The following issue of The Bulletin was prepared by Deb Lewis (Co-ordinator, Statewide Vision Resource Centre).
The SVRC PD program for term 4 appears below. For the complete list of activities for 2004 go to: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/PD2004.html
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
SVRC Event – Term 4 |
Date |
| O&M Morning - "Experiencing Vision Loss in the
Community" Linden Woodruff, Guide Dogs Victoria |
Wednesday 20 October |
| Parent Support Group of Low Vision Children at the SVRC Speaker Erin Shale - 2pm onwards |
Saturday 23 October |
| Mountbatten Workshop (for Beginners) - 10.00am to 12.30pm Trevor Boyd, Quantum Technology |
Monday 15 November |
| SVRC Educational EXPO 2004 – for subject teachers, integration teachers and aides, careers teachers, therapists, parents, students (low vision and braille readers) and visiting teachers | Friday 26 November |
The annual SVRC Educational EXPO is planned for:
Friday November 26 from 10am to 3.30pm
at the Statewide Vision Resource Centre
370-380 Springvale Road, Donvale, 3111
(parking beside at the Donvale Sports Centre)
There will be displays and demonstrations of the latest in technology for people who are vision impaired. Come and see computer technology which enlarges or talks, closed-circuit television systems, calculators, games, talking book technology, optical equipment, braille, white-board transmitters to your computer, talking and enlarging technology, sports equipment and more.
The day is open to teachers, teacher aides, parents, students, mobility instructors, rehabilitation workers, or anyone with an interest in technology for people who are vision impaired. Plan to spend the time to try out something new and hang out with the wonderful bunch of distributors that we have in our field!
We’ll even send you home with some useful freebies!!!
See the SVRC website for a copy of the flier: http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/expoflyer.htm
For further details contact: Deb Lewis (03) 9841 0242 or email deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au
When: January 9-14 2005
Where: Rydges in Melbourne CBD
Hey!!! Did you get your copy of the extremely spunky Registration Brochure in the mail this week??? What an EXCITING read!!!! So much to do and see and hear and everything…
Well worth spending a week in January with three hundred of your closest friends and colleagues!!! If you are keen to secure the EARLY REGISTRATION FEE, you’ll need to register before 30 October. It is a saving of approximately $50 on the overall fee so it is well worth having!
Registration fees are as follows:
Considering most conferences are in the three and four hundreds for a day or so, the SPEVI conference represents extremely excellent value for money!!!
If you have not received your copy of the Registration Brochure you can secure yours by clicking on the ‘click here to add your name and contact details to the conference mailing list’ link on the SPEVI website which you will find at: http://www.cdesign.com.au/spevi2005/
You will even be able to view the Registration Brochure online in the next week or so and register online!!! All thoroughly modern, really.
Look forward to seeing you there!
SPEVI life member Tom Rogerson has started on the First Draft of “From ANZATB to SPEVI - A 50 year history of the teachers of New Zealanders and Australians who were blind”. He has stalled and urgently needs your help. He requires copies of photos and articles on the Conferences and developments in New Zealand and the States of Australia between 1950 and 2000. Especially welcome would be your memories and photos of people, courses, inspirations and social occasions. He promises to return all originals.
Tom will be in Melbourne at Conference in January so please colleagues bring your contribution to the History Project with you or email it now to: tom.rogerson@clear.net.nz
When: Saturday 23rd October 2004 from 2.00pm
Where: Statewide Vision Resource Centre, 370-380 Springvale
Rd Donvale
Speaker: Highly regarded ERIN SHALE, author and Career Counsellor,
Balwyn High School
Topics:
Regardless of your child’s age, all will benefit from listening to the wealth of information Erin is willing to share. Babysitters and afternoon tea will be provided!
RSVP: 9841 0807 or annetteg@svrc.vic.edu.au
For students who wish to attend the RVIB Support Skills Program or Residential Training Program in 2005, RVIB is holding another fabulous ‘Try Day”:
When: Friday 19th November 2004
Time: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
Where: RVIB Education Centre, 333 Burwood Hwy, Burwood 3125
RVIB Education Services has been conducting the Support Skills Program for over 15 years. The Program is available to students (Grade 3 - 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. Residential Training Programs are available for country students who are unable to attend the regular Friday Support Skills Program.
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 application form and return it to RVIB Education Services no later than Friday 5th November 2004. Please contact Susan Coull (Program Coordinator) on (03) 9808 6422 for further information or a copy of the application form.
Closing Date: Monday 8th November
In February 2005, RBS.RVIB.VAF Ltd will award up to 15 Further Education Bursaries to students who are blind or vision impaired. Individual Bursaries are valued at up to $6,000.
The Further Education Bursary aims to assist RBS.RVIB.VAF LTD clients, who for financial reasons would not otherwise be able, to participate in further education through the provision of adaptive technology. Applications are treated in the strictest confidence. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application. All decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Some applicants may be asked to attend a short interview with the Selection Committee if further information is required.
Students of any age can apply for a Further Education Bursary. Applicants must demonstrate both a financial need for assistance and academic merit.
Applicants must:
Necessary documentation to be contained with applications includes:
For more information and copies of the application process and application form, please call Renee Williamson, Tertiary Education consultant, RVIB College on (03) 9520 5555 or toll free 1300 559987 or email bursary@rvib.org.au
Source: Program for Students with Disabilities, EMR, September Newsletter
Choosing what to do after leaving school is an issue for all students. To some degree it can be perceived as an even more difficult decision for students with disabilities. Most students with disabilities will leave school at the end of the year they turn 18. Planning for life after school should start at the commencement of the student’s secondary years, and should become almost totally focused on this during the last 3 years after the student turns 15 when Managed Individual Pathways (MIPs) requirements become operational.
The MIPs program assists young people to:
Many students within the PSD will leave school and follow pathways into an apprenticeship or trainee, work, further study at TAFE or university. The FFYA program supports young people with disabilities prepare for the years ahead and helps them get jobs , do further study or training or become involved in activities in their community.
It is recognised that “getting it right” can take a while. So FFYA will work with young people and their families for up to three years to help with decision making and preparation for the best and most appropriate option, leading to a happy, fulfilling and productive life.
Some people with a disability might need support for a long time into the future and this need for assistance might go beyond three years. It is understood that these young people might need ongoing support in order to be involved in meaningful, interesting and worthwhile activities, whether this is at work, in further education or in something else in the community.
As it moves forward into a second decade of operation, the focus of the FFYA program is to support those young people moving into disability specific services rather than those moving into generic community services. Further information is available at: http://hnb.dhs.vic.gov.au/ds/disabilitysite.nsf/pages/prog_ffya?Open or at your Department of Human Services (EMR) office telephone 9843 6000.
Article by Dr Mike Steer, Renwick College
The US-based Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates strongly and effectively for appropriate governmental policies. It sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice. Its website is at http://www.cec.sped.org and will generously repay the small effort involved in bringing it to your screen. I joined in 1975 and have never looked back. Because of our Ozzie dollar, membership fees are high, but over the years I’ve found that benefits are enormous.
Currently, many American and some Australian states and Canadian provinces require students with exceptionalities to pass state exit exam(s), i.e. “ high-stakes” test(s) in order to receive a standard high school diploma.
On April 15 this year, the CEC Executive approved a policy on exit exams for students with exceptionalities The policy that follows represents an attempt by members of this extraordinary successful professional special interest group to ensure that exit exams are appropriately carried out for students with exceptionalities. CEC is generally supportive of many of the intended consequences of requiring students with exceptionalities to pass exit exams in order to receive a standard high school diploma. Much can be learned from reading the policy and thinking about its implications for our school systems and for the students we serve, even if the system in which you are employed doesn’t require formal exit exams, since the central issue confronts the dangers of “high stakes testing”.
It is the position of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) that:
a) No single test score should be used to make critical educational decisions for students with exceptionalities. Multiple measures that document student learning and skills development should be used with accommodations when appropriate, in the decision-making process.
b) All students with exceptionalities must be given the opportunity to learn the material that is covered on exit exams. This includes the provision of individualized instructional services and supports that address the general education curriculum that is aligned with standards, test content, and the student’s IEP. An alternate assessment should be an option for a student as recommended by the IEP team.
c) Advance notice should be given to all students with exceptionalities and their parents on the consequences of exit exams. This should include
(1) a description of the steps to be taken to prepare students and teachers for the tests themselves;
(2) any additional resources/supports that are available to ensure adequate performance on the tests; and
(3) a clear statement for parents and students that explains what decisions may be made on the basis of the test results.
d) On-going research should be conducted on the impact of exit exams for students with exceptionalities that address issues, such as, grade-level retention/promotion, referral rates for special education, and any limits on future employment and educational experiences resulting from alternative high school diplomas.
Reference
Council for Exceptional Children 2004 Policy Manual; Section Three, Part 1,
Chapter 3, Para.14.
Source: Program for Disabilities and Impairments Newsletter, Eastern Metropolitan Region, Term 2, 2004
In nearly all of the 1000s of classrooms across the state, teachers face the ever present challenge of meeting the diverse needs of their students. Within each of those classrooms it is likely that between 5% and 10% of the students will have learning needs which are “at odds” with the majority of students. These students may have an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD); a significant social emotional behavioural problem; a disability which enables the school to receive additional support from the Program for Students with Disabilities; a mild sensory impairment (visual or hearing); a borderline intellectual. The educational development and program for ALL these students is the classroom teacher’s responsibility.
To adequately meet these students’ needs the classroom teacher will find it useful to make adaptations such as changes to the following are suggestions that many classroom teachers may find helpful:
1. the classroom environment
2. the way materials are presented
3. the demands of the task
1. Modifying the classroom environment
2. Modifying the way materials are presented
3. Modifying the demands of the task
4. For students with Language Processing Problems
5. For students with Visual Processing Problems
6. Some students will have difficulty starting a task.
7. Many students have problems focusing and/or attending
Source: Vision 2020 Australia, September Update
The Centre for Eye Research Australia and the Eye Research Australia Foundation commissioned Access Economics Pty Limited to prepare a report on the economic impact and cost of vision loss in Australia. The Report was released at an official launch on Thursday 19 August 2004 at the State Library of Victoria.
The primary objectives of commissioning this Report were to:
As the Report states, it is vital that visual impairment be immediately moved onto the National and community health agendas. Eye health promotion, service delivery and research into those eye diseases that cause vision loss and blindness (that at present cannot be prevented or treated but which are highly prevalent in the community) merits a high priority.
Key new findings from the research include:
For further information or to read the full report, visit http://www.cera.org.au
The Australian Braille Authority National Executive invites registrations for the 2004 Test of Proficiency in English Literary Braille. The test period this year will be the fortnight of Monday 25th October to Sunday 7th November 2004. Candidates will be required to complete the test during one working day (7 hours or less) within that fortnight period.
The cost of sitting the test is $33.00 (GST inclusive), and cheques should be made payable to Round Table. A sample test paper and general information on the test is available on the Round Table website, http://www.e-bility.com/roundtable/aba.php
The closing date for registration is Friday 8th October 2004 (but it still may be worthwhile contacting the organisers beyond this date. Contact Frances Gentle: francesg@start.com.au or Frances.Gentle@ridbc.org.au
I’ve chatted to a few of the Space Campers – chaperones Jeni and
Geoff mainly – and heard news from some of our kids and it sounds like
this trip was the easiest ever (ie no hitches), despite the constant threat
of hurricanes etc etc!
I’ll be preparing a Space Camp 2004 webpage – so keep an eye on
the svrc website!
Grizzly Gulch is a computer game, which was designed and produced by Bavisoft. Bavisoft was founded in 1999 on the East coast of North America and is a company that produces software for the vision impaired.
Grizzly Gulch was designed so that no vision at all is needed to play it. It’s set in the Wild West so of course, there’s stacks of bank robberies, heaps of shoot outs and most importantly, loads of villains. Or if you’re not really the violent type, you might like to relax in the saloon with a nice game of poker, black jack, the slot machines or the shell game.
There’s two levels of difficulty; on easy mode, the villains come at you from three directions, and on hard mode they come at you from five. You use the arrow keys to aim and shoot your targets. The aim of the game is to complete tasks, which the marshall of the town allocates to you.
This game is aimed at anyone who wants to try something different. There are heaps of audio instructions provided, so it’s suitable for the novice computer user through to the more experienced game player. I rate it 8 ½ out of 10, as it could have been longer and more complex.
Bavisoft have a web site where you can find more information, order this and other games etc. Go to: http://www.bavisoft.com
Thanks also to my ever-willing proof-reader Lea Nagel and to the ever-lovely and totally uncomplaining mail-out crew.
Deb Lewis (who can be emailed at deblewis@svrc.vic.edu.au).