[blindkid] Technology and Little Kid

[Heather]

I like your bluntness.  Pens and pencils are second class citizens in terms 
of productivity, but we should always have one on hand.  I wanted to say 
"But, the slate is a second class citizen to a lap top" but I was afraid I 
would start getting mail boms made out of tnt and tomatos if I kept on. 
Actually, I think a blind kid should always carry a pen as well.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Holloway" <rholloway at gopbc.org>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Technology and Little Kid


> My main basis for that is that our daughter still struggles with the 
> slate and stylus even with a good deal of exposure while she excels  with 
> the brailler, PacMate, Braillenote, etc., and will soon (I  suspect) begin 
> to master the qwerty options as well She seems to have  trouble with 
> precise placement of the stylus to hit the right dot. I  do suspect if it 
> were her only option, she's be better at it, but at  the same time, she 
> can pretty well braille as fast as she might  dictate a letter. I cannot 
> imagine a first grader (or anyone for that  matter) who can do that with a 
> slate.
>
> Again, I'm working with direct history from a sample of one child.   (Your 
> mileage may vary!)
>
> I can say this with some certainty though-- my pens & pencils will  always 
> be second class citizens to my laptop and the reality is that  I'm, 
> probably 10 or 20 times more productive with a laptop than a pen  and 
> paper so I have no problem with that. Do any of us these days work  better 
> without a computer? For myself, I draw the line at not having  the pen & 
> paper / slate & stylus option available at all; that is  dangerous.
>
>
> Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 18, 2010, at 1:13 PM, David Andrews wrote:
>
>> Richard:
>>
>> Thanks for the ideas.  Not to be argumentative but I don't  necessarily 
>> agree with your placement of slate.  Most kids today are  not good slate 
>> and stylus users because it is downplayed by  professionals, and they get 
>> the Braille Writer first.  I started  with slate first, at six and didn't 
>> get a Braille Writer until 2nd  or 3rd grade, so I am very good with 
>> slate.  To do it the other way  around guarantees that the slate will 
>> always be a second class  citizen.
>>
>> Dave
>
>
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