Week Ten

Well, today I officially reached the 50 hours required for my orientation and mobility practicum this semester.  Didn't seem as hard or take as long as I expected it to, and to top it off, today was a good day.  I was able to observe and work with some students that I haven't seen in a couple weeks, and the progress for some of these students was impressive!

Margaret and I started out at Stacy's preschool class, where Stacy was drawing on a whiteboard with an orange marker.  As we came in the room, one of the teachers approached us and said that Stacy mentioned that the purple marker looked black.  This teacher was surprised, because she didn't think Stacy had any really usable vision and didn't fully understand what her vision loss looks like.  Margaret took the time to explain how Stacy might be seeing shapes and outlines, or saturated colors with high contrast.  Because Stacy is only four years old and has only learned English within the past year, it's difficult to know what exactly she is seeing.  For Margaret and I, it wasn't really surprising to hear this, but just another useful piece of information.

Margaret and I were able to do quite a few activities with Stacy today.  The students had free time, so we all went to a center that had pictures of emotions (happy, sad, shy, bored, excited, etc).  Margaret had already showed Stacy this poster and explained the facial expressions to her.  We used this time to practice the facial expressions again (what fun!), and then we went to the class gymnastics lesson.  Stacy needs some assistance navigating through the gymnastics activities and supporting herself, so I walked with her through the activities.  

Next the three of us when on a mini-lesson where Margaret had Stacy show me a new route she learned.  After that, Stacy decided that she wanted to start spinning around, so Margaret called out if Stacy made a full turn, half turn, quarter turn, or three-quarters turn.  She also mentioned the degrees on several of these.  Stacy was very interested in the feedback Margaret was giving, so she kept turning to different degrees.  To me, this was such a great "teachable moment", something that Margaret seems very good at seizing on.

Next Margaret and I went to the middle school to see Jacob (student with low vision who uses a power wheelchair) and Joe (student who is totally blind and has balance issues).  Jacob has problems with depth perception, so the goal today was to find a cane that he could use from his wheelchair to detect drop-offs.  This was an interesting effort in collaboration.  Both Jacob's mother and his PT happened to be there, so all of us were involved in this process and put in our opinions.  We ended up with a Frankenstein solution (cane tip from one cane, grip from another, and shaft from yet another).  Needless to say Margaret will be ordering a cane with the specific features we decided upon.

Then Margaret and I went for a walk with Joe.  This student has been using a cane for less than six months, and he is already to the point where he needed only one prompt to sweep his cane during a half-hour lesson.  He was also able to recall the steps to a route that he learned several weeks ago.  Joe is definitely one of those students that teaches you the importance of having high expectations and of not making assumptions about a student's abilities.

To end the day, we did several street crossings with Mike, a high school student who is totally blind.  He is probably one of those model students, but his one downfall is his over-confidence.  I would definitely call him fearless, but that also means that he has a tendency to disregard input from Margaret or to not pay as much attention as he should.  But at the same time, Margaret is trying to encourage Mike to make his own decisions about routes to use, etc. so that he'll be ready when he graduates from high school.

The nice thing about a student like Mike (who is such a proficient traveler) is that you can get his perspective as a cane user on things related to O&M.  Today I asked him about his opinions on different types of cane tips and cane materials.  He pointed out things that I had never heard of, like the fact that aluminum canes can rust in a saltwater environment like the Tampa Bay area.  He also mentioned that the joints of a folding graphite cane can splinter, but a graphite cane is less likely to break than an aluminum cane.  To me, these are things that an O&M instructor can only learn from people who actually use O&M skills in their daily lives.

Week Eight

Today I got to go back to a local elementary school and see Jim, a first grader that I have observed several times in the past.  This kid has a great sense of humor and is so creative.

Margaret and I were standing in the cafeteria waiting for Jim to finish his lunch and noticed that Jim's long cane was hanging on the fire extinguisher by the exit (eek!).  There had been an adhesive hook for his cane on the wall by the fire extinguisher, but the hook was missing so apparently the fire extinguisher was now the best alternative.

Margaret was looking at this and trying to come up with a different place for Jim to keep his cane while he ate lunch.  The fire extinguisher is on the right side of the entrance doors, which is also where all of the students line up to leave after they finish eating.  So I suggested, "why not put a hook on the opposite side of the double doors, away from where all the kids stand so they're not tempted to pick the hook off the wall?"

Margaret didn't want Jim to have to cross this heavy traffic area, so we thought some more.  Then I thought of Stacy's (Margaret's preschool student) cane and how it has a rubber hook on it so you can hang it off of a  desk.  It basically allows the cane to defy gravity:

http://www.ambutech.com/product-catalog/accessories/cane-hook-small/

Aha!  I mentioned this to Margaret.  It seemed like the perfect solution.  Jim could just hang his cane off of the lunch table and keep it near him.  We got one of these handy contraptions out of Margaret's car and attached it to Jim's cane.  It took some explaining to show Jim how it works and how to place it on things so that the cane is stable.  Margaret placed the hook on several things (a car bumper, the push bars on the cafeteria doors, and a lunch table).

Apparently we opened a can of worms.  Jim now wanted to hang his cane from any possible spot (his glasses, the back of someone's shirt).  The winner was definitely getting it to hang off the bark on an oak tree (really??).

Margaret was concerned that this was going to become a distraction for Jim, but I think he was getting a chance to learn and satisfy his curiosity.  I'm assuming that after a few days the novelty will wear off and he'll stop using it as an oversized ornament (hopefully).  This whole experience also allowed Margaret to talk to Jim about "problem solving" and "trial-and-error" (I love how she always goes back to skills like this in her lessons).

Next we went to the middle school to work with Ralph (who has light perception) and Jake (who has CP, low vision, and uses a power wheelchair).  I made a tactile map of the school campus for Ralph using the Wheatley Picture Maker.  At first I thought maybe the map was too large or that I needed to add a key, but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to incorporate a key onto the Wheatley Picture Maker (probably not something it's intended for).  The white lines are the corridors the classrooms are in, and the yellow lines are the main hallways:

I sat down with Ralph on a couch and Margaret had me show him the map.  At first it was hard to direct his attention, but by the end he was able to say what the different shapes/textures on the maps represented (yay!).  He did have a hard time answering some of my questions though, which might have been because of the way I worded them ("which hallway is the teacher's lounge across from?").  Overall I thought our mini-lesson went well.

Margaret and I also went for a walk with Jake to the teacher's lounge.  One of his aides gave him the key to the lounge, so when we got there Jake had to put the key in the lock and open the door on his own.  This was definitely a challenge for Jake, but Margaret just waited and gave him some verbal reminders.  We talked some more about the challenges of teaching students in wheelchairs and how a lot of it is just learning as you go.  Still, it would be nice if there was a training that I could take on this subject!

Week Seven

Today was another lesson in flexibility.  Margaret (the O&M instructor) and I met at a local grocery store so she could teach a lesson to a student who has a new power wheelchair.  Unfortunately, that student's class never showed up, so Margaret and I missed out on an hour of instruction.  

At any rate, Margaret explained that this student (who has low vision) recently had surgery and had gotten a new power wheelchair.  The new wheelchair is bigger than the previous one the student had, so it meant that he needs to get used to driving it.  I likened it to when you drive a new car; it takes awhile to figure out the car's dimensions, turning radius, etc.  

We talked some more about how much more common power wheelchairs are becoming for students that need wheelchairs, how difficult it is to decide if the student can take on that responsibility, and then the challenge of teaching O&M with these chairs.  Wheelchairs haven't been covered much yet in my coursework, let along power wheelchairs!

Next Margaret and I headed to a local planetarium to meet some of her middle school students that are in a supported varying exceptionalities class (I think going to the planetarium made up for missing out at the grocery store).  It was interesting, because two of Margaret's students in this class have light perception at best and the third student has CP as well as low vision.  This third student uses a power wheelchair and has difficulty keeping his trunk upright in order to look straight ahead (or up in the case of viewing the dome in the planetarium).  

Clearly the two students with light perception were not going to be able to see everything that was going on in the show.  Margaret decided to sit next to the student who has low vision, so that she could help him look in the right direction and provide more descriptions.  

One thing that stood out to me here was that because Margaret had three students at the outing and she couldn't possibly sit with all of them, the other two students were basically just listening to the lecture and probably not getting all of it.  Both of these students had their aides sitting with them, but the aides definitely didn't do anything to help their students understand what was going on (not that I expect them to; that's not what they're trained in!).  

But now that makes me wonder, do these students have a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) working with them?  I don't think I've actually heard of them having a TVI and certainly haven't met one at their school.  Must ask Margaret about this later. 

But even with all of this, the guy who gave the lecture did a good job of keeping things simple and providing descriptions as best he could, and it was probably a good experience for the students.  Margaret also took the opportunity to teach some elevator travel to the two students who have light perception.

After that, Margaret and I went to work with Stacy, the preschool prodigy (ok, maybe not, but she does use words like petrol and diesel).  We had a great time going for a walk in the neighborhood, letting Stacy tell us which way she wanted to go and pointing things out to her on the way.  

One problem that came up though is that Margaret wanted me to lead more of Stacy's lesson.  I started the lesson, but then Margaret jumped in.  I taught some more as we moved to another activity and then Margaret took over the lesson.  This didn't really bother me much, but afterwards Margaret more or less apologized, saying that it's her personality to jump in so I need to speak up.  

Unfortunately, this is a bit of a personality conflict for me.  Margaret definitely has a more dominating personality (plus she has more knowledge than I do), and I tend to defer to people like this.  Apparently I need to figure out how to be more assertive...

Week Five

This was a short week; only did 1.5 hours of observation at a different school than the ones I've been visiting on Fridays.  Due to scheduling issues, Margaret (the O&M instructor) and I settled on just doing a couple of hours.  Which worked out well, as I just found out yesterday that my student teaching application for the fall is due on Thursday.  Which means I should be writing an autobiographical statement right now as opposed to a blog, but I digress.

I've observed the student (Jim) that I saw today several times in the past year or so, which made it interesting to see how he's progressed.  He used his cane everywhere we went on campus (which was quite a few locations), and he didn't bump into anything.  The last time I observed Jim, he unwillingly used his cane and usually chose to use sighted guide instead.  It was great to see him travelling independently and confidently on his campus.

Jim has achromatopsia, which means that he sees varying shades of gray with a total absence of color.  His TVI and Margaret both already knew that Jim sees better in low lighting (more lighting is not always best for students who have visual impairments!), but Margaret recently discovered something else interesting about Jim's vision.

Jim was having difficulty seeing cones during PE, so Margaret put out several different cones and had Jim tell her which ones he could see best.  He chose the green and purple cones (which were on green grass).  This basically meant that Jim was seeing the objects that had the lowest contrast. So then Margaret put out a variety of folders in different colors on a black background, and Jim chose the purple and black folders.  Finally, she put out a variety of plastic cubes on a dark background, and again Jim chose the black and purple cubes.

Jim's vision seems to be the total opposite of what we assume for students who have visual impairments.  Typically, the more contrast the better. But with Jim, he might be seeing a washed-out world that makes saturated colors (green, black, purple) easier for him to see.

Did I mention how heterogeneous this population is? No assumptions are safe here.

Margaret is also doing a great rewards system with Jim.  If his teachers report that he has been using his cane and having good behavior overall, he gets to choose a sports related bead (football, soccer, baseball, etc), which is then put on a string that is attached to his cane.  When he gets four beads, he can trade it in for a charm.  When he has four charms, he gets to go on a community outing (McDonalds for ice cream!).  Of course he gets to keep the charm bracelet, which adds a little flair to his cane.

Jim has been at his school for about two years so he is very comfortable on campus.  In order to challenge him more, Margaret is planning to change his service hours to include more community outings.  It definitely seems like when a student has been at a school for awhile and has mastered its layout, the number of opportunities for O&M instruction dwindle.  If we want to continue developing the child's O&M skills, going off-campus becomes a necessity.

Week Two, Part One

It's interesting how what we think we know about ourselves turns out to be wrong, but more on that later.  Anyhow, despite my first day with the O&M instructor going well, I was still nervous about this second day. Why? I'm really not sure, but I think it has something to do with not wanting to look like a fool in front of a potential future coworker.

Today started at the preschool again, which is quickly turning into my favorite school to visit. The classroom was sitting at the big table and playing with flubber. That's right, the green gooey mystery material just like in the Robin William's movie. The mounds of gloop had been pressed, cut, and prodded into all kinds of shapes, which the students were only too happy to show me and let me touch.

 The O&M instructor (who shall be called Margaret) began helping the student we were there to see (who shall now be called Stacy) roll the flubber into different shapes; a snake, a pancake, and a really loooong fork holder. Clearly this was a great activity for Stacy; she could develop her concept of shapes, her hand strength, and her tactile awareness.

When the activity was finished and the students moved on, the classroom teachers mentioned Stacy's reluctance to touch the flubber at first, but that she eventually got used to it. Margaret took the opportunity to explain how sometimes, touching an unfamiliar material to the child's arm or leg first might help them work up the courage to touch the object with his or her hands. She used a great explanation that I've heard before; the hands of a child who is visually impaired are like our eyes, and should therefore be treated carefully.

Margaret tries to take Stacy for a walk every time she sees her so cane skills can be worked on. First, she helped Stacy use protective techniques in the classroom to find a shelf, and then trail a cabinet to the classroom wall. Even though Margaret was telling Stacy to trail the cabinets, Stacy began walking toward Margaret by following the sound of her voice (meaning she is already actively using sound localization).

Eventually we made it outside, with one of Stacy's classmates joining us for the walk. Stacy tends to hesitate in making decisions or not want to take turns with others, so Margaret has decided that in those situations to let Stacy's classmates decide where to go on the walks. This is a great example of how so many other skills can be reinforced during O&M lessons!

After a quick elevator ride and a visit to a small garden space, we went back inside for the class's tumbling lesson.  This is such a great opportunity for Stacy; body parts are mentioned, different body positions are used, and she gets to do things such as hop, squat, walk on her tip-toes, and bounce on a springboard.  At this time, she needs one-on-one assistance to participate in the activities.  This makes sense, but eventually Stacy starts over relying on the adult assisting her through the activities.  I find myself wondering if she would do the activities on her own if we let her (when does a child start becoming a prompt junkie again?).

As we left to go the middle school, I thought to myself, "I could be paid to do this all day?  Go for walks and play with flubber?  Sign me up!"  At the middle school, Margaret started with student A by walking with him to the cafeteria.  Student A is one of those success stories; for the longest time no one thought he could walk unsupported and even crossing a threshold would make him lose his balance.

Now, he can walk with minimal assistance and is working on using a long cane.  This student's hand preference seems to be in question though, so Margaret is experimenting to see which hand is better for him to hold the cane with.  The lesson here is that there is a lot of trial and error in O&M and determining what is best for the student.

The next lesson at the middle school was with two students as we searched for a suitable route to the band room from these students' classroom.  These students are in a varying exceptionalities class.  One is totally blind and one has low vision.  The difference between the two was interesting; the totally blind student had much better cane technique, asked far more questions about the environment, and moved slower.

The low vision student needed frequent reminders to  keep his cane tip on the ground and use his cane.  He also had many more suggestions of how to get to certain locations on the campus.  Overall this was more of a discovery and exploring lesson, but I think the totally blind student might have benefited more from learning the exact route first and then exploring the area around it.

So back to the statement I started with.  I always thought that my preferred population to work with would be middle schoolers, high schoolers, or maybe even adults.  It was nice to be proved wrong and thoroughly enjoy working with the preschoolers as they discover the world (and play with flubber).