Wales

Education and Technology training opportunities

Summary: Education and technology training courses offered by RNIB Cymru.

• Mandatory Qualification for Qualified Teachers of Visually Impaired
• Starting Right - providing equal opportunities for children with visual difficulties in Early Years settings
• Being aware of the needs of Students with Visual Impairment
• Supporting visually impaired learners in mainstream schools and colleges
• Supporting children with visual impairment in the special school
• Throw Away the Mouse
• Further information and booking form

---

Mandatory Qualification for Qualified Teachers of Visually Impaired

This postgraduate diploma in SEN (Visual Impairment) is recognised as a Mandatory Qualification for Qualified Teachers of Visually Impaired Children (See the Education (School Teachers' Qualifications, Wales, Regulations 2004). The course is taught in conjunction with University of Wales Newport, and some teaching takes place at each site.

The course consists of four taught modules: Understanding Learning Difficulties and Disabilities; Social, Emotional and Medical Effects of Visual Impairment; Classroom Practice (VI); and Leadership and Management (VI). Participants must also complete successfully an approved braille qualification and an assessed teaching practice component.

More information please contact nicola.crews@rnib.org.uk or jennie.sparks@newport.ac.uk. There may be funding available for those with qualified teacher status in Wales who wish to follow this course.

Starting Right - providing equal opportunities for children with visual difficulties in Early Years settings

This course is designed for everyone working with children aged birth to 5 years. It carries an RNIB Cymru Certificate and 30 level 4 Credit Accumulation Transfer Points from the University of Wales and can be combined with other early years courses as part of a Diploma in Early Childhood Studies.

This course addresses the role of vision in learning and practical techniques for working with parents to encourage blind and partially sighted children to learn by touch and movement in order to develop independence in learning and daily living.

Each of the six modules will involve one taught day covering:

• My Baby is Blind - Examining the role of vision in learning and the impact of visual impairment on development;
• Play it My Way - Examining how young children with visual impairment learn through play by touch;
• Moving On - Considering how babies and young children with visual impairment explore the world;
• Sounds Important - Exploring the importance of sound for communication and information;
• It’s Me - Examining the development of independence, language and social skills;
• Teamwork - Considering factors in working with families with young children with visual impairment.

For more information please contact Claire.Milton@rnib.org.uk on phone 029 2044 9553.

Being aware of the needs of Students with Visual Impairment

Aims:

• To give sighted people some idea of what it is like to have restricted vision
• To give sighted people confidence in approaching and assisting people who have a visual impairment
• To provide guidance on reasonable adjustments that can be made for blind and partially sighted students
• To give sighted people opportunity to ask questions in a confidential, training environments.

The course will be taught through the following methods:

• Lecture / presentation
• Video
• Practical exercises with structured feedback
• Informal quiz and discussion.

For more information please contact Nicola.Crews@rnib.org.uk or phone 029 2044 9567.

Supporting visually impaired learners in mainstream schools and colleges

A six day training course for teaching assistants working with blind and partially sighted children and young people accredited through University of Wales Newport and linked to the BA programme.

RNIB Cymru’s work with blind and partially sighted children and young people has shown that the specialist teaching assistant plays a vital role in supporting young people with visual impairment, the curriculum and the mainstream teaching staff.

This course aims to build on the existing skills and experience of the teaching assistants and enable them to develop effective strategies for supporting young people with visual impairments. The practical elements of the course will incorporate common eye conditions in children, support for the individual with visual impairment, support for the curriculum and aspects of team working with other professionals.

The course will comprise 6 taught days: The eye and seeing, Supporting the individual, Supporting the curriculum (adapting materials), Supporting the curriculum (adapted equipment), Supporting the additional curriculum and Working as a team.

For more information: Contact Nicola Crews at nicola.crews@rnib.org.uk or phone 029 2044 9567.

Supporting children with visual impairment in the special school

Nicola Crews leads this day to give a practical insight into supporting children and young people with sight problems in the special school setting. An overview of sight loss is given through video, simulation exercises, discussion and PowerPoint slides.

This leads to structured activities suggesting practical ways of including young people in the physical environment, the learning environment and out-of-classroom activities.

Throw Away the Mouse

This very popular one-day course is intended to provide participants with an introduction to the access technology that can be used in schools for pupils with sight loss and to give practical experience of access software. Suitable for teachers and teaching assistants, the only prior knowledge expected is some awareness of the needs of pupils with sight loss and basic ability to use a computer. The course is delivered through presentation, video, group discussion, demonstration and practical use by participants of a computer system with access software.

Bob Hall has spent over 20 years working in education both in a support role and at the sharp end before joining RNIB Cymru as Technology Officer. His current role encompasses assessments, training and consultancy work with people of all ages who have sight loss.

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• describe a range of different technologies for pupils with sight loss
• understand the benefits and disadvantages of various technology solutions
• understand how a pupil with sight loss can use a computer
• use access software to operate a computer without mouse or monitor in the same way a pupil with sight loss would do.

Further information and booking form

For further information or assistance, or to negotiate reduced rates for multiple bookings, please contact Claire Milton on 029 2044 9553, or email claire.milton@rnib.org.uk.

To book a course, please complete our downloadable booking form (Word) 97 KB and email claire.milton@rnib.org.uk or post to:

Claire Milton
RNIB Cymru
Trident Court
East Moor Road
Cardiff
CF24 5TD

Content author: policy@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 15/05/2008 17:27