Category: the Rant Board
I just got a message from a member who read my profile, and told me her issues about Braille teaching. So I figured I'd talk about it.
First of all, I am sighted. However, I do wear glasses, so maybe we can meet halfway on this? (lol)
Anyway, here's my beef. A few years ago, I read that the Braille literacy rate was around ten percent. People who took Braille lessons said it is hard to learn. And, even when they did, there wasn't much good material to read anyway.
Now, for several years, I have been working on a standard-print, comprehensive English language curriculum, and hope to do other languages. So I figured, why not Braille? I heard there is a need for transcribers, so I figured I should learn it. (I don't care if machines and computers could do all the actual work. I am compelled to learn, and I don't believe in short-cuts!)
So, with that in mind, I got a ten-dollar course from NFB. To me, it seemed kind of dry and uninteresting. It sort of skimmed over a few basics; but it didn't seem systematic enough.
Then I got a better idea. I called a blind school, and asked for a more "professional" Braille course. When I told them I am sighted, they became very rude, and refused to give me the course! They said, "You MUST be working with a blind person within the next six months to get this course."
Now, that is a bunch of bull! In any field, you get to learn FIRST, then worry about the clientele LATER. How do I know what I'll be doing in six months?
I can't understand it! I'm trying to work on improving literacy, but nobody will cooperate!
And how about you? Anything man-made can be improved! What would YOU do to increase Braille literacy?
Yes, cmmon I wish I could teach you braille lol, but I dont know where to start, or even how to teach. I personally dont know about the literacy, though it does take time for the popular books to be brailled and that is just so annoying. I would use the nfb course, why didnt you stick with the nfb course? I personally had my braille learning through a teacher from Kindergarden, and now, in 7th grade I came a long way, butt I really kinda had to learn it for life. At first it's hard; it really is, but once you kinda know what to do it becomes easier. Now if you were to put a brailler, or another device with a braille keyboard in front of me and asked me to write out stuff I could have it written out for ya, within a few minutes; it takes like 10 seconds per 40 characters, so it really is gettin better. Sllates give me trouble; the things, where the 1st 3 dots are on the right and 4 5 and 6 are on the left? No wait. 1 2 3 are on right and 4 5 6 are on left, it's supposed to be, aaa, now it's confusing, I can explain a bit about it:
braille is made up of cells. Each cell can comprise a max of 6 dots. When you put these dots in different combinations, e.g. leaving certain buttons unpressed, or presed you make letters. Because there are 6 dots, it is really big so there are shortform symbols for certain long words, or portions of words. The order is:
on left,
1
2
3
on right
4
5
6
hope it helped a little.
I used to be a braille teacher, and am a fluent braille user. One statistic that NFB sometimes sites is that people who are blind who know braille are in better paying jobs. From my experience, that seems to be true.
Having said that, I tend to agree that the rading material isn't always the most interesting. I tended to develop my own for individuals as they progressed that would address specific problems. One thing I would do was to write provwerbs, but would leave the vowells out, such as "A penny saved is a penny earned."
I've also started writing a jumbo braille curriculum, also know as large-cell braille. I've found this helpful for people who had sensitivity issues in their fingers.
Oh, I'm a slate user, too. I took nots through undergraduate and graduate school with it years ago, and still use it in my work for making labels and quick notes.
If you want to discuss this further send me an e-mail here on the zone.
Lou
I don't understand the attitude of the school in question. Seems pretty dumb to me, but maybe they have their reasons.
BlindGuy55's explanation was pretty good--if a bit brief.
The main difficulty with learning Braille is sensitizing the fingers. You, as a sighted person, wouldn't need to do this.
The basic alphabet is easy to learn. The first ten letters consists of dots 1, 2, 3 and 4. (See BlindGuy55's explanation above.)
The next ten letters (k through t) replicate the first ten letters with the addition of dot three to each letter.
The last six letters (u through z) replicate the first six letters except they add dots 3 and 6 to each letter.
The only exception to this model is the letter w which is dots 2-4-5-6, and must be memorized. It seems that French has no letter w, and Louis Braille had the dumb luck to be born in France. <lol>
Okay,, end of lesson 1.
If I ccan be of further assistance send me a private message.
Good luck!
Bob
The only reason I can think of for the School for the Blind's Attitude is perhaps that they were concerned about the "Use it or loose it" principal, and that they and you would have to do this again some time. I don't totally support that idea, although I understand it.
Lou
braile is easy to learn for the most part. but again I started in like kendergarden so it's like second nature to me. there's this school called hadly school for the blind that offers a braile corse. can't remember where it is though, sorry. oh and I can use a slate to. but it's very teedeius. hope I helped.
I like others learned braill in first grade, it's not something I use a lot now days but I do realize it has it's place. I would really like to have more access for the computer work I am getting in to. I think that would make a huge difference and I try and get braille in any ways possible.
Viewing math in braille is just a heck of a lot more easy to understand.
Lou has a good idea, I think I'll get a hold of a slate and stiless and see if I can improve on my braille skills.
The Hadley School for the Blind is located in winnetka, Illinois. The school's web site is: www.hadley.edu
thanks ninfodora!
not at all