• In asynchronous online format providing the student with a self-paced schedule of study mentored by Stenograph staff and consulting teachers.
  
• In synchronous workshops, which are conducted at Stenograph using online course materials, Stenograph teachers and facilitators. Each Stenograph workshop is limited to eight on-site participants and one remote participant.
  
• In synchronous workshops on the participating school’s site. These workshops include blend online instruction with teacher mentoring and facilitation provided by Stenograph staff and consultants.
  

Stenograph also offers course-specific online teacher training for each of its academic courses. Teacher training is available to participating schools that adopt the corresponding student course for online delivery and may begin upon contract execution and continue throughout delivery of the course.

All teacher-training courses are provided at no charge (for the course and training materials) to teachers and instructors of schools adopting Stenograph University Online courses for their students.

All currently available teacher-training courses have been approved by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) for continuing education credits (CEUs) toward the Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI) credential.

Click here for a list of currently and soon-to-be available teacher-training courses.

How does this work?

Stenograph’s student courses come pre-populated with Internet-ready content arranged so you can teach a complete course without developing your own modules, tests, communication tools, assessments or resources. Each student course is designed to correlate to standard text books commonly used in teaching court reporting, captioning and related courses.

Teachers can arrange access to their individual courses approximately three weeks after their educational institution becomes a participating school in the Stenograph University Online program.

At that point, teachers also have access to the teacher-training courses that correspond to each student course that the participating school has elected to offer. Teachers generally begin by completing the online teacher-training course for their subject(s) and then go on to review and customize their student online course site(s).

The degree of customization is up to the individual teacher and school. Stenograph University Online student courses are designed to be "turn-key," but they are also fully customizable by teachers. This means a teacher can use them "as-is" simply by modifying the sample course syllabus with the school’s information and setting up a timetable for course delivery. Or, a teacher can customize the course site(s) to fit class teaching goals, specifications and objectives. Each teacher may add to, subtract from, modify, rearrange, reorder, supplement and replace content as he or she wishes.

Stenograph’s teacher-training courses include a substantial amount of instruction in customization techniques, and most teachers customize to some degree. But it is also important to remember that a teacher can always return a course to "original content" if he or she chooses and can "grandfather" customized course sites for later use.

How does my school become a participating school?

Schools interested in becoming participating schools should contact Stenograph at education@stenograph.com or ask your local Stenograph District Sales Manager for more information. We think when you do, you will find it the most powerful, cost-effective method of teaching online currently available!

When is training available for teachers?

To create course sites and arrange training, we generally require approximately three weeks from the date an educational institution executes an agreement to become a participating school . From that point on, through the life of the agreement teacher training is available to the school’s designated teaching and student services staff.

Stenograph workshops are conducted at Stenograph several times a year and can be arranged with 30-45 days notice as needed.

Stenograph teacher training workshops on a school’s site can also be arranged with 30-45 days advance notice.

How long does it take to complete teacher training?

The time it takes to complete teacher training will vary from teacher to teacher and school to school depending on your online teaching goals and plans. In general, we recommend you begin teacher training at least 90 days before your first planned enrollment and no less than 45-60 days prior to enrollment for each type of online course you add as you develop your online curriculum.

What equipment do I need to teach online?

At a minimum, you will need a computer with:

• 400 Megahertz (Pentium II or equivalent) or higher processor
• Internet Explorer 6.x or higher java-enabled Web browser with cookies enabled (no alternate browsers are acceptable)
• 128 Megabytes of RAM or higher
• sound card
• speakers
• video graphics card
• 15" or larger color graphics monitor capable of 1024 x 768 pixel resolution
• 24X or better CD drive
• unique e-mail address (not shared by anyone else)
• printer
• Windows 2000 or XP operating system
• current version of Windows-compatible word processing software such as Microsoft Word®
• 28.8 kbps or faster Internet connection

For some courses of study (i.e., Stenograph Online Speedbuilding), a cable modem, T1 or higher, or DSL service is recommended. Your Internet service should not time out, allow pop-up advertising while you are in your course site, or prevent the receipt of audio, video or streaming media.

Please note that we strongly recommend all teaching be done via a DSL, cable modem, T1 or higher, or broadband high speed Internet service. While students may participate via dial-up connection, certain teaching activities such as delivery of live dictation, virtual classrooms, voice chat and other services can only be properly accomplished by teachers using high-speed connections.

If you choose to enable your classrooms with two-way video or video chat, both teachers and students will need to enhance computer memory to a MINIMUM of 256 megabytes of RAM, and incorporate the use of appropriate Web-cam hardware and software into your and your students’ computer requirements.

You should also have technical support from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and computer service technician in place before beginning your online course of study. This support should include a toll free number you can call immediately should you experience difficulties in connection, reception or hardware/software operation.

Please note that some courses of study (i.e., steno theory, Stenograph Online Speedbuilding, Case CATalyst, etc.) require additional software and the computer you use to have SPECIFIC Windows Operating Systems (i.e., Windows 2000 or XP but not Windows NT, 98, 98SE or Windows ME) for access.

For complete information on technical requirements for various courses offered by participating schools, click here or on the "Technical Information" tab above.

How do I get more information?

Teachers or schools should contact Stenograph at education@stenograph.com for more information about online teacher training courses. Please include the following information in your e-mail:

Teacher’s name
School name
Address
Telephone number
Time to contact
Email address
Description of information needed

We apologize but we cannot respond to anonymous or incomplete requests or to requests from parties other than teachers in state approved educational institutions.

How do I get a course demonstration?

Demonstrations of student course sites are available to teachers and staff in state-approved educational institutions. To arrange a demonstration, please contact us at education@stenograph.com or through your local Stenograph District Sales Manager.

What about professional certification and CEUs?

NCRA has approved many teacher training courses for CEUs toward initial certification or maintenance of the Certified Reporting Instructor (CRI) credential.  For more information on participating school costs, please contact our Education Advantage department at 1-800-323-4247 x7880.

Testimonials

Stenograph Online Speedbuilding
I want to let you know what a fantastic job of training Sandra Natale did last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The other presenters (Jerry Chiappetta, Chris Cosgrove and Kathy Dittmeier) were terrific as well. I was sorry that I couldn't be in Chicago for the training but I was made to feel welcome from my computer in Toronto. The topper was when Anthony Jordan showed up on Monday morning with muffins and danish to make up for the continental breakfast I was missing with the rest of the group. I was absolutely floored - it just shows the attention and thoughtfulness Stenograph gives to its customers. And as if that wasn't enough, a Stenograph shirt arrived on the last day of training!

The work that Sandra, Jerry, the Three Owls, et. al. have done on Stenograph University is amazing and I look forward to working with it in my program.

Thanks to Stenograph for the continued support and caring for your customers.

–Susan Sheehan, Coordinator
Court Reporting Program
George Brown College
Toronto, ON

Phoenix Theory Online
My students are awesome. They have such an amazing bond with each other. They support and encourage each other through everything: personal trials and tribulations as well as the challenges of being online students. They are remarkable! I feel so fortunate that I am teaching machine shorthand online.

–Katie Vettickal, CRI
College of Court Reporting
Hobart, IN

What about cost?

For participating schools
Total participating school costs vary depending on your school’s online education objectives, courses selected, enrollment, etc. For more information on participating school costs, please contact us at education@stenograph.com or contact your local Stenograph District Sales Manager.

For teacher training
Teacher training is only provided to schools adopting Stenograph University Online courses for their students. For more information on participating school costs, please contact our Education Advantage department at 1-800-323-4247 x7880.

Teachers traveling to Stenograph workshops are responsible for travel and lodging expenses during the sessions. Applications to NCRA for CEUs for teachers completing workshops at Stenograph will be handled by Stenograph at no charge to the school or teachers attending, provided the attendees furnish Stenograph with NCRA member information at the time of the workshop.

Participating schools requesting workshops on-site normally pay only the travel and lodging expenses of the Stenograph trainers and/or facilitators traveling to the school site. Schools (or attendees) also pay application fees for NCRA-approved continuing education credits to be issued for workshops conducted on the school’s site.

Teachers completing the online asynchronous versions of the courses are responsible CEU application and application fees required for each submission.

Stenograph University Online teacher training is not available to the general public or to teachers affiliated with institutions other than Stenograph University Online participating schools .