[nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

Thu Nov 15 05:25:40 UTC 2012

Hello Elizabeth,
I encourage you to take this as a learning opportunity. Even though the 
current outcome from all your work will be a five minute presentation, the 
issues it is making you deal with and the alternative techniques it is 
enabling you to develop are the important part of your project. The old 
adage for teachers, whether disciplineing students or turning up on time for 
work, is, "start as you mean to continue". So, as an experienced teacher, I 
am giving you my opinion.

In answer to your question, I say, No. It is not acceptable for you to ask 
someone else to operate your computer for you. This is your chance to 
develop methods for how you will work in the classroom. If you have to run 
the presentation beforehand and have a sighted person give you feedback and 
suggestions so that you can be sure your presentation is not influenced by 
your blindness, then, that is what you'll need to do. However you solve your 
dilemma, you need to do the presentation with out assistance. You cannot 
expect the university staff to take you seriously as an innovative and 
creative problem-solver, someone who they can fully expect to find 
alternative, nonvisual methods of running your classroom full of sighted 
students if, when you are confronted with a little problem like this, you 
start asking for special treatment.

Whether you like it or not, the college professors who see you needing 
assistance will also be the people who go out to the schools where you do 
your practicum teaching. They will warn the school and the school staff will 
expectations of you as a high-needs teacher. Yes, I know it doesn't sound 
fair and, probably, wouldn't be true. But, people already have a low enough 
opinion of the abilities of blind people. It only takes one or two small 
incidents to reinforce what people already believe and the damage is done.

Now, you don't have to like what we have written in answer to your question. 
Indeed, you don't have to take our advice at all. But, remember, you did ask 
us and, as teachers experienced with the often hostile opposition of college 
personnel and school staff, and the realities of the day-to-day requirements 
in the classroom, we gave you honest answers. I hope you choose to make use 
of them.
Warmest regards,
Heather Field

-----Original Message----- 
From: Elizabeth Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 8:44 PM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

I'm very glad for you, but this is a classroom setting in which I have no
control.  Iam literally stuck in a corner between the desk and the white
board.  I am not assured that people can see me, and I think I need to adapt
the situation accordingly, don't you think?

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brandy Wojcik
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 6:45 PM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

I'm just telling you that 5 minutes or 50 you need to get your degree the
same way other people get their degree. I never had an accommodation special
to me, and when I graduated I had 2 teaching offers. I was in the school
paper, and did many talks for people earlier in the program. One day you
will need to do a 5 minute talk in a staff meeting and it wouldn't look good
if you couldn't do it.

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 8:36 PM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

But the thing is, the presentation is only five minutes long.  I'm not doing
an entire lesson, so it's not realistic.

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brandy Wojcik
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 6:02 PM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

You need to do the whole thing. If you want people to think you can teach on
the same playing field as them you need to do the tech. You are going to
have this same problem in the classroom so you should start now.

-----Original Message-----
From: nobe-l [mailto:nobe-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth
Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 7:13 PM
To: 'National Organization of Blind Educators Mailing List'
Subject: [nobe-l] lesson plan presentation

Okay, everybody, I have an interesting dilemma, and I want to get an
opinion.  I am taking a teaching methods class for teaching a foreign
language and each student is tequired to present a lesson plan.not the
entire lesson, just about five minutes or so, just giving a summary of the
lesson and the activities and that sort ofthing.

As part of the lesson, the class must see on the projector the lesson while
the student talks about it.  I have been watching other students move back
and forth from the computer as they operate it and then move so the other
students can see better and talk.  Do any of you see anything wrong with me
having another student operate the computer so that I don't feel so confined
when I set up my own technology and so that I have that freedom of movement
and so that I am assured that others in the room can see me?

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