As Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs), we’re constantly juggling priorities. We must provide instruction in all Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) areas of need. We also must ensure – and in many cases facilitate – our students’ access to classroom instruction. Finding a way to fit it all in can feel daunting.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the way I slice up my students’ instructional time. Maybe it’s because I live in NYC and often have pizza on my brain, but I like to think of my sessions as a pizza that can be cut into many slices, each with a different focus. Whether it’s a 30-minute, 45-minute, or a 60-minute session, I find breaking it into meaningful “slices” helps ensure my students get regular practice in all their IEP goals.
Image Caption: This is my favorite neighborhood pizza shop and where I go for inspiration on how to slice things!
In general education, a lesson is often focused on one or two learning outcomes. A 45-minute math class might be all about mastering fractions. A 30-minute reading lesson might be entirely focused on one word family. Most students with visual impairment do not spend all day with a TVI. We often do not have the luxury of spending 45 minutes on one learning objective.
We are not just teaching Braille or how to use a video magnifier. We are often also charged with identifying Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) areas of need and providing instruction in all areas that each student needs. This often means that every session has to be a layered experience, where students are practicing multiple skills in one session.
However, many teacher prep programs still teach TVIs in training to write lesson plans that fill an entire session with one focus. That model doesn’t work for our students. If we focused an entire session on just one goal like practicing writing fractions in Nemeth Code, we leave all the other areas of the ECC collecting dust until the next session.
Due to the unique needs of our students, we have to break out of the traditional lesson plan mold. Our sessions need to include practice in many skill areas to allow for progress. This is why “slicing” our sessions – with specific thought given to technology – is so important. What if we didn’t see tech as a separate skill, but as a core part of every session?
Slicing up a session: fitting it all in
Let’s talk about slices of a session. Below are two examples of how a TVI might allocate time to multiple skills in one session.
Example 1: A 45-Minute Session with a Low Vision Student
- 15-minute check-in focused on self-determination, advocacy, and reflection on how accessible academic content was.
- 30-minutes of instruction focused on an Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) skill area of need like social skills, assistive technology, independent living, etc.
Example 2: A 60-Minute Session with a Beginning Braille Student
- 45 minutes of Braille instruction that might be broken down into:
- 15 minutes: Contraction instruction
- 15 minutes: Reading
- 15 minutes: Writing
- 15 minutes of an ECC skill area of need like assistive technology, abacus, social, career education, etc.
These are just examples of how a TVI might focus on a variety of skills in one session. For one of my students (whom I see daily), she has a weekly schedule that she plans at the end of the day on Fridays. The image below shows the various skills that are in focus for the following week:
Image Caption: This is one of my students’ weekly schedules for vision.
However, what if tech was not taught in isolation but infused throughout? It’s not always possible, but when it is, it’s incredibly efficient.
Tech as an ingredient, not just a slice
Too often, tech is treated like an “extra” skill — something students work on in complete isolation. However, that is not the experience that sighted students have. Gone are the days of a specific computer class or a high school typing class. Technology is woven into all areas of sighted students’ days. They use Chromebooks in reading lessons. They use iPad apps for math practice. They are getting practice with technology while doing their academics. We need to give students with visual impairment the same experience – and we can!
Making the most of incidental tech instruction
One of my favorite ways to provide practice in technology is through field trips. For example, in a recent field trip to an audio-described performance of the Lion King on Broadway, I provided practice in many areas of the ECC. It’s not just about enjoying a show (although I was once again brought to tears when Mufasa died). Field trips can be packed full of practice in many areas of the ECC. They can also be an opportunity to infuse ECC practice and technology in authentic ways.
These are some of the ways my students received ECC practice during the trip:
- O&M – The students used navigation apps to plan the route and lead the way to the theater.
- Recreation & Leisure – The audio-described performance provided a truly accessible recreation experience, and the students could touch the props before the show in a touch tour.
- Assistive Tech – The students used tech to access the menu of a restaurant either by looking the menu up before leaving on a school computer or using tech at the restaurant.
- Compensatory – I adapted the Playbill into Braille and a digital format.
- Self-Determination – Knowing how much more enjoyable and accessible a described show is will motivate students to advocate for it in the future.
The more we integrate all areas of the ECC (including assistive technology) into other activities (instead of reserving it for isolated lessons) the more our students see it as an essential tool, not a separate skill.
Image Caption: The touch tour is so meaningful for student understanding of the costumes.
Final thoughts: let’s slice smarter
Our instructional time is precious, and there’s always more to teach than minutes in a session. But by slicing up our sessions intentionally and making tech an ingredient, not an afterthought, we give our students the tools they need now, not years down the line.
Okay, now I’m hungry. I’m going to go get some pizza!
