Follow Up Activity 1: Introductions

My name is Kellie Walders, and I am the Braille instructor at Wayfinder Family Services in Los Angeles. I teach adults. I am excited to discover how the Monarch could enhance my students’ learning experience in the areas of reading and tracking, and am also looking forward to finding out how this device could potentially help students with sensitivity issues in their fingers. Finally, I am looking forward to learning about the tactile graphics abilities of the device. I am very much looking forward to the training and am greatful to have been invited.

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Hello, my name is Byron Grosselfinger. I have been in the field of educating students with visual impairments/blindness since 1995; working in South Carolina and then for the majority of my career in Pennsylvania. I am a COMS and Access Technology specialist as well as a TSVI. I am excited for the Monarch to get into the hands of as many students as possible with the ability it has to show many lines of refreshable braille as well as the matrix of dots for tactile diagramming. Being a BrailleNote user for many years, the Monarch almost seems intuitive to the touch. There is a lot of potential to this device!

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Hello! My name is Todd Johnson and I am a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in Louisville, Kentucky. For several years I taught social studies at the Kentucky School for the Blind, before moving to the Jefferson County Public School district in Louisville. I work in a VI resource room at Central High School. I have a variety of students with some using Braille, some using print, and most using audio to support their learning at the high school level.
I am looking forward to seeing how the Monarch provides us with tools to best support the students who need strong, tactiles to aid with the presented content (sometimes content is presented with little heads up). I am also looking forward to bringing the information and knowledge learned and sharing it with the other TVIs in the JCPS district.

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Hello! My name is Tarina Carlisle, I am a TVI Paraprofessional in the bootheel of Missouri. I serve one student who will be going to high school next year. We were able to be beta testers for the Monarch and can’t wait to see what it can do to help us in the classroom. I am especially excited to see how math and tactile graphics improve with its use.

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Hi, Amy! What areas of Montana do you cover? I have spent many summers in NE MT at a family farm. Town of about 15 people. :wink:
Beautiful Big Sky country.
Anne

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Nice to meet you, Diane. I started my TVI career teaching preschoolers in the mid 90s. All of my preschool class (5 students) were braille readers. I love seeing newer TVIs in the field jumping right in to technology and braille!
Anne

Which town?
I serve north central Montana - - based in GF.

My name is Anne Spitz. I have been a TVI for almost 30 years! During that time I have developed passions for braille literacy, dual media learners and the range of technology for braille users. I have had the opportunity to teacher in a variety of settings- collaboratives, public schools, and also had preschool and elementary resource rooms. Currently I work in an urban school district, Boston Public Schools, teaching children ages 3-22.
I had the chance to see the Monarch last year in Louisville at the POSB Math and Science Institute. I am excited to see how it can provide access to our students, particularly in math and science.I will attend the Baltimore training next week!
Anne

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Redstone… it sits between Plentywood and Scobey by the Canadian border.
Been to GF, but its been many years.
MT holds a special place in my heart.
Anne

Hello. My name is Michael Tanner. I am a TVI in Southern California. I work for a company called Braille Abilities, which provides contract TVI and O&M services to school districts. I am my company’s tech specialist and math specialist.

I am excited to explore the capabilities of the Monarch to produce graphics, especially in technical areas. I understand an equation graphing app has been added to its software, which is a huge step in the right direction. But I would also like to work with someone on solid-figure drawing. My students all struggle with solid geometry, for example, because they cannot read the solid figure drawings. This is another area of mathematics in which I believe the Monarch could be particularly useful.

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Hi! My name is Maximo Avendano, I go by Max :slight_smile:
I am a AT Teacher Specialist at the CA School for the Blind. We serve K-12 students on campus, as well as any student/IEP team across the state that has a specific request for us, and we hold trainings on devices and resources, and we are constantly working to provide new and exciting tools for the community.
I am excited to learn how to use the Monarch with our students for graphics, math, reading, and exploring more concepts than they otherwise would with single-line braille displays.

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Hi!

My name is Judi Lethlean. I am a TVI and teach on campus at the Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind. I teach MS/HS Science to students with visual diversities.
I am most excited to learn about the Monarch’s ability to display tactile graphics!

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Hello, I’m Candice Evans and I am a TCVI. I work for the Northeast Ohio Educational Service Center. We are located near the Cleveland, Ohio area. I currently have students in a variety of grade levels ranging from k-12th. I help service many students that are braille users, in addition to academic CVI kiddos and low vision. Im very excited to be working with the Monarch. I really hope to gain more knowledge on how to write complex math problems, in addition coordinates and making street maps.

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I will also be in Chicago. I just got the confirmation email.

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Jeanne Neu
Itinerant TVI
Vermont
I serve students ages birth - 22. This gives me a wide variety of students, all with different needs. Some are braille readers, most are not.
I am excited to learn everything about the Monarch. One of my coworkers was part of the beta testing and it seems like it would be a good fit for one of my students. I also am hoping to be able to have my student read and answer questions on the Monarch to submit to his teachers.

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Hello Monarch Grads!
I am a virtual TVI serving Hillsborough SD in Florida and Boise SD in Idaho part-time! I have been virtual since 2020 and have been an educator for more than 30 years both as a gen. ed. and TVI as well as administrator. I now have my own En-vision Consulting LLC. and have a wide range of students including a gifted blind HS sophomore who is a tech wizard and so excited to get a Monarch! I love all things AT and especially the Monarch because it is a game-changer and the biggest revolution in refreshable braille! I look forward to hearing all about your experiences!

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Hi! My name is Jamie Murdy and I am an itinerant TVI/O&M in Southern California. I serve students from birth to 22, and right now I have a few students in higher level math in high school. I am really excited about exploring how the Monarch can help support them in these classes, especially with graphing!

Hi, my name is Lisa & I’m an itinerant TVI in Southern California. My current caseload includes students in elementary through high school including a student in AP classes. I’m looking forward to learning more about the Monarch!

My name is Anna Tellis, I am a TVI in PA & NJ. I also am the Assistant Coordinator of the Program on Visual Impairment at Kutztown University of PA. Excited to nerd out about all things braille! :slight_smile:

Hi all! My name is Amy Pierce. I have a TVI/COMS near Albany, NY. I work in a district but began as an itinerant in a BOCES. The age range of my students is 6-19, including 2 braille readers. Others include deafblind, autism, Down’s Syndrome, and Sotos Syndrome. I am excited for the Monarch because of the tactile graphic access and condensing so many books into one device.