Accessible Test

CVI Website

(Continued)
Purpose

To provide accurate and beneficial information to families, educators, and medical personnel who work with individuals with cortical visual impairment

Project Staff

Christine Roman, CVI Project Leader

Erica Rucker, Research/Project Assistant

Inge Formenti, Librarian

Malcolm Turner, Web Master
Background

CVI Synergy, a group of nine professionals, representing both education and medicine, met at APH in May 2002. The group agreed to act as advisors via a listserve to help APH develop a new web site dedicated to CVI. Unable to attend the meeting, Dr. Jim Jan served via telephone and e-mail as the medical advisor.

In 2003 the Multiple Disabilities Project Leader developed the outline for the web site and with a research assistant began writing text for the site and requesting submissions from the field. The APH Librarian obtained permissions on articles recommended by CVI Synergy to be placed on the web site. Photographs of children using homemade and APH products were taken.
In May 2003, Dr. Jan organized CVI Synergy West in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This second group, also representing medicine and education, addressed the issue of definitions associated with CVI. This meeting resulted in the medical-based definition and the education-based definition for CVI that APH uses on the web site. APH announced in January of 2004 that Christine Roman would serve as the new CVI Project Leader/Consultant.
Work during FY 2009

Updates on the CVI Web site include any new definitions of CVI, educational programming suggestions, information on materials and articles in publication, and current CVI issues. Featured Presentations provide updated information pertaining to special topics of interest. In 2006 six individuals committed to providing new contributions to the web site, primarily in the area of educational applications of CVI methodologies. The CVI Web site has a Contact Us link that is available for individual comments, questions and suggestions. These communications are gathered by the research assistant and responded to by the project leader. A number of changes and additions were made based on suggestions from APH staff and comments offered through the Contact Us link on the web site.

Work planned for FY 2010

The website, a continuing project, will be updated as new information is gathered. A reprint of an article on the use of CVI adaptations in a special education classroom will be added. There are plans to use parent or teacher-made videos that show methods used for interventions and materials used to adapt environments or objects.

Early Childhood

Classroom Calendar Kit

(Continued)

Purpose

The purpose is to modernize the Classroom Calendar Kit and the Individual Calendar Kit to have them work interchangeably with each other, and have them meet the early childhood standards used by virtually every preschool and early elementary classrooms.

Project Staff

Burt Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader

Donna Brostek Lee, Consultant

Monica Vaught, Research Assistant (Acting Early Childhood Project Leader)

Background

Classroom discussions relating to the calendar have become more than just learning months of the year, dates, and events. Several teachers of the visually impaired have suggested that APH should review the Classroom Calendar Kit and the Individual Calendar Kit and make revisions that bring them in line with early childhood standards. Teachers of the visually impaired are presently having to make their own individual calendars because of the following:

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  Patterning is being emphasized during calendar time.
  
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  Shapes, and colors, are being used for calendar activities. For example: Yellow circles, blue squares, orange triangles, red rectangles, pink stars, purple ovals, etc.
  
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  Teachers mix and match the sets to create patterns on the calendar.
  

The current size of the classroom calendar board is fine. For the student-sized calendar, it is recommended that the board be made from plastic (rather than paper) with pieces that are attached with Velcro; thus, the board can be reused with number sets instead of current paper version. Patterning with shapes and colors at calendar time relates to the integrated curriculum approach (date, reading, numbers, lettering, patterning, shapes, colors, etc.), and this revision will address this issue more appropriately and consistently. This modernization will be very beneficial to teachers of the visually impaired and other service providers, as they are having to make these calendars as described, which is very time-consuming.

In 2008, work began on the modernization of the Classroom Calendar Kit and the Individual Calendar Kit. The project leader and the consultant met several times to discuss the modernization, and have identified some suggestions for consideration as the product idea moves forward.

Work during FY 2009

Based on sales of the current products Individual Calendar Kit 1-18971-00 and Classroom Calendar Kit 1-18970-00, these will not be replaced by the new Calendar Kit. Instead of a modernization, the new Calendar Kit will be an additional APH product.

A contract and timeline were established with the consultant. The project leader and consultant began working with technical research on the design, color, and materials of the calendars and calendar pieces. Layout templates of the student-sized calendar pieces were completed.
The consultant researched curriculum standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as they relate to use of the calendar product. In addition, the consultant began writing the user’s guide for the kit.
Work planned for FY 2010

Content, design, and layout for the user’s guide will be completed. Field testers will be identified. Prototypes for this product will be completed and sent out for field testing. Revisions will be made based on feedback from evaluators.