A Sense of Texas

Latest Episodes:

April Love - The Oregon Project Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Almost all of us who have worked with visually impaired students in early childhood know about the Oregon Project. Created in the 70's by Mark Moskowitz the OR Project is a great tool for parents, teachers, vision specialists, and counselors. April Love from the Southern Oregon Education District and home to the Oregon Project joins us this week to tell us all about it. Also, TSBVI Curriculum Director Debra Sewell comes along to tell us about how we use the Oregon Project here in Texas.

To find out more about the Oregon Project visit https://www.soesd.k12.or.us/special-education/or-project/

For ordering information visit https://www.soesd.k12.or.us/oregon-online/

Dr. Rachel Schles - Accurate Child Counting Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

Perhaps the most important factor in providing services to our students with visual impairment or who are Deafblind is knowing how many of them there are in a given state or district. This duty falls to state education departments down to the most local level. Texas has its own particular way of gathering this information and is currently in the midst of its Registration of Students with Visual Impairment and the Deafblind Child Count. In this episode, Emily speaks with Vanderbilt University's Dr. Rachel Schles, the recipient of the DVIDB Deborah D. Hatton Dissertation of 2021 Award. Dr. Schles has dedicated her work to the ways we collect this data and how it can be improved to deliver the most accurate and helpful information. Her work continues and she invites anyone interested to contact her at her at rachel.schles@vanderbilt.edu to either contribute information or access her findings so they can advocate for their home states and districts.

Afterwards, we hear from TSBVI Outreach's Brian Sobeck, who heads up the annual effort in Texas. He has some changes that have been implemented this year and some tips for completing the registration. If you're in Texas and need help, please don't hesitate to contact him at sobeckb@tsbvi.edu.

Emily Gibbs - NFB of Texas Jan 01, 2021

Show notes

2021 will hopefully bring a return to some form of normalcy but some things we learned in 2020 will help us become better educators going forward. Emily Gibbs of NFB (National Federation of the Blind) Texas joins us to discuss some of the innovative ideas, and some of the challenges, in helping students across Texas access the resources they need during a global pandemic.

If you'd like more information on NFB Texas please visit their website https://nfbtx.org/ or the Texas Parents of Blind Children facebook group.

A TSBVI Holiday Special Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

"Our regularly scheduled program will not be seen so that we may bring you the following special presentation."

It's been a year, hasn't it?
As we go into winter break and recollect, reassess, and recharge ourselves for another year we thought nothing would be better than to say what they used to say almost every night back when TVs were square and there were only three or four channels. After a year of lockdowns, cancellations, reschedulings, emergency protocols, and working tirelessly to maintain, let's put our 2020 to bed with a holiday special.

TSBVI Theater Teacher Robert Pierson has pulled together some of his talented students to give you a short program of winter poetry. Sit by your real or virtual fireplace, pour a beverage, and enjoy their work and inspirations. Since many schools, including ours, have had to cancel their usual holiday programs, we hope this one serves as a suitable alternative.
All of us here at TSBVI and A Sense of Texas hope this episode finds you safe and warm and with loved ones and/or friends. We hope all the best for you and yours in 2021 and beyond. We will be back to provide you with information, expertise, and companionship as we face the challenges and joys of the new year.

Our 50th Episode! Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

Oh wow, can you believe it? 50 episodes!?!?! Me either. For this momentous occasion we decided to kick back and relax at the TSBVI pavilion where Outreach Director Kate Borg asks Emily about the blessings and challenges of our first 50 episodes and what we have planned for the future. We like it so much we think we'll make another 50. I sure hope you'll join us.

Robbin Clark - The ECC and 21st Century Teaching Nov 15, 2020

Show notes

TSBVI Outreach Director takes over the controls again this time to talk to her colleague and friend Robbin Clark from(among many places) the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind about the value and power of the Expanded Core Curriculum. She delves into the challenges of being a teacher for 21st century learners and how we can meet the mandate set out by The National Agenda.
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
9 More Than Core on Faceboo

9 More Than Core on Instagram

Robbin's Blog

Dr. Penny Rosenblum - Access and Engagement Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

Covid-19 has created changes in all our lives in one way or another. Often forcing us to learn new ways to accomplish tasks that felt mundane in February. This has definitely made professionals in the field of visual impairment adapt to how we provide service to our students. Dr. Penny Rosenblum from the American Foundation for the Blind joins the podcast to discuss the Access and Engagement survey and how it is helping us learn the impact of covid-19 on our students, families, and professionals and how we can use this information as a tool to provide better services in the future.

For more information on the Access and Engagement survey visit https://accessengagement.com/

Vocational Rehab at a Distance Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

This month we share a fact-finding interview held by the TSBVI IR department discussing the our experiences over the summer running two of the school's flagship vocational rehab programs: SWEAT and WALIC. Our instructors Carlotta Binns and Laurel Taylor give us some background on these programs, the challenges remote instruction has presented them, and how they worked to overcome them going into the regular school schedule.

Early Childhood Intervention Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

It's often hard to track how a toddler is developing but if you suspect there is a problem getting them help early can vastly improve outcomes. Guest host Kate Borg, TSBVI Outreach Director, joins the podcast this week with TSBVI Outreach Consultants Kathi Garza, Deanna Peterson, and Mary Shore to discuss ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) and how it's helping toddlers with visual impairments achieve milestones in early development.

For more information on Early Childhood Intervention:

https://hhs.texas.gov/services/disability/early-childhood-intervention-services

https://www.tsbvi.edu/outreach

Jake Koch - Guide Dogs Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

Guide dogs are one of the best- and most widely known- resources for people who are blind or visually impaired to achieve independence in transportation and mobility, but they are often misunderstood. The amount of work that goes into getting a dog ready for service and the skills needed by the prospective user of the service are enormous. Jake Koch has expansive knowledge of these service animals and works at Guide Dogs for the Blind to get service dogs working for people who need them. Afterward, TSBVI's Lisa Calaci talks to us about student experience with service animals.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

O&M Resource Guide

Are You Ready for a Guide Dog Lifestyle?

Orientation & Mobility Immersion Program