Optical Device Use, Part 2: Visual Access In a Range of Environments This video is posted online with the following chapter markers: Chapter 1. Introduction and Terminology Chapter 2. Each Student is Unique Chapter 3. Device Use in Multiple Settings Chapter 4. Instruction in Community Settings Chapter 5. Conclusion Description of graphical content is included between Description Start and Description End. Transcript Start Chapter 1. Introduction and Terminology Chrissy Cowan: Welcome to the second of three videos in a web-based training series on optical device use. [ Slide start: ] Description Start Title: Instruction in the Use of Optical Devices Content: Presented by Chrissy Cowan, TVI, Cynthia Bachofer, TVI, CLVT of the Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired. Thanks to the Kansas Lions MD-17 and to Lions Clubs International Foundation for their financial support for this project. left-side graphic: logo, Kansas Lions Statewide Low Vision Program left-center graphic: logo, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired right-center graphic: logo, Lions Clubs International Foundation right-side graphic: logo, Kansas State School for the Blind Ref: Program Anchor Organization -- Kansas State School for the Blind Description End Today's presentation is Eyes on the World: Visual Access in a Range of Environments. This series is presented in collaboration with Lions Clubs International Foundation, Kansas Lions, Kansas School for the Blind, and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. [ Slide end: ] I'm Chrissy Cowan, mentor coordinator with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Outreach Program. Previously I was an itinerant teacher of students with visual impairments, providing direct instruction to students in the Austin area. Cindy Bachofer: My name is Cindy Bachofer. I am a teacher in Short Term Programs department and was born with retinopathy of prematurity so have grown up with low vision. Previously I was a teacher with Project Providing Access to the Visual Environment, Project PAVE, in Nashville, Tennessee. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Outline of Presentation Content: • Unique characteristics of the student with low vision • Optical device use across environments – Generalizing skills learned at school to the community – Both near and distance • Instruction – Reinforcing skills in the community – Suggestions for encouraging and supporting visual curiosity and exploration of the environment – Collaboration for teaching spatial/educational concepts Description End: Cowan: This presentation will cover the unique characteristics of the student with low vision, generalizing the optical device skills learned at school to the community for both near and distance tasks, and the specialized instruction necessary to reinforce skills and teach new skills specific to some home and community settings. [ Slide end: ] Remember; please be sure your student has been evaluated by a clinical low vision specialist before you begin optical device training. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Terminology Used in this Presentation Content: • Localizing: Visually selecting an object from objects around it such as seeing the street sign against the row of trees. • Focusing: Bringing an image into clearest view by adjusting the distance of the lens on your device to your target information. • Spotting: Visually targeting an item to see through your device, then lining up the device lens with your eye to see detail.  • Scanning: Repeated fixations with your eye that let you see one item after another such as following words across a line of print.  • Tracing: Visually following a line in space to locate an object such as the edge of a sign to find the letters at the top. • Tracking: Visually following a moving object such as a rolling ball. Description End: Here you see the terminology specific to optical device training: localizing, focusing, spotting, scanning, tracing, and tracking. [ Slide end: ] Using the terminology specific to skills with devices is important, as it creates a common language for you, other educators, and your student. These skills were covered in detail in presentation 1. The next slide lists training resources that Cindy and I have found helpful in planning optical device instruction for students for you to refer back to at any point in your work with students. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Training Resources Content: • Corn, A. & Erin, J. (2010). Foundations of Low Vision: Clinical and functional perspectives. 2nd edition. New York, NY. AFB Press.  • D”Andrea, F.M. & Farrenkopf, C. (2000). Looking to Learn: Promoting literacy for students with low vision. New York: AFB Press.  • Region 4 Education Service Center. (2004). Program in Low Vision Therapy. Houston, TX: Region 4 Education Solutions.  • Smith, A. (1992). Beyond Arm’s Reach: Enhancing Distance Vision. Pennsylvania College of Optometry Press. • Weiner, W. & Vopata, A. (1980). Suggested Curriculum for Distance Vision Training with Optical Aids. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, February, 49-56. Description End: [ Slide end: ] Chapter 2. Each Student is Unique Bachofer: As you plan lessons it is important to remember the unique characteristics of your student. This is both their ability with vision and self-identity concepts and there are several points that we've listed on the slide. Consider the specific etiology of the student. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Unique Characteristics of the Student: Challenges and Opportunities Content: • Variable nature of low vision • Natural curiosity and motivation • Tendency to “pass” as typically sighted • Visual efficiency skills within the individual • Fluctuation in quality and clarity of what they see • Reliably integrating sensory signals • Ability to preview/anticipate visual cues Description End: Do they -- are they especially photophobic or is there field loss that is significant to how they function. With those students who have progressive vision loss, it is important to build as many of the visual concepts into their world so that they have that understanding and bring in as many lessons as possible with using devices. [ Slide end: ] What is the motivation, the curiosity that your student has? What's of interest to them? What do they want to look at considering that? [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Unique Characteristics of the Student: Challenges and Opportunities Content: • Variable nature of low vision • Natural curiosity and motivation • Tendency to “pass” as typically sighted • Visual efficiency skills within the individual • Fluctuation in quality and clarity of what they see • Reliably integrating sensory signals • Ability to preview/anticipate visual cues Description End: Many of our students work very hard -- put a lot of effort into passing as typically sighted and it takes time for us as teachers to build the trust with those students so that we get to know them better and they feel comfortable around us and then students can start to develop that confidence of being a device user. [ Slide end: ] Another point is the -- noting the specific visual efficiency skills of your students. Some students pick up scanning right away some do not so having a sense of that as you plan lessons. Think of the -- those students who have fluctuation in their vision. That clarity or the quality of what they see for some students later in the afternoon, if that's when the lesson is, they've worked in school all day and their eyes are more tired so they may have more difficulty picking up on visual cues. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Unique Characteristics of the Student: Challenges and Opportunities Content: • Variable nature of low vision • Natural curiosity and motivation • Tendency to “pass” as typically sighted • Visual efficiency skills within the individual • Fluctuation in quality and clarity of what they see • Reliably integrating sensory signals • Ability to preview/anticipate visual cues Description End: Also coming to -- bringing in the sensory signals that they can integrate into how they pull in information. [ Slide end: ] For example, if you're doing a lesson at a crosswalk being able to hear the sounds around them, what are they paying attention to, using all of those senses? And finally, reminding students that they have the ability to anticipate to look for landmarks to use these as prediction when they are planning a route of travel or when they enter a building. What are the cues they're picking up on? I would -- With a number of my students kind of develop a cheat sheet. So for example, reminding myself that this student takes longer adjusting to sunlight, left is his dominant eye, or he has a field cut. Even social topics like really likes the Kansas City Chiefs so being able to review that before I went into the school building helped me right away get into good conversation with the student. So those are all points we think are important to consider. Chapter 3. Device Use in Multiple Settings [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Optical Device Use Across Environments Description End: Bachofer: And now we want to look at optical device use across environments. [Slide end:] Cowan: Device training in the community is so fun and rewarding, and is something that can be done by Teachers of students with Visual Impairment and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists and parents as well. Spreading the training across individuals provides more opportunity for the student and reinforces the value of developing these skills. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: In regards to optical devices… Content: left-side text: TVIs tend to:  Refer to the low vision specialist  Follow through on the provision of the device(s)  Train the student, typically in the school building  Communicate with teachers on when/how the device should be used right-side text: COMS tend to: • Train the student in the school building • Train the student in the community • Communicate with family and teachers on when/how the device should be used Description End: In regards to optical devices, it has been our experience that there is a subtle division of roles between the TVI and COMS. TVIs tend to make the initial referral to the low vision specialist and follow through on the provision of the device. [ Slide end: ] It's a good idea if the TVI consults with the COMS over the needs of the student in the community, as the COMS may prefer an additional, stronger telescope due to the vast spaces outside the school building. This information should certainly be relayed to the low vision specialist, as the student may need more than one distance device for different types of tasks. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: In regards to optical devices… Content: left-side text: TVIs tend to:  Refer to the low vision specialist  Follow through on the provision of the device(s)  Train the student, typically in the school building  Communicate with teachers on when/how the device should be used right-side text: COMS tend to: • Train the student in the school building • Train the student in the community • Communicate with family and teachers on when/how the device should be used Description End: The two professionals tend to train in different locations; the TVI inside the school and the COMs outside the building, as well as travel objectives inside different settings. [Slide end:] Both communicate with the family in regards to student progress and possible scenarios in which device use might be reinforced away from school. I think the biggest mistake educators and parents make about students with low vision are the assumptions we make about what they are seeing. Vision is hugely complex, and when you factor in lighting, shadows, contrasts, and interfering elements in the environment such as crowds and noises, vision will fluctuate widely and is different depending on the individual. With a totally blind student, we know that they can't see at all, so we're careful to systematically teach concepts in a way that is concrete. I was playing 'I spy' on a telescope lesson with a new 6-year-old student. I told him I spied something black, which was a crow sitting on top of a telephone wire. He found it, then stared through the scope for a long time. Finally, he said, 'How does it stand so still there?' I finally figured out that he didn't see the wire, nor did he have any concept whatsoever about telephone poles and wires. This seemed huge to me, as it builds on concepts that other children his age are familiar with -- telephones, messages carried through wires. When I told his first grade teacher this, she became teary eyed and said, 'There must be so much he doesn't know.' Later that year, when I went to get him for a lesson, this same teacher met me at the door and whispered, 'Can you talk to him about picking his nose in class?' Oddly enough, I had a poem by Shel Silverstein called, Warning, that starts, 'Inside everyone's nose, there lives a sharp-toothed snail' and so on. We copied it that day as a telescope lesson, and had a talk about the social improprieties about picking one's nose in public places. He didn't know! Simply put -- they don't know what they don't see, and it's up to us to promote and foster visual curiosity in the student with low vision. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: What Adults Can Do to Promote Visual Curiosity Content: • Examine the student’s day/world – activities – environments • Find out what the student’s perceptions are in these places – Through routine conversations – Through writing assignments – Through photography Description End: To promote curiosity, first examine the student's day, their world, what are the activities they typically engage in outside of school? What environments they frequent with their family and friends. Find out what the student's perceptions are in these places. You can do this through conversation, writing assignments, and even photography. [ Slide end: ] So, for example, if you found out that your student went to the stock show, you might have a conversation that goes like this: Teacher: 'Where did you go this weekend?' Student: 'We went to the stock show!' 'What did you see?' 'I saw people on horses!' 'What were they doing?' 'My mom said they were roping.' Teacher: 'Roping? What does that mean?' Remember, when you can't really see it or get close, the answers to this question can be pretty wild. Who's roping what? What does roping mean? Like students who are completely blind, the language of the student with low vision can be 'empty'. Empty language occurs when the student uses language for which he has no real understanding. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Capturing attention! Content: center photo: wide shot looking south above the Littlefield fountain on the camps of the University of Texas at Austin, a high school student stands at the edge of the fountain. Description End: The adults in the student's world need to be tuned into the elements in our environment that capture attention. There are millions of wonderful concepts you can help your student explore. [ Slide end: ] Also, if you have more than one student with low vision, bring them together as much as you can for community outings geared toward optical device use. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Bring device users together Content: center photo: group of middle school students sitting on a wooden gym floor, using magnifiers to study a bus route map Description End: Here we have a group of students using magnifiers to study a bus route map before they go on a city bus trip to the state capital. [ Slide end: ] When you have more than one student, the social stigma about using a device in public tends to break down. You get into a competitive viewing mindset! Bachofer: As TVIs we very often say the line, 'Devices are so useful in all kinds of places', but this is only true for the student if we're able to demonstrate that in a range of environments. So what is cool to look at? How do we promote the visual curiosity for our students? Consider some of these options. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Promoting Visual Curiosity in a Range of Environments Content: • Print in the environment: cool t-shirts graphics, business marquees • Nature and animals: dog park, walking trails • Building architecture: historical homes, college campuses, churches, yard art • Building schema: typical layouts (e.g., grocery, hardware store) • Rec and leisure: outdoor festival, sports action Description End: Print in the environment -- cool t-shirts to look at. Our students sometimes are aware that they're not picking up on detail. They hear conversation about it and realize the item is there to look at but aren't seeing the more interesting parts of that. [ Slide end: ] Objects in nature can be very interesting for students even watching squirrels play in the park, dogs in the dog park. Building architecture has a lot of features that can stand out. These are part of that appreciating the setting around you; yard art, marquee signs that have funny sayings on them. All of those are some of those targets we can use with our students. Being able to -- start to recognize building schema so that students develop that ability to form a mental map of a place. We do that with grocery stores, with airports. We try to find what's the framework that shapes the building. Picking up on the rec and leisure activities that are interesting for students. Do they like outdoor festivals? Are they more sports minded? So all of these, becoming aware of what captures their attention. By making this a regular part of conversation with our students we're helping them to want to find those examples and share that with us. What's in the neighborhood that's interesting to look at, the business settings where they go? So an example of a conversation might be: Student saying, 'This weekend was really fun. I was able to go to the mall and these people were jumping on these big, super bungee cords. Have you ever seen that?' 'No, no I haven't. Can you explain it to me? What was happening?' So, let's look more carefully at settings that have high kid appeal. What are the targets that they can see around them? [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Environment Specific Visual Tasks: the Mall Content: left-side text: TELESCOPE • Reading – Mall directory – Overhead menus – Movie times • Locating – Concourse performers – Car in parking lot – Friends right-side text: MAGNIFIER • Reading – Mall directory – Sale circular, coupons – Clothing size, price, care – Instructions on game packaging lower-right-side text in a red box: Visual Challenges: • Glare from waxed floors, sky light • Heavy traffic in walkways • Difficult angles to spot info Description End: So if we think of the mall and using a scavenger hunt activity having both the telescope and the magnifier and being able to plan ahead of time what are the targets we're going to look at? So first on entering the mall both a telescope or a magnifier can be used to read the mall directory depends if there are a lot of people around, then I'll step back and use my telescope to read that -- to identify is there a Hallmark card shop here. So that can be the start for the student. Being able to look at movie times, overhead menu in the food court, locating a friend who you may be waiting for you, or watching the performers in the mall commons area. All of those are examples of using a telescope. [ Slide end: ] With a magnifier again you can get closer to the mall directory and get the individual numbers of the businesses. So I might ask a student, okay if you find The Gap, what are the stores on either side of it so that you know you're getting close. Or at that major intersection, what's my landmark for what I'm looking for? So I have to find my destination as well as the places around it; inside a clothing store, picking up a piece of clothing and looking at the price tag, the care instructions, using coupons from the information counter. All of these are examples of using magnifiers. Reading information on packages. Some of the visual challenges that are very common in that kind of space -- with the wide open skylights and the very polished floors there's lots of glare coming off. Depending on how crowded the time is. Heavy traffic can make it difficult to get the right position of trying to find something and even part of that difficulty with being able to see the things you want to. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: The mall: highly motivating, but visually challenging! Content: center photo: wide shot looking down into the mall atrium from the third floor, shoppers and stores on all floors. Description End: Wow! That's visual stimulation. When you think of that kind of space what is it that makes it difficult for students to use devices? [ Slide end: ] So looking at a trip to the grocery store as one of those fun --filled trips and knowing that students frequently are at the grocery store with their parents, having that conversation with parents that supports the using devices while they're doing errands or grocery shopping. When the parent sees their child being successful with the device, being able to complete a task the student figures out Mom and Dad are supportive of this they get how the device works and that I can be doing some of these things on my own. So with a telescope, being able to read the aisle markers, where is salad dressing? [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Environment Specific Visual Tasks: the Grocery Store Content: left-side text: TELESCOPE • Reading – Aisle number & Food List – Prices on high shelf – Product Look-Up code (PLU#) – Register screen – Customer Service desk information • Locating – Specific food – Car in parking lot right-side text: MAGNIFIER • Reading – Price tags – Coupons/store ads – Weight, expiration date – Packaging information – Receipt – Magazine while waiting lower-right-side text in a red box: Visual Challenges: • Overhead fluorescent lighting • Carts and people • Difficult angles to spot info Description End: Instead of going up and down each aisle, I'm finding the particular spot I need and being able to get to the product. The PLU code numbers -- the product look up item -- on produce often that is just beyond visual reach of what's the PLU number for oranges and being able to mark your bag with that and the student being able to see that and tell the parent what that is. Finding out what the services are at the Customer Service desk. Being able to read the screen -- the digital screen as the cashier is checking out the items. Are the correct prices being displayed there? So each of these are good opportunities for the student to use a telescope. [ Slide end: ] With magnifiers, again, price tags. Being able to read the information on packaging such as the weight of the product. On meat the expiration date of that meat. Reading the receipt as you leave the store. All examples of being able to use devices in a grocery store. And again the visual challenges in these large spaces that bright fluorescent overhead lighting can make it difficult with spotting. Shoppers being in a hurry not having much patience for the person trying to spot information on a sign. So all of these can make the telescope work difficult. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Focusing on packaging information Content: left-side photo: Chrissy points to ingredient label on box for elementary students right-side photo: close-up of student using a lighted hand-held magnifier to read the ingredient label on the box. Description End: Bachofer: In this picture Chrissy is doing an activity with a couple of our students during one of the grocery store trips and the two boys are comparing boxes of cookies. And we talk with the students about what's the nutritional information that we want to pay attention to. Why is one better than the other? And the boys coming to a decision about what makes the one cookie brand better than another. [ Slide end: ] Scanning small visual displays for example in the grocery store is another very common thing that students see. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Scanning small visual displays in the grocery store Content: center photo: close-up of a credit/debit card reader and keypad at the grocery store. Description End: They frequently are with their parents when something is being purchased and this -- the point of sale machine that credit card reader can be challenging with varying print size with low contrast that makes it hard to read. [ Slide end: ] So some examples of small visual displays in our everyday environments. In the office the desk phone screen, the copier machine trying to figure out what are the small letters for making something two-sided. Our students frequently have figured out managing their cell phones. They have that memorized or they've enlarged the font size. But a camera screen -- the digital camera screen may be more difficult for them to read. Other examples -- ATM machines especially when these are outdoors they can be harder to read in bright sunlight. So working with our students on developing this skill of being able to be independent in using these devices is important. Cowan: The last example of environment-specific visual tasks is related to a stock show or rodeo. As Cindy and I were talking about the types of experiences students tend to have in their communities, oddly enough, we both came to the conclusion that a stock show is something a lot of kids tend to visit, typically with their family, but sometimes with a teacher or class. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Environment Specific Visual Tasks: the Stock Show Content: left-side text: TELESCOPE • Examining for Detail – Close inspection of an animal – Watching action/equipment/costumes • Locating – friend or vehicle in parking lot or open public area – Concession stand • Reading – Scores on scoreboard – Prices at concessions right-side text: MAGNIFIER • Reading printed program – Event times – Event performers • Reading event map – Location of concessions lower-right-side text in a red box: Visual Challenges: • Lights • Larges spaces • Noises • Constant foot traffic • Dusty Description End: In the red box, you will see visual challenges that are unique to a stock show or rodeo event. It tends to be dusty, noisy and crowded, with bright lights and large spaces to contend with. So some time will need to be spent suggesting ways the student can place his body so that he cannot be competing with the light, or how to support the arm holding the telescope. [ Slide end: ] It helps me to think of the countless stock shows and rodeos I've been to when I try to task analyze the kinds of things I don't want my student to miss out on. The telescope visual tasks might include: [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Environment Specific Visual Tasks: the Stock Show Content: left-side text: TELESCOPE • Examining for Detail – Close inspection of an animal – Watching action/equipment/costumes • Locating – friend or vehicle in parking lot or open public area – Concession stand • Reading – Scores on scoreboard – Prices at concessions right-side text: MAGNIFIER • Reading printed program – Event times – Event performers • Reading event map – Location of concessions lower-right-side text in a red box: Visual Challenges: • Lights • Larges spaces • Noises • Constant foot traffic • Dusty Description End: inspecting that pig in it's pen without getting too close, watching the rodeo clown or any of the performers, finding a friend in the crowd, locating the concession stand sign and reading to see how much cotton candy costs. The magnifier visual tasks might include: reading a printed program and a map of the event center. [ Slide end: ] Some schools will take the kids to the stock pens on a field trip, so either prepare your student in advance, or go along if you can. I remember one occasion in New Braunfels, Texas, when the 4H kids set up pens on the school parking lot with their prize-winning animals. I asked one young man if I could slip into the pen of a young bull with my student. As we were exploring the bull, he, the bull, put his head down and made a rumbling sound. I asked, 'Is that a happy, contented sound?' And the boy said, 'No ma'am, I think you need to get out of the pen. Fast.' We should've stayed outside the pen and explored with the telescope! [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Yes, those are longhorns! Content: center photo: young girl uses a telescope to look at longhorn cattle on the other side of a barb-wire fence. Description End: This is a picture of a girl using her telescope to explore the Texas longhorn steer on the other side of that barbed wire. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Step back. Use a telescope to get the bigger picture of a large animal Content: center photo: teacher and student reach up to touch the shoulders of an appaloosa horse hitched to a carriage. Description End: This slide shows a student inspecting a horse and carriage that miraculously walked up in front of the state capitol. As the carriage moved away from us, this boy could watch the horse as it moved. This event demonstrates a priceless teachable moment. [ Slide end: ] You can use the information on the three slides that were pertaining to places- the mall, grocery store, and stock show -- to help you craft goals and objectives for optical device training in the community, hopefully adding settings unique to your student's world. Bachofer: So just a few more examples of activities in the community. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Activities in the Community Content: • Electronics store – Video games, DVDs – Cameras, electronic equipment + accessories • Shopping Mall • County Fair/Rodeo Stock Show • Expo Hall – Boat/car show/gems – Holiday craft/art shows Description End: Think of the electronics store again, a very high interest, appealing place for students. What e-readers does the store carry? Where are the cameras and what makes one camera more expensive than the other? How many options of headphones are there? All of these are things that students like exploring. Activities that students might do with their parents on the weekend. The expo hall for the boat and car show or the gem show. [ Slide end: ] The holiday craft -- craft and arts fair -- all of these are the places that our students can be using their devices. So when we look at the visual tasks specifically within the community activities when you think of entertainment. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Visual Tasks within Community Activities Content: • Entertainment – Expressions on stage; costume details – Practice following moving target on sports field – Skateboarding park, outdoor rock wall, etc. • Travel – Expectation to read signs on the road – Landmark location search on the city bus • Stores and businesses – Customer Service counter (long line, busy staff) – Fabric and crafts, hardware, book “warehouse” Description End: Looking at the athletes on say the soccer field, the costumes of actors on a stage. Again entertainment can be outdoor activities like watching the skateboarders or people on a rock wall. When we think of use of devices in travel, very often our students have developed lazy habits. As a passenger in a car seeing signs is difficult so it's something they just kind of tune out of. They tend to space out in the car. [ Slide end: ] And once our students have the ability to be seeing information they then have the responsibility to be accessing that. So being able to watch for the landmarks that are going to mark my bus stop. If my friend is driving, helping watch for the addresses on the buildings. Telling a parent what street they're crossing or if the light has changed. And again bringing parents in to this and making sure that they're asking the student while they're a passenger in the car what is it -- what are you seeing. Stores and businesses all of these have objects that students can be inspecting and it's developing that habit early of exploring the space and the objects. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Visual Tasks- continued Content: • The gym/weight room – Select settings on workout equipment, weights – Read signs in basketball, swimming area • The art gallery – Study details in paintings, sculpture – Read placard with description of art piece • The office supply store – Read aisle directories for item search – Compare prices of low vision pens, book stands, file/organization systems Description End: So visual opportunities in the gym or the weight room. This can be inside the school or even a workout place as a field trip. Again, reading the small visual displays on the equipment. Is the student able to set the machine to what they want using that. Reading signs on walls. For example, the pool rules. Is the student able to read that? An art gallery looking at any kind of art. This is available in any community. Murals on buildings, sculpture in parks. Lots of office lobbies have paintings or large framed pieces to see. [ Slide end: ] And because art is meant for close inspection this can be one of those very allowable times to use devices. If the student is able to get close enough to examine with a magnifier or inspecting it with a telescope. And the office supply store. Because of the many non-optical low vision tools that are available. Comparing pencils the very more heavy lead pencils or variety of pen tips. When we have students in a classroom, we'll have them compare the medium point the flare tip and the 20 / 20 pen and finding out the one that works best for them. Bookstands, document holders all of this is kind of a multipurpose good field trip for students. Cowan: In addition to activities and tasks in the community, you will want to extend your optical device training into the student's home. If you can't get into the home, check around the school district to see if you can use kitchens for training. Here are some examples of activities and visual tasks in the home: [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Activities and Visual Tasks in the Home Content: • Cooking – Read the keypad on the microwave for cooking a snack – Read the dials on the oven for baking – Reading cooking instructions on packaged food • Laundry – Read fabric care instructions on clothing labels – Selecting washer and dryer settings • Entertainment – Read buttons on remote control units – Read items related to leisure activities (magazines, ads, game cards, craft instructions) Description End: Cooking, my favorite. Specifically reading the keypad on the microwave and cooking a snack. Reading the dials on the oven for baking or reading cooking instructions on packaged food. [ Slide end: ] Cooking, specifically handling knives and appliances, tends to be a little intimidating to some students and their families. This is a good expanded core curricula activity to do with your students, incorporating the devices as you prepare food. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Examples of Activities and Visual Tasks in the Home Content: • Cooking – Read the keypad on the microwave for cooking a snack – Read the dials on the oven for baking – Reading cooking instructions on packaged food • Laundry – Read fabric care instructions on clothing labels – Selecting washer and dryer settings • Entertainment – Read buttons on remote control units – Read items related to leisure activities (magazines, ads, game cards, craft instructions) Description End: Use the magnifier to read fabric care instructions on clothing labels, and selecting washer and dryer settings. Also, the magnifier can be used to read the buttons on remote control units for the TV. Magazines, game cards, craft instructions, and advertisements can all be made accessible with a magnifier. [ Slide end: ] It helps to do somewhat of an inventory of visual tasks with your student in their own home, with suggestions on when they could use an optical device, rather than depend on someone in the family to do things for them. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Preparing queso for the family Content: center photo: male elementary student uses a hand-held magnifier to read the label on a can of tomatoes. Description End: Here's a boy reading the instructions on canned tomatoes for making queso. Note his use of the hand-held magnifier here, rather than the stand magnifier, which does not do well on curved surfaces. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Exploring a picture book with Dad Content: center photo: preschool boy uses a lighted hand-held magnifier to look at a picture book. Description End: This little guy is three, and he can hold a hand-held magnifier on an I-Spy book at home. [ Slide end: ] We've given you suggestions for activities and visual tasks inherent in each of these activities. Next we'd like to stress the importance of specific training, reviewing the telescope and magnifier skills presented in our first session. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Instruction: Reinforcing Skills in Community Settings Description End: Chapter 4. Instruction in Community Settings We're shifting now to specific skill instruction that will need to occur in different community settings. [ Slide end: ] When you leave the campus, take both near and distance devices along. This might require advance planning for a convenient carrier, whether it be a purse or a small back pack. Kids tend to have this on hand anyway. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male high school student wearing sunglasses, standing on a sidewalk with a monocular hanging from a lanyard around his neck, caring a white cane, and using a magnifier to read a something upclose. center text: The well-prepared traveler has all of his tools readily available Description End: This boy has everything -- a telescope on a lanyard around his neck, a cane, and a magnifier. He is actually reading a compass in this picture. [ Slide end: ] When you take a student into the community, they will invariably be approached by curious on-lookers. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Having the language to answer a curious onlooker’s questions center photo: female high school student on a metro bus passes her monocular to a female passenger seated next to her. Description End: This student was riding a bus when the woman next to her asked questions about the telescope. The student enthusiastically explained it to her. [ Slide end: ] This type of impromptu interaction teaches the student how to be their own best advocate, as well as an educator to the general public. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Visual Skills (Unaided) Content: Tracing - visually following a stationary line Scanning - repetitive fixations that are required to look from one target to another Tracking - visually following a moving target Description End: Bachofer: In preparing to use the telescope we want to review the three visual skills that it will be important for the student to have developed without the telescope. [ Slide end: ] Those being tracing, visually following a stationary line. Scanning which is repetitive fixations that are required to look from one target to another. And tracking, visually following a moving target. So in these next pictures look for those visual opportunities where you'll want to talk with the student ask the questions and have the student be very specific in their descriptions. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: school building hallway with blue and white tile floor, a banner reading "Peace" hanging from ceiling tiles, windows from waist height to ceiling on the left, and orange lockers, stacked two high, on the right. center text: Use your eyes to trace the line of orange lockers to find the flags over head Reference: Photo by kittivanilli Description End: Trace the top edge of the orange lockers on the right to find the flags and the word PEACE written on it. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: profile image of two middle school boys looking at the touch screen keypad on a digital scale at the grocery store. center text: Scan to find the correct numbers on a digital scale Description End: In this photo the boys are scanning the screen of the digital scale at the grocery store looking for the numbers and then the PRINT button. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: wide shot from eye level looking down a sidewalk on a city street. The sidewalk curves to the right, cars stopped at a traffic light in the distance. center text: Trace the sidewalk edge to find the safest place to cross Description End: Now we want to move outdoors and in this business setting, the student is going to trace up the left side of the sidewalk to the crosswalk markings. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: wide shot of a residential street from eye level looking street at a sidewalk walk with patches of grass separated by driveways. center text: Use your eyes to trace the sidewalk (grass line) to find the driveway to the first house Reference: Photo by Complete Streets Description End: In this residential setting, the student again is tracing up the sidewalk to the first driveway. And then for example I would have my student, how many objects can you count? What's visible in that yard of the first house. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: wide shot looking across the crosswalk of a multilane street with a car traveling left-to-right in the middle lane. center text: Track the car as it moves through the crosswalk. Trace the crosswalk lines to find the sidewalk on the other side of the street Reference: Photo by jorr81 Description End: In this last example, we show a car as it moves through a crosswalk. So I would ask the student to track the moving car and then trace the edge of the crosswalk to the opposite corner. And again, how many items can they identify. [ Slide end: ] Cowan: You will be building on and expanding the skills you taught the student in a more controlled setting. The skills are essentially the same, but you will be layering on more and more contexts. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Overview of Sequence of Skills for Device Use Content: 2-column table left-side column: Near Devices • Fixation • Localization • Focal distance • Scanning • Tracking right-side column: Distance Devices • Localization • Fixation/Focusing • Spotting • Scanning • Tracing • Tracking Reference: (Region IV ESC, 2004) Description End: This slide is here as a reminder of the sequence of skills for optical device use. If you don't have a clear understanding of these skills, please refer back to our first web-based instruction module. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Visual Skills with a Telescope Description End: [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Telescope Skills Content: • Localization, focusing, spotting, tracing, scanning, tracking • Positioning the body • Stabilizing the arm • Managing lighting challenges/shadows • Negotiating crowds Description End: We'll start with integrating the telescope into community settings. The skills we will be illustrating include: localization, focusing, spotting, tracing, scanning, and tracking, positioning the body, stabilizing the arm, managing lighting challenges and shadows, and negotiating crowds. [ Slide end: ] When you are in public places, you have to be on the lookout for the elements in the environment that pose a challenge. For example, when you're walking, how do you stabilize the arm holding the telescope to view a passing bus? Remind the student how they can do this quickly, as things are moving at a rapid rate. Also, you'll want to suggest where to stand to, say, block the sun or bright lighting. Outdoors shadows pose a real problem. I had the pleasure of working with a little girl in Marble Falls when she was just 4 years old and very smart. She had ocular albinism, so lighting was a big issue for her. Whenever we were outside, I pointed shadows out to her and taught her how to interpret these. For example, if you see stripes on the sidewalk or playscape, that might mean there is a fence running along side. Or, if there's a large stripe on the sidewalk, there might be a pole on your left or right. I got this idea from a curriculum called Beyond Arms Reach, which is listed in our resources. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Telescope Skills Content: • Localization, focusing, spotting, tracing, scanning, tracking • Positioning the body • Stabilizing the arm • Managing lighting challenges/shadows • Negotiating crowds Description End: Negotiating crowds is going to be an issue as well, depending on the setting. When you use a telescope, you have to stand still. [ Slide end: ] If you are in the flow of pedestrian traffic, or in a crowded grocery store, this can be awkward. It's a good idea to teach your student some stock explanations to use when they need to do this. I was working with one young student and his telescope at a grill-type restaurant at the capitol, when a huge group of people started streaming in. One woman was rude to my student, asking him to hurry along. He froze, and didn't know how to handle the situation. That incident taught me, as his teacher, that I needed to better prepared for this type of situation in advance. You might be thinking that I should've never taken him into a crowded restaurant, but, I do believe it's better to witness what can happen and plan accordingly so that the student can handle these situations gracefully on their own later. When you are dealing with larger spaces, the weaker power telescopes may not be adequate. Low vision specialists tend to prescribe the weaker, 4x telescope because these work well in shorter distances found in classrooms. The 8x is more difficult to use, as less light is coming into the barrel and there are greater field restrictions with these. TVIs and COMS will need to work with the low vision specialist to have more than one telescope prescribed if you want the student to extend skills beyond the classroom. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Match the tool to the environment: indoors vs. outdoor use Content: left-side photo: 4x telescope left-side text: • Novice user • Shorter distances • Wider field • Inside the school building right-side photo: 8x telescope right-side text: • Skilled user • Greater distances • Narrower field • Light transmission issues Description End: Here we have a chart comparing the 4x telescope to the 8x. The 4x is good for the novice user, has a wider field of view, and provides access to the shorter distances found inside the school building. The 8x telescope takes a more skilled user, is better for seeing greater distances, but has a narrower field of view and less light is coming into the scope. [ Slide end: ] Typically I train the student using the 2.5x or 4x telescopes on shorter distances, then move to the 6x or 8x if the student needs more power for greater distances. Bachofer: So remember those prerequisite telescope skills we discussed in presentation one? What are the objects or the position that your student likes to use for stabilizing? [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male elementary student rests his arm on a balcony rail while holding a monocular, with a lanyard around his neck, to his eye. center text: Stabilizing the arm to watch from a balcony Description End: In this next picture, a young boy is using a balcony rail -- the perfect spot for resting his arm. And notice that the lanyard is around his neck, as he leans over the rail. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: wide shot inside a long, empty airport terminal, black sign with lighted text hanging from the ceiling, columns and another walkway on the right. center text: Localizing to find your gate number Reference: Photo by schoschie Description End: In this picture of an airport, localizing is the a activity that you do with your student; looking for that large black sign and finding the gate number. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male student uses a monocular to view a waist-high bin of crawfish in a grocery store. center text: Focusing to see what smells so bad Description End: In the is next picture, we had taken students into the grocery store, and had gotten close to the fish department. And you could tell students were -- right away -- "Eww, what's that smell?" And we were very glad that they were showing such curiosity with this. One of the boys had figured out that the crawfish, in this bin, was where that really strong odor was coming from; so it gave that example of wanting to look closely at something, but not get too close to it. And with his telescope, he was even able to pick up the little thready tentacles. The students had a great time, then, going along the case -- the glass -- with fish behind glass and looking at the scales and fish eyes; and it became this great challenge of describing what they were seeing. [ Slide end: ] We umm -- it became one of those unexpected moments of what captures their attention and how can we use this. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: two female students standing at a bus stop using their monoculars to read the number on a metro bus. center text: Spotting to see if this is your bus number Description End: On many of our trips, we take students downtown and this happens to be a very busy, busy area and lots of busses pull up. And in this picture, a student spotting to see if she can find the bus number. We were looking for the number 5 bus to head back to campus, and the students could identify -- even when the busses were pretty far away -- "That's got too many numbers on it, I know it's not the number 5." So, it became this challenge of, "Who can guess which one's going to be our bus?" And then picking up the telescope and saying the exact number. So, with all the wait time that we had -- on a bus that happened to be late -- we were turning it into a very busy telescope activity. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male student using a telescope looks up at the clock on the tower University of Texas at Austin. center text: Spotting to find the time on the tower clock Description End: When we take students to the University of Texas campus, the UT tower is a very famous landmark -- the students quickly recognize this. And we're asking the students then, can they spot the clock on the top, to tell what time it is? [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: female elementary student useing a monocular to looks up at cans of tomatoes on shelves high above her head center text: Scanning to find diced tomatoes Description End: The next picture shows a student scanning along a grocery shelf, looking for the diced tomatoes. When you're a four foot shopper, a lot of the products you're looking for are above your head, and she had figured out, "I can use my telescope to help name the -- if we're at the right space." [ Slide end: ] The very frequent example that we use -- overhead menus is another visual challenge because of the backlit sign boards and the low contrast, or the changing print sizes. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: female middle school student using a telescope looks at menu in a fast food restaurant. center text: Scanning to read an overhead menu Description End: So picture the fast food places in your town. What is it like to be able to read the meal options on those menus? This is -- we have a student scanning an overhead menu in this next picture. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: left-side photo: four rows of individually packaged Hot Wheels cars on a store display right-side graphic: indicating the direction of scanning; three rows of arrows pointing left-to-right with a blue arrow pointing right-to-left, diagonally from the top row to the one below it center text: Scanning to find the truck you want Reference: Photo by thienzieyung Description End: Then in this last picture, another scanning activity -- there's a full wall display of different Matchbox trucks. And when I walk in a store like this with my students, they'll frequently move their body -- and takes a lot of motion to go back and forth. But if they use their telescope, they can scan along each of the rows to find the item that they want. [ Slide end: ] Cowan: The next skill, tracking, can be broken down into two distinct situations: tracking targets across a consistent focal plane and tracking a moving target. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Tracking targets across a consistent focal plane Content: • Start with targets that move slowly from left to right (someone walking across front of room or writing on white board) • Instruct student to support the arm • Take student into different environments to expand skill Description End: Tracking across a consistent focal plane is a little easier, because, even though your targets are moving, they move along a consistent plane. Examples of this include someone, the target, walking across the front of a room or writing on a white board. The student will need to support their arm as she follows the action. [ Slide end: ] Take the student into different environments to expand this skill. Inside the school building, this might be watching a play, a speaker or performer on a stage. In the community this might be watching a band, an auctioneer, or anyone moving within a fairly limited space. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Tracking to follow the action on a consistent focal plane center photo: 7 preschool children performing on a stage Reference: Photo by andrewconrad Description End: This is a picture of children performing on a stage, which is an example of action taking place on a consistent focal plane. [ Slide end: ] The telescope skill required to view this is somewhat easier than tracking or following a moving target that is moving randomly, which might require changing focus as the target moves further away. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Tracking: Following a moving target Content: • Observe targets using left-to-right, top-to- bottom movement • Slowly decrease target size • Have student locate the target using head movements only and keeping the eye steady for use with optical devices Description End: When you're working on tracking skills in a community setting, remember to reinforce the same left to right, top to bottom pattern of viewing. [ Slide end: ] This pattern is systematic and keeps the viewer from getting frustrated as they try to find things. It also gives a more complete synopsis of the scene before them. Note how I am moving my head with the scope up against my eye, rather than moving the scope as I keep my head still. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Tracking: Following a moving target Content: • Observe targets using left-to-right, top-to- bottom movement • Slowly decrease target size • Have student locate the target using head movements only and keeping the eye steady for use with optical devices Description End: Focusing on objects in the foreground will be easier, but begin to call attention to objects that are further away, and thus appear smaller. This requires refocusing and is more difficult. Using a larger landmark is helpful. [ Slide end: ] For example, if I want to use a telescope to see a painted bunting on my bird feeder, I put the scope up to my eye, scan left to right until I locate the tree trunk, or my larger landmark, trace this up to the branch I think the feeder is on, locate the feeder, than track the bird as it hops around the feeder. This is harder than it sounds! The next few slides give you some examples of some tracking activities in the community. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: wide shot of a playscape with objects to climb, a merry-go-round, and a pavillion. center text: Tracking to find your friend Reference: Photo by Dystopos Description End: This is a photo of a tracking activity on a playground that involves following a moving target, in this case a person. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: female elementary student uses a telescope to view a blacksmith who stands in front of a group of students and is pointing to some of his creations. center text: Tracking the blacksmith’s demonstration Description End: This girl is tracking a blacksmith as he demonstrates his craft. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male elementary student his left hand to hold his glasses up on his forehead while holding a monocular to his eye with his right hand. center text: Tracking to see action on the sidewalk outside the bus Description End: This boy is tracking to see action on the sidewalk outside the bus. Note how he moves his glasses up out of the way to look through the telescope. Some students prefer to do this, as it gives them a wider field of view than if they hold the scope up to the glasses. Bachofer: So once students have gained proficiency with a number of skills it can be time to bring them all together. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Locating, focusing and tracking targets that move through more than one focal plane left-side photo: remote control car on the floor with four small, folded cards labeled 5, 10, 15, and 20 placed randomly around the car right-side photo: female middle school student holds a remote control in her left hand and a monocular up to her eye with her right hand. Description End: In this next photo we show a very popular activity with our students. Being able to drive the remote control car. So she is locating, focusing, and tracking the target as it moves through more than one focal plane. One student is the driver and the other student then is spotting the markers with point values as the car knocks into these and adding up the points for that student. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Locating, focusing and tracking chickens Content: center photo: female elementary student squats on the ground and uses a telescope to a half-dozen chickens 3 to 5 feet in front of her. Description End: In this next photo again the student is locating, focusing, and tracking the chickens which are a perfect target. These guys bob and weave. They roam for corn. They run in circles. The students were very exciting being able to follow the chickens in their activities. And if you can get one to stand still and the student is able to focus on it, they're able to pick up a lot of the coloring on the feathers or the shape of the head and the eye. [ Slide end: ] A couple of the students were even good at going up behind and picking up -- being able to hold the chicken which they figured out how to do that and the chicken would be still. And then it became a magnifier activity where they could inspect the face. So the captive bird goes under the glass and the students had a lot of fun describing what they were seeing. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Visual Skills with a Magnifier Description End: We now switch our attention to visual skills with a magnifier. [ Slide end: ] You can do a lot more with a magnifier than just read a book, so challenge your student to find those objects that they want to inspect, those high interest objects. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Magnifier Skills Content: • Fixation, localization, focal distance, scanning, tracking • Ergonomics and positioning the body • Stabilizing the hand • Reading/viewing variety of surfaces • Viewing 3-D objects • Exposure to a variety of printed items Description End: In presentation one we had looked at magnifier skills and I very quickly want to review these. The fixation, localization, maintaining focal distance, scanning, and tracking we will quickly go over. So remember the -- making sure that your student is practicing good ergonomics and positioning of the body so in either looking at a printed page or a book that they're taking stress off the neck, shoulder, and arm muscles that they have good methods for stabilizing the hand that they're reading a variety of surfaces. The examples can be like a cereal box. Post office forms are something that we run into a lot. Looking at a cell phone manual. [ Slide end: ] All of these bring in the different print sizes. For viewing 3-D objects like action figures or closely inspecting jewelry looking at objects in nature. All of these can be very appealing to students. Cowan: The skill of fixating is easy; it's just looking at something that is not moving around with a magnifier. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Fixating to just see something through a lens center photo: male elementary student holds a lighted magnifier above a small fossil on his desktop Description End: This student is actually using the light in the magnifier to find the fossil, then he looks at the detail through the lens. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: female high school student in a grocery store uses a hand-held magnifier to read the label on a package of meat center text: Fixating to find the expiration date on a steak Description End: [ Slide end: ] This student is standing at the meat section in the grocery store, fixating to find the expiration date on a packaged steak. Note how she uses the fingers holding her magnifier to stabilize her hand on the actual meat package, which helps her maintain the correct focal distance with her hand-held magnifier. [ Slide end: ] Remember that localizing is visually selecting an object from objects around it. This is a little different from fixating, as there might be clutter around the thing you are trying to see. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Localizing to find the desserts center photo: close-up of a female high school student using a lighted hand-held magnifier to read a restaurant menu. Description End: In this picture, the student has to localize the dessert listing on a cluttered menu. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: close-up of a male high school student using a pocket magnifier to read a bus schedule. center text: Maintaining focal distance to find my bus time Description End: This boy also uses his fingers on the hand holding the magnifier to maintain focal distance as he looks at a bus schedule. [ Slide end: ] The next skill, scanning, is the one we use when we are reading something. In the context of magnifier training, scanning means making repeated fixations with your eyes that let you see one item after another. Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: female high school student using a pocket magnifier to read a map. center text: Scanning a campus map with a video magnifier Description End: This student is scanning a campus map with her video magnifier. Reading a map is difficult when you have really low vision, and it will be particularly important to reinforce the left to right, up to down scanning pattern. [ Slide end: ] Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male elementary student using a pocket magnifier to read labels on cereal box. center text: Scanning nutrition information in a column format on a cereal box Description End: This boy is scanning the nutrition information on a cereal box, which is printed in a column format. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Scanning to read settings on a clothes dryer center photo: close-up of a male high school student using a pocket magnifier to read the dials on a clothes dryer Description End: Interestingly, this 15 year old boy had never really taken note of a washing machine or clothes dryer because someone else always took care of his clothes for him. Someday, he'll have to live on his own and needs to be able to access small print on appliances, such as this dryer. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Scanning to read the touch pad on a microwave center photo: close-up of a female high school student using a pocket magnifier to read the keypad on a microwave Description End: The touch pads on a microwave are tiny, and this student scans to read the little message on the small digital display. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Scanning to read the TV remote center photo: a female high school student sits in front of a television and uses a pocket magnifier to read the keypad on the remote control Description End: Some remote controls have enlarged key pads, but the typical household does not have these. It's easy enough to use a magnifier to scan the numbers on remote controls. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center text: Scanning to read cooking steps to make muffins center photo: cooking instructions printed on the back of a package of muffin mix Description End: Reading cooking instructions on packaging involves scanning. Many packages, like this one, have words as well as pictures that demonstrate the steps for the recipe. You can do this type of activity in a school. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: two male elementary students using magnifiers to read parts of a city map spread out on the table center text: Scanning to find my city on a state map Description End: We always like to ask students to look at a highway map because it is such a sophisticated skill. Reinforce good scanning technique to find a city, using both the map key first, then the grid numbers to find a specific location. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male high school student using pocket magnifier to read the menu on at a Sonic drive-in. center text: Scanning menu behind glass Description End: This is a drive-in restaurant and these boys are scanning the menu which is behind glass. [ Slide end: ] [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male elementary student bends over a bronze plaque, his shadow covers the raised text he is viewing through a hand-held magnifier. center text: Scanning to read a plaque at the state capitol Description End: Here's an example of dealing with bright light. As this boy bends over to scan a plaque at the state capitol, his head is actually blocking the light, making it easier, in this situation, to read. Be sure you explain to the student what they can do to optimize the visual environment. [ Slide end: ] When you're out in public, you never know when a wonderful opportunity to see something might pop up. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Content: center photo: male elementary student uses a pocket magnifier to read a transit map posted at a bus stop. center text: Be prepared for the “teachable moment” Description End: We were standing at a bus stop with a group of kids when this young boy turned around and became interested in the bus route map posted near the bus stop. Cindy was standing nearby, talking to another student and she just smoothly reached into her purse, took out this folding magnifier, and handed it to the boy looking at the route map without saying a word. He ended up studying the map until the bus arrived. [ Slide end: ] This is an example of that teachable moment that is a powerful learning event, because it happens within the context of a meaningful activity. That's the beauty and the thrill I get when I take a student out into the world. Bachofer: We realize that getting off-campus has its challenges. Again I want to emphasize the point of bringing in -- involving the adults who are influential in the child's world into those times to use devices. When the student is seeing more information they're being -- they're smarter and demonstrate that ability to be independent. And it's important to have other adults more than just the TVI or the classroom teacher invested in this. Cowan: We've used our photos to stimulate your thought processes, and give you some ideas of how you can expand optical device training. We said at the beginning that moving beyond the school building helps your student transfer device skills into new settings. Training in stimulating settings also jump starts the student into increased device usage, and we believe it also prompts visual curiosity. Chapter 5. Conclusion Bachofer: In conclusion, throughout this presentation, we've shown many, many places that work well in lessons. [ Slide start: ] Description Start: Title: Conclusion…. Content: left-side text: optical devices + training + opportunity = expanding the world of the student right-side photo: group of high school students pose in front of the tower at the University of Texas at Austin. Description End: It's essential to bring together the skills with optical devices and the opportunity to use those. It is only by doing this in a range of settings that we're able to help the student develop that confidence to use devices in both familiar and unfamiliar settings so that students can go on to explore and expand their world. [ Slide end: ] We thank you for joining us on this second of three web-based trainings. Our focus in the third presentation will be the psycho-social aspects of optical device use.