[nabs-l] OT small group communication

Laura Glowacki orangebutterfly87 at gmail.com
Tue Mar 22 12:32:47 UTC 2011


I've always used braille notes for presentations.  I'm not very 
good at memorizing, and I think it's perfectly reasonable for you 
to read notes (as long as everyone else is allowed notes that 
is).  Far from looking awkward, I think the use of braille allows 
you the appearance of making much more eye contact with the rest 
of the class than your sighted peers probably have as most of 
them stare down at their note cards.

I've found cutting 8x11 braille sheets in half to create big 
notecards which are a little easier to handle.  And do number the 
corners in order as the worst thing is to drop them and have them 
get out of order!

Perhaps you can go last in the group; present the last chunk I 
mean?  Or perhaps your group members can figure out a signal for 
you to know it's your turn.  Or perhaps there's a signal phrase 
the group member before you will use to finish his/her 
information.  For instance, in our communications class, we were 
required to put in verbal transitions between people.  So group 1 
member would finish his part by saying "and here's grop member 2 
who will be talking about such-and-such."  I like the phone alarm 
idea, but if it's in a group the timings may be no where near 
that exact.

HTH,
Laura
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 10:10 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] OT small group communication


Greg,
I usually have brailled on standard sheets and number them in 
case they get
out of order; the typical 8 1/2 x 11 paper.
Yep I agree its awkward though.

Maybe I should try notecards. Although for this very short 
presentation it
may make more sense just to have a sheet of notes.

Ashley

-----Original Message----- 
From: Greg Aikens
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 11:12 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] OT small group communication

Hey Ashley,
I'm not sure why you posted this as OT since it very much deals 
with
academic life.  Here are some suggestions.  Hopefully something 
is useful.

As far as the handouts and ppt go, if it is from your group it 
shouldn't be
a problem to ask for it ahead of time.  If it is from other 
groups, you
could send an email asking people to send you their handouts 
before class if
possible so you can have them at the same time.  Unfortunately, 
many
students don't finish that kind of thing with a lot of lead time 
so you may
not get them in advance.  You could bring a flash drive with you 
for them to
copy their materials on to if they are willing.  I use all of 
these methods.
last of all, you could scan them if you have to.

As far as telling time during your presentation, get a braille 
watch.  You
can be far more discrete in watching your time.  Another option 
is to set an
alarm on your phone to give you a two minute warning.  I have 
professors who
do this.  A silent alarm would be best.

To keep track of your notes, you could use big sheets of braille 
paper and
place them on the podium as you suggested, but I find reaching up 
to a
podium and using two-handed braille reading to be awkward while 
speaking.
You could braille your notes on note cards and then have your 
hands
relatively free when not reading.  I honestly haven't tried this 
one yet but
plan to for my next presentation.

Anyway, just some brainstorming.  Maybe something in there 
helped.

-Greg
On Mar 21, 2011, at 9:05 PM, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
<bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I could use some help and brainstorming ideas.
> This is for an interpersonal communication project.
>
> A couple questions/concerns here.  I’m doing a group 
> presentation on small
> group roles; its very broad but we’re focussing on the 
> different power
> people have and how the environment affects the roles we play.
> One member is presenting the Stanford prison experiment with a 
> video clip.
> Its on youtube I think. Its about a psychological experiment 
> where healthy
> college students were assigned to be guards or inmates and what 
> happens in
> an institution like that
>
> Some of my questions.
>
> 1. Everyone has access to the handouts via hard copy; one 
> member will
> prepare a 1-2 page handout
> How do you access things like this including powerpoint? Do you 
> just
> insist on having them ahead of time? What about other 
> presenters in your
> class? They will hand out stuff too. What do you do? Just take 
> it home and
> scan?
> What I will do is politely remind them that I cannot see the 
> paper and to
> please read/paraphrase things on the handout.
>
> 2. How do you track time in a group presentation or public 
> speaking?
> I have a watch I can see but I have to turn toward it with 
> tunnel vision
> and even with a talking watch, I cannot exactly press it during 
> a
> presentation.
> I want to track time so in the last minute I can wrap things up 
> and
> “transition” to the next speaker in this case.
>
> 3. I can read braille so plan to write out some notes. But 
> where do you
> put these? Others will have notes in their hands or on screen.
> Obviously I need to lay them down. Perhaps the podium?
>
> 4. If you have equipment, who operates that? The professor, 
> another
> classmate? In the past I used the professor to change screens 
> for me or
> click on videos.
>
>
> Now for my other needs.  Can you suggest some 
> people/experiments or
> sources in the area of small group communication I can look up? 
> Often
> having a person’s name helps to start it.
> We do not need scholarly sources, but they do need to be 
> reputable; so
> quoting experts is a good idea.
> Articles or magazines sound good.
> I will try the database tomorrow.  I wish I had my social 
> psychology book;
> that is what I really need! But I sold it away!
> The only experiments that come to mind about roles are Milgrims 
> experiment
> and the Zimbardo prison experiment.
> So psychology and sociology majors, please suggest ideas!
>
> Thanks.
> Ashley
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