Comments on: CrazyTalk http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/ Andy Watson's blog on educational ICT in Scotland Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:06:20 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: David S. Hay http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/comment-page-1/#comment-315 David S. Hay Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:58:18 +0000 http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/#comment-315 Fair fa yer honest sonsie face You seem to have aged alarmingly and I'm not sure about the accent. Clever software with obvious potential Fair fa yer honest sonsie face

You seem to have aged alarmingly and I’m not sure about the accent.

Clever software with obvious potential

]]> By: Andy Watson http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/comment-page-1/#comment-308 Andy Watson Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:07:31 +0000 http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/#comment-308 I think its main value is that it catches the attention, especially of younger children. It might be used to introduce a topic on a whiteboard or to 'read' a poem. It might be a part of a stand alone lesson but you have to balance the time taken to create the material with the overall benefit to the pupil. Any kind of mechanical reader will never be good enough as a reader for children who require support as, however good the intonation, speed, etc might be, it cannot react to the listener. A good reader subtly amends the reading style to take the listener's reactions into account. You might want to have a look at another program from the same company - <a href="http://www.reallusion.com/" title="iClone" rel="nofollow">iClone</a> - which lets you control the movements of an avatar. Crazy Talk and iClone can work together to create talking, moving avatars. I think its main value is that it catches the attention, especially of younger children. It might be used to introduce a topic on a whiteboard or to ‘read’ a poem.
It might be a part of a stand alone lesson but you have to balance the time taken to create the material with the overall benefit to the pupil.

Any kind of mechanical reader will never be good enough as a reader for children who require support as, however good the intonation, speed, etc might be, it cannot react to the listener. A good reader subtly amends the reading style to take the listener’s reactions into account.

You might want to have a look at another program from the same company – iClone – which lets you control the movements of an avatar. Crazy Talk and iClone can work together to create talking, moving avatars.

]]> By: Gordon http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/comment-page-1/#comment-307 Gordon Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:37:41 +0000 http://andywatson.edublogs.org/2007/01/22/crazytalk/#comment-307 Andy, This looks like a very nice piece of software (I'm downloading the trial as I type!) What do you think the main applications of this will be in the classroom? I can see it being used to create stand alone lessons, allowing youngsters who have missed a session the chance to "catch up". Further do you think the use of an avatar such as this could be used to assist pupils who are entitled to a reader in situations where support staff are stretched? Gordon Andy,

This looks like a very nice piece of software (I’m downloading the trial as I type!)

What do you think the main applications of this will be in the classroom?

I can see it being used to create stand alone lessons, allowing youngsters who have missed a session the chance to “catch up”. Further do you think the use of an avatar such as this could be used to assist pupils who are entitled to a reader in situations where support staff are stretched?

Gordon

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