[blindkid] Leaving classes early

Sun Jan 25 23:56:24 UTC 2009

Hi, It is just as important that blind children read the written word. Much 
is learned through real reading not listening to the text on a computer. A 
note taker can help this some but I agree with the graphics comment. Bran

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early

>I am all for electronic copies of textbooks for kids who want them (though 
>for diagrams & such I still am a big proponent of having an embossed copy 
>as well).
> The problem is that the VI educational establishment is overall VERY 
> resistant to moving towards e-textbooks.
> I wish this attitude would change more quickly.
> Eric V
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 10:40
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>
>
>> Hello Carol and listers,
>>
>>    Also add electronic copies of her textbooks to that list to eliminate
>> her having to carry bulky hard-copy versions further reducing the load.
>> Little pointers like this can do wonders to make attending school, moving
>> between classes, and eventually landing employment  a whole lot easier.
>>
>> Peter Donahue
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Carol Castellano" <blindchildren at verizon.net>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 11:50 AM
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>>
>>
>> Brave of you to post, Kim :-)!
>>
>> Thinking about some of the things you list, I wonder if maybe her
>> load could be cut down somehow.  For ex., does she have to carry the
>> binders around?  Maybe she could substitute large-size
>> folders?  (Serena used them in high school and college.)  Also, maybe
>> a notetaker instead of a laptop?
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> At 07:09 AM 1/25/2009, you wrote:
>>>Well....I guess that I may be the only parent on the list serv who
>>>sees the need for my daughter to leave class 5 minutes early. I
>>>thought about not posting, but I'm open for critism this morning!
>>>Don't be too harsh with me....
>>>My daughter is in the 11th grade and has left her class 5 minutes
>>>early since 7th grade. She wears a watch and begins packing up her
>>>laptop, books, etc and heads out at the appropriate time (no
>>>reminders from the teacher). There are quite a few "sighted" kids
>>>who are in the hallway at the same time for various reasons due to
>>>injuries, etc. My daughter carries a very heavy backpack with a
>>>laptop, books, technology, and binders while using her cane. She is
>>>rather small and must lean forward for balance. The school is 2
>>>story and she is constantly up and down stairs. The school is
>>>dealing with a huge influx in population due to rezoning with around
>>>3000 kids. My daughter's sighted friends complain about getting to
>>>and from classes while carrying one book and a binder. There are
>>>times when she hasn't left 5 minutes early and gets caught in the
>>>traffic. She has found that she has a hard time getting to her
>>>locker as the other kids are blocking her access
>>>  while they get their belongings and they also gather in groups
>>> outside of classrooms to chat causing the hallways to be blocked.
>>> At these times, she ends up being frustrated and rushed, sometimes
>>> arriving just seconds before the bell. Then she is rushed about
>>> getting her laptop set up and loaded for the begining of class
>>> (Some of the programs and textbooks take a while to load). There is
>>> no time to visit with friends when this happens.  When she leaves 5
>>> minutes early, she goes to her locker and arrives at class early
>>> enough to still talk with her friends and have her technology ready
>>> to start. During this time she is also able to talk with her
>>> teacher and get clarification about what is needed for the day and
>>> will prepare for it with the appropriate technology. I believe that
>>> my daughter should act and be treated equally as a blind person,
>>> but what about taking into consideration all the "extras" that our
>>> kids must handle as a blind person. Do we
>>>  expect our children to go above and beyond what we expect for
>>> their peers? Most all of our kids attend the same class schedule as
>>> the other kids, but must also have O&M lessons, TBS services,
>>> braille instruction, etc. There are only so many hours in a day to
>>> get something accomplished and if leaving class 5 minutes early
>>> helps to alleviate some stress, then I'm OK with it, as is my daughter.
>>>Just my two cents.
>>>Kim Cunningham
>>>
>>>--- On Sat, 1/24/09, Barbara.Mathews at sce.com <Barbara.Mathews at sce.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>From: Barbara.Mathews at sce.com <Barbara.Mathews at sce.com>
>>>Subject: Re: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>>>To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
>>><blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>>Date: Saturday, January 24, 2009, 4:26 PM
>>>
>>>My advice is to just say "No thank you.". My daughter attended a large
>>>middle school.  She is totally blind and her orientation skill isn't that
>>>great, but she got herself from class to class just fine. We did
>>>include in her
>>>IEP an accommodation that she would not be penalized for being tardy
>>>to a class
>>>if it was due to orientation problems, but this was intended primarily 
>>>for
>>>the
>>>beginning of the year when she was still learning the routes or if there
>>>was a
>>>change in schedule or something that meant she wouldn't follow the usual
>>>route.  We wanted to make sure she would handle those situations
>>>independently
>>>without undue stress about being late.  We also told the teachers that 
>>>the
>>>accommodation didn't apply if she was goofing off between classes.
>>>
>>>I asked her about this 5 minutes early idea, and she thought it was
>>>silly.  She
>>>also said you would miss less if you got to class a little late because 
>>>it
>>>usually takes a while for class to settle down.
>>>
>>>I also wonder who would tell your son it's time to leave 5 minutes before
>>>the bell rings.  Kyra's teachers wouldn't have interrupted what they
>>>were doing for that.  If some other adult would come into the room for 
>>>that
>>>reason, how embarrassing for a middle school kid! For an otherwise
>>>typical blind
>>>kid, not a good idea.
>>>
>>>
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Andy & Sally Thomas" [andysally at comcast.net]
>>>Sent: 01/24/2009 07:38 AM CST
>>>To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>>>Subject: [blindkid] Leaving classes early
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>My son's O&M instructor has told him that next year in junior high he
>>>will be dismissed from classes 5 minutes early in order to get a
>>>head start into
>>>the halls to make it to his next class. I'm wondering if most of the 
>>>blind
>>>kids out there get this "accommodation."  I personally think it is an
>>>opportunity to miss some afterthought the teacher has and to be
>>>singled out and
>>>isolated in the classroom. Walking to classes with friends is one of the
>>>few
>>>times kids have for private conversations.  Would you share your
>>>experiences
>>>with this?
>>>
>>>Sally Thomas
>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
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