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Report

2nd Workshop
on
Training of Teachers of the Visually Impaired in Europe

6. Workshop themes by the programme committee

Theme 1: RESIDUAL AND FUNCTIONAL VISION

Motivation:: The number of partially sighted children, children with residual vision, is many times higher than the number of blind children, especially in Europe. The knowledge about the use of residual vision has increased considerably in the last decade. Therefore, it is important to equip the future teachers optimally.

models of visual functioning
residual and functional functioning
assessment of visual functioning
different assessment techniques
importance of residual and functional vision in all areas of the curriculum, in mobility and daily living skills
teaching strategies
use of low-vision aids, technology
environmental issues

Theme 2: MULTI-DISABLED VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN

Motivation:: All over Europe, the number of multi-disabled visually impaired children is increasing exponentially. In the special schools for the visually impaired, the percentage of children with additional disabilities is increasing enormously, in particular in those schools whose pupils without additional disabilities are leaving for mainstream schools. The education of these children requires additional knowledge, understanding and abilities of the teachers. Is the curriculum sufficiently geared to this?

assessment
implications for the teaching process
teaching strategies
parents' expectations, teachers' expectations
what type of school will be best suited to teaching these pupils
the relation between teaching and caring
children with cortical visual impairment
legislation regarding the education and care of these children (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health)

Theme 3: SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Motivation:: In addition to cognitive development, the social and emotional development of children with a disability or impairment requires extra attention, both when they grow up in the special setting of a special school (usually a boarding school) and when they participate in mainstream education. This applies to visually impaired children as well. What is the role of the special teacher in the social and emotional development of children with visual impairment?

Theme 4: ACCESS TO INFORMATION, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Motivation:: All of us are living in an information society. This applies to the visually impaired as well, who need something extra if they want to gain equal access to information. In this respect, the question to be discussed (or answered) is how the special teachers for the visually impaired should be equipped for this task.

Theme 5: PRACTICAL COMPONENT OF THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Motivation:: Apart from knowledge and understanding (the theoretical part of the training of teachers), the acquisition of a wide range of skills requires a great deal of practical training (just take a look at the list of abilities in the standards required for specialist teaching of children with visual impairment).

what kind of experiences are offered to the trainees
range of experiences (with respect to the children's ages, the nature of their visual impairment, etc.)
have the targets been formulated in the curriculum
what is the relation between the university/college and the school where the practical training takes place
who conducts assessment, on the basis of which criteria
do the students have a coach or a mentor at the college, at the school
should reports be made about actual practice
assessment of practical teaching skills