I can give you the recommendation to learn the basics of touch typing and then go out and just do it the way it suits you best.I bought a course for around 30 € and it was quite good but I just got annoyed by the stupid rules they wanted to enforce on me, so I just stopped using it at some time and tried to concentrate on typing the way I learned it.Now I can type with closed eyes and I can go pretty fast, that is why I hate writing with a pen so much now.So, find a course that teaches you the basics, but don't take everything it teaches you as a law of nature. I know that Dragon naturally speaking has been mentions, however not a lot was said and I thought you might want to know how it works.You take about 30 minutes to just talk into it, so that it will recognize your voice. Once this is done you can talk and it will type into word, open office, notepad, and even into dragon pad.If you make a mistake it is easy to correct. The dragon can type as fast as you can talk. I think if you are not fast at typing, you will love it.Rhonda,Thank you so much. I have watched about a zillion videos showing people using Dragon, so If it even performs half as good as the claims, I will be happy.I have been watching it for over a year, getting feedback, reading reviews, and it is 90% all good reports.Thanks so much for your input, and good luck in all your endeavors.Patrick. Patrick - I see that you are a ghostwriter, just as I am.
I don't know how you have been typing 8 articles per day when just a few fingers, lol. You must really be fast at it. I do have the dragon program, and it works great, however I use it for research the most. I type 100 words per minutes so find I write better by typing myself.The dragon is great for research! You can easily just talk what notes you want to make and then do the article later. Either way you use it, you will love it.When I was 18(billion years ago) I taught myself to type with old manual typewriter and a teaching book from the library. It didn't take long to learn how to type.
I just practiced for about an hour per day. It would probably go a lot faster on the computer.I wish you all the luck in the world with your writing!.
Patrick - I see that you are a ghostwriter, just as I am. I don't know how you have been typing 8 articles per day when just a few fingers, lol. You must really be fast at it. I do have the dragon program, and it works great, however I use it for research the most.
I type 100 words per minutes so find I write better by typing myself.The dragon is great for research! You can easily just talk what notes you want to make and then do the article later. Either way you use it, you will love it.When I was 18(billion years ago) I taught myself to type with old manual typewriter and a teaching book from the library. It didn't take long to learn how to type. I just practiced for about an hour per day. It would probably go a lot faster on the computer.I wish you all the luck in the world with your writing!Yes Rhonda,I was 18 a couple of eons ago also!Thanks for the advice.I never thought of the research angle.Patrick. Thanks Rhonda.
I probably should have mentioned that. It will get better and better with your voice over time. Little rocky to start with.
I live in the south so Redneck is my native language. If there are words that it keeps on stumbling over you can go in and specify what its supposed to do when it hears a word that isn't in its vocabulary. Talk naturally when you are trying to train it.
Don't talk like a robot. Just read the script.ThomasThanks Thomas, I too are a redneck!Yee - Haw!Born in Savannah, Ga, living in Jax, Fla.Thanks for the input.Patrick.
Jill, I actually bought Dragon Home 11 Thursday, they had a one day $49 sale!I am eagerly awaiting its arrival.Do you have any tips for using it?If you can PM me with any advice I will dance at your wedding (or divorce, whichever you prefer).Thanks JillHa ha.I have Mac (Dictate) but the principles are the same.I actually can type fairly well, and learned in High School. It was one of those courses my mom made me take and I hated it at the time as I thought 'why will I need this as a ballet dancer' lol - but anyway.If you take the time for the initial set up I think you are going to be elated and likely in awe.You will even be able to use it here on forum posts.It takes some (minimal) time to 'train' these programs but they do work quite well.Dictate has a card that comes with it for the commands, so I'm guessing Dragon will too - and just keep that in a handy spot and use the program.As they say, use it or lose it. Ha ha.I have Mac (Dictate) but the principles are the same.I actually can type fairly well, and learned in High School. I dont type fast and I can say that I am pretty slow.
Time has not permitted me to go on lessons for typing which may be the reason why I still do the two finger typing style, which is often noticed by people around me. LOL.I remember trying though via typingpal and other typing games I found via google but if you are not doing it consistently you will eventually forget.AndreaI am pretty quick with just my two finger style, but even a 25% improvement could mean several hundred dollars for me, and more importantly, more time to work on my own IMing efforts.Thanks Andrea. Hey Patrick!Back in 1990, I was a two finger typist, and started finding it a problem in that I was a writer and editor.I spent a month on an old program called Typing Tutor (not sure if it's still available).
Hey Patrick!Back in 1990, I was a two finger typist, and started finding it a problem in that I was a writer and editor.I spent a month on an old program called Typing Tutor (not sure if it's still available). I was an average typist but had never really improved since high school. I wanted to speed up so I bought a software program. I got impatient with the drills and was doing them less and less.
Almena Typing Tutorial
One day I tried one of the games. I would play the game every day for 15 minutes or so. I forgot about trying to increase my typing speed and just enjoyed the game for a short change of pace. After a month or so I could not believe how much faster I had become. Without even trying I made a HUGE leap in my speed.
Now I play a game once or twice a month to tune up.My advice - once you get the basics down and don't need to look at the keyboard anymore just start playing games!. Honestly, I didn't use a course. I found that the more I typed, the better I got.
I still would be put to shame by a secretary or data entry person.LOL. But even at work, I find myself looking less at the keyboard (my main problem) and more at the screen. But, that was what helped me.
JoyOne thing that helped me was practicing blindfolded. Waiting for the feedback between your eyes and fingers slows you down big time.Spend a few minutes a day doing the 'wax on, wax off' exercises, then strap on the blindfold and practice some more.
You'll be amazed at what happens when the muscle memory takes over and your eyes can't keep up with your hands. One thing that helped me was practicing blindfolded. Waiting for the feedback between your eyes and fingers slows you down big time.Spend a few minutes a day doing the 'wax on, wax off' exercises, then strap on the blindfold and practice some more. Definitely Dragon. It'll take you through the training you need.An alternative is to get your articles transcribed. If you're not in a hurry, the cost can be pretty reasonable at castingwords, fiverr, and the like.Dragon tip: you'll never get a misspelled word with Dragon, but you might get the wrong word entirely.be really careful when you go back and edit. Also, try not to stop and train words or fix things while you're creating the content.
That will only slow your average speed down (like stopping off to pee or buy snacks every 30 miles on a 1,000 mile journey.ok if you have to go pee,then go, but the theory here is sound!). Writing is writing, training is training. Don't mix/multitask.
Laguna Niguel Almena King developed a touch typing method about 20 years ago that teaches children and adults to type in one hour. Testimony from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New York public school districts attests to the fact that the system has been tried and proven, she said. William Wingo, former principal of C.C. Lambert Elementary School in Tustin, expressed his satisfaction in a letter he wrote nine years ago after using the keyboard system in his classes. King is proud of a proclamation in 1991 from Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley about her program. This month King launched her Web site that also makes her program, The Almena Method, downloadable or available on CD-ROM.
There’s a children’s edition and one for adult professionals. Q: What’s new about the Web site you’ve just developed? A: I’m offering The Almena Program on the Internet now, either to order the CD through the mail or to download it. Q: How much does it cost? A: The Single User Version is $25, and for children it’s $20. The Network version has a 50 percent discount for businesses in Orange County. I’m giving the Network Version free of charge to two schools in Orange County as well.
For private individuals, it’s “Buy one, get one free.” That’s for either the CD-ROM or the Network version. Q: When did you first began teaching with this system? A: About 20 years ago I created the method in my homeland, Jamaica.
That was before computers were common. I made teaching the lessons fun and the learning enjoyable. I gave my time to train the poor in typing and self-development skills. Q: When did you introduce this to businesses? A: I moved to England and taught disadvantaged young people and used the program to motivate and empower them to enter the work world.
The British government’s Basic Skill Piloting Unit saw it, approved it and named it “The Almena Program.” Q: How did you know people would learn better with your program? A: The British government wanted to pilot the program in 1983.
So they got a “guinea pig,” a man who didn’t know how to type, and he learned to type in 20 minutes. The BBC even filmed it. Typing is a measurable skill. You can measure progress and achievement.
In England there were 100 government offices using the program, including Shell U.K., where I worked, Barclay’s Bank, Land Rover, the Civil Aviation Authority and British Telecom. Q: How long did it take to create your program?
A: It took 10 years to develop it. Q: Have you taught any other programs? A: I’ve taught another program that helps with self-development for a person’s self-image. A person can improve his or her economic value with skills and self-confidence.
Q: Can people who already know how to type learn anything more? A: People can increase their speeds by 50 percent in four hours.
Fast typing is necessary to achieving peak performance. Less time is wasted, and more goals are met. Errors can cost a business millions of dollars in loss of productivity. Errors result in loss of revenue, loss of customers, computer stress and frustration. Contact the writer: or 949-454-7323.
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