[April 28, 2005]

Homeschoolers Implement Text-to-Speech

By David Sims, TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist

One of the nation's leading cyberschool providers will soon be implementing a new text-to-speech component in which text can be highlighted by the student and the computer will audibly read the text back to the student.

Homeschooling, the oldest form of schooling in American history, is a dynamic, mushrooming multimillion dollar industry in the United States today, currently serving approximately 2 million students. It relies on the Internet more than traditional schooling and, according to advocates, is more adaptable to the latest technology than cash-strapped and cautious school boards.

"On-line learning has already been quite successful with homeschool families," said Mimi Rothschild, chief operating officer for Learning By Grace. "Text-to-speech technology takes homeschooling to a place at which many public schools haven't arrived."

The text-to-speech technology is particularly helpful in a homeschool environment, enabling students to utilize an aural method of learning, according to Rothschild.

"Parents homeschool for many reasons, some of which are that the diverse learning styles and needs of their children simply are not being met in the public school system," said Rothschild. "Cutting edge technology supports the individual student's learning experience through rich visuals, comprehensive lessons and now the ability to listen to any text that's been presented."

Controlling a child's learning environment is often cited as a factor in homeschooling a child, and the lack of quality resources is the opposing reason for not. Learning By Grace is the first homeschooling resource to address both those concerns and give parents the ability to take control of their child's education, and have access to state-of-the-art technology and up-to-the-minute information.

"The real value in the format is that the classroom is literally as close as the nearest internet connection," Rothschild said. "This opens up huge opportunities for travel and flexible schedules."

The number of children homeschooled in America has more than quadrupled since 1990, and the industry which has grown up providing curriculum, supplies and other homeschool needs has exploded. Homeschoolers routinely outperform traditionally-schooled students on college entrance exams and win national spelling and geography bees.

David Sims is contributing editor and CRM Alert columnist for TMCnet.

To discover how contact centers can save money and increase productivity by making the switch to IP Telephony, be sure to attend TMC's IP Contact Center Summit May 24-26, 2005, in Dallas, Texas. IP Contact Center Summit is co-located with the Speech-World conference, where you can get expert guidance in the deployment of speech technologies to strengthen customer relationships.