system, noting how the affected structures in turn affect what the student sees. Instruction You may want to introduce a term, such as "visual impairment" at this time, explaining that it is used to indicate when an individual’s vision is different from that of most other persons. Alternatively, you might want to wait and present this concept as a separate lesson during the "History" or "Rights" Units. visual impairment vision atypical vision different vision Instruction Locate a website with information specific to the student's visual impairment and explore it together. Obtain a book that addresses the visual impairment and read together. Create your own booklet using information from a website to explore together. Check for Using a model or chart of the eye, student demonstrates part of the eye affected by visual impairment and how this, in turn affects vision. Student draws a picture of her eye and writes a short paper or paragraph that describes their visual impairment. Closure Sometimes our friends or our teachers not understand why you are not able to see certain things in the same way that they see them. Knowing how your vision is special can help you explain it to them. In the future, we will talk about some more
Instruction If the score is between 22 and 88, discuss some tools and strategies that could be used with individual items to increase independence and participation. Make a list of these tools/strategies specific to each task. Future lessons will involve training for specific tools/strategies to increase access, independence, and self-confidence. Check for Understanding “Let’s look back over your survey. What areas (of access) do you feel are your strengths? What areas do you feel you need to work on to increase your access/independence?” Closure “Today you took a close look at typical visual tasks that occur in school, at home, and in the community. In future lessons, we are going to be working on skills to help you access as many things on your own (independently) as possible, without depending on others.” Rationale: This lesson is designed to a conversation with the student about building access to visual tasks and independence. Future lessons will build upon how the student answered each individual task rating, and might include instruction on the tools/strategies that would help the student gain independence on specific tasks. Access skill instruction will differ, depending on many factors, such as the student’s visual acuity, stamina, availability of assistive technology, etc. It is important to note that, as a student’s ability to access tasks increases, his self-confidence and ability to represent himself as a person with a visual impairment who can compete with his peers increases as well. Materials: Document: Visual Tasks Survey Document: for Accessing Different Environments and Increasing Self-Sufficiency Calculator Resources: Looking to (AFB Press) for teaching optical devices TSBVI website () for teaching specific assistive technology skills ESC 10 website () for teaching specific assistive technology skills ECC Essentials, Teaching the Expanded Core Curriculum to Students with Visual Impairments, Allman C.B., and Lewis, S., AFB Press, 2014.
Visual in School Read print in books or magazines very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? Read very small print such as math symbols, tables, charts, graphs) very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? Read information on the board or on signs at school very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check Read my own handwritten notes very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check Read things projected on a screen (such as a PowerPoint) very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check Read a computer monitor very hard somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy AT?
Watch a speaker in class, at an assembly, or in a large lecture hall very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check Using audio books along with print books for classwork very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check Visual Tasks in the Community Read price tags or label information on items in a store very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? at scenery or watch wildlife very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? check small video displays such as on a cell phone, MP3 player, thermometer, and credit card scanner in grocery store very hard 1 somewhat hard 2 neither hard nor easy 3 somewhat easy 4 very easy 5 AT? activity in the distance such as a football game or concert
Unit 3 - Lesson 14: Your Rights as a Student with Visual Impairment Prejudice and Stereotyping Unit goal: Students will recognize their rights as a person with a visual impairment and advocate for these rights within society and educational systems. Lesson objective(s): Student will define the terms “prejudice” and “stereotyping” and give specific examples of this from his or her life. Teaching procedures/steps: Step Actions Vocabulary Anticipatory Inform student that you want him/her explore some objects together and share his/her thoughts. Present object that has some tactile or auditory feature, especially something that is striking/startling (heat or cold, loud such as a buzzer, vibration – like from a novelty store, some type of small snack food that is bitter or weird-tasting, jelly beans of a single flavor). Perhaps present a series of objects that have this feature. Talk about the object and the feature. Elicit the child’s descriptions and his/her feelings about the object: What is the physical appearance? Do they feel positive/negative/neutral? Do they feel anxious or excited when handling the object? Present the same object but with the feature removed. When button on the buzzer is pushed, it does not buzz. Note the child’s reaction: Are they surprised or confused? Have a discussion about their feelings. Introduction Guide the student toward understanding that previous experience with the object caused them to view all objects the same way, to “judge” all the objects. This “Pre-judging” is known is often not true and is known as “prejudice”. Prejudice - preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience; harm or injury that results or may result from some action or judgment. Stating the Goal Student will be able to define the term “prejudice” and describe how and why it occurs.
Instruction 1 Discussion: Why do people prejudge things? In what way might pre-judging be helpful? Learn protective behaviors. Examples: Fire - We touch a flame and it is hot. We prejudge all fire to be hot so we no longer try to touch it, avoiding injury. Knives - We see a knife can cut things. We prejudge all knives are sharp so we are careful when we handle them so we don’t get cut. Reading - We learn that this letter “B” makes a certain sound. When we are reading and we see the letter, we pronounce it with the sound because we prejudge the letter to make that sound. It is easier to read this way. What can we conclude? Prejudging can help us. It can be useful to prior experience to a current situation. We don’t have to relearn things. It can make tasks easier or safer. Another term to describe applying experiences to subsequent situations is Generalization. Instruction 2 Is prejudging always right? Can you think of some situations in which you prejudged something but it turned out to not be accurate? Examples: Water - Expected water from faucet to be hot or cold and it was the opposite. Travel - Walking in a familiar area that was always clear of obstructions in the past. Suddenly there is an object or piece of furniture in the way. Party – Were invited to an event and thought it would be fun (or boring) and it turned out to be the opposite. Instruction 3 Sometimes prejudice occurs not from our own experience but from what we hear from others. Examples: Food - Person tells you it’s not very good so you are ready to not like it… But then you do like it! (Or the opposite!) Music – Some people say that they hate a type of music but you find that you enjoy this style. People – A friend says that another person is really nice but then that person teases you or says something unkind.
Worksheet 14b: Prejudice Think of three different times when someone prejudged you. Fill out the table using your experiences. What they thought about me What did they think that about me? Was what they though true? What was actually true about me? 1. 2. 3.
Instruction Part 1 Different groups have felt the need to advocate for their rights due to discrimination. The discrimination has been based on race, ethnicity, gender and national origin, among other things. When members of the group see that their civil rights are not being granted, they form a civil rights movements. Instruction Part 2 Examples of Civil Rights Movements: Provide an overview of two or three prominent civil rights movements in the United States. There are many materials available to address these movements (see “Resources”) and your student may already be familiar with them. If he/she is not familiar with this history or demonstrates high interest, you might explore them further using the additional resources and materials listed. Possible movements include: African Americans Women Latin Americans Native Americans Instruction Part 3 Note information gathered in worksheets from lessons 14, 15 and 16. We can see that VI persons can be affected by prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Historically persons who are VI were denied certain rights. As a group, VI persons have struggled for their rights. Use the information in “Resources” under “Movement for Disability and VI Rights” to have discussion on this topic. for Understanding Student completes Worksheet 17a – Rights Movements” Closure Advocating for rights occurs on both the individual and the group level. It is important to know the history of your own group, how you can contribute to the group through your own individual advocating and how the group can support you.
Instruction Related to the ARD Meeting Explain that an ARD meeting is held to discuss the student’s educational programming, and each ARD meeting follows a format as per special education law (IDEA). Restate your goal that the student participate in, and possibly lead, portions of the next ARD meeting, and that these activities will prepare him for this. Briefly review the components of any ARD (IEP) meeting. See Print out (“Suggestions for Your Participation in the IEP Process”). Use this to keep track of tasks that need to be done before, during, and after an ARD. One way a student can lead ARD meeting is to introduce the meeting by sharing a presentation that reflects their preference, interests, needs and strengths. Samples of these can be found under . Watch one of these with your student, then complete the to give your student some ideas for creating his own PowerPoint. Create a PowerPoint with your student that can be presented at his next ARD. Keep it There is a blank that can be used for this. Use the column called “During the Meeting”) to review the ARD meeting structure, and determine when might be the best time for your student to show his PowerPoint. Prior to the ARD meeting, check to see that the components of the first column (“Before the Meeting”) on the IEP have been completed or are in process. Practice (role play) student participation during an ARD meeting. You both may decide that there are some parts of the meeting you (the teacher) will take, and parts the student will take. After the ARD meeting, complete the third column (“After the Meeting”) of . Finish this segment on ARD meetings by completing the . Discuss changes that could be made before the next ARD meeting Evaluation data Eligibility PLAAFP Assistive Technology Annual Goals/Objectives Related Services Placement-LRE Check for Understanding Use the I’m Determined website’s “ ” to check for understanding.