As licensed and certified court reporters, it is mandatory to obtain continuing education points. Of course, there are many benefits, other than licensure retention, for attending learning events.
- Adding to existing knowledge base aids in our everyday work and transcript preparation
- Seeing and connecting with colleagues and friends
- Meeting and networking with new court reporters can lead to future opportunities
- Learning from others on how to handle difficult requests we may face from time to time
- Learning from leaders in our industry is total inspiration and offers insight to how each of us can strive to be the best we can be
There are multiple CEU providers and opportunities today that make it easy for court reporters to meet our CEU obligations. Education can be obtained via in-person mini seminars, state conventions, national conventions, software training, and webinars, just to name a few.
To make the most of your next seminar, you only need a few tools to aid in your notetaking and learning experience. Here’s what I take with me so I can be productive the entire day:
1. iPhone, of course. When I’m on the go, it is essential to have my phone with me to monitor email and voicemail. Court reporters need to stay on top of taking care of our number-one priority, our clients!
2. iPad: I strive to go paperless. During seminars, it’s an easy thing to take notes during the seminar on my iPad. My favorite app is Pear Note.
- The most recent seminar I attended, I was having a few issues with concentration because I was suffering with a horrible cold. Pear Note saved me in this situation.
- Their app allows you to navigate through your notes you did take (even if there are large gaps) so you can listen to what was going on when you zoned out.
- Pear Note records audio and synchronizes it to the notes you type, placing them both on a timeline. Since keystrokes are kept on this timeline, you can easily find what was being said during typing.
- Not only can you jump to anywhere in your recording by using the timeline slider, but you can also use your text notes. Just tap anywhere in the text and playback will jump to the moment you typed that character. Gone are the days of scrubbing through a recording to find what you’re looking for. Just tap on your notes and you’re instantly there. Once you’re there, Pear Note will show you what you typed as you typed it, so you never lose your place in your notes.
3. Jackery: My husband gifted me this iPhone charger for Mother’s Day, and it’s the best new gadget I own! It fits easily in any handbag and offers one full charge and instant power of the iPhone for those long seminar days. Sometimes an electrical outlet just isn’t conveniently located to plug in, so this device is amazing!
4. Bolse 4 Port USB AC Rapid Charger: This is a great alternative if you want to rely on an electrical outlet to charge your smartphone or other USB devices you carry with you. I love using this gadget to keep my iPad and Fitbit charged up, too.
- Compatible with iPhone, iPad, HTC phones, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Galaxy Phone, Samsung Galaxy Note, Blackberry, MP3 players, Digital Camera, & other USB devices.
- Use your existing USB charging cables to charge most USB powered devices. Easy-to-see LED confirms whether USB charger is properly connected.
- Highest Power rating at 20W / 4 Amps output, at least twice the power of any other four port charger.
- Compact Design and Flip Down AC Prongs make it easy to carry on travel.
- Sophisticated circuit design with over-heated, over-current, over-charging protection. Charging will automatically stop when battery is full.
Happy learning!
Technology is great!