Archive for October, 2007

Lunch Thursday?

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

Another opportunity. Up to 3 can sign up in the comments for lunch after class on Thursday.

Lunch Wednesday?

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

I wonder if anyone is interested in lunch on Wednesday 31 October about 12:15? If you’re available at that time sign up with a comment. Let’s limit it to be 3 of you so we can talk.

Generalized Move to Music Game

Friday, October 26th, 2007

Over on my blog I’ve written some about the idea that came up yesterday for Arm Arm revolution (we gotta have a better name than that). I think we could make something work.

Projects

Friday, October 26th, 2007

We’ve been thinking about games and activities for children with disabilities all semester. Now it is time to turn that thinking into action.

I’d like you to form teams of from 1-3 members and propose a project. I encourage you to think of activities we can try out at Maze Day but you don’t have to do that. If you want to work on something for the Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies (or somewhere else) talk to me and we’ll work something out.

Your initial project proposal is due by Friday 2 November. A status report is due by Friday 16 November. And you should be ready to demonstrate your project for the class during the week of 27 November.

Here are some suggestions for things to do at Maze Day:

  • Accessible Guitar Hero (or Drum hero?).
  • Accessible DDR (use speech or vibration or something else to help kids know where and when to step).
  • Make music using the pad, camera, keyboard, guitar or whatever.
  • Whack-a-mole with or without directional sound, perhaps something with varying difficulty depending on the abilities of the child.
  • Simon game.
  • Street crossing game (could pose questions like Hark the Sound games with recorded sounds of traffic)
  • Arm activity game using (or simulating) the camera switch.
  • Generalized musical movement game ( Arm Arm Revolution? ).
  • Make a maze for kids to navigate. This is why its called Maze Day and it always popular with the kids
  • How about a treasure hunt? Americo will demonstrate his on-line maps next week. We could hide some treasures around Sitterson and let kids first find them on the map and then go to that room to collect their prize.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Make suggestions, brainstorm in your group, and post suggestions here. This is not a competition. I encourage you to share ideas and help one another. Our goals are:

  1. A good time for the kids who visit, and
  2. Good ideas for future computer games.

Remember, you don’t have to implement the activity on or even using a computer. You are simulating what a computer might do using Wizard of Oz methods.

I’ll be very pleased to talk with any of you about your project ideas.

Mid term grades

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

I submitted a grade of B for everyone because I have so little to go on. You’ll all have plenty of opportunity to bring it up.

SpeechEasy

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

Wow! I thought class today was amazing. Share your responses here.

Deafness, Disability and Difference

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

I want you to respond to the lectures, videos and our discussion by writing about some aspect of Deafness, disability and difference that is important to you. Your paper should be 8 to 12 pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins) and should try to look at the issues we have discussed from both sides. You can find quotes and clips from the video as well as questions you might want to address at the Through Deaf Eyes web site .

I’m not asking for a summary of the video, nor am I asking you to simply answer the questions; I want you to deal with the issues in whatever way works best for you. Relating them to your experiences or differences, or those of a family member might work well for some of you. Others might be more comfortable addressing the ethical or philosophical issues. I’ll be pleased to talk with any of you outside of class to help you get started.

This assignment will be due in 2 stages. A draft must be emailed to me before noon on Friday 9 November . I’ll get feedback to you by Tuesday 13 November. Then your final draft must be emailed to me before noon on Tuesday 20 November . Your final draft will be graded. It must be free of spelling and grammatical errors and should address the issues in a thoughtful and sensitive way.

You may find the resources of the Writing Center very helpful. I encourage you to visit their web site and to seek their help.

Through Deaf Eyes

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

THROUGH DEAF EYES is a two-hour HDTV documentary that explores 200 years of Deaf life in America. It will take us most of 2 classes to watch it. I hope it will further illuminate the discussion we began after Sound and Fury.

Autism related study at TEACCH

Friday, October 5th, 2007

I got this notice of an interesting sounding study over at the amazing TEACCH center. I hope to get someone from there to come talk to us later this semester. The study sounds interesting and pays $20 too. If anyone participates I’d love to hear about the experience.

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Books

Thursday, October 4th, 2007
  • Everyone here spoke sign language: hereditary Deafness on Marthas Vineyard , Nora Ellen Groce, ISBN 067427041X
  • Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence , John Hockenberry, ISBN 0786881623
  • Touching the Rock: An Experience of Blindness , John M. Hull, ISBN 067973547X
  • Journey Out of Silence , William Rush, ASIN 0939644215
  • Seeing Voices , Oliver Sacks, ISBN 0375704078
  • An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales , Oliver Sacks, ISBN 0679756973
  • Living in the State of Stuck , Marcia Scherer, ISBN 1571290796
  • Making Peace with Autism : One Family’s Story of Struggle, Discovery, and Unexpected Gifts , Susan Senator, ISBN 1590302443
  • Animals in Translation : Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior , Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson, ISBN 0743247698
  • The Diving Bell and the Butterfly : A Memoir of Life in Death , Jean-Dominique Bauby, ISBN : 0375701214