[Pibe-division] TVI/TBS College Programs

Mon Jan 5 14:17:19 UTC 2015

Hi Chris,

I’d recommend getting your undergrad degree in elementary or secondary ed if possible before pursuing a graduate degree in VI. A teacher of blind students once told me that was a good idea because it’s important to know what all children learn in school before trying to teach blind children. With an elementary ed degree you’ll learn what is typical for sighted children, and then you can later learn those things that are specific to blind kids. The undergrad special ed programs often focus on learning disabilities or emotional impairments, while some blind kids do have those issues, many do not so a gen ed background can be very helpful before specializing in blindness.

Moreover, if you have a general teaching degree, your options for graduate VI programs will increase because many of the schools that offer online programs only offer their online programs to teachers.

Also, I recommend Louisiana Tech for a graduate program because it is the only one run with NFB philosophy. The positive belief in blindness permeates every aspect of that program which is nice. That said, in my experience, Ruston LA is an awful place to live. Some people do like it, but I’m not one. However, the good news is that if you have an undergrad in education, I believe that you can take Louisiana Tech’s graduate certification online which would be terrific.

JMO, and good luck.

Allison

From: Pibe-division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eric Guillory via Pibe-division
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 3:51 PM
To: Professionals in Blindness Education Division List
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI/TBS College Programs

I wholeheartedly agree with Craig that the NIU program is a good choice, as is the University of Arizona’s Master’s level TVI coursework. Full disclosure: I earned my M.Ed. from the U of A so that may present bias. I am also affiliated with the programs offered through the Professional Development and Research Institute On Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. See www.pdrib.com<http://www.pdrib.com> for more details about this graduate-level program, which works in partnership with the LA Center for the Blind. As with the Northern CO program, much of the coursework for the Teaching Blind Students program can be done online.

Personally, I don’t believe that an undergraduate degree with a concentration in blindness need be your primary concern. Quite frankly, this is a field in which most practitioners are compelled to pursue graduate-level work anyway (as is increasingly true for all classroom disciplines). I hope this helps, and all the best to you and all other listers in 2015!

Eric Guillory, PIBE President
Director of Youth Services
Louisiana Center for the Blind
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Voice: 800-234-4166
Fax: 318-251-0109
Twitter: ericguillory
Skype: brllovingdad
www.louisianacenter.org<http://www.louisianacenter.org>

“Together, we are changing what it means to be blind.”

From: Pibe-division [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum via Pibe-division
Sent: Sunday, January 4, 2015 4:39 PM
To: 'Craig Phillips'
Cc: pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI/TBS College Programs

Craig et al,

Thank you all for the information. I had not heard of NIU before now, so this may be an option. As a Maryland resident, I would like something which is relatively close to home, so I’m actively looking at Kutztown at the moment. However, I may investigate programs like NIU and Florida State if I determine that Kutztown is not right for me. While we’re on the subject, did anyone attend Kutztown? If so, would you recommend it?

Chris

From: Craig Phillips [mailto:cphillips at kssdb.org]
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 6:05 AM
To: Chris Nusbaum
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] TVI/TBS College Programs

Contact Dr. Gaylen Kapperman at Northern Illinois University. Gaylen is visually impaired as well and runs a top notch program. It's not an easy program, but he and his staff are excellent.

Craig Phillips, MS Ed. COMS
Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired
Kansas State School for the Blind
1100 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66102
O: 913.305.3044
C: 913.645.5472

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier-not that the nature of the task has changed-but our ability to do so has increased." RWE

On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 3:59 PM, Chris Nusbaum via Pibe-division <pibe-division at nfbnet.org<mailto:pibe-division at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Hello All,

As some on this list may already know, I am a blind high school junior who is beginning my college search. I have decided that I would like to pursue a career as a teacher of blind students (aka teacher of the visually impaired, VI teacher, etc.) So far I have found some information on the Internet on colleges which offer such a major, some as an undergraduate program and many others as a Masters program. The only information I currently have, however, is the material posted on individual college Web sites and an extensive directory from the Texas School for the Blind. I would therefore like to get some feedback from those who have walked this path before me. What are some colleges you recommend? What are the pros and cons of each program? Also, do you think it is better to obtain a BS in special ed with a consentration in visual impairment, as offered by schools such as Kutztown University in Pensylvania, or pursue a bachelor’s in special ed and wait until grad school to concentrate on blindness? Any insights and experience you could provide me would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Chris

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