My name is Anna Trotman. I am a Braille Instructor in Alabama. I teach Braille and Assistive Technology to adults. I am looking forward to seeing how the Monarch can enhance the lives of adults who are going to be either going to college or work.
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I will be attending the training in Chicago! I’m really looking forward to it. Which will you be attending. I love the idea of collaborating! Great things always happen when working with others
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I attended the training in Orlando this past week. It was a transforming experience!
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Hi!
Fatima Portugal
I’m an assistive technology consultant/TSVI in NM.
I serve students that are 2-21 years old throughout the state.
I’m excited to learn about everything the Monarch has to offer.
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Katy Jach
Teacher of students with Visual Impairments
Seattle, Washington
I work with about 30 blind and low-vision students in 3 districts in King and Kitsap counties. I participated in the field testing for the Monarch in the fall and used it with an upper-elementary and a high school student.
I am also excited to learn about the EBRF format as well as how it will integrate with other programs such as Desmos and the graphing calculator.
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Hi,
My name is Virginia Goodman. I’m a TVI/COMS/CATIS in southern Vermont. I’m itinerant and work with a wide range of students, birth to 22, mostly in school settings. I’m really excited to learn more about the Monarch–it has the potential to provide such a variety of information. I’m attending the training in Baltimore in March!
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Hello. My name is Theresa Craig and I am the TVI for a school district in Southern Delaware. I coordinate and provide all services to our VI students. I am also the AT specialist and spend a lot of time advocating for my students’ accessible needs. My students range from 3 to 18 across 6 schools. I am excited to learn the Monarch as I see it as a future step towards increased accessibility and inclusion for our students.
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Name: Lisa Nichols
Job role: TVI, Itinerant
Location: East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Tell us a little about the students/clients you serve.
I serve students who are learning braille and braille technology. I’ve worked across grades from kindergarten to high school, not only teaching, but also transcribing curriculum materials, including test and tactile graphics. The goal is always to have materials ready, and the student familiar with how braille or graphics are used on newly introduced materials, which fosters more interactive and inclusive learning, amping the motivation and independence during real-time instruction.
What are you excited to learn about the Monarch?
The excitement of the Monarch brings thoughts of having finger-tip accessibility to graphics, which is a new, different, quicker way for students to become the lead in accessing graphics during real-time instruction.
I’m looking forward to the journey.
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My name is Teresa Pilgram and I am a TVI/COMS for Calhoun County Independent School District in Port Lavaca, Texas. I have a braille student who came to the United States from China when he was in the 6th grade. He knew no braille, very few cane skills, and just a little English. He has made great strides and is now reading braille and learning technology. I have a kindergarten braille student who is just learning braille this year. He transferred from another district was not taught it. I have 8 other students and 2 I am testing currently who will both qualify plus 5 O&M students, so I am staying busy! I am excited to learn tactile graphics on the Monarch. I need more assistance with this and think it will be very beneficial to my students. I am also so excited that the Monarch has more lines of braille so my students won’t have to scroll so much! Technology is so wonderful in the way it assists our students!!
THANK YOU for this opportunity and for being so helpful to me when I have had questions about the Mantis. My student is now able to read well and search for items on it!!
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Hi, Katherine!!! Teresa Pilgram here from your old place in Port Lavaca, Texas!!
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Hello how are things going?
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Fine. I have a full caseload! I really enjoy this job, though. How are you?
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I am good work keeps me busy. Which training are you going to?
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Julie Hapeman
COMS
Milwaukee, WI
My job position is orientation & mobility but I am also a licensed TVI as well as a CVRT and CATIS. I’m most excited to learn how to make tactile images, particularly for mapping, but I’m up for learning anything and so glad to be included.
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Hello,
I’m Kristi Portugue from Minnesota. I’m a TVI who works with students birth-22 in south central Minnesota. I am so excited to see what the Monarch can do! It can be a game changer for many students by allowing them access to more lines of braille at one time. I am imaging how the images, long division problems, and being able to see a whole paragraph while editing will improve how students who read braille access their education.
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My name is Chad Brown.
I am an Assistive Tech consultant here in Iowa. I am excited to learn more about the Monarch and the new Braille format.
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Hi my name is Allison Mello. I am an assistive technology specialist at the California School for the Blind. We serve on-campus students as well as conduct outreach across the entire state. I am so excited to find new ways to implement Monarch technology in different teaching applications and environments.
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Hello, my name is Krista Collins and I am a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in San Luis Obispo County of California. I am itinerant and serve students birth to 22 years. My caseload consists primarily of students with low vision, however I do have 2 academic braille readers who are seniors and 1 high school student who is learning braille as a secondary medium. I am extremely thrilled about this experience with being able to interact with the Monarch device and all that it has to offer tactile users! I can’t wait to engage with images of multiple lines in real time on an electronic device versus in hard copy tactile format. I’m also very excited to learn more and interact with a book with images on the Monarch.
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My name is Jill Dunaway and I am an assistive technology trainer with the Center for Assistive Technology Training (CATT) Southeast. I have been involved with the Monarch for a while and am excited about how far it has come so far and am even more excited about the limitless future for our students! Multiline braille and tactile graphics at your fingertips has been a dream for us braille readers for a vrey long time!
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Hi! My name is Kina Blackburn I have been a TVI for the Yakima (Washington) School District for the past 14 years. I work with students throughout the school district ages 3 to 21. I am very excited to attend the Monarch training in Austin in April! I have not had much access to the Monarch yet, but I am so excited to learn all about it, especially the tactile graphics!
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