Teacher Leader Seminar 2012
(image 1: Leesa Wallace using the blackboard and showing off her work)
(image 2 a session held about Structured discovery learning with children)
(image 3: Deja Powell teaching a dance routine to teachers in blindfold. Yes blind students can learn to dance!)This past weekend I participated in the NFB's Teacher Leader Seminar. It was a great energetic weekend that brought together Teachers of blind children from all over the country. There was so much knowledge that was shared. Below are some of the misconceptions that were cleared up and brought to our attention. They are...
1. "A misconception is that students with lower cognitive ability cannot learn contractions" Casey Robertson. Contractions are kind of like shortened words in text. They are used in braille so ensure faster reading. Many teachers do not teach children with other abilities. They think that braille will be too difficult and that is absolutely not true. In one of the seminars Casey showed us firsthand what she has done to work with these exceptional children. She is making a huge difference in her state of Mississippi and in the field.
2. A student that has to read print at 75 point font of anything near that should do it. FALSE. If a child has to read print so close and strains his or her sight and back, then they should be reading braille. There is no reason why a child should have to work that hard to read. Unfortunately, many teachers of the blind do just that and blow up materials for their students. If a child is receiving services then braille is the law, it has to be proven that they do not need it before it can be denied.
3. "A misconception is that blind children cannot get good graphics" Ann Cunningham. Many teachers and parents struggle to provide graphics to blind children. However, Ann Cunningham proved that graphics can be accessible and provided us with a great useful tool. The tool she provided was called a blackboard. Any image can be placed over its surface and then traced with a pen. The blackboard raises the print so that it becomes tactile. This tool can be used for charts, graphs and anything else. They can be purchased at sensationalblackboards.com
4. Blind children's canes get in the way in the classroom and be harmful to other students so should be left in a corner. FALSE. A student needs to have his or her cane at all times. If a child learns the appropriate way to put a cane away and place it on the floor it will not cause problems. If a blind child uses his or her cane to hit others and causes problems, they need to be disciplined just like any sighted child would. If a sighted child using a pencil to harm someone the pencil is not taken away. This is what should happen with a blind child, they should be disciplined but their cane should remain with them at all times.
5. Braille is really hard to learn. FALSE. This statement was touched upon many times at the seminar. When teacher of the blind believe that braille is hard, guess what ... it will be! The teacher's attitudes about braille will be reinforced onto the student. We as teachers need to know that braille is not hard to learn for students. In fact, they pick it up quite easily. If they have braille instruction every day they will be proficient, and it is our job to help them get there.
6. Low vision students don't need braille if they can read large print. FALSE. This was also touched upon many times at the seminar. Many teachers of the blind do not teach braille to low vision students. This may seem appropriate at the time, but what happens when a student needs to read harder materials and needs to be on grade level. Low vision students are many times denied the level of literacy that other students are for the simple fact that braille is not offered to them. If a blind child is at normal intelligence, then they should be reading at grade level. However, if they are at above average intelligence, they need to be reading at a higher level. Many times this does not happen because blind students are not expected to compete at an equal basis with their sighted peers.
Overall the Teacher Leader Seminar was a huge success I learned so much from all of the sessions and from the other teachers who were there to participate. I think many misconceptions about blind children and braille were broken, and these teachers will be able to take what they learned and hold high expectations for their students. Because BRAILLE IS BEUTIFUL!
Keep up the good work!
1. "A misconception is that students with lower cognitive ability cannot learn contractions" Casey Robertson. Contractions are kind of like shortened words in text. They are used in braille so ensure faster reading. Many teachers do not teach children with other abilities. They think that braille will be too difficult and that is absolutely not true. In one of the seminars Casey showed us firsthand what she has done to work with these exceptional children. She is making a huge difference in her state of Mississippi and in the field.
2. A student that has to read print at 75 point font of anything near that should do it. FALSE. If a child has to read print so close and strains his or her sight and back, then they should be reading braille. There is no reason why a child should have to work that hard to read. Unfortunately, many teachers of the blind do just that and blow up materials for their students. If a child is receiving services then braille is the law, it has to be proven that they do not need it before it can be denied.
3. "A misconception is that blind children cannot get good graphics" Ann Cunningham. Many teachers and parents struggle to provide graphics to blind children. However, Ann Cunningham proved that graphics can be accessible and provided us with a great useful tool. The tool she provided was called a blackboard. Any image can be placed over its surface and then traced with a pen. The blackboard raises the print so that it becomes tactile. This tool can be used for charts, graphs and anything else. They can be purchased at sensationalblackboards.com
4. Blind children's canes get in the way in the classroom and be harmful to other students so should be left in a corner. FALSE. A student needs to have his or her cane at all times. If a child learns the appropriate way to put a cane away and place it on the floor it will not cause problems. If a blind child uses his or her cane to hit others and causes problems, they need to be disciplined just like any sighted child would. If a sighted child using a pencil to harm someone the pencil is not taken away. This is what should happen with a blind child, they should be disciplined but their cane should remain with them at all times.
5. Braille is really hard to learn. FALSE. This statement was touched upon many times at the seminar. When teacher of the blind believe that braille is hard, guess what ... it will be! The teacher's attitudes about braille will be reinforced onto the student. We as teachers need to know that braille is not hard to learn for students. In fact, they pick it up quite easily. If they have braille instruction every day they will be proficient, and it is our job to help them get there.
6. Low vision students don't need braille if they can read large print. FALSE. This was also touched upon many times at the seminar. Many teachers of the blind do not teach braille to low vision students. This may seem appropriate at the time, but what happens when a student needs to read harder materials and needs to be on grade level. Low vision students are many times denied the level of literacy that other students are for the simple fact that braille is not offered to them. If a blind child is at normal intelligence, then they should be reading at grade level. However, if they are at above average intelligence, they need to be reading at a higher level. Many times this does not happen because blind students are not expected to compete at an equal basis with their sighted peers.
Overall the Teacher Leader Seminar was a huge success I learned so much from all of the sessions and from the other teachers who were there to participate. I think many misconceptions about blind children and braille were broken, and these teachers will be able to take what they learned and hold high expectations for their students. Because BRAILLE IS BEUTIFUL!
Keep up the good work!
--Miss Conceptions
