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The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).
The following activities are coming up between now and the end of the year:
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
Below are some dates for your 2006 diary…
SVRC Event |
Date (2006) |
| Term 1 Visiting Teacher Professional Development Day | Monday 13 February |
| New Visiting Teacher Orientation Day | Tuesday 14 February |
| Educational Support for Blind Students This day is designed for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents/care-givers and visiting teachers who support students who utilize braille |
Friday 3 March |
| Educational Support for Students with Low Vision –
Prep to Year 8 This day is designed for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents/care-givers and visiting teachers who support students who have low vision (maximum participants: 80) |
Wednesday 5 April |
| Educational Support for Students with Low Vision –
Secondary Students This day is designed for class and subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, therapists, parents/care-givers and visiting teachers who support secondary students who have low vision (maximum participants: 60) |
Friday 21 April |
| Term 2 Visiting Teacher Professional Development Day | Tuesday 9 May |
| Educational Support for Vision Impaired Students with Additional
Impairments This day is designed for teachers, aides, therapists, parents/care-givers and visiting teachers who support vision impaired students who have additional impairments (maximum participants: 60) |
Monday 5 June |
| Term 3 Visiting Teacher Professional Development Day | Tuesday 8 August |
| Educational EXPO – Assistive Technology Options This day is suitable for teachers, aides, therapists, parents/care-givers, visiting teachers, STUDENTS and members of the wider community |
Friday in late November or early December |
| SVRC Christmas Morning Tea | Wednesday 6 December |
Please note, we will also be conducting a wide variety of workshops on assistive technologies to which all are welcome! Watch the front page of The Bulletin for dates.
Event |
Date |
|
Sunday 1 January and Monday 2 January |
|
Thursday 26 January |
| Term 1 | 30 January (teachers) 31 January (students) to 10 March 2006 |
|
Monday 13 March |
|
15 to 26 March |
| Term 2 | 27 March to 16 June |
|
14 April |
|
17 April |
|
Tuesday 25 April |
|
Monday 12 June |
| Term 3 | 3 July to 15 September |
|
Tuesday 7 November |
| Term 4 | 2 October to 21 December |
|
Monday 25 December |
|
Tuesday 26 December |
Where: Australian Catholic University – St Patrick’s
Campus 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy
When: Saturday 15 October
Registration: 8.30am – 9.00am
Seminars and Exhibitions: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Speakers include: John Vincent – Department of Science
and Mathamatics Education, The University of Melbourne; Jan Polkinghorne –
Computer Advisor, SPELD South Australia; Pat Minton – Computers in Education
Consultant; ….. and more
This day will be useful for: parents, teachers, disability support staff, psychologists, occupational therapists, disability liaison officers, librarians, IT staff, other professionals, students
For costs and further information please contact:
Joanne Webber, Disability Coordination Officer, c/- RMIT University
Tel (03) 9925 5269 or web http://www.rmit.edu.au/ssg/dco
| Something New and Exciting!!! To be conducted by GDV
in conjunction with the SVRC Put this date in your diaries for your senior students |
Friday 18 November |
| Great Victorian Bike Ride Contact Jeni Blake on 0428 134660 |
Saturday 26 November to Sunday 4 December |
| *************Driving Camp*************** Contact Helen Caldow or Lynne Murdoch (see below for details) |
Monday 21 & Tuesday 22 November |
This year’s driving camp will be held at the Charlton Driver Education Centre on Monday the 21st & Tuesday the 22nd of November.
This was the last booking available for the year. Please register your interest ASAP so that transport options can be organised. Email is preferred with a copy to both Helen and Lynne. Forms are now available and can be posted, faxed or emailed by Lynne or Helen or contacting the SVRC.
| Lynne Murdoch Barwon South Visiting Teacher Service PO Box 268 Colac 3250 Mobile 0418 140 317 Fax 5231 5413 Email murdoch.heather.l@edumail.vic.gov.au |
Helen Caldow Eastern Metropolitan Region Visiting Teacher PO Box 201 Nunawading 3131 Tel 0409 381 723 Fax (03) 9841 0878 Email caldow.helen.f@edumail.vic.gov.au |
When: Thursday 10th and Friday 11th November 2005
Time: 9.30am – 3.30pm
Where: Australian Centre Moving Image (ACMI) Federation Square,
Melbourne
The two day camp based in Melbourne and sponsored by IBM and the Victorian Department of Education & Training aims to motivate and excite students with a disability by focusing and exploring their own abilities in information technology. The camp will encourage the students to explore and develop skills and confidence, in the information technology environment via a creative and interactive hands-on project.
The camp is part of an ongoing initiative by IBM to encourage people with a disability to take an interest in and to pursue careers in information technology by demonstrating that there is more to IT than traditional programming and engineering-based roles – including multimedia, film, and design.
The Digital Diaries program is designed to demystify information technology and fosters creative and analytical thinking through the development of a personal digital diary through the use of moving image, and personal story telling. Participants choose a personal story or topic and write a brief monologue, then use technology to record it and capture a series of images on screen, to produce a final video production – their own digital diary.
The camp will be open to 16 students aged 14 to 17 years of age.
Send your expressions of interest to David Giddings, President, Principal’s
Association of Specialist Schools (PASS)
c/- Ashwood school
Montpellier Rd
Ashwood 3147
Closing Date 17th October
Prospective students wishing to attend the Vision Australia Support Skills Program or Residential Training Program in 2006 are invited to ‘Try Day’.
When: Friday 18th November 2005
Time: 9am to 1pm
Where: Vision Australia Education Centre, 333 Burwood Hwy,
Burwood 3125
The Program is available to students (Grade 3 to Year 10) who are blind or vision impaired and who are integrated and attend their local schools. The program focuses on the unique curriculum needs of these students, and provides a positive learning environment, which encourages peer networking and social development.
On the Try Day, prospective students can experience the Program first hand while their families and any interested support staff can meet the Support Skills team, visit the various teaching areas and generally get a feel for the program.
If you feel this program might be suitable for your child or student, please complete the attached application form and return it to Vision Australia Education Services no later than Friday 4th November 2005.
For further details contact Susan Coull, program co-ordinator on (03) 9808 6422.
The topic for the next Vision Australia Study Group will be ‘Methods for reading using alternative formats’.
When: Wednesday 19 October
Time: 1.30 - 4pm
Where: 201 High St Prahran in the Board Room
A light afternoon tea and refreshments will be provided.
The topic for the December Vision Australia Study Group will be ‘Where
to from here? Transitioning beyond school and tertiary studies’.
When: Wednesday 9 December
Time: 1.30 - 4pm
Where: 201 High St Prahran in the Board Room
This will be the final study group for the year so a break-up gathering will
also be a part of this session.
To register your interest to attend please contact Renee Williamson, Tertiary
Education Consultant, Vision Australia
Email renee.williamson@rvib.org.au
Tel (03) 9520 5555
For those in the Geelong area and surroungs… Would you like to try Ten Pin Bowling?
Vision Australia in conjunction with Blind Sports Victoria and the Geelong Bowling Lanes is running a free ‘Come and Try’ Ten Pin Bowling Session.
Ten Pin Bowling can be played by all regardless of vision loss. A guide rail will be available on the lanes for use on the day. (NB: Guide rail for guidance only not support)
When: Tuesday 25 October
Time: 11.00 am
Where: Geelong Bowling Lanes, Reynolds Rd, Belmont
Individuals must register for this program. To register call Rebecca Hickey
at Vision Australia on 5249 2700.
Funded under the National Continence Management Strategy, The National Public Toilet Map is designed to improve the quality of life for people with continence issues – though I imagine lots of us might find it useful!
You can use it to:
Go to: http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/ or if you don’t have web access and you’d like the information, phone 1800 330066.
You can also email helpline@toilemap.gov.au or send them an SMS 0428 166644.
Lea Nagel, Visiting Teacher, Eastern Metropolitan Region has produced a wonderful comparison of the features of the BrailleNote mPowerBT32 and the PacMate 40 which can be found here. She notes that this comparison is to be used as a guide only and that she does not wish to promote either product over the other.
Here’s another EXCELLENT tip from the (s)laptop of Lea Nagel, Senior Visiting Teacher, Eastern Metropolitan Region
To view PDF files with high contrast settings, do this:
Open a PDF file
Go to Edit, Preferences (or Control K)
Under Categories, click Accessibility
In this window, tick or check the following items:
Replace Document Colors
Use High Contrast colors
Change the color of line as well as text
Now go to the drop down menu beside ‘High Color Combination’ and choose your preference, eg white text on black
These preferences should load next time you open any PDF file.
The latest version of the useful program, Clicker 5, is now available. Jeff Souter from Queensland has written an interesting article, printed in the September 2005 edition of OnLine Newsletter, outlining the changes from the earlier version. Please contact me if you’d like a copy of this article.
Clicker 5 is available from:
Edsoft: http://www.edsoft.com.au
S4E: http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/ict/software/s4e/index.htm
Spectronics: http://www.spectronicsinoz.com
Article by Dr Mike Steer; and Dr Gillian Gale, Renwick College
Functional literacy is the dimension of literacy that relates to the more practical, daily literacy tasks that permeate the lives of people in society; for example, within the home environment, such activities as filling in tax forms, writing a grocery list, or reading menus, using calendars, playing card games, labeling boxes and food containers. At school, such activities as completing forms, taking notes and messages, labeling shelves and lockers, and reading directions.
Renwick College has recently conducted a three day event that proved to be Heaven for Braille junkies nationwide, and that focussed upon a functional approach to Braille literacy. Content was delivered by Dr Diane Wormsely, Associate Professor and Program Director of the Professional Preparation Program for Teachers of Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities, at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. The event, coordinated by Fran Gentle, Lecturer in Vision Impairment at the College, drew nearly 100 participants from every State and Territory in Australia.
Dr Wormsley will be well-known to a majority of SVRC Bulletin subscribers for her several major publications, all widely considered classics and “must reads”. These include her (2004) Braille Literacy: A Functional Approach, published by AFB Press. In addition, her (2002) Braille Literacy Curriculum, published by Towers Press of Overbrook School for the Blind, and her (1997) Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy, jointly edited with Frances Mary D’Andrea, and published by AFB Press. Older readers will recall her chapters in Rex, Koenig, Wormsley and Baker (1994). Many Bulletin subscribers will also remember her as an outstanding keynote speaker at the International SPEVI Conference hosted by SPEVI, Queensland, on the Gold Coast in 2003.
Goals for the event were as follows. That by the conclusion of the three days, participating Braille addicts should:
Workbooks were provided by the College to all participants, and the sessions were intense enough to satisfy even those most addicted to Braille. Dr Wormsley’s central messages in presenting and discussing the topic were that as teachers:
Content was practical in focus, with an emphasis on small group work and ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Participant evaluations were positive and complementary. It was quite difficult to persuade many of the addicts to leave at the conclusion of the event.
This was a splendid magnet-event for the Braille addicted that generated enormous opportunities for networking, sharing ideas, meeting old friends and making new ones. If you’re Braille addicted and weren’t fortunate enough to have attended it, I’d suggest that asking someone who did, to give a presentation on its content at your next local of State SPEVI meeting would result in your time being well spent.
The prolific Lea Nagel has been at it again – she’s prepared a checklist of things to get organised (and who is responsible for them) prior to a student’s VCE exam. See over for her checklist!
What |
Who |
Y/N |
| arrange and book room | School Staff | Y/N |
| heating/cooling | School Staff | Y/N |
| lighting (blinds etc) | School Staff | Y/N |
| powerpoints | School Staff | Y/N |
| powerboard - minimum 5 sockets | School Staff | Y/N |
| lamp | School Staff | Y/N |
| printer | School Staff | Y/N |
| 2 floppy disks or blank CDs | School Staff | Y/N |
| printer paper x 50 sheets | School Staff | Y/N |
| arrange supervisors | SVRC Staff, School Staff | Y/N |
| drinks for supervisors + bathroom breaks | School Staff | Y/N |
| Spare: | Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
|
Supervisors | Y/N |
timer, clock |
Supervisors | Y/N |
| laptop computer | Student | Y/N |
| floppy disk reader/CD reader/writer | Student | Y/N |
| 2nd computer ? | Student | Y/N |
| magnifier | Student | Y/N |
| other specialised equipment | Student | Y/N |
| reformat + deliver the exam paper | VCAA | Y/N |
| check that the paper has arrived at school (early) | School Staff | Y/N |
| introduce supervisors to the head examiner | School Staff | Y/N |
| handing completed exam to head examiner | Supervisors + Head Examiner | Y/N |
Applications are now open for the 2006 Vision Australia Further Education Bursaries.
In 2006 Vision Australia will award up to 15 bursaries valued at up to $6,000
for the purchase of adaptive equipment.
Who is eligible: Students residing in Victoria, NSW or the ACT, who are blind
or vision impaired and who are commencing their first year tertiary studies
in 2006 and who for financial reasons would not otherwise be able to participate
in further education.
There is a rather lengthy application form and relevant information which is available via email and fax or can be collected from the SVRC.
Application information is available on the VA website. Go to: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au.
Interested applicants should contact Renee Williamson, Tertiary Education Consultant,
Vision Australia
Tel: (03) 9520 5555 or 1300 847 466
Email: bursary@visionaustralia.org.au
Closing date: Friday 21 October 2005
The following information was sent by Gayle Skinner, President VAPVI and AAPVI
The Victorian Parents Association continues to meet at 8.00pm on the first Monday of the month at the Blackburn Community Centre. We are pleased to be hearing from members and would like to hear your story too.
You may have met our Treasurer Rod and his family at the recent parent meeting at Statewide Vision Resource Centre. The information about the Blind Cricket Association and Centrelink was invaluable for all parents.
And speaking of cricket...
Jon Horsburgh, son of committee member Phil, was recently invited to be part of the Commonwealth Games lead-up at a function at Scienceworks. He was a representative of the Blind Cricket Association. See below for pics!
Our Annual General Meeting has been scheduled for 28 November at 8.00pm at 24 Simmons St, Box Hill Nth. New committee members are always welcome, so here’s a chance to have a say about the needs of our members.
Our next VAPVI meeting will be on October 10th at 8.00pm at Blackburn Neighbourhood Centre, The Avenue, Blackburn. We hope to see you there. Email Rod at vapvi@homail.com.au
Some exciting developments for the Australian Association for Parents of the Vision Impaired.
A conference of parents of VI is to be held in New Zealand in November. Pam, Sarah and Gayle have been invited to attend and are looking forward to discussing ideas about the running of our parent group with some “experts” in the field. The NZ parent group has been around for several years and is providing us with invaluable information and support.
We have strong links with the National Blindness Forum, another supportive and informative group.
And, our bank account is now open, and as such, donations are, of course, very welcome.
Don’t forget our email address at aapvi@hotmail.com.au
News from Dean Johnson, Senior O&M Instructor, Children’s Mobility Services, Guide Dogs Victoria
On September 6 the CMS ran a ‘Multi-impairment Day’ that focussed on O&M for children who are multi-impaired. The day was very successful with parents attending and guest speakers from the Statewide Vision Resource Centre (SVRC) in Donvale. The SVRC is where the majority of Visiting Teachers who refer to our service are based.
On October 13 we will be running a ‘Boy's Big Night Out’. We plan to meet clients at four meeting points at around Melbourne at 4.30pm: Epping, Ringwood, Frankston and Dandenong and then travel into the city where everyone meets for dinner. After dinner everyone travels back to their original meeting place. The focus of this program is O&M skills in low light conditions.
The latest edition of the CMS Newsletter is available for your reading pleasure. Included in the CMS newsletter are articles about our programs and other activities the service is involved in.
October 19 to 21 we are running a ‘Mini Camp’ program based at
Arnold Cook House. This program is for children who will benefit from the group
program style of service delivery but require 1:1 to achieve optimum learning
outcomes. We anticipate approximately four children will attend this camp. This
is the first time this type of group program has been run at ACH so we look
forward to this new addition to the program schedule.
Sydney Trip
December 5 to 9 we take a group of seven students to Sydney. As in previous
years we will travel to Sydney on the train and return on the plane. We will
be staying in Woolloomolloo and anticipate having a week filled with O&M
challenges. Three staff will accompany the students.
In January 2006 we will again run the ‘GDV Goes CBD’ program based at ACH and 12 students will attend the program.
Dean will also be contacting Visiting Teachers in Victoria to determine if they require further information about the Children’s Mobility Service and the nature and scope of service they can provide to students, their families and teachers. There are now copies of brochures, DVDs and videos that can be distributed to anyone who is interested in learning more about Orientation and Mobility for children and Guide Dogs Victoria.
If you have any questions or comments about the CMS please contact a member of the CMS team: Dean, Rachel, Dani, Lil, Alicia, Sharon and Darlene.
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Thanks to Jeni Blake, Maria Elford, Dr Jill Keeffe and Denise Probert for contributing to this edition of The Bulletin. Thanks also to my fabulous proof-reader/stuffer/poster(s).
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).