www . ICEVI - Europe . org
5th TT Workshop: Summary of activities
Summary of Activities: ICEVI Teaching Training Workshop, May 2007
Mike McLinden, Steve McCall
Visual Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR)
School of Education, University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, Tel: 0121 414 6733 Email: victar-enquiries at bham.ac.uk
Activity 1. Example of whole group activity: 'Human map of Europe'.
How?
Participants to place themselves into appropriate geographical region within map to represent their country. Each participant to provide factual information about his/her country, educational provision, number of special schools for VI etc.
Why?
Allows participants to introduce themselves in fun and engaging way.
Provides a means of comparing population/educational provision across a defined region.
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 2. Example of whole group activity: 'Group Timeline'.
How?
Participants to organise themselves in a line according to predefined theme (eg number of years you have been working in the field of visual impairment).
Why?
Provides interesting way of comparing group experiences around a given theme.
Provides an historical overview of the group in relation to given theme.
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
Allows small groups to be allocated to represent breadth of experience within the group (see below).
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 3. Small group allocation.
How?
Use timeline to distribute experience within smaller groups (ie equal number of relatively experienced and inexperienced in the same group).
Why?
Ensures that smaller groups are representative of breadth of experience within the large group.
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 4. Small group roles.
How?
Assign roles to members of each group (eg chair, secretary etc). Ask group to form a team and select a team name.
Why?
Small groups provide a useful way of managing larger groups (ie participants are more able to discuss topics/share experiences in smaller group situations). Our experience suggests that a team of 4-6 participants works well.
Provides participants with a sense of team identity - very useful for future activities such as a quiz!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 5. Example of introductory team activity.
How?
Ask group to find out ….. 'what is your most important sense?'
Why?
Promotes interesting group discussion around selected theme. Opportunity for groups to rehearse their respective roles.
Introduces relative importance of vision in relation to other senses. This can then be developed in relation to relevant literature.
Inclusive activity - relates to individual perspective so no wrong/right answer.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 6. Example of team task: 'Cross-section of human eye'.
How?
Ask group to construct a diagram of a human eye - draw and name up to ten components onto a flip chart sheet/tactile diagram.
Why?
Opportunity for small group to share their respective knowledge - highlights importance of collaborative work.
Can be made inclusive through use of tactile diagrams (eg raised film paper)
Does not rely on technology - resource light!.
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 7. Example of whole group activity: 'Tableau of human eye'.
How?
Participants to organise themselves to represent various components of the human eye (eg cornea, retina, lens etc).
Why?
Opportunity for whole group to share their respective knowledge - highlights importance of collaborative work.
Promotes discussion about function of various components.
Provides opportunity to consider how selected visual conditions relate to various components of the human eye (eg cataract - lens).
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 8. Example of whole group activity: 'Demonstration of visual task'.
How?
Selection of participants to sit with eyes closed. Demonstrate a complex visual task (eg a magic trick) - ask all participants to copy this. Provide general commentary of task - ask how commentary could be made more appropriate for members not able to view task?
Why?
Promotes discussion about role of language in compensating for visual loss.
Illustrates how activity can be made more/less inclusive depending on level of detail included in the commentary (eg 'Put this hand over here like this' v 'Put your right hand on top of your left hand').
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 9. Example of pair work: 'Active v passive touch''
How?
Assign participants into pairs. Demonstrate to whole group differences between passive and active touch through short activity. For example passive touch mode where object is presented to passive hand and hand is not allowed to independently explore object. Active touch mode where hand is allowed to explore object. Ask partners to try out activity with each other.
Why?
Promotes discussion about differences between active/passive touch in relation to objects.
Allows links to be made with differences and similarities in how we find out about the world through touch/vision.
Allows links to be made with relevant literature -opens up discussion about role of touch in learning experiences of children with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 10. Example of group activity: 'Speed dating'.
How?
Participants sit in two rows (row A and row B) facing each other. Group provided with approx two minutes to talk to one another around selected theme (eg your job, your hobbies, children you work with etc). Whistle is blown and members of row A move along one place to their right to meet a new partner. Activity continues again.
Why?
Provides an interesting (and fun!) introductory activity for participants who do not know one another.
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 11. Team Quiz.
How?
Select range of questions that reflect examples of incidental learning opportunities through various senses within a given session (ie what colour was the door of the room, what did the table feel like, what did the alarm sound like etc).
Why?
Promotes discussion about role of senses in incidental learning.
Allows links to be made with relevant literature about role of vision in incidental learning.
Can be made inclusive through ensuring a spread of questions that reflect different senses (ie not all questions to be reliant on vision!).
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 12. Example of whole group activity: 'Pass a message around group through touch'.
How?
Write a short word onto the hand of one participant (eg CAT, DOG). Participant to write this onto hand of next person - message is passed around the group until it is returned to first participant. Compare what changes have been made to it as it was passed through the group.
Why?
Provides opportunity to discuss role of senses in human communication.
By varying activity it is possible to illustrate differences in how information is transmitted through touch, hearing and vision.
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 13. Example of small group activity: 'Team exploration of tactile symbol'.
How?
Each team to feel a tactile symbol without vision - to then compare notes and with vision to construct a picture of the symbol. To then compare their picture with the original symbol.
Why?
Allows links to be made with differences and similarities in how we find out about the world through touch/vision.
Can be made an inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment by using raised film paper.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 14. Example of small group activity: 'Independent team activities'.
How?
Each team to work on a series of tasks independently from a work book (eg demonstrate to each other how to insert braille paper into braille typewriter, what happens to the features of an object as you walk further away etc).
Why?
Illustrates how groups can work effectively when provided with appropriate and relevant tasks - tutors roles becomes one of facilitator.
Can be made an inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment through selection of appropriate tasks and resources.
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 15. Example of whole group activity: 'Case Scenario'.
How?
Case scenario is either presented to group or 'acted out' by participants (eg family who is reluctant for child to use braille).
Why?
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 16. Example of whole/small group activity: 'Human Likert Scale'.
How?
Participants to group themselves in a line according to whether they 'Strongly Agree', 'Agree', 'Disagree' or 'Strongly Disagree' with selected topics (eg the child should have the final say in whether s/he learns braille).
Why?
Provides interesting way for participants to explore selected themes.
Participants encouraged to share their views (eg why are you positioned in that place?).
Inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
Activity 17. Example of final whole group activity: 'Expert witness debate'.
How?
Two participants selected to have timed debate around a selected theme (eg special schools have no place in an inclusive society). All other participants contribute through presenting their points on note-paper. Participants invited to show their views by positioning themselves behind one or other of the speakers.
Why?
Provides interesting and controlled way for participants to explore a selected theme.
Participants encouraged to share their views at end of debate
Can be made into inclusive activity for participants with visual impairment.
Does not rely on technology - resource light!
How can I adapt this activity within my own practice?
