Artifact #4: Pecha Kucha presentation.

My fourth artifact that I am including in the portfolio is a Pecha Kucha presentation that I

completed on educating students that are visually impaired. The Pecha Kucha presentation style

was not previously one that I was familiar with and it took some creativity to ensure that each

slide only had 20 seconds of audio, however I ended up enjoying the experience of putting it

together. While researching my topic, I learned a lot of important information about visual

impairments, as well as how to support students that have them through accommodations and

modifications. There are many different services and technologies available to help students with

visual impairments to be successful in the classroom and having a teacher that will advocate for

them brings them one step closer. As a future professional teacher, I will be sure to familiarize

myself with any IEPs that students may have, communicate with their families to find out what

works best for them, and advocate for the needs of my students.

Connection to standards.

InTASC standards.

Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual

differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that

enable each learner to meet high standards.

Standard #3: Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create

environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive

social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing

professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the
effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the

community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership

roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners,

families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner

growth, and to advance the profession.

NYS Code of Ethics for Educators standards.

Principle 1: Educators nurture the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and civic

potential of each student. Educators promote growth in all students through the integration of

intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic learning. They respect the inherent dignity and

worth of each individual. Educators help students to value their own identity, learn more about

their cultural heritage, and practice social and civic responsibilities. They help students to reflect

on their own learning and connect it to their life experience. They engage students in activities

that encourage diverse approaches and solutions to issues, while providing a range of ways for

students to demonstrate their abilities and learning. They foster the development of students who

can analyze, synthesize, evaluate and communicate information effectively.

Principle 3: Educators commit to their own learning in order to develop their practice.

Educators recognize that professional knowledge and development are the foundations of their

practice. They know their subject matter, and they understand how students learn. Educators

respect the reciprocal nature of learning between educators and students. They engage in a

variety of individual and collaborative learning experiences essential to develop professionally

and to promote student learning. They draw on and contribute to various forms of educational

research to improve their own practice.

 Principle 4: Educators collaborate with colleagues and other professionals in the interest

of student learning. Educators encourage and support their colleagues to build and maintain high

standards. They participate in decisions regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment

designs, and they share responsibility for the governance of schools. They cooperate with

community agencies in using resources and building comprehensive services in support of

students. Educators respect fellow professionals and believe that all have the right to teach and

learn in a professional and supportive environment. They participate in the preparation and

induction of new educators and in professional development for all staff.

Principle 5: Educators collaborate with parents and community, building trust and

respecting confidentiality. Educators partner with parents and other members of the community

to enhance school programs and to promote student learning. They also recognize how cultural

and linguistic heritage, gender, family and community shape experience and learning. Educators

respect the private nature of the special knowledge they have about students and their families

and use that knowledge only in the students' best interests. They advocate for fair opportunity for

all children.

Ontario Ethical Teacher standards.

The ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for

developing students' potential. Members express their commitment to students' well-being and

learning through positive influence, professional judgment and empathy in practice.

Intrinsic to the ethical standard of Respect are trust and fair-mindedness. Members

honour human dignity, emotional wellness and cognitive development. In their professional

practice, they model respect for spiritual and cultural values, social justice, confidentiality,

freedom, democracy and the environment.

 The ethical standard of Trust embodies fairness, openness and honesty. Members'

professional relationships with students, colleagues, parents, guardians and the public are based

on trust.

Honesty, reliability and moral action are embodied in the ethical standard of Integrity.

Continual reflection assists members in exercising integrity in their professional commitments

and responsibilities.

DOE claims.

Claim 3: Medaille College graduates are caring educators.

ISTE standards

1. Learner- Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with

others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to

improve student learning.

 Hello, my name is Anna and I will be presenting on blindness. The diagnosis

of “blindness” does not mean that a child can’t see anything at all. If a child is

‘legally blind’ they may be able to see light, shapes, colors, and blurry objects. In

the U.S., there are approximately 61,739 children in educational settings who are

legally blind.

According to IDEA visual impairment is defined as: an impairment in vision

that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

The term includes both partial sight and blindness. [§300.8(c)(13)] Sight is one of

the five senses that we use to make sense of and learn about the world around

us, along with the senses of hearing, smell, taste and touch.

The eye is made up of many parts that work together, along with the brain

in order for us to see. If one of these parts of the eye doesn’t work correctly or

the optic nerve doesn’t communicate well with the brain, our vision will be
impacted. Blindness can be genetic, or it can be caused by an injury. A child may

be born blind or the condition may develop over time.

When a child has a visual impairment, it immediately needs to be

addressed since so much learning happens through the sense of sight normally. If

vision loss goes undetected, children can be delayed in developing a wide range

of skills. Children with visual impairments can accomplish all the things that

sighted children may take for granted, but they will need an alternative way to

learn them or have access to different tools and materials.

Hands become the primary information-gathering tools for children with

visual impairments along with the senses of smell, touch, taste, and hearing.

Sensory learning is vital for children with visual impairment as they need to

experience objects directly and sensorially. While expose children to various

sensory experiences, talk about what is happening so they can start linking

experiences to words.

Common signs that a child may have a visual impairment include the

following: crossed eyes, eyes that turn out or in, or eyes that do not seem to

focus; pupils that are not the same size or that appear white instead of black; high

amounts of clumsiness, such as frequent bumping into things or knocking things

over; frequent squinting, blinking, eye-rubbing, or face crunching, especially when

there’s no bright light present

Children with visual impairments need to learn the same subjects and

academic skills as their sighted peers as well as skills that are distinctly vision-

related, including learning how to: move about safely and independently, which is

known as orientation and mobility; use assistive technologies; and read and write

in Braille, if determined appropriate by the IEP team of the child after a thorough

evaluation.

Making changes to the environment where a child with a visual impairment

lives, works, or plays is necessary, but can be challenging. It is important to

consider the child’s safety while also encouraging their ability to do things

independently. Avoid tripping hazards like cords and rugs, ensure furniture

doesn’t have sharp edges or corners, and ensure that there are clear and wide

traffic paths. Warn students with vision impairments to any changes and orient

them to the new layout.

Some children with visual impairments may use a guide dog, which will give

them the independence to be able to do more on their own without needing as

much assistance from others. The guide dog will be trained to be very alert to

their surroundings in order to keep their person out of harm’s way.

 There is assistive technology that is available for students with visual

impairments. Assistive technology can be defined as "any item, piece of

equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf,

modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the

functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." The technology can be low,

medium, or high tech. Here are some examples.

A slate and stylus for a student with blindness is the equivalent of a pencil

and paper for a sighted person. The slate is a pair of metal sheets hinged together

with holes to serve as guides for punching in Braille with a stylus. The sheet of

paper is held between the two sheets of metal and using the guides, a person can

punch in Braille using the stylus. The Braille is actually typed in backwards and

then the sheet is flipped over and read.

A portable notetaker is a small handheld word processor designed for

students with various disabilities. They're usually able to download text to a

regular computer and often have text-to-speech and other helpful software. This

way a student who is blind can have access to a text that may not be available in

Braille format.

There are a variety of methods that students with visual impairments use to

read, such as braille, print, auditory strategies, and dual media. It is common for a
single student to use different strategies for various purposes. The first step in

determining what approach will be most effective for an individual student is a

Learning Media Assessment.

Teachers should provide books and literacy tools in formats that the child

finds most accessible and create a literacy-rich environment, in which the student

knows that the other students are also reading, even if it is in different ways than

they are. Incorporate periods of silent reading time into each day.

When it comes to teaching students with blindness mathematical literacy it

is important to provide frequent opportunities to count, offer daily exposure to

numbers through routine, help students understand basic math concepts and

provide opportunity for students to explore these concepts, as well as provide

hands-on exposure to manipulate, sort, compare, etc.

It is possible to modify existing stories to be more interactive and accessible

for students that are blind. First, choose the story to modify and find a blank book

with sturdy pages. Next, create tactile pictures that match the story- they can be

glued on, velcroid in order to be removable- or incorporate finger puppets. Lastly,

write the story in braille on the pages.

Some other tips for teachers: learn as much as you can about the

specific student. Research the many instructional and classroom

accommodations that truly help students with visual impairments learn. Ask for a

copy of the student’s IEP- their educational goals, services, and classroom

accommodations will be listed there. Consult with others who can help you

identify strategies for teaching and supporting this student. Communicate with

the student’s parents, they know the student best.

A few great websites to check out for more information regarding teaching

students that are blind are: Parent Centre Hub.org, Paths to Literacy.org, Kids

Health.org, and Teaching Visually Impaired.com

Kelso, E. (n.d.). Overview of Assistive Technology. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from

https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/overview-assistive-technology

Parent Center Hub. (2017, March 31). Visual Impairment, Including Blindness. Retrieved April 8,
2020, from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/visualimpairment/

Salvin, J. H. (Ed.). (2016, September). Blindness (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth. Retrieved April 8, 2020,
from https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/visual-impaired.html

Willings, C. (2016, February 26). Classroom Design Tips for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired.
Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/classroom-design-tips.html