[blindkid] update on what computer system your child should be using to prepare for future

Dr. Denise M Robinson deniserob at gmail.com
Mon Mar 17 16:52:54 UTC 2014


I am a big believer in the kids using all those wonderful tools, but using
the most widely used tool in the world is a must to prepare them for
life....and it saddens me that teachers take these sales pitches and try to
tell the student what to do when all is working great. She is an honors kid
to boot. Worst yet, she is trying to make an executive decision over the
team decision in place....and then the turmoil the child is in trying to
defend herself when by herself does not sit well with me.....but it was
handled with facts and hopefully put to rest now.
More of a head's up than anything for this list


On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 12:30 PM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org>wrote:

> This teacher sounds like a salesman's dream. Maybe she'd like to buy some
> cure-all hair tonic, or perhaps some prime swampland in Florida?
>
> I'm a huge Apple fan-- I don't mean to suggest they don't sell great
> products. I've been using Macintosh systems personally for nearly 30 years,
> and my (blind) daughter uses her iPad and iPod regularly. She even pairs
> them with a bluetooth Braille display and keyboard for greater access, and
> she loves them. She also uses a BrailleNote Apex, (and sometimes uses a
> Macintosh too).
>
> Nonetheless. we just bought her a nice new PC Laptop last week and
> installed a fresh copy of JAWS 15 on it to replace the PC that recently
> failed on her, and she is only in 5th grade. We did this because she needs
> the PC to access certain web items and to properly access, compose, and
> edit certain documents, and also just because there are so MANY PC's out
> there and she needs to know about them as they will effect her future. I
> don't need anyone telling me that some little tablet, however cool it is,
> will solve all of our computing needs-- not for any of my kids, blind or
> sighted.
>
> This teacher sounds misled and confused, but no matter what the reason, I
> think she is entirely out of line suggesting she knows the computer needs
> of every student, let alone that she fully grasps the specialized
> technology needs of a blind student as fas as accessible computer solutions
> based on what the Apple sales guy has to suggest...
>
>
> On Mar 17, 2014, at 10:53 AM, Dan Burke <dburke at cocenter.org> wrote:
>
> > Actually, here's an article from How to Geek I found on the Flying Blind
> weekly e-mail citing the same stats:
> >
> > Are PCs Dying? Of Course Not, Here's Why:
> > http://www.howtogeek.com/183381/are-pcs-dying-of-course-not-heres-why/
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dr.
> Denise M Robinson
> > Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 8:19 AM
> > To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children);
> Discussion about issues related to blindness
> > Subject: [blindkid] update on what computer system your child should be
> using to prepare for future
> >
> > I am bringing this up as I just had an Apple dealer come to one of my
> schools and tell the regular ed teacher that all students should be using
> just the ipad. The teacher told my student who is blind to ditch her
> computer and she wanted her on an ipad full time. The para, parent and
> child were trying to tell her that that would not work, but she continued
> to argue with them on why she was right. The student knew what to use the
> ipad for and what not and knew that her PC was her main tool. They told me.
> > I sent the below chart info on the PC being the leading computer in the
> world and all other reasons why the student was using the best tool. If the
> graphic does not come out well on your computer, I attached the data in
> excel and jpg. Many tools make light work, and learning to use a PC will
> give you a better chance of getting a job down the road. Also notice that
> the Mac and itools are a tiny part of the market place.
> >
> > --
> > *Dr Denise*
> >
> > Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
> > CEO, TechVision, LLC
> > Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision Private
> training to your needs
> > 423-573-6413
> >
> > Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC, Office
> products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
> > keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com
> >
> > "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
> is doing it." --Chinese Proverb
> >
> > Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are
> incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful
> beyond imagination.
> > --Albert Einstein
> >
> > It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
> > --Walt Disney
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > blindkid mailing list
> > blindkid at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/rholloway%40gopbc.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindkid mailing list
> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/deniserob%40gmail.com
>



-- 
*Dr Denise*

Denise M. Robinson, TVI, Ph.D.
CEO, TechVision, LLC
Specialist in Technology/Training/Teaching for blind/low vision
Private training to your needs
423-573-6413

Website with hundreds of informational articles & lessons on PC, Office
products, Mac, iPad/iTools and more, all done with
keystrokes: www.yourtechvision.com

"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it." --Chinese Proverb

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate, and stupid: humans are incredibly
slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond
imagination.
--Albert Einstein

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
--Walt Disney



More information about the BlindKid mailing list