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(Narrator) We all learn differently.
(Alex) Do you feel a bit intimidated
when it comes to reviewing your own written work?
Do you use AT for capturing your ideas
but aren’t sure how it could help you to edit and polish your essay?
Do you find that your writing difficulties
make it hard for you to catch your own mistakes?
If so, this video will help you
learn how Advanced Editing software can help you,
especially when used in combination with editing strategies.
One popular editing strategy captures the most important editing steps
in the acronym SPECO.
SPECO stands for Spelling, Punctuation Endings, Capitals, and Omitted Word.
Mallika and Lea will go through each step
and explain how advanced editing software can help.
(Mallika) The first 3 elements of SPECO
are Spelling, Punctuation,
and word Endings.
It is important to take the time
to check for these things in the reviewing stage,
even if you used word prediction software or Speech-to-Text software while writing.
Advanced editing software identifies misspelled words
and suggests corrections according to how words sound,
instead of how they are spelled.
This helps me a lot,
and I also like to ask the software to read out each suggestion
so I can use my ears to help pick the right option.
Sometimes, as I am concentrating on getting all my ideas down,
I misplace a comma or forget to add a period at the end of a sentence.
Editing software can point out punctuation mistakes
and highlight areas that need attention.
Similarly, this software can help with word endings, or the E in SPECO as well.
I mean rules like adding an “S” to plural objects,
or making sure that the verb ending matches its subject.
Although Spelling, Punctuation, and Endings may seem like details,
they can make a big difference
in how well others understand my ideas, and how good my mark is!
(Lea) The C in SPECO stands for Capitalization.
Many basic word processors now automatically capitalize the first word
of a new sentence along with any well-known names of people or places.
However, even if you are using advanced editing software,
it’s a good idea to re-read your text while actively asking yourself
if there are any other words that need to be capitalized,
like the name “Harry Potter” for example.
Finally, the last letter of SPECO is the “O” for Omitted Word.
sometimes I don’t notice that I skipped a word in a sentence
because our eyes trick us into seeing words we expect to see.
For example, do you notice any words missing here?
Maybe not, but if I read it out loud,
I realize it should be,
“The most famous painting in the museum was the Mona Lisa."
Sometimes it’s helpful to let our ears do the work!
Most advanced editing software comes with a Text-to-Speech application
so you can ask the computer to read the text while you listen,
making sure that all the words you need are there.
Listening to your text has other benefits too.
For example, sometimes, hearing my work makes me realize
that I used the same word too often, or helps me think of new ideas to add!
(Alex) Thanks, guys.
You showed that editing software can be a very powerful tool
that can help prepare an assignment that is well polished
and really shows off your hard work.
Keep in mind that you may be able to use certain assistive technologies
for taking tests as well, like this student.
I use the computer when I have to write or read in my test.
I don't really feel embarrassed if bringing my laptop,
because you'd feel more embarrassed
when people laugh at you 'cause you don't get good grades.
For more resources on computer-based support for writing and editing,
go to our website and click on the Student tab.
Look for the handy editing checklist you can download.
captioned by www.inclusivemedia.ca