Gift gives student new outlook on learning

By The Daily Journal (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Monday, December 1, 2008

Classroom learning is now a whole lot easier for Tanner Werner. Werner, who is legally blind, is now the owner of a piece of equipment that will enable him to get an up-close shot of what’s going on in the front of the room-even when he’s sitting in the back.

The MagniLink camera zooms in on the action and projects the image onto a laptop sitting on Werner’s desk, allowing him to follow along with the lesson.

And the device and laptop are small enough to fit snugly inside Werner’s backpack, so he can carry it around with him wherever he goes.

“This is something he can use for a long, long time,” said Werner’s teacher Sally Hazelhoff.

The donation was made by the Lions after Hazelhoff approached them with the proposal to help fund the piece of equipment. She knew the club would do their best to help out, but she had no idea they’d pick up the whole bill — and throw in a lap top, too.

“I was just shocked that they did the whole thing,” Hazelhoff said. “It was just amazing.”

The cost for the MagniLink and the laptop combined set the Lions Club back $3,500.

Hazelhoff said she was also excited that the technology was donated directly to Werner, rather than the district.

“He can take it to college or wherever he decides to go,” she said.

On top of zooming in on objects near the front of the room, the device also takes pictures which can be stored on the computer, eliminating the need for Werner to take notes.

“He presses a button and it goes right to a file on his laptop,” Hazelhoff said.

He can also zoom in on books, graphs, or maps, too.