March 26 2015

Theory Thursday: Practice Dictation: Lit (30, 40, 50 WPM)

Here are some briefs and phrases from the video:
my name is= MAOINS
of the -FT
experience= XERNS
I think= AOING
you should= URBD
little bit= BLIT
that you are= THAUR
to this= TOTS
navy= NAEF
although= AOL
throughout= THROUT
interest= TR-
politics= PLIKS
learned= LERND
system= ST-M
become= B-K
I wanted= IPTD
to see= TOZ
pressured= PRERBD
into= NAO
immediately= MAOELD
inside= N-DZ
on the= ONT
to have= TOF
living= LIFG
responsibilities= SPONLTS
that was= THAFS
months= MOS
morning= MORNG
proportion= PRORGS
publicity= PUBT
until= N-L
think of= THIF
scandal= SKANLD
in my= NAOI
picture= PIR
when I think= WHING
think about= THIB
what I wanted= WHAIPTD
to find= TOFND

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March 23 2015

Steno Resources: Word Pronunciations

I Love Stenography Logo (Cropped)There’s a You Tube channel that specializes in word pronunciations. The user name of the channel is Emma Saying. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/EmmaSaying

Emma Saying’s channel includes playlists that are categorized into topics such as: Top challenging words, pairs of confusing sound-a-likes, difficult words to pronounce, NBA players, Hollywood stars, historical figures, and even a Game of Thrones pronunciation guide.

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May 23 2014

Steno & Ballet: Part 2

Ballerina Misty Copeland describe her study of dance in a manner that I can relate to the process of mastering steno:

“As I always say, there is no shortcut in ballet technique. You repeat and repeat to get whatever you are trying to master to become second nature, for it to become as instinctive as walking. Then you can start to run.” -Misty Copeland

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May 22 2014

Steno & Ballet: Part 1

Ballerina Misty Copeland describe her study of dance in a manner that I can relate to the process of mastering steno:

“All these years later, my technique is very secure, clean, and strong. Yet I still go to ballet classes daily. Dancers understand. It’s because, while we know we’ll never achieve perfection, we have to keep trying. Dancers have to keep studying, practicing, and striving until the day they retire.

It’s what makes ballet so beautiful, that razor’s edge of timing and technique that is the difference between leaping and landing perfectly, or collapsing to the floor…

‘You’re still taking ballet class?’ a childhood friend once asked me incredulously,

The question used to make me weary. But no more.

‘Yes,’ I answered. ‘I’ll be taking ballet classes forever.'” -Misty Copeland

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March 27 2014

Constant Improvement & Keeping Track

I came across the following quote from Roberto Clemente:

“In the summer, I play baseball. In the winter, I work baseball. In the summer, when I get hurt playing. I write down what I hurt, the date I hurt it, and how I hurt it. In the winter, I look at that chart, and I see where my body is weak, and I work to strengthen that part of my body.”

This above quote can be used as an analogy to steno. Improvement is based on analyzing skill and weaknesses. Recognizing, making note of, and working on “problem areas” is one of the major keys to success.

Love, Speed and Accuracy,

Elsie Villega

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February 3 2014

The Different Types Of Q & A

Q & A testing can be a very varied experience. The test can be a variety of short answers, long answers, multi-syllabic words, short words, medical terminology, etc. To be prepared you should practice a variety of different Q & A formats. I compare it to being a runner who can marathon, sprint, and hurdle jump.

Below is a list of different types of Q & A formats. From experience, I think that you should have practice takes that include, or represent, all of the following formats that are contained in the list. This is something that I have learned through creating my own study curriculum to help me advance through my steno goals. Hopefully, this will also help other students.

Love, Speed, and Accuracy,

Elsie Villega

Types Of Q & A Formats:

1) Short questions with long answers, or long questions with short answers. With this type of Q & A, be prepared that the writing of the designations will not be as rhythmic as it is in popcorn Q & A (see below). Be sure not to drop the short part of the exchange if you happen to be trailing the speaker on the long part of the exchange.

2) Long questions with long answers. These can be comparable to a literary take sometimes.

3) Literary like Q & A. This can contain long questions and/or answers that are chock full of multi-syllabic words. You might find your mind wandering to question to yourself, “Is this a Q & A or a lit?” Lol. Fight the urge to wonder, and just write!

4) Popcorn Q & A. A succession of short questions with short answers. This format is pretty rhythmic in its back and forth exchange. However, it can also feel a lot speedier due to the fact that designations have to be rapidly made. If there’s anytime for laser-like focus, it’s during popcorn Q & A.

5) Technical/Expert Testimony. You’ll hear a bunch of multi-syllabic words that are familiar only to people who are well acquainted with a certain industry or profession.

6) Medical. Hopefully, you’ve gotten yourself a medical dictionary or medical textbook. I have a textbook that came with a CD that contains the proper pronunciation of medical terms. However, keep in mind that due to the high syllabic nature of a lot of medical terms, you may hear a term pronounced a number of different ways. Don’t let this throw you off. Write what you hear. It will be highly likely that you will be able to transcribe the term correctly if you get most of the syllables down. This is a plus for multi-syllabic words. The exception is if there are word derivatives and you don’t write the proper ending. That’s always a downer! All those strokes for nothing. Smh. Lol.

7) Date repeating Q & A. There are question and answer exchanges in which the date of the incident comes up a million times. I learned this trick from one of the awesome reporters that I interned with: Write the date out a couple of times, and then have a one-stroke designation that you use every time the date comes up after that. Brilliant! I also have added on to that great advice by creating a designation for the date when it recurs sans the year. For example, you may hear, “On the event that occurred on, February 3, 2014…” and, you may also subsequently hear, “At the time of the incident on, February 3,…” Have a designation to denote both dates, one with the year and one without.

8) Q & A where a list of items is constantly repeated.

9) Repetition of clichéd phrases. For example, you may hear, “At the time of the accident…” numerous times throughout the Q & A. As a matter of fact, a majority of the questions may be prefaced with the statement. These Q & As are great if you have a brief for the phrase cemented in your memory bank, and not so great if you don’t.

10) Choppy Q & A. Q & A where the answers make no sense, or the questioner keeps interrupting themselves to rephrase the question. Arghh!! Don’t fret, just be ready to hit your dash designation. There’s nothing more confusing than trying to transcribe this random collection of words without your dashes.

11) Q & A with frequent interruptions. Speaking of dashes, be dash-ready for this type of Q & A. If you’re not dash-ready in this type of situation, you may erroneously think you dropped chunks of dictation when you in fact got everything down perfectly. Nothing tests you faith more with your writing than when you leave out a dash and you’re trying to decide whether you dropped, or left out a dash.

12) Include- heavy Q & A. Mark this, fill in that, or take a break here, etc. Be sure to be well acquainted with your include designations for this type of Q & A.

13) Colloquy ridden Q & A. You don’t have to worry about this with 2-voice, but 3-voice and up, be sure to have you multi-speaker designations well practiced.

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January 31 2014

The Dangers Of Ineffective Practice

“Practice does make permanent, thereby aiding in the retention of learning. Consequently, we want to ensure that students practice the new learning correctly from the beginning…If they unknowingly practice the skill incorrectly, they will learn the incorrect method well! This will present serious problems for both the teacher and learner later on because it is very difficult to change a skill that has been practiced and remembered, even if it is not correct. If a learner practices a skill incorrectly but well, unlearning and relearning that skill correctly is very difficult. The degree to which the unlearning and relearning processes are successful will depend on the:

1) Age of the learner (i.e., the younger, the easier to relearn),

2) Length of time the skill has been practiced incorrectly (i.e., the longer, the more difficult to change),

3) Degree of motivation to relearn (i.e., the greater the desire for change, the more effort that will be used to bring about change).” -From, “How The Brain Learns,” By: David A. Sousa

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January 31 2014

4 Keys To A Successful Practice

“For practice to improve performance, four conditions must be met (Hunter, 204):

1) The learner must be sufficiently motivated to want to improve performance.

2) The learner must have all the knowledge necessary to understand the different ways that the new knowledge or skill can be applied.

3) The learner must understand how to apply the knowledge to deal with a particular situation.

4) The learner must be able to analyze the results of that application and know what needs to be changed to improve performance in the future.

Teachers help learners meet these conditions when they do the following:

1) Start by selecting the smallest amount of material that will have maximum meaning for the learner.

2) Model the application process step-by-step. Studies show that the brain also uses observation as a means for determining the spatial learning needed to master a motor skill.

3) Insist that the practice occur in their presence over a short period of time while the student is focused on the learning.

4) Watch the practice and provide the students with prompt and specific feedback on what variable needs to be altered to correct and enhance performance. Feedback seems to be particularly important during the learning of complex motor skills.” -From, “How The Brain Learns,” By: David A. Sousa

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January 31 2014

The Power of Practice

“Practice refers to learners repeating a skill over time. It begins with the rehearsal of the new skill in working memory, the motor cortex, and the cerebellum. Later, the skill memory is recalled and additional practice follows. The quality of practice and the learner’s knowledge base will largely determine the outcome of each practice session.

Over the long term, repeated practice causes the brain to assign extra neurons to the task, much as a computer assigns more memory for a complex program. The assignment of these additional neurons is more or less on a permanent basis. Professional keyboard and string musicians, for example, have larger portions of the motor cortex devoted to controlling finger and hand movements. Furthermore, the earlier their training started, the bigger the motor cortex. If practice is stopped altogether, the neurons that are no longer being used are eventually assigned to other tasks and skill mastery will decline. In other words, use it or lose it!” -From, “How The Brain Learns,” By: David A. Sousa

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