HADLEY CONNECTION Student Newsletter of The Hadley School for the Blind Spring 2005 Inside 2 2004 Student Award Winners 4 Curriculum Corner 6 Family Matters 8 FAQs; Bits & Bytes 9 Traveling Tips From Miss Markem 10 Student Advisory Committee 11 Hadley Teacher Awards Ballot A Letter from the Senior Vice President As I write this letter, I am listening to a beautiful acoustic guitar piece on the radio. (I have no iPod, yet.) There is a certain peace and comfort in the simplicity of this "unplugged" music and, goodness knows, at least I can operate my radio. While listening, I am reminded of the many veteran Hadley students who have studied with us by way of correspondence—how comfortable and familiar these Hadley materials are. But, what of this "next generation of Hadley" being discussed? Just like my hesitancy toward trying to operate an iPod, have you been hesitant to try an online course? Hadley continues to add to its e-Learning offerings. Some of these offerings follow very closely the approach you are used to in our traditional correspondence-style courses, except that everything is done online. Other offerings take on a look and feel that is quite different; however, once tried, this look and feel may become a new favorite way to study. Look for news about our online offerings in this issue's Curriculum Corner. Get "plugged into" Hadley. If you're not ready to take an online course, consider emailing your assignments when possible. Register for OASIS and access your grades 24/7! Watch for news of our online forum, coming soon! Visit our Web site (www.hadley.edu) for the latest news. Another article you'll want to read announces Hadley's new Student Advisory Committee. This group is looking for your input; so do consider their invitation to make contact. Finally, I have one more piece of news. For family reasons, Hadley's president, Dr. Michael J. Bina, resigned his position in December 2004. Having been appointed interim president, I will make sure the many good initiatives begun by Dr. Bina will continue. We wish him and his family well. — Dawn E. Turco 2004 Student Award Winners Over the past 85 years, thousands of Hadley students have demonstrated growth and accomplishment. In 1959, we began what has become an annual tradition of honoring our highest achievers. Since then, we have given awards to more than 100 students. We are proud to present our distinguished 2004 Student Award Winners. Norma Griffith Student of the Year Norma Griffith says The Hadley School for the Blind has made a tremendous difference in her life. "The school has taught me how to read braille, to adjust to many issues in my life and to come to grips with my blindness," she says. "Hadley has helped me to redirect my life and has given me confidence." A 36-year-old resident of Michigan, Norma is married and has one son. She enjoys being a wife, mother and homemaker because it allows her to take on the role of several different people—doctor, psychologist, teacher, cook and bookkeeper. Her hobbies include rafting, listening to music, playing cards and singing karaoke-style with friends. She leads an active life. A Hadley student since 2001, Norma has completed 18 courses. "Hadley instructors have helped change my life for the better," she notes. "They've given me the encouragement to start a course and the confidence to complete a course. Each one has been an important accomplishment for me." Hugh Pharis Donald Wing Hathaway Lifelong Learning Award Music—playing piano and teaching music—has been an important part of the life of Hugh Pharis. In 1954, he graduated from LaGrange College with a double major in voice and piano. After teaching general music in elementary schools for several years, Hugh secured a full-time teaching position. He taught music throughout Georgia until his retirement in 1984. Hugh, who lost his vision at an early age, says his parents always encouraged him to live independently. "My father was the biggest booster in my life," he reflects. "He always encouraged me to keep trying and not let my blindness hold me back." Hugh began taking Hadley courses in 1984. "I like to learn for the sake of learning," he explains. One of his passions is reading historical novels. Also, Hugh has played in chess tournaments sponsored by U.S. Braille Chess Association. Mei Chiu Braille Student of the Year Mei Chiu offers a great example of how The Hadley School for the Blind changes lives. Ten years ago, Mei's vision faded away because of retinitis pigmentosa. "My life changed completely," she reflects. "I not only lost my sight, I also lost my purpose and direction in life." In 2000, a director of the Lighthouse for the Blind connected her with Hadley. Mei enrolled in "Braille Reading 1," the first step in an inspirational journey toward self-fulfillment and independence. Since then, she has completed 12 Hadley courses. Today, this 42-year-old resident of New York is able to communicate through braille and access information via her personal computer. "Most amazingly," Mei says, "I have learned English, a second language, which I did not dare dream of after losing my vision. Thanks to Hadley, I am much more independent both physically and emotionally." Mei spends her leisure time reading, gardening and cooking. "Hadley convinced me that being blind is not the end of my life, but a new beginning," she says. Wendy Stokotelny Robert J. Winn Family Education Award Wendy Stokotelny, 50, strives to understand and assist Mitchel, her four- year-old visually impaired grandson, through Hadley's distance education courses. She also passes this knowledge on to family, friends and colleagues. In this way, she exemplifies the true spirit of the school's Family Education Program. A resident of Manitoba, Canada, Wendy and her husband Bruce became the proud grandparents of Mitchel in 2000. They wanted to learn as much as possible about visual impairment so they could understand the challenges that Mitchel would face. Luckily, one of Hadley's partners, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, connected them to the school. Wendy enrolled in 2001 and has since completed 16 Hadley courses. "Each Hadley course has allowed me to acquire strategies, direction, skills and resources to help Mitchel enjoy life to the fullest, and gain self-esteem and independence," Wendy explains. "Mitchel has been a wonderful gift to us. With Hadley's help, we hope to make all his hopes and dreams come true." Linda Rust Dean W. Tuttle Professional Student of the Year Linda Rust, 52, has worked as a teaching assistant and braille specialist for the past 12 years, both in the private school sector and for the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired, her current employer. She works with visually impaired children from birth to age 21; many have multiple disabilities. Linda teaches basic skills such as braille, listening, handwriting, keyboarding and motor skills. She also helps teachers and therapists adapt their materials and activities for visually impaired children. During 2003, Linda completed nine courses in Hadley's Professional Education Program. "The courses introduced me to new concepts and instructional methods, which I use to benefit children and their families," she notes. "Many of the courses reinforce my own educational skills." Linda is an excellent example of how Hadley's Professional Education Program enriches lives by "teaching the teacher." Gladys Nyaga International Student of the Year Gladys Nyaga, 60, delivers Hadley's message to people in need, in remote areas of the globe, on a daily basis. An education and low vision consultant with Sight Savers International, based in Kenya, she travels throughout the sub-Sahara region of Africa, conducting workshops for teachers in the blindness field. Whenever appropriate, she touts Hadley and its distance education offerings. A mother of five, Gladys has been teaching visually impaired people, at the primary and secondary levels, since 1968. She learned about Hadley through one of the school's partners, the International Council for Educators of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI), then enrolled in 2003. Since then, she has completed six courses. A low vision person who can read and write braille, Gladys is grateful for Hadley's course offerings because there are so few learning opportunities and resources in Africa. "Hadley courses have given me confidence and made me a better teacher," she says. "The assignments and comments from instructors are timely and helpful." Carol Harvester Richard Kinney Challenge of Living Award Carol Harvester, 56, says Hadley has helped her live independently. Hearing impaired since birth, Carol was diagnosed with Usher's Syndrome and declared legally blind in 1980. She continued working until retirement in 2000, the year she began taking courses. A resident of Florida, Carol earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1972. She and her husband then settled in Tampa, where she pursued a career with the U.S. Postal Service as a letter sorting machine operator. Soon afterward, she was promoted to training technician, which required involvement in course development and preparation. After Carol lost her vision, the Postal Service made workplace accommodations—enabling her to continue working there until retirement. "After retirement, I received rehabilitation training from the Lighthouse for the Blind," she notes. "They identified Hadley as a good resource through which to continue my braille education. I soon discovered that Hadley offers much more than braille education. I've found that taking Hadley courses keeps my mind active and allows me to learn many new things." Curriculum Corner Innovation Keys New Courses at Hadley The Hadley School activated 17 courses in 2004 in a variety of media and subjects, yet all of these courses have one common element called "innovation" that makes them dynamic and interesting for our students. This issue's "Curriculum Corner" highlights a handful of courses that reflect this innovation. First, Hadley activated two new courses for its High School Curriculum. "Basic English" presents discussion of (and practice in) the use of fundamental grammatical concepts, and it examines how various parts of speech combine to form sentences and paragraphs that enable students to express themselves clearly in English. This skill is especially important when writing business and personal correspondence. "American Government" presents the ideas of democracy that originated thousands of years ago and offers a fundamental understanding of the American system of government. It examines the nation's roots and the different levels of government. It also discusses the freedoms and rights that the Constitution grants to citizens as well as the responsibilities that citizens have in the United States. Next, the school redesigned and activated two of its most popular courses: "Braille Literacy 2" and "Braille Literacy 3." As its name implies, "Braille Literacy 2: Learning the Braille Alphabet" enables a student to identify individual letters written in uncontracted braille (previously called grade 1 braille). This course repeats the braille letters in patterns, words and phrases to ensure a student's mastery of them. The course also enables a person to use a braille labeler, so that the individual can begin creating labels for items that are regularly used around the house. "Braille Literacy 3: Uncontracted Braille" increases a student's ability to read and write braille by teaching uncontracted braille in which every word is written out letter for letter. The course covers the braille alphabet, numbers, punctuation and some special signs. Directions for using the braillewriter as well as the slate and stylus are included. Hadley also activated its "Parenting: Preparation" course this year. Based on the first five chapters of the book "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5," this course prepares a person for the birth of a baby and presents tips and adaptive techniques that could help a person plan and care for a child during this stage of development. Lastly, the school activated two Internet-based courses, "Safety in the Home" and "Going Places," while unveiling its new initiative to make full use of the World Wide Web. Called e-Hadley, this program will initially consist of two different types of courses. 1) Online courses take our traditional distance education classes and deliver them to students over the Internet. 2) E-Learning courses deliver our classes over the Internet while adding special functions that enable students to interact fully with the computer to learn new skills. Online courses, such as "Safety in the Home" and "Going Places," enable students to access versions of our distance education courses over the Internet. Students read the lessons on the computer and complete practice exercises and assignments in the media of their choice. E-Learning courses can take many different formats. E-Hadley will initially consist of two types of e-Learning. Classes such as "Introduction to Braille," due out in 2005, make use of the latest Java Script technology to allow students to emulate tools such as braille writers and slate and stylus on their computers. Students read the lessons and complete practice exercises on the computer before submitting their assignments in the media of their choice, including email, to the instructor. E-Learning courses, such as "Blindness Basics" also due out in 2005, make use of the latest Flash technology to give students a fully interactive experience. In these classes, students will listen to radio interviews, read newspaper and magazine articles, interact with virtual characters in office settings to learn new behaviors, and complete their assignments on the computer. If these courses or any of our curriculum listed in the Hadley Course Catalog interest you, contact Student Services at (800) 526-9909 or student_services@hadley.edu to enroll in one of these courses today. Also, stay tuned for announcements on a number of additional courses to come in the near future. Family Matters Summer Sports A wide array of summer sports are available to visually impaired people, including baseball, sailing and golf By George Abbott, Dean, Educational Programs With summer fast approaching, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere, we thought you might be interested in learning about organizations that focus on outdoor, competitive activities. Most of the resource information listed in this section refers to Web sites. Phone numbers were supplied when available. Baseball Baseball is often called America's pastime. Did you know that there is a league for blind baseball players in the United States? It is true. It's called the National Beep Baseball Association, which included nearly 20 teams in 2004. Teams are scattered across the country and newly formed teams are welcome. Here is how the game is played. A 16-inch ball that emits a beeping tone is used. Unlike conventional baseball, which uses three bases (in addition to home plate) set around a diamond-shaped infield, only two bases are used in beep baseball. The bases are located where conventional baseball fields position first and third base. A sighted person serves as the pitcher. When the batter makes contact with the ball, a switch is flipped (by an official) activating one of the two bases, which emits an audible tone. The batter runs to tag the base before one of the players in the field gains control of the ball. If the base is tagged first, a run is scored; if the ball is located first, an out is recorded. To locate current teams, detailed rules and information on starting a beep baseball team, visit the National Beep Baseball Web site at www.nbba.org. "Batter up!" Sailing Here's another possibility you may never have thought of—sailing. Believe it or not, blind sailors can be found in many countries. A sailing team often consists of one or two sailors who are visually impaired and two experienced sailors who are sighted. The sighted crew ensures safety while giving important navigational information, while the visually impaired sailors trim the sails and perform other duties to keep the boat moving forward by feeling the wind, listening to the sound of the sails and perceiving the keel of the boat. An organization called Blind Sailing International (BSI) has set standards for teams composed of visually impaired and sighted sailors. The group has also established guidelines for equipment and rules for competitive sailing regattas. A recent world competition featured entrants representing the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Finland, Norway and Italy. Visit the Web site www.blindsailing.org for more details. The Carroll Center, located outside Boston, is a BSI member and has one of the strongest blind sailing programs in the world. You can visit the group's Web site (www.carroll.org) or call (617) 969-6200 for more details. The Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program operates out of Chicago and provides sailing opportunities on Lake Michigan. For more information, visit www.juddgoldmansailing.org or call (312) 747-7684. Golf Here is a trivia question for you. In what year did the first blind golfer tee it up? Was the year 1925, 1948, 1968 or 1990? The answer is 1925. Golf has been enjoyed by blind and visually impaired golfers for many years. In the United States, shortly after World War II, the Veterans Affairs rehabilitation personnel began organizing golf outings as a regular part of their recreation programs. Today, tournaments are held all over the United States and around the world. The game of golf was born in Scotland. As their fellow countrymen enjoy the game, so too do many Scottish people who are visually impaired. To learn about the rules, adaptations and groups organizing events, visit the following Web sites. The Scottish Blind Golf Society www.scottishblindgolf.com To locate events in the United States, contact United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA) www.blindgolf.com. To locate organizations in Canada, England, Germany and other countries, contact International Blind Golf Association www.internationalblindgolf.com. Other Sports The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is a membership organization that sanctions several competitive events each year in a wide variety of sports. These sports include tandem cycling, swimming, wrestling, judo and goal ball. For more information, visit www.usaba.org or call (719) 630-0422. CONFERENCE AD For families of visually impaired kids of all ages.... Families Connecting with Families Mark your calendars! National Family Conference August 12-14, 2005 Galt House Hotel Louisville, Kentucky TOPICS • Braille • Literacy • Social Skills • Technology • Mobility • Advocacy Check the following Web sites for detailed information www.napvi.org www.aph.org www.hadley.edu FAQs Q. What is OASIS? A. OASIS stands for Automated Online Student Information System. It was designed to provide you with convenient access to information 24 hours a day. Released in October 2004, this system allows you to view your course records and perform other tasks. For example, you can view your lesson grades for all current courses, view your final course grades for completed courses and order a transcript. You can also send requests to Student Services to enroll in a course and provide changes to your address and email. You can access the online catalog from OASIS. Before you can use OASIS, you must be a Hadley student. Also, Student Services must have your email address. If we do not have your current email address, you can call Student Services toll-free at (800) 526-9909, or send an email to Student_services@hadley.edu so your records can be updated. To use OASIS for the first time, you need to register online. Go to the Hadley Web site (www.hadley.edu) and activate the OASIS link. Choose "Register" and complete the form. Once you have established your user name and password, you can access your information any time. Bits & Bytes By Linn Sorge, Hadley Instructor Have you ever wished for a quick and accessible dictionary and other word information using email? Just follow my instructions and you will have all the information you need. What's more, the information you request is usually emailed back to you within a minute or two—sometimes within seconds! Just send an email message to wsmith@wordsmith.org and receive lots of interesting answers. Here is how it works. You begin by typing the email address for this service in the "to" field. Then you tab to the "subject" field and write a few words as described below. You can use all lowercase letters. Do not write anything at all in the "edit" field or main body of the message. Here are the details. Dictionary by email To find the definition of a word: Tab to the subject field. Type the word "define" followed by a space. Type the word you want defined. Then send the message. Thesaurus by email To find synonyms of a word: Tab to the subject field. Type the word "synonym" followed by a space. Type the word for which you want synonyms. Then send the message. Acronym by email To unscramble an acronym: Tab to the subject field. Type the word "acronym" followed by a space. Type the acronym whose expansion you want to find. Then send the message. Anagrams by email To find anagrams: Tab to the subject field. Type the word "anagram" followed by a space. Next, type the word whose anagrams you want to find. Send the message. Remember, all commands should be typed in the subject field and emailed to wsmith@wordsmith.org. Then the learning and fun will begin. For more details, please visit www.wordsmith.org. Traveling Tips From Miss Markem My vision may not be what it used to be, but I still love to travel. I do some things differently now in order to maintain my independence and sanity while visiting new places. Here are some travel techniques I use that you might find useful. I start by packing thoughtfully. I fold outfits together. Pants or skirt and shirt make one neat bundle. I sometimes include a matching scarf, socks or even jewelry. Containers hold things that belong together: a zippered case for toiletries, a zip lock bag for medications, a plastic laundry bag for dirty clothes so I won't have to go hunting for odd items while packing. After I'm packed, I mark my luggage in a way that makes it unique. Bright tags, fluorescent tape, short tassels or bows decorate my suitcase handles. These help me and other people easily identify my things. I always carry a baggie full of assorted self-adhesive raised markers, rubber bands and a roll of cellophane tape. These come in handy, especially when I travel alone. I use them to mark the top front of my hotel key card, those confusing little bottles in the hotel bathroom, and 72 degrees on the room thermostat. The person who handles my bags is usually happy to identify things for me so I can mark them. If my room is hard to identify, I stick a piece of tape or a marker on the back side of the door handle where the maids won't see (and remove) it. So when I place my hand on the door handle and feel the marker, I know that it's truly my room. Here's to adventure! Ms. Markem Tuttles Honored, Win APH Wings of Freedom Award Dean and Naomi Tuttle were recently honored by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). During its annual conference in Louisville, the group presented each of them with the APH Wings of Freedom Award, which is reserved for individuals who have made unique and profound contributions to the blindness field. Both Dean and Naomi have helped APH establish its Hall of Fame to recognize leaders in the field and preserve their legacy as role models for future generations. Dean has served many roles during his 20-year history with Hadley. In fact, last year, he received the Hadley President's Service Award. Naomi has been a Hadley instructor for 10 years. The couple are well known in the blindness field, as authors of the landmark book "Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness." This book is credited with shifting work in the blindness field toward a family, rather than individual, focus. During the award ceremony, Dean touted the evolution and accomplishments of the blindness profession. "We are building for the future, not with brick and mortar, but with lives, minds and hearts, offering dignity, respect and hope for those we serve." Naomi thanked the many Hadley students she has taught for contributing to her professional life and growth. "It's been a joy to see these students transform into productive members of society who then reach out to other blind and visually impaired people." Vileen Shah Wins Two Braille Awards in India Vileen Shah, a braille transcription specialist for The Hadley School for the Blind, recently received two prestigious awards while visiting his native India: 1) the Louis Braille Award in recognition of his bringing advanced braille production technology from the United States to India and 2) the Babwani Motivation Award for his contributions to promoting advanced training of blind people in India. In recent years, Vileen has been instrumental in the donation of 20 braille embossers to India. Also, during his visit, Vileen inaugurated a braille press and received a certificate of honor from state officials. He also inaugurated two computer training centers. Born in the small village of Chhatradia, Vileen lost his eyesight at age 3. He has since obtained three master's degrees from the University of Bombay. Vileen emigrated to the United States in 1992 and now teaches American History and Social Sciences at the Harold Washington College of Chicago while working full-time at Hadley. INTRODUCING YOUR STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Hadley recently established a Student Advisory Committee (SAC), composed primarily of last year's student award winners. Membership has been set to rotate; terms for most students will coincide with their being an award winner. To complement a curricular representation (achieved by using the award winners), we would also like to have geographic representation. If you would like to get involved with the group, please contact Fran Stedronsky or Dawn Turco at Hadley Central. SAC has initiated a number of projects and activities that involve you. So, we'd like to introduce you to the committee: Mei Chiu - Braille Student of the Year New York (914) 769-8184; please call Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Christie Gilson - Chairperson, SAC Illinois (217) 384-8135; please call between 5 and 9 p.m. cgilson@ad.uiuc.edu Norma Griffith - Student of the Year Michigan (989) 836-9157 griffer315@yahoo.com Carol Harvester - Richard Kinney Challenge of Living Award Winner Florida (813) 879-2058; please call between 9 a.m. and noon. harvesterca@juno.com Gladys Nyaga - International Student of the Year Kenya, Africa m-gassoc@africaonline.co.ke Hugh Pharis - Donald Wing Hathaway Lifelong Learning Award Winner Georgia (770) 929-1533 h62730mp@bellsouth.net Linda Rust - Dean W. Tuttle Professional Education Award Winner Delaware (302) 398-8227 linda.y.rust@state.de.us Wendy Stokotelny - Robert J. Winn Family Education Award Winner Manitoba, Canada (204) 638-8354; please call after 4 p.m. or leave a message. wstokotelny@pein.org We are listing their telephone numbers (some with a notation regarding availability) and email addresses here to make it easy to contact your student representatives. They are looking forward to meeting you and working with you to make Hadley an even better learning experience. Some exciting new projects and ideas are: TEACHER APPRECIATION AWARDS. As a complement to the student awards presented each year at our annual meeting, this group has proposed that teachers also be honored. Therefore, we will present the first annual Teacher Appreciation Awards during the 2005 Annual Meeting in October. We have included a ballot at the bottom of this page so you may cast your "one teacher—one vote" for the teacher of your choice. We realize that all Hadley instructors are definitely worthy of special attention and awards, but we would like to honor four specifically this year—one from the High School Curriculum, one from Adult Continuing Education, one from Family Education and one from Professional Education. Should you be taking courses in more than one curriculum area, you may vote for one teacher in each area. CURRICULUM INPUT. Hugh Pharis heads the Curriculum Subcommittee. Ideas about new courses and suggestions for current course improvements should be channeled to Hugh and his committee. He will share your ideas with Hadley curriculum development staff. WEB-BASED COMMUNICATIONS. We are currently looking into setting up a password-protected forum on the school's Web site. We are researching this now and should be able to report more in the next issue of the Hadley Connection, so watch for the update. FUTURE ACTIVITIES. The next conference call meeting of the Student Advisory Committee will take place May 16th. If you would like input, please contact a member. Remember to vote. Fill out your ballot and return it so we can honor all Hadley teachers at the 2005 Annual Meeting. You can mail, email or phone in your completed ballot. BALLOT Teacher Appreciation Awards Adult Continuing Education High School Education Family Education Professional Education Vote for only one teacher unless you are taking courses in more than one area. Mail this ballot to The Hadley School for the Blind 700 Elm Street Winnetka, IL 60093 Or phone Student Services (800) 526-9909 Or email this ballot to development@hadley.edu FACULTY MEETING 2004 Hadley instructors come to Winnetka, Ill., every two years to attend the Biennial Faculty Seminar. During this three-day visit, they participate in various meetings and activities. Because Hadley instructors live in different cities throughout the United States, this is the only time they can all meet face-to-face. One highlight of their biennial visit is the Annual Meeting Dinner and Awards Banquet during which we honor our student award winners. Everyone gets the chance to mingle with our honored guests and to learn about their experiences as Hadley students. The last biennial event was held October 2004. The Hadley School for the Blind 700 Elm Street Winnetka, IL 60093-2554 USA Telephone: (847) 446-8111 Toll-free: (800) 323-4238 Fax: (847) 446-0855 Web site: www.hadley.edu Email: info@hadley.edu