Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad GPS?

A Curriculum for GPS Assisted Travel With BrailleNote  

Who is in the audience?

Who are we?

Teachers at the California School for the Blind

Maya Delgado Greenberg, Orientation & Mobility Specialist

Jerry Kuns, Technology Teacher

How did we become a BrailleNote (BN) GPS team?

• Started working together in Fall of 2004

• Decided to write and pilot a curriculum at CSB

• Realized that most O&M instructors will “co-learn” with their students

What is the BrailleNote GPS?Video from Sendero Group

What can the BN GPS do for you?

Not just for advanced travelers!Can be used with students of all ages and abilities

Six major functions of the BN GPS

•Points of Interest (POI)

•Navigation functions

•Destination Travel

•Automatic Routes

•Manual Routes

•Virtual Mode

Points of Interest (POIs)•POIs are location names marked with longitude/latitude coordinates.

•Organized into categories: i.e. restaurants, lodging, and transit stops.

•Search for POI by name or category in concentric circles around a selected point in space.

•POI can aid with familiarization to a new area.

•Gives children and adults an understanding of breadth and depth of information available through print signs in the environment.

Navigation Functions

• Real-time information about the world around you– current street name and address – name of and distance to the next intersection– compass heading on your path of travel.

• These functions can be used to gather information and problem solve while traveling.

Destination Travel• You can set a POI, address or intersection as

a destination

• The BrailleNote will provide information about – direction, – relative position and – distance to the chosen point.

• Can be used to introduce and reinforce following verbal and written directions for travelers of all skill levels.

Automatic Routes•Similar to the popular website Mapquest.

•Enter an address/POI to create a pedestrian or vehicle route from current location to destination.

•Preview the route before travel, getting information about street names, distance, and turns.

•Travel the route getting directions and prompts, culminating with an "arrived at your destination" announcement.

Manual Routes• Manual routes are user-created customized routes that do not

rely on street maps.

• To create a manual route:– move along a route, – record a beginning, – program in intermediate points called “waypoints” along the route,– mark an end destination.

• For travel off the street grid, such as school campuses, rural settings, or parks.

• To create customized routes to point out environmental features, turns, or intersection information.

• A great tool for students with memory problems who need frequent reminders of where they are going and how to get there.

Enables a traveler to explore the POI and maps of an environment without being in the selected area.

For example, if traveling to a hotel in another state, can set the address of that hotel as the virtual location.

Use BN GPS functions to explore the area around the hotel as if you were there.

This is a relatively complex function that requires good mental mapping skills and a practical understanding of how the BN GPS works.

Virtual Mode

Review of our Curriculum

• Strategy of redundancy

• Chunked related information together

• Does not include everything-this is not a user’s manual!

• We assume that instructors will co-learn with students

How to get your hands on a BN GPS

How to get your hands on a BN GPS

Work with your agency/school district:• Ask your supervisor (i.e. sample

letter of justification)• Write it into an IEP• Look into grants

The old-fashioned method of saving up and buying one

Work with your rehab counselor

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting: General strategies

• Take it slow

• Do drill and practice

• Make cheat-sheets

• Don’t be afraid to use

technical support

• Use Intellikeys Washington School for the Blind overlays

Troubleshooting: Specific strategies

•Turn off the thumb keys

→•Space E if you think you pressed the wrong thing

•If you are feeling totally lost, try going back to the main menu and starting over

•If the machine is acting weird, try reset

BrailleNote vs Trekker

Any Questions?

• See the resource list or

• Contact us at the California School for the Blind– Jerry Kuns, (510) 794-3800 x 226– Maya Delgado Greenberg, x 326