Learning Blissymbolics on the Web Presenters: Shirley McNaughton Kristina Ottosen

Learning Blissymbolics on the Web

Presenters:Shirley McNaughton

Kristina Ottosen

Welcome to BLON

Blissymbolics Language Online

Nexus

A new way to learn Blissymbolics!

Go to www.blissymbolics.org/moodle

BLON has been written for Those who wish to provide instruction

in Blissymbolics

AND

Those for whom Bliss is their first language who wish to learn more about Bliss and

about Bliss and reading.

Why create this course?

•Powerful AAC graphic language

•Challenge of ‘Time for Bliss’

•Experienced teachers – internationally

•Bliss users’ hopes and dreams

•My desire to share my knowledge

•Web provides perfect venue

Kristina Ottosen

Student hired summer 2006Aside from Bliss and webauthoring for a small base of clients, she is working on her Master’s at Trent University in Peterborough, OntarioHer research interests are: medieval literature (vernacularity, latinity, and the postcolonial Middle Ages), digital humanities, ciphers, and A. M. Klein

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT HER:

kristinaottosen@trentu.ca

BLISSLON: Q & AWhy use Moodle?

When the course was being created 2 years ago, Moodle seemed to be the best choice. The language packs available through Moodle (which make it possible to translate the course into 70 languages if anyone is willing to translate the course content) make it attractive for this project considering that BCI is an international organization. Not only that, but Moodle seems philosophically aligned with Bliss. Moodle was (and is being) built according to the principles of social constructivism which they define as:“[A] social group constructing things for one another, collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. When one is immersed within a culture like this, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture, on many levels.” (http://docs.moodle.org/en/Philosophy)

BLISSLON: Q & A

The interface looks complicated. What about accessibility?

Moodle conforms to WCAG 1.0 and the new upgrade, which our site will be migrating to in a couple of weeks, is purported to meet WCAG 2.0 (depending on the content that people put on their sites, of course).

HOWEVER, to make the content of Bliss 101: Introductory Blissymbolics and Bliss 201: Advanced Blissymbolics easy to navigate and digest for someone wanting to access the content using sensitive assistive devices, I would create a separate portal linked through Moodle but one that is not dependent on its framework. In addition, I would break up the content into really small chunks and have a descriptive index to allow the user to navigate to the content and take it in in small sections.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at

kristinaottos@trentu.ca

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 101

Bliss 201Bliss & Literacy

Section One PASS

Section Two BAP

Section Three Epilogue to Bliss 101

Different Approaches

Bliss 101 Lessons plus quiz assignments

Directed to Instructor

Bliss 201Tutorial and Interactive

Directed to Instructor and Learner

Bliss 201Section One “PASS”

Practice, Analyze, Sight words, Sounds - practical approach to learning to read

- for persons who use or have used Bliss.

Section Two “BAP” Bliss and Print

-guide to readings regarding the theory -- for those who want to know and understand more.

Section Three “Blissymbolics – Features of the Language: Epilogue to Bliss 101”.

More about the language of Blissymbolics

Section ThreeBliss 201

Epilogue to Bliss 101

1. Sentence Order, Negative & Conditional Sentences,

Active and Passive Voice;

2. Display Considerations;

3. Vocabulary Expansion

4. Comparative/Superlative;

5. Relativizer;

6. Prefixes – generalization.

7. More strategies: Slang, Metaphor, Bliss Name.

Section OneBliss 201

PASSPractice, Analyze, Sight words, Sounds

P – Practice with your Partner.

A – Analyze parts in Bliss-words, and Print-words

S – Sight words – use the benefits

S – Sounds of letters – learn the benefits

Reading

Reading(Authorized Bliss dictionary)

“Reading”(Bliss 201)

Add Understanding

3-step Practical approach

1. Sight Words

2. Words to be analyze

3. Sentences

Bliss 201PASS

Learning with a Tutor -

Using Skype and

logmein

AND

Interacting within

Bliss Community

SECTION TWO

BAP

Blissymbolics and Print

Theoretical support to PASS

BAP CUBE

For Resources - Welcome to my library!

Papers onDetermining Factors 1-5

1 Phonological Analysis

2 Visual Analysis

3 Language Foundation

Receptive Language

Expressive Language

Syntactic Awareness

4 Working Memory

5 Word Knowledge

6 Print Processing

7 Shared Reading

8 Writing Experience

9 Experiencing Success

10 Integrated comprehensive

continuing instructional program

And on

Determining Factors 6-10

And onInfluencing Factors A-E

A Vision

B Hearing

C Speech

D Intelligence

E Method of Communication

Graphic symbols, VOCA, size of

vocabulary, spelling opportunities

And onInfluencing Factors F-J

F Family Support and Values

G Educational Support

H Life Experiences

I Access to Print

Reading frequency,

getting books, turning pages,

computer books

J Self Esteem, Motivation

My library contains

Summaries of papers by specialists in reading acquisition

Excerpts from papers and research by author

BCI documents

Power point presentations

Reference lists, letter charts, etc.

Further resources within

the Blissymbolics

Community can be found

on the BCI website.

www.blissymbolics.org

BCI Board

Bliss & AAC

Communities &

IndividualsGeneral Public

Communications

LanguageInstructorTraining

Technology

Financial

Teachingand

LearningMaterials

Co-ordinatingCommittee

(hub chairs)

Participants in the Blissymbolics Community

Executive and OperationsCommittee

We welcome you to join us in this new way of learning!

•In ‘Bliss 101’ and ‘Bliss 201’ www.blissymbolics.org/moodle

•In the ‘Blissymbolics Community’www.blissymbolics.org

Blissymbolics Communication

International

1630 Lawrence Ave. West,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6L 1C5

Phone: 416-242-9114

Fax: 416-244-6543