Louisiana DeafBlind Project News

One Teacher’s Steps to Transforming Perceptions of Math Instruction

From LDA Magazine:

Jim Franklin is an inclusion special education teacher from Elm Street Elementary in Rome, GA. Jim presented a session at the LDA Annual Conference in Atlanta and submitted this article to share a resource with the LDA Community after reading LDA Today last summer.

Seeking Participants for Master’s Project: Vibration-based Communication for the Deafblind

Hello! I am David, a Computer Science student Durham University, in England. I am doing my master’s project on deafblind communication and am creating an interface for vibrotactile communication on Android phones. The interface uses Morse code (dots and dashes to represent the letters of the alphabet) to allow a deafblind person to type text into the phone and “read” by feeling vibrations. I’ll then integrate this into an app called Signal, which is a free, privacy-centric messenger.
If this sounds interesting to you, I would absolutely love for you to be involved in evaluating the interface. You’ll not be expected to know Morse code in advance – part of the study is discovering how easy or hard it is to learn! All you need is your fingers, an Android phone, and someone to help you get set up.
You can get in touch by emailing me at david.c.kutner@durham.ac.uk – I’ll give you the details of the study, and you can decide if you want to give it a try. If you are underage, you’ll have to ask your parents to participate in the study, and they’ll have to answer questions on your behalf.

Virtual M~POWER 4-Day: My Pursuit of Work, Empowerment & Resources

In response to COVID-19, HKNC continues to address the access that young adults with combined vision and hearing loss have to services provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). HKNC’s M~POWER Program offers Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), established through WIOA, and introduces transition-age youth to aspects of competitive and integrated employment during a time when distance learning ensures the safety of our consumers.

February 16, 2021 – February 19, 2021           Program Cost: $500.00 for 4 days

The 4-day Virtual M~POWER Program offers participants an introduction to the world of work and emphasizes the five areas of Pre-ETS: Job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary educational opportunities, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy.

Virtual M~POWER Outcomes:

• Identify job interests and what a typical day on the job is like through virtual job shadowing.
• Learn what skills are needed to be successful at work, for interviews, resume writing.
• Interview a successful employee who started as a volunteer and has worked her way up to employment.
• Learn from students who are deaf-blind about successful college experiences.
• Learn how to develop self-advocacy skills to make informed choices in school, at work, while using an interpreter or SSP.
• Learn with the staff at HKNC, some of whom are deaf-blind, about all the opportunities and resources available to you to start to plan your future.

Participants will virtually join peers ages 16 – 22 from around the country for this innovative four-day program. Prior to the beginning of the program, HKNC staff will assess technology available to the participant to determine the best instruction modality that would insure full access to information and instruction. Instruction may be provided by telephone, iPhone, iPad, e-mail, computer, videophone, FaceTime, Zoom meetings and/or Google Classroom. 

For more information, contact Dora Carney, Admissions Coordinator:

Dora.Carney@hknc.org

Or your Regional Representative:

https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/nationwide-services

Mississippi AER Free Webinars

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope all of you are well. I wanted to invite you into some of our professional development activities:

Next week:

FREE brief webinars (1.5 hour at the most) occurring next week that might be of interest. Flyers are attached for each.

Jan. 26, Tuesday at 4 PM Central Time: Jim Franklin, Slide A Round Math  (manipulatives for teaching math)

To register, click on the following link: Registration for Slide-Around Math 1.26.21

Jan. 27, Wednesday at 4 PM Central Time: Leanne Grillot, APH, Leveling the Educational Playing Field through Accessible Materials for Students with Visual Impairments  – A Show And Tell  To register, click on the following link: Registering.for.LevelingPlaying Field4VIB-Materials

Mississippi AER, Mississippi State University, Family First Braille Foundation and MS Hearing-Vision Project are SO excited to offer Quality Essential Assessments: What Can Be Done in a Virtual Environment, a 2 part webinar FREE to AER members!

Feb. 13 & 27, Saturdays, 8:30 – 12:30 Central Time: Dr. Karen Blankenship presenting Quality Essential Assessments: What Can Be Done in a Virtual Environment.  This 2-part webinar will discuss the foundational rationale for completing the FVLMA, the ECC screening and assessment to provide quality programming for students with visual impairments. In addition, during these unprecedented times, we will discuss what is possible to complete virtually and what we need to do during a face-to-face meeting.

For those whose backgrounds are in visual impairment.

Free to all current AER Members. Non-AER Members = $25

Mississippi continuing education credits are being pursued for this training and ACVREP credits will be offered.  You must attend in person both Saturday sessions to qualify for credit.

To register, click on the following link: Essential Assessment Workshop February 13 and 27

See the attached Flyer for additional details!

Be well!

Toni

Toni Hollingsworth
MS Hearing-Vision Project
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive # 5115
Hattiesburg, MS  39406-0001
toni.hollingsworth@usm.edu
www.usm.edu/hearing-vision
www.facebook.com/mshvp
Cell: 228-249-9668
800.264.5135   or
601.266.5135
Fax: 601.266.4978

Western Region Early Intervention Conference

The Western Regional Early Intervention Conference (WREIC) in collaboration with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Coffee Hour will be holding monthly virtual sessions focusing on the current needs of providers and families.  We hope you can join with us in learning about these timely topics. We are excited for our opening keynote with David Brown on January 26, 2021 from 10 AM- 2 PM MST. Please visit www.wreic.org for detailed information on monthly topics and how to register. Thank you!

Deafblind International Youth Network: Do You Have a Story to Tell?

Hello from the Deafblind International youth network. 

We are requesting young people to kindly share their ‘Covid Stories’ for our new publication. Approximately 500 words to describe the following:

• How has the pandemic affected your own life and that of your family?
• What has changed in your country as a result of the pandemic?
• How have you had to adapt your education/ employment / social life?

There is an attached flyer giving more details and example of a story from Maiden who lives in India –what a remarkable and inspiration young person!

Please send your stories to the network coordinator simon.allison@sense.org.uk

An e-voucher will be sent to all those who have a story published

The publication is to be launched through a webinar later this year with book contributors presenting their stories.

Thank You

DbI Youth Network

Supported Employment Deafblind Webinars Jan-Feb

SCD Job Opportunity in Florida VR

Hello, everyone!  Happy Holidays!  I am announcing a job opportunity to work with/and shadow current State Coordinator for the Deaf/HH/DB (SCD) in Florida VR since I am retiring in August 2021.   The official state job title is now Senior Management Analyst Supervisor.  Please share this announcement with anyone who may be interested in this job and will live in the State of Florida.

The one to be selected and hired, will take over my role as SCD after I retire.  In the next several months, the current SCD will mentor and prepare the new SCD (in-training) for different roles, responsibilities, and functions of this position.  Also, introduce the new SCD (in-training) to other program staff and contracted staff members statewide. 

For more information about our VR state agency and its services, as well as our Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind program, go to www.rehabworks.org. 

At present, due to COVID-19, all VR staff and administrators statewide mostly telework from homes with limited time spent in the offices.

Please visit this link: https://jobs.myflorida.com/job/TALLAHASSEE-SENIOR-MANAGEMENT-ANALYST-SUPV-SES-48004065-FL-32399/701843300/.   Initial closing of this position announcement is January 29, 2021.

Thanks.

Cecil Bradley, VR Administrator
Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Services
Bureau of Field Services, Division of VR, FLDOE
4070 Esplanade Way, 2^nd Floor
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7016850-298-8818 VP, 850-245-3392 Fax

HKNC Announces: Free Online Courses for Professionals who are working with Individuals who are Deaf-Blind

Extended until Further Notice

This post is a follow-up to Helen Keller National Center Extends Deadline and Updates Database.

We at HKNC hope that you are well and staying safe. The COVID-19 virus has had an impact on how we live, provide services to consumers and continue to develop our skills as professionals.

As our partners, we would like to say thank you for all you have been doing and extend the opportunity to access our online courses free of charge until further notice.

Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) are offered with many of our courses.

You can access our class catalogue by going to:

HKNC Available Classes

All courses are asynchronous and designed to learn at your own pace.

If you are interested in our online courses (codes), or have any questions, please contact the Region 6 Assistant, Brenda Baroncelli at Brenda.Baroncelli@hknc.org

For other resources and other training tools

Professional Learning at HKNC

We hope you find these resources to be helpful in supporting

the needs of individuals who are deaf-blind.

Continue to learn from the comfort and safety of your home and continue to check out our website for new online courses

HKNC Web site

Brenda Baroncelli for Natasha Aymami

Deafblind Communicator: Using a Braillenote Touch Plus to Connect with Others

Because the public generally does not know braille or ASL, it can be a challenge for individuals who are deafblind to communicate.  Find out how this 11-year-old boy who is deafblind uses a Braillenote Touch Plus with a refreshable braille display to communicate with others.