[nabs-l] nabs-l Digest, Vol 33, Issue 26
Miriam D. Feiner
miriamd at optonline.net
Wed Jul 29 23:10:54 UTC 2009
My name is Miriam Feiner and I am starting a MSW program at New York
University in September. I was wondering if anyone knows of a APA Wizard
program that is compatable with JAWS. (APA - American Psychological
Association, a specific formatting style.) There are many wizards that help
format the papers for you. I just was looking for one that I could use with
JAWS. Thanks
-----Original Message-----
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Of nabs-l-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:00 PM
To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject: nabs-l Digest, Vol 33, Issue 26
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Today's Topics:
1. NFB Youth SLAM Blog and Twitter (Peter Donahue)
2. Re: FW: testing accomidation question (pajohns1 at vt.edu)
3. Re: NABS Meeting Minutes (Janice)
4. Breaking Web Site Bottlenecks (Peter Donahue)
5. Re: Breaking Web Site Bottlenecks (Trevor Saunders)
6. Re: FW: testing accomidation question (Ashley Bramlett)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:36:08 -0500
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [nabs-l] NFB Youth SLAM Blog and Twitter
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, \(for parents of blind children\)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>, Professionals in Blindness Education
Division
List <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <016601ca0fba$a9076bd0$4001a8c0 at yourfsyly0jtwn>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Good afternoon everyone,
For those interested in the goings on at the second NFB Youth SLAM you
can keep up with the latest happenings by following the NFB Youth SLAM on
Twitter, or by visiting the NFB Youth SLAM blog to read student accounts of
their experiences at this great activity. Their URLS art listed below:
Follow the 2009 National Federation of the Blind Youth SLAM on Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/nfbyouthslam
Visit the2009 NFB Youth SLAM Blog at:
http://www.nfbyouthslam.org
Happy slamming.
Peter Donahue
"Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you
On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you."
Will You Come to the Bower
Traditional Irish Folk Song
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:06:51 -0400
From: <pajohns1 at vt.edu>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: testing accomidation question
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: jim275_2 at yahoo.com
Message-ID: <95714EB2B6E143BFBE63DCE2853A314E at useripvq7z5u3t>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Jim,
I hope folks post their responses to the list and include Jim in the
cc. I wonder why extra-time is needed on a take home comprehensive exam.
As a graduate student it is my responsibility to be able to quickly recall
large amounts of data quickly and accurately. To do this I spent many long
hours organizing and rewriting notes in the process developing a system to
quickly locate related data. This is time intensive and often quite frankly
was boring beyond belief. It required sacrifices, but what really is more
important than passing one's comps or final exam?? For me at least all the
long hours paid off in that by the time I saw my comp questions I already
had a basic answer planned and could spend my time finding supporting
material and citations.
Since the comprehensive exam covers material already covered in
previous courses I strongly suspect a fair number of hints have been dropped
on what is and what isn't important. Also, there is the grapevine of
students who have already taken and passed the exam. Ask them about the
nature and type of questions to be asked. I'd even go so far as to ask the
profs for suggestions on what to focus on in my preparation.
It has been my experience having successfully passed three
comprehensive exams that my profs wanted to ensure I knew the material and
fairly acess me on the topics covered. They never asked a question which
hadn't been extensively covered in one of my core courses.
Grad school is hard, no question about it, and it is even harder
being blind, but it is by no means impossible. Buckle down, start early,
and study hard. It can be done, there are enough of us on this list with
multiple advanced degrees to prove it.
Patrick
----- Original Message -----
From: "JMassay" <jmassay1 at cox.net>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:08 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] FW: testing accomidation question
> Please post to list for Jim Reed. Thanks,
>
> Jeannie
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: Jim Reed [mailto:jim275_2 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 7:51 PM
> To: jmassay1 at cox.net
> Subject: testing accomidation question
>
>
>
>
> Jeannie,
>
> I need to ask the NABS list an importiant question, but I am no longer on
> it. thus I can't post to the list. Are you on the NABS list? If so, could
> you post the following question for me? As I am not on the list, please
> have
> people reply directly back to me at jim275_2 at yahoo.com.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim
>
> Let me preface the following question by saying that I assume the reason
> my
> DSS office gives me extra time (time and a half) to take a test is because
> some blind people take longer to read and write than their blind or
> sighted
> counterparts.
>
> That said, I had several take home final exams last semester that were all
> given and due at roughly the same time, so I asked DSS for extra time, and
> I
> was denied. It says on mu DSS card that I am approved for extra time for
> taking test, yet the DSS office said that extra time does not apply to
> take
> home exams. Isn't a take home exam still a test?
>
> Anyhow, moving on...
>
> In January, 2010, I will have to take a comprehensive final exam covering
> all of my graduate classes. The way the exam works is that I will be given
> the exam questions one week prior to the exam date, then, I have that one
> week to prepaire an outline of my response, and then, I take the test.
> This
> is not quite the same thing as a take home exam because what you turn in
> as
> your exam is acctually written at the testing location, not at home. I
> don't believe there is a time limit for this exam, but if there is, I know
> I
> will get extra time.
>
> I am worried about the week I will have to prepair my answers for the
> exam;
> I don't know that I will be physically able to review as much as I will
> need
> to, or to work as many hours as I will need to without my eyes giving out.
> With the exception of this semester's textbooks, all of my review
> materials
> (textbooks, exams, notes, handouts, etc.) will be in print format; that's
> a
> lot of readiing for eyes that like to get tired. During last semester's
> final exam week, I was often forced to stop working sooner than I intended
> to because I became unable to read or see the computer, regardless of the
> magnification I used.
>
> As I already mentioned, DSS denied my last request for extra time on a
> take
> home exam, so, I expect that they will do the same for my comprehensive
> exam. I fear I will need the extra time to prepair, and not be able to
> get
> it. How can I make sure I get the extra time I need?
>
> As I am no longer subscribed to the NABS list, please email responses
> directlly to me at jim275_2 at yahoo.com.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Reed
>
> "A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life
> depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert
> myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am
> still
> receiving." - Albert Einstein
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/pajohns1%40vt.edu
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:40:05 -0500
From: "Janice" <snowball07 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <32ABDB9638F84FD2B3E8310F4B43F0E9 at your0d10610b06>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Hello Antonio,
I will be sure to pass the message along to our webmaster(and the co-chairs
of the committee in charge). I am sure they will be much obliged. I believe
such plans are already in the works. Thank you for your thoughts and
suggestions. Keep the good ideas flowing!
Kindest Regards,
Janice Jeang
Secretary
National Association of Blind Students
----- Original Message -----
From: "Antonio Guimaraes" <aguimaraes at nbp.org>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
> Thank you for the minutes. Nice work. Couple of thoughts:
>
> Yes, membership is interested in reading board meetings minutes. I speak
> for myself, but this would provide a chance to stay informed, involved,
> and for the board to be accountable to the membership.
>
> Yes, I would like to see the minutes archived on the site.
>
> thank you for your diligent work, and keep up the work.
>
> Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Janice" <snowball07 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 11:21 AM
> Subject: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
>
>
> Hey Nabsters,
>
> Attached to this email, as a word file, is the first meting minutes for
> our new NABS administration. This is the NABS board's attempt at keeping
> "you" the student, informed. I am quite excited that I get to post up my
> minutes and be the humble messenger. BE nice- *smile*
> I sincerely apologize for the tardiness of the minutes being released. I
> was extraordinary ill after National Convention, and it looked like I was
> getting better for a bit. However, the flu/ fever has taken a turn for the
> worse again. Nothing super serious, but just enough to keep me some what
> unbalanced. Anyways, enough of my rambling. Here they are: enjoy!
>
> Kindest Regards,
>
> Janice Jeang
> Secretary
> national Association of Blind Students
>
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>
>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
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om
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:03:32 -0500
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [nabs-l] Breaking Web Site Bottlenecks
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <000501ca0ff0$c739c4a0$4001a8c0 at yourfsyly0jtwn>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hello Janice and listers,
And require the secretary or anyone who produces material for the Web
site to mark up their own pages for posting to the site. Our chapter is all
ready doing that. It goes a long way to breaking Web Site maintenance
bottlenecks and will challenge these individuals to learn anew skill; one
they thought was beyond them or they weren't smart enough to grasp. Once you
get the hang of marking up Web pages it eventually becomes second-nature.
It's more food for thought.
Peter Donahue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Janice" <snowball07 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:40 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
Hello Antonio,
I will be sure to pass the message along to our webmaster(and the co-chairs
of the committee in charge). I am sure they will be much obliged. I believe
such plans are already in the works. Thank you for your thoughts and
suggestions. Keep the good ideas flowing!
Kindest Regards,
Janice Jeang
Secretary
National Association of Blind Students
----- Original Message -----
From: "Antonio Guimaraes" <aguimaraes at nbp.org>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
> Thank you for the minutes. Nice work. Couple of thoughts:
>
> Yes, membership is interested in reading board meetings minutes. I speak
> for myself, but this would provide a chance to stay informed, involved,
> and for the board to be accountable to the membership.
>
> Yes, I would like to see the minutes archived on the site.
>
> thank you for your diligent work, and keep up the work.
>
> Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Janice" <snowball07 at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 11:21 AM
> Subject: [nabs-l] NABS Meeting Minutes
>
>
> Hey Nabsters,
>
> Attached to this email, as a word file, is the first meting minutes for
> our new NABS administration. This is the NABS board's attempt at keeping
> "you" the student, informed. I am quite excited that I get to post up my
> minutes and be the humble messenger. BE nice- *smile*
> I sincerely apologize for the tardiness of the minutes being released. I
> was extraordinary ill after National Convention, and it looked like I was
> getting better for a bit. However, the flu/ fever has taken a turn for the
> worse again. Nothing super serious, but just enough to keep me some what
> unbalanced. Anyways, enough of my rambling. Here they are: enjoy!
>
> Kindest Regards,
>
> Janice Jeang
> Secretary
> national Association of Blind Students
>
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>
>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
>
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om
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To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
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l.net
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:22:23 -0400
From: Trevor Saunders <trev.saunders at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Breaking Web Site Bottlenecks
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <E1MVyoB-00084V-U7 at tbsaunde>
Hi,
once you learn how to marking up text as you write it can be faster and in
some
sense more accessible than fiddling with fonts and sizes etc.
Another option if everyone can make it work well for them is to use wiki
style
markup which is somewhat simpler than html.
Trev
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:29:36 -0400
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] FW: testing accomidation question
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: jim275_2 at yahoo.com
Message-ID: <9152887DF50D41E18BE5698526CEF7CC at Ashley>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Hi all,
Please post to the list and copy Jim. Jim raised good questions. These are
questions I ponder too since I may attend grad school later. I just
graduated in May with a BA from Marymount.
Two questions you asked are:
1. Should you get extra time for a take home exam?
2. What are the best ways to review and study for such a mass amount of
information tested on only in a week?
I agree with Patrick. With preparation and organization you may not need
extra time. I also got time and a half or double time on exams in college.
They assumed i needed extra time to take it orally; I took it by using a
reader or listening to jaws doing it electronically. To me this leveled the
playing field because I need things repeated; its not like reading braille
and listening is very different and for me takes more time and effort.
I only had a couple take home exams here and there and I requested extra
time from the prof for one of them and got it. Some may disagree because of
philosophy. I decided I needed it because the book was only recorded by rfb
and I did not have many notes to review from reading; I did not do that as I
typically do since the prof relied more on the lecture than the book. Thus
by taking notes from the text I felt I was wasting my time. So I needed a
reader to assist me and my readers were doing their own work at that time.
Other students were skimming and using the index to look up key concepts for
the answers. Since I needed a reader and even with like four readers I was
working on their schedule too I chose to have extended time.
But a comprehensive final exam for grad school is different. You said your
notes, handouts etc are in print. You said your eyes were getting tired for
preping for your past exams. I have some vision too but it wasn't enough to
read with magnification. So I learned braille and accessed my books through
rfb at a young age. Jim I suggest you use alternative techniques so you can
give your eyes a rest. How about getting some textbooks through RFB if
available. I assume you use Zoomtext on the computer. Why not use the
speech that comes with Zoomtext? Another idea is to get jaws or a screen
reader and you can switch between auditory and visual methods then. Do you
have a scanner? If so scanning programs: Openbook and Kirzweil have great
low vision and speech features. For instance you can change the contrast,
size, and color of text.
I hope others can give better suggestions for preping for a final exam like
this using alternative techniques. I don't have a perfect solution either.
I always found take home tests harder since the others could skim anything
and find answers where as I relied on lecture notes from the prof like
powerpoints, handouts and my own notes.
Here is what I did and suggest. The key is advanced preparation.
1. Organize your notes. For me I did it by chapters. Although for a
comprehensive final you'd want something more concise.
2. Mark important pages in your text you may refer to. Highlighting works
if you see it. Also post it notes or paper clips work too. Then with your
own eyes or a reader review that information.
3. Patrick said this one and #4 too. Ask other students about the types of
questions from past experiences.
4. Your profs want you to succeed. So ask questions what to focus on. I
did this for tests and it worked great. I went to their office hours and
they were glad I was interested in the class and I got them to give hints on
what to study for.
I don't know if they have office hours for grad school, but if so, use them
since profs like to see you're working hard and have questions for them.
5. Since you'll have the questions in advance, form a study group or get a
study partner. Although i did not have the exact questions, i had a study
guide and this helped me usually. We exchanged what we knew and together
formed a larger picture.
6. Even though you may get the questions only a week in advance, you can
prep before hand. For a big final I studied several weeks ahead of time. I
realize a comprehensive test is much much larger, but if possible make more
time. I took several chapters and reviewed the key points. I broke my
study sessions up to avoid burnout but after a while I was fatiguing. Maybe
make a schedule as to what you study so you have a systematic way to study
it and don't neglect some areas.
You seem to be a visual learner. Maybe try something auditory. How about
explaining the key points of the course on a digital recorder or cassette
player. Then replay it. If you explain it in your own words you'll more
likely remember it and repeating it makes it stick in your brain. Your eyes
can't fatigue using this study technique.
I hope it works out.
Ashley
----- Original Message -----
From: "JMassay" <jmassay1 at cox.net>
To: <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 12:08 PM
Subject: [nabs-l] FW: testing accomidation question
> Please post to list for Jim Reed. Thanks,
>
> Jeannie
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: Jim Reed [mailto:jim275_2 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 7:51 PM
> To: jmassay1 at cox.net
> Subject: testing accomidation question
>
>
>
>
> Jeannie,
>
> I need to ask the NABS list an importiant question, but I am no longer on
> it. thus I can't post to the list. Are you on the NABS list? If so, could
> you post the following question for me? As I am not on the list, please
> have
> people reply directly back to me at jim275_2 at yahoo.com.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim
>
> Let me preface the following question by saying that I assume the reason
> my
> DSS office gives me extra time (time and a half) to take a test is because
> some blind people take longer to read and write than their blind or
> sighted
> counterparts.
>
> That said, I had several take home final exams last semester that were all
> given and due at roughly the same time, so I asked DSS for extra time, and
> I
> was denied. It says on mu DSS card that I am approved for extra time for
> taking test, yet the DSS office said that extra time does not apply to
> take
> home exams. Isn't a take home exam still a test?
>
> Anyhow, moving on...
>
> In January, 2010, I will have to take a comprehensive final exam covering
> all of my graduate classes. The way the exam works is that I will be given
> the exam questions one week prior to the exam date, then, I have that one
> week to prepaire an outline of my response, and then, I take the test.
> This
> is not quite the same thing as a take home exam because what you turn in
> as
> your exam is acctually written at the testing location, not at home. I
> don't believe there is a time limit for this exam, but if there is, I know
> I
> will get extra time.
>
> I am worried about the week I will have to prepair my answers for the
> exam;
> I don't know that I will be physically able to review as much as I will
> need
> to, or to work as many hours as I will need to without my eyes giving out.
> With the exception of this semester's textbooks, all of my review
> materials
> (textbooks, exams, notes, handouts, etc.) will be in print format; that's
> a
> lot of readiing for eyes that like to get tired. During last semester's
> final exam week, I was often forced to stop working sooner than I intended
> to because I became unable to read or see the computer, regardless of the
> magnification I used.
>
> As I already mentioned, DSS denied my last request for extra time on a
> take
> home exam, so, I expect that they will do the same for my comprehensive
> exam. I fear I will need the extra time to prepair, and not be able to
> get
> it. How can I make sure I get the extra time I need?
>
> As I am no longer subscribed to the NABS list, please email responses
> directlly to me at jim275_2 at yahoo.com.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Reed
>
> "A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life
> depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert
> myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am
> still
> receiving." - Albert Einstein
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthl
ink.net
>
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