[nabs-l] Advanced foreign language advice needed

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi Aleeha,
I have only taken foreign language up to the 200 level, so feel free
to take this with a grain of salt if I am way off-base here. But I am
wondering how important it is to read the PowerPoint slides at all. In
my experience with college classes, including upper-level science
classes, all or virtually all of the critical information was conveyed
either out loud during class, or in the textbook/homework assignments.
In four and a half years I think I read a PowerPoint once and that was
because I missed class. Lest you think I was a slacker, I will say I
earned a competitive GPA without reading any PowerPoint slides. On the
other side of the coin, when I have given lectures as a teaching
assistant or presented research at conferences, I never put things on
slides that I don't discuss verbally. I don't read my slides word for
word, but the slides serve as an outline to guide the class or
conference audience while I verbalize what's important for them to
understand. In other words, my spoken presentation is more detailed
than my slides. I would never test a class on stuff I put on the
PowerPoint that I didn't talk about because I don't think we should
test students on how well they can memorize things. Anyway, if your
professor doesn't read the PowerPoint slides it could be because that
stuff just isn't that important for keeping up with the class. It's
great that she reads the board out loud. I think what I would suggest
is to concentrate on writing down notes from what she is saying out
loud, and then when you are studying by yourself, look at the
PowerPoint to see if there's anything else in there that you didn't
get from the verbal lecture. I think that strategy is much easier than
trying to focus on the PowerPoint and the verbal at the same time, and
if you have the PowerPoint on your laptop to study when you aren't
rushed, you shouldn't miss anything.
Hope that helps,
Arielle

On 8/21/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Aleeha,
> Sounds like a handful. I would not be able to read notes on a laptop, take
> notes and listen at the same time even if it was in english!
> What teaching style does she use? I only took foreign language in high
> school; I would not want to try in college due to no braille availability.
> In high school I was accomodated with hard copy braille and braille texts
> which was vital to my success; college you have to do auditorily.
>
> What I'd suggest is not reading the class notes in class. Do you need to
> read them for a worksheet or group activity? If so, could someone else read
>
> them with you? Sometimes my professors have a study guide but I follow
> auditorily since I ask the professor to speak out the questions before going
>
> over them. If in a group of students, I try and get them to read the handout
>
> to me so I can participate.
> Instead of in class, get any handouts ahead of time and read them. If you
> feel you need them in class, is it possible to put the handout file on your
>
> braille note and switch files from your notes and class notes?
>
> Another idea which might be quicker for accessing notes is to emboss the
> class notes. Do you have an embosser of yours or the schools?
> I find that i can  skim a hard copy document faster than a braille display
> file.
> Also recording class might help. Another idea, which many would disagree
> with, is have a notetaker. Your school should provide a notetaker upon
> request for you. Languages classes go fast and I think it would be hard to
> take notes as fast as they go especially when other students can copy notes
>
> from the board or slide at their pace and you have to do it
> right as the teacher talks.
>
> HTH,
> Ashley
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aleeha dudley
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2012 10:08 AM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] Advanced foreign language advice needed
>
> I was wondering if any of you have taken 300 level foreign language classes
>
> and if so, how did you keep track of all that is happening in the class? I
> am finding it difficult to read the class notes on my laptop, take my own
> notes on my Braillenote apex, and also try to comprehend what the instructor
>
> is saying since it is all in Spanish. Let me know what you think. Any ideas
>
> would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
>
>
>
>
>
> Aleeha Dudley
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
> Changing what it means to be blind
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