[Nfbc-info] Note-Taking Devices

Fri Sep 13 04:18:28 UTC 2013

Hi,
Ten things!  Yikes, that sounds expensive!  Back in my day, which I realize 
is "old school" now, I just took a board slate, stylus and paper to my 
classes and took notes in braille. There was a minimal cost for that and it 
was always reliable. No batteries dying; no machine malfunction, etc. I 
haven't been back to school since computers came into being so I don't know 
what I would use if I went to school now--maybe a laptop? Maybe a small, 
digital recorder? And, yes, very likely taking notes on a board slate.

Good luck in whatever you decide. I hope it all works!
Thanks
Lauren
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in time. You cannot control what happens to you,
only how you choose to react to it.  This is your
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chela Robles" <cdrobles693 at gmail.com>
To: <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 9:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Note-Taking Devices

I'm looking for a braille display that is like the focus 14 that will
fit in the laptop bag perhaps the Focus 40 Blue?
I should state that the courses I will be taking will heavily rely on
laptop PC.

--
Teachers have a sacred task:
It is to give children the skills to understand the world and an expectation 
that the world is a trustworthy place; that it is full of light, and love, 
and music and that each student deserves--and will have--their own place in 
it and the chance to play their own song.
And, as much of these expectations are transmitted non-verbally—and in Chela’s 
case--out of sight…it is the voice and touch of a Teacher that sheds light 
on what the world can be.
Academics—and no one will ever change my mind on this—take a distant second 
place. —Dr. Bil Hawkins
--
Chela Robles a Nationally Certified person in Customer Service, certified by 
the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRF): 
http://www.nrffoundation.com/
E-mail: cdrobles693 at gmail.com
Windows Live Messenger: cdrobles693 at hotmail.com
Skype: jazzytrumpet
I volunteer for Bookshare, to find out more and to volunteer with us,visit: 
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Need more space, come join dropbox and start with two gigs of free space and 
500 Megabytes as is this is my referral link to you: http://db.tt/XpUTe0E
--

On 9/12/2013 8:47 PM, Shannon L. Dillon wrote:
> Hi Chela,
> First, the Focus 14 is too small to be really useful with a laptop. It 
> works
> fine for an iPhone, but it's no good for reading and getting an idea of
> formatting on the laptop screen. Don't leet your counselor BS you into a
> Focus 14.
>
> As for notetakers, I have had many people tell me their iPhone is 
> sufficient
> to take notes with.  I have tried a couple of Bluetooth keyboards, and the
> Focus 14, and my experience has not been that great. The iPhone simply 
> can't
> keep up with my Brailling. So I don't know what your Braille typing speed
> is, but I would really put an iPhone and Braille display or Bluetooth
> keyboard to the test before using it as your notetaker. And trying using
> them quickly like you're taking notes in a fast paced class. Don't just 
> try
> writing a letter or something you can do without concern for time.
>
> Plus, a notetaker you can always connect to a flash drive or memory stick
> and get files from other people.  You would have to use Dropbox or email 
> to
> get files from other people with your iPhone. So it limits your options 
> for
> sharing information with other people.
>
> My notetaker has been sick this last few months, and I've been trying my
> iPhone and my laptop and in my experience, they don't replace the 
> notetaker.
> You can't just pop open your laptop and reboot it in the middle of the 
> hall
> while talking to someone if they come up with something you want to write
> down.  You can't type while standing at someone's desk. You have to find
> somewhere to sit down, lay down the laptop and turn it on. I find the
> notetaker to be a lot more portable and flexible. And as I said before, 
> the
> iPhone doesn't cut it because I type too fast and the words run together 
> and
> it starts to drop characters. I never had that with a notetaker, not even
> back in the days of the Braille 'n Speak.
>
> Saying that, the laptop is great obviously for writing papers and reading
> books that are electronic. I wouldn't want to only  have a notetaker. I
> would still want a laptop, too.
>
> Hope it helps. Feel free to contact me ifyou want.
>
> -Shannon
>     -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chela
> Robles
> Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 7:30 PM
> To: undisclosed-recipients:
> Subject: [Nfbc-info] Note-Taking Devices
>
> Hello all,
> I have told you while back that I'm going to take the Administrative
> Assistant Program starting October 21st and through the summer of 2014 at
> Mt. Diablo Adult Education School in my hometown, Concord, California and 
> I
> have made a list in conjunction with the financial aid adviser who will be
> working with my counselor and I to make sure I succeed. A couple of the
> items I listed I think are note-taking possibilities a windows 
> professional
> 7 equipped laptop and the Braille Focus 14 display.
> My question to all of you since I'm not going to divulge my whole list 
> which
> is only ten items, which I'm sure you guys don't wish to read unless I'm
> wrong about that then let me know.
> Anyway my question is what do you guys use for taking notes in school?
> Several people from the IOs listserv I'm on say they use their IPads,
> IPhones, IPod Touches, MacBookPro's, while others use PC Laptops in
> conjunction with braille displays that have the braille keyboard 
> integrated
> with the laptop while still others use just the braille display because it
> has note-taking functionality itself, yet others still stick to the 
> classic
> note-takers such as from Humanware or the pac mate from Freedom Scientific
> which mine didn't last. I just really think personally it would be easier 
> to
> take the laptop and the braille display along with the digital recorder I
> have from Olympus to record lectures, but I want to make sure I know what
> others are using but to me it sounds like a lot of people are using their
> IDevices or Braille displays in conjunction with the IDevices or as a
> stand-alone note-taker, or in conjunction or without laptops whether from
> Apple or PC-based, now, but correct me if I'm wrong, but there are still
> those who use the older technology such as what I mentioned before from
> Freedom Scientific which again my Pac Mate did retire and I'd not get one
> again.
> I'd like to know before 8AM PST. Tomorrow.
> I don't want to limit myself yet I want to make sure I don't break Rehab's
> budget smiles.
> I have a meeting tomorrow with a tech evaluator name Steven Clark from
> Adaptive Technology Services, even though I already gave him the list, I'd
> still like to know what others are using to take notes in classes 
> nowadays.
> Thanks for your kind responses.
> Chela Robles
>
> --
> --
> Teachers have a sacred task:
> It is to give children the skills to understand the world and an 
> expectation
> that the world is a trustworthy place; that it is full of light, and love,
> and music and that each student deserves--and will have--their own place 
> in
> it and the chance to play their own song.
> And, as much of these expectations are transmitted non-verbally-and in
> Chela's case--out of sight.it is the voice and touch of a Teacher that 
> sheds
> light on what the world can be.
> Academics-and no one will ever change my mind on this-take a distant 
> second
> place. -Dr. Bil Hawkins
> --
> Chela Robles a Nationally Certified person in Customer Service, certified 
> by
> the National Retail Federation Foundation (NRF):
> http://www.nrffoundation.com/
> E-mail: cdrobles693 at gmail.com
> Windows Live Messenger: cdrobles693 at hotmail.com
> Skype: jazzytrumpet
> I volunteer for Bookshare, to find out more and to volunteer with 
> us,visit:
> http://www.bookshare.org/ Need more space, come join dropbox and start 
> with
> two gigs of free space and 500 Megabytes as is this is my referral link to
> you: http://db.tt/XpUTe0E
> --
>
>
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