Friday, September 17, 2010
Webinar: Attitude is Everything: Embracing Voice Recognition
ExecuScribe's HR Director, Rachel MacDonald, will be presenting the Attitude is Everything: Embracing Voice Recognition as a Useful Tool to the CRAHDI members on 9/28/10 at 6:00pm EST. Go to www.crahdi.com to register.
Monday, August 16, 2010
ExecuScribe CEO Speaks Out with HFMA
ExecuScribe CEO Speaks Out with HFMA
Your Outsourcing Strategy
August 2010
http://www.hfma.org/Templates/InteriorMaster.aspx?id=22149
Your Outsourcing Strategy
August 2010
http://www.hfma.org/Templates/InteriorMaster.aspx?id=22149
Friday, March 19, 2010
Increasing Productivity Through Technology-Wrap up
"We're still not where we're going, but we're not where we were." ~Natasha Jasefowitz
The course on Increasing Productivity Through Technology wrapped up last week; how quickly the 5 weeks went by! In a nutshell, I highly recommend this class and encourage you to take it if increasing productivity is your goal. I feel this course was exactly what I needed to empower me with the knowledge to make a change in my overall productivity.
Oftentimes, when thinking of productivity, I was very limited in my focus of areas to increase (text expanders, templates). Realizing that productivity starts from the minute you fire up the PC (utilzing your start/quick view menus/toolbars), how you conduct research (books vs electronic), where you conduct research (unreliable vs reliable sites), are equally important to how proficient you are with your keyboarding techniques (Shortcut keys, explorer windows, dialog boxes).
The course structure was outlined very well, user friendly and when coupled with the course text, a large range of topics were certainly covered in great detail. The course text is one of the best I have seen. Each chapter is broken down into sections: basic information and then separate sections for XP and Vista, and incorporated critical thinking questions as well. It was helpful have XP and Vista separate in the text, as for me, having side by side examples in the webinar was confusing at times.
It was also a plus to have the author of the book, Laura Bryan, also moderate the class. She was professional, pleasant and made a point to interact via the forum/taking live questions during the class, which certainly made the hour and a half go by very quickly. You may find out additional information about Laura and the course here: Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. - Learn And Work From Home - Online Training Continuing Ed, Increasing Productivity Through Technology. Feel free to check out MTWERKS on facebook as well, Facebook | MTWerks
My contacts at M-TEC were always helpful, professional and responded if not the same day, within 24 hours to emails and calls. Their forum for the class contained the course syllabus, which was posted weekly, a recording of each week's webinar so that you could view again, as well as an area for questions for the instructor. You may find more information about M-TEC and course selections here: Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. - Learn And Work From Home - Online Training
If the course is not available, then the text is definitely worth the investment to add to your tools in being a proficient medical language specialist. You may find more information regarding the text here: Technology for the Medical Transcriptionist
I have already noticed that I am utilizing my keyboard more and my mouse much less. I still have daily struggles, but I feel now that I understand how best to utilize the short cut keys and text expanders, it is not as overwhelming and most importantly I now have the tools to help me overcome these hurdles.
What a "hidden gem" we have on our intranet with our MT Links page--this tool certainly is a time saver for me and I access it daily. The only other change I made to my daily research was adding in use of the website OneLook Dictionary Search Awesome results and definite time saver.
My focus now that class is over is to become more proficient with using all of the great techniques covered in class and know that by putting this information into practice every day, positive results will occur.
I want to thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Please feel free to email me at ginamedmond@aol.com with any questions you might have regarding any of the topics covered in the prior postings or any other productivity question that comes to mind.
"You are the most influential person in your life. There is nobody more effective at supporting your success--and nobody more effective at undermining it."~ Jeff Olson from the book, The Slight Edge.
Wishing you all continued success!
Gina
The course on Increasing Productivity Through Technology wrapped up last week; how quickly the 5 weeks went by! In a nutshell, I highly recommend this class and encourage you to take it if increasing productivity is your goal. I feel this course was exactly what I needed to empower me with the knowledge to make a change in my overall productivity.
Oftentimes, when thinking of productivity, I was very limited in my focus of areas to increase (text expanders, templates). Realizing that productivity starts from the minute you fire up the PC (utilzing your start/quick view menus/toolbars), how you conduct research (books vs electronic), where you conduct research (unreliable vs reliable sites), are equally important to how proficient you are with your keyboarding techniques (Shortcut keys, explorer windows, dialog boxes).
The course structure was outlined very well, user friendly and when coupled with the course text, a large range of topics were certainly covered in great detail. The course text is one of the best I have seen. Each chapter is broken down into sections: basic information and then separate sections for XP and Vista, and incorporated critical thinking questions as well. It was helpful have XP and Vista separate in the text, as for me, having side by side examples in the webinar was confusing at times.
It was also a plus to have the author of the book, Laura Bryan, also moderate the class. She was professional, pleasant and made a point to interact via the forum/taking live questions during the class, which certainly made the hour and a half go by very quickly. You may find out additional information about Laura and the course here: Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. - Learn And Work From Home - Online Training Continuing Ed, Increasing Productivity Through Technology. Feel free to check out MTWERKS on facebook as well, Facebook | MTWerks
My contacts at M-TEC were always helpful, professional and responded if not the same day, within 24 hours to emails and calls. Their forum for the class contained the course syllabus, which was posted weekly, a recording of each week's webinar so that you could view again, as well as an area for questions for the instructor. You may find more information about M-TEC and course selections here: Medical Transcription Education Center, Inc. - Learn And Work From Home - Online Training
If the course is not available, then the text is definitely worth the investment to add to your tools in being a proficient medical language specialist. You may find more information regarding the text here: Technology for the Medical Transcriptionist
I have already noticed that I am utilizing my keyboard more and my mouse much less. I still have daily struggles, but I feel now that I understand how best to utilize the short cut keys and text expanders, it is not as overwhelming and most importantly I now have the tools to help me overcome these hurdles.
What a "hidden gem" we have on our intranet with our MT Links page--this tool certainly is a time saver for me and I access it daily. The only other change I made to my daily research was adding in use of the website OneLook Dictionary Search Awesome results and definite time saver.
My focus now that class is over is to become more proficient with using all of the great techniques covered in class and know that by putting this information into practice every day, positive results will occur.
I want to thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Please feel free to email me at ginamedmond@aol.com with any questions you might have regarding any of the topics covered in the prior postings or any other productivity question that comes to mind.
"You are the most influential person in your life. There is nobody more effective at supporting your success--and nobody more effective at undermining it."~ Jeff Olson from the book, The Slight Edge.
Wishing you all continued success!
Gina
Friday, March 12, 2010
Increasing Productivity Through Technology-Week 5 Research
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” Zora Neale Hurston
I have to admit, I never really thought about how doing research can impact one's productivity. The instructor commented that sometimes the information you come across while researching is very interesting, sometimes entertaining, and very easily time can slip by. Research was the topic of the final class in this 5-week course--and it did not disappoint!
Our class covered Search Engines-their function and uses; Search results-evaluation, reliability, URL, sites to avoid, sites to use, and guidelines for reliability; Customizing a search- multiword, phrases or Boolean characters (*, and, or); Google- results page, sample searches, and image search; OneLook-definitions and reverse search; Find (CTRL + F) and finally Safe Searching. These topics were so helpful and took the knowledge I had and kicked it up a notch!
The sites to avoid and use were great and I will list them for you below:
Sites to avoid as they are unreliable: Message boards, forums, bulletin boards, Patient advocacy sites and consumer organizations, Physician's personal website, Online pharmacies. These sites are deemed unreliable due to the fact that the "lay person" is often creating or updating these sites. The only exception is for Online pharmacies. If the online pharmacy (ex Walgreens) posts a picture of the bottle of the medication/supplement that is only acceptable time to utilize this option.
Sites to use: Major Medical Centers (ex: Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic), NIH, NLM and MedLINE and Merck Manual, Professional edition (FREE and great to verify pathophysiology).
How do you know the site you are using is reliable? We were provided with the following guidelines: Check the author, is it by a medical professional; who is the publisher, is the information objective, is the information current and accurate, who is the intended audience and does the site have integrity (are terms spelled correctly).
A great hot tip I came away with was being introduced to the OneLook Dictionary Search www.onelook.com. This site is great for definitions and allows you to do a reverse search. There are 3 ways to utilize the reverse search feature. The first, :keyword, for example :bleeding (no space between the colon and keyword)--using this option returns a list of words and phrases that pertain to bleeding. The second way, you can here the beginning of the word, but not the end is, x*:keyword, for example enter hem*:bleeding in the OneLook Dictionary and a list of words relating to bleeding beginning with hem are listed for you. The third way to use reverse search is if you can here the end of a word search by *xxx:keyword, for example, *ile:bleeding and this will return words pertaining to bleeding ending in -ile. I loved this information because oftentimes I do here either the very beginning of a word or the end. This takes a wildcard search onestep further adding the area (bleeding, surgery, et cetera) to the key term and providing a very detailed list to scan through.
Safe searching on the internet is vital to keeping your computer running in tip-top shape: DO NOT EVER click on banners, flashing ads, or games; AVOID most "Free" software; NEVER download emoticons or coupons; NEVER download file sharing software (ex Limewire),do not share your computer with ANYONE (including children) and finally, AVOID software products with questionable claims (check your hard drive, prevent crashes). The instructor made it clear that these programs can most certainly invade your computer and compromise HIPAA/patient information we are transcribing. She suggested to get a separate computer if you are into playing on-line games et cetera because if that systemm crashes and you have to start all over again, your transcription data will not be compromised.
The final topic covered was Electronic References. Electronic dictionary (English and Medical). There is a built-in dictionary in Microsoft Word and you can access by moving the cursor in the word you typed and hitting CTRL + SHIFT + O and the dictionary opens. Electronic medical dictionaries like Dorlands and Stedmans are also great references and very easily accessible if downloaded on your computer.
Electronic word lists (Rainbow word book series Stedmans) and Electronic Drug Lists (Quick Look, Suanders) are must-haves as well. The question of cost regarding these tools was discussed. The initial investment in the tools that are going to enhance your research and accuracy is worth it, as it will pay for itself in the long run. I have on LWW that often times items are on sale, or when purchasing come with updates (oftentimes 2 updates) that will bring your information current for the year. Great advice and I am going to transition my rainbow books to digital form.
I am really excited to be able to share the above information with you this week. It really helped expand on the information I already knew and hope it works the same for you too. I am going to put these practices into play this week and see how much quicker my research speed is improved.
Next week, I will offer a wrap-up of the course as well as information on the improvements/changes I have made and areas I still need to work on towards my goal of increasing productivity.
Have a productive week!
I have to admit, I never really thought about how doing research can impact one's productivity. The instructor commented that sometimes the information you come across while researching is very interesting, sometimes entertaining, and very easily time can slip by. Research was the topic of the final class in this 5-week course--and it did not disappoint!
Our class covered Search Engines-their function and uses; Search results-evaluation, reliability, URL, sites to avoid, sites to use, and guidelines for reliability; Customizing a search- multiword, phrases or Boolean characters (*, and, or); Google- results page, sample searches, and image search; OneLook-definitions and reverse search; Find (CTRL + F) and finally Safe Searching. These topics were so helpful and took the knowledge I had and kicked it up a notch!
The sites to avoid and use were great and I will list them for you below:
Sites to avoid as they are unreliable: Message boards, forums, bulletin boards, Patient advocacy sites and consumer organizations, Physician's personal website, Online pharmacies. These sites are deemed unreliable due to the fact that the "lay person" is often creating or updating these sites. The only exception is for Online pharmacies. If the online pharmacy (ex Walgreens) posts a picture of the bottle of the medication/supplement that is only acceptable time to utilize this option.
Sites to use: Major Medical Centers (ex: Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic), NIH, NLM and MedLINE and Merck Manual, Professional edition (FREE and great to verify pathophysiology).
How do you know the site you are using is reliable? We were provided with the following guidelines: Check the author, is it by a medical professional; who is the publisher, is the information objective, is the information current and accurate, who is the intended audience and does the site have integrity (are terms spelled correctly).
A great hot tip I came away with was being introduced to the OneLook Dictionary Search www.onelook.com. This site is great for definitions and allows you to do a reverse search. There are 3 ways to utilize the reverse search feature. The first, :keyword, for example :bleeding (no space between the colon and keyword)--using this option returns a list of words and phrases that pertain to bleeding. The second way, you can here the beginning of the word, but not the end is, x*:keyword, for example enter hem*:bleeding in the OneLook Dictionary and a list of words relating to bleeding beginning with hem are listed for you. The third way to use reverse search is if you can here the end of a word search by *xxx:keyword, for example, *ile:bleeding and this will return words pertaining to bleeding ending in -ile. I loved this information because oftentimes I do here either the very beginning of a word or the end. This takes a wildcard search onestep further adding the area (bleeding, surgery, et cetera) to the key term and providing a very detailed list to scan through.
Safe searching on the internet is vital to keeping your computer running in tip-top shape: DO NOT EVER click on banners, flashing ads, or games; AVOID most "Free" software; NEVER download emoticons or coupons; NEVER download file sharing software (ex Limewire),do not share your computer with ANYONE (including children) and finally, AVOID software products with questionable claims (check your hard drive, prevent crashes). The instructor made it clear that these programs can most certainly invade your computer and compromise HIPAA/patient information we are transcribing. She suggested to get a separate computer if you are into playing on-line games et cetera because if that systemm crashes and you have to start all over again, your transcription data will not be compromised.
The final topic covered was Electronic References. Electronic dictionary (English and Medical). There is a built-in dictionary in Microsoft Word and you can access by moving the cursor in the word you typed and hitting CTRL + SHIFT + O and the dictionary opens. Electronic medical dictionaries like Dorlands and Stedmans are also great references and very easily accessible if downloaded on your computer.
Electronic word lists (Rainbow word book series Stedmans) and Electronic Drug Lists (Quick Look, Suanders) are must-haves as well. The question of cost regarding these tools was discussed. The initial investment in the tools that are going to enhance your research and accuracy is worth it, as it will pay for itself in the long run. I have on LWW that often times items are on sale, or when purchasing come with updates (oftentimes 2 updates) that will bring your information current for the year. Great advice and I am going to transition my rainbow books to digital form.
I am really excited to be able to share the above information with you this week. It really helped expand on the information I already knew and hope it works the same for you too. I am going to put these practices into play this week and see how much quicker my research speed is improved.
Next week, I will offer a wrap-up of the course as well as information on the improvements/changes I have made and areas I still need to work on towards my goal of increasing productivity.
Have a productive week!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Increasing Productivity-Week 4 Text Expanders and Macros
"Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." ~Dale Carnegie
I am so happy to report that I finally received the course book, "Technology for the Medical Transcriptionist" on Monday--yippee--truly worth the wait and very thankful since this week's course objectives covered AutoText, AutoCorrect, Macros, Spelling and Grammar features and finally text expansion. While these may seem like small jobs in and of themselves, the time they have proven to save is what certainly what peaked my interest in tonight's lesson.
Tonight's class centered in Microsoft Word and brought everything down to the basics beginning with definitions of AutoCorrect, AutoText and macros, samples of each, how to create new entries and finally implementation of these built-in features to Microsoft.
Did you know that AutoCorrect is a Microsoft Office feature and will work across all Office programs (excel, Outlook, et cetera) while AutoText is a Word feature only? The key differences, other than the one previously mentioned is by utilizing the Spacebar and any punctuation, AutoCorrect expands (this change will always occurr when Replace text is typed, making changes universal); however, to implement AutoText (allows storage of words, phrases, paragraphs and boiler templates) pressing F3 will make the insertion into the document; AutoCorrect will always insert a space while AutoText can insert text without a trailing space. I found it very helpful learning the basics between AutoCorrect and AutoText.
The purpose of macros is to store a series of commands as a single command. Macros can be used in Editing using a single step, Opening documents based on templates, and Turning repetitive tasks into single-step productions; however, macros are not ideal for storing text. I had used macros on my very first transcription job around 6 years ago and this was not only a great refresher, but now I truly understand how to use a macro correctly.
We next briefly covered electronic spell check, how the reference files are used , spell check setting and finally performing spell check. Spell check can be accessed by either F7 to use the dialog box; ALT + F7 to jump to the next misspelling (review document word by word) or Right-click, press Application key and use the right click menu. A little job we use every day but it has 3 ways to access this feature.
Our final area covered tonight were text expanders. The bottom line, the results of utilizing a third party text expander is definitely worth the initial investment. In comparing text expanders to AutoCorrect and AutoText, the text expanders are more stable, more flexible, more portable, holds a larger database, can have multiple glossaries/lists as well as may offer choice of expansion key. The downside to text expanders, duplicates can be created, incorrect insertions, inadvertent insertions and short form collision with real words can occur. Basically, if you are not using a text expander, find out what works with you platform and utilize this option.
My ah-ha moment tonight was in learning some additional shortcuts. For example my shortcut use for aspirin is asp; if we utilized numbers, our shortcut can read asp8 = aspirin 81 mg or asp3, aspirin 325 mg. I never thought of adding a basic dosage to my expander; this is something I have already changed and look forward to using!
HOT TIP: Use letters to represent numbers in short forms:
ttn--two thousand nine
tttn-- two thousand ten.
risw--return in 6 weeks.
lfso--L5-S1.
I am pleased that I am able to now utilize my keyboard primarily when switching between the two platforms I work in. I am saving time now and know this will be a great habit to have developed. It is a great feeling to see some of what I have already learned becoming part of my daily routine. With the final lesson just around the corner, if you are serious about changing your productivity, my recommendation is to take the course the next time it becomes available--it covers everything for the novice to the experienced and you will not be disappointed.
Make it a great week!
I am so happy to report that I finally received the course book, "Technology for the Medical Transcriptionist" on Monday--yippee--truly worth the wait and very thankful since this week's course objectives covered AutoText, AutoCorrect, Macros, Spelling and Grammar features and finally text expansion. While these may seem like small jobs in and of themselves, the time they have proven to save is what certainly what peaked my interest in tonight's lesson.
Tonight's class centered in Microsoft Word and brought everything down to the basics beginning with definitions of AutoCorrect, AutoText and macros, samples of each, how to create new entries and finally implementation of these built-in features to Microsoft.
Did you know that AutoCorrect is a Microsoft Office feature and will work across all Office programs (excel, Outlook, et cetera) while AutoText is a Word feature only? The key differences, other than the one previously mentioned is by utilizing the Spacebar and any punctuation, AutoCorrect expands (this change will always occurr when Replace text is typed, making changes universal); however, to implement AutoText (allows storage of words, phrases, paragraphs and boiler templates) pressing F3 will make the insertion into the document; AutoCorrect will always insert a space while AutoText can insert text without a trailing space. I found it very helpful learning the basics between AutoCorrect and AutoText.
The purpose of macros is to store a series of commands as a single command. Macros can be used in Editing using a single step, Opening documents based on templates, and Turning repetitive tasks into single-step productions; however, macros are not ideal for storing text. I had used macros on my very first transcription job around 6 years ago and this was not only a great refresher, but now I truly understand how to use a macro correctly.
We next briefly covered electronic spell check, how the reference files are used , spell check setting and finally performing spell check. Spell check can be accessed by either F7 to use the dialog box; ALT + F7 to jump to the next misspelling (review document word by word) or Right-click, press Application key and use the right click menu. A little job we use every day but it has 3 ways to access this feature.
Our final area covered tonight were text expanders. The bottom line, the results of utilizing a third party text expander is definitely worth the initial investment. In comparing text expanders to AutoCorrect and AutoText, the text expanders are more stable, more flexible, more portable, holds a larger database, can have multiple glossaries/lists as well as may offer choice of expansion key. The downside to text expanders, duplicates can be created, incorrect insertions, inadvertent insertions and short form collision with real words can occur. Basically, if you are not using a text expander, find out what works with you platform and utilize this option.
My ah-ha moment tonight was in learning some additional shortcuts. For example my shortcut use for aspirin is asp; if we utilized numbers, our shortcut can read asp8 = aspirin 81 mg or asp3, aspirin 325 mg. I never thought of adding a basic dosage to my expander; this is something I have already changed and look forward to using!
HOT TIP: Use letters to represent numbers in short forms:
ttn--two thousand nine
tttn-- two thousand ten.
risw--return in 6 weeks.
lfso--L5-S1.
I am pleased that I am able to now utilize my keyboard primarily when switching between the two platforms I work in. I am saving time now and know this will be a great habit to have developed. It is a great feeling to see some of what I have already learned becoming part of my daily routine. With the final lesson just around the corner, if you are serious about changing your productivity, my recommendation is to take the course the next time it becomes available--it covers everything for the novice to the experienced and you will not be disappointed.
Make it a great week!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Week 3 – Document Creation
“I then go miserably enough to the typewriter and I edit with tiny little pen scribbles until you can't read it anymore. And then, I put it into a word processor.” Campbell Geeslin
Our third week has come and gone in Increasing Productivity Through Technology.
Last night's class made me very thankful that word processing was created. The class was based in Microsoft Word, and as our instructor pointed out many platforms are based on Microsoft Word and this information should work in a platform that recognizes Microsoft Word.
We reviewed many shortcuts for formatting, editing as well as creation of templates and insertion points were covered. Most information shared was refresher (shortcuts for cut, copy and paste are CTRL + X, CTRL + C, CTRL + V respectively) and some information was new to me (F8 extend mode-position insertion point where you want in text, F8 x 2 to highlight a word, F8 x 3 to highlight sentence and F8 x 4 to highlight a paragraph).
We covered Templates, both standard and normal, and learned the difference between .doc and .dot files as well. When creating templates, the drawback to a .doc file is that you have to remember to do Save As in the beginning. When creating a template as a .dot file you have all the benefits of a .doc and no worry about having to Save As when you start out.
The last item covered in class was jump points. After you have your document formatted, go back and insert the jump points using CTRL + F9. The use of screen interactions was a wonderful plus here and really highlighted the jump point feature as a big time saver—look forward to getting comfortable with this feature.
Hot tip 1: If you go to Microsoft Word, HELP, Search for Shortcuts select: Quick Reference for Microsoft Office Word.
Hot tip 2: Editing Commands:
Change case (Shift +F3)
Remove Formatting (CTRL + Q or CTRL + Spacebar)
Undo, Redo (CTRL + Z, CTRL + Y)
Return to previous edit (Shift + F5)
This was a great chapter, especially for those who edit or transcribe directly in Microsoft Word. What has definitely been a plus during the course so far is the way the class is presented. The instructor’s use of screen shots, live action, video clips and live Q + A , syllabus and course outlines have all been a great plus, especially since I have not yet received the text. I did receive word last night that my text was going to be sent via overnight delivery for me to receive today, February 26. I love books-- all kinds -- and the delay in receiving this one is a bit challenging, severe storms in the area of the distributor upon initial shipment and now, in New Jersey, my town is currently under 2 feet of snow (and still snowing) and facing some severe weather related challenges. The plus side to the delay in shipment, is my kids see me anxiously awaiting the delivery of my “school book” and they have joined me in on our daily trips to the mailbox to see if it is there AND this is going to be the perfect weekend to curl up with hot chocolate and catch up on my reading!
Thanks for joining me again and have a productive week!
Our third week has come and gone in Increasing Productivity Through Technology.
Last night's class made me very thankful that word processing was created. The class was based in Microsoft Word, and as our instructor pointed out many platforms are based on Microsoft Word and this information should work in a platform that recognizes Microsoft Word.
We reviewed many shortcuts for formatting, editing as well as creation of templates and insertion points were covered. Most information shared was refresher (shortcuts for cut, copy and paste are CTRL + X, CTRL + C, CTRL + V respectively) and some information was new to me (F8 extend mode-position insertion point where you want in text, F8 x 2 to highlight a word, F8 x 3 to highlight sentence and F8 x 4 to highlight a paragraph).
We covered Templates, both standard and normal, and learned the difference between .doc and .dot files as well. When creating templates, the drawback to a .doc file is that you have to remember to do Save As in the beginning. When creating a template as a .dot file you have all the benefits of a .doc and no worry about having to Save As when you start out.
The last item covered in class was jump points. After you have your document formatted, go back and insert the jump points using CTRL + F9. The use of screen interactions was a wonderful plus here and really highlighted the jump point feature as a big time saver—look forward to getting comfortable with this feature.
Hot tip 1: If you go to Microsoft Word, HELP, Search for Shortcuts select: Quick Reference for Microsoft Office Word.
Hot tip 2: Editing Commands:
Change case (Shift +F3)
Remove Formatting (CTRL + Q or CTRL + Spacebar)
Undo, Redo (CTRL + Z, CTRL + Y)
Return to previous edit (Shift + F5)
This was a great chapter, especially for those who edit or transcribe directly in Microsoft Word. What has definitely been a plus during the course so far is the way the class is presented. The instructor’s use of screen shots, live action, video clips and live Q + A , syllabus and course outlines have all been a great plus, especially since I have not yet received the text. I did receive word last night that my text was going to be sent via overnight delivery for me to receive today, February 26. I love books-- all kinds -- and the delay in receiving this one is a bit challenging, severe storms in the area of the distributor upon initial shipment and now, in New Jersey, my town is currently under 2 feet of snow (and still snowing) and facing some severe weather related challenges. The plus side to the delay in shipment, is my kids see me anxiously awaiting the delivery of my “school book” and they have joined me in on our daily trips to the mailbox to see if it is there AND this is going to be the perfect weekend to curl up with hot chocolate and catch up on my reading!
Thanks for joining me again and have a productive week!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Increasing Productivity-Week 2
"The little things you do every day - or don't do - are creating the invisible you of the future." Jeff Olson from the book, The Slight Edge.
Weeks 1 and 2 of the Increasing Productivity Course have most certainly focused on the little things. As a note, my notes are taken from the perspective of using Windows XP; if you have questions or want to know about options for Vista or Windows 7, please email me your question at ginamedmond@aol.com and I will do my best to get an answer for you.
As a recap, Lesson 1 focused on Customizing Windows. We learned about the Taskbar and how to customize it, managing files and folders on shorcut menus as well as creating shortcut menus and how to incorporate shortcut icons into one's daily routine (Start Menu, Quick Launch, Links toolbar and Send menu) to work more efficiently. Tne final section covered was customizing the Start Menu by returning to the "classic" style, adding shortcuts and creating submenus.
Every morning I would normally access my programs through the Start menu; going through each icon for the programs needed for the day. First I tried reorganizing my Start menu by customizing the programs I utilize the most. I found this to be a bit cumbersome for me as the text was small on the Start Menu and it was taking me time to read everything therefore, not making much of a difference to my daily routine. However, by reorganizing my Quick Launch area to include shortcuts for Fusion, SoftMed, HBOC, SonicWall, Search engine, AIM, Adobe, My documents, and Calculator all I had to do was point and click on only the programs I needed to utilize for the day. I was pleasantly surprised to see my daily sign-in go from taking 4 minutes daily down to 2 minutes. This little step of making the switch to Quick Launch saved me 10 minutes this week! This got me excited for what we were going to cover in Lesson 2.
Lesson 2 was all about Keyboarding Techniques.
Ah, yes, the life of a transcriptionist centers around "The Keyboard" and all the little things that one knows (or in my case, did not know), in order to maximize efficiency and speed.
Tonight's objectives were straightforward: Apply keyboarding techniques to your daily work to increase efficiency and speed, learning how to utilize the keyboard in place of the mouse to navigate Menus, Dialog Boxes, and Explorer windows, moving the insertion point and select text and finally controlling windows (not Windows) with shortcut keys, universal shortcut keys and recognizing patterns in the shortcut key assignments.
Lots and lots of information packed into tonight's class, so much so that class went over 10 minutes! It seemed most of us had discoveries about the various topics ranging from use of the Application Key (to the right of the space bar with a list and an arrow), to Menus formatted as Menu Bars versus Ribbons, Dialog Boxes and Universal Keys.
I often found my eye drifting back to the first statement I wrote at the beginning of class. "When utilizing techniques for implementing shortcut keys, transition gradually." While it did not feel like information overload, there was a great deal of information covered and do agree in learning a few shortcuts a week at a time as the best approach. Working smarter and not harder with your keyboard will definitely yield greater results.
My "ah-ha moment" occurred while looking in Word 2007. I had a new blank document open and the along the top of the document, this area is referred to as a "ribbon". By simply pressing the ALT key it activated the menu bars. For example, new blank document, ALT + F, a drop down box appeared in the upper left hand corner with the options of New, Open, et cetera along with My Recent Documents. Before I would take my hand to the mouse, click, read, select; now 2 keystrokes ALT + F in Word 2007 and I got the same results. Using the ALT key with Menu Bar in the Ribbon was an instant shortcut and use of the mouse was not necessary.
Two "Hot Tips" for you this week!
1. Logo key + D minimizes everything on your PC and brings you to your desktop; Logo key + D again, and everything returns--great way to toggle to desktop if you need to!
2. The "F" and "J" keys on most keyboards has a raised mark on it to help you realign to the home row when you have to take your hands off the keyboard. I am sure your keyboard is like mine, these marks are worn down and did not even realize they were there anymore. The instructor gave a great tip. At the hardware store, purchase a small piece of felt (the kind you might put on the bottom of a chair to prevent scratches on the floor) and cut a small piece off and place it on your "J" key. While it may make the keyboard look a bit odd, it will save you time by returning to touch and not sight when returning to the home position.
Something else I was excited to learn, M-TEC provides a recording of the class that can be accessed on the Forum; something I will absolutely be utilizing as there has been a delay due to last week's inclement weather on the arrival of the course book. Once I am in receipt of the course book, I am looking forward to be able to provide you with more detailed examples and ways to save you time and will incorporate the examples with my next posting.
Little things practiced daily will lead to great results. I look forward to implementing these new techniques and updating you next week.
Be well and make it a great week!
Gina
Weeks 1 and 2 of the Increasing Productivity Course have most certainly focused on the little things. As a note, my notes are taken from the perspective of using Windows XP; if you have questions or want to know about options for Vista or Windows 7, please email me your question at ginamedmond@aol.com and I will do my best to get an answer for you.
As a recap, Lesson 1 focused on Customizing Windows. We learned about the Taskbar and how to customize it, managing files and folders on shorcut menus as well as creating shortcut menus and how to incorporate shortcut icons into one's daily routine (Start Menu, Quick Launch, Links toolbar and Send menu) to work more efficiently. Tne final section covered was customizing the Start Menu by returning to the "classic" style, adding shortcuts and creating submenus.
Every morning I would normally access my programs through the Start menu; going through each icon for the programs needed for the day. First I tried reorganizing my Start menu by customizing the programs I utilize the most. I found this to be a bit cumbersome for me as the text was small on the Start Menu and it was taking me time to read everything therefore, not making much of a difference to my daily routine. However, by reorganizing my Quick Launch area to include shortcuts for Fusion, SoftMed, HBOC, SonicWall, Search engine, AIM, Adobe, My documents, and Calculator all I had to do was point and click on only the programs I needed to utilize for the day. I was pleasantly surprised to see my daily sign-in go from taking 4 minutes daily down to 2 minutes. This little step of making the switch to Quick Launch saved me 10 minutes this week! This got me excited for what we were going to cover in Lesson 2.
Lesson 2 was all about Keyboarding Techniques.
Ah, yes, the life of a transcriptionist centers around "The Keyboard" and all the little things that one knows (or in my case, did not know), in order to maximize efficiency and speed.
Tonight's objectives were straightforward: Apply keyboarding techniques to your daily work to increase efficiency and speed, learning how to utilize the keyboard in place of the mouse to navigate Menus, Dialog Boxes, and Explorer windows, moving the insertion point and select text and finally controlling windows (not Windows) with shortcut keys, universal shortcut keys and recognizing patterns in the shortcut key assignments.
Lots and lots of information packed into tonight's class, so much so that class went over 10 minutes! It seemed most of us had discoveries about the various topics ranging from use of the Application Key (to the right of the space bar with a list and an arrow), to Menus formatted as Menu Bars versus Ribbons, Dialog Boxes and Universal Keys.
I often found my eye drifting back to the first statement I wrote at the beginning of class. "When utilizing techniques for implementing shortcut keys, transition gradually." While it did not feel like information overload, there was a great deal of information covered and do agree in learning a few shortcuts a week at a time as the best approach. Working smarter and not harder with your keyboard will definitely yield greater results.
My "ah-ha moment" occurred while looking in Word 2007. I had a new blank document open and the along the top of the document, this area is referred to as a "ribbon". By simply pressing the ALT key it activated the menu bars. For example, new blank document, ALT + F, a drop down box appeared in the upper left hand corner with the options of New, Open, et cetera along with My Recent Documents. Before I would take my hand to the mouse, click, read, select; now 2 keystrokes ALT + F in Word 2007 and I got the same results. Using the ALT key with Menu Bar in the Ribbon was an instant shortcut and use of the mouse was not necessary.
Two "Hot Tips" for you this week!
1. Logo key + D minimizes everything on your PC and brings you to your desktop; Logo key + D again, and everything returns--great way to toggle to desktop if you need to!
2. The "F" and "J" keys on most keyboards has a raised mark on it to help you realign to the home row when you have to take your hands off the keyboard. I am sure your keyboard is like mine, these marks are worn down and did not even realize they were there anymore. The instructor gave a great tip. At the hardware store, purchase a small piece of felt (the kind you might put on the bottom of a chair to prevent scratches on the floor) and cut a small piece off and place it on your "J" key. While it may make the keyboard look a bit odd, it will save you time by returning to touch and not sight when returning to the home position.
Something else I was excited to learn, M-TEC provides a recording of the class that can be accessed on the Forum; something I will absolutely be utilizing as there has been a delay due to last week's inclement weather on the arrival of the course book. Once I am in receipt of the course book, I am looking forward to be able to provide you with more detailed examples and ways to save you time and will incorporate the examples with my next posting.
Little things practiced daily will lead to great results. I look forward to implementing these new techniques and updating you next week.
Be well and make it a great week!
Gina
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