Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Disability has made me a better teacher.
One of the most difficult times to think about revealing my disability to strangers is when I am trying to make a good first impression. These impressions are fleeting. Sometimes it's in the course of the conversation. Sometimes it's just in passing.
I'm thinking about this now, because it is interview season for the coming school year. Someday soon I will be sitting across the table from complete strangers who want to know more about my strengths than my weaknesses.
Fortunately, I'm not filling out applications by hand. Most of this can be done online, using my foot mouse and voice software. I will print out copies of my resume and letter of introduction, and various portfolio-type items. They are not going to ask me to demonstrate my penmanship writing on a whiteboard, or take a typing test to see how fast I type.
In fact, it would be illegal for them to ask me if I have any disabilities.
However, I also feel it would be unethical for me to go through the entire process of an interview without at least revealing a little bit about my unique situation. This is what I tell them.
I'm better than average at incorporating technology into my teaching practice. Catalyzed by necessity, I've become adept at creating a portable classroom without papers. I use Evernote, Google drive and a digital recorder to keep my classroom supplies portable. I use flash drives for transporting documents sometimes, but I find it is easier in the long run to post them on the Internet. It's made it better for students who want to access these resources also. They can go to my website through the school district. They can listen to my podcast posted on Podomatic. They can view my slideshow on Slideshare. Other teachers in other classrooms and other schools and other countries are also able to benefit from what I have to share.
My need to write as little as possible, drives me to plan things well in advance, and create lessons and materials that are explicit and thorough. I can never expect to jot a few extra instructions on the board, or on the top of the photocopy before I give them to the class. I am a planner to the extreme.
I'm also eager to help my colleagues with just about everything I can, from collaborating on lesson planning to figuring out technological hurdles. I know that there are times that I need help, so I can sympathize and pay it forward for every time that someone else has helped me.
Having thoracic outlet syndrome has unique challenges, but it has also prodded me to become a better teacher. I needed to.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
There's Always a Substitute
Instead of my regular classroom, I am spending the 2013-2014 school year substitute teaching. It's not my first time as a substitute teacher, but I'm certainly approaching differently than I have in the past. I used to struggle through, hiding my pain and trying my best to do everything a teacher should do on my own. Since then, I have learned to draw the line and tell people what I am not able to do.
However, I am discovering that a well executed day of substitute teaching often doesn't require any writing at all. Let's run through a sample day:
7:15 AM I arrive at school 30 minutes before class begins. This gives me an opportunity to review the teachers lesson plans and locate whatever materials and resources the class has to offer. (Teachers edition textbook, behavior chart, document camera projector, etc.)
7:45 AM Class begins, and I introduce myself. I sum up the students plans for the day, so they know what to expect. Then I say something like,
"In a moment we will begin lesson 3, but first I need someone to help me with attendance."
There are almost always three or more students eager for this role. I don't know why. They have no idea what I want them to do.
I asked them to have a pencil ready, and they will help me mark who is absent. I read through the roster, and as the students identify who is present and absent, my helper will write "A" in the box for any absent students or "T" for tardy students. I stamp the bottom of the page with a custom-made signature stamp, which includes my name printed. Then students either run the roster up to the office, or attach it to the door where an office aide will pick it up.
This works for almost all grade levels. Kindergarten and first grade are an exception. They want to help, but most can't write small enough in the boxes. Notice that I did not identify my handicap. I didn't need to. I simply got students involved in their own classroom management, and they rose to the opportunity. I think I did need to explain my handicap once to a tough group of high schoolers. They probably were suspicious of a sub who wanted them to do his work for him. This same method of asking students for help carries me through the whole day. Sometimes I will explain my condition to a reluctant helper, As I mentioned in a previous post, disclosure can be limited to an as needed basis.
As the day continues, I make notes into a digital recorder or into a document on my phone. I make note of helpful students and troubled students. Usually this is just notes for myself. When students see me recording notes, I explain my condition. I've never had anyone upset at me recording notes. In fact, many students are fascinated with the process, and ask if I can record them and play it back. Young students especially love hearing their own voice.
2:30 PM At the end of the school day, I send an email to the teacher describing the events of the day. I listen to my recorded notes and compile the essence of what the teacher really needs to know to move on with her next few days of lessons. I send it in the form of an email, or sometimes as a note document application (Keep or Evernote or Google docs will work well). On a few occasions, I have actually sent an audio file. For example, students running laps said their name as they passed, and I said the running time, so the teacher was able to identify which students achieved the goal for the day. It made a lot more sense than trying to write down everyone's names in the middle of the activity.
Occasionally, I will be asked to do something beyond my scope. A teacher or an administrator might ask me to "rip out enough workbook pages for a class set" or "troubleshoot this computer connectivity issue". I explain my condition, and it isn't a problem. After I declined several tasks one teacher offered me, she asked, "Well, what can you do?"
I can do a lot of things. Classroom management. Teaching. Supervision. Explanations. Encouragement. Inquiry. Assessment.
It may take some people some time to recognize that the job of the teacher is not in the hands. I think about this a lot when I am a substitute in an elementary school classroom where the teacher is clearly putting a lot of their own handwork into their practice.
Think about what value you are adding to the lesson by using your own hands instead of the students. Ripping out workbook pages. Writing names on the board. Moving clothespins for every student up and down a behavior chart. Writing the date on the board.
Students are capable of these tasks, and the more involved they are in their education, the better they will see the value of whatever task you have asked of them.
However, I am discovering that a well executed day of substitute teaching often doesn't require any writing at all. Let's run through a sample day:
7:15 AM I arrive at school 30 minutes before class begins. This gives me an opportunity to review the teachers lesson plans and locate whatever materials and resources the class has to offer. (Teachers edition textbook, behavior chart, document camera projector, etc.)
7:45 AM Class begins, and I introduce myself. I sum up the students plans for the day, so they know what to expect. Then I say something like,
"In a moment we will begin lesson 3, but first I need someone to help me with attendance."
There are almost always three or more students eager for this role. I don't know why. They have no idea what I want them to do.
I asked them to have a pencil ready, and they will help me mark who is absent. I read through the roster, and as the students identify who is present and absent, my helper will write "A" in the box for any absent students or "T" for tardy students. I stamp the bottom of the page with a custom-made signature stamp, which includes my name printed. Then students either run the roster up to the office, or attach it to the door where an office aide will pick it up.
This works for almost all grade levels. Kindergarten and first grade are an exception. They want to help, but most can't write small enough in the boxes. Notice that I did not identify my handicap. I didn't need to. I simply got students involved in their own classroom management, and they rose to the opportunity. I think I did need to explain my handicap once to a tough group of high schoolers. They probably were suspicious of a sub who wanted them to do his work for him. This same method of asking students for help carries me through the whole day. Sometimes I will explain my condition to a reluctant helper, As I mentioned in a previous post, disclosure can be limited to an as needed basis.
As the day continues, I make notes into a digital recorder or into a document on my phone. I make note of helpful students and troubled students. Usually this is just notes for myself. When students see me recording notes, I explain my condition. I've never had anyone upset at me recording notes. In fact, many students are fascinated with the process, and ask if I can record them and play it back. Young students especially love hearing their own voice.
2:30 PM At the end of the school day, I send an email to the teacher describing the events of the day. I listen to my recorded notes and compile the essence of what the teacher really needs to know to move on with her next few days of lessons. I send it in the form of an email, or sometimes as a note document application (Keep or Evernote or Google docs will work well). On a few occasions, I have actually sent an audio file. For example, students running laps said their name as they passed, and I said the running time, so the teacher was able to identify which students achieved the goal for the day. It made a lot more sense than trying to write down everyone's names in the middle of the activity.
Occasionally, I will be asked to do something beyond my scope. A teacher or an administrator might ask me to "rip out enough workbook pages for a class set" or "troubleshoot this computer connectivity issue". I explain my condition, and it isn't a problem. After I declined several tasks one teacher offered me, she asked, "Well, what can you do?"
I can do a lot of things. Classroom management. Teaching. Supervision. Explanations. Encouragement. Inquiry. Assessment.
It may take some people some time to recognize that the job of the teacher is not in the hands. I think about this a lot when I am a substitute in an elementary school classroom where the teacher is clearly putting a lot of their own handwork into their practice.
Think about what value you are adding to the lesson by using your own hands instead of the students. Ripping out workbook pages. Writing names on the board. Moving clothespins for every student up and down a behavior chart. Writing the date on the board.
Students are capable of these tasks, and the more involved they are in their education, the better they will see the value of whatever task you have asked of them.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Disclosure Decision
Ever since the beginning of my struggles with pain in my hands, I have also struggled with the challenge of deciding when to tell other people about it. When is the right time to disclose that information? How much is appropriate to tell?
I've tried to tell people as little as possible and as infrequently as possible. I've never wanted to be an object of pity. It's never been easy for me to say that I cannot do something, or even to ask for help. There is an enormous emotional hurdle to overcome by admitting to others, as well as myself, that there are things I simply should not do.
I tell my students about my condition in the first couple days of class. They need to know right away, because they will soon be asking me for written bathroom passes. They also need to know more about the condition, because invariably they ask questions. They want to know more. It's best to explain it once at the beginning of the semester, rather than 36 times at inopportune moments throughout the rest of the semester.
I usually tell coworkers only on a need to know basis. I'm working hard to prove myself in a new career, in a new school, with new people, and I do not want to be seen as someone who complains. If I start the conversation by saying that my hands hurt, most people over 30 will respond in kind with what they perceive to be a comparative pain of their own.
"My hands hurt..."
"Oh, I know how that is. I've been grading papers for the last couple of hours."
Perhaps I should start the conversation by expressing what I need from them.
"Can you fill this form out for me? I can't write."
This seems to raise more questions, and casts some doubt on to my credibility. I don't look disabled. Who would believe it?
Sometimes I wear a glove to remind me not to use my hands. This is usually in the classroom, where my students already understand its purpose. I've even trained them to remind me to wear the glove when I am talking with my hands too much.
There is a drawback, however, when someone who does not know my condition sees the glove. Usually they make some comic reference to a "Michael Jackson tribute" and I will laugh it off. It usually does not seem like the time or the place for an in-depth explanation of a medical condition.
If I had no arms, no explanation would be necessary. The same would be true if I walked with a limp, or used a wheelchair. They would come to some "obvious" conclusion about my abilities based on their observation.
If someone asks me to hold something or let something or write something down, I find myself in an awkward situation. How can I appear helpful as I decline to help them? An explanation of my personal struggles seems inappropriate at the moment.
Sometimes I send out a form letter e-mail with a brief description of the condition and a link to this blog. There is no way they could understand my struggle to maintain a balance between credibility and sympathy.
90% of the people in my world have the opportunity to be oblivious to my condition. That includes students, friends and family who already know about it. They don't need a full explanation each time, but a reminder is often necessary. I find other ways of doing things so that we can all forget the obstacles and focus on the achievements.
I don't have the answer here. I don't know exactly how much to say and when. I wish I did.
I've tried to tell people as little as possible and as infrequently as possible. I've never wanted to be an object of pity. It's never been easy for me to say that I cannot do something, or even to ask for help. There is an enormous emotional hurdle to overcome by admitting to others, as well as myself, that there are things I simply should not do.
I tell my students about my condition in the first couple days of class. They need to know right away, because they will soon be asking me for written bathroom passes. They also need to know more about the condition, because invariably they ask questions. They want to know more. It's best to explain it once at the beginning of the semester, rather than 36 times at inopportune moments throughout the rest of the semester.
I usually tell coworkers only on a need to know basis. I'm working hard to prove myself in a new career, in a new school, with new people, and I do not want to be seen as someone who complains. If I start the conversation by saying that my hands hurt, most people over 30 will respond in kind with what they perceive to be a comparative pain of their own.
"My hands hurt..."
"Oh, I know how that is. I've been grading papers for the last couple of hours."
Perhaps I should start the conversation by expressing what I need from them.
"Can you fill this form out for me? I can't write."
This seems to raise more questions, and casts some doubt on to my credibility. I don't look disabled. Who would believe it?
Sometimes I wear a glove to remind me not to use my hands. This is usually in the classroom, where my students already understand its purpose. I've even trained them to remind me to wear the glove when I am talking with my hands too much.
There is a drawback, however, when someone who does not know my condition sees the glove. Usually they make some comic reference to a "Michael Jackson tribute" and I will laugh it off. It usually does not seem like the time or the place for an in-depth explanation of a medical condition.
If I had no arms, no explanation would be necessary. The same would be true if I walked with a limp, or used a wheelchair. They would come to some "obvious" conclusion about my abilities based on their observation.
If someone asks me to hold something or let something or write something down, I find myself in an awkward situation. How can I appear helpful as I decline to help them? An explanation of my personal struggles seems inappropriate at the moment.
Sometimes I send out a form letter e-mail with a brief description of the condition and a link to this blog. There is no way they could understand my struggle to maintain a balance between credibility and sympathy.
90% of the people in my world have the opportunity to be oblivious to my condition. That includes students, friends and family who already know about it. They don't need a full explanation each time, but a reminder is often necessary. I find other ways of doing things so that we can all forget the obstacles and focus on the achievements.
I don't have the answer here. I don't know exactly how much to say and when. I wish I did.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Be Prepared and Stress Less
Someone recently asked me for advice on teaching with a disability. In my previous blogs I have talked about how I have used students and technology to help me. These are invaluable resources that apply directly to my condition. However, there is a more universal principle at work here: be prepared. This was a motto taught to me by the Boy Scouts. I love the concept of being empowered by forethought. Each time my scout troop prepared for a camping trip, I went through a mental checklist, envisioning my potential needs. Would there be rain? Would there be mosquitoes? Would there be time to read a book? Would I possibly get lost in the woods for a week and need to use all the skills from my Wilderness Survival merit badge?
My lesson plans do not anticipate everything. I am woefully unprepared for the possible tsunami or alien invasion. However, I really do envision every minute of class in advance, at least a week at a time. I do this because I simply do not have the physical ability to quickly write down notes in class, assignments on the board, or draw illustrations to help students. I create slideshows to accompany my lectures so anything I might want students to see will be ready to show. Other teachers can write notes on the board. I cannot do that, so I plan those notes in advance. The same goes for daily agendas. I cannot make them up and write them on the board five minutes before class. I have to have dictated them to my computer previously, because dictation takes more time.
Another benefit to being well-prepared with advance planning is reduced stress in the classroom. On the occasions that I fall behind in planning, I am more likely to hurt myself in an effort to be a good teacher. I try to type in class to create lesson plans or materials at the last minute. I shouldn't be typing, and I suffer pain for it later.
Stress will aggravate any condition, and pain aggravates mood, and mood affects my teaching and my general quality of life. I work three times as many hours as I would if I did not have a disability. I take more time to prepare. I stay up late and get up early. I work half of every weekend. I expect this to change as I become a more experienced teacher. I am still creating much of my instructional materials from scratch. Every semester it gets easier, because all of my advance planning keeps my stress levels (and pain levels) under control.
I could write an entire additional blog about all the benefits of being prepared in the classroom. Even teachers who have no disability would benefit from such planning. Students benefit from the planning as well. I believe this approach to pain management makes me a better teacher.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
More tools and methods
I have a lot of trouble with using computers, but at the same time, computers allow me to do so much more than what I would be able to do with just my hands. I came up with a list of rules for myself regarding computer use. I wrote this list to remind myself just where the best use of each technology is. It would be nice to have just one method that works for every occasion, but I have yet to find one. My computer rules:
Typing
There are four methods of typing available to me. These are dictation, cut-paste, mouth stick and fingers.
Dictation should always be used for in-line writing that involves just one portion of one document, with minimal editing. This would be appropriate for the following:
• Journal/reflection writing
• e-mail/letter writing
• short answer test questions
• non-edit writing in a long document
MacSpeech Dictate gets very confused when you switch between programs, documents, and places in the document. There are certain navigational commands to "insert before___", but this is little help when you need to scroll up a page or more to find your insertion point.
While I would like to avoid all instances of hand typing, the following are more suited to this, and if done in moderation, will lead to greater productivity, less software crashes, and more accurate results. The down side is that I have a lot of these instances and it always leads to more pain and being grumpy. These are the acceptable "cheats" where it is acceptable to use my fingers:
• editing PowerPoint
• editing a multiple-choice test
• spotty edit of a long document
Cut-paste is a little clumsy, but as long as you have a foot mouse, you can get by with a few tasks you might need to accomplish. The concept is this: you cut and paste words, letters and phrases from the documents and websites you already have access to, in order to construct the word you need. For example, if I wanted to research the Egyptian pyramids, I would try to find keywords to Google that will lead me to a page of this sort. Perhaps I already have a travel website bookmarked, and from there I could copy Egypt and Google it. From that search, there would likely be many pages with pyramid information. There are also many documents already on my computer that I could mine for words and letters if I wanted to construct from scratch.
The mouth stick will probably be of more use once I have a dedicated workstation with a good stand to hold the mouse stick ready for use at any time. Even then, I expect only to use it in extreme circumstances, such as when I am already in a great deal of pain. It works well for brief periods of typing, and typing that does not require any control, shift, alt or command keys to be pressed simultaneously. However, it can be useful for the following
• password login
• brief e-mails
My fingers are a last resort, but I have yet to find any system that completely frees me of using my fingers.
Mousing
There are four types of mousing available to me at this point. These are nose mousing, head mousing, foot mousing, and finger mousing.
Nose mousing is not yet practical until I have a dedicated workspace with a good mouse for the nose pad. Once I have this set up, the nose mouse will be a good alternative to integrate into my mousing behavior. It would probably never be used entirely on its own, but would be a good way of taking the pressure off of my other overworked body parts.
Head mousing should always be used for dedicated computer work. It is appropriate for
• surfing the Internet
• creating documents
• dictation
• reading
Because it is configured to track a location on my head, it is best if I do not use this for tasks that require looking at off-computer resources. For example, it would NOT be good for
• scanning documents
• grading homework
• using physical book resources
• data entry from physical paper/book/file
Foot mousing is by far the most precise, most versatile, most comfortable means of mousing. However, it has its limitations. It does not work well on all surfaces. It does not work well in all motions. The first fatigues quickly if it has to struggle. These are its major limitations:
• No carpet. Using the mouse pad on carpet doubles the resistance. It also tends to make the mouse pad creep, and you soon find your foot reaching further and further.
• Minimal scrolling. Using the left-right scroll wheel is acceptable for occasional document navigation of two pages or less. However, when working with larger documents, or lots of Internet pages, the foot fatigue from this motion quicker than any other foot mousing action.
Finger mousing or hand mousing is a last resort, but is acceptable in brief instances.
Typing
There are four methods of typing available to me. These are dictation, cut-paste, mouth stick and fingers.
Dictation should always be used for in-line writing that involves just one portion of one document, with minimal editing. This would be appropriate for the following:
• Journal/reflection writing
• e-mail/letter writing
• short answer test questions
• non-edit writing in a long document
MacSpeech Dictate gets very confused when you switch between programs, documents, and places in the document. There are certain navigational commands to "insert before___", but this is little help when you need to scroll up a page or more to find your insertion point.
While I would like to avoid all instances of hand typing, the following are more suited to this, and if done in moderation, will lead to greater productivity, less software crashes, and more accurate results. The down side is that I have a lot of these instances and it always leads to more pain and being grumpy. These are the acceptable "cheats" where it is acceptable to use my fingers:
• editing PowerPoint
• editing a multiple-choice test
• spotty edit of a long document
Cut-paste is a little clumsy, but as long as you have a foot mouse, you can get by with a few tasks you might need to accomplish. The concept is this: you cut and paste words, letters and phrases from the documents and websites you already have access to, in order to construct the word you need. For example, if I wanted to research the Egyptian pyramids, I would try to find keywords to Google that will lead me to a page of this sort. Perhaps I already have a travel website bookmarked, and from there I could copy Egypt and Google it. From that search, there would likely be many pages with pyramid information. There are also many documents already on my computer that I could mine for words and letters if I wanted to construct from scratch.
The mouth stick will probably be of more use once I have a dedicated workstation with a good stand to hold the mouse stick ready for use at any time. Even then, I expect only to use it in extreme circumstances, such as when I am already in a great deal of pain. It works well for brief periods of typing, and typing that does not require any control, shift, alt or command keys to be pressed simultaneously. However, it can be useful for the following
• password login
• brief e-mails
My fingers are a last resort, but I have yet to find any system that completely frees me of using my fingers.
Mousing
There are four types of mousing available to me at this point. These are nose mousing, head mousing, foot mousing, and finger mousing.
Nose mousing is not yet practical until I have a dedicated workspace with a good mouse for the nose pad. Once I have this set up, the nose mouse will be a good alternative to integrate into my mousing behavior. It would probably never be used entirely on its own, but would be a good way of taking the pressure off of my other overworked body parts.
Head mousing should always be used for dedicated computer work. It is appropriate for
• surfing the Internet
• creating documents
• dictation
• reading
Because it is configured to track a location on my head, it is best if I do not use this for tasks that require looking at off-computer resources. For example, it would NOT be good for
• scanning documents
• grading homework
• using physical book resources
• data entry from physical paper/book/file
Foot mousing is by far the most precise, most versatile, most comfortable means of mousing. However, it has its limitations. It does not work well on all surfaces. It does not work well in all motions. The first fatigues quickly if it has to struggle. These are its major limitations:
• No carpet. Using the mouse pad on carpet doubles the resistance. It also tends to make the mouse pad creep, and you soon find your foot reaching further and further.
• Minimal scrolling. Using the left-right scroll wheel is acceptable for occasional document navigation of two pages or less. However, when working with larger documents, or lots of Internet pages, the foot fatigue from this motion quicker than any other foot mousing action.
Finger mousing or hand mousing is a last resort, but is acceptable in brief instances.
Friday, April 23, 2010
My Students Are a Resource
I am currently in my first semester of student teaching, and am navigating all of the challenges that go with this learning process. Lesson planning, grading, resources, and classroom management are all things that you never really learn until you actually do them. I’m doing them!
Managing the classroom is actually easier than I thought it would be, because I have found wonderful resources.
The first resource is people. I have given my students jobs to help me with things like materials distribution, writing on the whiteboard, jotting down notes, etc.. I have seen this used effectively in other classrooms and I know that it is an excellent opportunity for the students to practice responsibility. I would give my students jobs, even if I did not have a disability. Some students do not want the responsibility, and I do not force it on them. However, other students specifically request to have a job. Often, they don’t care what the job is. They just want the opportunity to help. I would have expected that from lower elementary students, but these are high school sophomores.
I have explained my condition to them, but only so they understand the times that I refuse to do something. The student jobs are rewarded with payment in candy. It is a small token (one piece per week) but it is a gesture to show that I do not take their assistance for granted. When a student volunteers to have a job, they are usually volunteering for the entire week, and will receive a piece of candy, a pen, a hacky sack, or a toy at the end of the week.
One of the most valuable student jobs is that of audiovisual. This student sits at the computer at the front of the room, and functions as my hands at the computer during class. They open up my lesson plan that I have posted to a website, so I can review it periodically. They open up my PowerPoint presentation, and follow my cues to advance slides as I lecture.
I am able to walk around the room, and very quickly they tune in to my subtle cues to advance slides. This gives me a great deal of freedom to stay in close proximity with the entire classroom.
I do not have any of my assistive software or hardware at school, so I am unable to do any computer work in the classroom. This has been a challenge, as I have yet to find a system that is portable on a daily basis. Hauling my laptop, foot mouse and headset with all of the accompanying cables is a physical hardship I endure periodically, but cannot do on a daily or weekly basis.
I’m still exploring assistive technologies, looking for the perfect combination of portability and accessibility. I will soon be using the new MacSpeech Dictate, which allows for Bluetooth. This will be a big improvement over the 6 foot cable and the partially dismantled Logitech headset I use now. Most headsets come with speakers, which is particularly bulky, especially when I never need speakers in dictation. All I need is a microphone, the smaller the better.
Managing the classroom is actually easier than I thought it would be, because I have found wonderful resources.
The first resource is people. I have given my students jobs to help me with things like materials distribution, writing on the whiteboard, jotting down notes, etc.. I have seen this used effectively in other classrooms and I know that it is an excellent opportunity for the students to practice responsibility. I would give my students jobs, even if I did not have a disability. Some students do not want the responsibility, and I do not force it on them. However, other students specifically request to have a job. Often, they don’t care what the job is. They just want the opportunity to help. I would have expected that from lower elementary students, but these are high school sophomores.
I have explained my condition to them, but only so they understand the times that I refuse to do something. The student jobs are rewarded with payment in candy. It is a small token (one piece per week) but it is a gesture to show that I do not take their assistance for granted. When a student volunteers to have a job, they are usually volunteering for the entire week, and will receive a piece of candy, a pen, a hacky sack, or a toy at the end of the week.
One of the most valuable student jobs is that of audiovisual. This student sits at the computer at the front of the room, and functions as my hands at the computer during class. They open up my lesson plan that I have posted to a website, so I can review it periodically. They open up my PowerPoint presentation, and follow my cues to advance slides as I lecture.
I am able to walk around the room, and very quickly they tune in to my subtle cues to advance slides. This gives me a great deal of freedom to stay in close proximity with the entire classroom.
I do not have any of my assistive software or hardware at school, so I am unable to do any computer work in the classroom. This has been a challenge, as I have yet to find a system that is portable on a daily basis. Hauling my laptop, foot mouse and headset with all of the accompanying cables is a physical hardship I endure periodically, but cannot do on a daily or weekly basis.
I’m still exploring assistive technologies, looking for the perfect combination of portability and accessibility. I will soon be using the new MacSpeech Dictate, which allows for Bluetooth. This will be a big improvement over the 6 foot cable and the partially dismantled Logitech headset I use now. Most headsets come with speakers, which is particularly bulky, especially when I never need speakers in dictation. All I need is a microphone, the smaller the better.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Tools
I just completed my first semester of graduate school. It was a lot of hard work, and it would have been, even if I had full use of my hands.
There are three major tools that made graduate school possible for me. The first tool I bought was a digital voice recorder. At the time, I was sitting around the house on medical leave, trying not to do anything with my hands for days at a time. I did a lot of thinking, and had a lot of ideas that I did not want to slip away. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t type. I didn’t have a secretary to dictate everything to.
I got the voice recorder and it was amazing. I recorded all of my thoughts, whether they were grocery lists or profound insights. The grocery lists I was able to replay at the store with out ever having to transcribe them. The other thoughts and insights, I was able to transfer directly to my computer as audio files. I would be able to listen to them sometime in the future.
The second tool I acquired was MacSpeech Dictate. Without the ability to type, I was locked out of any computer usage. MacSpeech gave me the ability to write things down, compose e-mails, research things, et cetera. This was great, but I was still using my hands for mousing, and that was not a good thing. I researched this problem, and found that there are a variety of hands-free mouse solutions. I initially hoped that I could direct everything with my voice. There are some programs that have the screen divided into a grid, and with some practice, the user can tell the cursor where to go. MacSpeech cannot do this. I was able to add some programming to MacSpeech, to allow various mouse clicks. This was extremely important, because I needed to do a lot of mouse clicking pursuing substitute teaching assignments.
The third tool I acquired was the foot mouse. After I discovered that voice recognition would not replace certain mousing activities, such as click-and-drag or navigating websites, I started looking into other forms of hands-free mousing. The most attractive initially seemed to be the head-mouse, but its thousand dollar plus price tag means that I will have to explore that option later. There is a two-pedal foot mouse that operates on a joystick type of principle. I’m interested in it, but for $400, I’m not certain it is going to be completely effective. My biggest concern was keeping my legs in that same position for extended periods of time. Anyone sitting at a desk, knows that you have to shift positions periodically to remain comfortable.
Ultimately I got a foot mouse with a mouse pad and a Click pad separately. The mouse is simply an optical mouse that you strap to your foot. Nothing fancy. The click pad is a separate device with five buttons and a scroll bar. You can right-click, left click, left double-click, zoom in, zoom out, and scroll. There is an alternate button, like a shift key, to allow programming those buttons with secondary functions. I’ve never tried using it.
Between MacSpeech and the foot mouse, I can do virtually everything computer-related without using my hands. I need to use my hands to open my laptop, press the power button, and plug in any cables, but other than that, my problems are solved. Sort of.
There are drawbacks to each of these solutions, but perhaps I will save that for another blog post. The significant point I want to make here is that these tools have allowed me the freedom to still function in a digital world and BECAUSE OF a digital world.
There are three major tools that made graduate school possible for me. The first tool I bought was a digital voice recorder. At the time, I was sitting around the house on medical leave, trying not to do anything with my hands for days at a time. I did a lot of thinking, and had a lot of ideas that I did not want to slip away. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t type. I didn’t have a secretary to dictate everything to.
I got the voice recorder and it was amazing. I recorded all of my thoughts, whether they were grocery lists or profound insights. The grocery lists I was able to replay at the store with out ever having to transcribe them. The other thoughts and insights, I was able to transfer directly to my computer as audio files. I would be able to listen to them sometime in the future.
The second tool I acquired was MacSpeech Dictate. Without the ability to type, I was locked out of any computer usage. MacSpeech gave me the ability to write things down, compose e-mails, research things, et cetera. This was great, but I was still using my hands for mousing, and that was not a good thing. I researched this problem, and found that there are a variety of hands-free mouse solutions. I initially hoped that I could direct everything with my voice. There are some programs that have the screen divided into a grid, and with some practice, the user can tell the cursor where to go. MacSpeech cannot do this. I was able to add some programming to MacSpeech, to allow various mouse clicks. This was extremely important, because I needed to do a lot of mouse clicking pursuing substitute teaching assignments.
The third tool I acquired was the foot mouse. After I discovered that voice recognition would not replace certain mousing activities, such as click-and-drag or navigating websites, I started looking into other forms of hands-free mousing. The most attractive initially seemed to be the head-mouse, but its thousand dollar plus price tag means that I will have to explore that option later. There is a two-pedal foot mouse that operates on a joystick type of principle. I’m interested in it, but for $400, I’m not certain it is going to be completely effective. My biggest concern was keeping my legs in that same position for extended periods of time. Anyone sitting at a desk, knows that you have to shift positions periodically to remain comfortable.
Ultimately I got a foot mouse with a mouse pad and a Click pad separately. The mouse is simply an optical mouse that you strap to your foot. Nothing fancy. The click pad is a separate device with five buttons and a scroll bar. You can right-click, left click, left double-click, zoom in, zoom out, and scroll. There is an alternate button, like a shift key, to allow programming those buttons with secondary functions. I’ve never tried using it.
Between MacSpeech and the foot mouse, I can do virtually everything computer-related without using my hands. I need to use my hands to open my laptop, press the power button, and plug in any cables, but other than that, my problems are solved. Sort of.
There are drawbacks to each of these solutions, but perhaps I will save that for another blog post. The significant point I want to make here is that these tools have allowed me the freedom to still function in a digital world and BECAUSE OF a digital world.
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