Experience a New Point of View: Learning with the Monarch

Every experience is a learning experience. For students who are blind or low vision, this may include an introduction to a new sound or touch, like the feel of a braille cell. Technology aids in the pursuit of knowledge, and the Monarch is no exception. With its ability to display 10 lines of braille and tactile graphics on the same surface, young learners can discover more information and tactile images than ever before. 

Katie Carlock and her daughter Kennedy, a second grader at the Newton County STEAM Academy in Covington, GA, participated in the Monarch Masters Program teacher training at the ATIA conference. When Kennedy saw the Monarch for the first time, she was in awe. “Her face lit up, and she could feel the butterfly on the screen,” said Katie. “She hopped on it and was able to navigate everything because it was so similar to her Chameleon 20.” As both devices were designed by HumanWare, the transition from one to the other was seamless for Kennedy. 

After taking the Monarch home, Kennedy explored its many apps. She used the Tactile Viewer to examine images from APH’s Tactile Graphic Image Library (TGIL). She also viewed images of a total solar eclipse so she could better understand the astronomical event that occurred in April and felt a picture of fireworks on the Fourth of July. “The TGIL allows her to conceptualize what others see, and it lets her understand ‘Oh, here’s what it is on a smaller scale,’” said Katie. 

Kennedy is an avid braille reader and writer. She won first place in the Apprentice category of the Georgia Regional Braille Challenge this year. One of her favorite hobbies is writing stories. “I’m sitting at the kitchen table after the Fourth of July fireworks, and I just decided to write what [my family members] were doing,” said Kennedy, referencing how she used the Monarch’s Word Processor – KeyWord app. “She’s super good at writing what people say and putting it in quotations,” said Katie. This creative exercise also helped Kennedy internalize what’s going on in her surroundings. The Monarch’s 10 lines of braille made it easier for Kennedy to review her masterpiece. She looks forward to downloading and reading some books from Bookshare on her Monarch, including Willodeen by Katherine Applegate. 

At her IEP meeting, Kennedy was recently granted permission to use her Monarch in school and at home. One of the first assignments she completed was writing sentences featuring her weekly spelling words.

Katie is optimistic about the learning opportunities the Monarch will give Kennedy this year. Teachers can load worksheets onto the device or give them to Kennedy on a flash drive so she can open them on the Monarch. “She doesn’t have to wait on her TVI to print something off,” said Katie. “She can be an active participant in class.” The students are also starting to learn about bar graphs and charts, which can be read on the Monarch. The device is useful to other students, too, as Kennedy can plug it into a monitor using an HDMI cable, and they can view in print what she’s feeling in braille. “If she’s using it in a group, her sighted peers can see and interact, too,” said Katie.  

Katie urges parents to work to acquire a Monarch for their child. “What I’ve heard from other parents who are in the public schools like us is that having a tool like Monarch makes it a little bit easier and gives you the reassurance that your child is learning and going to get what they need.” 

The Monarch is eligible for purchase with Federal Quota funds. Stay tuned to the website, APH News, and your email inbox for more information on this upcoming device.