Visual Impairment - Resources

Visual impairment was defined by the presenters as, any diagnosed condition of the eye or visual condition that cannot be corrected to within normal limits. People who are legally blind may still have vision and the sight simulator passed around gave us the opportunity to experience how a person who is legally blind sees. We then discussed how students would be affected if they were to develop a visual impairment after they were born. This was highlighted in the Hamish and Andy video where Andy was blind for the week and showed how difficult it was to deal with the loss of his sight, not being born with vision impairment. He had anxiety attacks and found it difficult to cope and keep up with all the noise going on around him. Students with a visual impairment would doubtlessly feel exactly the same way, and therefore the importance of using resources to assist these students is imperative, not only to their learning but also their everyday life.

The speakers discussed a range of resources such as programs, apps, books, websites and braille. I was not aware that the Guide Dogs Association provided so many resources and programs to assist people with visual impairment. The speakers illustrated how this organisation can assist students with a VI by simply teaching them how to travel to and from school. Vision Australia was another resource shown that I found extremely useful and interesting, its aim too eliminate discrimination against people with visual impairment in society. I feel as though this should start in the classroom, as educating students can easily spread to educating the community. Other interesting resources discussed included chromevox for visually impaired users, colour ID app, and simply adjusting the settings on a standard iPad to suit a student with a VI. I own an iPad myself, and I did not know half the features that were included that could assist a student with a VI in the classroom, so that knowledge was particularly helpful. The main resource I found could be used specifically in the classroom was the Mimio Teach Interactive System and Mimiocapture ink recorder. This amazing piece of technology would be particularly useful in a maths lessons as it records and relays information in chronological order from the whiteboard to the students screen, so they are able to adjust the visuals to suit their individual needs. Braille is also especially important for people to learn braille in maths and science due to spatial concepts. I could easily incorporate these resources into my classroom to further assist students with a VI.

One of the speakers discussed her findings when asking an array of people with visual importance their opinion in regards to whether braille is still relevant and useful in the technological world we now live in. All people surveyed said that it was important and still relevant, one person saying that "it puts me on the same level playing field as a sighted person". This allowed me to understand that even though a myriad of technologically advanced resources are now available, offering students a hard copy (braille) is clearly important in their educational development. The speakers also discussed how the educational level of the parents influences development delay on the communication and socialisation of the children with a visual impairment. This means that as a teacher I will need to ensure I am doing all I can to support, encourage and educate any students with a visual impairment in my classroom, by using the resources mentioned as well as building and maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with the students parents, specialists and other influential people related to the well being of the child.

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Resources

The presentation on Autism Spectrum Disorder presented an array of fabulous and well organised resources I had never heard of before! In addition to this, I learned several facts about autism including: it is four times higher in males than females, students with ASD may display challenging behaviours that are different to their peers and a few characteristics of a child with autism are impaired social function and impaired communication. I learned that the pattern of behaviours that students with autism can exhibit are intensified and persist beyond the typical age of the child.

In the presentation we participated in a rotational exercise in which each group  focused on a different topic - literature, manipulatives, visual aids and assistive technologies. My group explored manipulatives and made a stress ball. I would use this activity in the classroom and have students create their own stress balls as this would allow all students to feel included, as well as provide a stimulant for a student with ASD. The speakers stated that sensory items can be used to help desensitise the child's nervous system to touch, and, can generally calm the students, reduce stress and reduce distractions. In order to ensure a student with ASD is comfortable in the classroom I learned the following:

• Aim to stick to routines, and if change is necessary notify the student with ASD in advance to avoid stress and change in their routine.
• Use literature to assist students in coping with problems in their life, for example the book All Cats have Asperger Syndrome. This will allow students to understand how to cope with issues they are facing without singling out the student and involving the whole class.
• Use visual aids to support learning for students with ASD including timetables, cue cards, lists and so on.
• Use assistive technologies to assist students with ASD in an educational, social and physical way. Some applications could include PopMath, Touch and learn emotions and Action Timer. There are several other applications and assistive technologies that can be utilised in the classroom but I found these most interesting.
• Collaboration with the parents and specialists associated with the student with ASD is vital in ensuring the best learning experience for the child.

Overall, the presentation allowed me to understand how a student with ASD might act and behave in the classroom and what resources I can use to assist their learning. An example on of the speakers gave that has stayed with me is, her cousin who is autistic relies heavily on a vibrating pencil as a stimulant and will not attend school without it. He once missed a full week of school due to not having a vibrating pencil available to him. This reiterates the intensified behaviour of a student with ASD and further allows me to grasp the idea that all students are different, and in order to provide an inclusive education to all, each individual students needs have to be met to ensure maximised learning opportunities in the classroom.

              

Physical Impairment - Curriculum

A physical impairment was defined by the speakers as, " a dysfunction of the musculoskeletal and/or  neurological body systems, which affects the functional ability of a student to move or coordinate movement" (Education Queensland). The range of physical impairments is extremely broad, from difficulties with holding a pencil to being wheelchair bound. There are many conditions which can cause a physical impairment including cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a stroke just to name a few. This presentation focused mainly on highlighting how we can adapt our teaching, planning, assessment and resources to best cater for a student with a physical impairment.

The speakers utilised their time during the presentation and split us into small groups so we could experience a particular physical impairment on a closer scale. The continuing ideas that developed from each activity came down to one main thing, "don't change the content, change the ways in which the content can be expressed or delivered". The speakers ensured the audience understood small details that need attention but might not be noticed by a classroom teacher without close attention. These included things such ; bags dragging on the floor from a wheelchair, wheelchair height constricting students access to sitting at a desk, holding pencils, slippery paper and others. The presentation showed that the examples listed can be minimised through adapting the classroom environment. They posed questions such as, what can we change, move, add or take away to provide an accessible and comfortable environment for students with a physical impairment. I learned that in order to provide students with a physical impairment with an accessible classroom I first need to understand how they are using their bodies and energy to complete tasks and then adapt the environment accordingly - e.g. desk height, placement of equipment, position in classroom etc. 

The speakers suggested several ideas in how to cater for a student with a physical impairment and the main points I took away were to:

• build collaborative partnerships with the parents, carers and professionals related to well being and education of the child. 
• become knowledgeable in any specialised equipment or resources being used in order to educate other students or staff members to further assist the child with a physical impairment.
• present information in different ways according to the needs of the child, e.g. use ICT and recordings.
• to be flexible and manage my time well.
• to make accommodations for learning and assessment, e.g. allowing the student to respond by video rather than writing in a journal.
• continuously engage in reflective practice and professional development so I am up to date on my knowledge.

Craigslea Sensitivity Unit

In Week 4 of the unit, we visited the Sensitivity Unit at Craigslea State School. This opportunity was highly valuable and provided us with an unforgettable experience in uncovering the challenges that a student with a disability faces in their daily lives. The unique and thought provoking activities enabled us to put ourselves in the shoes of a person with a disability and really understand the challenges that they face, which might go unnoticed and be regarded as small to a person without a disability. The basic purpose of the visit was to sensitise us to become aware of the needs of people with a disability, and it did just this. 

Throughout Jane's initial discussion, she spoke about the daily challenges a student with autism can face throughout the school day and how small and insignificant (to us) details can impact upon their routine. This part of the visit expanded my personal knowledge on the daily behaviour and attributes that a student with autism can experience and/or exhibit. One particular example Kathy gave resonated with me and I later reflected upon it further and discussed it with my family members. The example was about a mother giving a stern talking to her son who has autism and, thinking she was doing all the right things, the child was not focusing on what she was saying throughout the whole talk, but concentrating entirely on two lines on her forehead that shaped an '11'. This example allowed me to realise how quickly and easily a student with autism can lose focus or attention on a topic being discussed in class due to their fixation upon certain things that require their full attention at that particular time. Further, I realised I will need to be well aware of the interests, attributes, routines and behaviours of any students with autism in my class in order to teach them accordingly. 

The day then lead to partnering up and completing some hands on activities, using equipment to place ourselves in the shoes of a person with a disability. All the activities concentrated on different senses and parts of the body and each was unique in assisting in understanding different disabilities and what challenges come with each. I found the wheelchair exercise particularly difficult and found myself wondering how on earth a student in the younger years could cope with maneuvering a wheelchair up and down ramps and hills, as I found it extremely difficult! Consequently, in order to best cater for students in my class with a disability, I will utilise the information and knowledge I gained from the visit to the Sensitivity Unit. I found this visit stressed the use of resources as an important learning tool for students with a disability and in turn, I will need to ensure I have the resources to cater for the students in my class. Overall, the most valuable thing I took away from this visit is the feelings, struggles and daily challenges a student with a disability faces throughout a school day and how, by using this knowledge, I can empathise with students and ensure I cater to their needs to the best of my ability. I cannot stress how valuable and helpful this visit was and the knowledge I gained will remain indented and doubtlessly assist me considerably in my classroom through my planning, teaching and in particular use of resources.

Gifted and Talented Discussion with Parents at Holland Park State School

Our visit to Holland Park State School gave an unexpected insight into the lives and feelings of the parents with students placed among the ‘gifted and talented’ category. The abundance of knowledge, advice and wisdom given from the parents provided an opportunity to understand the deeper issues that students and parents can face through this particular label. I was not aware of the myriad of issues that parents and students alike face due to the stereotyping and misconception that the label ‘gifted and talented’ gives. The parents discussed how they felt they were being judged if they mentioned that their child was gifted and talented and that they were held back from being able to celebrate and discuss their child’s achievements with other parents or members of the community. As a strong believer in inclusive education and practice for all, I believe all individual students’ achievements should be celebrated, regardless of whether they are gifted and talented or achieving at a lower level.

The parents offered advice for us as upcoming teachers in the hope that we would take what we have learned and put it into practice. The main thing I took away from the open discussion was to build a strong relationship with the parents of a child who is gifted and talented in order to best understand and suit their needs and attributes. In order to best provide, support and cater for a student who is gifted and/or talented, I will need to remember they are the same as every other child and shouldn't be viewed differently because of their gift or talent. I learned that students with a gift or talent need to be challenged, and as a teacher, I need to provide learning opportunities that allow that student to work to the best of their ability. Lastly, this discussion allowed me to begin thinking how I could cater for students with a gift and/or talent through collaboration with the parents, other teachers and staff and was a very worthwhile and rewarding opportunity.

The visit to Holland Park SS also allowed us the opportunity to view and judge the winners who entered the Science Excellence Expo. We were provided with a wonderful opportunity to examine students' work closely and using comparison and evaluation skills, determine a winner and special mention to students in each grade who entered. Although tough to decide upon an overall winner, as all the entries were great and showed extensive effort and knowledge, the criteria given assisted in selecting an overall winner - basing our decisions on 'quality over quantity'. This experience allowed me to view the several variations of work students can complete at different year and knowledge levels.