Posts
I have teachers of the blind calling me from all over to learn the virtual techniques to teach students. The excitement of showing them another way to help the children is always a joy for me. Today was no exception to this rule. If you want to be one of these teachers...send an email and we can get going.
A few days ago, I received an email from a teacher who had quit her job last year to have a beautiful baby. Before she had quit I told her what I had been doing in regards to virtual teaching and that if she wanted, she could do it too from home, while still caring for her children. A couple days ago I got the email asking about the virtual teaching.
I took her through the process of being the student and how I connected to her and then her being the teacher and connecting to me and all the many aspects that went along with virtual teaching. Her excitement of its potential could be felt across the wires. We will practice until she is comfortable and then when she gets students I can assist when she needs it.
I have discovered several different ways to do virtual instruction. When you go across state or country lines, the connections vary. Instead of phoning and adding up long distance charges, I connect with SKYPE, give directions, then bring up JAWS Tandem and we continue both throughout the lesson. If the video becomes too garbled because of bandwidth, we use only audio. Local calls can be phone and straight Tandem. I have also given lessons straight through chat, text and Tandem. There are so many ways and options. Meetings with school personnel can happen through SKYPE or a phone. If teaching braille or other hands on skills, a para educator is on the other side following instructions on how to help the child position their fingers....all watched through video on my side.
Most importantly, we have the ability to teach every child as long as there is a phone line. Every child could potentially have the ability to receive as much instruction as they need to achieve their goals and dreams. This is one more option to address the challenge of teaching so many children.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Frustrated Blind Field
I receive many personal emails about fear or frustration. Paras and teachers do not know how to let the district and the families, know how frustrated they are with the teaching system for the blind children. They feel hopeless and trapped and sad for the child. Not everyone, but a good portion.
I have paras who know their students are dependent on them and that they do a bulk of the work, but they are waiting for direction from the teacher of the blind (TVI). They fear for their jobs if the students they are working with do not show a good grade..... they are waiting for that help and direction.
The teachers of the blind are overloaded with a huge caseload. The teachers generally can only see children a miniscule amount of time each week. They are putting out fires more than really teaching. Not to mention the teachers have no time to help the para and no time to gain further skills to help themself and in turn help the student.
We have districts with the directors, that IF they know, they are trying to look for more personnel to hire but cannot find qualified people. But many directors do not know. Many teachers of the blind and paras suffer in silence over the condition and are not sure where to turn.
As a collective community of people that want to help make a difference, we need to start really thinking outside the box...and way outside. I see this condition getting worse in many areas, especially now that I am communicating and teaching all over this county and in different parts of the world. People are looking for direction.
Virtual teaching is a "think outside the box" area that is blooming in its possibilities. If anyone is interested in a virtual lesson, email me and I will get you going. I have been teaching this way for over a 15 years with great success. Teachers can access more students in one day than if they are trying to drive to every school.
Another aspect of virtual instruction is if our community all gets on texting, chat, video conferencing, everyone is always 1 second away from an answer or the help they need. Get more information on virtual instruction at blindgeteducated.blogspot.com or email me personally.
I have paras who know their students are dependent on them and that they do a bulk of the work, but they are waiting for direction from the teacher of the blind (TVI). They fear for their jobs if the students they are working with do not show a good grade..... they are waiting for that help and direction.
The teachers of the blind are overloaded with a huge caseload. The teachers generally can only see children a miniscule amount of time each week. They are putting out fires more than really teaching. Not to mention the teachers have no time to help the para and no time to gain further skills to help themself and in turn help the student.
We have districts with the directors, that IF they know, they are trying to look for more personnel to hire but cannot find qualified people. But many directors do not know. Many teachers of the blind and paras suffer in silence over the condition and are not sure where to turn.
As a collective community of people that want to help make a difference, we need to start really thinking outside the box...and way outside. I see this condition getting worse in many areas, especially now that I am communicating and teaching all over this county and in different parts of the world. People are looking for direction.
Virtual teaching is a "think outside the box" area that is blooming in its possibilities. If anyone is interested in a virtual lesson, email me and I will get you going. I have been teaching this way for over a 15 years with great success. Teachers can access more students in one day than if they are trying to drive to every school.
Another aspect of virtual instruction is if our community all gets on texting, chat, video conferencing, everyone is always 1 second away from an answer or the help they need. Get more information on virtual instruction at blindgeteducated.blogspot.com or email me personally.
Little Sight but Great Vision
I am blessed to have known one particular young person for almost 2 decades. She came to me in lst grade with little blind skills, and had a progressive eye condition. She loved print...large print and was determined to stay with it and nothing else. IN ADDITION, she would argue to stay with large print, if allowed. Consequently, it took her hours to do the work that the other children did within shorter periods of time.
I asked her if she wanted to learn how to do her work as fast as her friends did. She immediately said "Yes" but then added, "What do I have to do," with a concerned look on her face. I demonstrated the talking software on the computer and she was amazed at how fast my fingers flew across the keyboard and how I could not only get everything to speak for me, but I could get it to repeat and make that computer do anything I wanted. I had an older braille student demonstrate her fast fingers moving across a braille page, sitting up straight and tall and confident in her abilities. The younger child was impressed and hooked.
This young person was convinced this was the path for her...but not without "buyer’s remorse." The technology was easy. It always is for the kids. They pick it up incredibly fast and are pretty much independent with it within a couple of weeks. By third grade, she was emailing her work and receiving it back from the teacher. However, the braille was harder. It took more work. She got the idea of how much faster it was, but she still resorted to large print and could see it if she got a couple inches from the paper.
We compromised on her using the large print for everything but reading books, as I knew she would need to practice to become proficient but also to be ready for such little vision that she would not be able to use large print any more. You have to get students to "buy" into where you want to take them. If they are not on board, it will not happen.
I have had low vision children go from seeing large print in the spring to NOT seeing in the fall. I have had children come to me who had vision one day and woke with NO vision the next. This sudden loss brings with it terrible depression and a lack of will to do anything. We have no idea when loss will come, so be prepared. It takes a lot more effort to get the child turned around if they have no idea how they are going to handle life. I knew that if this young person learned those blind skills along the way, the transition would be far easier into the no vision.
Her sight loss was very gradual. Every year, she used the large print less and less and increased her Braille. She was already full on board with the technology so the output was easy for her, whether it was Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, email or an adapted laptop with braille display. She had it down. She did not even have a bump in the road on her sight loss. The progression of gaining the blind skills made it easy. Though little sight, she had her VISION of who she was and what she was going to do in life and she just continued to gain the skills she needed to achieve those goals. She is in college now, pursuing those dreams and goals, happy and blessed with many friends and a great family and the ability to embrace life.
I asked her if she wanted to learn how to do her work as fast as her friends did. She immediately said "Yes" but then added, "What do I have to do," with a concerned look on her face. I demonstrated the talking software on the computer and she was amazed at how fast my fingers flew across the keyboard and how I could not only get everything to speak for me, but I could get it to repeat and make that computer do anything I wanted. I had an older braille student demonstrate her fast fingers moving across a braille page, sitting up straight and tall and confident in her abilities. The younger child was impressed and hooked.
This young person was convinced this was the path for her...but not without "buyer’s remorse." The technology was easy. It always is for the kids. They pick it up incredibly fast and are pretty much independent with it within a couple of weeks. By third grade, she was emailing her work and receiving it back from the teacher. However, the braille was harder. It took more work. She got the idea of how much faster it was, but she still resorted to large print and could see it if she got a couple inches from the paper.
We compromised on her using the large print for everything but reading books, as I knew she would need to practice to become proficient but also to be ready for such little vision that she would not be able to use large print any more. You have to get students to "buy" into where you want to take them. If they are not on board, it will not happen.
I have had low vision children go from seeing large print in the spring to NOT seeing in the fall. I have had children come to me who had vision one day and woke with NO vision the next. This sudden loss brings with it terrible depression and a lack of will to do anything. We have no idea when loss will come, so be prepared. It takes a lot more effort to get the child turned around if they have no idea how they are going to handle life. I knew that if this young person learned those blind skills along the way, the transition would be far easier into the no vision.
Her sight loss was very gradual. Every year, she used the large print less and less and increased her Braille. She was already full on board with the technology so the output was easy for her, whether it was Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, email or an adapted laptop with braille display. She had it down. She did not even have a bump in the road on her sight loss. The progression of gaining the blind skills made it easy. Though little sight, she had her VISION of who she was and what she was going to do in life and she just continued to gain the skills she needed to achieve those goals. She is in college now, pursuing those dreams and goals, happy and blessed with many friends and a great family and the ability to embrace life.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Reaching Your Potential
One of the biggest issues in the blind field (and there are many) is how much should a para educator be with a child?
What I have seen:
When a district does not have a teacher of the blind, a para is glued to the child's side and does most of the work for the child because the para lacks the blind skills to help the child do it for themselves. The child appears to be succeeding (though only because of what the para is doing, NOT the child) and all are happy. BUT the parents do not realize how much their child is NOT doing and many times, the district is unaware of this also. Or, parents fight for a para next to their child all day, without realizing this para will be a big brick wall between their child making friends and achieving their own goals and potential.
I went to a school district and watched a blind child rocking back and forth while the para did the work. Sitting side by side, the child was miles away, in her own little world. When I talked with the child, the most intelligent words came from her mouth, so I knew there was a brain there. We spent the next couple of years teaching her all the technology, braille, and other blind skills, and she was completely independent by the third year. The para just adapted the work for her and made sure she had it in class when all the other students did. This is more of what SHOULD be happening with all paras and students.
I have had the first scenario over and over and depending on the "pain" level of weaning the child from the para, it is really up to the child and parents. Most are on board with the heavy duty technology, braille lessons and other blind skills and within that 2-3 year window you can have an independent child.
However, there are the people who are not thinking ahead to graduation, college, a job. They really think that somehow, miraculously their child will be completely independent when they graduate, when in fact, they have been completely dependent on a para throughout their school career and this dependence and lack of ability follows the child. The child ends up living with the parents and the parents continue to do everything for this child who has the potential to climb Mt. Everest inside, but instead the child sits like a rock going no where.
Parents and children bring the fear to each other. The child brings that fear to the parents and the parents have the same fear, or the parents put the fear on the child and they tell the child they cannot live without the para (the second scenario is the most common). They truly believe they cannot live without that para being right next to the child all day long. It kills the confidence of the child. The child lacks friends because the para has become the end all to be all of their life. They fail to gain enough skills to go onto college, and worse, be gainfully employed to their IQ level.
So, back to reaching your potential. We can't do it without "pain". It will be painful, not physically, though I have seen a lot of sweating, but emotionally. The fear. The dread of not being able to do your work because you forgot something. The fear of getting lost in the school or on a bus ride because you got on the wrong bus.
I use the phrase: We learn more from our failures than our successes. I give everyone permission to fail because we are going to fail at something no matter what it is. Don't feel bad about it, feel happy that you are progressing toward something. We can learn from our mistakes, but if we never try, we do not know our own potential.
When the children are getting ready to take their first solo bus ride, they are very fearful of getting lost. I tell them, cheerfully, "Don't worry...you will!! And they laugh. That is why God gave you a mouth. Speak up and ask someone directions. Same thing goes for class. Speak up and ask." I see relief come over my students. Yep, it is better to fail at trying something than to never try anything. You can only reach your potential with work and pain....but the pain goes and confidence and success stay.
What I have seen:
When a district does not have a teacher of the blind, a para is glued to the child's side and does most of the work for the child because the para lacks the blind skills to help the child do it for themselves. The child appears to be succeeding (though only because of what the para is doing, NOT the child) and all are happy. BUT the parents do not realize how much their child is NOT doing and many times, the district is unaware of this also. Or, parents fight for a para next to their child all day, without realizing this para will be a big brick wall between their child making friends and achieving their own goals and potential.
I went to a school district and watched a blind child rocking back and forth while the para did the work. Sitting side by side, the child was miles away, in her own little world. When I talked with the child, the most intelligent words came from her mouth, so I knew there was a brain there. We spent the next couple of years teaching her all the technology, braille, and other blind skills, and she was completely independent by the third year. The para just adapted the work for her and made sure she had it in class when all the other students did. This is more of what SHOULD be happening with all paras and students.
I have had the first scenario over and over and depending on the "pain" level of weaning the child from the para, it is really up to the child and parents. Most are on board with the heavy duty technology, braille lessons and other blind skills and within that 2-3 year window you can have an independent child.
However, there are the people who are not thinking ahead to graduation, college, a job. They really think that somehow, miraculously their child will be completely independent when they graduate, when in fact, they have been completely dependent on a para throughout their school career and this dependence and lack of ability follows the child. The child ends up living with the parents and the parents continue to do everything for this child who has the potential to climb Mt. Everest inside, but instead the child sits like a rock going no where.
Parents and children bring the fear to each other. The child brings that fear to the parents and the parents have the same fear, or the parents put the fear on the child and they tell the child they cannot live without the para (the second scenario is the most common). They truly believe they cannot live without that para being right next to the child all day long. It kills the confidence of the child. The child lacks friends because the para has become the end all to be all of their life. They fail to gain enough skills to go onto college, and worse, be gainfully employed to their IQ level.
So, back to reaching your potential. We can't do it without "pain". It will be painful, not physically, though I have seen a lot of sweating, but emotionally. The fear. The dread of not being able to do your work because you forgot something. The fear of getting lost in the school or on a bus ride because you got on the wrong bus.
I use the phrase: We learn more from our failures than our successes. I give everyone permission to fail because we are going to fail at something no matter what it is. Don't feel bad about it, feel happy that you are progressing toward something. We can learn from our mistakes, but if we never try, we do not know our own potential.
When the children are getting ready to take their first solo bus ride, they are very fearful of getting lost. I tell them, cheerfully, "Don't worry...you will!! And they laugh. That is why God gave you a mouth. Speak up and ask someone directions. Same thing goes for class. Speak up and ask." I see relief come over my students. Yep, it is better to fail at trying something than to never try anything. You can only reach your potential with work and pain....but the pain goes and confidence and success stay.
Creating Beautiful Excel Graphs
I try to have my students take a class called Financial Fitness...This class allows practical application of life and how we spend money...or over spend it. The students have to set up a monthly budget, get a simulation job and pay their bills. They use an excel sheet to layout all their information, do auto calculations and very sophisticated formulas, then they create a graph that encompasses all this information. The graph does not mean much to my blind students, but it does to the teacher. If the rest of the class is going to create a beautiful and colorful graph with headings, titles and number plots, then I want my students to do it also. After all, they will most likely needs this in college and they may need it for their job.
After my students create the graph, I have them type it out in long form so I truly know they understand what they are doing. They move their cursor below the image of the graph and start to type out every number in an XY plot graph or shade in a bar graph selecting each cell accordingly, and then they plot the graph. If they need further detail, we take out the Draftsman or some other tactile drawing kit and draw it so they can feel what they just did. Once they have the concept in their head, they can easily create any graph required by the teacher.
After my students create the graph, I have them type it out in long form so I truly know they understand what they are doing. They move their cursor below the image of the graph and start to type out every number in an XY plot graph or shade in a bar graph selecting each cell accordingly, and then they plot the graph. If they need further detail, we take out the Draftsman or some other tactile drawing kit and draw it so they can feel what they just did. Once they have the concept in their head, they can easily create any graph required by the teacher.
Orientation & Mobility Made Fun
In one of my school districts we were fortunate to have the Elementary, Middle and High School within a block of each other. In addition, there was a grocery store and many other stores that we could travel to and practice our O&M skills (orientation & mobility-cane skills). I selected days to go shopping with the whole class. We would make a grocery list. Some of the students chose to put the list on their Braille Notes, others practiced brailling it on a piece of paper and took the list with them. The advantage of the braille note is, the students were able to keep mathematical track of the cost of our purchases: adding in a math lesson also. Whatever we bought, we would take back to school and cook.
These were always multifaceted lessons: Making the lists, walking there, learning to pay with money and credit cards, walking back, cooking the food, and socializing. The buying and cooking would happen on different days, so the lesson could be accomplished within 1.5 hours. The older students would mentor the younger students, and all learned how to purchase products and use money. It really gave the students examples of real life experiences.
Another huge advantage of mentoring is the younger students get to see how quickly the older students accomplish their skills: whether walking, brailling, reading, or accessing the computer. Likewise, some of the older students who walked very slowly increased their speed significantly and by the end of the school year were walking as fast as the others, so they too could keep up and socialize as they progressed down the streets.
We all need each other to learn about the best we each have to offer, and in the process improve our own skills.
These were always multifaceted lessons: Making the lists, walking there, learning to pay with money and credit cards, walking back, cooking the food, and socializing. The buying and cooking would happen on different days, so the lesson could be accomplished within 1.5 hours. The older students would mentor the younger students, and all learned how to purchase products and use money. It really gave the students examples of real life experiences.
Another huge advantage of mentoring is the younger students get to see how quickly the older students accomplish their skills: whether walking, brailling, reading, or accessing the computer. Likewise, some of the older students who walked very slowly increased their speed significantly and by the end of the school year were walking as fast as the others, so they too could keep up and socialize as they progressed down the streets.
We all need each other to learn about the best we each have to offer, and in the process improve our own skills.
Creating Math Timed Speed Tests with Duxbury
Timed math quizzes in elementary school are popular: The teacher hands out a math sheet to all the students with the math drills they have been working on. The teacher times the students to see how fast they can complete a certain number of math problems within a given amount of time.
Enter the blind student. The blind student has the exact same problems, but his are brailled out on an 11x11 piece of braille paper. He reads the problems with his left hand and prints the correct answer with his right hand (or vice versa depending on hand dominance). He races across the braille page at record speed to finish as high as his peers do, or higher depending on his skills. Hence, another reason why it is so important for blind students to learn their braille print letters and numbers also.
Nemeth lessons (braille math) can be created very quickly using Duxbury Nemeth mode. Duxbury is a print to braille, braille to print translation program. I have had para educators who were just learning braille be able to create the perfect braille document using this software program. I have people taking distance education classes by 6-key brailling their lessons and emailing it to their teacher. Duxbury is truly a gift to the blind world and its power to create a brailled lesson quickly.
Enter the blind student. The blind student has the exact same problems, but his are brailled out on an 11x11 piece of braille paper. He reads the problems with his left hand and prints the correct answer with his right hand (or vice versa depending on hand dominance). He races across the braille page at record speed to finish as high as his peers do, or higher depending on his skills. Hence, another reason why it is so important for blind students to learn their braille print letters and numbers also.
Nemeth lessons (braille math) can be created very quickly using Duxbury Nemeth mode. Duxbury is a print to braille, braille to print translation program. I have had para educators who were just learning braille be able to create the perfect braille document using this software program. I have people taking distance education classes by 6-key brailling their lessons and emailing it to their teacher. Duxbury is truly a gift to the blind world and its power to create a brailled lesson quickly.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Magnification with your Technology
I frequently get asked, What type of magnification system do I use with my low vision students? So, let's address this.
I have tried Zoomtext and Magic, and a plethora of other items, which are good, but found one method to work the best for students. I always give them options and this is the one they chose by far because it is so easy and on every computer they sit at.
There are so many methods to enlarge everything, something, a bit or whatever you desire on your computer with just a couple key strokes. These attributes of magnification are already built in, but in general it is NOT the magnification system built into the accessibility feature.
Example. Last week while a low vision student and I were working, she was having a difficult time visualizing a long math problem with just her talking software. With an ALT+V then a Z to zoom (this will work on any PC system), she was able to increase the magnification to 500% to see the problem. Then she matched it with her talking software and could completely understand the math problem. She decided to do the rest of her problems this way and finished within record time. With zoom in effect, the student never has to worry about printing something with 78 font characters. The font is 12 point always.
With another student, she was working in Excel and needed that visual feedback also. With a quick F6 she jumps to her zoom and increases to 400% and continues her work.
I have some students who love the black background with green font and everything enlarged all the time on the screen. This feature is easily accessed in the accessibility feature on a PC. If you only want to increase the ICONS or taskbar or anything, you can pick and choose with a simple applications key (right click with a mouse for mouse users). The options are endless. Because a student can pick and choose, they prefer this method.
The most important skill I teach my low vision students is to use touch typing on their keyboard and their talking software. Mouse use really slows them down. Their hearing is far stronger than their eyes, but when they want to use their eyes, they have the skill to do so. When done with the visual task, they go back to using their ears and their fast fingers.
I have tried Zoomtext and Magic, and a plethora of other items, which are good, but found one method to work the best for students. I always give them options and this is the one they chose by far because it is so easy and on every computer they sit at.
There are so many methods to enlarge everything, something, a bit or whatever you desire on your computer with just a couple key strokes. These attributes of magnification are already built in, but in general it is NOT the magnification system built into the accessibility feature.
Example. Last week while a low vision student and I were working, she was having a difficult time visualizing a long math problem with just her talking software. With an ALT+V then a Z to zoom (this will work on any PC system), she was able to increase the magnification to 500% to see the problem. Then she matched it with her talking software and could completely understand the math problem. She decided to do the rest of her problems this way and finished within record time. With zoom in effect, the student never has to worry about printing something with 78 font characters. The font is 12 point always.
With another student, she was working in Excel and needed that visual feedback also. With a quick F6 she jumps to her zoom and increases to 400% and continues her work.
I have some students who love the black background with green font and everything enlarged all the time on the screen. This feature is easily accessed in the accessibility feature on a PC. If you only want to increase the ICONS or taskbar or anything, you can pick and choose with a simple applications key (right click with a mouse for mouse users). The options are endless. Because a student can pick and choose, they prefer this method.
The most important skill I teach my low vision students is to use touch typing on their keyboard and their talking software. Mouse use really slows them down. Their hearing is far stronger than their eyes, but when they want to use their eyes, they have the skill to do so. When done with the visual task, they go back to using their ears and their fast fingers.
Losing Sight Fast
When I was in my last semester in college, both of my eyes hemorrhaged. I had to drop out because I had no idea how to finish school or get on with life with sight loss. I moved to the Midwest to receive medical attention and lived with a family who cared for me. I was completely dependent on them. I could do little but knit and wait around for people to take me places and do things with and for me.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a lot of energy and my brain is always going a mile a minute. I had many minutes to think about my life in the months that followed, sitting at home, sitting at the doctors and waiting for people to "do for me."
The dependence was not boding well with or for my soul. I knew nothing about the blind world or really the route I was to go. Doctors were the one who brought up braille and schooling. So, I went back to school and met one of the most incredible life changing people ever. He had been blind from birth, but had a vision and outlook so vast, even at 60 years old, that he inspired me on to do great things. He had been teaching all his life and was more advanced in technology skills than even the sighted people I knew. He kept up with the newest and best of teaching strategies and gave his students a vision for what they could do with life: My life. I got a vision for what I could do with my life.
So, many years later, here I am; A teacher of the Blind for over 23 years, teaching virtually all over the country. I clearly know that gaining blind skills along the way instead of having to stop your life completely to learn them is far better. The most important aspect of gaining blind skills along the way is you can skip that terribly depressed time you will go through when you do lose that remaining useable sight. Now my sight loss was unexpected and sudden, so there was not much I could do about that, but I can help those under my wing of guidance. I have seen students come to me in their teens that had lost sight progressively and were not taught any blind skills. They talk of death not life. I have been able to teach children from the beginning of their education who never go through the "death" talk because they always knew how they would do life as they lost their sight.
God can take things that Satan means for evil and turn them to Good. My eyes hemorrhaging became a blessing, as I would never have gotten into this field if not for that experience. My sight did return and I am thankful. This career has been incredibly life fulfilling and I hope to touch as many people as possible and give them a VISION for what they can achieve in life.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a lot of energy and my brain is always going a mile a minute. I had many minutes to think about my life in the months that followed, sitting at home, sitting at the doctors and waiting for people to "do for me."
The dependence was not boding well with or for my soul. I knew nothing about the blind world or really the route I was to go. Doctors were the one who brought up braille and schooling. So, I went back to school and met one of the most incredible life changing people ever. He had been blind from birth, but had a vision and outlook so vast, even at 60 years old, that he inspired me on to do great things. He had been teaching all his life and was more advanced in technology skills than even the sighted people I knew. He kept up with the newest and best of teaching strategies and gave his students a vision for what they could do with life: My life. I got a vision for what I could do with my life.
So, many years later, here I am; A teacher of the Blind for over 23 years, teaching virtually all over the country. I clearly know that gaining blind skills along the way instead of having to stop your life completely to learn them is far better. The most important aspect of gaining blind skills along the way is you can skip that terribly depressed time you will go through when you do lose that remaining useable sight. Now my sight loss was unexpected and sudden, so there was not much I could do about that, but I can help those under my wing of guidance. I have seen students come to me in their teens that had lost sight progressively and were not taught any blind skills. They talk of death not life. I have been able to teach children from the beginning of their education who never go through the "death" talk because they always knew how they would do life as they lost their sight.
God can take things that Satan means for evil and turn them to Good. My eyes hemorrhaging became a blessing, as I would never have gotten into this field if not for that experience. My sight did return and I am thankful. This career has been incredibly life fulfilling and I hope to touch as many people as possible and give them a VISION for what they can achieve in life.
Braille--Get them Hooked
I had 2 students who were sisters. They both were losing their sight. It was a gradual loss, so they went from large print most of the time and gaining on braille to mostly braille. One child just switched completely to braille because she just did not like the eye strain, but the other kept with the large print as long as possible, despite her nose was sitting on the page to read it. She just did not want to be different. Interestingly, a child does not think it is different to be hunched over a large piece of paper with large print on it but yet it is different to sit up straight and read Braille as fast as their peers. However, you cannot fight with a child's logic, just find other ways to steer them the direction that would help the most. With good steering, I know they will make the leap into Braille when they are ready.
When children do their lessons with me, it is to read Braille: Their favorite stories of course. I always start out reading the first few chapters to really get them hooked. Then they really want to finish. This method has always worked. The one child above who resisted reading Braille at school in front of her peers, did not resist at home. In fact, her mother would tell me that after lights out, she would periodically check on the girls and there they would be reading their braille books in the dark: Sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. When mom would wake them the next morning, there the braille books would be laying on top of them. They would wake and fess up they read until very late, or early (in the morning as the case may be).
They would come to school and tell me about the story. Harry Potter always seemed to be the mainstay of books to get kids hooked. Even in the middle of the book, they would ask for me to read a chapter at the start of our lesson. Of course, I would. To increase their speed, I would do what I called paragraph jumping. I would read a paragraph and they would follow along, then they would read. If they got lost because I read so fast, they would jump down to the next paragraph and wait. They had their right finger on the last 2 words of my paragraph, and their left fingers on the start of their paragraph, so they would know when to begin reading without a stop in the flow. This method increased their speed significantly, especially with all the reading at home too.
The biggest key is "Get them Hooked on the Story", Then they learn the secret of reading in the dark, Then they don't want to put the book down, Then they get hooked on Braille.
When children do their lessons with me, it is to read Braille: Their favorite stories of course. I always start out reading the first few chapters to really get them hooked. Then they really want to finish. This method has always worked. The one child above who resisted reading Braille at school in front of her peers, did not resist at home. In fact, her mother would tell me that after lights out, she would periodically check on the girls and there they would be reading their braille books in the dark: Sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. When mom would wake them the next morning, there the braille books would be laying on top of them. They would wake and fess up they read until very late, or early (in the morning as the case may be).
They would come to school and tell me about the story. Harry Potter always seemed to be the mainstay of books to get kids hooked. Even in the middle of the book, they would ask for me to read a chapter at the start of our lesson. Of course, I would. To increase their speed, I would do what I called paragraph jumping. I would read a paragraph and they would follow along, then they would read. If they got lost because I read so fast, they would jump down to the next paragraph and wait. They had their right finger on the last 2 words of my paragraph, and their left fingers on the start of their paragraph, so they would know when to begin reading without a stop in the flow. This method increased their speed significantly, especially with all the reading at home too.
The biggest key is "Get them Hooked on the Story", Then they learn the secret of reading in the dark, Then they don't want to put the book down, Then they get hooked on Braille.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Learning Disability and Blindness
I was working with a child with SOD-Septo optic dysplasia. She had a lower IQ and struggled socially and behaviorally. If a child can talk, walk and wiggle their fingers, there is a good chance I am going to teach them braille, technology and other blind skills. For 2-3 diligent years she learned her braille and typing skills for class and her orientation and mobility skills to move around the school. She was integrated into her regular education classroom, minus the direct one on one time with me to go over the contractions she would be reading in her classroom.
One day as they began their spelling test (story told to me by the regular education teacher), every time the teacher gave the spelling word, she would notice this child reach up to the braille sheet to the left of her keyboard. The child would feel something on the page, then go to the keyboard and type the word. After a couple more words, the teacher figured out that the child was reading the braille word, then typing it on the computer. The children were then let out for recess. When the test was done, she called me in to check her thoughts. As she told me the story, I walked over to the child's computer and sure enough, the braille-spelling list was sitting on the table.
We called her in from recess and asked her about the spelling list by her computer. She wiggled, squiggled and squirmed and finally fessed up she had not studied for the test. She knew the teacher did not know braille, so she thought she could get away with cheating. She had clearly moved into the power of Braille and understood the magic that it carried. Now, we just needed her to use it for good. --smile :)
One day as they began their spelling test (story told to me by the regular education teacher), every time the teacher gave the spelling word, she would notice this child reach up to the braille sheet to the left of her keyboard. The child would feel something on the page, then go to the keyboard and type the word. After a couple more words, the teacher figured out that the child was reading the braille word, then typing it on the computer. The children were then let out for recess. When the test was done, she called me in to check her thoughts. As she told me the story, I walked over to the child's computer and sure enough, the braille-spelling list was sitting on the table.
We called her in from recess and asked her about the spelling list by her computer. She wiggled, squiggled and squirmed and finally fessed up she had not studied for the test. She knew the teacher did not know braille, so she thought she could get away with cheating. She had clearly moved into the power of Braille and understood the magic that it carried. Now, we just needed her to use it for good. --smile :)
A Parents Influence in a Child's Learning
I teach during summer for those children who need a boost in their learning. Any child starting out in Braille or Technology must have summer instruction for several summers for it to "stick" or they will be starting over in square one in the fall. It takes them even longer to catch up to where they were from spring and in that time of catching up, they get further behind their peers.
One of my students who was in first grade was losing vision fast. He was and still is very bright, but had a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder. He could not come to grips with his vision loss so he choose to deal with it by fighting everyone who got in his way....and everyone seemed to get in his way. He was so busy fighting everyone and everything that all learning in school was slow and arduous...especially learning his blind skills.
He had started with me in kindergarten, so a year and a half later with little progress his mom and I had a long discussion on what could possibly help him. I asked if it was possible that she could join us for summer lessons. She rearranged her day and I had early morning lessons to fit her schedule. Every day the two of them would show up and she learned the braille and technology right along with her son. The joy of her son was overwhelming. The excitement to learn and that his mom was learning it too, must mean it was important....and he learned!
That is how kids think. More importantly, that young child sailed in his learning and caught up to where he needed to be to begin 2nd grade. I see this often. Whether it is with deaf/blind students and the parent learning sign to "speak" with their child, or braille and technology to "speak" the language of blind skills; If a parent puts in the effort, the effort is 10 fold for the child. Parents do not even need to be proficient in the skills, but just sitting and learning even a small amount goes a long way. This extra effort excels the student forward in their learning in their confidence of who they can become
One of my students who was in first grade was losing vision fast. He was and still is very bright, but had a chip on his shoulder the size of a boulder. He could not come to grips with his vision loss so he choose to deal with it by fighting everyone who got in his way....and everyone seemed to get in his way. He was so busy fighting everyone and everything that all learning in school was slow and arduous...especially learning his blind skills.
He had started with me in kindergarten, so a year and a half later with little progress his mom and I had a long discussion on what could possibly help him. I asked if it was possible that she could join us for summer lessons. She rearranged her day and I had early morning lessons to fit her schedule. Every day the two of them would show up and she learned the braille and technology right along with her son. The joy of her son was overwhelming. The excitement to learn and that his mom was learning it too, must mean it was important....and he learned!
That is how kids think. More importantly, that young child sailed in his learning and caught up to where he needed to be to begin 2nd grade. I see this often. Whether it is with deaf/blind students and the parent learning sign to "speak" with their child, or braille and technology to "speak" the language of blind skills; If a parent puts in the effort, the effort is 10 fold for the child. Parents do not even need to be proficient in the skills, but just sitting and learning even a small amount goes a long way. This extra effort excels the student forward in their learning in their confidence of who they can become
Friday, September 16, 2011
Resolving Big Problems
One of my student’s sent me a text this morning from her Gmail chat and told me she is getting an error box when she tries to start her JAWS. I told her to do a PrintScreen to take a picture of it, so she could send me what it looked like. Then I can diagnosis the problem, pull up her machine and fix it.
The PrintScreen is at the top of every keyboard. Most people have no idea what to do with it. It is a way to copy your desktop and all its information. Then you open WORD and paste it with a CTRL+V. The big advantage in this is, when your student has no idea what to do, they can quickly hit PrintScreen, copy it, paste it into Word, save it and email it off to me or to another person who is helping them. Within minutes the student can have an answer to their problem, or their machine can be pulled up and fixed depending on the level of difficulty and their expertise.
Just a fast way to resolve problems…..
The PrintScreen is at the top of every keyboard. Most people have no idea what to do with it. It is a way to copy your desktop and all its information. Then you open WORD and paste it with a CTRL+V. The big advantage in this is, when your student has no idea what to do, they can quickly hit PrintScreen, copy it, paste it into Word, save it and email it off to me or to another person who is helping them. Within minutes the student can have an answer to their problem, or their machine can be pulled up and fixed depending on the level of difficulty and their expertise.
Just a fast way to resolve problems…..
Incredible Tools for Vision Loss as you Age
The older people that come to me do not want to learn Braille. Their friends do not want to learn Braille either. They love the idea, but for whatever reason, that is not going to be the route for them. They want something that will give them their local news, which they get from their TV's or radio; they want to be able to read books, write letters, email, or social network. People older than 70 are generally more limited.
Therefore, I really tailor lessons for those who have goals later in life. They do not want to go back to school, but they want the tools that will give them the ability to keep in contact with their friends and read books. My lessons are guided by the willingness of older people to learn something new.
First, I get them signed up with their State Book and Braille Library. Here they get digital players and books, allowing them to immediately begin listening to their favorite books again. The players are incredibly easy to learn and even my oldest clients have learned how and LOVE the player books.
Second, if a person already knows how to use a computer, then they know the keyboard. I then add talking software and teach them how to use it according to their needs. We start with WORD and writing letters. I teach them how to type out addresses on envelopes so they can send the letter snail mail. Once, that basic step is learned we advance to learning how to send a letter via email. In general, people younger than 70 prefer sending letters by email. As older people progress in their lessons, we can move onto more sophisticated adventures like social networking. However, many older people also have a palsy or tremors in their hands and cannot type any more. The easy solution is hooking them up with something like JSAY, where the person talks and the computer types out what they are saying and can also read it back.
The next is the ability to write checks and pay bills. Macular degeneration is one of the primary reasons for age related sight loss. A CCTV-or enlarging screen tool allows people to see through the cloud in their central vision. I have seen CCTVs extended this ability to "see" for as many as 15-20+ more years. You can change the contrast of the computer monitor to suit your needs and the advances of the CCTV have improved tremendously. One of the most incredible pieces of equipment I have come across is the MyReader by Humanware. It gives you the ability to take a picture of a book or other text and put it into read back format with auto-scroll. You can increase or decrease the speed of it moving across your screen automatically as well as the font size. My oldest clients easily learn this tool and LOVE it. Another type of scanning system is the SARA by Freedomscientific (there are other brands like this also), that will scan and read back the information for those who have lost all ability to see print.
For the Fan who loves to go to sports events or just wants to sit across the room to watch TV, there is the JORDY. It truly is like something from Star Trek but it works to see things in the distance. I have tried something like this with younger students, below the age of 20, and though it works great to see board work and anything else they want in the distance, they will not wear it. It makes them "too different." Ironically, their sighted friends think it is the greatest thing in the world.
Life is perspective.
Therefore, I really tailor lessons for those who have goals later in life. They do not want to go back to school, but they want the tools that will give them the ability to keep in contact with their friends and read books. My lessons are guided by the willingness of older people to learn something new.
First, I get them signed up with their State Book and Braille Library. Here they get digital players and books, allowing them to immediately begin listening to their favorite books again. The players are incredibly easy to learn and even my oldest clients have learned how and LOVE the player books.
Second, if a person already knows how to use a computer, then they know the keyboard. I then add talking software and teach them how to use it according to their needs. We start with WORD and writing letters. I teach them how to type out addresses on envelopes so they can send the letter snail mail. Once, that basic step is learned we advance to learning how to send a letter via email. In general, people younger than 70 prefer sending letters by email. As older people progress in their lessons, we can move onto more sophisticated adventures like social networking. However, many older people also have a palsy or tremors in their hands and cannot type any more. The easy solution is hooking them up with something like JSAY, where the person talks and the computer types out what they are saying and can also read it back.
The next is the ability to write checks and pay bills. Macular degeneration is one of the primary reasons for age related sight loss. A CCTV-or enlarging screen tool allows people to see through the cloud in their central vision. I have seen CCTVs extended this ability to "see" for as many as 15-20+ more years. You can change the contrast of the computer monitor to suit your needs and the advances of the CCTV have improved tremendously. One of the most incredible pieces of equipment I have come across is the MyReader by Humanware. It gives you the ability to take a picture of a book or other text and put it into read back format with auto-scroll. You can increase or decrease the speed of it moving across your screen automatically as well as the font size. My oldest clients easily learn this tool and LOVE it. Another type of scanning system is the SARA by Freedomscientific (there are other brands like this also), that will scan and read back the information for those who have lost all ability to see print.
For the Fan who loves to go to sports events or just wants to sit across the room to watch TV, there is the JORDY. It truly is like something from Star Trek but it works to see things in the distance. I have tried something like this with younger students, below the age of 20, and though it works great to see board work and anything else they want in the distance, they will not wear it. It makes them "too different." Ironically, their sighted friends think it is the greatest thing in the world.
Life is perspective.
Gradually Losing Vision
I have had far more children in the process of losing vision than totally blind.
I have had many doctors tell the parents their child was not going to lose any more vision, and they did. I have had children with a diagnosis that stated they were not going to lose any more vision and they did...or the diagnosis changed to something else because the doctor figured out they did have a degenerative eye condition.
It does not matter what case scenario, I always teach, or try to always teach, what the child will need at the middle and end, not just the beginning. What are the child's dreams and yes the parents, but many times, I hear from the parents, "I just want my child to be happy." They adjusted their dream when they found out about the child's sight loss and now they are not sure WHAT to dream.
If a child has some vision, I utilize that vision for visual tasks, such as looking at maps and graphs, pictures, learning print, etc., as part of the academic skills. But any major reading or writing goes to braille and technology. What I do know is if this child has a normal IQ then I need to give them tools to do the work as fast as anyone else with that IQ.
If you can get the child early enough...really before 1st grade, 3 years old is great and at birth is even better, but if you can get them early enough, begin them on braille, technology and other blind skills. Even in kindergarten when all print is already large for everyone, the low vision child joins in with writing his or her letters and printing out work, just like everyone. During reading time, the child switches to braille, so he is getting a mixture of the print world and the blind world. He is utilizing all aspects, because if the child can learn all aspects of print, they will understand the world in general better. If someone says, "I need to take a U turn" "Can you grab the C clamp" and so on, the child can create an image in their head.
As the sight decreases, the child moves more to braille and uses large print less and less. It becomes a very easy transition, if they learn both from the start. I have had kids hate to read braille at school because they do not want to be different. However, they go home and read all their work in Braille. I have had students slide more over to braille without even a twitch because they are so tired of trying to see the print...or tired of the headaches. But an easy transition because they had the choice of what they wanted to use. No one complains about the technology though and they all output on a computer, so that is always fast from the start.
The students who have come to me from elsewhere who are low vision and are using magnifiers and equipment to enlarge work, are not able to keep up with their peers: If they are older than 3rd grade, they have already gained a great dislike for reading. This is a tougher sell to convince them to use braille, even at 3rd grade, but it can happen. The transition to the computer is very easy. I hook a braille display to the computer and slowly but surely those fingers of the student move to the display to see the output that they have typed. I have started older students right out on a braille note and between the braille display, voice and input of braille, the students learn braille incredibly fast: Instruction is so much different from decades ago of just using a brailler.
The key is to teach students every tool then no matter what happens, they can use what they know. There is also less of a chance of the child going through a terribly depressed time when their remaining sight goes or they figure out the sight they have is not enough to do the job. When they figure this out and they have not learned braille or technology, they have to stop their life to learn it. Even if a low vision child does not lose more vision and are between that 20/100 and 20/200 visual acuity, when they go onto college or try to get a job, they realize they cannot keep up with their colleagues using enlarged print techniques.
Thinking years ahead for all opportunities tells you what they need now.
I have had many doctors tell the parents their child was not going to lose any more vision, and they did. I have had children with a diagnosis that stated they were not going to lose any more vision and they did...or the diagnosis changed to something else because the doctor figured out they did have a degenerative eye condition.
It does not matter what case scenario, I always teach, or try to always teach, what the child will need at the middle and end, not just the beginning. What are the child's dreams and yes the parents, but many times, I hear from the parents, "I just want my child to be happy." They adjusted their dream when they found out about the child's sight loss and now they are not sure WHAT to dream.
If a child has some vision, I utilize that vision for visual tasks, such as looking at maps and graphs, pictures, learning print, etc., as part of the academic skills. But any major reading or writing goes to braille and technology. What I do know is if this child has a normal IQ then I need to give them tools to do the work as fast as anyone else with that IQ.
If you can get the child early enough...really before 1st grade, 3 years old is great and at birth is even better, but if you can get them early enough, begin them on braille, technology and other blind skills. Even in kindergarten when all print is already large for everyone, the low vision child joins in with writing his or her letters and printing out work, just like everyone. During reading time, the child switches to braille, so he is getting a mixture of the print world and the blind world. He is utilizing all aspects, because if the child can learn all aspects of print, they will understand the world in general better. If someone says, "I need to take a U turn" "Can you grab the C clamp" and so on, the child can create an image in their head.
As the sight decreases, the child moves more to braille and uses large print less and less. It becomes a very easy transition, if they learn both from the start. I have had kids hate to read braille at school because they do not want to be different. However, they go home and read all their work in Braille. I have had students slide more over to braille without even a twitch because they are so tired of trying to see the print...or tired of the headaches. But an easy transition because they had the choice of what they wanted to use. No one complains about the technology though and they all output on a computer, so that is always fast from the start.
The students who have come to me from elsewhere who are low vision and are using magnifiers and equipment to enlarge work, are not able to keep up with their peers: If they are older than 3rd grade, they have already gained a great dislike for reading. This is a tougher sell to convince them to use braille, even at 3rd grade, but it can happen. The transition to the computer is very easy. I hook a braille display to the computer and slowly but surely those fingers of the student move to the display to see the output that they have typed. I have started older students right out on a braille note and between the braille display, voice and input of braille, the students learn braille incredibly fast: Instruction is so much different from decades ago of just using a brailler.
The key is to teach students every tool then no matter what happens, they can use what they know. There is also less of a chance of the child going through a terribly depressed time when their remaining sight goes or they figure out the sight they have is not enough to do the job. When they figure this out and they have not learned braille or technology, they have to stop their life to learn it. Even if a low vision child does not lose more vision and are between that 20/100 and 20/200 visual acuity, when they go onto college or try to get a job, they realize they cannot keep up with their colleagues using enlarged print techniques.
Thinking years ahead for all opportunities tells you what they need now.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
JAWS, Spanish & Math
When using Windows 7 and Office 2010, have you noticed that if you download an attachment from the Internet, it sometimes opens in Protected Mode and you therefore cannot edit the file? This happened to one of my students with a paper that her teacher had sent her. The paper had Track Changes on it and the student needed to make corrections. Jaws talks the page fine but does not enable editing. The student needed to enable the editing manually.
I connected to the student using JAWS tandem and began teaching the lesson. My student opened her document from the Internet, in protected mode, and as I was teaching her how to get into edit mode, the fire bell rang. The phones disconnect and I knew they were on their way outside. While they were outside, I was able to go through her paper and look at the correction details she would need to make because I was still linked through the JAWS tandem.
The student had forgotten some knowledge over the summer and I could see on her math page, she was writing out the word "degrees" instead of inserting the degree symbol. The command: JAWS insert+4 gets you into "Select a symbol to Print". This area contains many math symbols as well as Spanish symbols and a variety of other things. It is worth a look.
When the class returned from the fire drill, they immediately called to make our connection again and she was laughing on the other end, as when they walked into the room, her JAWS was talking away with no one sitting at the keyboard. That was me checking over her work from my side of the world. She and her para knew what was happening but no one else in the room did. Kind of like a ghost. I could absolutely see the hilarity in this.
As we got back to work, I showed her the insert+4 again for her math and that "Ah Ha" moment came back to her and the knowledge that there is always an easier way to do something, or more importantly ...a way! We switched to her Spanish and once again the insert+4 brought up her á é ñ and so on, so she could do her Spanish characters quickly also. But I had to be reminded by a past student the day before that insert+4 also does the Spanish characters. I just love that collective knowledge. If we are away from something for awhile we forget. We all need reminders.
One thing to be careful of with this command is it is so close to the insert+F4 which turns off JAWS. Students only have to do it a couple of times though to remember.
I connected to the student using JAWS tandem and began teaching the lesson. My student opened her document from the Internet, in protected mode, and as I was teaching her how to get into edit mode, the fire bell rang. The phones disconnect and I knew they were on their way outside. While they were outside, I was able to go through her paper and look at the correction details she would need to make because I was still linked through the JAWS tandem.
The student had forgotten some knowledge over the summer and I could see on her math page, she was writing out the word "degrees" instead of inserting the degree symbol. The command: JAWS insert+4 gets you into "Select a symbol to Print". This area contains many math symbols as well as Spanish symbols and a variety of other things. It is worth a look.
When the class returned from the fire drill, they immediately called to make our connection again and she was laughing on the other end, as when they walked into the room, her JAWS was talking away with no one sitting at the keyboard. That was me checking over her work from my side of the world. She and her para knew what was happening but no one else in the room did. Kind of like a ghost. I could absolutely see the hilarity in this.
As we got back to work, I showed her the insert+4 again for her math and that "Ah Ha" moment came back to her and the knowledge that there is always an easier way to do something, or more importantly ...a way! We switched to her Spanish and once again the insert+4 brought up her á é ñ and so on, so she could do her Spanish characters quickly also. But I had to be reminded by a past student the day before that insert+4 also does the Spanish characters. I just love that collective knowledge. If we are away from something for awhile we forget. We all need reminders.
One thing to be careful of with this command is it is so close to the insert+F4 which turns off JAWS. Students only have to do it a couple of times though to remember.
Surround Yourself with People who Know
I was taught that if you want to be generous, hang around generous people. Their gift will rub off on you.
This same adage goes for information. If you want to continue to grow in understanding about technology, or blind technology, or the newest thing out there, you want to surround yourself with people who know about technology.
Every time I go to a conference I meet people who are in the "know" about their product. I meet hundreds of people through email, Facebook and many other virtual avenues.
All of us have different gifts, so I find the people gifted in their area of expertise. Then when a situation comes up with one of my students, and I have not gained the needed knowledge yet to help them, I go to the experts for the answer. I have found my past students, who have continued to press forward in their understanding of their blind skills, to be a major source of expertise.
The other day, one of the teachers I assist asked if I knew what kind of IPOD she get for her child. I told her to go to the local tech shop and look for the youngest salesperson there and he or she would know. It is the younger generation that really gets the product because they are using it all the time. You want to gain knowledge from the people who use the product all the time. They will have the answers.
We are all in the learning process and I am a big believer in sharing the knowledge so we can all help each other get ourselves and our students where we need to be.
This same adage goes for information. If you want to continue to grow in understanding about technology, or blind technology, or the newest thing out there, you want to surround yourself with people who know about technology.
Every time I go to a conference I meet people who are in the "know" about their product. I meet hundreds of people through email, Facebook and many other virtual avenues.
All of us have different gifts, so I find the people gifted in their area of expertise. Then when a situation comes up with one of my students, and I have not gained the needed knowledge yet to help them, I go to the experts for the answer. I have found my past students, who have continued to press forward in their understanding of their blind skills, to be a major source of expertise.
The other day, one of the teachers I assist asked if I knew what kind of IPOD she get for her child. I told her to go to the local tech shop and look for the youngest salesperson there and he or she would know. It is the younger generation that really gets the product because they are using it all the time. You want to gain knowledge from the people who use the product all the time. They will have the answers.
We are all in the learning process and I am a big believer in sharing the knowledge so we can all help each other get ourselves and our students where we need to be.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Don't sweat the small stuff
As I am to set up lessons for one of my home school children, Mom was discussing how stressful their lives have been, starting with her husband's layoff and adding a myriad of other things. She explained that her and her daughter had not done any braille or studying in general over the summer and was concerned over her loss of skills.
In the scheme of things, really a summer loss of skills or even a year or whatever it is, is minor compared to what life can dole out in a season. Life can get rough, but was do have smooth times too.
In the rough times and even in the good, we need to put things into perspective and look at the big picture. Where do we want to go...how do we get there....do we need to take a time out, can we go slower?
In the meantime,
Don't sweat the small stuff!
In the scheme of things, really a summer loss of skills or even a year or whatever it is, is minor compared to what life can dole out in a season. Life can get rough, but was do have smooth times too.
In the rough times and even in the good, we need to put things into perspective and look at the big picture. Where do we want to go...how do we get there....do we need to take a time out, can we go slower?
In the meantime,
Don't sweat the small stuff!
Typing out Special Spanish Characters on a Laptop
Most people know that you can insert special symbols into documents as you are typing. However, JAWS talking software does not "talk" the symbols as you search for them, therefore symbols require a sighted person's help. A big advantage of having Office 2010 is that JAWS can talk the first 20 most recently used symbols, so when the student is in class, they can easily access at least 20 symbols. Sadly, between math and Spanish class you quickly run out of options.
Another option is to memorize the special combination of letters and numbers to automatically insert any symbol. For my Spanish student, she was having difficulty with doing all the letters and numbers in the correct order to insert the correct symbol. I asked a Microsoft friend about other options and he sent me to this page, which has made all the difference in the world (Spanish symbols)
The student uses a laptop so now needed to learn how to use the numpad on the laptop, which is actually the letters ON the keyboard. Using the FN or function key with scroll, she now turns on her numpad and m j k l and so on become her numpad for entering the special characters --No, you cannot use the regular numbers to do these commands). For example, the upside down exclamation mark ¡ as you see is ALT+173 and an upside down question mark ¿ is Alt+168 and so on. She was typing out Spanish words in correct format almost as fast as the wind blowing through the trees. I could hear her smile and joy through the computer, once she understood how to do symbols on a computer. I then taught her the quick way to access Spanish accents and that is through JAWS with insert+4.
She now has the ability to type out every Spanish word exactly as it should be and complete her work far faster than thought possible.
Another option is to memorize the special combination of letters and numbers to automatically insert any symbol. For my Spanish student, she was having difficulty with doing all the letters and numbers in the correct order to insert the correct symbol. I asked a Microsoft friend about other options and he sent me to this page, which has made all the difference in the world (Spanish symbols)
The student uses a laptop so now needed to learn how to use the numpad on the laptop, which is actually the letters ON the keyboard. Using the FN or function key with scroll, she now turns on her numpad and m j k l and so on become her numpad for entering the special characters --No, you cannot use the regular numbers to do these commands). For example, the upside down exclamation mark ¡ as you see is ALT+173 and an upside down question mark ¿ is Alt+168 and so on. She was typing out Spanish words in correct format almost as fast as the wind blowing through the trees. I could hear her smile and joy through the computer, once she understood how to do symbols on a computer. I then taught her the quick way to access Spanish accents and that is through JAWS with insert+4.
She now has the ability to type out every Spanish word exactly as it should be and complete her work far faster than thought possible.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Para educators going Virtual
I was asked an incredibly exciting question this morning. One of my para-educators, who understands she needs to develop her skills to be a benefit to students, asked how she could check on her visually impaired student without going into the class room. She has watched the student and I work virtually and loves how the student has immediate access to me.
So, this morning I got the para set up on SKYPE and the video plugins for Gmail. She can now text the student using chat and ask how she is doing (while everyone else in the class is completely unaware of their conversation). The student can now text back the para and say "I need the next braille volume for math class" "I need a braille ruler", and so on.
I have my students keep their Gmail or SKYPE open all the time (depends on what districts allow--they allow either one of these). The student also opens and works in WORD, or reads from the braille page, and when they have a question, they do a quick ALT+TAB back to the chat area and text me the question. I text them the answer and they are off. When their school work is complete, it is quickly emailed to the teacher.
Within minutes the student has the tools she needs in class without having to go track the para down. At the same time she is chatting with me through text and asking me what the command is for doing exponents. I text back the answer and she is sailing away in class without stopping her work. There is nothing worse then sitting there doing nothing because she does not have the tools or answers she needs.
In time, this is the goal for all the paras. The students feel more independent and confident in their abilities when they know they can do it on their own but if they do have questions, it is a quick chat away.
So, this morning I got the para set up on SKYPE and the video plugins for Gmail. She can now text the student using chat and ask how she is doing (while everyone else in the class is completely unaware of their conversation). The student can now text back the para and say "I need the next braille volume for math class" "I need a braille ruler", and so on.
I have my students keep their Gmail or SKYPE open all the time (depends on what districts allow--they allow either one of these). The student also opens and works in WORD, or reads from the braille page, and when they have a question, they do a quick ALT+TAB back to the chat area and text me the question. I text them the answer and they are off. When their school work is complete, it is quickly emailed to the teacher.
Within minutes the student has the tools she needs in class without having to go track the para down. At the same time she is chatting with me through text and asking me what the command is for doing exponents. I text back the answer and she is sailing away in class without stopping her work. There is nothing worse then sitting there doing nothing because she does not have the tools or answers she needs.
In time, this is the goal for all the paras. The students feel more independent and confident in their abilities when they know they can do it on their own but if they do have questions, it is a quick chat away.
TRACK CHANGES-How to Edit Work
TRACK CHANGES enables a blind student to write a paper, email the draft or final paper to a teacher on which the teacher can make highlighted comments and change suggestions. The teacher then emails it back to the student. When the student opens the paper, the track changes are noticeable as red, purple, etc. markings to the visual person, and can become verbal comments to the blind student. The blind student moves through the document with their talking software, and can hear all the corrections that need to be made and can easily correct them with the TRACK CHANGES feedback, or they just hear the grade of the paper.
An additional plus to this is when the whole class is exchanging papers for correction by each other. The blind student turns on TRACK CHANGES then hands the laptop to the sighted student. All the sighted student has to do is put the cursor where the correction needs to be and begin typing. The remarks are tracked so the blind student can hear the input when they get the laptop back. Also, when students are to correct their own work, then hand it in, the blind student can participate as well by making their own corrections, and then emailing the assignment to the teacher for the teacher to see the corrections.
This technique goes both ways, which is why I love it. One day, I sent a lesson to one of my more advanced students and he made additions on my lesson using TRACK CHANGES and sent it back to me for to add to the lesson. I laugh now as I think of it. I too am improving. I love that my students who know we so well, feel at ease at making comments on the lessons I send to them. We are all teachers!!
An additional plus to this is when the whole class is exchanging papers for correction by each other. The blind student turns on TRACK CHANGES then hands the laptop to the sighted student. All the sighted student has to do is put the cursor where the correction needs to be and begin typing. The remarks are tracked so the blind student can hear the input when they get the laptop back. Also, when students are to correct their own work, then hand it in, the blind student can participate as well by making their own corrections, and then emailing the assignment to the teacher for the teacher to see the corrections.
This technique goes both ways, which is why I love it. One day, I sent a lesson to one of my more advanced students and he made additions on my lesson using TRACK CHANGES and sent it back to me for to add to the lesson. I laugh now as I think of it. I too am improving. I love that my students who know we so well, feel at ease at making comments on the lessons I send to them. We are all teachers!!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Nemeth, Duxbury, Braille Display, JAWS
Teaching Nemeth Code (braille math, for all you sighted people out there) is brought to life using Duxbury (a braille translation program) with a braille display and JAWS.
As students 6 key braille in the math problems, on a regular keyboard, Jaws speaks what they are brailling. Then they move their hands down to the braille display to check the problem and the answer. Using all these tools also makes it fun. Students will easily do math if it involves technology versus on a brailler. The keys are also a whole lot easier to push.
After the braille lesson, I take the exact same problems and we go to WORD and I teach them how to type out all the symbols and special features of math.
They now have a braille copy for themselves which they also open up on their braille note to study from, a print copy for themselves, so when the kids correct each others papers, they can correct the blind students also--using TRACK CHANGES (which automatically makes corrections in the paper when someone edits, and the blind student can easily read using JAWS) and their teacher has a final copy sent to them by the blind student in email. Math made magical!
As students 6 key braille in the math problems, on a regular keyboard, Jaws speaks what they are brailling. Then they move their hands down to the braille display to check the problem and the answer. Using all these tools also makes it fun. Students will easily do math if it involves technology versus on a brailler. The keys are also a whole lot easier to push.
After the braille lesson, I take the exact same problems and we go to WORD and I teach them how to type out all the symbols and special features of math.
They now have a braille copy for themselves which they also open up on their braille note to study from, a print copy for themselves, so when the kids correct each others papers, they can correct the blind students also--using TRACK CHANGES (which automatically makes corrections in the paper when someone edits, and the blind student can easily read using JAWS) and their teacher has a final copy sent to them by the blind student in email. Math made magical!
Mom in Belize gets Help
One of my virtual connections is in Belize. She is a Mom has a little girl and is trying to find out what to do to help her succeed. Recently, it has been my honor to help her little part of the world get set up with the technology needed for blind children. She works for the government and so has some power to make things happen. I often find this very interesting how people in power can make great things happen when they are faced with something different in their lives. They can also make bad things happen...but we are on a good road here.
In our own country Norte Dame had a professor with a blind wife and he made sure they had a great program for anyone who came their for education who happen to be blind. Another in power working for good.
Well, it just hit me today as my Belize mom and I were talking that I had never gotten her in contact with my students so she could ask them questions. Problem solved. She is now hooked up with one of my older and gifted students (will I guess I believe all my students are gifted-smile) to ask all the questions she needs. This connection has given her the vision into the future of possibilities for her little one. We all need a good vision of what we can do. Make those connections.
In our own country Norte Dame had a professor with a blind wife and he made sure they had a great program for anyone who came their for education who happen to be blind. Another in power working for good.
Well, it just hit me today as my Belize mom and I were talking that I had never gotten her in contact with my students so she could ask them questions. Problem solved. She is now hooked up with one of my older and gifted students (will I guess I believe all my students are gifted-smile) to ask all the questions she needs. This connection has given her the vision into the future of possibilities for her little one. We all need a good vision of what we can do. Make those connections.
When it does not Work...CHANGE
We learn more from our failures than our successes. I tell my kids that constantly. It is never bad to fail, but it is insanity to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Learn from your mistakes and then CHANGE.
For the past 9 months I HAD been working with a web design firm that could not do what they said they could. They said it would be done in a month. Nine months later and still with incredible problems...I fired them.
Enter a new and incredibly talented designer...fortunately a friend also so the connection was fast as I told him about my web designer problems. He said he would take it on. Within a day of design, he had accomplished more than the people who worked on it for nine months. AND, his site already works beautifully with talking software.
Lesson: I learned a lot. If something is not working within the time frame someone says it should...CHANGE. I should NOT have waited 9 months and kept giving them chances when they proved over and over they could not do the job.
I see my students and their families doing this. My families made huge changes. They were in districts where the people there could not do what they said they could do...so they CHANGED. They asked around and then landed on my door step. Now, because of all the advances in technology I am able to reach far and wide. The parents who worked for a CHANGE got it and now their children are learning the blind skills needed to become independent.
Remember, it is insanity to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Learn from your mistakes, then make CHANGE.
For the past 9 months I HAD been working with a web design firm that could not do what they said they could. They said it would be done in a month. Nine months later and still with incredible problems...I fired them.
Enter a new and incredibly talented designer...fortunately a friend also so the connection was fast as I told him about my web designer problems. He said he would take it on. Within a day of design, he had accomplished more than the people who worked on it for nine months. AND, his site already works beautifully with talking software.
Lesson: I learned a lot. If something is not working within the time frame someone says it should...CHANGE. I should NOT have waited 9 months and kept giving them chances when they proved over and over they could not do the job.
I see my students and their families doing this. My families made huge changes. They were in districts where the people there could not do what they said they could do...so they CHANGED. They asked around and then landed on my door step. Now, because of all the advances in technology I am able to reach far and wide. The parents who worked for a CHANGE got it and now their children are learning the blind skills needed to become independent.
Remember, it is insanity to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. Learn from your mistakes, then make CHANGE.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Talking Software and Reading Challenged
Talking software is not only great for blind and low vision students but for anyone with an inability to read print. I have had the pleasure of working with sighted children that had dyslexia, or some form of inability to read text.
I have used regular talking software and software that highlights the word as the talking software reads the print. In this way the child can follow the words as they are read to him.
Another great component of talking software is when the child is typing spelling words or trying to write a paper, there are commands to get the talking software to read back a letter, a word, the whole sentence, paragraph, etc.
I have seen children go from "not even on grade level" to their grade level within a short period of time. The joy when they are first exposed to the talking software and the hope they gain that they will have the possibility of reading and being able to do their own work, elates them.
Many of the commands and lessons I do with my blind/low vision students, I also do with any reading challenged individual. A reading challenge is a reading challenge whether you are sighted or blind.
I have used regular talking software and software that highlights the word as the talking software reads the print. In this way the child can follow the words as they are read to him.
Another great component of talking software is when the child is typing spelling words or trying to write a paper, there are commands to get the talking software to read back a letter, a word, the whole sentence, paragraph, etc.
I have seen children go from "not even on grade level" to their grade level within a short period of time. The joy when they are first exposed to the talking software and the hope they gain that they will have the possibility of reading and being able to do their own work, elates them.
Many of the commands and lessons I do with my blind/low vision students, I also do with any reading challenged individual. A reading challenge is a reading challenge whether you are sighted or blind.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
You do not need eyes to See
Your Brain is what Sees
I have been reading "The Brain that Changes Itself" by Dr. Doidge over the past year...and rereading it. Research states that when you do not have vision, the touch and hearing part of the brain will take over for the visual cortex. For low vision children, if you blind fold them, they will learn quicker as their brain will tune into their fingers and hearing. If the child tries to use their poorest sense ... their eyes, their hearing and touch will never be honed and they will be slower than their potential.
Researchers took completely sighted adults and blindfolded them and within a week, their touch and hearing took over their visual cortex and they could begin reading braille. Yes, when the blind folds were taken off the eyes completely regained control of the visual cortex. The power of the brain is incredible.
Researchers discovered that you do not need your eyes to see. It is the brain that sees. Whether the eyes, ears, or touch, whatever sense you have the brain will utilize and take over the visual cortex. If you lose your sight, you can train your hearing and touch to "SEE" like your eyes, and that is what gives you vision. It only takes practice. I have known and know people like this. They are the ones that have influenced the way I teach.
I see this all the time. My completely blind or almost completely blind students do the best because they tune in with their ears and fingers. They are the best in braille and technology and figuring things out tactually. The students who are low vision, struggle with the braille and other blind skills because they want to use their eyes--in general. They use the talking software but try and use their eyes. The result is they type slower than the completely blind children who are totally tuned into their ears and therefore their fingers are flying. Even if you look at totally sighted people, the fastest typists are those that never look at the keys.
It is the low vision children who have ambition and dreams for their lives, who call me years after graduation and ask for help in getting the training they need and realize it was a mistake not to take the blind skills seriously when in school. ...something to think about.
I have been reading "The Brain that Changes Itself" by Dr. Doidge over the past year...and rereading it. Research states that when you do not have vision, the touch and hearing part of the brain will take over for the visual cortex. For low vision children, if you blind fold them, they will learn quicker as their brain will tune into their fingers and hearing. If the child tries to use their poorest sense ... their eyes, their hearing and touch will never be honed and they will be slower than their potential.
Researchers took completely sighted adults and blindfolded them and within a week, their touch and hearing took over their visual cortex and they could begin reading braille. Yes, when the blind folds were taken off the eyes completely regained control of the visual cortex. The power of the brain is incredible.
Researchers discovered that you do not need your eyes to see. It is the brain that sees. Whether the eyes, ears, or touch, whatever sense you have the brain will utilize and take over the visual cortex. If you lose your sight, you can train your hearing and touch to "SEE" like your eyes, and that is what gives you vision. It only takes practice. I have known and know people like this. They are the ones that have influenced the way I teach.
I see this all the time. My completely blind or almost completely blind students do the best because they tune in with their ears and fingers. They are the best in braille and technology and figuring things out tactually. The students who are low vision, struggle with the braille and other blind skills because they want to use their eyes--in general. They use the talking software but try and use their eyes. The result is they type slower than the completely blind children who are totally tuned into their ears and therefore their fingers are flying. Even if you look at totally sighted people, the fastest typists are those that never look at the keys.
It is the low vision children who have ambition and dreams for their lives, who call me years after graduation and ask for help in getting the training they need and realize it was a mistake not to take the blind skills seriously when in school. ...something to think about.
Virtual Student Interaction
As my students gain in knowledge, they are able to do more virtual interaction.
Today, I have students texting, video chatting, skyping, facebooking and emailing me. Students from hundreds of miles away to thousands of miles away. Ages 6th grade to 21 years old. My 21 year old is very advanced in his skills and very gifted with technology. He did not start technology instruction until he was 16, but took to it like a duck to water. He can just ask for any type of lesson and I know he can pretty much handle any detail with that lesson. As I sent him lessons on how to download video chat and texting for gmail, he suggested I add scripts to Skype to enhance all its features.
After creating a lesson on scripts for Skype, which makes every component accessible and enhances the fun, I sent that lesson off to another student. She needed help on the lesson, since she is only in 6th grade, so she texted me and I brought her computer up on my screen with Jaws tandem then added SKYPE and within minutes her issues were fixed and she was hearing all the joys of Jaws with her Skype. We then disconnected and she contacted one of her friends with the new enhancements of SKYPE. She later sent me a text saying how much she loved this feature because she no longer had to struggle over using the mouse---and when we started, that is all she wanted to use---hmmmm, can we say eye fatigue!!
Another student calls me through SKYPE from thousands of miles away and I was able to help him with downloading JAWS and real speak voices. Within minutes he has his lesson. Another student asks how to access something in Facebook. A quick response and she is off adjusting.
The excitement every time one learns one more thing to make their lives easier just keeps me going. No one should feel isolated any more with this great technology. When you need help or a friend, it is there. Not only do the students contact me, they contact each other, creating their own social network.
Today, I have students texting, video chatting, skyping, facebooking and emailing me. Students from hundreds of miles away to thousands of miles away. Ages 6th grade to 21 years old. My 21 year old is very advanced in his skills and very gifted with technology. He did not start technology instruction until he was 16, but took to it like a duck to water. He can just ask for any type of lesson and I know he can pretty much handle any detail with that lesson. As I sent him lessons on how to download video chat and texting for gmail, he suggested I add scripts to Skype to enhance all its features.
After creating a lesson on scripts for Skype, which makes every component accessible and enhances the fun, I sent that lesson off to another student. She needed help on the lesson, since she is only in 6th grade, so she texted me and I brought her computer up on my screen with Jaws tandem then added SKYPE and within minutes her issues were fixed and she was hearing all the joys of Jaws with her Skype. We then disconnected and she contacted one of her friends with the new enhancements of SKYPE. She later sent me a text saying how much she loved this feature because she no longer had to struggle over using the mouse---and when we started, that is all she wanted to use---hmmmm, can we say eye fatigue!!
Another student calls me through SKYPE from thousands of miles away and I was able to help him with downloading JAWS and real speak voices. Within minutes he has his lesson. Another student asks how to access something in Facebook. A quick response and she is off adjusting.
The excitement every time one learns one more thing to make their lives easier just keeps me going. No one should feel isolated any more with this great technology. When you need help or a friend, it is there. Not only do the students contact me, they contact each other, creating their own social network.
HELP!
I have known B a long time. He started his education with me in kindergarten. For 6 years he learned braille and technology and was one of the kids near the top of his class. Then he moved away to a place where everyone was put on CCTV's (closed circuit TV) which enlarges all his work. He slowly went down that ladder of academic success. The school started cutting his work in half because he could not finish it and worse, he started failing. He lost all his braille, technology, and cane skills...really all blind skills...and now was a failing low vision student.
After a couple of years, his parents asked if he could come back to live with us. His behavior was a major issue when he came. He had developed the skill of just getting into trouble all time, picking fights with kids and ignoring everyone. Suspension was a norm in his life. I was guessing this was his way of getting back at the world for his loss of sight. He was disruptive because he knows he is smart but had no way to do the work.
Two years is a long time to be away from blind skills and we had to start over at square one. He quickly caught up with the technology and that became his main tool. The braille came slower and he hid his cane when he got to school. In two years he had significantly increased in skills and went back to live with his family. We emailed & phoned and kept in contact. His blind skills were going away quickly once again due to the lack of blind services where he lived.
Today we had a long chat over SKYPE. He is in college now and REALLY struggling. Help! Help! was loud and clear. He can't do college. Everything is enlarged and he uses a magnifier to see the print. It is too slow. He can't get through the work. We discussed many options, but he knows he must relearn JAWS and his blind skills if he is going to succeed in life. The next conversation will be about the training center for the blind....but that is to come.
After a couple of years, his parents asked if he could come back to live with us. His behavior was a major issue when he came. He had developed the skill of just getting into trouble all time, picking fights with kids and ignoring everyone. Suspension was a norm in his life. I was guessing this was his way of getting back at the world for his loss of sight. He was disruptive because he knows he is smart but had no way to do the work.
Two years is a long time to be away from blind skills and we had to start over at square one. He quickly caught up with the technology and that became his main tool. The braille came slower and he hid his cane when he got to school. In two years he had significantly increased in skills and went back to live with his family. We emailed & phoned and kept in contact. His blind skills were going away quickly once again due to the lack of blind services where he lived.
Today we had a long chat over SKYPE. He is in college now and REALLY struggling. Help! Help! was loud and clear. He can't do college. Everything is enlarged and he uses a magnifier to see the print. It is too slow. He can't get through the work. We discussed many options, but he knows he must relearn JAWS and his blind skills if he is going to succeed in life. The next conversation will be about the training center for the blind....but that is to come.
Losing Sight at 16
A beautiful young lady with long golden hair came into my district at 16. I can picture her and her mom with their translator sitting across the table from me. They were from Ukraine. She had come to America for medical care and had been living with a family in Pennsylvania while going through treatment. Fortunately, her family got a VISA to come to the US also and now they were together again after years of separation.
The young lady had lost almost all sight and vision of who she was by 16. She knew a few words of English and her family knew none. At our first meeting I could see she was very depressed and her mother incredibly concerned and fearful. At our first lesson, her first English words to me were, "I want to die, blind people can't do nothing." It broke my heart, but I could clearly understand the desperation and sadness in her voice.
She had never touched a computer and knew nothing about technology. I started from square one teaching her computer skills at school. She learned English very quickly due to the JAWS talking software. We added Russian Jaws, which fortunately she knew Russian also, to give her the ability to check her work after she typed it in English. Within a week she understood the power of what this technology could do for her. Within 2 weeks she was flying on that keyboard. We only had 3 months of her total learning and I knew with school getting out she needed a computer at home to continue not just in her learning but regaining a vision of who she was becoming.
The Lions Club bought her a computer. As I was setting it up in her home, tiny tears trickled down her cheeks as she exclaimed. "I don't want to die any more. I know I can doing something in life now." This still brings tears to my eyes.
How many people have lost their vision of who they are because they believe something devastating has taken away everything? But it has not. Our trials lead us to testimonies of overcoming. This young lady continues to conquer one trial after another and also spurs others onto more than they thought possible.
She is in the process of becoming a teacher of the blind because she wants to give a dream back to those who have lost their vision of themselves also.
The young lady had lost almost all sight and vision of who she was by 16. She knew a few words of English and her family knew none. At our first meeting I could see she was very depressed and her mother incredibly concerned and fearful. At our first lesson, her first English words to me were, "I want to die, blind people can't do nothing." It broke my heart, but I could clearly understand the desperation and sadness in her voice.
She had never touched a computer and knew nothing about technology. I started from square one teaching her computer skills at school. She learned English very quickly due to the JAWS talking software. We added Russian Jaws, which fortunately she knew Russian also, to give her the ability to check her work after she typed it in English. Within a week she understood the power of what this technology could do for her. Within 2 weeks she was flying on that keyboard. We only had 3 months of her total learning and I knew with school getting out she needed a computer at home to continue not just in her learning but regaining a vision of who she was becoming.
The Lions Club bought her a computer. As I was setting it up in her home, tiny tears trickled down her cheeks as she exclaimed. "I don't want to die any more. I know I can doing something in life now." This still brings tears to my eyes.
How many people have lost their vision of who they are because they believe something devastating has taken away everything? But it has not. Our trials lead us to testimonies of overcoming. This young lady continues to conquer one trial after another and also spurs others onto more than they thought possible.
She is in the process of becoming a teacher of the blind because she wants to give a dream back to those who have lost their vision of themselves also.
Friday, September 9, 2011
YourTechVision
My design consultant, located in France, has finished the new logo for TechVision and I want you to see it and feel it. The eye over the TechVision word is to show the inner potential we all have. The reflection below the name is to show that if we look inside we can truly reflect our ability outside and TechVision lessons can help you reach that potential.
This logo goes with the new website that is completed with hundreds of lessons that are all done using keystrokes and not the mouse. The lessons are linked to the blog so every lesson I teach you can teach too or just learn yourself. The website is: YourTechVision.com which is here to inspire and help people who want to learn more skills and develop their true ability. This is a thrilling time and I love sharing with you.
This logo goes with the new website that is completed with hundreds of lessons that are all done using keystrokes and not the mouse. The lessons are linked to the blog so every lesson I teach you can teach too or just learn yourself. The website is: YourTechVision.com which is here to inspire and help people who want to learn more skills and develop their true ability. This is a thrilling time and I love sharing with you.
Home Schooling, Districts and Virtual Teaching
I have the pleasure of working with people in a variety of different situations. For instance, I work with parents who are home schooling their children or with administrators and students in school districts.
Many home schooling parents find me when I am speaking at conferences about Education of the blind & visually impaired. After the speech, they talk with me at length about how to improve their child's education. Quite often, they return home and tell their local school district the news. The district checks out my credentials and within a short time we have contract for services to be provided to the home schooled child.
Many parents of home schoolers do not know that you can intermingle school district services and home schooling. School Districts can count the child on their roster and get funds for them, while supplementing the parent's teaching skills, such as with calculus or blind education or sign language. This can be a great relationship, and in general I see it working incredibly well.
Virtually, I go into the home when scheduled. The parent takes the lessons right along with their child. I send new lessons after our initial instruction for them to continue to work on the skills. The really nice thing about home schoolers is we can meet any time of the day or week. The flexibility is wonderful.
In one particular situation that came up over a year ago, a parent had become very frustrated with the school and the school lacked the skills to help. Her child was not successful and the struggle to get the correct services became overwhelming.
We began instruction and her child began to flourish with the deaf/blind techniques taught. As time went on, I explained other ways to integrate school into her child's life so she could gain more social skills, though she was already making many friends through email.
Many blind children feel very isolated so friends are important. Emailing and connecting with others is one of the first lessons I focus on when starting with a child. They need their peers to connect to. These friendships immediately get them on board with what I am teaching and they see their world expand quickly.
The child mentioned above has now been integrated into school activities and is really enjoying life. Both parent and child have regained faith in the educational process...or at least parts of it. But they have found that happy medium of home schooling and going to school outside the home. Many ways, offer many possibilities!
Many home schooling parents find me when I am speaking at conferences about Education of the blind & visually impaired. After the speech, they talk with me at length about how to improve their child's education. Quite often, they return home and tell their local school district the news. The district checks out my credentials and within a short time we have contract for services to be provided to the home schooled child.
Many parents of home schoolers do not know that you can intermingle school district services and home schooling. School Districts can count the child on their roster and get funds for them, while supplementing the parent's teaching skills, such as with calculus or blind education or sign language. This can be a great relationship, and in general I see it working incredibly well.
Virtually, I go into the home when scheduled. The parent takes the lessons right along with their child. I send new lessons after our initial instruction for them to continue to work on the skills. The really nice thing about home schoolers is we can meet any time of the day or week. The flexibility is wonderful.
In one particular situation that came up over a year ago, a parent had become very frustrated with the school and the school lacked the skills to help. Her child was not successful and the struggle to get the correct services became overwhelming.
We began instruction and her child began to flourish with the deaf/blind techniques taught. As time went on, I explained other ways to integrate school into her child's life so she could gain more social skills, though she was already making many friends through email.
Many blind children feel very isolated so friends are important. Emailing and connecting with others is one of the first lessons I focus on when starting with a child. They need their peers to connect to. These friendships immediately get them on board with what I am teaching and they see their world expand quickly.
The child mentioned above has now been integrated into school activities and is really enjoying life. Both parent and child have regained faith in the educational process...or at least parts of it. But they have found that happy medium of home schooling and going to school outside the home. Many ways, offer many possibilities!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Spanish, Talking Software and Braille
One of my high school students just began Spanish this year. Anyone who has taught Spanish Braille knows it is VERY different from English Braille. When I asked her if she knew that her JAWS could talk Spanish also, she said "NO" but in an amazed REALLY sort of hope. She is only familiar with English speaking JAWS and had no idea of other possibilities that talking software can do for her.
We began with adding a new Spanish voice profile. Next, we went to Word and started typing Spanish words and having her talking software repeat the word back so she could start working on her pronunciation. Then we practiced going back and forth from her regular voice to Spanish voice as I could see she would get stuck with the Spanish and not know how to get back again. Repetition always seems to be the key.
Tomorrow she gets to learn how to insert all those wonderful special Spanish characters into Word using special commands so JAWS will speak the Spanish words correctly. THEN she gets to learn how to read those characters in Braille. Life is always so exciting as we let our vision grow out of who we are and what we are capable of doing.
We began with adding a new Spanish voice profile. Next, we went to Word and started typing Spanish words and having her talking software repeat the word back so she could start working on her pronunciation. Then we practiced going back and forth from her regular voice to Spanish voice as I could see she would get stuck with the Spanish and not know how to get back again. Repetition always seems to be the key.
Tomorrow she gets to learn how to insert all those wonderful special Spanish characters into Word using special commands so JAWS will speak the Spanish words correctly. THEN she gets to learn how to read those characters in Braille. Life is always so exciting as we let our vision grow out of who we are and what we are capable of doing.
SKYPE, JAWS Tandem, Virtual Teaching
I have been working with a particular student for years, so her skills are fairly advanced. She started virtual instruction this summer and caught on very quickly. We have been experimenting with finding the best browser that works with the right software and email and a multitude of other things to make everything work together. And, it was time to use this technology in the classroom.
First off, it is common to have to go personally to the school to explain virtual techniques to the administration. So, I did. The Principal seemed to understand quickly the virtual technique. But, the Director was having a difficult time seeing how a blind student can get help from a teacher who lives far away. The para-educator was willing to give it a chance, so I told them to let the student take over and they could watch. Then I went home and waited for school to start.
Our first lesson of the school year started today. The para-educator was nervous but within a couple of minutes the para was amazed. The student texted me online, telling me she was ready for the class work. I immediately brought her up on video, greeted her and saw smiles. Next, we started the tandem session so I could bring her computer desktop up on my computer. Then I began giving her instruction on downloading school books from the Internet, from the website Duxbury (a braille to print translation program) that transfers text information into Word. (Note: I previously discussed with her teacher what the student needed for class, so the lesson was in my head)
After the student loaded the classrooms "World History" book into WORD, it was time to read. The student knows she needs to ask the teacher, "What are the first three words of the paragraph you want me to be on?" Then I helped her insert those words into find dialogue box. Within seconds her cursor finds the paragraph. She jumps the cursor to her book and her JAWS begins reading it to her.
The student also practices her braille reading, by adding the braille display to the laptop.
First off, it is common to have to go personally to the school to explain virtual techniques to the administration. So, I did. The Principal seemed to understand quickly the virtual technique. But, the Director was having a difficult time seeing how a blind student can get help from a teacher who lives far away. The para-educator was willing to give it a chance, so I told them to let the student take over and they could watch. Then I went home and waited for school to start.
Our first lesson of the school year started today. The para-educator was nervous but within a couple of minutes the para was amazed. The student texted me online, telling me she was ready for the class work. I immediately brought her up on video, greeted her and saw smiles. Next, we started the tandem session so I could bring her computer desktop up on my computer. Then I began giving her instruction on downloading school books from the Internet, from the website Duxbury (a braille to print translation program) that transfers text information into Word. (Note: I previously discussed with her teacher what the student needed for class, so the lesson was in my head)
After the student loaded the classrooms "World History" book into WORD, it was time to read. The student knows she needs to ask the teacher, "What are the first three words of the paragraph you want me to be on?" Then I helped her insert those words into find dialogue box. Within seconds her cursor finds the paragraph. She jumps the cursor to her book and her JAWS begins reading it to her.
The student also practices her braille reading, by adding the braille display to the laptop.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Virtual Teaching-Going from memorizing to understanding
Yesterday was a huge "Ah Ha" moment for one of my virtual students.
I started lessons with her about a year ago. She was in 9th grade. I tested her skills and discovered she did not know how to turn on a computer, did not know Nemeth (Braille math) and did not know a plethora of other blind skills. She also lacked orientation and mobility skills (cane travel). BUT, she did know Braille and that had gotten her to the point she was, however she relied heavily on a para and her parents to help her do her work.
The biggest problem was not understanding how a computer works or what it could do for her. She relied on memory. She tried to memorize every step, and for those of us who use JAWS talking software, we know you cannot always depend on memorizing steps because JAWS is unpredictable. But, if you "understand" how a computer works, no matter what occurs you can figure out the issue and take control of the computer instead of it controlling you.
Anyway, as we did our virtual lessons, she would move along, but spent a lot of time memorizing "hiccups" (unexpected occurrences with talking software) that occurred as we moved in and out of the Internet. Many times the lessons were smooth and flawless as she followed her memorized steps. However, when she tried to do the lessons on her own, and ran into a "hiccup" she was stopped in her tracks.
Yesterday however, she turned a corner in her approach to learning.
I always start my kids out using BASIC HTML in Gmail, which is one of the most accessible emails there is around. Once they learn the basics, I switch them over to Standard View because there are so many more options available, but far more commands to learn. One being texting, two being video chat, three being the auto filling of addresses and so on.
Now this young lady is VERY stoic and proper. Something VERY special has to occur for her to crack a smile or laugh. As I was doing a virtual lesson with her, I showed her how she would not need to memorize email addresses any more with the auto fill aspect of Standard View. As I showed her, I actually got an "OHHHHH WOW". More importantly, when I showed her how easy it was to go back and forth from Basic HTML to Standard, her approach shifted and she actually asked the right question to let me know she understood the difference AND how to do it whenever she wanted.
She was moving from that all important step of just memorizing steps to do something, to understanding what she was doing and that SHE had the power to make that computer do what she wanted instead of the computer taking that power away from her due to her lack of understanding. With understanding, we gain power!
I started lessons with her about a year ago. She was in 9th grade. I tested her skills and discovered she did not know how to turn on a computer, did not know Nemeth (Braille math) and did not know a plethora of other blind skills. She also lacked orientation and mobility skills (cane travel). BUT, she did know Braille and that had gotten her to the point she was, however she relied heavily on a para and her parents to help her do her work.
The biggest problem was not understanding how a computer works or what it could do for her. She relied on memory. She tried to memorize every step, and for those of us who use JAWS talking software, we know you cannot always depend on memorizing steps because JAWS is unpredictable. But, if you "understand" how a computer works, no matter what occurs you can figure out the issue and take control of the computer instead of it controlling you.
Anyway, as we did our virtual lessons, she would move along, but spent a lot of time memorizing "hiccups" (unexpected occurrences with talking software) that occurred as we moved in and out of the Internet. Many times the lessons were smooth and flawless as she followed her memorized steps. However, when she tried to do the lessons on her own, and ran into a "hiccup" she was stopped in her tracks.
Yesterday however, she turned a corner in her approach to learning.
I always start my kids out using BASIC HTML in Gmail, which is one of the most accessible emails there is around. Once they learn the basics, I switch them over to Standard View because there are so many more options available, but far more commands to learn. One being texting, two being video chat, three being the auto filling of addresses and so on.
Now this young lady is VERY stoic and proper. Something VERY special has to occur for her to crack a smile or laugh. As I was doing a virtual lesson with her, I showed her how she would not need to memorize email addresses any more with the auto fill aspect of Standard View. As I showed her, I actually got an "OHHHHH WOW". More importantly, when I showed her how easy it was to go back and forth from Basic HTML to Standard, her approach shifted and she actually asked the right question to let me know she understood the difference AND how to do it whenever she wanted.
She was moving from that all important step of just memorizing steps to do something, to understanding what she was doing and that SHE had the power to make that computer do what she wanted instead of the computer taking that power away from her due to her lack of understanding. With understanding, we gain power!
Seeing the Light-Gaining true vision
I keep in contact with many of my past students and families. That is one thing so wonderful about this field, the close connections we make and keep.
One of my students called me about 4 years ago very distressed about her life. She said she was tired of depending on everyone to do things for her.
She was in 10th grade and had lost the majority of usable sight. But she still had a speck of sight in the corner of one of her eyes and she was determined to use every ounce of it---and not be classified as blind. However, she grudgingly learned braille but just enough to keep me happy. She had never touched a computer before, so I taught her basic computer skills and within 2 weeks she was back in class independently working away on her computer....slowly but doing it herself. She begged for a para-educator to do all her work, telling me how much faster it would be. I said "Yes it would faster but your skills will never improve." For the next 2 months I heard this topic many many times, but by the end of the 2 months she was so fast, it never came up again. She did fairly well in school and graduated but did not push herself to learn more blind skills.
We talked and emailed several times during the next few years. Every year that remaining speck of sight became worse until it was unusable. One day I got the sorrowful call, which I have gotten before from other students. When the student depends too much on a remainder bit of sight, and they stop learning skills after graduation, only to lose finally that speck of physical vision, they then believe their dreams can't become reality. This was the case with this student.
After calming her down, I told her about a great rehabilitation center in Louisiana where she could go and gain the skills she needed. I told her who to contact and what to do, but it would be up to her to do it.
It was time for the people she relied on to back off. We adults sometimes do way too much for our children and students. I am constantly analyzing myself and making sure I am giving them the skills by making them do their own work.
Sadly, for a long while, this student thought I'd jump in and do the work to get her into the training center, while she sat back. But I didn't. It was difficult to hold off, because I could easily jump in and do everything. But, I knew her life would only change if she applied herself.
She finally did apply herself. She registered for the training center, got approved and went on to graduate. A whole new woman. Completely independent and not afraid to go anywhere or do anything. She now has her own private Massage business and knows how to run it on her own. She is the boss of her destiny now. She can truly live out her dreams and she is dreaming even bigger now. Now that is true VISION....having the skills to see your own potential.
One of my students called me about 4 years ago very distressed about her life. She said she was tired of depending on everyone to do things for her.
She was in 10th grade and had lost the majority of usable sight. But she still had a speck of sight in the corner of one of her eyes and she was determined to use every ounce of it---and not be classified as blind. However, she grudgingly learned braille but just enough to keep me happy. She had never touched a computer before, so I taught her basic computer skills and within 2 weeks she was back in class independently working away on her computer....slowly but doing it herself. She begged for a para-educator to do all her work, telling me how much faster it would be. I said "Yes it would faster but your skills will never improve." For the next 2 months I heard this topic many many times, but by the end of the 2 months she was so fast, it never came up again. She did fairly well in school and graduated but did not push herself to learn more blind skills.
We talked and emailed several times during the next few years. Every year that remaining speck of sight became worse until it was unusable. One day I got the sorrowful call, which I have gotten before from other students. When the student depends too much on a remainder bit of sight, and they stop learning skills after graduation, only to lose finally that speck of physical vision, they then believe their dreams can't become reality. This was the case with this student.
After calming her down, I told her about a great rehabilitation center in Louisiana where she could go and gain the skills she needed. I told her who to contact and what to do, but it would be up to her to do it.
It was time for the people she relied on to back off. We adults sometimes do way too much for our children and students. I am constantly analyzing myself and making sure I am giving them the skills by making them do their own work.
Sadly, for a long while, this student thought I'd jump in and do the work to get her into the training center, while she sat back. But I didn't. It was difficult to hold off, because I could easily jump in and do everything. But, I knew her life would only change if she applied herself.
She finally did apply herself. She registered for the training center, got approved and went on to graduate. A whole new woman. Completely independent and not afraid to go anywhere or do anything. She now has her own private Massage business and knows how to run it on her own. She is the boss of her destiny now. She can truly live out her dreams and she is dreaming even bigger now. Now that is true VISION....having the skills to see your own potential.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Helping a student take a test with a virtual teacher
I am always trying to figure out better ways to help my students virtually. Teaching the students their ability to text messages is an immediate help. My students who have learned enough technology skills, can sit in class and text me for a quick answer to any technical problem they have whether it's about hardware or software. For example: At the start of the year, teacher's are usually fearful of having a blind student in their classroom and they are very unsure what to do. A teacher emailed me last week saying, "I will be giving the class a test, How do I give the blind student the test?" I told her to put the test in a WORD document, then save it to a thumb drive. Then give the student the thumb drive and tell her which document file to open when the rest of the class was working on their paper test.
This is where their ability to text me as their teacher became valuable. The student opened her test and realized she has forgotten some of her talking software commands over the summer. She text me with the problem (I am hundreds of miles away from her, but at my computer and beside her virtually) She needs help with her technology. I give her the code for a JAWS tandem session so I can pull up her computer and take a look at her issue. I text her back with what she needs to do to get JAWS to read the problems and tell her where to answer. She is off and running.
She does not disturb anyone else in the classroom as she has her headset on and quietly listens to my directions in the text. No one else knows she is getting help from me but the teacher. A virtual teacher beside her whenever she needs.
This access to a virtual technology teacher who knows skills for the blind gives the regular education teachers and students peace of mind because they have the technical help whenever they need.
This is where their ability to text me as their teacher became valuable. The student opened her test and realized she has forgotten some of her talking software commands over the summer. She text me with the problem (I am hundreds of miles away from her, but at my computer and beside her virtually) She needs help with her technology. I give her the code for a JAWS tandem session so I can pull up her computer and take a look at her issue. I text her back with what she needs to do to get JAWS to read the problems and tell her where to answer. She is off and running.
She does not disturb anyone else in the classroom as she has her headset on and quietly listens to my directions in the text. No one else knows she is getting help from me but the teacher. A virtual teacher beside her whenever she needs.
This access to a virtual technology teacher who knows skills for the blind gives the regular education teachers and students peace of mind because they have the technical help whenever they need.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Skype, Google Talk, Texting
Skype and Google Talk are tools that allow students to talk to one another using the Internet. People can communicate with each other using talking software program calledJAWS.
One of my students was moving through her lessons quickly and thought it was time to move her to the next level of technology. I have all my students tied together with email, so they can "talk" with their new friends anywhere and anytime. This particular student is low vision and has a really good friend, who happens to be sighted, a couple hundred miles away. I thought if I could teach her how to video chat, she and her friend that she has never met in person could take it to the next level of friendship—virtually meeting.
My student learned how to use SKYPE with the mouse. Everything VERY enlarged so she could read it. She was slow to respond to text messages because it was very laborious to read. Her favorite part was the actual video where she could talk as if standing next to each other.
Because of the slow response in texting in Skype, I decided to switch her to Firefox, Gmail with a video plugin, Google talk and texting. JAWS talks everything in Gmail. Her texting became very quick because JAWS would read the reply from her friends and she could quickly text back.
In our lessons, which are virtual, with me at my home and hers a distance away, I told her she was doing great with Firefox, texting and her video, but I needed to go find all the hotkeys for Skype and JAWS. She text back very quickly that she loved using the mouse. I replied, that was fine and I would just create a lesson on Skype hotkeys for my others students. About 2 seconds later, she text back that maybe she should have them too since she moved so much faster with the keyboard then trying to read the text. I replied that was fine and she could use any method she wanted when she choose.
Choices: Life is about choices and having many tools in your toolbox of learning.
One of my students was moving through her lessons quickly and thought it was time to move her to the next level of technology. I have all my students tied together with email, so they can "talk" with their new friends anywhere and anytime. This particular student is low vision and has a really good friend, who happens to be sighted, a couple hundred miles away. I thought if I could teach her how to video chat, she and her friend that she has never met in person could take it to the next level of friendship—virtually meeting.
My student learned how to use SKYPE with the mouse. Everything VERY enlarged so she could read it. She was slow to respond to text messages because it was very laborious to read. Her favorite part was the actual video where she could talk as if standing next to each other.
Because of the slow response in texting in Skype, I decided to switch her to Firefox, Gmail with a video plugin, Google talk and texting. JAWS talks everything in Gmail. Her texting became very quick because JAWS would read the reply from her friends and she could quickly text back.
In our lessons, which are virtual, with me at my home and hers a distance away, I told her she was doing great with Firefox, texting and her video, but I needed to go find all the hotkeys for Skype and JAWS. She text back very quickly that she loved using the mouse. I replied, that was fine and I would just create a lesson on Skype hotkeys for my others students. About 2 seconds later, she text back that maybe she should have them too since she moved so much faster with the keyboard then trying to read the text. I replied that was fine and she could use any method she wanted when she choose.
Choices: Life is about choices and having many tools in your toolbox of learning.
Inspiring Kids to read Braille
Most kids want the summer off from any work. This was no exception for one of my students I will call Sunshine. Sunshine, mom and I had worked incredibly hard together for the past years to get her caught up to grade level, with no time off.
Sunshine did not begin her blind instruction until the middle of third grade. At that point, she was reading print on a CCTV (closed circuit TV which enlarges print) at 12 wpm. You can't even say she was at the bottom of the class. She was about k-1st grade academic level. She could not see anything on the board and she had to hunch over her work at 2 inches to see what she was doing and every year she got further and further behind her peers because she could not access her education.
To say the least, her mom was getting very stressed about the lack of support for her daughter. Let's just say MOM learned the ropes and is a great advocate now. In 2 years her daughter completely caught up to grade level. She can read braille up to 100-115 wpm, but that varies depending on her reading consistently. Yes, kids forget fast! Those fingers have to be on the braille dots to remember. She also went from not being able to use a computer to really getting to the point where she could teach most aspects of it. She only has 3 fingers but that child can type up around 70wpm and can whip in and out of programs incredibly fast using her JAWS talking software.She does all her work on the computer and emails all assignments to her teacher. Teacher makes comments and emails back grade. Very fast, very efficient.
So now to tell the story. Sunshine REALLY wanted to take the summer off with NO braille reading. When I tested her last week, she was reading around 48wpm, yes her speed had decreased significantly. She was a bit shocked at the decrease. I had her reread the selection and she was up to 100 wpm within 4 minutes. So that is how fast it can come back.
As we talked about her "no reading policy for the summer," I showed her the iPhone and braille display and told her she could text her friends using these tools, but she had to have those good braille skills. Sunshine's eyes lit up 10 fold, and an "Oh yeah" immediately came back. Just finding another way to keep kids moving on the skills they really need.
For lessons to gain these skills, click on: Reading Braille
Sunshine did not begin her blind instruction until the middle of third grade. At that point, she was reading print on a CCTV (closed circuit TV which enlarges print) at 12 wpm. You can't even say she was at the bottom of the class. She was about k-1st grade academic level. She could not see anything on the board and she had to hunch over her work at 2 inches to see what she was doing and every year she got further and further behind her peers because she could not access her education.
To say the least, her mom was getting very stressed about the lack of support for her daughter. Let's just say MOM learned the ropes and is a great advocate now. In 2 years her daughter completely caught up to grade level. She can read braille up to 100-115 wpm, but that varies depending on her reading consistently. Yes, kids forget fast! Those fingers have to be on the braille dots to remember. She also went from not being able to use a computer to really getting to the point where she could teach most aspects of it. She only has 3 fingers but that child can type up around 70wpm and can whip in and out of programs incredibly fast using her JAWS talking software.She does all her work on the computer and emails all assignments to her teacher. Teacher makes comments and emails back grade. Very fast, very efficient.
So now to tell the story. Sunshine REALLY wanted to take the summer off with NO braille reading. When I tested her last week, she was reading around 48wpm, yes her speed had decreased significantly. She was a bit shocked at the decrease. I had her reread the selection and she was up to 100 wpm within 4 minutes. So that is how fast it can come back.
As we talked about her "no reading policy for the summer," I showed her the iPhone and braille display and told her she could text her friends using these tools, but she had to have those good braille skills. Sunshine's eyes lit up 10 fold, and an "Oh yeah" immediately came back. Just finding another way to keep kids moving on the skills they really need.
For lessons to gain these skills, click on: Reading Braille
Friday, September 2, 2011
The World of Inaccessible Websites
As I begin the year with my students, the inaccessibility to websites for the blind hits me hard...once again.
Let's just talk about how inaccessible so many school sites are to our students and it seems they should be leading the way.
Many times the sites are so inaccessible and loaded with images instead of actual text. If you have talking software you can quickly see that many words on the page are actually a picture of text and not actual text itself, so there is no way for a blind person to access it with the talking software.
OK, let's go a couple more steps. Worse, teachers assign students to access the website to download lessons---PDF lessons that once again are images of text, not text itself. Worse, teachers require students to do online work on a site that is completely inaccessible.
So back to my students and and school websites. We have to use a mouse to click where we are going--this takes a sighted person--that independence goal goes down the drain. Then we bookmark the page the student needs to be on, so all she has to do is go to her favorites and pull it up quickly. Fortunately, there are enough tricks in the talking software to get her where she needs to go. But if you don't have the knowledge on the talking software, the students are out of luck.
What makes this shocking is it is very easy to make an accessible site. GMAIL is a perfect example. It offers basic HTML or standard. My students can actually do both as they become advanced in their talking software skills, but I always start them out with basic HTML. Simple text all over the page with easy commands to get you to where you are going.
Website designers need to take note and we need to let them know. There is a great lack of knowledge out there--time to teach them too.
Let's just talk about how inaccessible so many school sites are to our students and it seems they should be leading the way.
Many times the sites are so inaccessible and loaded with images instead of actual text. If you have talking software you can quickly see that many words on the page are actually a picture of text and not actual text itself, so there is no way for a blind person to access it with the talking software.
OK, let's go a couple more steps. Worse, teachers assign students to access the website to download lessons---PDF lessons that once again are images of text, not text itself. Worse, teachers require students to do online work on a site that is completely inaccessible.
So back to my students and and school websites. We have to use a mouse to click where we are going--this takes a sighted person--that independence goal goes down the drain. Then we bookmark the page the student needs to be on, so all she has to do is go to her favorites and pull it up quickly. Fortunately, there are enough tricks in the talking software to get her where she needs to go. But if you don't have the knowledge on the talking software, the students are out of luck.
What makes this shocking is it is very easy to make an accessible site. GMAIL is a perfect example. It offers basic HTML or standard. My students can actually do both as they become advanced in their talking software skills, but I always start them out with basic HTML. Simple text all over the page with easy commands to get you to where you are going.
Website designers need to take note and we need to let them know. There is a great lack of knowledge out there--time to teach them too.
Brailling with little fingers
Children have little fingers that need to be strengthened to press the keys on a regular brailler. Therefore, I want to tell you about the Mountbatten brailler.
I have started students as young as 3 years old on the Mountbatten brailler, and find they can braille with perfect finger positioning.
Click here for the Mountbatten brialler website
Click here to watch the Mountbatten brailler in action
We want to be careful when letting young children use the regular brailler so they don't start poor brailling habits, such as using 2 fingers to press one key. This is not only time consuming, but also very slow because it takes so much effort to press the keys. The Mountbatten brailler, however allows for good habits to form while fingers are growing and getting stronger. Starting out correctly, our children will then be successful braillers with an ability to increase their output as they get older, creating a joy in reading what they wrote.
I have started students as young as 3 years old on the Mountbatten brailler, and find they can braille with perfect finger positioning.
Click here for the Mountbatten brialler website
Click here to watch the Mountbatten brailler in action
We want to be careful when letting young children use the regular brailler so they don't start poor brailling habits, such as using 2 fingers to press one key. This is not only time consuming, but also very slow because it takes so much effort to press the keys. The Mountbatten brailler, however allows for good habits to form while fingers are growing and getting stronger. Starting out correctly, our children will then be successful braillers with an ability to increase their output as they get older, creating a joy in reading what they wrote.
Creating a Web Site and Technology
The time has come for TechVision to expand. I teach students who come to me from long distances, but now I have other teacher's requesting lessons so they can teach their students, therefore, I have engaged a web technician to create a website for TechVision.
Soon, teachers and people from around the world will be able to purchase and download hundreds of lessons to learn how to use the internet, WORD, Excell, and PowerPoint without a mouse. You will also be able to discover JAWS, a talking software program for the visually impaired.
The expansion of TechVision is very exciting. Picture me here in Washington State, texting and emailing my web technician and creative consultant, bouncing ideas back and forth to produce an easy to use website. I have two text boxes open, my email open, and the communication is flowing between the three of us even though we are in different locations in Washington and France.
I am clicking my keyboard in a flurry, I have up to 3 processes going on two screens but it is all possible because we can learn how to put the keyboard to good use, even those who can't see well can do this by memorizing the keyboard.
Because of technology, within a 30-40 minute time period, I've acquired a site domain, www.yourTechVision.com, and have discussed with my technician and consultant the "look" the site will have. Within a month yourTechVision should be up and running.
In the meantime, I will be texting and on video-chat helping my students....that is another story.
Soon, teachers and people from around the world will be able to purchase and download hundreds of lessons to learn how to use the internet, WORD, Excell, and PowerPoint without a mouse. You will also be able to discover JAWS, a talking software program for the visually impaired.
The expansion of TechVision is very exciting. Picture me here in Washington State, texting and emailing my web technician and creative consultant, bouncing ideas back and forth to produce an easy to use website. I have two text boxes open, my email open, and the communication is flowing between the three of us even though we are in different locations in Washington and France.
I am clicking my keyboard in a flurry, I have up to 3 processes going on two screens but it is all possible because we can learn how to put the keyboard to good use, even those who can't see well can do this by memorizing the keyboard.
Because of technology, within a 30-40 minute time period, I've acquired a site domain, www.yourTechVision.com, and have discussed with my technician and consultant the "look" the site will have. Within a month yourTechVision should be up and running.
In the meantime, I will be texting and on video-chat helping my students....that is another story.
Teaching on a Ranch
Just one incredible thing about summer is that many of my student's parents drive their children to my ranch for instruction. Some drive from hours away and even stay over night so their child can get a double dose of lessons every week.
The huge advantage of me being able to teach from my ranch is that after the lessons we go out to the garden and watch a plethora of all type of fruits and vegetables grow.
The kids have seen all the plant stages, from the seedling stage, through growth, and to harvest time.
The absolute joy of watching the children snap their first pea, or twist off their first squash or zucchini, warms my heart throughout the year. The favorites are always the strawberries and raspberries.
I am sure this is why we are teachers...to see that light bulb of understanding go on, and the elation of learning continue!!! Remember, we are ALL teachers.
The huge advantage of me being able to teach from my ranch is that after the lessons we go out to the garden and watch a plethora of all type of fruits and vegetables grow.
The kids have seen all the plant stages, from the seedling stage, through growth, and to harvest time.
The absolute joy of watching the children snap their first pea, or twist off their first squash or zucchini, warms my heart throughout the year. The favorites are always the strawberries and raspberries.
I am sure this is why we are teachers...to see that light bulb of understanding go on, and the elation of learning continue!!! Remember, we are ALL teachers.
The Joy of accessing books fast
While not so difficult for sighted students, it is a challenge for blind students to get books for school. However, technology is taking the bite out of the challenge and blind students are now blessed with many websites where they can download books quickly.
Only a few years ago, a book for the blind would have to be ordered from a book and braille library, which may take up to a week to deliver, if the book was on the shelf to send...but that time is past.
So, do not let those times when the teacher decides at the last minute that a new book will be required for class the next day.
Right in class, because the blind student, who never goes anywhere without her laptop and talking software or her Braille Note, can go online to one of the best accessible sites around, BOOKSHARE. Click on BOOKSHARE and download the required book before the sighted students even have all the books passed out.
If a child knows technology, they can access the world!
Only a few years ago, a book for the blind would have to be ordered from a book and braille library, which may take up to a week to deliver, if the book was on the shelf to send...but that time is past.
So, do not let those times when the teacher decides at the last minute that a new book will be required for class the next day.
Right in class, because the blind student, who never goes anywhere without her laptop and talking software or her Braille Note, can go online to one of the best accessible sites around, BOOKSHARE. Click on BOOKSHARE and download the required book before the sighted students even have all the books passed out.
If a child knows technology, they can access the world!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
You speak and your computer types for you
I have been working with a woman since she was about 80 years old, teaching her computer skills. Her hands were and still are very shaky, so her typing is very limited. Because she is losing her vision due to macular degeneration, I've taught her how to use JSAY.
JSAY brings together Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 11, from Nuance, and JAWS For Windows version 12, from Freedom Scientific.
As you talk, Dragon will type out what you are saying. JAWS will then tell you what you said. You then can go back and make corrections in the text as necessary. This is wonderful for typing up letters to save and/or email.
I have also had CP and other physically challenged children using this product. The most successful are the ones who can talk the clearest. Though if you train JSAY enough, using your own special diction, JSAY will learn the words you slur or pronounce different from the world.
JSAY is a powerful tool for those who can't use their fingers on the keyboard and who also have limited vision.
JSAY brings together Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional version 11, from Nuance, and JAWS For Windows version 12, from Freedom Scientific.
As you talk, Dragon will type out what you are saying. JAWS will then tell you what you said. You then can go back and make corrections in the text as necessary. This is wonderful for typing up letters to save and/or email.
I have also had CP and other physically challenged children using this product. The most successful are the ones who can talk the clearest. Though if you train JSAY enough, using your own special diction, JSAY will learn the words you slur or pronounce different from the world.
JSAY is a powerful tool for those who can't use their fingers on the keyboard and who also have limited vision.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Low tech but great tool-Draftsman
Even though I appreciate technology, it is important to remember there are low-tech tools that help our learning process immensely.
Click Draftsman Tactile Drawing Board to see what students can use to practice their print letters and handwriting. These boards can also be used in math class. Students can draw what the math teacher is drawing and follow along with the class. The boards are also used to draw pictures and diagrams, hey even a game of tic-tac-toe!
Click Draftsman Tactile Drawing Board to see what students can use to practice their print letters and handwriting. These boards can also be used in math class. Students can draw what the math teacher is drawing and follow along with the class. The boards are also used to draw pictures and diagrams, hey even a game of tic-tac-toe!
DigiMemo-- Digital Writing-recognizes handwriting
A friend told me about DigiMemo--a new tool that has jumped into the technology scene. She uses it for her low vision students. When the teacher is writing notes on the board, a sighted student can copy the notes on this computerized pad, because the low vision student rarely can see the board. After class, the DigiMemo can be hooked into a computer and uploaded as an image for the low vision student to read.
Well, I have taken this tool and added a very important component: The ability to read handwriting and transfer that handwriting into text.
When I first tried the DigiMemo, I could only get an image which talking software does NOT read, I was incredibly disappointed. So, I thought surely we have come far enough that software can read handwriting. Well, we have. Just a bit more sleuthing and I found what I was looking for. I loaded the handwriting software and did another copy of notes on my DigiMemo, transferred the information to my computer--did a couple simple tricks and viola...text that Jaws talking software could read.
What a powerful tool. The sighted student is not doing much more than they typically do. They write their notes, which are stored in the DigiMemo, then transfer the information into text, which requires using a mouse. I believe, in time, the DigiMemo software will be accessible to blind students who know their hotkeys.
The downfall is DigiMemo cannot do graphics...well of course. AND the person taking the notes needs to have legible print so the computer can read it easily. I tried cursive, but it only caught some of the letters. I tried really sloppy writing and I was still very pleasantly surprised at how much it picked up but you would need to be a detective to figure it all out. You need good printing skills...period.
For about $140, I think it is a great investment. Teachers and students are excited when I tell them about DigiMemo. A great tool for school this year and another lesson for me to prepare--hey, that is what I like!!
Well, I have taken this tool and added a very important component: The ability to read handwriting and transfer that handwriting into text.
When I first tried the DigiMemo, I could only get an image which talking software does NOT read, I was incredibly disappointed. So, I thought surely we have come far enough that software can read handwriting. Well, we have. Just a bit more sleuthing and I found what I was looking for. I loaded the handwriting software and did another copy of notes on my DigiMemo, transferred the information to my computer--did a couple simple tricks and viola...text that Jaws talking software could read.
What a powerful tool. The sighted student is not doing much more than they typically do. They write their notes, which are stored in the DigiMemo, then transfer the information into text, which requires using a mouse. I believe, in time, the DigiMemo software will be accessible to blind students who know their hotkeys.
The downfall is DigiMemo cannot do graphics...well of course. AND the person taking the notes needs to have legible print so the computer can read it easily. I tried cursive, but it only caught some of the letters. I tried really sloppy writing and I was still very pleasantly surprised at how much it picked up but you would need to be a detective to figure it all out. You need good printing skills...period.
For about $140, I think it is a great investment. Teachers and students are excited when I tell them about DigiMemo. A great tool for school this year and another lesson for me to prepare--hey, that is what I like!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Iphone, texting and talking software
Picture you as a student sitting in class working on your laptop and the teacher asks you to input formals into excel and make them fit correctly and you have forgotten how to do this. Everyone around you uses a mouse to get to where they are going so you cannot ask them for help.
But you have another weapon. You pull up gmail and a text box, while using your talking software and start texting your teacher of the blind who happens to be hundreds of miles away from you physically, but right beside you virtually. You ask her how to enlarge the boxes in excel to make them fit the content. The answer comes back swiftly.
On the teacher's side, she can either be sitting at her computer to text back or have email on her iphone. Today, she happens to be out grocery shopping and the text comes in. She stops right where she is at to text the answer back to the student without missing a beat. This is actually faster than if the teacher was in the school building and someone would have to go track her down.
Ok, for me I am usually NOT out shopping and working at my computer helping my students around the country. BUT, if I wanted to be out shopping I could be. It is always the possibility of what we want to look for, not restriction. Technology allows the possible!!
For iPhone lessons, go to: iTools
But you have another weapon. You pull up gmail and a text box, while using your talking software and start texting your teacher of the blind who happens to be hundreds of miles away from you physically, but right beside you virtually. You ask her how to enlarge the boxes in excel to make them fit the content. The answer comes back swiftly.
On the teacher's side, she can either be sitting at her computer to text back or have email on her iphone. Today, she happens to be out grocery shopping and the text comes in. She stops right where she is at to text the answer back to the student without missing a beat. This is actually faster than if the teacher was in the school building and someone would have to go track her down.
Ok, for me I am usually NOT out shopping and working at my computer helping my students around the country. BUT, if I wanted to be out shopping I could be. It is always the possibility of what we want to look for, not restriction. Technology allows the possible!!
For iPhone lessons, go to: iTools
Video Chat--Google Talk accessibility
I added this tool to my toolbox of instruction awhile ago as it always takes time to work out the bugs. I have a very excited diligent student that always wants to help with the new ways of technology. We started with Skype as she really wanted to use the mouse, so we enlarged everything on her screen and gave her an enormous mouse to find where she needed to go, but it took her a long time to read the text compared to her JAWS reading it to her.
We tried other video chat options. But one lesson changed everything, as I sat on my mountain and she in her house, I told her to use FireFox, Jaws talking software and GMail to do video chat. When I texted her and JAWS read it back, her elation was felt through the text box, as she texted several dozen !!!!!! Being low vision, her response time was still not quick enough when she tried to use her eyes and she knew it. After a lesson, I told her I needed to go back to Skype to figure out all the hotkeys for her. She texted back very quickly that she wanted to keep using the mouse in Skype. So I said that was fine and I would just do the hotkeys for the other kids. A minute later (I could tell she was thinking) a text came back and said, "Well, I am moving so much faster using Jaws maybe I should use the hotkeys too." I smiled--if you give a child permission to want what they want, they usually turn your direction fairly quickly. I texted her back and said that was fine. I would give her the hotkeys to Skype too and she could decide what method she would use.
The huge advantage of this is when the student is in class and they run into a problem, they can immediately text for an answer without bothering anyone in the class. How powerful is that! A teacher of the blind can instruct so many more kids at a constant given time no matter how far apart the students are in the country. It is virtually bringing all the kids to the teacher's door--or rather computer. :) -smile
We tried other video chat options. But one lesson changed everything, as I sat on my mountain and she in her house, I told her to use FireFox, Jaws talking software and GMail to do video chat. When I texted her and JAWS read it back, her elation was felt through the text box, as she texted several dozen !!!!!! Being low vision, her response time was still not quick enough when she tried to use her eyes and she knew it. After a lesson, I told her I needed to go back to Skype to figure out all the hotkeys for her. She texted back very quickly that she wanted to keep using the mouse in Skype. So I said that was fine and I would just do the hotkeys for the other kids. A minute later (I could tell she was thinking) a text came back and said, "Well, I am moving so much faster using Jaws maybe I should use the hotkeys too." I smiled--if you give a child permission to want what they want, they usually turn your direction fairly quickly. I texted her back and said that was fine. I would give her the hotkeys to Skype too and she could decide what method she would use.
The huge advantage of this is when the student is in class and they run into a problem, they can immediately text for an answer without bothering anyone in the class. How powerful is that! A teacher of the blind can instruct so many more kids at a constant given time no matter how far apart the students are in the country. It is virtually bringing all the kids to the teacher's door--or rather computer. :) -smile
Iphone and braille display
One of the most exciting things to happen in instruction is pairing the Iphone with a braille display. This is not just for the blind, but more importantly the deaf/blind. Over a year ago, one of my students asked about the correct phone he should buy--voice was not enough--he could not hear it. We had gone to the phone store with his mom, showed him the iphone and went over the cost of it. Mom saved his money from his SSI and around March he came in with an iphone that could pair with a tiny braille display. He can easily carry around both. For the first time, he could text his friends and they could text back. He could and can now communicate with the world. The elation I still feel over this and watching him get so excited about what this means for his life and socialization skills overwhelms me. This is why I teach. Someone comes to me with a problem and I need to figure out the best solution, then see the joy on the student's face when they realize what power there is in this tool keeps me going and searching even further and wider for all things possible. What a truly exciting time we live in!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Exciting instruction with technology
Technology has certainly taken us a long way. In the last year, I have been working on and perfecting the use of teaching long distance with students. As in, I am hundreds of miles away form my students, but with a phone call and a computer, I can pull up their machines, give instruction and watch everything they are doing, just as if I was sitting right next to them: Correcting, inputting and watching their skills grow.
If you would like a free lesson on this, contact me offlist at deniserob@gmail.com and I will set up a time to demonstrate this powerful tool. You too can be a teacher sitting in one place and teaching far more students than you ever believed possible. No car or gas needed.
If you would like a free lesson on this, contact me offlist at deniserob@gmail.com and I will set up a time to demonstrate this powerful tool. You too can be a teacher sitting in one place and teaching far more students than you ever believed possible. No car or gas needed.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Training Lessons Coming
I will be creating a website that will contain hundreds of lessons for teaching blind and low vision students. AND if you as a sighted person who just wants to get faster on a computer, many of these lessons will be for you too.
So many requests have been made for such a site. It will be easy and compatible for use for novice to advanced user.
Coming soon. Will post to all the lists when it is ready.
So many requests have been made for such a site. It will be easy and compatible for use for novice to advanced user.
Coming soon. Will post to all the lists when it is ready.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
SOD children can learn
SOD-Septo-optic dysplasia- visual and metobolic issues-children ranging is all areas of skills and cognitive levels.
I have my HS students going to see the elementary students to mentor and socialize. This week I had a senior working with a 5th grader. He was a very poor speller and has had very inconsistent instruction in his school career so has not been able to show his potential. Now that he has a full time TVI, this is changing. The same strategy I use with my HS kids, I use with younger students. I had the senior give him the sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." He helped him spell each word and he typed it until he spelled it easily, which only took a few minutes for each word. Within this simple 30 minute lesson the boy started typing the whole sentence, typing at 20 wpm. Everyone was shocked and elated. The boy was beyond himself in his success.
This child had also been very unsuccessful in learning math. I thought since he did so well with typing the sentence that I would show him how to use the calculator, but first I taught him the num pad use so he could do calculations quickly. Once again within 15 minutes this boy was doing calculations. I know since he has found joy in this that he will practice typing math problems over and over and just by the fact of listening to the problems he will learn math, as I have seen this over and over. By adding manipulative's to what he is doing, it will cement in the process.
It is just raising the bar to the top and teaching to that level. Over and over again, students show me they can do it with the right instruction. It was a great week....as always
I have my HS students going to see the elementary students to mentor and socialize. This week I had a senior working with a 5th grader. He was a very poor speller and has had very inconsistent instruction in his school career so has not been able to show his potential. Now that he has a full time TVI, this is changing. The same strategy I use with my HS kids, I use with younger students. I had the senior give him the sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." He helped him spell each word and he typed it until he spelled it easily, which only took a few minutes for each word. Within this simple 30 minute lesson the boy started typing the whole sentence, typing at 20 wpm. Everyone was shocked and elated. The boy was beyond himself in his success.
This child had also been very unsuccessful in learning math. I thought since he did so well with typing the sentence that I would show him how to use the calculator, but first I taught him the num pad use so he could do calculations quickly. Once again within 15 minutes this boy was doing calculations. I know since he has found joy in this that he will practice typing math problems over and over and just by the fact of listening to the problems he will learn math, as I have seen this over and over. By adding manipulative's to what he is doing, it will cement in the process.
It is just raising the bar to the top and teaching to that level. Over and over again, students show me they can do it with the right instruction. It was a great week....as always
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Watch Learning GROW
The start of the school year has begun and along with that assessing the students to see where they are and where they need and want to go, we make goals. If their want is small, giving them the vision of where they could go is essential. Grouping students together is crucial in this endeavor and each watch the other achieve goals they never thought possible thus increasing their own vision of what they can do.
Within 2 weeks of school beginning, my high school students are already seeing huge leaps in their learning. I have 3 older students who were typing around 60-65wpm and they all set their goal of typing for the end of the year to be around 100 wpm.
The brain grows as does wisdom, through repetition of doing a skill correctly. Within 2 weeks of applying this strategy, 2 have reached around 95 and one reached 111 wpm. Everyday, they immediately come in, send homework that is due to al their teachers, then begin practicing their typing techniques. They now have to set a new goal for typing.
This same principal works in Braille reading. At the end of last spring, two were reading around 65 wpm and one around 212 wpm. They all practiced their reading over summer and by employing similar strategies at the start of the school year, now 2 are reading at 137 wpm and one at 315 wpm. They now are really starting to stretch in their confidence about themselves so 2 are reaching for 200 wpm and the other for 400 wpm by the end of the year.
I also have 3 beginners and all three have increased their reading by 7 wpm in 2 weeks and their typing by 8 wpm. How they feel about themselves has grown and where they did not even try to hand in work, now are doing so. Not a lot yet, but it increases each week as they see their skills grow, which in turn increases their confidence in who they are and what they can do. They are gaining a vision of their potential.
We are all teachers. Teach a skill and watch learning grow.
Within 2 weeks of school beginning, my high school students are already seeing huge leaps in their learning. I have 3 older students who were typing around 60-65wpm and they all set their goal of typing for the end of the year to be around 100 wpm.
The brain grows as does wisdom, through repetition of doing a skill correctly. Within 2 weeks of applying this strategy, 2 have reached around 95 and one reached 111 wpm. Everyday, they immediately come in, send homework that is due to al their teachers, then begin practicing their typing techniques. They now have to set a new goal for typing.
This same principal works in Braille reading. At the end of last spring, two were reading around 65 wpm and one around 212 wpm. They all practiced their reading over summer and by employing similar strategies at the start of the school year, now 2 are reading at 137 wpm and one at 315 wpm. They now are really starting to stretch in their confidence about themselves so 2 are reaching for 200 wpm and the other for 400 wpm by the end of the year.
I also have 3 beginners and all three have increased their reading by 7 wpm in 2 weeks and their typing by 8 wpm. How they feel about themselves has grown and where they did not even try to hand in work, now are doing so. Not a lot yet, but it increases each week as they see their skills grow, which in turn increases their confidence in who they are and what they can do. They are gaining a vision of their potential.
We are all teachers. Teach a skill and watch learning grow.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
An Incredible Teaching Day
Every day is an incredible teaching day when I am with students, but this summer has been that plus some. During the summer, parents drive their children to my home as I have too many to drive to them and this way I can get in more children. The great thing about this is I grew a large garden this year. During the summer, the children get to feel the garden when it first starts out, then feel it in its different stages. The raspberries and strawberries come first and the great pleasure of picking fresh fruit and truly tasting what fruit should taste like always gets huge smiles. Even kids who thought they hated one of these fruits because of the bland flavor they always encountered at the grocery store soon discovered that fruit from a garden does not taste the same as at the store. Let's just say I have many converts now.
However today was the culmination of absolute joy as one of my students went through and picked her first zucchini, broccoli, carrots and peas--feeling the tiny little pumpkin and watermelon that she would be picking soon also. Each time she would reach down and figure out how to get the particular vegi's off its stem her smile grew larger and larger. I still am picturing her huge smile with each new adventure in the garden. What she never understood, she now does. Her understanding of the world has grown ten fold just by understanding how food grows. Now she has the much more to connect with her sighted peers and "get" what they are talking about.
However today was the culmination of absolute joy as one of my students went through and picked her first zucchini, broccoli, carrots and peas--feeling the tiny little pumpkin and watermelon that she would be picking soon also. Each time she would reach down and figure out how to get the particular vegi's off its stem her smile grew larger and larger. I still am picturing her huge smile with each new adventure in the garden. What she never understood, she now does. Her understanding of the world has grown ten fold just by understanding how food grows. Now she has the much more to connect with her sighted peers and "get" what they are talking about.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Resources
If you are looking for resources.
American Printing House for the blind- http://aph.org/ offers just about everything under the sun for books and other materials for the blind/low vision
Grocery stores now have raised line paper from Mead--Thank you Lori for that info. It can also be had from APH
If you are looking for balls with bells and braille on games, go to
http://www.braillebookstore.com/view.php?C=Toys+and+Games
Another great source of toys, games, canes, and all things blind is:
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/default.asp
If you would like braille books free or to purchase, go to:
http://www.seedlings.org/
That should get you going...have fun.
American Printing House for the blind- http://aph.org/ offers just about everything under the sun for books and other materials for the blind/low vision
Grocery stores now have raised line paper from Mead--Thank you Lori for that info. It can also be had from APH
If you are looking for balls with bells and braille on games, go to
http://www.braillebookstore.com/view.php?C=Toys+and+Games
Another great source of toys, games, canes, and all things blind is:
http://secure.nfb.org/ecommerce/asp/default.asp
If you would like braille books free or to purchase, go to:
http://www.seedlings.org/
That should get you going...have fun.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Raise the Bar of Expectation
If you raise the bar of expectation for yourself, your children, your students, you will raise to that expectation.
However, if you expect little, do little, you will have little and reach that low bar of expectation too.
People live down or up to one's expectations. If you are a teacher, and we all are, raise the bar, expect a great deal, teach to that level and you will see people do more than they ever expected.
REACH HIGH!!
However, if you expect little, do little, you will have little and reach that low bar of expectation too.
People live down or up to one's expectations. If you are a teacher, and we all are, raise the bar, expect a great deal, teach to that level and you will see people do more than they ever expected.
REACH HIGH!!
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