[Pibe-division] The Synchronicity of Braille & Technology

[Dr. Denise M. Robinson]

The Synchronicity of Braille & Technology 
I use many methods for getting students going on their blinds skills. 
One way is using the Synchronicity of Braille & Technology. When I 
set up elementary rooms or my classroom for all the equipment to fit, I 
use the L shape of 2 desks, that way you can place braille books on one 
side so the child can read, then turn to the other side of the L and 
type out information on the computer.

The students will have a brailler, or Braille Note in front of them 
along with the keyboard to the computer with talking software and the 
braille work on the other side of the L. I will have them read a line of
 braille, then braille it, read from display if using an adapted laptop 
or brailler, then type it on the computer. This way they are taking the 
braille and seeing how it relates to the print. They quickly learn that 
braille is braille with all its contractions and print is print and the 
contraction for" the" is t-h-e and so on. There is no confusion between 
braille and print and the children go onto become good spellers because 
of this knowledge and way of learning. If I am ever with them on their 
computer and they type a word, I will ask "What is the braille 
contraction for that word?" and they tell me. When the focus is on a 
braille lesson and they come upon contractions, I ask them, "How would 
you spell that on the computer?" Once again solidifying the 
Synchronicity of Braille & Technology.

When the children get to class, they have the familiar L shape 
arrangement, which helps them keep organized also. They know where to 
place their books as the computer is taking up one side. Each side of 
the desks shaped in an L has slots or drawers for storing tools 
underneath. Organization is key to any blind child so they can find 
their tools when they need them. When the child is organized and ready 
they can follow along with class and do just what everyone else is 
doing. Since the students have and know about many tools, they can 
choose what they will need at any given time. They learn the joy of 
reading through braille and the joy of being able to output information 
quicker than their sighted peers due to the use of the computer. If you 
know key commands, it is far faster than trying to locate a mouse with 
your eyes, and I am talking about sighted kids here. My students are far
 faster on the computer than sighted kids. When the sighted students get
 stuck, it is my students they turn to and who can get them out of 
trouble by telling them a keystroke. They know that and are very 
impressed with their speed and agility on technology as well as watching
 them read those beautiful dots with their fingers.

Here is kudos to our kids. 
 
       Denise 
 
Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D. 
Teacher of the Blind & Visually Impaired
TechVision-Independent Contractor
Specialist in blind programming/teaching/training
509-674-1853     deniserob at gmail.com
 
http://blindgeteducated.blogspot.com/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/pibe-division_nfbnet.org/attachments/20110923/819f8424/attachment.html>