[blindkid] Expanded Core Curriculum Feedback

Mon May 14 13:21:00 UTC 2012

On 5/12/12, Heather Field <missheather at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hello Penny,
> I really like your description, a "catch all" for blindness skills.
> Unfortunately, I believe this Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC.) has created an
>
> awful problem for teachers, parents and blind students alike for that very
> reason...It catches "all" the skills.  It is because they have put
> everything together in one document and demanded that teachers implement the
>
> lessons that we now have a problem.
>
> The idea that teachers should teach reading and writing and literacy skills
>
> in braille, or braille mathematics, and technology devices using speech and
>
> braille, and that qualified instructors should instruct blind students in
> orientation and mobility is appropriate. However, daily living skills, such
>
> as eating, dressing, self-care and basic house cleaning etc. has absolutely
>
> nothing to do with school teachers. Nor, for that matter, does much of the
> socialising that blind children, just like sighted children, receive from
> day to day. How anyone can imagine that it is the role of the teacher of the
>
> blind to teach a child to fold their shirts or shine their shoes is beyond
> me. Similarly, how can it be the school teachers' job to introduce blind
> children to people who do various different jobs, in order to give them
> experiences to help them in choosing careers? Children start choosing
> subjects that head them in certain career directions as early as middle
> school these days and, furthermore, many teachers of the blind haven't a
> clue about the sorts of careers that blind people can have. Blind nurses and
>
> doctors, farmers and pilots, mothers and florists, jeweler makers and auto
> mechanics, scientists, welders, horse trainers, computer programmers, school
>
> teachers, administrators, and on and on. Blind people are pursuing all kinds
>
> of careers. Yet, many teachers of the blind do not number blind adults among
>
> their circle of friends and could count the blind adults they know
> personally on one hand. They are very uninformed about many of the careers
> that blind students might realistically pursue.
>
> And, now, this new Self-determination section has been added to the ECC
> which make things even more murky. Self-determination comes from being given
>
> choices from early in life and opportunities to live out the consequences of
>
> these choices under the watchful eye of parents or guardians. Children learn
>
> that they can make decisions for themselves and/or to advocate for
> themselves by being allowed to do so. Currently, there is a grave shortage
> of qualified teachers of the blind and it's getting worse as the baby
> boomers are retiring. Teachers of the blind have caseloads far beyond
> reasonable in many school districts. They often don't get to see students
> for the proper amount of time they need to teach them literacy and numeracy.
>
> Where do people imagine that these overworked teachers will find time or
> motivation to teach skills to blind children that, rightly, should be taught
>
> at home. In some respects, this ECC is a rod for their backs of their own
> creation because they have not done enough to help debunk the "mystery"
> surrounding educating blind children. Many like The Myth Of The Expert
> because it allows them to deny braille and push print etc. School district
> administrators, principals etc. accept the teacher of the blind's
> recommendations because of the perceived expertise. Print readers don't make
>
> teachers of the blind have to relearn the braille they haven't looked at
> since college and try to find ways to teach it, round up the necessary books
>
> etc. No need for braille equals no expense for a braille teacher for school
>
> districts and that saves a lot of money. So, the idea that the teacher of
> the blind is an expert is helpful in many situations. Now, people are asking
>
> the "experts" to teach blind children everything. Obviously, the school day
>
> has neither the available time nor environmental opportunities for blind
> children to learn everything at school and the ECC sets an impossible task
> for educators. Many of the provisions, in my opinion, are wrongly labelled
> as being part of a "core curriculum" for blind children and should,
> therefore, not be in this set of teaching requirements. Daily living skills
>
> and social skills are learned by children in their homes with their
> families. Self-determination is an attitude, a state of mind and a set of
> experientially acquired, situation specific skills which are learned from
> infancy to young adulthood. How can such a thing be taught by an overworked,
>
> time restricted school teacher?
>
> The reality is that most blind children will never receive most of what is
> mandated by the Expanded Core Curriculum, no matter how many goals are
> written into IEPs. There simply isn't the time, personnel or environmental
> opportunities to implement it. Having the same expectations for blind and
> sighted children and then finding the nonvisual ways to enable blind
> children to reach them is the simple formula that gets blind children
> educated. Teachers do what they can and parents and guardians and other
> family members pick up where teachers can't, or won't, teach them, whatever
>
> the area of learning. In many cases the ECC. simply muddies the waters and
> gives parents/families the false idea that teachers can teach blind children
>
> everything. In fact, as it has always been, parents and families will end up
>
> teaching their blind children most things, for better or worse, and teachers
>
> will teach reading, writing, arithmetic and, if you're lucky, good
> orientation and mobility skills.
>
> I hope one day, after the ECC has been recognised as the failure that it was
>
> doomed to be from its creation, that we will be able to come up with a
> better and more realistic tool to undergird solid skills education for blind
>
> children.
>
> Regards,
> Heather Field
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Penny Duffy
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 2:34 PM
> To: Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Expanded Core Curriculum Feedback
>
>   ECC includes things like braille instruction, O&M  and other blindness
> skills.  For some reason I have a hard time getting it. I think its with
> the wording. It seems to be a catch all of all the extra stuff a blind
> child needs to learn from school and home.
>
> I found the following at the Perkins website.
> The Nine Components of the Expanded Core Curriculum
>
> Compensatory and functional academic skills, including communication
> modes Compensatory
> skills involve the adaptations necessary for accessing the core curriculum,
> which can include: braille, tactile symbols, sign language, and recorded
> materials.
> Orientation and MobilitySkills to orient children who are visually impaired
> to their surroundings and travel skills to enable them to move
> independently and safely in the environment.
> Social Interaction Skills
>
> Since nearly all social skills are learned by observation of the
> environment and people, this is an area where students with vision loss
> need careful, conscious and explicit instruction.
> Independent Living Skills
>
> This area includes the tasks and functions people perform in daily life to
> optimize their independence - skills such as personal hygiene, food
> preparation, money management, and household chores.
> Recreation & Leisure Skills
>
> Skills to ensure students' enjoyment of physical and leisure-time
> activities, including making choices about how to spend leisure time.
> Career Education
>
> Students with vision loss benefit most from an experiential learning
> approach. Structured visits to community sites and discussions with people
> who perform various jobs, enable
> them to understand concepts and specific skills that are needed to be
> successful in those jobs. Considering the national rate of unemployment or
> underemployment
> of working-age adults who are blind is 70% -75%, this area needs attention
> throughout the school years to help students with vision loss develop
> marketable job skills.
> Assistive Technology
>
> Assistive technology is a powerful tool that can enable students with
> vision loss to
> overcome some traditional barriers to independence and employment.
> Sensory Efficiency Skills
>
> Skills that help students use the senses – including any functional vision,
> hearing, touch, smell, and taste – to access skills related to literacy and
> concept development.
> Self-Determination
>
> Skills to enable students to become effective advocates for themselves
> based on their own needs and goals.
> --------
>
> Most of it is blindness skill wrapped up in a different sounding package.
>
> Does Christopher get a lot of O&M in the community?  Abby made cookies in
> O&M yesterday (I think it was a step and listening activity since her
> instructor didn't do anything).  They go to the shopping a lot and she
> works with Abby to ask for help when she needs that. Now a lot of things
> can be done at home but I think it reinforces those things to have someone
> else following up with it.  I would guess the more he gets out the better
> he will learn.  (I know you keep Christopher busy at home)
>
> ECC is in Abby's IEP and its what they use to pay for the programs Abby's
> has gone to at the Perkins School for the Blind.  I will hopefully adjust
> it as she gets older when she can go to programs at some of the NFB
> centers.
>
> Abby's O&M instructor has TVI students too and depending on the age is she
> has them call the state to ask for supplies for NH AIM.  She always at
> having the student do thing for themselves.
>
> I found an article that mention ECC in future reflections.
> http://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr26/issue3/fr260304.htm
>
> Beyond that I am still confused but it helps me to call ECC  blindness
> skill.
> -penny
>
> On Fri, May 11, 2012 at 8:18 AM, <SCDUFFLEY at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello Everyone:
>>
>> I am having a struggle with ECC goals that are meaningful and  specific.
>> I
>> have asked my team to evaluate his current strengths as it  relates to
>> these goals.   Does anyone know of any specific resources  of IEP sample
>> statements for ECC for a 5th grader?  The real struggle  is in the
>> self-help,
>> independent and self advocacy area.  No one seems to  want to touch
>> teaching him
>> home skills (other than four to five tasks a year -  like opening a jar).
>>
>> Thanks for your input,
>>
>> Christine  Duffley
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>
>
>
> --
> --Penny
> ----------
> A lucky mother to two amazing children - visionfora.blogspot.com
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Wow Heather!!!

It's always so good to hear from you!  You always wrap things up so
nicely, fully and completely!  There are some things I don't want
others teaching my blind daughter about ya know!  People have to
realize, ya give the school too much leverage, It's like, :" "give 'em
an inch, they take a mile..."  I'm sure you all get my drift.  I'm
only being kind.  Hahaha!

Bern