Join a Mailring at the
Teacher Mailring Center
http://www.teachers.net/mailrings/
Dave MontrealCan - Good evening first I would like to sincerely thank Kathleen and the teachers.net for permitting me to speak tonight. The topic here will be integration of visually impaired and blind students into the regular schools.
Dave MontrealCan - I will discuss how a teacher can use the resources and tools available to make the visually impaired student feel a full participant in most all classroom activities.
Dave MontrealCan - it is important to remember that you want, as a teacher to always whenever possible consider the needs and feelings of the visually impaired student, they need to know that they are in fact an equal participant within classroom activities.
Kathleen - I had a student who was totally blind in my kindergarten quite a few years ago.
Dave MontrealCan - How many here tonight have visually impaired or blind students in their classroom?
Jill - I am a home schooling mom of a visually impaired 13 y.o.
Dave MontrealCan - Jill interesting, what is your child's condition i have what is known as retinitalfibroplazia caused by premature birth
Laura - I am an Educational assistant Student doing a project on Visual Impairments
Dave MontrealCan - eileen take down this toll free number to the american council of the blind in washington;http://acb.org/index.htmlJill - yes, with optic atrophy
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th Street, NW, Suite 720
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 467-5081
(800) 424-8666
FAX: (202) 467-5085
Kathleen - Dave, is that due to overdose of oxygen at birth?
aggie/1/ca - When I was in college I worked w/blind pre-schoolers.
Kathleen - Dave, you do very well with this chat system considering you are visually imparired yourself. Thank you for doing this session for Teachers.Net educators.
Sassy - Dave, does your condition still happen today with premature babies?
Laura - Dave, do you use computer programs like screen readers and text to speech?
Jenny - What can teachers do to accomodate students with visual impairments in their classroom?
Dave MontrealCan - jenny if the student is visually impaired you may want to enlarge or blow up stencils and texts to a large print size to ensure the student is able to read the material, also
Dave MontrealCan - sassy today infants who are placed in an incubator have their eyes covered over with cloth to block the light and that saves their vision they did not know this when i was born
aggie/1/ca - I didn't know that, Dave! The pre-schoolers I used to work with were mainly preemies--- this was only 12 or 13 years ago.
Dave MontrealCan - laura i use a program known as LP Dos on my screenComputer Resources - The following organizations distribute computer products or information which may be useful to people who are blind or visually impaired.anna/mt - My mother has that condition, Dave
Eileen - dave, I'm in Toronto. Do u tink Washington # would still help me?
anna/mt - My question is about the term "visually impaired." Does this mean a person can have partial blindness to total blindness? Is the term "blind" no longer appropriate?
Dave MontrealCan - anna actually it is still used and i don't see any problem with that, i think the word disabled is not used as much though and has been replaced with physically challenged
Sassy - Can you see well enough to drive a car,do your grocery shopping etc.?
Dave MontrealCan - when putting notes on the blackboard it may be a good idea to give the visually impaired student a copy of the notes on paper at their desk so that they can have it right there rather than copying off the board
Dave MontrealCan - sassy no i can't drive a car, i have just under 10% vision in left eye and totally blind in right eye
aggie/1/ca - Now, I know here in CA we have travelling teachers who help w/students who are visually impaired. You can also get lots of devices and help from the state dept. of ed.
Dave MontrealCan - aggie here in Canada they are known as itenerant teachers
aggie/1/ca - Yeah, I think that's what they are called here, too, DAve! LOL! Couldn't remember the name!
Sassy - Did you go to a special school when you were child?
Dave MontrealCan - aggie i always went to regular school but was put in a special class for mathematics only in elem school the rest of the time i was in my homeroom
Sassy - Were the other children understanding and helpful to you?
Dave MontrealCan - sassy not always, sometimes the children could be quite cruel but i learned to overcome the bullying and teasing and i think i became a stronger person for it in the long run
aggie/1/ca - How about the Lighthouse for the Blind? Is that a good organization?
Dave MontrealCan - yes aggie to my knowledge yes
Sassy - Were your parents told of your condition when they brought you home from the hospital?
aggie/1/ca - Dave--- are you a Jeopardy fan? What did you think of the recent 5 time champ that was on there recently?? He was blind.
Sassy - I am so sorry for the pain they caused you---------but look at you now!
Dave MontrealCan - sassy actually my parents did not know if i was totally blind or had some sight till i was about 2 yrs old and starting to run around the house lol
Sassy - I saw that, aggie! Amazing fella
aggie/1/ca - Yeah, Sassy-- I was cheering for him!
Jill - It was difficult (and still is) to aknowledge my daughter's vision impairments. She compensates so well.
aggie/1/ca - Sounds like she has had a good teacher, Jill!
Laura - Dave do you read Braille?
Jenny - How is Braille used in the classroom these days?
Dave MontrealCan - jenny braille welll the student who is totally blind uses braille in his assignments and then is given over to the itinerant teacher to have translated into regular print for the regular classroom teacher also
Dave MontrealCan - Books in braille are available from the itinerant teacker so it is advisable for you, if you know you will be having a visually impaired student in your class to notify the itinerant teacher of the texts you will be using so braille copies can be given to them
chas d - We have a student that as referred to seeing impaired at our school and is in special class.. i don't know all her problems except she can not see. I have to say the children treat her well that are contact with her, but I feel sorry that she is not brought into a more productive learning environment.
anna/mt - I feel like the special ed program at my school is not very effective either, and wish some of those kids could be in my regular class.
anna/mt - I mean, I would like partial pull-out I think because I don't know how to address special students' needs, but being isolated is not a great alternative for them.
Jill - yes, anna, I felt like my child's former special ed classes were not very effective. I don't know that special ed classrooms are necessarily structured for physical and visual impairments.
Dave MontrealCan - anna, my former 4th grade teahcer kathy inniss i only wish she could be here tonight she sends her regrets she was going to be here thought the same way as u, and she made me feel welcome and accepted in her 4th grade she is a wonderful teacher i was the only visually impaired student she ever had
Dave MontrealCan - just to give u all an idea of how much kathy inniss meant to me as a wonderful teacher, i won dinner for 2 several yrs ago from a local radio station when they asked who was the best teacher u ever had, i took her to dinner with a 100 dollar gift certificate it was my way of saying thank u to her
Dave MontrealCan - i wish she could have been here tonight she was supposed to be but had another meeting tonight i would have been proud to introduce you all to her
chas d - that is very nice of you Dave. She will forever remember that.
Jill - It is nice to appreciate a good teacher like that, Dave. She must've been a wonderful teacher.
anna/mt - there you go, dave! How old is your 4th grade teacher now, Dave?
Dave MontrealCan - anna she is 46 she was a new teacher when i had her in 4th grade
aggie/1/ca - Yes, anna-- in general, I'm very much in favor of full inclusion.
aggie/1/ca - Jill---- you couldn't get her included in a reg. classroom ?
Jill - She was integrated in her last two years of public school.
Jill - She had wonderful teachers and an excellent vision specialist.
Jill - The time in special ed was often spent on group speech, though.
Laura - Dave- how did you find teachers treated you in the classroom
Dave MontrealCan - laura most teachers were very understanding however some were not, when i was in elem school it was taboo for a visually impaired student to be in the regular system, some teachers did not want me because they said they had no time to give the extra help but most were very understanding
chas d - I am not again special ed programs where help is there, but all children are entitled to enlightment of education. I just do not feel funds and people are being mandated and supplied to do justice let alone a moral obligation. I wish I had some of these children to work with outside of living skills.
Dave MontrealCan - chas what grade do u teach?
chas d - Dave some teachers want total perfection in everything not realizing the branch of the imperfect tree made the perfect nesting spot for the robin.
chas d - dave currently I teach reading to the so called regular population that needs extra help grades 2 through 4.
anna/mt - chas, that is a very nice analogy!
Jill - Dave, are you a teacher?
Dave MontrealCan - jill i give seminars to elem teachers about mainstreaming visually impaired and blind students and have been travelling across canada to the various teachers conventions
Dave MontrealCan - i will be publishing small booklets and pamphlets to assist the classroom teacher as well
Jill - Cool! A teacher's teacher!
Dave MontrealCan - now i just have to start giving apples out right ? lol lol
Jill - One modification I asked of my child's teachers was to use an actual model rather than diagrams when they could.
Jill - She was often asked to label parts of things like flowers, microscopse, etc. and the detail was confusing.
Dave MontrealCan - i remember when i used to get stencils in elem school where they used old ink that was fading that was very hard for me
aggie/1/ca - I have a thing about that, Dave--- I refuse to give my kids less than perfect copies of anything!
anna/mt - Dave, when will your publications become available?
Dave MontrealCan - aggie that is the best solution i think ... by the way talking book tapes are also available from the cnib in toronto canada and the new york institute for the education of the blind library texts can be read onto tape for sight impaired students
Jill - Dave, did you have other complications of prematurity?
Dave MontrealCan - jill fortunately the only problem i had was visual that was it some children weren't so lucky some ended up slightly retarded as a result or with breathing and heart probs
Jill - My daughter has cerebral palsey and a seizure disorder. Both are mild.
aggie/1/ca - Yes, I remember when I worked at the pre-school a lot of the kids had had heart surgery---- the teeeniest little scars!
Jill - Many of her nicu mates were not so lucky.
Jill - My daughter was in the cryrotherapy study but did not need the surgery. I unterstand it has become standard treatment.
Jill - Dave, did you have help with "transitioning" skills? I am not a user of public transportation and I'm not very comfortable with letting my daughter try some new things.
Jill - I think it may be easier if someone else would lead her out into the world.
Dave MontrealCan - well i would like to thank all for comming this evening, i hope to have the opportunity to do this again sometime as well
anna/mt - Thanks, Dave!! I hope one day to have a visually impaired student so I can use the resources I gathered here tonight.
aggie/1/ca - Thank you all for visiting tonight! If you haven't checked out all of TNet's resources, please do so!
Dave MontrealCan - aggie you are most welcome, and i am always here for help whenever a teacher needs it
Dave MontrealCan - aggie i just want to sincerely say thank u because i really appreciate the encouragement i got here tonight
chas d - Dave it is pleasure to chat with you for your insight sees further then many of us who have or had 20/20 vision.
anna/mt - yet another great line from chas d...
chas d - one more team as I leave this room we may say the eyes are the window to the world, but it is the imagery of the mind that guides all through the universe. One of those minds is here tonight in Dave and i thank him for have the courage to take the trip and guide others through his universe.
aggie/1/ca - How sweet, chas! I think we should make you the poet laureate of TNet!
