Teaching Children with Visual Impairment: Creating Empowering Classrooms

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/teach-children-with-visual-impairment

Introduction

### Course Review: Teaching Children with Visual Impairment: Creating Empowering Classrooms In a world that increasingly acknowledges the value of diversity and inclusion, the course “Teaching Children with Visual Impairment: Creating Empowering Classrooms” on Coursera emerges as a beacon for educators eager to create an inclusive environment for visually impaired children. This course is essential for teachers, special education practitioners, and anyone involved in the education of children with visual impairments, as it equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster empowering classrooms. #### **Course Overview** The shift towards inclusive education necessitates a comprehensive understanding of how to adapt teaching methods and environments to meet the needs of visually impaired students. This course embraces this pivotal change, encouraging educators to embrace inclusion while actively addressing the challenges that can arise. #### **Syllabus Breakdown** The course unfolds over four weeks, each focused on a specific area crucial to the education of visually impaired learners. 1. **Discover the Visually Impaired Child** - In this opening week, participants engage in a reflective exploration of visual impairments, educational settings, and the behaviors associated with different visual conditions. The emphasis here is on creating an inclusive classroom environment. Discussions with visually impaired professionals provide invaluable insights. The week ends with a quiz to solidify learning. 2. **The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)** - Week two dives deep into the Expanded Core Curriculum, which supplements the traditional curriculum by addressing content areas essential for visually impaired learners. Participants will engage with guest presenters, including Braille specialists, who offer practical principles for teaching Braille. A written exercise allows educators to apply their understanding of the ECC to real-life lesson plans. 3. **Curriculum Differentiation and Assistive Technology** - The third week emphasizes the significance of curriculum differentiation tailored to the abilities and learning styles of visually impaired children. Learners will examine assistive technology and adaptive resources, concluding with expert panel discussions and opportunities for interactive learning. A quiz assesses comprehension, and an optional honors assignment permits participants to explore making learning materials more accessible. 4. **Becoming an Empowered Teacher** - The final week focuses on the psycho-social dimensions of teaching visually impaired students, highlighting the importance of empathy, support networks, and collaboration with colleagues and families. The course culminates with a reflective panel discussion and a final quiz, alongside additional resources for continued learning. #### **Course Experience and Recommendations** The course delivers a rich array of resources and interactive elements, including discussions with professionals, assessments to reinforce learning, and opportunities for peer engagement. The blended approach of theoretical knowledge, practical applications, and real-world insights ensures that participants not only learn but also feel empowered to implement new strategies in their classrooms. **Who Should Take This Course?** This course is highly recommended for: - Teachers in inclusive classrooms. - Special educators and support staff. - School administrators who facilitate curriculum planning. - Education students seeking to deepen their understanding of inclusive practices. **Final Thoughts** “Teaching Children with Visual Impairment: Creating Empowering Classrooms” is a transformative course that fosters an understanding of visual impairment, educates participants on critical strategies for inclusion, and ultimately empowers educators to create classrooms where all children can thrive. With its expert-led content, practical assessments, and a focus on collaboration, this course is an essential tool for anyone committed to fostering an inclusive educational environment. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to make a real impact in the lives of visually impaired children and to enrich their own teaching practices. Explore this invaluable resource on Coursera and take a significant step towards championing inclusivity in education.

Syllabus

Discover the visually impaired child

Welcome to the first week of the course! In this week, we take you on a journey to explore visual impairment and in doing so, help you discover the visually impaired child in your classroom. We consider the different educational settings in which visually impaired children may find themselves as well as different eye conditions and how these circumstances may affect the child’s learning and behaviour in the classroom. You will also start with the important task of creating an empowering classroom by learning how to create an inclusive space. At the end of the week, I have invited a group of visually impaired professionals to discuss some of the issues based on their experience. You will also have the opportunity to share your thoughts in the discussion forum and look through the list of further resources we provide. This week’s assessment is a quiz. May you have a rich and empowering first week.

Welcome to the second week of the course! This week we will deal in some detail with the Expanded Core Curriculum (or ECC). This is a collection of content areas that teachers integrate into the core curriculum to give visually impaired learners access to the incidental knowledge that sighted learners gain through observation. Various guest presenters will discuss the areas of the ECC, bringing you their specialist knowledge. A Braille specialist will introduce what Braille tuition may involve and provide a set of principles to support learners who are being taught Braille. At the end of the week, the panel discussion focuses on the ECCs potential to empower visually impaired learners. You will have an opportunity to share your insights on the discussion forum and add to your learning from the additional resources provided. The assessment this week is a written exercise where you can practice applying the ECC to a lesson of your choice.

Welcome to the third week of the course! In this week you will learn about the need and importance of differentiating the curriculum for the children with visual impairment. This means modifying and adapting the curriculum according to the different abilities and learning styles of learners within a class. You will also learn about identifying suitable learning and teaching support material, assessment adaptations, and assistive technology devices or programs for each individual child with visual impairment. The week concludes as usual with opinions and experiences from our expert panel, an opportunity to share your thoughts with your peers in the discussion forum, additional resources to explore, and a graded quiz. This week you also have an opportunity to cover additional content on making learning materials accessible for the voluntary honors assignment.

Welcome to the last week on the course! In this week, you will gain further understanding about the importance of tending to psycho-social issues of visually impaired children by listening to them with respect, patience, and compassion. We will also describe practical things you can do to broaden your networks of support. Then you will hear from an experienced school principal about empowering yourself and your school through collaboration s. As it is the last week, we have invited our panellist to discuss this week’s topics as well as offering a final reflection on creating inclusive classrooms. The end of course assessment is a graded quiz, and we will leave you with a rich set of resources to support your endeavour to becoming an empowered teacher.