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Outreach Extras
Links on this page:
Outreach current events and news
Master teachers
Stellar students
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions for Analog
and Digital Services
Troubleshooting for 4-track tape players
Our outreach staff
Additional Resources
Outreach
current events and news
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Students from Michaeline
MacDonald's third grade class at Thomas Gardner Elementary
School in Allston, MA
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Master teachers
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Master teachers
are RFB&D experts at the school level. These teachers
have successfully implemented audio book programs into their
classrooms and have expertise in integrating this technology
into classroom learning.
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Michaeline
MacDonald (center), a teacher at the Gardner Elementary
School in Allston with her students
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Some of these
teachers are:
Michaeline MacDonald
Gardner Elementary School
Allston
Chris Lewis
Cambridgeport School
Cambridge
Catherine Karpowicz
Samuel Adams Elementary East
Boston
Chris Carron
Dante Alighieri School
East Boston
Stellar
Students
In spring 2002, the Boston
Unit held an art contest, in which students of all ages were asked
to draw a picture of what it meant to them to use audio books
in school. Many great drawings came of this, and four winners
were chosen. The remainder of drawings is currently on display
at the Boston office, and all are welcome to come see them. The
winners of the contest were:
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Left: Samantha Auger, Gardner Middle School
Right: Andrew McGowan, Medfield High School |
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Left:
Allison Casey, Peabody School, Cambridge
Right: Michelle Hien, Curtis Guild School, East Boston |
All winning
drawings were framed and presented to the area state representatives.
Congratulations to all!
Top
10 Frequently Asked Questions for Analog and Digital Services
- Can I use RFB&D's
audio books with all my students?
- How do I know
if RFB&D has a particular audio book I want to use?
- What if the audio
books I want are not in the RFB&D master library?
- Should we allow
our students to take the audio books and playback devices home
if they are using them in school?
- How can I get
parents involved in the RFB&D audio book program?
- What kind of
training, if any, would you recommend for regular education
teachers who have students in their class on Individual Education
Plans?
- How do I order
equipment?
- What is the best
model playback device for my students?
- What if I get
a defective tape or CD or have an equipment malfunction?
- Is there a difference
in membership price for analog (cassettes) and digital (CDs)
services?
Troubleshooting
for 4-track tape players
Here are some common scenarios
members may encounter when using RFB&D's audio books and four-track
cassette players:
Problem: I
pressed the play button but I don't hear anything.
Solution:
- Check the volume to make sure it is turned up.
- Make sure that your batteries are good or that your wall adapter
is plugged in correctly.
- Make sure you are not at the end of the cassette.
- If you are at the beginning of the cassette, the "nothing"
that you are hearing may be the blank lead time RFB&D places
at the beginning of each cassette. Press the "fast forward"
button until you hear the "chipmunk" sound, which
indicates that there is recorded material on the cassette.
Problem: I can't
hear the beeptones when I press the "fast forward" or
"rewind" buttons.
Solution:
- Turn up the volume.
- In order to hear the beeptones, you must press "play"
and at the same time, either "rewind" or "fast
forward".
- When you are just learning to use the beeptones, they are
often difficult to hear with the variable speed control set
on a fast speed. Slow the speed of the cassette down and try
to listen for the beeptones again.
- Try using headsets, which help muffle outside noises.
Problem:
I listened to the correct number of beeptones but I still can't
find my page.
Solution:
- Make sure that your track selector switch is set for the desired
track number.
- Make sure you have the cassette positioned in the player correctly.
Remember, the labeled side contains tracks 1 and 3; the unlabeled
side contains tracks 2 and 4.
- You may have advanced or rewound past your desired page. Listen
for the next page announcement and "fast forward"
or "rewind" accordingly.
- K-3 textbooks will often have beeptones to indicate the start
of a new story rather than page. Some K-3 storybooks don't have
beeptones at all.
- Often there is very little text on a page or the page only
contains an illustration. There may not be a beeptone for that
particular page.
- New chapters are indicated by a quick, double beeptone. You
may have counted this double beeptone as two pages rather than
a new chapter.
If you are still
having difficulty using RFB&D's analog playback devices, call
our outreach department at (617) 577-1111, extension 12.
Additional
Resources
For additional
information and support, the following list of local and national
resources may be helpful.
Local:
Federation of Children with Special Needs
Contact: Richard Robison
Phone: 617-236-7210
e-mail: fcsninfo@fcsn.org
Website: www.fcsn.org
Urban PRIDE
Charlotte R. Spinkston
Phone: 617-445-3191
e-mail: c.spinkston.urbanpride@att.net
Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library
800-852-3133
Website: www.perkins.org
National Information Center for Children and
Youth with Disabilities-Massachusetts Resources
Website: www.nichcy.org/stateshe/ma.htm
Learning Disabilities Association of Massachusetts
Website: www.ldam.org
National:
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Website: www.ld.org
Learning Disabilities Association
Website: www.ldanatl.org
International Dyslexia Association
Website: www.interdys.org/index.jsp
Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities
Website: www.aboutld.org
Council for Exceptional Children
Website: www.cec.sped.org
American Foundation for the Blind
Website: www.afb.org
National Federation of the Blind
Website: www.nfb.org
National Information Center for Children and
Youth with Disabilities
Website: www.nichcy.org
Our Outreach
Staff
Director of Outreach
Jeanne Guiney
e-mail: jguiney@rfbd.org
Outreach Coordinator
Jennifer Dougherty
e-mail: jdougherty@rfbd.org
Outreach Coordinator, Western Massachusetts
Lisa Lausier
e-mail: lisalausier@yahoo.com
For a complete listing of the Boston Unit staff, go to the
Contact Us page.
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