Profile of Personnel Preparation Programs in Visual Impairments and Their Faculty: A Status Report

2004 ◽  
Vol 98 (12) ◽  
pp. 741-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosanne K. Silberman ◽  
Grace Ambrose-Zaken ◽  
Anne L. Corn ◽  
Ellen Trief
Keyword(s):  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs

Teacher Educators and the Future of Personnel Preparation Programs for Serving Students with Visual Impairments

1996 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.K. Silberman ◽  
A.L. Corn ◽  
V.M. Sowell
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
The Future

This article reports the results of a survey of undergraduate and graduate personnel preparation programs for teachers, orientation and mobility instructors, and rehabilitation teachers of persons with visual impairments and of doctoral programs that prepare individuals for leadership positions.

scholarly journals Accommodation Needs for Teachers Who are Blind and Teach Students with Visual Impairments

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 248-259
Author(s):  
Phoebe A. Okungu ◽  
Nora Griffin-Shirley ◽  
Rona L. Pogrund
Keyword(s):  
Computer Technology ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Job Tasks ◽  
Support Strategies ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Research Questions

Introduction: This study was intended to explore and identify the experiences and perceptions of teachers of students with visual impairments who are blind concerning their accommodation needs and to establish their opinions on what improvements can be made. Method: A qualitative case study design was used and was collected through interviews, observations, and documents. Participants were four teachers who are blind who taught students with visual impairments in mainstream public and specialized residential schools in the United States. Within-case and cross-case levels of data analysis were used to generate and compare the themes that emerged. Results: The results illuminated accommodation issues for the teachers in the areas of family support, strategies the teachers use, challenges in their workplaces, and suggestions regarding possible improvements. Discussion: This study generated answers to the pertinent research questions. The study has revealed that the participants use different types and forms of accommodations to accomplish tasks. Some accommodations used include computer technology, assistive devices, and sighted assistants. However, the participants expressed that access to these accommodations are not consistent for all individuals who are blind. The participants also identified the accommodation challenges that are related to their blindness and provided suggestions for possible improvements. Implications for practitioners: Teachers of students with visual impairments who are blind need to be self-advocates in their personnel preparation programs and in their workplaces concerning the accommodations they need to accomplish job tasks.

scholarly journals Positioning Practices of Orientation and Mobility Specialists When Teaching Street Crossings: Is There a Standard Approach?

2021 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Kim T. Zebehazy ◽  
Rebecca L. Renshaw ◽  
George J. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Variable Position ◽  
University Personnel ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Intersection Types ◽  
Standard Strategy ◽  
Question Survey

Introduction: An important skill for orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists to have is to monitor clients appropriately when they are learning to cross intersections. Techniques books provide some suggestions for positioning during street crossings, but no research has been conducted about consensus or priorities for making appropriate decisions on positioning. The purpose of this study was to investigate general positioning decisions using visual monitoring techniques. Method: A total of 234 participants (practicing O&M specialists, preservice O&M students, and O&M university personnel) completed a 40-question survey. The survey included demographic questions, diagrams of intersections that participants used to select positioning locations, questions about lanes of threat, and questions about important factors to consider when positioning to monitor safety. Commonality of selections were analyzed and compared with demographic information. Results: The greatest consensus was found for all intersection types when the client is positioned on the corner waiting to cross and for identification of the first lane of threat. More variable position selections were made for monitoring during the crossings, and the second and third lane of threat selections were also more variable. Factors respondents indicated as most important to consider when positioning aligned with their positioning choices overall. Discussion: Personnel preparation programs may want to consider to what extent they teach considerations for positioning before and during crossings, and whether the predominant tendency to put oneself between the client and traffic warrants additional conversation. Future research should look at more complex intersections and the additional nuances used to make positioning choices. Implications for practitioners: Practitioners should reflect on whether they actively change their positioning decisions based on the situation and type of intersection versus tending to use a standard strategy.

A Survey of Blind Orientation and Mobility Specialists about the Accommodations and Teaching Strategies They Use when Providing Orientation and Mobility Services

2021 ◽  
pp. 0145482X2110180
Author(s):  
Nora Griffin-Shirley ◽  
Laura Bozeman ◽  
The Nguyen ◽  
Vitalis Othuon ◽  
Anita Page ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Teaching Techniques ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Orientation And Mobility ◽  
Immersion Training

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to survey orientation and mobility (O&M) instructors who are blind concerning the identification of accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources to teach students with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision). Methods: The study utilized an online survey via Qualtrics (2019) with 27 closed- and open-ended items to identify accommodations, teaching techniques, and resources needed. The survey was e-mailed to membership and certification organizations requesting O&M instructors who are blind to participate for 12 weeks. The participants were 15 O&M specialists, mostly male and Caucasian. Survey data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Forty percentage of the participants reported that there were minimal standards that they had to demonstrate prior to their admittance into an O&M program. About one-fourth of the participants mentioned their program was modified because of their visual impairment. Eleven participants (73%) reported that their nonvisual instructional strategies and techniques were predominantly gained through their university programs or other visually impaired instructors (27%, n = 4). Discussion: Aspects of this study that are similar to the current literature are smaller faculty-to-student ratios for blindfold or simulation cane courses, accommodations used by participants, and suggestions for monitoring the safety of students. The results revealed the participants’ strong belief in the importance of immersion training, the use of the Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT), nonvisual skills during O&M instruction, sleep shades, and students’ problem-solving abilities. Implication for practitioners: Although the participants had received SDCT immersion training, most personnel preparation programs approved by the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired do not use this method. For this reason, it is important for faculty to identify best teaching practices from among all programs and to integrate these practices into their curricula. Sharing best practices could strengthen all programs. Moreover, students with visual impairments should be taught early about self-advocacy and the ability to have helpful knowledge about one’s skills at a university and in the workplace.

Competency Based Programs: A National Perspective

1978 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 161-162
Author(s):  
Josephine Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
National Perspective ◽  
Visually Handicapped ◽  
Manpower Needs

An overview of what competency based programs mean. Discusses basic requirements for such programs including research base, evaluation, accountability. Describes recent changes in visually handicapped personnel preparation programs and changes needed in future. Discusses manpower needs.

Meeting the Professional Development Needs of Special Educators in 21st Century Classrooms

2016 ◽  
pp. 52-68
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hardman
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Culture Of Learning ◽  
Basic Infrastructure

This chapter describes the challenges personnel preparation programs meet when preparing pre-service special educators for service in today's technology rich classrooms. The author used action research methodology to explore the feasibility of developing a virtual Professional Learning Community (PLC) for the purpose of building a collaborative culture of learning in special education and providing pre-service and novice special educators access to networks of support. A wiki and Ning provided the basic infrastructure for the virtual PLC and the data collected from the websites were analyzed using the eight essential characteristics of PLC development. The results showed that the PLC membership participated in community work primarily as observers only, relying almost entirely on the teacher educator to direct and manage all facets of community work. The implications of the research are discussed with respect to how personnel preparation programs prepare teachers for service in in 21st Century classrooms.

Standards for Competence in Braille Literacy Skills in Teacher Preparation Programs

2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Amato
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Personnel Preparation ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Braille Literacy

This article reports on a descriptive study of standards and criteria for competence in braille literacy within teacher preparation programs and the specific role played in the achievement of proficiency in braille literacy by university teacher preparation programs in blindness and visual impairment. It contains a summary of the need for such research, historical background, research methods, and a discussion of standards and implications for personnel preparation.

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