After graduating Hue University's Teachers' Training College, Nguyen DuyQuy was assigned to teach at a high-school in Quang Nam province. Butinstead, his fate lead him down a 16 year path teaching visuallyimpaired students at the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School – a school for blindstudents – in Da Nang city.
The challenge of adapting teachingmethods to meet the needs of disabled students was not a small one, itwas a big change in Quy's life.
"It felt like I was also in thedark, learning how to lecture students in visually strong subjects. Mostof my students are blind or elsewise visually impaired. They could hearand understand the lecture, but they could not draw or see the imageryof geometry, for example," Quy recalled.
"It was a struggleagainst time to find the best way to use and create new teaching toolsfor maths class. It took me three months to understand our students'needs," he said.
The 45-year-old teacher said his students usethe Braille writing system to read books, but he had to create Braillecharacters for maths symbols such as triangle, circle or hexagon."Straight lines can be easily recognised by raised dots, but the otherillustrations are very difficult," he said.
In 2005, Quy created magnetic tools to be used for maths.
"It'smy first breakthrough. I made a triangle, rectangular, circle andhexagon from metal pieces to explain the shapes to my students. Theseteaching tools can be used for long time," he said.
Vo Van Nhat, a blind student from the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, said the teaching tools helped him graduate from high-school.
"Ispent time studying with him. His creation gave us an easy way to thinkabout and understand maths, the most difficult subject for the blind atour high-school," Nhat said.
"The knowledge and the assistancefrom him and other teachers at the school helped my studies take off.Now I'm a second year student at the Da Nang Economics College," hesaid.
Quy's latest creation is an electronic stick that helps the blind cross the road safely.
"It'sdangerous for the blind when they cross the road, with all that busytraffic. A normal stick can lead them across the street, but it doesn'tgive warning signals for other passers-by," Quy explained.
"Ineeded the assistance of physics teachers and mechanics to make acircuit connection with both a horn and a Light-Emitting Diode system.The aluminium stick is foldable and the blind can easy bring it whenmoving around," he said.
The school's 185 blind students now benefit from using the electronic sticks.
Quy's works don't stop there, he also translated figures in math books, and created compasses and a drawing board for students.
"Iuse the basic idea of the Braille character system, raised dots onpaper, to translate books. Learning tools help make everythingimpossible, possible. I'm so happy my students can find easier ways toimprove and further their education," he said.
Le Thi Tuyet Mai,principal of the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, said Quy had made bigcontributions to the education disabled students receive.
"Hiscreations come from a love for the disabled and the soul and heart of agood teacher. He creates a bridge for blind students to reach theirdreams," she said.
The challenge to build a curriculum andteaching method for the disabled still continues for Quy, especially nowthat he is in charge of the junior school for the disabled.
"Thenew school has 190 students with different disabilities ranging fromthe age of six to 18. The day boarders are either autistic or havemental disorders. I and a group of 50 members keep the challenge going,"he said.
"I hope to do more for the disabled. It's my fate. My love is reserved for disabled kids," he said.-VNA
The challenge of adapting teachingmethods to meet the needs of disabled students was not a small one, itwas a big change in Quy's life.
"It felt like I was also in thedark, learning how to lecture students in visually strong subjects. Mostof my students are blind or elsewise visually impaired. They could hearand understand the lecture, but they could not draw or see the imageryof geometry, for example," Quy recalled.
"It was a struggleagainst time to find the best way to use and create new teaching toolsfor maths class. It took me three months to understand our students'needs," he said.
The 45-year-old teacher said his students usethe Braille writing system to read books, but he had to create Braillecharacters for maths symbols such as triangle, circle or hexagon."Straight lines can be easily recognised by raised dots, but the otherillustrations are very difficult," he said.
In 2005, Quy created magnetic tools to be used for maths.
"It'smy first breakthrough. I made a triangle, rectangular, circle andhexagon from metal pieces to explain the shapes to my students. Theseteaching tools can be used for long time," he said.
Vo Van Nhat, a blind student from the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, said the teaching tools helped him graduate from high-school.
"Ispent time studying with him. His creation gave us an easy way to thinkabout and understand maths, the most difficult subject for the blind atour high-school," Nhat said.
"The knowledge and the assistancefrom him and other teachers at the school helped my studies take off.Now I'm a second year student at the Da Nang Economics College," hesaid.
Quy's latest creation is an electronic stick that helps the blind cross the road safely.
"It'sdangerous for the blind when they cross the road, with all that busytraffic. A normal stick can lead them across the street, but it doesn'tgive warning signals for other passers-by," Quy explained.
"Ineeded the assistance of physics teachers and mechanics to make acircuit connection with both a horn and a Light-Emitting Diode system.The aluminium stick is foldable and the blind can easy bring it whenmoving around," he said.
The school's 185 blind students now benefit from using the electronic sticks.
Quy's works don't stop there, he also translated figures in math books, and created compasses and a drawing board for students.
"Iuse the basic idea of the Braille character system, raised dots onpaper, to translate books. Learning tools help make everythingimpossible, possible. I'm so happy my students can find easier ways toimprove and further their education," he said.
Le Thi Tuyet Mai,principal of the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, said Quy had made bigcontributions to the education disabled students receive.
"Hiscreations come from a love for the disabled and the soul and heart of agood teacher. He creates a bridge for blind students to reach theirdreams," she said.
The challenge to build a curriculum andteaching method for the disabled still continues for Quy, especially nowthat he is in charge of the junior school for the disabled.
"Thenew school has 190 students with different disabilities ranging fromthe age of six to 18. The day boarders are either autistic or havemental disorders. I and a group of 50 members keep the challenge going,"he said.
"I hope to do more for the disabled. It's my fate. My love is reserved for disabled kids," he said.-VNA
