Photo of BrailleSense Polaris braille notetaker with 32 cell refreshable braille display and Perkins-style keyboard.
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BrailleSense Polaris: Copying and Pasting Files and Folders

Current bug-work around and strategies for overcoming software bugs.

Once my student began having difficulty uploading documents from the Downloads folder located in the flash disk of the Polaris to Google Drive, she spent a week retyping each assignment on her laptop so she could submit them to her teachers. So she didn’t have to redo each assignment, she copied the text from her document located in the Downloads folder and pasted it into a new document she created in her Documents folder. She came up with a good temporary solution, but could have copied each file and moved it to Documents folders. 

Why should she create or move files to her Documents folder?

Good question! Since a few weeks ago, she could only upload documents from her Polaris to Google Drive if they were located in the Documents folder. Several other TVIs have also informed me their students have recently experienced issues with uploading documents to Google Drive or downloading documents. As the TVI, I have not been able to replicate this issue with other Polaris units. However, I am hopeful issues with uploading documents to Google Drive from the internal storage will be resolved when the firmware update for the Polaris is released in a few weeks. 

Regardless if my student is having this issue, it is important for students with visual impairments to organize their work. Using a refreshable braille display paired with an iPad, my student created an organizational system within Google Drive, which includes a folder for each class and subfolders for different topics in each class. Since she uses a variety of technology tools to access the curriculum, she also needs to use an organizational system on her braille notetaker. My next lesson will be to teach her how to create folders, rename folders, and copy and paste files to different folders.  

Below are commands my student will need to complete the above actions. 

Create folder – F + Enter

Rename folder – R + Enter

Copy file or folder – C + Enter

Paste file or folder – V + Enter

Delete file or folder – D + Space

When copying and pasting files or folder, the user MUST stay within the flashdisk. If the user accidently pushes F1 to go the Main Menu, he/she won’t be able to paste the copied file or folder. Throughout this process, use backspace to remain within the flashdisk. 

Even though it is helpful to have a list of steps to complete a tasks, it is more important to understand what needs to be done so the user can figure out how to complete the action in the future when the steps change. This year, I have emphasized teaching my students to identify what they are doing and think about the process they need to complete instead of just memorizing steps. A monitor displaying folders in the flashdisk and a window labeled New Folder dialog.

Image: A monitor displaying folders in the flashdisk and a window labeled New Folder dialog. 

Below is an example of the steps my student may use to copy and paste a file into a new folder. 

Additional Resource

BrailleSense Polaris: May 2019 Firmware Update post

By R Saladino

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