Notetaker Instruction

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Electronic braille note-taking devices are small and portable devices that may be used by a student to take notes in class using either braille (featuring six large keys that correspond to the 6 dots in the braille cell), standard (QWERTY) keyboard, or both. Although each device offers different features, many can be used by braille learners to read books, write class assignments, find directions, record lectures, and listen to podcasts. Information can be readily transcribed in order to provide the student with a means to communicate with peers, teachers and others who do not read braille. 

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The note-taking devices generally are the size of a book and are easily carried and used by the student. The Braille Note and the Pac Mate are probably the two most common portable notetakers used by students. APH currently offers the Braille Plus 18 (the Refreshabraille 18 was discontinued December 2014) through quota funds. Obtaining devices through quota funds can make these an affordable option, however, quota funds may not be available due to spending freezes so these are not always options for students. 

Common Features:

• Notes written on the notetakers may then be transferred to a computer for storage or printed in either braille or print formats.
• Many note-taking devices have word processors, appointment calendars, calculators or clocks, and can do almost everything a computer can do.
• Some note-taking devices have a speech program with braille input.
• Many portable note-taking devices feature a refreshable braille display built into them.  These are small pins that raise and lower to allow the user to read in braille what is being accessed in the device.  
• Many newer models are Bluetooth accessible which allows them to be used with iPads, iPhones and other Bluetooth devices as well as wi-fi access.

Note-Taking Instruction

There are a variety of electronic note-taking devices available to students with visual impairments. With advances in technology, there are multiple ways students can take notes. Some students may elect to use their iPhone or iPad to take notes of lessons. The notes can be placed in Dropbox for later retrieval. If using a braille note-taking device, it is important to teach parts and functions as well as how to access the options menu of an Electronic Note-Taking Device. Once the student has learned how to use the device, it is important to continue to monitor the student to note the student’s skills and provide any troubleshooting support. 

The student will need instruction in the following skills:

• turn the device on/off;
• locate the braille keypad;
• locate the return/enter key;
• locate the previous key;
• locate back key;
• locate forward key;
• locate next key;
• locate backspace/space bar keys;
• locate braille display;
• locate cursor routing keys;
• locate ports: serial, parallel, and power;
• connect the device to the printer, embosser, and power supply using appropriate cables;
• enter the options menu;
• move forward and back in a menu;
• check date, time, and battery status;
• use escape menus;
• use the exit menu;
• change the speech settings.​

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TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.


In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist


For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.


TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details
·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements
The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement
The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement
The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 


Additional Use:
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


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Lotto Cards
The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.


On My Way File Folder Cards
Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

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