Please introduce yourself here.
Name
Job role
Location
Tell us a little about the students/clients you serve.
What are you excited to learn about the Monarch?
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Amy Snow
Statewide AT Specialist
Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Janesville Wisconsin
I do mainly teacher training and some student instruction, but not as much as I used to. I support TVIs in Wisconsin with their AT needs, PD, equipment loan and support, etc.
Looking forward to learning more about the Monarch and how the new ebrf file format works.
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Hi! I am Diana Goff, a TVI at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired.
For the most part I work with upper elementary students, but I do also work with older students as well.
I am excited to learn EVERYTHING about the Monarch! I have been telling all of the students at my school about this product and cannot wait to share everything that I will learn with them.
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Miriam Dixon
Braille teacher
I teach uncontracted, contracted braille as well as braille technology (primarily the BrailleNote Touch+)
DSB Career and Training Center in Raleigh, NC
I primarily teach adventitiously blind adults who recently lost vision although I presently have a congenitally blind young adult who is working on the BNT+. She will be the one who I show and teach the Monarch.
I am excited about the advancement of the tactile graphics for College Prep and O&M with the Monarch. Also, I am just excited to put my hands on one and find out how it works.
I have been teaching braille to adults for 45 (!!) years. It is amazing to me that when I started January 1979 I was only hearing about the Versabraille (spelling–I forgot–LOL!). Times have changed!
My activities outside of work are numerous. I bowl on a blind and visually impaired bowling league, the Raleigh Outlaws. I am also a bell ringer. I ring tower bells in the change ringing style like in England. I am also a member of the National Federation of the Blind.
I am passionate about teaching braille to adults so they can read books again.
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Hi. My name is Sue O’Brien
I work at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a technology applications teacher and braille transcriber/adapted materials specialist.
I serve students in grades K-12 and in Career Ed and our EXIT program.
I am super excited to learn about the Monarch. I believe this device is a huge step in providing access to content. Looking forward to training this spring.
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Hi!
Amy Tangen
TVI - VI Outreach - Montana
I serve birth to 21 in public schools on a Consultation model. I believe this tool will be an asset to our students - looking forward to it!
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Hi my name is Morgan DiPalma and I live in West Virginia. I work for Children’s Vision Rehabilitation Program as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. I serve students all over the state through many programs we offer. I am excited to learn about all things the Monarch can offer.
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Good morning! I’m Belinda Rudinger, and I’m a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce. I’m also a teacher of students with visual impairments and a CATIS. In addition to my full time job, I work with a few college-age students with visual impairments locally in the North Texas area. I am thrilled about the Monarch–I had the chance to field test it with one of my students last fall, and it was incredible to see her response to it 
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Hi Sue! Happy to see you here!
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Nice to meet you, Miriam! What an amazing career you’ve had! For a lot of my career I worked with children, but I am interested in working with adults, especially with braille and technology. I would love to hear more about your work.
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Hi Amy
I have Wisconsin roots, and I have reached out to you before with CATIS questions–you have always been so helpful. I appreciate all the work you all do there at WCBVI!
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Hi! My name is Diane Coleman. This is my 3rd year working as a TVI in WV. I also work for our state early intervention program traveling to multiple counties. I love my job! I was fortunate to use the Monarch in October with one of my students. It’s an amazing device and I can’t wait to learn more and meet everyone who has worked tirelessly to make this training possible. Thank you!!!
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Hi Morgan! So excited to see you here. Where are you headed for the training?
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Hello everyone! My name is Emily Maginn and I am an itinerant TVI/COMS in southern Ohio. I work with students PS thru graduation in their home districts. I am very excited for the Monarch training this spring.
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Hi All!!
My name is Mandy Carpenter and I am located in West Richland, WA. I work for the Richland School District as a Teacher of blind and low vision learners, as well as a COMS. I serve a wide range of students ages 3-21 who are blind, low vision, academic, and have additional disabilities. I am really excited to learn the ins and outs of operating the monarch, as well as tips to teach students to be proficient in using the monarch.
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Amy, thank you so much for your BrailleNote Touch+ Beginner’s Boot Camp YouTube videos!! I am so excited to meet you. The videos helped me learn the BNT so quickly.
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Kimberly Paglia
I am a TSVI/COMS working for Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 in Western PA. I work with preschool students through high school seniors, using an itinerant model. Currently I serve students in 3 districts. I am looking forward to learning about the ways the Monarch can support tactile graphics, as well as the potential to access digital texbooks on the device.
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Hi my name is Jennelle Carpenter. I am a TVI in WNY for Erie 1 BOCES. We service 19 school districts but at this time I am solely in one district providing services for students K-12. Most of my students are low vision with a couple legally blind. I focus on teaching Braille, assistive technology and providing enlargements at the HS level in all grades and subjects. I also coordinate out Professional Development training for BOCES TVIs as well as any TVIs interested in the area. I have one new cutie with CVI which is fun making all the materials for her but time consuming.
I am expecting to use my prior knowledge using Braille displays and Braillenotes for students I use to work with who were totally blind to help me understand the new technology coming out. I am so excited to learn about the Monarch and share my knowledge and experience with it with my colleagues. Some of us are working with the chameleon this time and have been asking for additional training, I am hoping to provide the training to my colleagues.
I look forward to meeting other TVIs from around the US as we don’t get to mingle with many in such a small field of us
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Hi!
Wanda Easter
TVI
Philadelphia, PA
I serve students in grades K-12 in nonpublic schools.
I am excited to learn everything about the Monarch. I believe this will be a great asset to include in the toolkit of resources.
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Hello! My name is Tami Sifferlen and I am a TVI at a collaborative in Massachusetts North of Boston - we are about 10 minutes from the New Hampshire border! I service kids 3-22 in the surrounding communities that we refer to as member districts. Most of my students are in inclusion settings where they are learning along with their peers. These students are all academic students and will graduate along with their peers. I do have a few kiddos in separate classrooms, due to behaviors and/or additional disabilities. These kiddos will be in school until age 22. I have 3 High School students with low vision that are at technical schools (vocational schools). 2 of these students have declining vision. They are slowing learning Braille! Very Slow as they won’t practice…and because they go to a technical school they are only seen every other week on academic weeks. Shop weeks I do consult at times.
I have a young braille reader and this is why I am SO EXCITED about the Monarch! I am excited to see the possibilities that using the Monarch will do for her education. As I have been through the “I am a TVI and have a Braille Reader Education” before and getting materials was always challenging. Getting general ed teachers to understand that they just can’t hand out a “surprise” paper quiz, getting the same edition of a book…time to prepare materials, all the craziness of having a student who reads Braille!!! I know with technology over the years - things have changed. But there is still that one teacher who prefers paper and pencils and worksheets! The Monarch is a game changer in my book and can’t wait to see the possibilities! I was working at Carroll Center for the Blind this summer and did happen to get a peek of it for a few minutes…
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