| Scoping Made Affordable (SMA) |
| Scoping Made Affordable (SMA) Home-Study Training Course |
Step One in the Training Process - Steno Language - $537.50
(25% of the training process)
Steno Training
Learning the basics of steno language based upon StenEd Theory will give you proficiency in your ability to read the steno
notes and to easily work with the dictionaries which are the spine of the CAT programs.
(25% of the training process)
Steno Training
Learning the basics of steno language based upon StenEd Theory will give you proficiency in your ability to read the steno
notes and to easily work with the dictionaries which are the spine of the CAT programs.
Step Two in the Training Process - Editing - $806.25
(37.5% of the training process)
1. Punctuation/Grammar for Scoping
Purchase and complete study of Lillian Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters (LMEG) is required before
purchasing this training material. Challenging sentence formatting samples will be given for you to practice and
check.
Punctuation is the majority of our work.
2. Homonym or Soundalike Words Practice and Challenging Word Usage
Practice in understanding and usage of soundalike words will be covered which is important to our work.
3. Contextual Reading Practice
Reading contextually will hone your skills when your eyes need to detect a transposition of words or missing words in
which our brain tries to trick us into thinking the words are correct. Refer to the information on the brain page.
This is a skill that needs to be taught to new scopists. No, this isn't rocket science; it's cognitive and brain science.
This part will continue into the Ready to Work phase of your training. Once the scopist has mastered this skill, they
will take off like a rocket!!
4. Formatting Numbers
Depending on the context, numbers are formatted many different ways. This material will help you to be
comfortable with those different formatting styles. This will cover dates, measurements, Bates numbers, guns,
citing references and more!!
5. Formatting Documents & Terminology
Recognizing the differences between different parts of a criminal trial versus a deposition will be provided,
understanding the difference between colloquy and Q and A, and how to transition between the two will be provided.
The scoping, court reporter and legal terminology provided will give you a strong foundation to work within this field.
6. Practice Editing Files
Files will be provided for you to practice your editing skills on. These files will be followed by the completely edited
files so that you can see where your mistakes are at. This helps us to focus in on areas that are more
challenging. Everyone will likely struggle with different aspects of the editing process. Mastering this process
is an essential tool for scoping.
7. Classes through WiZiQ
Two classes will be held each week (and are recorded if you can't make it) to really
give you the personal instruction and guidance on the intricacies of scoping. These conference calls
can be attended repeatedly, even after you've finished your training.
(37.5% of the training process)
1. Punctuation/Grammar for Scoping
Purchase and complete study of Lillian Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters (LMEG) is required before
purchasing this training material. Challenging sentence formatting samples will be given for you to practice and
check.
Punctuation is the majority of our work.
2. Homonym or Soundalike Words Practice and Challenging Word Usage
Practice in understanding and usage of soundalike words will be covered which is important to our work.
3. Contextual Reading Practice
Reading contextually will hone your skills when your eyes need to detect a transposition of words or missing words in
which our brain tries to trick us into thinking the words are correct. Refer to the information on the brain page.
This is a skill that needs to be taught to new scopists. No, this isn't rocket science; it's cognitive and brain science.
This part will continue into the Ready to Work phase of your training. Once the scopist has mastered this skill, they
will take off like a rocket!!
4. Formatting Numbers
Depending on the context, numbers are formatted many different ways. This material will help you to be
comfortable with those different formatting styles. This will cover dates, measurements, Bates numbers, guns,
citing references and more!!
5. Formatting Documents & Terminology
Recognizing the differences between different parts of a criminal trial versus a deposition will be provided,
understanding the difference between colloquy and Q and A, and how to transition between the two will be provided.
The scoping, court reporter and legal terminology provided will give you a strong foundation to work within this field.
6. Practice Editing Files
Files will be provided for you to practice your editing skills on. These files will be followed by the completely edited
files so that you can see where your mistakes are at. This helps us to focus in on areas that are more
challenging. Everyone will likely struggle with different aspects of the editing process. Mastering this process
is an essential tool for scoping.
7. Classes through WiZiQ
Two classes will be held each week (and are recorded if you can't make it) to really
give you the personal instruction and guidance on the intricacies of scoping. These conference calls
can be attended repeatedly, even after you've finished your training.
All Training Packages The Entire Scoping Training Course (at a reduced cost) Purchase the entire course at one time or in two separate payments to save you money. Refresher Course (Former court reporting students) MT Package or Senior Citizen Package |
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| Simply click on each step of the course which will take you to the page describing those specific courses and you may purchase it there. Once payment is received, you will receive the link to the registration form. |
Step Three in the Training Process - Getting ready to work - $806.25
(37.5% of the training process.)
1. File-Transfer Information
Information on transferring files will be covered so that you can easily download and upload the files to court reporters.
Sometimes we have to help court reporters learn how to do this process.
2. CAT Programs - Case CATalyst and Eclipse are the main programs taught.
SMA has put together a chart of the top four used CAT programs that compares their editing features side by
side. This information helps you decide which one you want to work with and can be used as a training tool which is why
SMA put it together.
Training via both written material and phone conversations will help you learn these programs.
3. Marketing Yourself, Determining Your Rates and Working with Your First Court Reporter.
The main areas of putting your marketing letter together to promote your scoping skills to court reporters and how to
promote yourself will be covered. (Please note: You must be willing to assert yourself into the scoping field . If you are
looking for the work to simply be handed to you, you will not be successful in scoping.)
4. How to Research
How to use the most of your time in researching terminology, formatting, and ways to build your research resources is a
must to know as you work in the scoping field.
5. Working with Preference Sheets
What is a preference sheet and how do we use them is covered thoroughly. It is also an excellent learning tool.
6. Proofreading Your Work/Scoping Internship - A working internship is in the process of evolving.
As a part of your training, SMA will proofread your scoping work before you go out into the field. This is vitally important
because scopists need to listen for the tiniest details and utterances. This is not the easiest thing to pick up on either. This
takes practice and excellent listening skills. SMA will be assisting you while you start working through your first scoping
jobs. At least three files will be given to each student throughout the training process. The last file will be a
videotape file.
7. Taxes, Billing and Invoices
SMA will provide you with the basic tips of owning and operating your own business, how to bill your customers and will
also provide you with sample invoices.
8. Take and pass the final scoping exam
This way both SMA and you will know that you have all the skills needed to be a successful scopist.
SMA is the only scoping training program requiring its students to scope a transcript with audio and pass it in order to
determine that you have the skills necessary.
Graduation from SMA and affiliation with Joyful Leads will solely be at SMA's discretion based on
the student's respect for the curriculum, instructor and the student's application of their skills.
Since the SMA curriculum is copyright protected, any student sharing the curriculum with
anyone will be immediately disenrolled.
© July 10, 2009, All Rights Reserved
(37.5% of the training process.)
1. File-Transfer Information
Information on transferring files will be covered so that you can easily download and upload the files to court reporters.
Sometimes we have to help court reporters learn how to do this process.
2. CAT Programs - Case CATalyst and Eclipse are the main programs taught.
SMA has put together a chart of the top four used CAT programs that compares their editing features side by
side. This information helps you decide which one you want to work with and can be used as a training tool which is why
SMA put it together.
Training via both written material and phone conversations will help you learn these programs.
3. Marketing Yourself, Determining Your Rates and Working with Your First Court Reporter.
The main areas of putting your marketing letter together to promote your scoping skills to court reporters and how to
promote yourself will be covered. (Please note: You must be willing to assert yourself into the scoping field . If you are
looking for the work to simply be handed to you, you will not be successful in scoping.)
4. How to Research
How to use the most of your time in researching terminology, formatting, and ways to build your research resources is a
must to know as you work in the scoping field.
5. Working with Preference Sheets
What is a preference sheet and how do we use them is covered thoroughly. It is also an excellent learning tool.
6. Proofreading Your Work/Scoping Internship - A working internship is in the process of evolving.
As a part of your training, SMA will proofread your scoping work before you go out into the field. This is vitally important
because scopists need to listen for the tiniest details and utterances. This is not the easiest thing to pick up on either. This
takes practice and excellent listening skills. SMA will be assisting you while you start working through your first scoping
jobs. At least three files will be given to each student throughout the training process. The last file will be a
videotape file.
7. Taxes, Billing and Invoices
SMA will provide you with the basic tips of owning and operating your own business, how to bill your customers and will
also provide you with sample invoices.
8. Take and pass the final scoping exam
This way both SMA and you will know that you have all the skills needed to be a successful scopist.
SMA is the only scoping training program requiring its students to scope a transcript with audio and pass it in order to
determine that you have the skills necessary.
Graduation from SMA and affiliation with Joyful Leads will solely be at SMA's discretion based on
the student's respect for the curriculum, instructor and the student's application of their skills.
Since the SMA curriculum is copyright protected, any student sharing the curriculum with
anyone will be immediately disenrolled.
© July 10, 2009, All Rights Reserved
Options of Payments
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8- and 12-Month Payment Plans are available Because it takes a little while for most people to practice and acquire the contextual reading skill and punctuation skills in order to be a qualified scopist, SMA is now providing 8- and 12-month payment plan options. If you miss a payment, you will stop receiving material. It's that simple. There is a basic payment agreement form the student must fill out in order to utilize this these payment plans. Send an email to drscoping@gmail.com to receive the information on these payment plan. |
Not only does SMA meet the Professional Scopist Criteria as established through the NCRA Scopist Membership Task Force compiled in February of 1996, but SMA passes beyond the criteria through its intern program and testing methodology. Students from all of the online scoping training programs have enrolled in either SMA or SIP. SMA is the only program that covers everything!! © July 10, 2009, All Rights Reserved |
SMA Hours of Availability for its students: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST. Saturday & Sundays - Off Students may still contact SMA during off hours, but responses will be restricted to the hours listed above. |
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| Have you researched the other scoping training programs well? SMA is the only program that:
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SMA has now been training scopists for more than three years and has only improved its curriculum. The fact that SMA chooses to have a great deal of direct student contact, regular classes and the evaluation of each student's scoping skills as they progress is SMA's decision. But to SMA, that is what "teaching" is all about: Interaction with students and measuring their progress. As of this time, I have not seen any other scoping training program that provides training, including the Scoping Intern Program (SIP), that is as comprehensive as SMA. And the proof is in the graduates and their abilities. Court reporters have commented to the graduates of SMA that their scoping work has been the best they've seen out of a new scopist in the past. |
| Tuition Rates Step 1 - $537.50 Step 2 - $806.25 Step 3 - $806.25 Total $2150.00 Package Programs save you money. |
| Purchase your LMEG book through this link for only $78 as a nonmember of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). |
Maybe you have been coming here and really want to get started but you are simply afraid of the unknown. For those of you in that situation or not, SMA is now making available a sample of transcript work to see whether or not this is something you would really enjoy. SMA will charge you only $5 to receive this sample in your email without having to make other financial commitments at this time. SMA can also tell you with confidence that recent graduates were amazed at how quickly they received inquiries from court reporters to do their scoping work. That is how much need there is for well-trained scopists. Place your order here >> |
Did you know.....
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| SMA is expanding its training program by adding additional staff. A new 12-Month Payment Plan is now available for a limited time only!! SMA is also developing an "Advance Scoping Training" to accommodate the need for realtime scoping in the near future. |
| If you would like to see a recorded discussion with prospective students about what scoping is all about, please send an email to drscoping@gmail.com to request that. Because SMA needs to keep track of who is viewing this recording, it has been deleted from our WizIQ Classroom storage. |