Microsoft Office and OneNote hidden text to speech command!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by E.A. Draffan

A freely available way of using text to speech in Word, PowerPoint and OneNote and even
Excel is possible thanks to the Microsoft Office ribbon command menu. You can select text and have it read back. This idea does not offer all that specialist programs can provide such as text highlighting, pausing etc. but it is a quick way to hear how a word, phrase or sentence sounds when you want a quick check.
Adding speech in Word

If you go to Quick Access Toolbar in the ribbon you customise it by choosing More Commands – select ‘Quick Access toolbar’ from the menu on the left > Then go to the top of the right hand window and make sure you drop down the command list to ‘All commands’ otherwise you will not see ‘Speak’ in the list – Add it and return to your document.

When you have typed something or have a file to read – highlight the text and select the new speech bubble that appears in your Quick Access toolbar. The text will be read aloud in any voice you have chosen from the Control Panel > Speech recognition > text to speech.

This comes thanks to Jean

iPhone dictionary so easy to use.

Posted on December 15, 2012 by E.A. Draffan

“I like the iPhone’s dictionary – if you don’t know the meaning of a word on a website you just have to tap on it to get its meaning. So simple and easy.” Anibul

The dictionary was added for iOS 5 and it is important to just tap and hold on a single word to see the ‘Define‘ menu appear beside ‘Copy, Select All and Speak’. It does not work in all applications. In messages the complete message is highlighted on tap and hold but you can use Copy and use Speak.

Google Scholar for research material

Posted on December 11, 2012 by E.A. Draffan

“I use Google Scholar to search for materials and useful information for my studies and find this can lead to reading other papers as a result of the links to similar articles. It also helps when you want to cite a paper as it gives you the layout for the citation.” Katherine

iTunes U free app – open courses useful for extra information

Posted on December 5, 2012 by E.A. Draffan

The iTunes U app from the Apple Store has lots of open courses. It is very useful for my studies – you can listen to the course at the same time as looking at the slides in iBooks.

Henry – Web and Internet Science

It works on an iPhone and iPad – you need to register on the Apple store. Many of the courses are American. ‘Internet Economics’ as a lecture is an example from one of the courses and you have a podcast plus slides from Stanford University – “Future of the Internet by Ramesh Johari” You can speed up the voice up to 2x, pause the lecture and return to it later and rewind in short steps.

Google translator for unknown words

Posted on November 20, 2012 by E.A. Draffan

English is not my first language so I use Google translator to help me quickly find the translation for unknown words. It is not always right but you can use the dictionary and there is way of listening to the word. I sometimes put the word back into the left side to see what happens – Google can be set to automatically recognise the language you want and remembers your choice so when you return to the page it is very quick.

You can also add Google translate as a bookmark just for your language.

Web Science Student

emails for ideas, reminders and for questions that need to be dealt with later!

Posted on November 15, 2012 by E.A. Draffan

“When I have an idea for a project or something like that, I email it to myself in order to make sure that I remember it later or when I need to search for an answer to some question etc…” student

There is an online service called Nudgemail that allows you to send email reminders without signing in or having to open your own email account if you are parted from your own technologies for any length of time!

The company has put up a Nudgemail YouTube video that explains how you can sort out your timely reminders or link it up with Google Calendar.

Lexdis 2.0

Accessible technology for learning

Category Archives: Dyslexia