<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Great job girl. I am very proud of you.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kathy Pingstock</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:ohio-talk@nfbnet.org">Jessica Stover via Ohio-Talk</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Friday, April 23, 2021 1:32 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:ohio-talk@nfbnet.org">NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List</a><br><b>Cc: </b><a href="mailto:jjstover@kent.edu">Jessica Stover</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [Ohio-Talk] EXT: Re: My published article is out!</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>MUSIC TECHNOLOGY, REMOTE INSTRUCTION, AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT Dr. Jay Dorfman</p><p class=MsoNormal>and Jessica Stover</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Perhaps receiving less attention than many the myriad difficulties of</p><p class=MsoNormal>moving to remote instruction during the pandemic has been students’</p><p class=MsoNormal>struggles with software that they had not previously encountered. These</p><p class=MsoNormal>struggles are only amplified for students with any kind of learning</p><p class=MsoNormal>difference or disability. Learning management system software (such as</p><p class=MsoNormal>Blackboard or Google Classroom) relies on a lot of text and nested</p><p class=MsoNormal>navigation; music software often contains many small, specialized buttons</p><p class=MsoNormal>and controls that may be unfamiliar to new users. Researchers have</p><p class=MsoNormal>suggested that allowing students to adapt to software is a possibility, but</p><p class=MsoNormal>enhancements to software may be more effective (Gorbunova & Voronov, 2018).</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At Kent State, all music education students take a course called</p><p class=MsoNormal>Progressive & Vernacular Music Methods in which we focus on areas of music</p><p class=MsoNormal>teaching and learning that may be left out of more traditional methods</p><p class=MsoNormal>classes. The class relies heavily on technology for completing projects,</p><p class=MsoNormal>and this was emphasized in the remote format with all classes meeting</p><p class=MsoNormal>through synchronous video. Partway through the semester, I noticed that</p><p class=MsoNormal>this situation was particularly cumbersome for students with visual</p><p class=MsoNormal>impairments such as Jessica.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica’s visual impairment is a result of retinopathy of prematurity, and</p><p class=MsoNormal>her eyesight has worsened over the years. A staunch advocate for rights for</p><p class=MsoNormal>the blind, Jessica is in the process of learning Braille and Braille music.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Her guide dog, Inca, is a regular around the Kent State Music Education</p><p class=MsoNormal>suite, and Jessica says that Inca enjoys musical activities as much as she</p><p class=MsoNormal>does. Jessica began her pursuit of music teacher licensure in the early</p><p class=MsoNormal>2010s, and after completing a degree in music technology, has returned to</p><p class=MsoNormal>school to finish licensure.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The purpose of this article is to share some of Jessica’s thoughts on</p><p class=MsoNormal>interaction with music technologies and education technologies,</p><p class=MsoNormal>particularly in the remote learning environment. I posed some questions to</p><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica to probe into her experiences and learn about how this class, and</p><p class=MsoNormal>perhaps others, could be altered for students with visual impairments. WHAT</p><p class=MsoNormal>OBSTACLES DO YOU ENCOUNTER MOST WHEN ENGAGING WITH MUSIC SOFTWARE?</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Navigating some music software can be difficult when using assistive</p><p class=MsoNormal>technology such as JAWS for Windows or VoiceOver for iOS, which are both</p><p class=MsoNormal>screen reader software. This kind of software allows users with limited</p><p class=MsoNormal>vision to navigate a computer screen.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It frustrates me when I purchase music software/ apps, and I find out that</p><p class=MsoNormal>they are not accessible at all. A fully sighted person can easily scan the</p><p class=MsoNormal>interface, whereas someone with blindness needs to use the tab key or some</p><p class=MsoNormal>other combination of keys on the keyboard so they can hear what is on the</p><p class=MsoNormal>page for each button. I find myself not being able to interact with some of</p><p class=MsoNormal>the music software due to the buttons being unreadable by the screen reader</p><p class=MsoNormal>software.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHAT REMEDIES DO YOU USE TO MAKE THESE OBSTACLES LESS PROBLEMATIC?</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I tend to stick with what I know that works well with VoiceOver, but I like</p><p class=MsoNormal>to stay up to date on what’s out there today. Sometimes I use a fellow</p><p class=MsoNormal>sighted musician that can help with reading what’s on a page. I do have</p><p class=MsoNormal>some usable vision and can use the zoom function, but the eye strain gets</p><p class=MsoNormal>too much after ten minutes or so.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE BLIND, YOU HAVE INTERACTED WITH SOME SOFTWARE</p><p class=MsoNormal>COMPANIES WHEN YOU FIND THAT THEIR PRODUCTS ARE NOT AS ACCESSIBLE AS THEY</p><p class=MsoNormal>MIGHT BE. WHAT HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES BEEN LIKE?</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Some companies send an email back right away and say they will work on</p><p class=MsoNormal>fixing the issues, while others I have not heard back from. I am</p><p class=MsoNormal>persistent, and I hope that “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>HOW HAS THE SHIFT TO REMOTE LEARNING BEEN FOR YOU?</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Most of us can say that it has been an interesting shift. Remote learning</p><p class=MsoNormal>has been a trial-and-error process for me. For those of us with blindness</p><p class=MsoNormal>that use any sort of screen reader, we experience sensory overload trying</p><p class=MsoNormal>to pay attention to the instructor while hearing what is being read on the</p><p class=MsoNormal>screen each time a student interacts in the course room such as raising/</p><p class=MsoNormal>lowering of virtual hands, any comments in the chat, or people leaving and</p><p class=MsoNormal>entering the room. It is a blessing and a curse. Things can get lost in</p><p class=MsoNormal>translation, but I feel that my professors at Kent State have done an</p><p class=MsoNormal>excellent job with helping me out in modifying some of the instruction that</p><p class=MsoNormal>takes place.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TEACHERS WHO HAVE STUDENTS WITH VISUAL</p><p class=MsoNormal>IMPAIRMENTS AND WANT TO ENGAGE THEM WITH MUSIC TECHNOLOGY?</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Have a talk with the student and ask them what will work best for them.</p><p class=MsoNormal>There are varying degrees of vision loss, so interacting with each student</p><p class=MsoNormal>with a visual impairment will be different. It is not one-size-fits-all.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Make sure that any music technology you have is as accessible as can be,</p><p class=MsoNormal>knowing that nothing is perfect. Allow for them to have the extra time on</p><p class=MsoNormal>any project because even if the software works great with screen readers,</p><p class=MsoNormal>one has to take into account navigating each area of the screen. STRATEGIES</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In her responses to my questions, and in our conversations about this</p><p class=MsoNormal>topic, Jessica revealed that such heavy reliance on computers for an entire</p><p class=MsoNormal>semester of remote learning really was difficult. I tried some strategies</p><p class=MsoNormal>to support her, with varying levels of success: 1) sending her</p><p class=MsoNormal>printed/scanned materials in advance of class meetings, 2) reviewing</p><p class=MsoNormal>software and other materials in advance of class myself to identify</p><p class=MsoNormal>potential causes of difficulty, 3) consulting with her about concerns and</p><p class=MsoNormal>soliciting her input about how to remedy them. I was indeed fortunate that</p><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica is a strong advocate for herself (who is, in fact, very active as</p><p class=MsoNormal>the Vice President of the Ohio Association of Blind Students, a division of</p><p class=MsoNormal>the National Federation of the Blind), and who speaks up without hesitation</p><p class=MsoNormal>when she encounters difficulties that fully sighted people may not have.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It is our responsibility as teachers to recognize difficulties that our</p><p class=MsoNormal>students with learning differences may have, and do all we can to help them</p><p class=MsoNormal>thrive. The transition to fully remote instruction, and the resulting</p><p class=MsoNormal>reliance on technology, may have caused obstacles for your students, and my</p><p class=MsoNormal>hope is that learning a bit about Jessica’s experiences may encourage you</p><p class=MsoNormal>to seek the best routes forward for your own circumstances.</p><p class=MsoNormal>REFERENCE</p><p class=MsoNormal>Gorbunova, I. B. & Voronov, A. M. (2018). Music computer technologies in</p><p class=MsoNormal>computer science and music studies at schools for children with deep visual</p><p class=MsoNormal>impairment. 16th International Conference on Literature, Languages,</p><p class=MsoNormal>Humanities & Social Sciences (LLHsSS-18). Budapest, Hungary.</p><p class=MsoNormal>https://doi.org/10.17758/URUAE4. UH10184021</p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOURCES</p><p class=MsoNormal>Using JAWS Screen reader software: https://drive.google.com/</p><p class=MsoNormal>file/d/1FHV4OlGlWV-JYV6PXD7caNJ-91_mYjDd/ view?usp=sharing.[JAWS is</p><p class=MsoNormal>commercially available software.]</p><p class=MsoNormal>Using VoiceOver for Mac: https://www.apple.com/voiceover/</p><p class=MsoNormal>info/guide/_1124.html [VoiceOver is a component built in to Apple</p><p class=MsoNormal>computers, as well as mobile devices.]</p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind Ohio Chapter: https://nfbohio.org</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jay Dorfman is associate professor and coordinator of music education, and</p><p class=MsoNormal>assistant to the director of the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent</p><p class=MsoNormal>State University. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music</p><p class=MsoNormal>education from the University of Miami (FL) and the PhD in music education</p><p class=MsoNormal>from Northwestern University. Dr. Dorfman teaches classes in music</p><p class=MsoNormal>technology, progressive and vernacular music methods, and graduate</p><p class=MsoNormal>research. He has published research in several music education journals</p><p class=MsoNormal>including the Journal of Research in Music Education and the Journal of</p><p class=MsoNormal>Music Teacher Education, and he is the author of Theory and Practice of</p><p class=MsoNormal>Technology-based Music Instruction (Oxford University Press).</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica Stover received her bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance from</p><p class=MsoNormal>Kent State University and a postgraduate degree for music production from</p><p class=MsoNormal>Kent State University Stark. Jessica performs both solo performances and</p><p class=MsoNormal>with a jazz combo, at various venues around the northeast Ohio area. She</p><p class=MsoNormal>has received outstanding soloist awards each year from 2010-2013 at the</p><p class=MsoNormal>prestigious Elmhurst College Jazz Festival. From 20172018 she taught adult</p><p class=MsoNormal>learners with varying degrees of vision loss giving lectures on jazz</p><p class=MsoNormal>history, leading a singing class, and teaching bell choir. She presently</p><p class=MsoNormal>serves as vice president for the Ohio Association of Blind Students, a</p><p class=MsoNormal>division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). She most recently</p><p class=MsoNormal>had the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill, advocating to make apps and</p><p class=MsoNormal>websites more accessible for those with blindness. Jessica is now pursuing</p><p class=MsoNormal>her degree in music education at Kent State University and lives in Stow,</p><p class=MsoNormal>Ohio with her guide dog Inca.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 12:55 PM Richard Payne via Ohio-Talk <</p><p class=MsoNormal>ohio-talk@nfbnet.org> wrote:</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Dear Jessica, I could not read it could you copy and paste it in the body</p><p class=MsoNormal>> of</p><p class=MsoNormal>> a message? Thanks</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Richard Payne, President</p><p class=MsoNormal>> National Federation of the Blind of Ohio</p><p class=MsoNormal>> 937/829/3368</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Rchpay7@gmail.com</p><p class=MsoNormal>> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the</p><p class=MsoNormal>> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the</p><p class=MsoNormal>> expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles</p><p class=MsoNormal>> between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;</p><p class=MsoNormal>> blindness is not what holds you back.</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> -----Original Message-----</p><p class=MsoNormal>> From: Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk-bounces@nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jessica Stover</p><p class=MsoNormal>> via Ohio-Talk</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 10:30 AM</p><p class=MsoNormal>> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List <ohio-talk@nfbnet.org></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Cc: Jessica Stover <jjstover@kent.edu></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Subject: [Ohio-Talk] My published article is out!</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Hello fellow Ohio affiliate NFB members! An article that I helped to</p><p class=MsoNormal>> co-write with one of my professors is out and is published in our statewide</p><p class=MsoNormal>> music education journal. I hope you enjoy this featured article in the</p><p class=MsoNormal>> latest spring edition of Triad. Proud that the NFB is mentioned. I think I</p><p class=MsoNormal>> fixed it to where everyone can view it but, If for some reason you are not</p><p class=MsoNormal>> able to view it, I can do my best to make it accessible.</p><p class=MsoNormal>> https://issuu.com/omea-ohio/docs/triad_spring_2021_final_yeah/18</p><p class=MsoNormal>> --</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Jessica Stover,</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Vice President: Ohio Association of Blind Students</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> Vice President: National Federation of the Blind Greater Akron Chapter</p><p class=MsoNormal>> _______________________________________________</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk mailing list</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk@nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk:</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/rchpay7%40gmail.com</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> _______________________________________________</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk mailing list</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk@nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Ohio-Talk:</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/jjstover%40kent.edu</p><p class=MsoNormal>> CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER Do not click any links, open any attachments, or</p><p class=MsoNormal>> REPLY to the message unless you trust the sender and know the content is</p><p class=MsoNormal>> safe.</p><p class=MsoNormal>><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>-- </p><p class=MsoNormal>peace</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jessica Stover</p><p class=MsoNormal>jjstover@kent.edu</p><p class=MsoNormal>jessicastover10@gmail.com</p><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________</p><p class=MsoNormal>Ohio-Talk mailing list</p><p class=MsoNormal>Ohio-Talk@nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ohio-Talk:</p><p class=MsoNormal>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ohio-talk_nfbnet.org/kpingstock%40gmail.com</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>