Session 1

Title English and Grammar Skills for Court Reporters – Part 1   2hrs (120 Min)

Presenter: Anita Paul Johnson, CSR-CCR-CRR-CRI-CPE-CCP-CBC-CSP

In this 2-hour interactive, fun presentation, we cover the latest grammar, proofreading, and capitalization rules, especially geared to transcript preparation.

Learning Objectives:

To review and perfect rules of capitalization, basic grammar, and proofreading techniques to create total accuracy. Through quizzes and interactive exercises, court reporters will boost their retention and mastery of these essential skills for transcript preparation.

Specific Topics:

•When to capitalize words and when not to

•Basic essential grammar

•Proofreading techniques to improve accuracy

Learning Outcomes

Court reporters will learn easy techniques to clarify capitalization rules during excellent transcript preparation; master vital grammar rules and applications for instant recall; how to proofread most effectively and accurately.

Session 2

Title: English and Grammar Skills for Court Reporters – Part 2    2hrs (120 Min)

Presenter: Anita Paul Johnson, CSR-CCR-CRR-CRI-CPE-CCP-CBC-CSP

In this 2-hour seminar, we focus on punctuation, “word pairs,”  hyphens, and how to use quotes. Participants will enjoy memorable, useful training with unforgettable results.

Learning Objectives:

  To review and perfect rules of punctuation, “word pairs” – which word is correct, hyphens, and how to use quotes in transcripts. Learning takes place by court reporters working with a partner, working in small groups, and participating in fun tests.

Specific Topics:

•Mastering punctuation – where it goes and when not to punctuate

•Review of “word pairs” and how to select the correct word (e.g. altogether, all together)

•When to hyphenate and when not to

•Proper quotes punctuation and single quotes in transcripts

Learning Outcomes

Court reporters will sharpen their skills to punctuate transcripts properly, spell homophones correctly and select proper spellings when two words are close, they will learn the general rules and guidelines on when to hyphenate words, and how to apply proper quote concepts in transcripts.

Session 3

Title: English and Grammar Skills for Court Reporters – Part 3    2hrs (120 Min)

Presenter: Anita Paul Johnson, CSR-CCR-CRR-CRI-CPE-CCP-CBC-CSP

In this 2-hour interactive, fun presentation, we perfect the 50 most common spelling errors, number – words or digits, and parentheticals,

Learning Objectives:

 To master spellings of tricky words and clean up most common mistakes, to format numbers – words or digits correctly, and review the most appropriate parentheticals for excellent transcript preparation. By using games, quizzes, presentations, and interactive exercises, we bring learning and retention to a high success level and enjoy a competitive spirit

Specific Topics:

•Spelling – the 50 most common spelling errors

•Formatting numbers properly

•Correct application of parentheticals

Learning Outcomes

Court reporters will learn to master the 50 most common spelling errors, format and display numbers correctly, and when to use parentheticals for clear reading, without cluttering a transcript.

Biography:

Anita Paul Johnson CSR-CCR-CRR-CRI-CPE-CCP-CBC-CSP

Anita has been a certified court reporter since 1974.   She served as an official in the Los Angeles municipal and superior courts for over 17 years, became a freelancer in 1992, and during her 17 years as an official taught court reporting at night school for about 12 years. In 1991, she was instrumental in creating the first complete CIC (computer integrated courtroom) in the state of California, including video synchronization.  During that time Anita developed her passion for Realtime and quality Realtime skills as she reported back-to-back Realtime dailies with her partner for over a year.

In 1992, Anita Paul Realtime Seminars and Workshops were formed wherein Anita provides inspirational and content-driven Realtime workshops, seminars, keynotes, peak performance strategies, and attorney presentations.

Session 4 

Title: Constructing Ethics 2.5 hours (150 Min)

Presenter: Pam Gwin Coder

Course Objective:

Working with reporters to identify tricky ethical situations in various settings we encounter every day in the workplace and how to effectively handle said situations immediately, effectively, professionally, humorously, and ethically for the benefit of the reporter as well as the clients.

Special format:  Group participation and discussion, individual and group.

Specific topics and design:

Ethical situations will be given along with the role of the various people involved in those situations,  i.e., reporter, videographer, attorneys, interpreter, corporate reps, et al. We will discuss our role as reporters with each of these individuals in the freelance, official, CART, and captioning settings. Attendees will be placed in groups and given assignments for each group along with a plethora of situations that occur to reporters on a daily basis.  Each group will act out those different scenarios.  Then the group of attendees as a whole will discuss how each group handled the situations they were given and what he/she would have done differently if anything. We will discuss HIPAA, last-minute requests, realtime, rough drafts, working with interpreters/videographers, et cetera.

Biography

Pam Gwen Coder

Pam Gwin Coder is a dedicated freelance reporter in Texas, has reported since 1994.  She is a realtime writer, technology instructor, software instructor, and frequent guest speaker.  She has been mentoring students from various schools since 2003.  Pam opened her own school, “RACR,” The Realtime Academy of Court Reporting in October of 2012.  Pam is a member of TCRA as well as NCRA.  She is speaking at the NCRA convention for the first time this year.  Her first book, Transitioning from Student to Professional Court Reporter, was first published in 2009.  She is currently working on her second book, The Mystery of Beginning and Ending Pages – Solved!

Session 5

Title: Home Alone With Humor 1.5 hrs (90 Min)

Presenter: Jeff Justice

Learning Outcomes:

Learning how to take control of your home office instead of it taking control of you and getting the most out of your work at home business.

Content Outline: 

The session will deal with learning skills for organization, people, and family management as well as stress management.

I. The participants will discover

• The secrets to being super-productive

• There is life after transcripts

• The joys of being your own boss and dealing with the headaches

II. The participants will learn how to:

• Say no to family and friends and still have them love you

• How to take control of their own lives

• Reduce and prevent burnout

• Manage the stress of a home office

Appropriate Methodology: 

The session is highly interactive and combines demonstration, lecturettes, behavior modeling and audience participation

Basic issue:

People who run businesses out of their homes are sometimes not treated as professionally as those who work out of an office. There are demands and impositions put on them by family and friends who don’t understand what they do and the time requirements to accomplish their workload. They need to learn to organize their time and their lives to make the work at home experience both an enjoyable and profitable one.