by Stephen Kuusisto (Nationally-known poet and disability advocate Stephen Kuusisto writes the “Planet of the Blind” blog on WordPress. The following is from his posts of Nov. 28 and Dec. 2.) When Helen Keller attended Radcliffe she observed that the experience was a “largely lonely triumph” and described how she was ignored by …
Category Archives: education
Laugh Makers, Head Shakers And The Big Fear
by Kevin Burton I am passing this list of probably true-life anecdotes for the sake of humor – I think. I got it of from a fellow alum of the Ohio State School for the Blind. There was no attribution so I am not sure who compiled them. These short notes have me …
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Producers Of Braille Are Touching Lives
by Kevin Burton Today we touch on two stories about braille being produced from unexpected sources. NBC Connecticut ran a story about female inmates at York Correctional Facility becoming certified as Braille transcriptionists. Five inmates completed the program Aug. 24. I wish NBC had quoited some of them. But here is part …
Ten Brilliant Facts About Braille
by Kelli Finger (from Mental Floss website) Braille is a tactile system that blind people use to learn to read and write, invented in 1824 by a blind French educator named Louis Braille. He revolutionized an existing writing and reading system that allowed blind people to enjoy books and communication. I certainly don’t know …
Good News From the Math Classroom
by Kevin Burton Today on Page 7 we do the math. I found two math-related stories on the Good News Network. The first shows that students did better in math when music is incorporated into the lessons. “A new study explored the causal role that music engagement has on student achievement in …
Traditions That Shape Graduation Ceremonies
by Kevin Burton Wanted to give a shoutout to all the 2023 high school and college graduates, but without reflecting, depressingly, on how long it has been since I became a new grad myself. So I decided to talk tradition, rituals, why we do what we do at graduation ceremonies. A lot …
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Standing O For Diane Tirado, My Zero Hero
by Kevin Burton At work you shouldn’t expect pay for, and at school you shouldn’t expect credit for, work you didn’t do. I give you that conclusion up front, lest it be lost in this strange little tale. There is weirdness in this story, I warn you. The first strange thing is …
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The Abacus Is Still A Low-Tech Wonder
by Kevin Burton Do you remember any of the gifts you received in fourth grade? Do you have any of them still? Are they in working order? I have one. In fourth grade our teachers at the Ohio State School for the Blind sat us down and introduced us to Mrs. Davidow. …
A Little Good News Goes A Long Way
by Kevin Burton Have you had enough of the shouters and the doubters, the doom and the gloom? How about a little good news? The Apostle Paul encouraged people to focus on things that are true, honest, just and pure. “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on …
Don’t Be A Dunce, Learn This Trivia
by Kevin Burton Read into this what you will, but the American election day today, coincides with National Dunce Day. That’s from the mouth of the National Day Calendar to your ears, through me, a humble reporter. “National Dunce Day is celebrated on Nov. 8 each year. The day commemorates the death …
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