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From: Walter.Siren@p18.f5.n396.z1.fidonet.org (Walter Siren)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Setting the record straight
Message-ID: <18908@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 22 Apr 91 19:13:50 GMT
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[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 MO> I agree with you, Willy, in your comments about who should and shouldn't
 MO> learn braille. I"m all for teaching it to anywho can really make use of it
 MO> better than print, but, if a little kid who has partial sight isn't
 MO> motivated to learn it and you force him, he'll probably hate it, not want
 MO> to learn it etc. I nknow of cases where they blind fold partials and make
 MO> them learn braille that way, so they can't use their eyes and cheat. Well,
 MO> I guess I understand why they do it, but what about the emotions,
 MO> resentment frustration, etc, that such treatment could and probably would
 MO> arpoouse arouse in the kids? From my own experience, I know that if I don't
 MO> see the reason to learn something and you make me learn it anywayk, I'll
 MO> learn it to get the grade, e.g. math in my case, but I"ll forget it the day
 MO> I walk out.

Mary are you going to tell me that you can't add 2plus  2?  You did
not   forget all of your math.  That is why most places have to
have calculators today, because kids were not made to learn their
math.

As far as not liking something, to say that you won't learn it.  I
really did not like any school, but I would like to think that I
learned something.  AS far as that goes, as most kids if they like
school, and the majority will say no.  I think that is what is
wrong with schools today, they don't want to make kids learn what
they should learn.  We were not asked what we wanted to learn, but
we were told to learn it, and most of us learned it in spite of
ourselves.  Most kids at a very young age, don't know what they
want to learn, so you have to expose them to all you can, untill
they are capable of choosing for themselves.  Now, that is not an
argument for teaching braille to someone who does not need it.

It's true, that doctors do make mistakes in their predictions, but
if there is any doubt, then teach them the braille, and if they
don't need it, they come out ahead.

               Walter

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