Very good thoughts Merry! Best, Ron Brown MA/NOMC From: NOMC <nomc-bounces at lists.nbpcb.org> On Behalf Of Merry-Noel Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2020 10:00 AM To: Edward Bell <ebell at pdrib.com>; 'Deb & Jeff Altman' <debandjeff at allophone.com>; 'NOMC Mailing list' <nomc at lists.nbpcb.org> Subject: Re: [Nomc] [NOMC] Question about zoom participants Hello Fellow NOMCs, I have given this a lot of thought.... A couple of years ago, I created the Orientation and Mobility for Children Facebook page. It was created to help NOPBC parents with a Structured Discovery focus and so parents could interact with positive blind role models. However, soon it became overly heavy of COMS rather than NOMC. I had to go in and make changes to keep it parent focused with blind role models. Since the coronavirus, there has been many, many requests by COMS to join. Today, there are already several FB pages for COMS, yet only one for NOMCs. Last night, we discussed doing lessons with students... while social distancing..... which really focuses on our particular teaching style. As we know, COMS are able to instruct from a distance. Therefore, this topic was directed specially to NOMCs. If I recall correctly, the beginning roots of ACVREP involved blind individuals but over time, the blind were weeded out. That being said, I suggest COMS may join, so long as that particular COMS is invited by an NOMC. This is what I do with the Orientation and Mobility for Children FB group. I accept a COMS to the Parents? O&M group so long as a parent requests ?that? COMS to be accepted. I really don?t want our group to be over heavy with COMS and we (NOMC) get buried. Those are my thoughts. Merry-Noel Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone <https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS> On Wednesday, April 22, 2020, 8:12 AM, Edward Bell <ebell at pdrib.com <mailto:ebell at pdrib.com> > wrote: Good morning, Weighing all the feedback here is what we are going to do. For now, I will include everyone on the zoom call who says they want to be in the O&M discussion. At any time, we can remove someone if they are combative. Additionally, at any time if you NOMC want a specific meeting set up that is specific to a smaller group, I am glad to do that. All you need do is let me know. Good conversation both via list serve and on Zoom Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 ebell at latech.edu <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> www.pdrib.com <http://www.pdrib.com> ************* "I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." -- Stephen Jay Gould From: Deb & Jeff Altman <debandjeff at allophone.com <mailto:debandjeff at allophone.com> > Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 6:05 PM To: 'Edward Bell' <ebell at pdrib.com <mailto:ebell at pdrib.com> >; 'NOMC Mailing list' <nomc at lists.nbpcb.org <mailto:nomc at lists.nbpcb.org> > Subject: RE: [Nomc] Question about zoom participants I have mixed emotions about this, and perhaps that comes from experiences that should be left in the past. Perhaps trying it out to see how it goes, but having a meeting that is just us involved, so that we are able to avoid some of the subjects that will likely cause controversy with the Conventional folks. By the way, everyone wants to do this again next week, we may have a tradition starting here. J Jeff From: NOMC [mailto:nomc-bounces at lists.nbpcb.org] On Behalf Of Edward Bell Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 4:51 PM To: NOMC Mailing list Subject: [Nomc] Question about zoom participants Hello, First, my apology for the dropped zoom call today. I now know what the problem is and will work for that not to happen again. My question is about participation in any future of these zoom meetings. At national convention we open our conference to anyone interested, but we keep this NOMC list primarily restricted to only certified NOMC. Last week, I mostly only allowed NOMC onto the zoom call list. This week I am getting increasing numbers of requests to participate by O&M people who are not NOMC. So far, I am adding them to the registration list; however, I do realize in these times you all are discussing somewhat sensitive information, some of which others may not agree with. My question to those who are NOMC: From next week forward for as long as we do these weekly zoom calls, are you all comfortable with conventional O&M joining this conversation or would you rather I restrict it to only NOMC at this time. I am glad to do it either way Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 ebell at latech.edu <mailto:ebell at latech.edu> www.pdrib.com <http://www.pdrib.com> ************* "I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." -- Stephen Jay Gould _______________________________________________ NOMC mailing list NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org <mailto:NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org> http://lists.nbpcb.org/listinfo.cgi/nomc-nbpcb.org