The Bulletin

Statewide Vision Resource Centre
Number 8, Friday 20th May 2005

The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).

Inside This Issue

Professional Development for 2005

The following activities are coming up in the next few months:

For the complete list of activities for 2005 including downloadable programs go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/pd.htm

All activities are open to subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents VTs, students etc. Please remember to register: tel (03) 9841 0242, fax (03) 9841 0878 or email svrc@svrc.vic.edu.au

Camps/Activities 2005 – Space, Driving, Braille Games etc

Are you busting to go on Space Camp but haven’t let anyone know??? Please call Deb Lewis (9841 0242) or Jeni Blake (0428 134 660) to find out more, to register your interest or even to talk about financial assistance (no promises at this stage!). For more information about Space Camp talk to one of the many former campers – and there are plenty of them – 41 excellent kids and 11 luck adults to be precise!

And let’s talk about Driving Camp – basically I am too flat out to run it – but there is always interest from students. If a Visiting Teacher out there is up to the challenge of organizing this exciting event, please let me know – I have all the necessary paperwork and can assist with planning etc. It is very much fun and well worth the effort. Hope to hear from you soon!

Braille Games Day will be in term three this year – probably Friday 29th July – so pencil that into your diaries and start inviting your kids!

For more information about the SVRC Camps and Activities Program, please go to: http://www.visiontech.svrc.vic.edu.au/camps.htm

The SVRC “What A Lot A Dot Can Do” Braille Activities and Games Day

The inaugural “What a Lot a Dot Can Do” day held this week was a resounding success!!! Students met other students for the first time … students brought their school friends … parents brought siblings and grandparents … Visiting Teachers came … integrations staff came … class and subject teachers came … and there was plenty for them all to see!!! Below are some scenes from the day:

One of the many displays on the day – tactual books.

Books and toys on display including teddy in a dotty tutu.

Students made actual/braille bookmarks to take home.

Close-up of student sticking shapes to bookmark.

There were lots of braille and tactual games to play eg Snakes and Ladders.

Two students playing Snakes and Ladders.

Winter’s Almost Upon Us… Time to Think Snow! Time to Think Skiing!! Time to Think the “Do It Yourself Snow Camp”!!! At the RVIB Ski Lodge, Mt Baw Baw!!!!

The President of the RVIB Ski Club and ski/snow shoe enthusiast, Allan Bates, would like to encourage more people with vision impairments to develop an interest in snow activities, to become members of the RVIB Ski Club, and to come with their families and friends to the RVIB Ski Lodge on Mount Baw Baw. Mount Baw Baw is 130 km (approximately 2½ to 3 hours) from Melbourne and 1,564 metres above sea level. There are 30 hectares of skiing terrain, with areas suitable for downhill skiing and snow boarding. There are five ski lifts (2 platters and 3 t-bars). For cross country enthusiasts, there are 10km of sheltered, well-marked, groomed trails with access, for experienced skiers, to the Mount Baw Baw Plateau. There are two snow play areas including the Frantic Frog Supertube park run. There is a hotel and two cafes.

To take the headache out of planning, we have gathered information about the RVIB Ski Lodge, RVIB Ski Club membership, how to get there, what to take, hiring of snow gear etc etc etc and you can find it all here: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/BawBaw.htm

For bookings at the RVIB Ski Lodge contact: Raewyn or Brad Owens: rvibski@optusnet.com.au

Snow (Shoe) News from Allan Bates

Last year I discovered that snow-shoeing is another way for me to enjoy the snow. For those who have not tried snow shoeing I urge you to give it a go. Next season I'll be really keen to take a picnic lunch and really enjoy a snowshoeing stroll over towards Mount Erica or along one of the other bush walking tracks.

For people no longer keen to ski or perhaps those who never caught the bug snow-shoeing provides crunching sounds and tactile feelings through the feet, another avenue for snow play for any age. Baw Baw has several areas where snow shoeing can give relatively easy access to some interesting places.

And here’s a little more information about the Yowie Snowshoe from http://www.yowies.com.au

The flexible Yowie snowshoe (or just ‘Yowie’) is a totally new concept in snowshoe design. First developed in 1991, the Yowie came from a need for a lightweight, portable shoe as an adjunct to working, living and playing in the snow. The superior performance and advanced manoeuvrability of the Yowie made them useful for Police Rescue Squads, Army Commandos, snow boarders, snow workers and many others living and pursuing recreational activities in the snow.

Yowies have these unique features:

Below: view of the top and bottom of a Yowie.

Snowshoes

Using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) to Develop Literacy Skills with Students who have Complex Learning Difficulties

Excerpt of an article by Richard Walter, teacher and ICT co-ordinator at Meldreth Manor School from Eye Contact, Spring 2005

Literacy for our students involves elements of:

ICT (Information and Communication Technology) can be used to enhance access to literacy for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties in several different ways.

Storytelling and text can be made more accessible by using multimedia. We use:

Multimedia stories can also be supported by a range of other resources:

Human interaction in literacy and storytelling is extremely important, especially for students with complex learning difficulties, who relate better to the real immediate interaction with people, than to objects and ideas. Multimedia and other props are used to enhance and extend interaction between students and the staff and the story.

Choosing a suitable story for use as a literacy aid with our pupils is important. Stories which lend themselves to multimedia presentation include those:

Resources:

Getting a Head Start for Year 12: How to investigate careers, courses and study more effectively

The following information was provided by Erin Shale, Careers Counsellor at Balwyn High School.

In my work as Careers Counsellor I have the opportunity to see students year after year as they go through their final year at school. The students who do the best are those who come back after the holidays full of energy and feeling good about going into Year12. Yes, it is an important year and, yes, there is a lot of work to do. But you will get through it if you are determined and positive.

Here are some suggestions you might like to consider if you want to kick-start your Year 12 and maximise your chances of having a good year. There are also some important facts you need to be aware of that will make the year more enjoyable.

  1. Remember, the most important assets you will need to do well in Year 12 are determination and a positive attitude. If you are willing to put in the hard work you will get results. The best you can do is your best! And if you do feel swamped with work or worried at all next year, see someone straight away (eg welfare staff, year level staff)
  2. Think carefully about how you study best and how you can perform best in exams! There are tried and tested ways to get more out of your study time and remember more in exams.
  3. Work smart!
    • Decide that you are going to get organised and stay organised right from the start of the year. File notes and handouts in designated folders (not somewhere in your room).
    • Keep up with reading your teachers give you. If you do this right from the start, you have a head start on lots of students.
    • Trouble shoot as you go – if there is anything you don’t understand, don’t leave it and hope you will understand it later on. Approach the teacher and sort things out straight away. This is one of the best ways to avoid stress later on in the year.
  4. Don’t start the year tired. Have a good holiday and keep fit so that you have lots of energy for the year ahead.
  5. It is a good idea to read your English texts! Never read without a pen/pencil. As you read, clearly highlight key events, scenes, issues and themes. This will save you lots of time during the year and will enable you to recall the information more easily.
  6. Visit University and TAFE institutes after your exams. They will be open and there will be an opportunity to speak directly to staff in all faculties. This is better than waiting for OPEN DAYS next year. Go with a friend and visit the institution you would like to know more about. Use public transport so that you can see how long it takes to get there.
    This is your opportunity to get a step ahead and also impress Course Selection Officers. Why wait till next year? Ask them to tell you more about subjects offered in courses. Are there electives? Where have recent graduates found work? What other courses lead into this one if you can’t get straight into it after Year 12?
  7. Don’t start the year worried about scores! Regardless of whether you get 99.95, 70, 50, 20 or less, there is a great course for you! There have been students from Balwyn High who have scored less than 10 and who are now studying at university. They began great courses at TAFE, transferred into uni and…as they say…the rest is history!
  8. Have an open mind about TAFE courses! If you transfer from TAFE to uni, you will receive CREDIT for your TAFE units. This means that your uni degree will be shortened…sometimes you will only have to complete one and a half years (instead of three) to obtain a degree.
  9. Talk to as many people as possible working in various career areas. What do you like about your job? What are the difficult aspects of your work? Is this career changing? What are the qualities most needed in this area? What courses lead into this career? Start thinking about careers that might interest you.
  10. Check the VTAC website. This will give you the opportunity to check courses offered at universities and TAFE institutes - go to: http://www.vtac.edu.au.
  11. Investigate some careers websites – some of sites contain valuable information on various career areas, courses and employment options for Erin’s list of recommended websites see issue 7 of The Bulletin – http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/07%2705.html
  12. Think about completing a short course over the holidays. Whether you do basket weaving, kick boxing, flower arranging or desktop publishing, you are acquiring new skills and greater confidence. This will also be something you will be able to add to your CV – many courses require you to demonstrate enthusiasm – a ‘get-up-and-go’ approach to life! Courses also give you something interesting to talk about at interviews.
    • Check local councils as they often have holiday programs.
    • Universities have ‘Summer School Programs’ or ‘Short Course Programs’ offering a wide variety of courses.
  13. Consider getting a first aid certificate! These are fun to get, are highly regarded by tertiary courses and will make you a handy person to have around the place if anyone breaks a leg!
    • Contact St John Ambulance – 9696 0550 or check: http://www.sjaa.com.au
  14. Consider completing some voluntary work. This is a way to gain valuable skills while helping someone else. Other contact points to try:
    • Contact your local council and ask about volunteering
    • Contact local aged care facilities
    • Look in your local paper
    • Local hospitals and aged care facilities eg Ronald McDonald House
    • Smith Family / Brotherhood of St Laurence / Salvation Army
  15. If you currently have a part-time job, consider cutting back on the hours you will work during Year 12. It’s okay to keep your job but make sure you don’t overdo it!
  16. Some tertiary courses require work experience or give preference to students who have completed some recent work experience. Many students complete two days work experience in one of the school holidays during Year 12. You could take some time to organise this after your Year 11 exams. Courses often requiring work experience or giving preference to students with work experience are:
    • Hospitality
    • Osteopathy
    • Speech Therapy
    • Early Childhood Studies
    • Physical Education/Human Movement (a first aid qualification and coaching experience are valuable)
    • Welfare Studies/Youth Work

Finally, Year 12 is not the most important year of your life and you should not waste time stressing about it. It’s a challenging year but if you are well prepared, keep up with your work and maintain a positive attitude, you will be able to walk away knowing you have given the year your best shot! You have a 100% guarantee that I will get you into a course – providing you are open to considering all institutions – all universities and TAFE institutes. There are zillions of great courses. Enjoy the sun and have a good holiday!

Europe: Medicine Labels to Include Braille

Excerpt of article by Deborah Condon from Irish Health, 25 April 2005

Visually impaired people are set to benefit from a new European Union directive, which will result in braille being included on all medicine labels in the coming months. According to the directive, from the end of October, 2005, it will be mandatory for all pharmaceutical products for human use to include braille on the package. In other words, any prescription or over the counter product that is authorised after October 30, must include braille. The announcement has been widely welcomed by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI), which has long campaigned for the introduction of braille and large print on medicine labels. However it has warned that there is still much to do in this area.

“While this is a significant step towards making information on pharmaceutical products accessible, there is more that needs to be done regarding the introduction of large print, telephone help lines and websites containing product information”, said Des Kenny, NCBI chief executive.

New Braille Music E-Group

The Australian Braille Authority Executive has created a new e-group for the discussion of braille music in Australia. It will hopefully provide a convenient way for transcribers, teachers and consumers interested in braille music to share information and views, just as Ozbrl does for braille generally. The group is named Ozbrl-Music. If you want to subscribe to it, send a blank message to ozbrl-music-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Contact Bruce Maguire if you have questions about this group: bruceonline@ozemail.com.au

Integration Aide Seeks Work

Jenny van Duynhaven is looking for integration aide work in the east or south east metropolitan area. She is happy to work in a full or part time position and has braille skills. Please phone her at home (03) 9753 9863 or on her mobile 0421 033 757.

Staff and Student News

Finally

Thanks to Maria Elford for contributing to this edition. Thanks also to fabulous proof-reader Dianne Skillern and the ever-smiling (though long suffering) stuffing & postage crew.

If you have something you would like included in 'The Bulletin', please contact:

Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).

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