Guide
Remote VI instruction: How to make it work
Considering remote VI instruction? Learn what these ladies are doing!
One thing that the COVID school closures have shown us is that remote instruction can work for students with low vision or blindness. There are many individuals and agencies who have been providing virtual VI instruction for years prior to COVID and now, when schools are back in physical buildings, more educators and districts are open to remote instruction. There are a variety of reasons supporting remote VI instruction, including the challenges of recruiting a TSVI (especially in rural areas or in districts that do not have a full VI caseload) and the need for specialized instruction such as AT or higher level math.
Frequently there are social media posts from TSVIs who are considering remote instruction and would like to learn more from other TSVIs who are successfully teaching and loving remote instruction. I was truly surprised by the number of TSVIs who responded and joyfully shared their experiences and tips on how they manage remote instruction! Many of these virtual educators offered to connect off line for more in-depth conversations and even some offers to have the interested TSVI sit in on a remote lesson or two (with permission from the student’s family).
In the video below, Allied Instructional Services (AIS) team members speak about their experiences with remote vision instruction. This panel discussion was created in response to frequent questions from TSVIs, school districts and parents asking about how remote services work. Check out some of the strategies and tools that these knowledgable instructors use! The panel is led by Amanda Thompson and the TSVIs on the panel are Jessica Kleinsteuber, Patience Piesecki and Kay Bondor.
AIS Remote Vision Services Panel Video
Teaching a virtual class
While the majority of remote TSVIs are providing 1:1 instruction, some TSVIs are teaching small groups of students remotely. Group dynamics – whether in person or virtual – require some classroom management, including teaching “Zoom Etiquette”. For students who will go on to hold professional jobs, virtual meetings will potentially be a daily work experience. Understanding the unspoken virtual meeting etiquette is a critical component of success in the work place. BLV students should have opportunities to take at least one small group remote course – especially with peers who are also low vision or blind. This is a terrific way to prepare students for remote college courses and for the work place.
The Teaching a virtual class: Zoom etiquette post was written after observing Robbin Clark’s virtual Digital Literacy Academy. An educator for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Robbin is a dynamite ECC instructor and an expert in teaching remotely. She offers numerous remote courses/academies every year.
Remote courses do not have to be academic in nature. Remote courses can be a wonderful way to teach ECC skills (outside of school hours) and a way to bring students from across the district, state or country together. The Cooking without Looking series on Paths to Technology is another ECC course offered by Robbin. As part of the virtual course, each student wrote weekly about their experiences using meal kits and learning to cook and they posted their experiences. Follow these budding chefs in the Cooking without Looking seres:
- Cooking without Looking: Meet the Chefs
- Cooking without Looking: Week One
- Cooking without Looking: Week Two
- Cooking without Looking: Week Three
- Cooking without Looking: Week Four
Are you teaching remotely?
As more opportunities arise for remote instruction for BLV students, there is a need to learn more tips and tricks from educators who are happily teaching remotely. Do you have a strategy, tool, or experience to share? Share your ideas with us at [email protected]
Resources
- Tips for providing remote video instruction for students with CVI post
- Supporting TVIS in technology, digital math and computer science post (discusses the need and benefits for virtual instruction)
by Diane Brauner, 2/16/23
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