[Pibe-division] TVI Training

Allison Hilliker AllisonH at benetech.org
Tue Feb 18 17:49:35 UTC 2014 

Hi Ian,

I'd recommend checking out the NFB's blind educator division. This group is made up of individuals who are blind and who teach either blind or sighted students at a variety of different grade levels. I've found it to be my best resource whenever I'm working in a teaching capassity. People on that list will be able to answer your questions about how to teach in whichever setting you think you might like to try. They have an NFBnet list much like this one. The link for it is http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nobe-l_nfbnet.org.

Best,
Allison



-----Original Message-----
From: Pibe-division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of I. C. Bray
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 9:22 AM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI Training

Al, et al;

I too follow this list, and rarely post.  I was on track to become a dual certified Math & Science Teacher for Middle & Junior High when I lost my sight.
I have been considering the plausibility & potential of that same career still.
I have also considered going the TVI Route with O&M Dual Certification too.
Having been a part of the Information Systems world, and Data Communications when I began having serious problems, I felt that my experience would be best used as a teacher.  I felt that I could not compete in the IS & IT 
world.    I know lots of wonderful, much brighter & capable programmers & IT 
professionals than I who are blind, and I raise them up for being able to continue in a field I long ago abandoned.
Now, hearing that once sighted AND never sighted are having continued challenges in the Blindness Education field, I am having to think yet again about my career possibilities.
I only recently ( a year ago ) went through Rehab & learned Braille & JAWS skills.
I have excellent mobility skills, because I think I learned & somehow memorized my environment, which is a boone!  I love Braille, and have seen, for myself, the necessity of learning it EARLY!!

Is there any open-ended advise for me out there?

Respectfully,

Ian  C. Bray
Louisville, Kentucky




----- Original Message -----
From: "Al Futty" <afutty at gmail.com>
To: "Professionals in Blindness Education Division List" 
<pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI Training


: Hello,
:
: I follow this list but don't often post.  This conversation has been very 
interesting to me as I am entering a joint TVI and O&M graduate program in 
the fall (most likely at Northern Illinois University, I have not officially 
made up my mind yet so I would be interested in hearing thoughts on the 
program).  I am visually impaired and aware of the discrimination in the 
field.  This makes my blood boil, especially in relation to TVIs.  As 
someone who has had a life long visual impairment I can only wish that I had 
a blind TVI as a child,  my "TVI" was a sighted woman who would show up once 
a year to do an IEP and to tell my parents not to expect too much from me. 
Now, I am not saying that a sighted person cannot be a great TVI, there are 
many, but I can only imagine how different my childhood would have been if I 
had had access from an early age to an accomplished blind teacher.  I truly 
believed I was stupid until I was in my teens and began to develop an 
independent sense o!
: f self esteem.  I am tired of the absolute oppression many visually 
impaired and blind students face at the hands of irresponsible educators who 
are projecting their own assumptions about blindness onto other people with 
no first hand experience.
:
: Allie
:
: Sent from my iPad
:
: > On Feb 18, 2014, at 10:45 AM, "Smith, Pauline L" <PSmith4 at dmc.org> 
wrote:
: >
: > Good Morning,
: >
: > Thanks, Melissa for reminding us of the obstacles that are still too 
numerous in getting blind teachers hired even in the TVI field.  One thing 
that was and continues to be pointed out to me is that school districts are 
hesitant to hire someone that may need a driver that the district would 
possibly have to pay for.  The number of single school based programs 
continues to diminish nationwide.  That's the kind of job I prefer.  The 
stress of finding and keeping up with drivers was a discouraging factor in 
my pursuing itinerant jobs, particularly in areas outside my home base.  It 
can and is done by countless teachers.  However, I had the same experience 
Melissa had.  I had a hard time finding successful blind teachers to network 
with.  The one person I did find didn't keep in touch on a regular basis to 
be of much help.
: >
: > Good luck to all those pursuing this profession.  Good teachers are 
sorely needed everywhere.
: >
: > Pauline
: >
: > P.S., Those of you who have quotes at the end of your emails, how do you 
find them?  How do you incorporate them into your messages?
: >
: > -----Original Message-----
: > From: Pibe-division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
Of melissa R green
: > Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 8:06 PM
: > To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
: > Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI Training
: >
: > Allison.
: > thank you for giving your opinion and your insight.
: > I have always heard the good things, and one of them is that the program 
had the NFB philosopy.
: > I went through the University of northern colorado program for teaching 
blind students.
: > I would just say that it isn't perfect, and that there are many other 
university programs that aren't perfect either.
: > Even if you do get the degree and complete the program.
: > There is still lots of obstacles that face bind teachers of blind 
students.
: > We are told about the shortage.  But noone considers the things that 
blind teachers have to go through and the idea that a blind teacher still 
has a hard time to land and keep their jobs.
: > those who are successful don't or won't help others.
: > I am being honest as well.
: > JMO!
: > Best,
: > Melissa R Green
: > Hold fast to dreams,
: > For if dreams die
: > Life is a broken-winged bird,
: > That cannot fly.
: > Langston Hughes
: >
: >
: > ----- Original Message -----
: > From: "Allison Hilliker" <AllisonH at benetech.org>
: > To: "Professionals in Blindness Education Division List"
: > <pibe-division at nfbnet.org>
: > Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 8:04 AM
: > Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI Training
: >
: >
: > Hi All,
: >
: > I went to Louisiana Tech for the TBS program for about 6 months in 2007. 
It
: > absolutely has the best blindness philosophy and beliefs in the 
capability
: > of blind people around. You'll definitely get the best teacher education
: > there.
: >
: > That said, Jewel is right, it is located in the middle of nowhere. I 
didn't
: > care for Ruston at all and that's why I left the program. I loved my
: > instructors and my classes, but they only lasted for about 12 hours a 
week
: > and the rest of the week I was still stuck living in the small town 
south.
: > And the lack of transportation is a huge problem when trying to do your
: > field work as most blind students do not live in Ruston and you'll need 
to
: > hire drivers to get to neighboring towns. I was able to get rides with
: > friends sometimes, but when a quarter's worth of classes require more 
than
: > 30 hours of field work then depending on friends is not necessarily
: > practical. I was spending a lot of money on drivers to do field work. 
Also,
: > I was the only blind student in the program, and most of my instructors 
were
: > also sighted, so  I didn't necessarily feel like I was getting many
: > alternative technique suggestions for how to be an effective blind 
teacher.
: > While The Louisiana Center does have many blind instructors, Louisiana 
Tech
: > did not and those were the people I was working with in my grad program. 
And
: > most of all, I just did not like the small town culture. Many people may
: > love it, but I'm not one of them.
: >
: > Sorry fellow NFB members. I realize this post won't be popular, but I 
felt
: > moved to be honest. I've been in the NFB for years, consider myself a
: > philosophical purest, and am  a Louisiana Center graduate. Even so, I 
have
: > to be honest about Ruston. It's not the greatest place to spend two 
years of
: > one's life. We desperately need more than one NFB-focused graduate 
program
: > in this country because Ruston is not an option for everyone. It has 
many
: > limitations that I feel we need to be real about.
: >
: > JMO,
: > Allison
: >
: >
: >
: >
: >
: > -----Original Message-----
: > From: Pibe-division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
Of
: > Jewel
: > Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2014 6:22 PM
: > To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
: > Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI Training
: >
: > I looked into Louisiana Tech, too. I really liked the program 
description,
: > and I really like their director, who took the time to speak to me. 
However,
: > this school is in the middle of nowhere. There is no bus system. The 
only
: > way to get to any good shopping is by Greyhound bus. And getting around 
town
: > unless you're walking is difficult. You would have to bum rides from 
fellow
: > students. That is the bad side of Louisiana Tech, but their program 
looks
: > really good.
: > Jewel who went to Louisiana Tech last June to visit
: >
: > Sent from my iPhone
: >
: >> On Feb 16, 2014, at 8:07 PM, Mikayla Gephart <mikgephart at icloud.com>
: >> wrote:
: >>
: >> Hi,
: >>   As I have said, I want to be a TVI. I am looking at training 
programs,
: >> and am leaning towards the College of New Jersey and Louisiana Tech, as 
I
: >> live in New Jersey. What are your experiences with these and other
: >> programs.
: >>
: >> Sent from my iPad
: >> _______________________________________________
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