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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My first post got lost in a power outage. I
certainly understand the dilemma of qWerty vs. braille keyboard as I constantly
use both. I've found though for notetaking devices I end up preferring the
braille entry with as many braille cells as possible. I also like the option of
GPS so that a place can be explored before visiting, etc--not to mention the
advantages while traveling. Having etext on a thumb-drive gave me so much
more independence as a student. With the braille display I could follow right
along and easily quote text etc. I believe it is a real enhancement for
educational and personal purposes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You might also want to check out the BrailleSense +
carried by GW Micro.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.gwmicro.com">www.gwmicro.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Lori</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dmehlenbacher@yahoo.com href="mailto:dmehlenbacher@yahoo.com">Dr.
Denise M. Robinson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pibe-division@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:pibe-division@nfbnet.org">Professionals in Blindness Education
Division List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 21, 2008 12:43
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Pibe-division] Notetker and
Digital player questions</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
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<DIV>Carlton,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here is what I have found:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>All my students, without exception and I have used PacMate and Brl
Note with them, have choosen the Braille Note because of its ease of
use. Yes, you can use the Brl Note as a Braille display and that is
perfect for connecting to a computer to get that extra feedback that
JAWS doesn't always give so clearly. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Something to think about when deciding for either a QWERTY or
6-key. If she needs to be using this ASAP and really move and she has
already been using a QWERTY and has good speed, older students prefer
their Brl Note with a QWERTY because they want to get their work done.
But their are ramifications of this choice.</DIV>
<DIV>If their braille skills are not that good and they really need to
be learning the braille, though 6-key is slower at first within 3-6
months (depends on child) can get the speed they need AND really get
their braille down. If she got it at the end of the year and practiced
over the summer she would be adept at using it by fall.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Something else to think about. If she is low vision and has been
resisting the braille or just hasn't had the instruction in it and you
give her a QWERTY brl note, the braille process still stays slow because
she will not have the impetus to learn it when she is already proficient
with the QWERTY brl note.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With the braille note you can easily download books from bookshare
(or any site that has .brf files) and store on your brl note, can
easily mark where you left off reading and can easily find any page as
quick as a find command. You can put all your academic books on it
(always use a thumb drive for all this material) and she can find her
spot in a book faster than her sighted peers. When the teacher says open
to page 364 in your history book, she will be their in a flash. But she
will need to turn off that volume and read with her fingers so she can
listen to the teacher. Hence the reason to increase her braille
knowledge. Students who know QWERTY really well and resist using the brl
display have a tougher time listening to the brl note AND the teacher
and get behind because they miss information either from the teacher or
the brl note.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So the question you want answered is? How well does she read
braille and does she need to improve? If so then leaning toward
the 6-key will get her there and the QWERTY will keep her from it and
for longer if she eventually wants to learn it better.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Things to think about<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"><FONT
color=#4040ff> Denise
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV>Denise M. Robinson, Ph.D. <BR>Coordinator for Blind/VI students at
ESD105<BR>Teacher of the Blind & Visually
Impaired<BR>509-969-3622</DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Sun, 12/21/08, Steve
Jacobson <I><steve.jacobson@visi.com></I></B> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From:
Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson@visi.com><BR>Subject: Re:
[Pibe-division] Notetker and Digital player questions<BR>To: "NFBnet
Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid@nfbnet.org>, "Professionals in Blindness Education
Division List" <pibe-division@nfbnet.org><BR>Date: Sunday,
December 21, 2008, 4:54 PM<BR><BR><PRE>Could you comment some about why you are thinking a QWERTY keyboard is a better
choice? It may be, I just see
less of an advantage if she is also using a laptop and so much of braille is
easiest with six keys. Thanks for humoring
me.
Best regards,
Steve Jacobson
On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:22:08 -0500, Carlton Anne Cook Walker wrote:
>Hi all,
>DH and I are going to soon approach the school regarding a notetaker
>for Anna Catherine. I have two major questions:
>First, which notetaker should we request?
>We have already decided that a QWERTY keyboard would be better. (Anna
>Catherine has some vision and uses a laptop with a QWERTY keyboard
>anyway.)
>>From what I understand from the teens to whom I've spoken,
Braillenote
>is highly preferred over PacMate. I understand that this is because
>it is easier to use and the keystrokes more directly correspond with
>computer-based commands. Am I correct? Are there other reasons to
>choose the BrailleNote over the PacMate?
>Are there any other brands I should be looking at -- that have QWERTY
>entry? I have not been able to find any.
>Also, can the notetaker be connected with a computer and serve as a
>refreshable braille display? (If yes, it might make it easier to
>speed up the process of getting notetaker for Anna Catherine. We're
>realy hoping to have one by the end of the school year -- yes, our
>District IS that slow -- so that she may explore it and become
>comfortable with its use over the summer.)
>Second, I am also interested in the Victor Reader Stream for Anna
Catherine.
>Can a notetaker be used as a Digital Reader?
>Can Bookshare files be easily uploaded onto the Victor?
>Thank you so very much for your help on these matters.
>Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and blessed holiday season,
>Carlton
>--
>Carlton Anne Cook Walker
>Anna's Mom
>213 North First Street
>McConnellsburg, PA 17233
>Voice: 717-485-3383
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