[Pibe-division] Rewriting the book

Tue Mar 10 21:20:21 UTC 2009

Just to clarify Pat, this is not a leisure for fun at home book that you the
mom are getting in a Braille hardcopy but an assignment from school? And why
is it you and not the school?

Carrie Gilmer, President

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children

A Division of the National Federation of the Blind

NFB National Center: 410-659-9314

Home Phone: 763-784-8590

carrie.gilmer at gmail.com

www.nfb.org/nopbc

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From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Patricia Renfranz
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 2:18 PM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Rewriting the book

Carlton, I can understand your frustration. And your TVI should know about
Bookshare and how to use it (as well as how to look for books from NLS etc).
However, you should know that Bookshare is not perfect by any means. When I
use it to produce a well-formatted, embossed copy of a book, I often have to
spend hours going through the text, even today (MacBeth)! It can be tedious.
With an easy book, it might even be faster to start from scratch rather than
using the file (depends on the book, of course). Especially for young
children, I think the quality issue is a very important one. 
Pat
--
dblair2525 at msn.com
801-582-2293 

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From: Carlton Anne Cook Walker <carltonwalker at gmail.com>
Reply-To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
<pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:43:37 -0400
To: <ksims at opsb.net>, <Pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Pibe-division] Rewriting the book

Kristin,

I wish this were the case.  Currently, even though she doesn't know every
contraction, all of Anna Catherine's books are fully contracted.  (I support
and actually pushed for this last year.  As a result, she has really
advanced in her contraction knowledge -- using about 80% of them with
proficiency now.)

Thus, even though there might have been a reason to do this for a child
using uncontracted or "partially contracted" braille, that is not the case
here.

So, can I assume that the teacher simply did not bother looking for the book
in BookShare.  Thus, it appears that she spent one week of her time, spent
one week of the aide's time, and kept Anna Catherine from having the entire
book for 6 days longer than her classmates (for an assignment that needed to
be completed in 7 days) for no good reason.

We have an IEP meeting on Friday, and I want to know if I will have egg on
my face by bringing up this matter?  I don't want to embarrass the TVI, but
she has the administration wrapped around her little finger regarding "all
the time" she spends on preparing materials for Anna Catherine.  While I
don't doubt that she's spending this time, it appears that the time is being
spent foolishly.  It seems she is working hard rather than working
intelligently.  

If there was no good reason for all of these extra hours to be spent -- and
for withholding the entire text from my daughter until the assignment was
almost over -- I want to say so at the IEP meeting.  It appears to me that
Anna Catherine is suffering as a result of the TVI's lack of
skills/knowledge.  Something has to give.

Carlton

-- 
Carlton Anne Cook Walker
213 North First Street
McConnellsburg, PA    17233
Voice: 717-485-3383

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