[nabs] foreign professors

Sun Aug 21 02:27:02 EDT 2011

Hmm. Interesting topic. I had a class where I had a professor I couldn't 
understand. Unfortunately, it was geometry. It's good to know accents, and I 
can see both sides of the coin. Understanding accents is good for diversity, 
and having professors who can speak clearly is important too.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carly" <carlymih at earthlink.net>
To: "Discussion list for NABS,National Alliance of Blind Students." 
<nabs at acb.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 11:15 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs] foreign professors


>
>
> Hi, Christine, and other folks interested in proffesors with accents,
>
> I believe it a good idea to become, at least cursorily familiar with 
> understanding a range of accents. I believe it can only give you  a more 
> diverse and inclusive, knowledge base.
> for today,
> Car
>>szYvonne,
>>>>I agree that any  notes that a professor displays such as powerpoint 
>>>>slides or notes on the LCD screen need to be given to the blind student, 
>>>>most likely in an email format.  I received most of my notes via
>>>>email attachment. But like you, I had to remind professors to do this 
>>>>and sometimes they never sent them to me unless I got the disability 
>>>>counselor involved or the professor sent the notes weeks after we went 
>>>>over it in class.
>>>>Most of the professors sent it to me after class, maybe the same day, 
>>>>but after class so I
>>>>could Not follow along in class. Yvonne, if your professors sent you 
>>>>notes before class, be thankful. This way you know what the topics are; 
>>>>or you can even read them in class on a notetaker if you have one. You 
>>>>can follow along with everyone else.
>>>>I went through college with just listening to lectures and not having 
>>>>the benefit of seeing the powerpoints in class.
>>>>Generally, I could follow it though and not
>>>>feel lost. But if professors delivered lectures in a disorderly way or 
>>>>did not transition well and announce the next topic, it was hard to 
>>>>follow and I was lost.
>>>>I agree that advocacy for accessible notes helps prevent you from being 
>>>>lost.
>>>>
>>>>But remember college is delivered via lecture; its not high school where 
>>>>students copy notes and vocabulary from the board.
>>>>So if Alicia cannot understand the lecture, I do not see much benefit to 
>>>>notes. Most of the time powerpoint or board notes supplement the 
>>>>lecture. They are not a transcript of the lecture.
>>>>
>>>>I would change professors if at all possible if I could not understand 
>>>>the professor. I would not want to pay for a class where I could not 
>>>>learn the information due to the professor's inability to speak clear 
>>>>English.
>>>>
>>>>I say this because its easy for us to get wrapped up in advocating for 
>>>>accessible notes. That is very important and I have done my share of it. 
>>>>But from my experience, accessible notes do not make or break a grade. 
>>>>All students have to listen carefully and take notes. You are not spoon 
>>>>fed information.
>>>>That is why listening skills are critical to any college student's 
>>>>success. What makes a good grade is showing up to class, listening, 
>>>>taking  notes in braille or your prefered medium like a laptop, asking 
>>>>questions, participating in class discussions and doing your homework. 
>>>>That is what makes the grade. Accessible notes just supplement what you 
>>>>already should learn from listening to the lecture. Therefore if you 
>>>>cannot understand the lecture, you are missing over 75 percent
>>>>of what the professor is trying to teach you.  Universities should not 
>>>>hire teachers who cannot speak clear English.
>>>>
>>>>Ashley
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message----- From: Yvonne
>>>>Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 9:59 PM
>>>>To: 'Discussion list for NABS, National Alliance of Blind Students.'
>>>>Subject: Re: [nabs] foreign professors
>>>>
>>>>Most of my professors used power point that they would send to me before
>>>>class so I could follow along. Some of them I had to remind just about 
>>>>every
>>>>week, but it was worth it not to be lost.
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: nabs-bounces at acb.org [mailto:nabs-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of 
>>>>chris
>>>>nusbaum
>>>>Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 9:27 PM
>>>>To: Discussion list for NABS, National Alliance of Blind Students.
>>>>Subject: Re: [nabs] foreign professors
>>>>
>>>>Hi Alicia,
>>>>
>>>>You mentioned the Professor's notes. If he has notes for the lecture,
>>>>could you email him and see if he could email you the notes he took
>>>>for the lecture? That is, if he did his notes in English! *smile* If
>>>>he can email the notes to you, you can study the notes either at home
>>>>or on your notetaker during the lecture if you have one. It would then
>>>>be straight from the horse's mouth... the exact notes on which the
>>>>professor is basing his lecture. Maybe this will work! Hope this idea
>>>>helps!
>>>>
>>>>Chris
>>>>
>>>>On 8/20/11, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>>>Hi Alicia,
>>>>>What a tough class then. I would see if there is another professor
>>>>teaching
>>>>>the class next semester.
>>>>>Could you wait to take it then or next year, perhaps? If he only 
>>>>>teaches
>>>>>that class, he is an adjunct  professor and may not be there long. If 
>>>>>he
>>>>>cannot be understood, probably other students cannot and will give him 
>>>>>bad
>>>>>evaluations.
>>>>>He'll probably be gone within a few semesters if not sooner.  Yes, I 
>>>>>think
>>>>>it is the university's fault to hire an instructor who students cannot
>>>>>understand. Remember, generally college is not like high school; I know
>>>>>styles vary among professors. But in high school lots of notes were 
>>>>>given
>>>>by
>>>>>the teacher along with class discussions and assignments such as
>>>>worksheets.
>>>>>In college, its my experience that it is lecture based with some
>>>>discussion
>>>>>and other activities thrown in such as a group activity, video, maybe a
>>>>>review game. Professors might write a little on the board like an 
>>>>>outline
>>>>or
>>>>>proper names so students can spell them right or use powerpoint, but 
>>>>>most
>>>>>information is delivered via lecture, unless its an english class where
>>>>they
>>>>>write more on the board.
>>>>>
>>>>>My point is that I'm sure other students are just as frustrated as you
>>>>>because they cannot understand him and therefore cannot benefit from 
>>>>>the
>>>>>lecture.
>>>>>I'd bring your concerns up to the department dean and bring other 
>>>>>students
>>>>>along. If you really have to take the class now, hopefully he follows 
>>>>>the
>>>>>textbook; if he does, study the textbook more than what he says in 
>>>>>class.
>>>>>Sit up front to be able to hear him'; maybe you could ask him to talk
>>>>>slower. If other students understand him, maybe they could summarize 
>>>>>the
>>>>>lecture for you.
>>>>>Maybe get a notetaker; but as I said, notes from professors usually 
>>>>>just
>>>>>supplement the lecture; when I see powerpoints, often its merely a list 
>>>>>of
>>>>>topics and maybe defining some key words.
>>>>>
>>>>>I have taken classes with professors who are foreign, but I understood
>>>>most
>>>>>of what they said. It does not sound as bad as your situation. If I did
>>>>not
>>>>>understand a word/phrase, I put a question mark in my notes, and asked 
>>>>>the
>>>>>professor to repeat it after class or during office hours; they were
>>>>usually
>>>>>happy to say it again. I just said, "sorry, I did not catch what you 
>>>>>said
>>>>>after xx theory. What was that and can you spell that name?" They would 
>>>>>do
>>>>>so. But I did this to fill in gaps, not for the whole lecture. I found
>>>>that
>>>>>when they spelled words I could not understand and spoke to me slower 
>>>>>on a
>>>>>one to one basis, we were able to work it out.
>>>>>
>>>>>I hope you can find an alternative professor, or take the course 
>>>>>online.
>>>>>
>>>>>Ashley
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>From: Starner, Alicia M.
>>>>>Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2011 6:57 PM
>>>>>To: 'Discussion list for NABS,National Alliance of Blind Students.'
>>>>>Subject: [nabs] foreign professors
>>>>>
>>>>>Hello All,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I kind of know what I am going to do, but thought I would get some 
>>>>>input
>>>>>from all of you. This semester is the first time I have come across a
>>>>>foreign professor with such a strong accent. ON the first day of 
>>>>>classes
>>>>>there was only room for me in the back of the classroom, so I went in 
>>>>>and
>>>>>took a seat. I had a very difficult time understanding the professor. I
>>>>left
>>>>>the classroom thinking that I will go back and sit up front. On Friday
>>>>that
>>>>>is just what I did, but I still walked out of class not understanding 
>>>>>him.
>>>>I
>>>>>did understand the video he was playing, but couldn't understand a word 
>>>>>he
>>>>>was saying. My first thought was drop the course and see if there was
>>>>>another instructor that taught the course, but I learned that he is the
>>>>only
>>>>>instructor that teaches the course. I feel I am at a double 
>>>>>disadvantage
>>>>if
>>>>>I can't see his notes and I can't understand a word he is saying. I
>>>>started
>>>>>to send an email to the access office, but decided it probably isn't an
>>>>>issue for her. It is not really her fault or the universities fault I
>>>>don't
>>>>>understand a word this man says. I even recorded the lecture to see if 
>>>>>I
>>>>>could understand him better at home, but the recording was even worse.
>>>>Does
>>>>>anyone have any suggestions? I thought about dropping the course and
>>>>seeing
>>>>>if he teaches the course online, but don't know what to do. What would 
>>>>>you
>>>>>all do if in the same situation.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Alicia Starner
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>----
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>>>>>nabs mailing list
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>
>>>Take care,
>>>Ty
>>>my website:
>>>http://tds-solutions.net
>>>my blog:
>>>http://tds-solutions.net/blog
>>>skype: st8amnd127
>>>My programs don't have bugs; they're randomly added features!
>>>
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>>
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