Out of Sight Teaching

Introduction to Building Cognitive Maps In order to independently orient themselves to their environment, individuals who are visually impaired are taught to systematically build maps in their head. It is often referred to as building a cognitive or mental map. This is a process that is introduced at a young age and is expanded upon as one proceeds through life. Something I have observed over and over again through my years as an Orientation & Mobility Instructor is the importance of having strong cognitive mapping skills. You can have fantastic mobility skills, but if you do not understand the environment you are traveling or do not have the ability to independently orient yourself to a novel environment, independent travel is going to be a struggle. Building strong cognitive mapping skills starts during early intervention and is built on as one proceeds through life. It start with first gaining the skill, then learning to apply it. With time, one will be able to independentl

Teaching Pre-Braille Remotely Teaching a 4-year old Pre-Braille remotely has had its  challenges.   Shouldn't they be learning through play? How am I going to teach a tactual concept through the computer?  How am I going to remotely expand their concept development? Suddenly, 10 years into my career, I felt like a first year teacher again Now, 10 months into remote learning, I feel like we are finally in a groove.  Each week we explore a new theme. Needed materials for that themes are sent to the student in the mail via "Free Matters of the Blind" Some of our favorite themes have been: 1.) Meet the Chef 2.) Meet the Building 3.) A Visit to the Doctor 4.) A Fishing We Will Go During each theme, we explore the objects identified with the theme.  A list of the needed objects is sent to the parent/guardian in advance,  so that they can collect them and have them ready.  If it is an object that they would not have easily accessible, it is sent to them with their weekly materia

Does your VI child have a dream of becoming an engineer, architect, scientist? Do they wonder how they will make  accurate measurements? This year I have had the pleasure of working with a teacher who had the solution to this problem. Below is a picture of a  digital caliper with an extra-large LCD Screen. This tool allowed my student to make accurate measurements big and small. He adjusted the tool until the screen read the measurement he needed and then used a ruler to mark the line.   I purchased the  Neiko 01407A Stanless Steel 6-Inch Digital Caliper with Extra-Large LCD Screen and Instant SAE-Metric Conversion from  eToolscity at  Amazon. com  If the screen is not big enough for your child, he or she could alway use it along with their CCTV or hand held magnifier. Now if they would only come out with a talking caliper! One of the most exciting parts of my job is working with and sharing ideas with other professionals. Some of my best classroom modification ideas are bor

Is your child a Bookshare member? Do you have a tablet? Now you can bring Bookshare to your child's tablet!  I have had multiple parents tell me that their child no longer fights them to read. These applications below allow your child to access books in the learning media that best fits their needs whether it be Braille, Large Print or Audio. Tablet : IPAD Bookshare Application : Read2Go Tablet : Android Bookshare Application: GO Read Tablet: KindleFire Bookshare Application : Darwin Reader

Introducing a CCTV to a young or old child can be intimidating.  Below are some games I enjoy playing with my students to help them become more comfortable with their CCTVs. 1.) Buy Memory at the store and play it under the CCTV. Have the child practice using the zoom function by exploring the small details on each card. 2.) Give them their favorite children's book and have them go on a scavenger hunt for certain pictures in the book. 3.) Print a hidden picture and let the students complete it under the CCTV. 4.) Draw different sized lines horizontally across a page one under another. At the end of each line, put a surprise.(I often use small edible items such as a goldfish or skittle.) Have the child practice using the CCTV to track each line to the surprise. Repeat this activity with vertical lines.  5.) Have the child read jokes, complete word searches or play Mad Lips under the CCTV. 6.)  Have the child color pictures with small details. What games or activities

As we all know, toddlers and preschool students learn best through play. When working with a student who is blind, that is the key age to get in those pre-braille skills. Below, I listed a few of my favorite pre-braille games/activities. Feel free to comment and share your child's as well!  Candyland Make Candyland tactile by assigning each color its own texture. Now your child can participate in game time with his or her peers AND is learning to match and identify textures.   (I can't take credit for this idea because I stole it from my amazing supervising teacher during student teaching.) Dominoes A couple years ago, my grandfather asked me to go through his game closet and take anything I thought my students may enjoy. I was lucky enough to come across   Pavilion Games: Double 12 Dominoes. These dominoes pieces are actually tactile which make them perfect for practicing Pre-Braille skills!  Go Fish   Create a tactile Go Fish game by attaching

This weekend, I had the privilege of attending New Jersey's Division of Parent's of Blind Children Conference: When I Grow Up . I met many incredible families and VI professionals who had much valuable information to share. Today I would like to share an Apple application that I had the opportunity to experience at the conference. For years, individuals with visual impairment have had their own ways of insuring they received the correct change when in the community. Some always used their credit card or wrote checks to avoid the need for change. Others requested their change in all $1 dollar bills so that they could count their change back to themselves. Now, with the LookTel Money Reader Application, individuals with visual impairment can easily determine if they received the correct change. The LookTell Money Reader uses an Apple devices's camera to instantly identify currency and speak its value.  When looking for a video of the application to share, I fou