[blindkid] Braille notes for school age children, was Re: Mountbatten Brailler
Heather
craney07 at rochester.rr.com
Sat Jan 23 22:16:53 UTC 2010
Honestly, once you get past long devision either can be helpful, depending
on the child in question. It is my phylosophy in education to recognize the
differences in learning style between students. I'd say, if your child
already has a braille note or similar they should be encouraged to try that
for math, as well as the perkins, a cube slate, a tracing board, or whatever
else you have for them to try. Far be it from us to decide that they must
use A and B but not C. For me, algebra was much easier on a braille note
and much easier to keep up in a normall class environment. rewriting
problems over and over with changes each time is time consuming, and I
couldn't keep up. At home I would alternate between the perkins and the
braille note, but the student should honestly try both and use what works
for them best. For instance, I can't possibly fathum doing foreign language
on a lap top with a screne reader, but if I had a student who tried it on a
braille note or braille display and on a laptop and had an easier time on
the lap top, then that is what I would have them use, what works best for
them. My blind friends and I all do things differently and it would be
tragic if a teacher had denyed me a braille note to study french, when that
works best for me, or denied one of my friends a complex graphing board for
her earth science class, and instead made her use wicki sticks and
reco-fused diagrams. I got A pluses in french and she got ninety-eights in
science, because we used what worked best for us. So, I would recommend
certain things, but I would never tell a teacher to keep a piece of
technology from a student in a given subject if it helps them.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Wright" <gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille notes for school age children,was Re:
Mountbatten Brailler
> Mike,
> I entirely agree with you. As it is, I'm not an extreme math genious ,
> however I would be worse off than I am now if it were not for the Perkins
> Brailler. The problem with performing mathematics equations on a single
> line braille display is that one has a harder time learning spatial
> concepts. Later on in life, this will be important if the student has a
> desire to study in the STEM fields. Please, please, please, teachers, do
> not teach your students math or science using a braille notetaker.
>
>
> Best Regards:
> Dave Wright
> Work Phone: 347-422-7085
> Email:
> dwrigh6 at gmail.com
> WebPage:
> http://www.knfbreader.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 22, 2010 9:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Braille notes for school age children,was Re:
> Mountbatten Brailler
>
>
>> Heather:
>>
>> I think your $0.02 is worth $0.01, at least for music. Much better to use
>> paper braille music because one can read the words with one hand and the
>> music notation with the other.
>>
>> And with regard to math, I don't think one should use the ability of a
>> Braille Note to erase parts of an equation to substitute for analytical
>> thinking. And it won't handle complex fractions. I still favor everything
>> up thru calculus on the Perkins Brailler.
>>
>> Yes, I'm a neo-Luddite. (grin)
>>
>> Mike Freeman
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Heather" <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)"
>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:50 PM
>> Subject: [blindkid] Braille notes for school age children,was Re:
>> Mountbatten Brailler
>>
>>
>>> Other than a lap top with windows and JFW or a Mac, they already have
>>> free, built in screne readers, the next most useful thing I have found
>>> was a Braille note. It is helpful because unlike a laptop, it makes
>>> very visual things that are not as simple as literary typing such as for
>>> social studies or language arts much easier. Mathmatics, the sciences,
>>> the arts, in particular music, and foreign language are greatly aided by
>>> a braille note, vs a brailer, of any kind or a lap top. . For example,
>>> algebra is a synch, because the child can type out an equasion, like 3X
>>> plus 5 equals 2 x plus ten and then simply delete the two x on the right
>>> and delete the 3 before the x on the left, then delete the five on the
>>> left and change the ten on the right to a five. That leaves them with x
>>> equals 5, and they could interact right with the problem, unlike on a
>>> traditional brailler, and unlike a laptop it is much simpler than
>>> combining a num pad with a bunch of number row symbols and letter
>>> charictors. A braille note is also very helpful for foreign language,
>>> as a screne reader will not read the text properly, unles you change
>>> your speech settings, but that will make english things like menus
>>> almost oimpossible to read, that and producing accent marks on the
>>> computer is much more difficult than simply typing them in braille into
>>> the braille note. Also, if you are using braille only, and not speech,
>>> there is no need to use rediculous translation software. For example
>>> the E acute in french braille is the same thing as a for sign in print
>>> grade two braille. If they simply type in braille they could write t E
>>> acute l e acute and read it properly. Having it read with speech would
>>> try to make sense of tforlfor, but for quick note taking and short
>>> writing assignments in a foreign language class, that help to generate
>>> practice conversations, this is very valuable. Finally, if your child
>>> sings in a choir, they can wear the braille note in it's case, over
>>> their shoulder, with it very securely in it's case, and have it hang at
>>> their side and simply read their words and music with one hand and the
>>> thumb keys. This allows for a more normal descrete look, that is less
>>> stigmatizing than shuffling through pages and pages of braille embossed
>>> music. Also, they can jot in performance notes, something they can't do
>>> with pre brailled music on paper, and the memo function does not have
>>> outstanding sound quality on the braille note, but it is good enough to
>>> take note of the proper pitches in a particularly troublesome passage.
>>> Just my two cents.
>>> ----- 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, January 21, 2010 12:41 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Mountbatten Brailler
>>>
>>>
>>>> They are neat, but from what I understand, kids also tend to "outgrow"
>>>> them rather quickly. When we first saw them, I was excited about them
>>>> and thought we should find a way to get one for our daughter but I
>>>> think we have been far better served by the combination of perkins
>>>> braillers and braillenote / pacmate devices combined with embossers,
>>>> computers with screen readers (Jaws in our case) and the like. We're
>>>> starting to make use of the detachable braille display from our
>>>> pacmate now to let jaws show Kendra what is on her computer screen.
>>>> There are so many possibilities now-- I'd say explore all your options
>>>> thoroughly before you get anything and if you go to the national
>>>> convention, don't miss the exhibit hall and look at all you can when
>>>> you're there.
>>>>
>>>> All of this other gear will (hopefully) last our daughter for many
>>>> years-- Kendra is using in first grade most of the key devices and
>>>> concepts that can take her clear through high school and college. No
>>>> doubt some well wear out or need upgrading, but not because she'd gone
>>>> beyond what her equipment can offer-- the sky is the limit there...
>>>>
>>>> If you find a great deal on a used piece in good condition or if
>>>> budget is simply not a concern, I suspect you'd enjoy a Mt. Batten for
>>>> a good while but long term it will probably end up collecting dust or
>>>> being resold.
>>>>
>>>> Richard
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Jan 21, 2010, at 8:44 AM, Susan Harper wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>> I came across this new piece of equipment and was wondering if
>>>>> anyone
>>>>> was using it. It is called the Mountbatten Brailler sold by a company
>>>>> called Humanware. The Brailler is made in Australia. Anyone using
>>>>> it and
>>>>> have any pros and cons to offer. It is kind of expensive, so wanted
>>>>> some
>>>>> feed back from anyone who might have used one. Thanks.
>>>>> Blessings,
>>>>> Sue H.
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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>
>
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