Back in my day Microsoft’s Spell check was a basic editing feature that only checked for spelling and grammar. Editing beyond this was done by a human, and most often something you paid for. Then came along software dedicated to editing your work. This software was (is) great, but often has a free and premium plan, with editing beyond Spell Check on the premium (cost) side.

These days, there is Editor. Which is essentially a super-charged version of the previous Spell Check. Editor is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered service that not only reviews your work for you to check for spelling and grammar, but also checks for refinements such as clarity, conciseness, formality, and vocabulary (among others). Did we mention it’s free? Because it is. 🙂

What makes Editor different from Spell Check?

Editor not only alerts you to errors (corrections) but also provides suggestions to enhance your work (refinements). As you work through the Editor toolbar, you’re alerted to your potential error, and provided with options for suggested changes. In the case of spelling errors, you are able to get a definition of the word you typed and the suggestions. You may also hear the potential error and suggested changes aloud to help you determine what is correct.

What are the Basics that Editor Checks for?

• Spelling
• Grammar – including: sentence fragments, missing words, punctuation, capitalization and commonly confused words such as your and you’re (anyone else picture Ross from the TV show Friends saying “y-o-u-r and y-o-u’r-e?!)

Going Above and Beyond with Editor

• Ever find that there are words or abbreviations that are marked as errors, that really are not? Well you can add those words to your custom dictionary so that they are not marked as errors anymore!
  Add or edit words in a spell check dictionary – Microsoft Support
• Want to check spelling or grammar in another language? No problem!
  Check spelling and grammar in a different language – Microsoft Support
• Do you often misspell the same word and are tired of changing it to the correct spelling in the Editor toolbar all of the time? You can add that misspelled word to your AutoCorrect list and have it automatically changed for you in the future!
  Add or remove AutoCorrect entries in Word – Microsoft Support
• Need certain parts of your document not checked? Maybe you type a lot of email addresses, links, abbreviations in uppercase letters, or words that contain both letters and numbers. Well you can select types of spelling errors that Editor checks for.
  Ignore uppercase words, numbers, or Internet addresses when checking spelling – Microsoft Support
• Have you ever reread an email you’ve already sent, only to notice some basic edits you missed? We’ve all been there, BUT you can set Outlook to automatically run Editor before sending an email!
  Check spelling before sending a message – Microsoft Support

Where is Editor Available?

Editor (and the features outlined above) are available in Word and Outlook (both desktop and on the web), and as a browser extension for Edge or Chrome, with a Microsoft 365 subscription. …and remember, as a College student you have access to Microsoft 365 subscription features for FREE!

Additional Resources

Video: LinkedIn Learning: Using Microsoft Editor in Word (by Mike Tholfson)

Have you ever been told not to work on a computer in a dark room, that it’s not good for your eyes? Well, that’s only part of the story… The reason that you can experience eye strain, headaches or blurred vision from using a (bright) computer in a dark room could be because of the difference in brightness between your computer screen and the room you are in.

Now I’m sure you’ve probably heard of ergonomic desks and chairs, but what about different computer settings to potentially help reduce eye strain from extended computer use?…Visual ergonomics!

To reduce potential eye strain from extended computer use, it is suggested that you set your computer and workspace up so that your computer screen is about the same level of brightness as the room you are in – you do not want your monitor to be a bright source of light in a dim room or have a darker computer screen in a bright room. This can be achieved through adjusting different settings on your computer and the various programs that you use:

• Dark mode in system settings (or set up in various programs)
• Nightlight feature (especially if you are working when it is dark outside)
• Adjusting screen brightness and using additional lighting

It is also suggested that you set your computer up so that the screen is at eye level and about an arms’ length away.

Dark Mode:

Dark mode is a display setting that favors a darker background, which can help reduce the overall brightness of your computer screen.

• Desktop background and colors on Windows
• Dark mode on Mac
• Office suite themes
• Dark mode in Teams
• Dark mode in Webex
• Dark mode in Chrome
• Dark mode in Microsoft Edge

Nightlight:

Using a nightlight feature on your computer (or cell phone, tablet, etc…) reduces blue light, which may help with eye strain, but is particularly useful if you are looking at your computer when it is dark outside.

• Nighttime display
• “Night Shift”

Brightness Levels & Lighting:

Computer screen brightness:
Some computers allow will auto-detect the lighting of the room you are in and adjust the brightness of your screen (the same as adaptive brightness settings on your cell phone). If your computer does not have this setting, you can manually change the brightness of your computer screen.

• Screen brightness in Windows
• Mac display brightness

Bias lighting:
…or having a source of light around your computer screen, has also shown to be effective at reducing eye strain. This can be achieved by having a light source (lamp, window, etc…) behind your computer screen so that when you are looking at your computer, the screen isn’t the only source of light you see.

Light bars:
If you are using a desktop computer and using the space on your desk directly below your monitor (to read a textbook, take notes, etc…) it is recommended that you have a source of light that is focused on the desk below your monitor, but not shining light on your monitor (creating a glare). This can be achieved using a monitor light bar, or a desk lamp with a built-in light bar you can focus directly on your desk below your monitor.

TL:DR (Too Long: Didn’t Read)

The key is to use these settings on your computer and for your workspace to create an equal brightness between your computer screen, and the space around you. A darker computer screen (just using dark mode) in a bright room, may cause just as much eye strain as a bright computer screen in a dark room.

Note: If you experience eye strain due to a documented disability, please connect with Student Accessibility Services for support in building your individualized plan.

Now, if you’re anything like the writer of this blog, speaking in front of others and giving presentations, is not your idea of a fun day. It’s not that you don’t know the material you’re presenting on, maybe you are just uncomfortable in large groups, or get nervous/anxious when presenting. Whatever the reason may be, Speaker Coach built into PowerPoint may help!

What does Speaker Coach Do?

Speaker Coach allows you to record yourself presenting, and provides feedback on a variety of elements:

• Pace
• Pitch
• Use of filler words (like: like; and, um; ahhh, ok…)
• Informal speech/profanity
• Euphemisms
• Using too many words
• Reading word for word off the slide

How does Speaker Coach Work?

In order to use Speaker Coach, you need an internet connected device, with a microphone, Microsoft Edge version 15 or later (Chrome or Firefox version 52 or later), and a Microsoft account (your academic email counts!). Essentially you record yourself giving your presentation, and through Microsoft’s Speech Services, you are given both real-time feedback, and a summary report.
Note: in using this feature, your speech utterances will be sent to Microsoft.

How do I Access Speaker Coach?

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint for the web (you can access all Office 365 applications, including PowerPoint, through HUB)
2. Click on the “Slide Show” tab, and then select “Rehearse with Coach”
3. (When you are ready to start presenting/recording) select “Get Started”
4. Give your presentation

Speaker Coach had Suggestions… What Now?

Suggestions from Speaker Coach don’t have to be scary! Your summary report will provide you with information on what areas you may work on to improve your presentation. Better yet, Microsoft has a whole page dedicated to explaining why different recommendations are made, and providing suggestions on how to fix them.

• Webpage: Microsoft Support, Suggestions from Speaker Coach
• Plus the Library and Academic Services also has resources on presentations!
  Webpage: RRC Polytech, Presentations & Communication Guide

Resources:

Webpage: Microsoft Support, Rehearse Your Slideshow with Speaker Coach

Webpage: Microsoft Support, Speaker Coach Tutorial

Did you know that with PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 you can transcribe your words, as you present, display them on-screen, in either the same language you are speaking, or translated into another language?!

Let’s reword that: it’s FREE and easy to add real time captions in either the language you are presenting in, or translated into another language. PLUS you can customize the position, size and color of your captions or subtitles!

Why should I put captions or subtitles into my presentation?

Captions are a written version of what is said during your presentation. So for those who may be Deaf or hard of hearing, those who may find it easier to follow by reading rather than listening, or those that like to engage in presentations by listening and reading, captions are a necessary to ensure everyone can access your presentation at the same time, in a way that is meaningful to them. When you take your captions and display them in another language, they are now called subtitles, and are extremely helpful for those who may understand information better in another language.

How do I set up captions and subtitles in PowerPoint?

The first time you use captions, or subtitles, you will need to adjust the settings to match your spoken language, and desired subtitle language. These settings and how to set them up, are outlined on Microsoft’s Support page. Once set up, it’s easy to turn your captions on from either the slide show view or presenter view.
Webpage: Microsoft Support, Captions or Subtitles in PowerPoint

Where else can captions be added?

For the instructors and staff in the audience today, here is some more information on captions, subtitles, transcripts, and descriptions in the various applications used at the College:

• Webpage: RRC Polytech, Accessible Video and Audio
• Webpage: RRC Polytech, Videos in LEARN and Closed Captions
• Webpage: Closed Captioning in WebEx

Here at the Tech Tips: Work Smarter, Not Harder blog, we love free resources, but there is something else we really love…. And that’s when two free resources work together so seamlessly to even further provide supports. A support sandwich if you will 😀 …and today’s lunch special is a support sandwich made of Graphic Organizers in Kurzweil 3000 and Voice Dictation built into Word (with a condiment of Split Screen mode in Windows).

Step 1 – Build your Graphic Organizer in Kurzweil

Open up the desktop version of Kurzweil 3000 and use either a built-in template, or build your own graphic organizer. Write down your ideas, create connections between ideas, and develop a flow for your paper. Edit your graphic organizer until you have all of your thoughts down and are ready to write.

• Tech Tips Blog Post: Graphic Organizers (in Kurzweil 3000)

Step 2 – Open a blank Word Document

Use the split screen mode so that half of your computer screen shows your Graphic Organizer in Kurzweil, and the other half of your screen is a blank Word document. While looking at your graphic organizer, showing you your ideas, how they connect and flow through your paper, use voice dictation in Word to dictate, or to talk through your paper.

• Tech Tips Blog Post: Voice Dictation
• Video: How to do Split Screen in Windows 10

Why? What makes this a recipe for success???

Graphic organizers may support individuals who find it difficult to organize their thoughts, or determine where to start. Voice dictation may support those who have difficulty in writing or typing their thoughts, whether because of a disability, slow typing skills, spelling difficulties, etc… Plus, the majority of individuals are able to speak faster than they can type, so voice dictation might help you “type” your paper faster! Combining these two supports, using the split screen method, allows you to organize your thoughts, see what you want to say, and speak your thoughts faster than you (most likely) could type them!

Last blog post we highlighted voice dictation in Office 365, and this week we want to further build your voice dictation skills with what’s called voice commands.

Voice commands are specific words or phrases that you can say, that Office applications understand as an action to carry out, rather than text to type. For example you can say “delete” to have the last word or punctuation before the cursor deleted, or “delete that” to remove the last section of what was dictated.

Now voice commands are pretty cool, but remembering all of them, or looking up the specific one you need to use can be time-consuming. But, voice dictation and voice commands aren’t an all-or-none style of choice. You can choose to voice dictate to get your thoughts out, then go back and edit using your mouse and keyboard. Or you can voice dictate and edit with voice commands. You can mix and match whatever combination suits you, or the paper you’re writing, best.

Fun fact, you can even use voice dictation to get out all of your thoughts, then use the read-aloud feature of Immersive Reader to listen to what you just wrote, and then edit either with voice commands of your mouse and keyboard. …and, RefWorks has your back when it comes to citations and references!!

Now isn’t that a combination for success!!

Need to review the different resources referenced in this post? Check out previous blog posts for more information!

• Tech Tips Blog Post: Voice Dictation
• Tech Tips Blog Post: Immersive Reader
• Tech Tips Blog Post: RefWorks

Do you find that sometimes you know what you want to say, but get stuck on finding the right words, how to spell those words, thinking about sentence structure or the flow of your paper? Or maybe you find that your thoughts are faster than you can type or write?

You’re not alone! There are so many steps we don’t necessarily think of that go into writing: you need to decide what you want to say, how to spell the words, where to place your hands on the keyboard, and oh no! that red squiggly line showed up and now you can’t stop thinking about the words you spelt wrong aaaaannnndddd now you’ve forgotten what you wanted to type.

*SIGH* There has to be another way….

Well, Microsoft says there is (and we agree)! Voice dictation! Because, did you know that the majority of people can speak up to three times faster than they can write? 3x!!! That’s a lot of time saved, and voice dictation is so easy to use.

But don’t just listen to us, try it out for yourself and see if it works for you!

Webpage: Dictate Documents in Word

Webpage: Dictate Documents in Word for the Web

Always on the move, but want to get some of your work done on the go? Try out voice dictation in Word Mobile!

Webpage: Dictate Documents in Word Mobile

…and btw, Microsoft’s voice dictation is also available (for free) in other applications such as OneNote, Outlook, and even PowerPoint!

Webpage: Dictate in Microsoft 365

Note: the dictation feature is only available for Microsoft Office 365 users …but… if you don’t currently have Office 365, you can access Office 365 programs (for free) through HUB or install them (for free) onto a personal device.

Webpage: RRC Polytech, Microsoft Office Access Information

Have you ever felt “frozen” or stuck when needing to write a paper? Not knowing where to start? What ideas go together? What order to put your ideas in? Should you figure out what ideas go together first, or what order to put those ideas in? Do all your ideas need to be included? How long does your paper need to be? Do you have enough ideas? …………… Cue the frustration, and ultimately, procrastination. 🙁

Graphic organizers… Flow charts… Mind maps… Infographics… Idea maps… These are visuals that help organize your thoughts, and organize all of the information that might be stuck in your brain. And guess what?! Kurzweil 3000, that text-to-speech program available to students for free, that program we like to rave about on the blog? Yeah, Kurzweil 3000 has Graphic Organizers built-in just waiting to help you out!

Graphic organizers can help you to organize your thoughts, group ideas together, develop a flow to your paper, or even be repurposed to help you develop a timeline or a plan to help keep you on track. Kurzweil has different templates available for you to use – simply open up a template and plunk in your ideas. Better yet, you can edit the template to add (or remove) blank sections, or even create your own graphic organizer from scratch!

But, rather than just read our blog post about how amazing and helpful Graphic Organizers in Kurzweil are, why not watch a demo video?

Video: Kurzweil Education, Graphic Organizers

Note: Graphic Organizers are available in both Windows and Mac desktop versions of Kurzweil (not the ReadTheWeb extension), they just may look slightly different than in this video.

…and if you don’t know what Kurzweil 3000 is (we promise to not take offense), but would encourage you to check out these resources on this amazing (and totally free) toolbox of supports.

Webpage: RRC Polytech, Kurzweil 3000

Webpage: Tech Tips Blog Post, Kurzweil 3000

Are you a OneNote user and want to learn how to quickly take text and convert it into a bullet or numbered list? How to quickly create a table? How to quickly move rows of information up or down in a table? How to link information from one page to another to quickly navigate through your notebook? Or how to organize your notebook with quick shortcuts?

Hopefully you noticed the quick/ly trend as this week’s Tech Tips: Work Smarter, Not Harder blog post is… well it’s not our blog post, it’s a post to encourage you to check out “Top Eight Tips for OneNote” from the “Nano Tips for Using Microsoft Office with Mike Tholfsen” LinkedIn Learning Course. In this video you’ll (quickly) learn how to (quickly):

1. Add bullets / create a bullet list
2. Add numbers to create a numbered list
3. Create a table
4. Move rows of information up or down in a table
5. Create a link to a page in your (One)Notebook
6. Create subpages
7. Bulk create pages
8. Record audio (though remember, audio recording of lectures may not be used without instructor permission or an approved accommodation through Accessibility Services)

BONUS! Here’s a ninth tip on how to “Copy Text From Picture in OneNote” (also from “Nano Tips for Using Microsoft Office with Mike Tholfsen”).

Not a LinkedIn user? No problem! As a student at the College you have access to courses through LinkedIn Learning (like the one linked above). All you need to do is sign in from the LinkedIn Learning icon in your HUB account.

Not (currently) a OneNote user, but interested in learning more? Check out our previous Tech Tips: Work Smarter, Not Harder blog post on OneNote!

As we are just about to head into Reading Week for some of our programs, we thought we’d do a special post highlighting some common reading difficulties, and the features that Kurzweil 3000 and Immersive Reader have to support these experiences. …and remember, both Kurzweil 3000 and Immersive Reader are freeeeeee!

Experience: do you find that when reading, you sometimes read words from multiple lines, reading from one line, then jumping up or down lines, and continuing reading? Then at the end having read a sentence that doesn’t quite make sense?

Kurzweil Support: when choosing audio options try the reading unit of line. With this setting, Kurzweil will highlight the line of text it is reading aloud, giving you a visual cue of what is being read.
Video: Text-To-Speech Audio Options (Desktop)
Note: the line reading unit is not available in ReadTheWeb

Immersive Reader Support: try out the line focus setting in Immersive Reader (which is available in almost all applications with Immersive Reader). This setting will focus on either 1, 3, or 5 lines of text at a line, and darken the other lines of text above or below, making it more difficult for you to read from other lines.
Webpage: Use Line Focus in Immersive Reader

Experience: do you find that when reading you skip words, or guess/makeup words you don’t know? If this is you, take a moment to access the built-in dictionaries of Kurzweil and Immersive Reader!

Kurzweil Support:
Video: Dictionaries in Kurzweil 3000 (Desktop)
Video: Picture and Talking Dictionaries in Kurzweil 3000 (Desktop)
Note: only the desktop and online versions of Kurzweil have the picture dictionary (all versions have a regular and talking dictionary).

Immersive Reader Support:
Webpage: Immersive Reader Picture Dictionary

Immersive Reader also has built-in grammar tools to either split words into syllables, or highlight nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs!
Webpage: Text Preferences in Immersive Reader (Edge) (scroll halfway down the page)

Experience: do you find that when reading you can’t always tell where one word begins and ends, or which letters are a part of which words? Sometimes combining two separate words and reading it as one?

Immersive Reader Support: turn on the text spacing option under text preferences (this feature is available in virtually all Microsoft products with Immersive Reader), to increase the amount of spacing between words, potentially making it easier to read.
Webpage: Text Preferences in Immersive Reader (Edge) (scroll to just about halfway down the page)

Kurzweil Support: Kurzweil does allow for users to increase or decrease page zoom, but doesn’t have a specific setting to adjust spacing in-between words.

Experience: is reading in English difficult because you’re translating in your head from another language you are more comfortable with?

Kurzweil Support: Kurzweil has both translation and reading language features, available in all versions on Kurzweil.
Video: Language Options in Kurzweil (Desktop)
Video: Language Options in Kurzweil (Online)

Immersive Reader Support: translation is available in all online platforms of Microsoft products with Immersive Reader.
Webpage: Translation in Immersive Reader (Edge) (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Experience: do you find that reading black text on white paper (or screens) is difficult, or gives you headaches? Or are certain fonts, or font sizes easier to read for you?

Kurzweil Support: in the desktop version of Kurzweil, adjust the background color, or written text color to ones that are easier for you to read. Generally speaking, softer shades of green, blue or purple can be easier on the eyes.
Video: Change Background and Written Text Color in Kurzweil (Desktop)

In the desktop or online versions of Kurzweil, you increase the page zoom to increase font size.
Video: Zoom Settings in Kurzweil (Desktop)
Video: Zoom Settings in Kurzweil (Online)

Immersive Reader Support: in the text preferences of Immersive Reader, you can adjust font size, text spacing, text column size, and page themes (background colors).
Webpage: Text Preferences in Immersive Reader (Edge) (scroll to just about halfway down the page)

Keep in mind that Immersive Reader, and the features outlined in this blog, are available in various MS Office applications such as Word, Outlook, OneNote, Edge and Teams (just to name a few). To find out which applications have Immersive Reader, or where you can access certain features, please visit the below link.
Webpage: Immersive Reader Product & Features Guide

…And if you want to learn more about these amazingly free resources, check out our past blog posts highlighting each of them:

• Blog Post: Kurzweil 3000 – FREE Software
• Blog Post: Immersive Reader