The Role Of A Typewell Transcriber In A Classroom

If you have a student who is deaf or hard-of-hearing in your classroom, your school has an obligation to provide that student with real-time communication access, which can be achieved through the use of a transcriber. A transcriber, in the case of remote classes happening over video feeds, can be present in the stream and fulfill the same function as they would if they were sitting in your classroom.

A transcriber has various roles that they play in the education process. As a teacher in a classroom with a transcriber, it is important to understand the role they play and how they will be sharing communication with your hard-of-hearing student.

#1: Specialized Software Is Used

During the course of the class, special software is used that allows the transcriber to transcribe in real-time what is being said in the classroom so that your deaf or hard-of-hearing students can read along on a laptop screen exactly what is happening as it takes place.

Your student will be using their own computer to read what is being said in the classroom, so don't expect the student's eyes to be on you; they are going to be on their screen so they can understand what is happening in the classroom.

#2: Transcription Is About Conveying Meaning

With live transcription, the point is not to write down exactly what you say word-for-word in your classroom. Rather, the transcriber is going to work to capture the meaning of what you say.

If you look at what is on your student's screen, you may notice that your words are not quoted exactly as you said them; however, the meaning of what you said should be conveyed through the transcriber's word. The transcriber will work to record in detail what you are saying and communicating.

Conveying the meaning, instead of every word precisely, will allow the transcriber to keep up with the pace of your classroom.

#3: The Transcriber Focuses on the Entire Classroom

Next, with a transcription service, the transcriber is not just going to write what you say. The transcriber will also write down comments and questions that come from other students as well.

The transcriber will write down all the social interactions that happen in the classroom so that the student using the assistance is able to fully communicate and participate in the classroom setting — not just with you, but with other students as well. In a virtual classroom, if other students present information or get to verbally ask questions, the transcriber will capture that as well.

#4: Edits Happen After Class

You shouldn't ask the transcriber to edit the transcript during class. This does not work with the flow of transcription.

If you have a change you would like to make or something you want left out, you can ask the transcriber to make changes to the after-class transcript, but during class, the transcriber is going to convey everything that is happening to the student and make sure they are not left out.

A virtual transcriber's job is to make sure that any deaf or hard-of-hearing students in your real or virtual classroom are able to keep up with what is happening and enjoy the same educational experience as all of your other students. If you have more questions about how the process works, be sure to ask the transcriber who you are working with to facilitate a learning environment for your student. Contact a company that provides remote TypeWell transcription services to learn more.

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