Austin BELL Day 1

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Today was the first day of the 2012 Austin BELL program. The students participated in a blindness lesson about Louis Braille. They learned that Mr. Braille was the person that invented Braille over 200 years ago. They had the opportunity to learn and have fun playing with friends at a birthday party for Louis Braille.

In the Reading and Writing Stations students met their teachers Toni and Jamie, and practiced their Braille reading and writing skills. At the Non-visual station students had the opportunity to wrap presents for a very special person.

Today’s lunch was corn-dogs, fries, and juice. For recess students had a chance to get a balloon animal made for them, and have their faces painted. Our reader for the day was Kristi Durham a Braille teacher in the Austin community. The group activity involved celebrating the birthday of the coolest person regarding Braille. The students were able to bang away on a piñata; open presents, eat cake, and have a very special visit by a clown. In our BELL Ringers, many positive experiences were shared with the group. One student wrapped her first gift, and others explored the wonders of Braille.

We will meet again tomorrow, Tuesday July 31, 2012.

Austin BELL Day 2

Today was the second day of the Austin BELL Program. The theme was superheros in blindness. Students began their day with lessons in reading and writing where they read stories about skunks, and practiced their writing skills with the alphabet, and sentence structuring. In Non-visual class they drew pictures of their superheros on a cool device called the sensational blackboard, which is the newest raised line adaptive aid for the blind. Max, the Non-visual teacher showed them how to draw pictures with the Braille writer.

For their Blindness Lesson, students listened to the play “Captain Whozit Saves the Day.” Blind mentors acted out the play that showed the acceptance of the White Cane by a funny girl named Clumsy Claire with the help from a Superhero for the blind named Captain Whozit. Students had boxed lunches for their meal today sandwiches, chips, and lemonade. For recess we took a walk onto TSBVI campus and played in the discovery room.

Our reader for the day was Max, a college student in town, and the Non-visual class instructor. For our group activity we listened to the Braille rap song, and played muisical chairs. Students all participated in journaling their fun experiences with their mentors. All students shared their BELL Ringers with the group. One student was super excited to have walked with his cane to the discovery room, and another had a great time drawing pictures in the dark.

Austin BELL Day 3

Today was the third day of the Austin BELL Program. The theme for the day was transportation. For a Blindness Lesson students participated in a sound scavenger hunt. Students heard: birds, traffic, and other canes tapping. In Reading students read short stories about trains. Writing class involved voacabulary words with travel like: white cane, time-machine, bus, train, plane, walk, run, and many more cool travel words. In Non-visual class students took part in a tea party, and practiced pouring skills.
Students were able to journal with their mentor. Lunch was nuggets, fries, cookie, a fruit cup, and lemonade. For recess students took a bus ride to a snow cone shop called Sno Beach. Our reader for the day was Belinda Sims-a state employee who works for the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. We were able to make another trip to the discovery play room at TSBVI campus. BELL Ringers included taking the bus, and winning the prize for the most sounds in the sound scavenger hunt blindness lesson.

Austin BELL Day 4

Today was the fourth day of the Austin BELL Program. The theme for the day was Summertime Blues. In our Blindness Lesson students wrote in Braille what BELL means to them. Students shared why this summer opportunity means so much to their learning. In Reading students read short stories about ice cream, swimming, and lemonade. Writing class involved vocabulary words for the season of summer: vacation, swimming pool, and camp to name a few. In Non-visual class students built houses, cars, and
schools with their hands with leggos®.

Students were able to journal with their mentors. Lunch was a sandwich, chips, and lemonade. For recess students took a bus ride to a neighborhood swimming pool. Our reader for the day was Toni—our own Nationally Certified Braille reading instructor. BELL Ringers included taking the bus again, and building cool things in non-visual class.

Austin BELL Day 5

Today was the fifth day of the Austin BELL Program. Our theme for the day was Hands on Science. For Blindness Lesson students learned that we can now access NFB Newsline—the free newspaper reading service for the blind with the new and cool iPhone App. In Reading and Writing classes students practiced with Sscience and computer stories and vocabulary words. In Non-visual class students practiced their orientation and mobility skills by using their canes and taking a walk with Max.

Lunch was corn dogs, fries, cookies, and lemonade. Our Braille leaders and readers for the day were: Kimberly—NFB of Texas President and employee of the Texas Workforce Commission, and Mark—a personal trainer. For a fun group activity, Mrs. Bird—an Austin Science teacher instructed the students through 3 neat science experiments. BELL Ringers were shared and science class took the prize.

BELL Saturday School #1

Today was the first day of BELL camp 2012. Students got to wish each other a happy new year, and remember the reason for the BELL Camp. In blindness lesson, we remembered Louis Braille’s birthday of January 4, 1809, and they got to watch the neat BELL video they were such movie stars in. In Reading students learned and read cool Valentine’s Day quotes. Writing class focused on Brailing Valentine’s day words. In Nonvisual class, students played a cool video computer game involving race cars. In extracurricular students practiced art skills in cutting out hearts, and drawing hearts with their Braille writers.

Today’s lunch was a sandwich, assorted fruits, and snacks. For recess we exercised to keep our wonderful hearts healthy. Our Special Guest Reader was Judy, a nice woman who works for the IRS, and a Braille reader. The Group Activity involved celebrating the birthday of the coolest person regarding Braille. The students were able to bang away on a piñata. We had fun with our mentors during Journal writing time. In our BELL Ringers, many positive experiences were shared with the group. One student cut her first heart out of construction paper, and others learned to play a cool computer game.

BELL Saturday School #2

Ring that BELL!