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- Zephyr-TEC introduces Blog - Get more info
here
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Writing by voice
is a learned skill. In time not only will you be more productive;
you may find that something you once dreaded has become something
fun.
Creative tasks such as writing are deeply tied to
the brain’s kinesthetic sense. To an extent, the longer you perform
a creative activity the stronger the tie between the creative
process and the physical motions involved. This is why some writers
say that they work better writing long-hand than they do at a
typewriter or keyboard. For them the creative process of writing is
deeply tied to the physical motions of moving a pen across
paper.
Even those of us who use speech recognition due to a
disability have an initial period when writing by voice is more
difficult. The words don’t “flow.” It isn’t all that uncommon at
first to get part way through a sentence and come to a screeching
halt. This can be a very frustrating experience indeed. I believe it
is one of the causes of people giving up speech recognition--even if
they are achieving good accuracy. (TIP: do not look at the screen
while dictating. This will keep you from getting distracted waiting
for words to appear. This also helps you keep an even rhythm when
dictating--which improves accuracy.)
If my own personal experience over the years is any
guide, you will go through an initial phase where the words do not
flow well at all, followed by a phase where the words come in a
flood, making editing to remove the excess a necessity. Eventually
you will gain back your original writing style. In fact, you may
find that your writing improves somewhat. I say this because any
sort of physical injury or disability that affects the hands also
subtly affects the words chosen by the writer.
I know that my writing is far better now that I use speech
recognition. Yes, I have had more practice over the years; but I am
also no longer distracted by fatigue or pain. Now I can concentrate
on saying exactly what I want to say with all of the nuances still
present. Rather than writing being a physical chore to complete as
quickly as possible, it has become a truly creative endeavor. I
think once you get used to using speech recognition you will
rediscover the pleasure in selecting just the right words, and in
just the right order, to convey the meaning you intend.
Lazarus
Long
Long-Time
NaturallySpeaking User |
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In
October, Zephyr-TEC was re-approved by California's Bureau for
Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE.) The BPPVE
regulates postsecondary and vocational schools and establishes
educational standards. As a result of this re-approval, Zephyr-TEC
will start accepting vouchers for training. Students using vouchers
must have a physical requirements document signed by their doctor
(this form can be obtained from Zephyr-TEC,) and a signed rehab plan
with a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Zephyr-TEC
offers approved courses in
• Speech
Recognition-Introduction
• Speech
Recognition-Macro Creation
• Microsoft Word
with Speech Recognition-Introduction
•
Microsoft Word with Speech
Recognition-Advanced
• Microsoft Excel with
Speech Recognition-Introduction
• Microsoft
Excel with Speech Recognition-Advanced
•
Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer with Speech
Recognition
• Microsoft PowerPoint with Speech
Recognition
For
more information, visit http://www.zephyr-tec.com/services/voc_rehab.html
or contact a Zephyr-TEC office. |
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Before Deke Lightholder was
introduced to Zephyr-TEC, he had not been impressed by speech
recognition software. As a rehabilitation counselor at Southern
California Edison (SCE,) he had attempted to introduce speech
recognition without success. But then he saw Renee Griffith of
Zephyr-TEC do a presentation at a conference of rehabilitation
reemployment professionals. For the first time he saw that Dragon
NaturallySpeaking was powerful enough to meet the needs of disabled
workers in a business environment.
One of
Deke's challenges at SCE is to help injured workers return to work.
“We were looking for ways to reduce keystrokes,” he says, “It was
relatively easy to demonstrate such a need, especially when we
calculated the costs of lost workdays, worker’s compensation, other
company benefits, plus the effects of disabilities on morale.”
SCE
started sending employees to Zephyr-TEC to learn how to use Dragon
NaturallySpeaking. But returning them to work required the support
of the IT Department, which would in turn require support from other
departments and upper management. After demonstrations of Dragon's
capabilities, Deke secured their cooperation. He set up a pilot
program which was a success. "In fact," Deke says, “within a
relatively short training time, training has enabled SCE employees
using Dragon NaturallySpeaking to dictate faster than required by
the company’s typing speed tests, a prerequisite for most clerical
job categories.”
Initially the project targeted employees off work due to
upper extremity disabilities. However, Dragon has generated interest
from others, and the most common question Deke now hears is “When
can we have it?”
Deke
summarizes his experience this way: “Dragon NaturallySpeaking will
allow us to return disabled employees to work much sooner, thereby
reducing costs to the company and lost time to the employee. Our
Safety Department at Southern California Edison is a supporter of
the voice project and believes the software has the potential to
reduce injuries associated with keying. We see Dragon
NaturallySpeaking as a win/win solution for our disabled population.
And ultimately, we’d like to make it available to all
employees.”
For the
complete story, visit http://www.zephyr-tec.com/scereg.html
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Burlington, Mass., October 18, 2005 –
ScanSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), maker of Dragon NaturallySpeaking
speech recognition software, announced that it has changed its name
to Nuance Communications, Inc. The new name marks the merger of
Scansoft with Nuance Communications. The company will continue to be
listed as "SSFT" on the Nasdaq National Market until November 21,
2005 when it will begin trading as "NUAN" (Nasdaq:
NUAN).
"Our new name symbolizes an important point in the
company’s evolution and better represents our mission to provide
solutions that improve the customer experience," said Paul Ricci,
chairman and CEO of Nuance.
Speech software is transforming
the way people use digital devices and access information systems.
Nuance is committed to making speech-enabled systems, devices and
interactions effective and ubiquitous. For additional information,
please visit www.nuance.com.
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Welcome to “Practical Dragon Keeping," Zephyr-TEC's blog
for speech-recognition users. Blogs are one of the most popular
Internet trends of the past few years. The word blog is short for
web log, and it is a kind of online diary. You can read postings by
other Dragon users, and contribute your own as well. Share your
experiences and frustrations, and connect with other
speech-recognition users online. http://www.zephyr-tec.com/blog/ZephyrBlog.html
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Format Painter in Word &
Excel
Format Painter is one of the most
useful tools in Microsoft Office. Both Word and Excel offer the
capability to copy formatting and transfer it to another selection.
In Word, to copy characteristics such as font type, size, or color,
select the text as usual and say "Copy Formatting*." Then select the
text where you would like to transfer the formatting and say "Paste
Formatting*." In Excel, select the cell or cells with the desired
formatting and say "Copy That." Then select the cells where you
would like to transfer the formatting and say "Paste Format*."
*These
commands are in Zephyr-TEC's Word and Excel command sets, available
with the purchase of Zephyr's Spoken Word and Excelerate manuals.
For more information, visit our website or contact a Zephyr-TEC office.
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