[nfbmi-talk] mde lio news june from pdf
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Mde lio news june 2014 from pdf
Information Line: (888) 760-2206
Website: http://mde-lio.cenmi.org
Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO)
Newsletter
June 2013
In This Issue:
Independent Living Skills Tip
Camp Tuhsmeheta
Math Manipulatives
Smarter Balanced Assessment
Summer Reading Program
EIPA
Orientation and Mobility Tip
Woodcock-Johnson III Training
Technology Corner
DHH Lending Library
Book Production
Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)
Pinterest
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
>From the Field
News from Penrickton
Braille and Talking Books Library
LIO’s Upcoming Events
******************************************************
On behalf of myself and the MDE-LIO staff, I would like to
wish you all a wonderful summer to play, read, camp out,
relax, and have fun!
Collette Bauman, Supervisor, MDE-LIO
APH Ex Officio Trustee
Independent Living Skills Tip
Hey kids! Have fun this summer, but eat healthy, too! Substitute sugary popsicles with
half juice (any kind) and half water. Freeze the mixture in a popsicle container half way.
Then insert popsicle stick. Within two hours, you’ll have a healthy, cool snack. It’s so
healthy and so fun to do!
--Collette Bauman, Supervisor, MDE-LIO
Camp Tuhsmeheta
Volunteers Needed for Summer Camp at Camp Tuhsmeheta (Greenville, MI)
Sessions:
August 11-14, 2013 Jr. Camp
August 15-18, 2013 Sr. Camp and Extended Core Curriculum
All persons interested in volunteering at beautiful Camp Tuhsmeheta can apply by
submitting the attached staff application. Please consider applying by June 15 as we are
making plans. Volunteers will help campers who are blind/visually impaired experience
all aspects of camp life. Programming will include swimming, canoeing, group
activities, hikes, nature crafts and more. Independent living skills and extended core
curriculum will be woven into programming. ACVREP and SCECH approvals are pending.
A small investment in time will make memories which will last a lifetime. Please apply
today! Questions? Call 888-760-2206 and ask for Jereme.
--Jereme Vanden Heuvel, Camp Tuhsmeheta Site Director, MDE-LIO
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind , Lion’s Bear Lake Camp, and others also offer
wonderful summer camp opportunities for students with visual impairments. For more
information, see scheduled events on the MDE-LIO web site: http://mde-lio.cenmi.org/ Math Manipulatives
Jim Franklin, an inclusion special education teacher from Rome, Georgia has invented a
number line to 10,000,000 and other math manipulatives that address the standards of
elapsed time, decimals, fractions, weight and money. Several exciting things have
happened over the past 5-6 months with low vision and braille manipulatives. Please
visit his website at: http://slidearoundmath.com. --Collette Bauman, Supervisor, MDE-LIO
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
Michigan is committed to ensuring all students have access to state assessments. To
that end, the Bureau of Assessment and Accountability (BAA) has established a
committee of VI specialists to review all test items before they appear on a state
assessment. In addition, VI specialists review all field-tested items for bias and
sensitivity issues, and recommend revisions to the test development contractors. The
Bureau of Assessment and Accountability (BAA) works closely with the Michigan
Department of Education’s Low Incidence Outreach, meeting regularly to ensure
accessibility for all students.
Michigan is a governing state in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).
SBAC is developing state assessments based on the Common Core State Standards that
Michigan adopted in 2010. These assessments will replace the current MEAP and MEAP-
Access assessments in mathematics and English language arts. The new online
assessments are slated to be operational in spring 2015. To prepare for these new
assessments, several schools across Michigan are currently participating in SBAC pilots.
SBAC has decided to make the Practice Tests open and available from their website
throughout the summer and into next school year. Access to the Practice Tests do not
require a password or special ticketing, making it accessible to all who are interested.
SBAC hopes that will help to provide teachers, schools, parents, and others a better and
more comprehensive look at what the Smarter Balanced assessments will entail.
Smarter Balanced released the Practice Tests for grades 3–8 and 11 in both English
language arts/literacy and mathematics. The Practice Tests include test questions with
some of the same features that students will experience in 2014-15, including selected-
response items, constructed-response items, technology-enhanced items, and
performance tasks in ELA/literacy.
The Practice Tests do not include all the features of the operational assessments. For
example, students and teachers will not receive reports or scores from the Practice
Tests. Although Smarter Balanced assessments will be computer adaptive, the Practice
Tests follow a fixed-form model. By fall 2013, Smarter Balanced will make
enhancements to the Practice Tests, including the addition of performance tasks in
mathematics, accommodations for students with disabilities in additional grades, and
scoring rubrics.
The tests provide a preview of the Smarter Balanced assessments, but they do not
encompass the full range of content that students may encounter on the operational
assessments and should not be used to guide instructional decisions.
The Practice Tests:
? Are available for grades 3–8 and 11 in both English language arts and
mathematics.
? Follow the planned Smarter Balanced test blueprints, making the Practice Test
experience very similar to the assessment experience in 2014-15.
? Afford teachers, administrators, and parents access to items planned and designed
for the Smarter Balanced assessment.
? Allow students to access the tests over the summer, with the Practice Test
available right up to rollout of the operational assessment.
? Use the full array of item types including performance tasks.
? Make available versions that demonstrate several accommodations:
o Text-to-speech
o Item-level pop-up Spanish glossaries for construct irrelevant terms (math
tests only)
o Braille
o American Sign Language (ASL)
The Practice Tests are freely available on the Smarter Balanced website at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test. These tests can be accessed by
students, teachers, parents, and other interested parties throughout this summer and
the 2013-14 school year. For More Information on SBAC
SBAC encourages individuals to visit their public website at http://www.smarterbalanced.org and sign up for the monthly newsletter by clicking on
the Stay Connected link located at the top of the homepage. --Linda Howley, Accessibility Specialist, MDE-Office of Standards and Assessment
Summer Reading Program
The Library of Michigan sponsors a Collaborative Summer Reading Program for students
all across the state. MDE-LIO also supports the promotion of summer reading for
students who are visually impaired or deaf/hard of hearing. Consequently, we would
like to remind you that we have an extensive repository of books for loan. So teachers,
please help your students take advantage of our loan library by submitting book
requests now for their recreational summer reading. Additionally, in collaboration with
the Library of Michigan, MDE-LIO is producing a Braille copy of Woolbur by Leslie
Helakoski (copyright 2008) to add to our loan library. --Collette Bauman, Supervisor & Brenda Mahoney, Dept. Tech., MDE-LIO
Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment
The MDE-LIO offers the EIPA at various sites around the state twice a month.
Registration and site information is available at http://mde-lio.cenmi.org --Tina Atkins-Dean, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist, MDE-LIO
Orientation and Mobility Tip
Hot Weather Reminder
Enjoy the hot weather and don’t forget to drink plenty of water before and after each
lesson and encourage your students to do the same. Exposure to high temperatures,
particularly when combined with high humidity and strenuous physical activity can cause
heat exhaustion. According to the Mayo Clinic, possible heat exhaustion symptoms
include cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat, heavy sweating, faintness,
dizziness, fatigue, weak/rapid pulse, low blood pressure upon standing, muscle cramps,
nausea and/or headache. If you think you or your student are experiencing heat
exhaustion stop all activity and rest, move to a cooler place and drink cool water or
sports drinks. Contact a doctor if signs or symptoms worsen or if they don't improve
within one hour. Seek immediate medical attention if body temperature reaches 104 F
(40 C) or higher.
--Susan Bradley, O&M Consultant, MDE-LIO
APH’s Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement-
Braille Adaptation Training
It’s not too late to register! The Michigan Department of Education–Low Incidence
Outreach is still accepting registrations for the “Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of
Achievement-Braille Adaptation Training on Administering and Scoring” which will be
presented in Ann Arbor, Michigan for school psychologists, educational diagnosticians,
and teachers of students with visual impairments. Dr. Lynne Jaffe will introduce
participants to the WJ III Tests of Achievement adapted specifically for Braille readers.
She will cover important considerations in adapting a standardized test designed for
sighted people; use of examiner teams; omission/addition of tests and clusters;
preparation for testing; principles of standardized testing; general administration
guidelines; and administration and scoring procedures for individual tests. What a
fantastic way to earn SCECHs and ACVREP credits!
MDE-LIO has reserved a block of rooms at Weber’s Inn. Participants of this workshop
will be able to stay for the State rate of $75 per night. (Call Brenda @ 888-760-2206 for
more information.)
This two-day workshop will be hosted at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District,
located at 1819 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan on Thursday August 22, 2013 and
Friday, August 23, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The registration fee for this
special event is only $20.00 and includes lunch for both days. For more information, see
the Agenda and the Flyer. Registration closes August 5, 2013. --Brenda Mahoney, Departmental Technician, MDE-LIO
Technology Corner
Here are some wonderful apps for summer viewing!
iOS Apps for VoiceOver and Low Vision Users:
From OverDrive Library, Marvin:
The OPDS browser lets you download pdf, mobi, cbr, pdb, rtf and many other eBook file
types. It is VoiceOver compatible. However, one must learn to navigate it. Most books
are free, but some may have fees associated with them.
From NFB Newsline:
NFB-NEWSLINE® Mobile features the text of over three hundred newspapers, forty
magazines, plus personalized television listings. You may sign up for Newsline with NFB.
It’s free!
iCatcher:
The iCatcher allows users to subscribe to podcasts with better organization than with an
iPod app. The cost is $2.99.
--Pat Love-Sypho, Technology Coordinator, MDE-LIO
DHH Lending Library
Available for Summer Checkout:
Starting with Assessment-A Developmental Approach to Deaf Children’s Literacy
and The Toolkit Appendices for Starting with Assessment by Martha M. French
Starting with Assessment-A Developmental Approach to Deaf Children’s Literacy
190 pages, Gallaudet University (1999)
“Based on the premise that effective instruction must be geared toward each student's
learning needs, this landmark text provides in-depth discussion of research-based
principles for assessing deaf children's skills and areas of need. Literacy instruction and
planning are discussed. Reproducible checklists and assessment tools in such areas as
reading, writing, conversational language competence, student self-assessment, and
parental input are included.” The Clerc Center Catalog
ISBN# 0-88095-221-0
--Suzanne Raschke, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consultant, MDE-LIO
Book Production
Please remember to send your production requests for Braille and Large Print books as
soon as possible to ensure that your student receives them in a timely manner.
Scholarship monies are still available for production of Braille books for students who are
eligible. Our goal is to make sure all students have accessibility to print matter on the
first day of school. Please contact msdb-outreach at michigan.gov or Robert Beaton @ beatonr at michigan.gov. LIO has a huge repository of large print and braille text books for loan to districts.
Before purchasing, please check with LIO. It may save your district hundreds of dollars.
To ensure maximum benefit for others please return books as soon as your student is
finished with them. It’s all about sharing our valuable resources!
--Collette Bauman, Supervisor, MDE-LIO
BSBP Announces Summer Programs for Youth Who
Are Blind or Visually Impaired
Here are some summer opportunities offered through BSBP:
Summer in the City- Grand Rapids, June 17-29
Contact Shannon McVoy (616)356-0181
College Prep Kalamazoo- starting June 28
Contact Shannon McVoy (616)356-0181
OUB (Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind) Camp- Camp T in Greenville, June-July
Contact Shannon McVoy (616)356-0181
Oakland’s Summer Work Program- July
Contact Tami Hough (313)456-1646
Macomb’s Summer Work Program- July
Contact Cherice Castor (313)456-1646
Detroit’s Summer Work Program- July
Contact Phyllis Njorge (313)456-1646
SEE (Summer Employment Experience)- Flint, starting June 17
Contact Alison Moriarty (810)760-2036
Youth Employment Services (YES)- Eaton and Ingham Counties, June-August
Contact Nichole Wright (517)335-4262
Camp Transition Zone – Northern Michigan, August 13-18
Contact Julie Clark (989)732-2448
-- Elizabeth White, Central Region Manager, Bureau of Services for Blind Persons
Pinterest
Check out the MDE-LIO Pinterest for DHH and VI resources: http://pinterest.com/ http://business.pinterest.com/assets/img/brand/pinterest_badge_red.png American Printing House for the Blind
Please check out the latest APH News and don’t miss the newly revised products as well
as a major new product release!! (STACS: Standardized Tactile Augmentative
Communication Symbols Kit)
Here is the June 2013 APH News link: http://www.aph.org/advisory/2013adv06.html Click on the above link or copy and paste it into your favorite web browser.
**This Month’s Headlines:
? EPAC Brings Home a Winner During Derby Week!
? STEM-ulating News About APH Annual Meeting 145
? News from the Hall of Fame – 2013 Inductees Announced!
? The Unforgettable APH Star Contest ROCKS!
? Treasures from the APH Libraries
? Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series
? Tactile Graphics TV is On the Air!
? Social Media Spotlight
? APH Travel Calendar
? New Products from APH
? The Braille Book Corner and much, much more…
--Collette Bauman, Supervisor, MDE-LIO
From the Field
Nicole Lane of the Livonia Public Schools Western Wayne Program for Students with a
Visual Impairment was awarded a Michigan Department of Education Professional
Scholarship to enrich her students’ education. This $700 scholarship she received from
the Michigan Department of Education-Low Incidence Outreach gave Frost Middle School
and Churchill High School students who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to
purchase cooking supplies in Braille and large print. Congratulations to Nicole and her
students!
--Brenda Mahoney, Departmental Technician, MDE-LIO
News from Penrickton
Penrickton Center will present an “Active Learning” conference at the
Holiday Inn in Southgate, Michigan on November 5-6, 2013. This conference is for
those working with students who are severely multiply impaired. For more information
and/or to register, see the Penrickton flyer and registration form. -- Cindy Bowman, Activities Director, Penrickton Center for Blind Children
Braille and Talking Books Library
The Braille and Talking Book Library offers audio and Braille books to those that are
blind, visually impaired, or have a physical disability. Patrons receive a digital talking
book player and library service through the mail at no charge. Patrons can also receive
Braille books and described videos. There are a wide range of books available, from
best-sellers, children's series, biographies and all the other types of materials you would
find in a public library. It is even possible to download books online.
This summer this Braille and Talking Book Library will have its first ever summer reading
program for their youth readers (0-21 years old). It starts June 3 and will end August
30. There will be prizes, events and more.
To learn more about the Braille and Talking Book Library or to apply for service call 1-
800-992-9012 or download the application at www.michigan.gov/btbl. If you are
interested in the summer reading program, email Jessica Goodrich at goodrichj1 at michigan.gov or call 1-800-992-9012 and ask for Jessica. --Jessica Goodrich, Braille and Talking Books Library
LIO’s Upcoming Events
6/10/13 Braille Class Begins Hillsdale/Jackson
6/18-19/13 Teaching Word 2010 Using JAWS Holland
6/27/13 VI Summer Work/Study Program Begins Detroit
8/22-23/13 Woodcock-Johnson III in Braille Training
(in collaboration w/ APH) Ann Arbor
8/27-28/13 Teaching Internet Explorer Using JAWS Holland
8/27-29/13 Teaching Math to Students w/ VI
(in collaboration w/ Kent ISD) Grand Rapids
10/3/13 iPads-Beginnings and Beyond (DHH PD) Mt. Pleasant
10/3/13 Tech Tips for DHH Educators Mt. Pleasant
10/4/13 Meeting Student Needs from Cradle to
College (DHH PD) Shepherd
For more information about these and other events, visit http://mde-
lio.cenmi.org/Events.aspx--- --
Go Green, save paper. Protect the environment and go paperless whenever you can. Let us know your email
address if you want to be added to our email list. Just send a request to msdb-outreach at michigan.gov Newsletter is edited by Collette Bauman and Brenda Mahoney. Comments or questions can be directed to
Collette Bauman, baumanc at michigan.gov or Brenda Mahoney, mahoneyb1 at michigan.gov or (888) 760-
2206. This publication is available in alternate formats. Please contact us for Braille, print, or large print copies. The information in this newsletter was produced and distributed through an IDEA Mandated Activities Project for
Michigan Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Low Incidence Outreach awarded by the Michigan Department of Education.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Michigan Department of Education,
the Michigan State Board of Education, or the U.S. Department of Education, and no endorsement is inferred. The
information in this newsletter is in the public domain and may be copied for further distribution when proper credit is
given. For further information or inquiries about this project, contact the Michigan Department of Education, Office of
Special Education and Early Intervention Services, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909.
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATEMENT OF ASSURANCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) complies with all Federal laws and regulations prohibiting
discrimination and with all requirements and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the policy of
the Michigan Department of Education that no person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or
ancestry, age, sex, marital status, or handicap shall be discriminated against, excluded from participation in,
denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which it is
responsible or for which it received financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. For further
information or inquiries about this law, contact the Michigan Department of Education, Civil Rights Coordinator,
P.O. Box 30712, Lansing, MI 48909.
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