OpheliaSpeaks

Hey all,
My university has given me the "PhonicEar" which is a FM system that operates through infrared transmission. My question is actually kinda silly. . . I'm wondering if I MUST use the headphones that come with the device that are labeled "PhonicEar" on them or can I use my own? The ones that come with the device are big, over-the-head type things and honestly, I am embarrassed to wear them even if they *do* help me to understand the professor better.
I am going to be in small, seminar-style classes this semester and I hate being singled out as the "girl that listens to music during class" (no joke, that is what someone asked me once).
I can ask the disabilities coordinator, but honestly, when she gave me the equipment last semester, she admitted to not knowing much about it because not many students need it.
in advance.

Deafness

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jillio

You can use your own headphones as long as they are compatible. Give them a try and see how they work.

deafdyke

Oh, and have you experimented with FM vs. no FM? Like maybe talk to your professor about "circle seating" (vs teacher in front and students in rows setup)
I know that some people find it useful, but most people don't. Even most dhh folks don't use FM post high school.

OpheliaSpeaks

I hadn't thought about "circle seating" but it's not going to do much good because the one class is in a larger lecture hall (seats are bolted down auditorium-style) and the other is smaller, but the seats are also bolted down. The class is larger than I thought too, with about 35 kids (which is actually "small" given my lectures freshman year were 500!). Thanks for the suggestion though. Guess I'll just have to play it by ear...no pun intended. ;-)

deafdyke

Oh that's too bad..................Yeah, FM would be good in that sort of sitution. It's really a "play it by ear" sort of thing.

jillio

Preferential seating would be best in a large lecture hall. Do you have preferential seating? If not, request it. Also, do you have a notetaker provided (professional, not student volunteer)? And if the FM system is not suffieciently meeting your needs, you do not have to accept the FM system the school has provided, but can request a specific system that has worked for you in the past, or that your audi recommends.

OpheliaSpeaks

ty to both of you for your feedback. This is all still new to me because it just happened last semester and since I was so ill last semester I didn't finish most of my classes.
The DSC from school emailed me today and asked if a terp would be suitable. Ummm no?! She is only trying to help but I explained that wouldn't be appropriate since I am not profoundly deaf and don't want to take terps away from community members who need them.
Sounds like I should request a personal FM system for use in the classrooms that aren't infrared equipped. I haven't used any others so I don't even know which to ask for. My schools disability office is not very knowledgeable abt options - you have to tell them exactly what you want.
I will also request pref seating even though I make it a point to sit up front anyway.
Thanks again!

jillio

It is up to you whether you want to use a terp or not, but don't worry about taking them away from community members who need them. That isn't going to happen. The agency who assigns terps makes sure that educational terps are not assigned to other terping situations. That is a very thoughtful approach for you to take, however. And yes, you need a personal FM system for the classrooms that aren't infared equipped if you are not using a terp or other accommodations in those classrooms. Most disability services in colleges do not have a rehab counselor to advocate for you, so it is up to you to request those services that you need or have found helpful in the past. Most are only there to arrange for services.

I am employed in the disability services office of a university, and am a rehab counselor. If you have any issues I can help you with, don't hesitate to pm me with your questions.

deafdyke

You're welcome! Yes, on the professional notetaker bit. Student notetakers SUCK. See if your college offers C-Print/CART....that can be an awesome awesome option. With alternative options, you might not even really need FM.....

OpheliaSpeaks

I put in the "formal request" for preferential seating. I would really rather take my own notes. I know from being in other classes that they usually recruit students to volunteer to be notes takers. I am an excellent notetaker, but a lot of students (or adults for that matter) never learn that skill. I also asked about CART (I never thought of that idea, thank you deafdyke!) because I think that would actually be the best option.
Seeing how it goes. . . Nervous for the start of this semester because my classes are quite different from my major too!

OpheliaSpeaks

Just wanted to update you guys:
Semester is officially in full-swing and so far - so good. :-) My teachers have been very accommodating. The FM system is working pretty well for what I need (I'm pretty lost w/o it) so we'll see how my next audiogram turns out and then go from there. HA's are probably the best solution but for right now, I'm doing what I can to get by.
Thanks guys!

jillio

Glad to hear it is going well. Good luck with the rest of your semester.

monkeyscl856

oh my gosh.. i had never thought of asking about that before.. that would help a lot because i am getting so sick of sitting in rows and not being able to see my classmates' faces to read lips... it has been getting on my nerves.

i should suggest that for my senior year. i don't want to try it now because we're like 1/3 through the school year... so yeah.

wow.. and as for the FM system, just look for headphones that are compatible. i tried doing a form of FM system where it was a box on my desk and the teacher had the microphone. when i was in elementary (younger years) it worked so well. but after i got my CI, like after it improved, it seemed to me that my FM system could not work. it didn't amplify. it was the same volume as it would be if it's turned off. it sucked.. so that's why i went with the path of using a transcriber. helping me out a whole lot, but i found out i need reading glasses. haha, it sucks. but oh well

good luck with the FM system

deafdyke

You're welcome! I didn't discover the advantage that circle seating gave til about college..................It really is an awesome yet simple thing.

jasin

As long as your headphones fit the jack you can use those, perfectly fine. Don't lose the one's that came with it if you is only using this device temporarily..

dreamchaser

Hi my name is Jeanie. I am an ASL student in Oregon working toward interpreting degree. I almost became a "Typwell transcriber." That is the latest in real-time note taking, and it is better than CART. It is pretty comprehensive. You might request that. It is a very hard course to pass because their standards are very high, which is cool because they honestly believe that Deaf students deserve to have total access to a class, and general conversation in class just as much as hearing students.

By the way, I am desperately searching for some Deaf students who might be willing to converse with me via email about some Deaf issues that I am researching for school. I am writing a research paper on mainstream education vs. Deaf schools. I could use any input that anyone could give me. I am also preparing a proposal to my local school board to try to get ASL introduced into public school from pre-school on up, to be a secondary language. I think I have found a way to do it for cheap, and if it worked, it might even become a national secondary language. At least that is my dream!!!!
Here is my email for anyone who would be willing to visit with me about their feelings on mainstream schools. I don't want to misrepresent anybody's feelings on this subject, and the books and articles o the subject are mostly funded by the implant and hearing aide industries. I want to know how real people feel, and what there experiences are. Thanks ... Jeanie

jillio

There are several books that have sections on the Deaf perspective on mainstream education. Also, an excellent reference on mainstreaming from a deaf perspective is the book entitled "Dancing Without Music." Check out some of the works (both academic papers and books) by Kathryn Meadows and Hilde Schlesinger, as well. Mark Marschark also, a researcher on deaf psychology, as several academic papers and published works regarding the subject.

You might also want to do a search on this site. This is a topic we have discussed in detail on many, many threads.There have also been several threads relating to Typewell and Cart services.