I’m gonna go with what I know best… because, although I know it, I want to be better at sending braille and receiving dots across cyberspace.
My course wil be taught online… probably on Blackboard or WebCt because those are the platforms endorsed by my universities.
What technology will I use… email, phone, snail mail, a computer, a Perkins brailler, Perky Duck (a direct-entry software program), Blackboard itself, the Internet, saved Word and braille files, jpeg picture files, any anything else I learn or can figure out how to incorporate into the greater scheme of things…
The overall scheme… do you mean the process, or the outcomes? The process is open to creation. The outcomes must be a high standard of student proficiency in the literary braille code as evidenced by a grade of B or higher on a proctored final examination where braille transcription skills are evaluated.
Who? graduate students in a teacher training program
What do they know coming in? Well… what they SAY they know and what they ACTUALLY know do not always agree. Their knowledge is as variable as the individual… in both braille skills and in computer knowledge. No two peas are exactly alike.
What should they know when they’re done? How to read and write contracted braille flawlessly.
How will they talk to eachother? phone… email… IM… our discussion board… in person… via the AERNET listserv… braille… sign language… whatever works.
How will they talk to me? Same as above…
Working on the analysis… this is my start.
8 responses so far ↓
1
Ann Sebald
// Sep 8, 2005 at 4:44 pm
How many universities do you work for? Will you be using/teaching the same or similar course for moer than one university?
2
Administrator
// Sep 9, 2005 at 2:37 am
Hi, Ann – I work for 3 universities as an adjunct; Dominican College, Teachers College, and New Mexico State University. I teach 2 courses for each university; Literary Braille/Communications I, and Nemeth Code and Assistive Technology/Communications II. They’re on a somewhat different timetable, but in the Spring semesters, I’m running 3 hybrid on-line/on-campus courses in 2 different subjects on 2 different platforms (Blackboard and WebCT). The structure is somewhat different due to differing time frames and platforms; the content tis he same within each course, and the expected outcomes are the same for students in all 3 programs.
3
agnes ferris
// Sep 10, 2005 at 1:17 pm
Good Morning Sheila. Will you have your students have a lesson or two with the slate and styless? Will they be required to send lessons in hard copy form to you? One of my concerns about online courses for teaching braille transcription is that not enough experience with reading the hard copy braille is given, as well as not enough experience is given with using the perkins brailler and slate and styless. Also, one thing writing hard copy braille can teach that using the computer can’t is the “art” of making good braille erasures. Nothing annoys me more than to receive something in braille with erasures all over the place that are done so poorly that it is hard to read what is written. Finally, if you have a student who is blind, how will you handle their use of the perky option you will be using? I haven’t had any current news about this; the last I heard was that this was not compatible with refreshable braille displays or screen readers.
I’ll look forward to hearing more about your course and any feedback you’d like to share about my questions. Feel free to ask for my help. As I mentioned in my comments on your website, The Bug, I am a strong proponent of braille literacy. I’m a very very strong proponent of teachers and students learning to read and write braille appropriately.
4
sheila
// Sep 10, 2005 at 2:15 pm
Hello, Ann – I’m always delighted to hear from you… you make me think!
Yes, my students do the slate and stylus. They have introductory lessons in the first course, and they have to pass a proficiency test in the second course. I have some carry-over items from literary braille into the Nemeth/AT course.
They have 10 homework assignments for each course. Each homework assignment consists of 2 parts; a part they braille from print which I give them, and a page of braille which they have to interline. They also have 2 proofreading assignments, where they have to find and correct errors that I’ve built in to the braille. So, yes, they get plenty of experience with hard copy braille.
For the literary course, they are required to start their assignments on a Perkins. They are told upfront that their final exam will be on the Perkins. Then, (since I get students with varying degrees of experience in braille… rookies to transcribers) they transition into Perky Duck based on their individual skills and choice. Some spend the entire first course with the Perkins. Others are sending me lesson 2 in Perky as an attachment. For those who are using the Perkins, we use the USPS… and I absolutely maintain a 24 hour turnaround of their braille… no matter what else is going on in my life! It is back to them in the mail on the day after I receive it. I write tons of messages, corrections, encouragements, etc. on their papers. If it is an error that will affect their next assignment (they missed a rule, for example) I either call them or write it in email. Otherwise, I let them read it on their assignment. That helps them continue to prepare for the next assignment, even while their previous one is travelling back to them.
My students are not allowed to erase in the first course. I don’t teach them about erasures until the second course. They can’t “for out” either. If they make an error, they have to redo the page before they send it to me.
To the best of my knowledge (hearing from the Duxbury folks) Perky Duck is accessible by a screen reader. I haven’t had a blind grad student/braille user since we transitioned into an online course, though… so please tell me.
I definitely hope we can keep in touch after this course is over… your insights are most valuable to me.
5
sheila
// Sep 10, 2005 at 2:20 pm
sorry, Agnes… I inadvertently called you Ann in my response above. I’m still getting used to this format, and looked in the wrong place. My apologies.
6
agnes ferris
// Sep 11, 2005 at 10:33 pm
Hi Sheila.
Hurray! I have finally found domeone who teaches braille like I would. I feel your methods show respect for braille, your students, and their prospective recipients of their brailling efforts. Yes, we can keep in touch after this class. I accept your apology for writing the wrong name. Tomorrow I will check with Don, my support person at DUXBURY about the accessibility of perky with screen readers and refreshable braille. Keep up the great work with this course. Congratulations on all the technology strides you have made in this course.
Agnes
7
Administrator
// Sep 11, 2005 at 11:37 pm
Hello, Agnes – I’m delighted to read your comment. Yes, I absolutely respect braille, and my students. I’m passionate about braille, and I hold my students to very high standards. (I hold myself to high standards as well; I’m also an NLS transcriber). I also believe it is critical to have them develop positive attitudes, and it’s a very fine line between pushing them to be the best they can be – and pushing them over the edge. If they develop a love affair with braille, then they will WANT to braille and improve and advocate for it for their students and teach it. However, if they grow to hate it out of frustration, it is immaterial how good they are, because they won’t want to do it. So, I play the violin with each one of them. It’s a lot of work, but I need to do it right.
Please let me know about the accessibility of Perky Duck with JAWS. I’ve heard it is accessible, but I’d love to know for sure.
By the way… my students are also required to take 2 proficiency tests with an abacus in the Nemeth course. Hope that tidbit puts a smile on your face.
Glad to hear that we have similar beliefs and methods. If I can’t make class one day, will you sub for me?
Sheila
8
agnes ferris
// Sep 13, 2005 at 1:19 pm
Hi Sheila. That did put a smile on my face about having your students do the abacus in your Nemeth Code class. I haven’t used one in years; I learned how to use it from The Hadley School for the Blind. I also learned grade three braille from there. I too have my braille transcription certification from NLS, as well as my braille proofreading certification.
Agnes