[nabs-l] group projects issues

Wed Jan 30 19:29:58 UTC 2013

Hi Ari,

My university has a big community feel to it.  Most people on my
campus are pretty friendly and are pretty approachable.
I am not totally blind, but most people who I'm not super close with
don't know that because they see me with a cane and I don't really
discuss the specifics of my vision unless I know someone for a little
while.  In my history class last semester I just started by making
small talk with the girl across the aisle from me.  I then found out
that she lived in my dorm on another floor and we decided to study for
tests together.  We just kept talking and over studying and just quick
little conversations before or after class we got to know each other a
little.  It doesn't have to be something big, just start with
introducing yourself and getting comfortable with the person, then
just things like asking how they're classes are going.  If they're a
friendly person too then the conversation should just naturally branch
off.  Be an active listener, so if someone says something interesting
ask more about it and it will help make them feel like you're
interested in what they have to say, and let them know they can do the
same with you.
Also, you can find friends in your major and if you get close with
them those may be some of your best friends.  I am really close with
two other music majors who I met in my first semester music classes.
One and I are in the same fraternity, the other and I take some of our
gen ed courses together, and the three of us are trying to get an
apartment together for next year.  So sometimes your friends from your
major will become your biggest allies in other courses too.

On 1/30/13, Ari Damoulakis <aridamoulakis at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Kaiti
> This is very interesting, I please have a question, because I want to
> know how you do it.
> You said that at the beginning of the term you find and talk to people
> in class. If you are totally blind, can you tell me what you do? My
> problem at university is that the friends I've made, especially in new
> and large classes, its generally people that have approached me, I
> very seldom actually approach people. Do you basically hear a person
> and if they're near you and sound nice do you then try randomly start
> talking to them? I wish I was like you, I generally feel incredibly
> nervous. This is actually not just a blind issue, many sighted people
> in my uni where I study don't even know half the people they study
> with, because my uni is very much the type of uni where the students
> come for their lectures and go home again, it doesn't have such a
> strong culture of people living there, not dorm type thing. When I've
> asked this question to sighted people like how did they actually start
> meeting people in the different classes where they go they have often
> said something like: "Well I saw him/her, they seemed to have a
> pleasant face and be approachable so I went and started talking to
> them."
> I think that's what we as blind people probably also do, but obviously
> with voice. But Ashley, I know this incredibly obvious and probably
> stupid to say, but when you meet people, and you see you can get on
> with them, try get their contact details at the same time you meet
> them. I'm saying this because these classes are just so large that if
> a group project or class work has to be done, or you need notes, they
> might be sitting somewhere totally different and obviously you then
> can't actually see where they are.
> Ari
> On 1/30/13, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi Ashley,
>>
>> Do you talk with people outside of class?  In classes where my friends
>> are they're usually really good about asking me if I want to form a
>> group with them or something, but in classes where I don't know anyone
>> I'll make an effort at the beginning of the semester to talk with
>> people before class and find at least 2 or 3 people in the class in
>> that way.  This has helped me make group situations easier as well as
>> helped to form study groups outside of class.  It may sound silly, I
>> think it's silly myself, but even though you see yourself as outgoing
>> and approachable most of the students probably don't if all they see
>> from you is class participation.  They might know that you know your
>> stuff, but socially they might not know you that well.
>>
>> On 1/30/13, Ari Damoulakis <aridamoulakis at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi Ashley
>>> I couldn't agree with you more on group projects and the issues people
>>> have with them. There are many blindness-type related issues.
>>> Like you, when it comes to being an individual and participating in
>>> class, I do participate and get complemented, but their are many blind
>>> issues with group projects that I can think of.
>>> The first issue is when group projects are announced. Lecture rooms
>>> are so huge and so many people are in the classes that the first
>>> problem is finding the people you know from that class. What normally
>>> happens with me is that because obviously you can't look and find your
>>> friends in class, you generally have to wait after class to SMS them
>>> to see if they have a group and whether their group has room etc. If
>>> it is a class where you don't really know anyone, I think your idea is
>>> right, just find people nearer to you and try ask if you can join.
>>> The next problem you then have is if you actually do do that, because
>>> most of the time, even though they know you might be smart in the real
>>> class, somehow many people when having to try actually talk to and
>>> interact with a blind person somehow has a problem. When your group
>>> members are discussing what tasks everyone should be doing you have to
>>> ask one of them "what would you like me to do?" or say "I can do x or
>>> y." If you don't you stand the risk that they just ignore you.
>>> It is interesting to see that your group members interact virtually.
>>> Mostly whenever I've done these things we meet somewhere to discuss.
>>> You are right that most times people don't do things and so on, but to
>>> be really honest with you when it comes to group work at university I
>>> wouldn't really be too worried because this is probably not how things
>>> will work in later life. I'm not talking about the people doing
>>> nothing etc, I'm rather talking about when you get a job. If you get a
>>> job and have to work together as a group you probably won't have to
>>> worry too much because you'd be working with people you would work
>>> with everyday, and they would over time become used to seeing you as
>>> being a capable person, therefore if you have group projects in the
>>> work place they'd help you more. With university you probably just
>>> meet people and work with them once-off, so don't be too worried.
>>> Lecturers probably can also see who worked in the group and who
>>> didn't, but I also don't think they take group assignments as
>>> seriously as individual ones, because intelligent lecturers are not
>>> blind to the problems that university group assignments entail, I'm
>>> not talking about specifically blind here, but sighted people in the
>>> group have many of these problems as well, such as others not doing
>>> work etc.
>>> For group the advice I can try give you is don't overstress yourself,
>>> just relax and do the best you can, because luckily in the real world
>>> the university form of a group assignment where noone knows anyone
>>> else will probably not be bothering you much.
>>> Ari
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Kaiti
>>
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-- 
Kaiti