of the websites they used would not work with the Java that comes with Ubuntu.  here is a link for instructions.

2. Install software

My standard software includes:

• Chromium - for Google Docs
• Flash
• LibreOffice - office suite - already included
• Audacity - audio editing
• Gimp - Photo editing
• Open Shot - video editing
• Blender - 3d editor used by openshot
• Inkscape - vector editor used by openshot
• Cheese - webcam capture
• MuseScore - music notation editing
• Tux Paint - paint program for kids
• VYM - mind mapping software
• education games, logic games and math games

3. Uninstall Software

Uninstall software I don't want on student computers:

• Email
• Messaging
• Social clients

4.  Setup Printers

Setup all the network printers the students need access to.

5.  Test and connect to any Wifi access points the students will use.

Wifi points need to be pre-connected as students can not change them.  Double check this after cloning to a new laptop. Ubuntu 12.04 is a little more picky about this.

6.  Setup the Student Account

6a.  Create the Account

Setup a limited account called student with a strong password.  Set the account to auto login.  Do not tell the students the password.  If they get to a point where the computer is asking for a password, they probably shouldn't be there.  They need to back out or restart the computer.  Turn off asking for password after screen saver, or suspend.

You should end up with an admin account and a student account with the student account auto logging in.

6b. Set the Environment

Set the student account's look/feel.

• Setup the launcher icons the way you want them.
• Turn off asking for password after sleep/resume.
• Turn off saving passwords in Chrome.  It's a shared account.
• Set the default printer.
• Set the screen background and screensaver.
• Set the default document type in LibreOffice to Word for compatibility.
• Setup a link to the school's Google Docs login.
• Set the homepage.
• Create a link to login/mount the school's file server.

7.  Create an Apps folder

I install a lot more programs than I want to put on the Unity launcher and my students get lost under Dash.  So I created a folder on the desktop called Apps.  

• Create the Apps folder
• copy/paste the files in /usr/shared/applications to the Apps folder
• ctrl-a select all, right mouse click - properties, set the execution bit.
• Delete the program launchers you don't want the students to have easy access to.
• Organize - I put the games into a games sub folder.

8.  Make the Master Image for Cloning

Use Clonzilla to make an image of the disk to be cloned out to other computers.  After cloning, you will need to set the wifi and default printer for the location the computer is in.

Update - 12.04 boots faster than 12.10.  I haven't found any advantage to moving to 12.10.

Google Apps for education - stay signed in

It's unfortunate that Google will not allow us to turn off 'stay signed in' for Google Apps on student computers.

Here's a work-around. I'm using Chrome on the student computers. Go to settings - Under the Hood - privacy - Content settings - Cookies and check 'Clear cookies and other site and plug-in data when I close my browser' I can't think of any good reason for a shared computer to save cookies beyond the current session.

MSM612-Learning Html with CSS

Here I go with another cool graduate class. This one is about how to write good html code and pair it with CSS.

I'll be using this blog to make notes and ideas I learn in this class.