7. How do I use C-Print®?

What I do is type everything that is spoken in the class for my client/s. I use a phonetic abbreviation system that is very much like the one used for written shorthand or for court stenography. C-Print® software expands the abbreviations I type into the full words and text on a  screen for the student using accommodations. I can customize my dictionary as I work so that C-Print® grows along with my exposure to new terminology.

My student has a variety of options for receiving the captioning:

1. Sit nearby and read my laptop screen: A student may sit beside me, or some students prefer to sit behind or to the side of me to pretend they aren't the one receiving my services. They can sit where they can still see, but feel more anonymous and sit with classmates.
2. Connect the student laptop wirelessly to mine: The student can sit anywhere in the room or auditorium and receive the captioning on his/her laptop or smart device wirelessly. Some students prefer to be very anonymous, and this is a great option for that.
3. More than one student can use our services at the same time by sitting near enough to read our screens, by connecting wirelessly to our laptops, by connecting physically via cables, or by reading projected captioning.
4. Connect his/her laptop directly to my laptop via cables.
5. Receive a transcript directly if connected to my laptop, or wait until later for me to email it to him/'her or to upload it to a designated internet file storage for download to their laptop.

C-Print® has a chat feature which allows students and captionists to chat discretely. A student sometimes has a request during class, and the chat feature is a quick way to manage discussions with the captionists.

C-Print® is customizable. A student can ask the captionist to make the font larger, to angle the screen so that a reflection is removed, to change the background and font colors, etc. All of that discussion can take place discretely in the chat panes.

Chat is a great feature for non-oral (non-speaking) students. A student who is not oral can type a question to the captionist, and the captionist can raise a hand like any student in the room, wait to be called on, ask the question,and then caption the teacher's response.

If a student connects wirelessly to my laptop, they are using the Client Version of C-Print® . This version provides the student with many note-taking capabilities. This allows the student to split his/her desktop window in half. One side feeds the live captioning. The student has control of this view on their computer, and the student can scroll back and forward in the transcript. The other side is a virtual notebook. The student can change fonts, font colors, backgrounds, enter footnotes and sticky notes, resize the fonts, etc. The student notes can stand alone or be merged into the transcript.

What does a transcript look like?

Transcripts are in rich text format, and can be opened in Microsoft Word or any software that reads a rich text file (.rft).

At the top of my transcripts is a heading with the course name, course section, name of the captionist/s, and the date.
Various speakers are indicated: Teachers, Teacher's Assistants, etc.   Confidentiality is maintained.
Actions are indicated. A student reading my screen is not looking at the teacher or classroom around him/her. This student may not notice that something is being written on the board that they need to include in their notes. An action indicator in the transcript directs the student's eyes to the board, to new information on an overhead or side board, or to a teacher demonstrating something.  I also indicate when the board is being erased so a student can hurry to jot down information before it's gone or raise a hand to ask the teacher to let them finish copying it.
Extraneous noises or actions are indicated so a student is completely included in the class. I never want a student to think they may be missing something important or to feel excluded. A student who is reading lips may not realize that the teacher is just humming gibberish. If I don't indicate that in the transcript, the student may see the teacher's lips moving and wonder why I am not captioning what they are saying or why they can't make out what the teacher is saying. If a cell phone rings and everyone laughs, and I don't caption something indicating that, the student will wonder why everyone is laughing and looking all around the room. If an alarm goes off, and everyone suddenly jumps, the student needs to know what is happening and how to respond.
Here is a sample transcript:

MATH 1001-001
Captioned by Jane Doe
Monday, July 1, 2010 Teacher: Hello everyone, and welcome. I had a great weekend, and I hope you did too. I want to show you this (holding up flower). Does it look odd to you?
Students: (Laughter)
Teacher: Yeah, I grew this thing. Sad, ain't it? (Smiling)
I want to be sure we include the (Writing on Board) a + b + c part of the equation to show that a is not equal to b. John, would you close the door? John: Yes, sir. Teacher: Yes? Male Student: One of the Power Point slides is missing. Teacher: Thank you. Let me put it up on the side for you (Notes on Overhead). etc.

*End of Class*
Disclaimer: This confidential transcript was captioned in real-time utilizing C-Print® as a disability accommodation through (removed for privacy)... is strictly prohibited. If you have any questions, please email: (removed for privacy). (I didn't include an actual disclaimer, but it basically explains the meaning-for-mean goal of the software, prohibits sharing of transcripts with outsiders without permission and/or for purposes other than intended in the accommodations and contact details to ask for more information.)

~See Print Moderator