ABOUT
Welcome!
My name is Carmen Willings and I'd like to welcome you to my website, Teaching Students with Visual Impairments. My goal in creating this website is to provide you with the resources and education you need to help each student who is blind or visually impaired become successful members of their communities. |
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About MeI am a wife and mother of two children and one sweet dog and love spending time with them! In addition to managing and developing articles and resources on this website, I work full time as an itinerant Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) with the Forsyth County public school system in Cumming, Georgia which is just north of Atlanta. When time and finances allow, I love going on road trips and exploring National Parks and other locations that make America great…or just binge watching something!
My Career PathAlthough I have taught since 1994, I entered the vision field in 1999 when I accepted a teaching position at the Governor Morehead Preschool on the campus of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind (GMS) in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was intimidated by all I needed to learn about working with this unique population but I was surrounded by a team of excellent teachers, specialists and therapists who taught me about working with students who are blind and visually impaired. My position was contingent on becoming certified as a TVI. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take my coursework on the GMS campus via courses offered by the North Carolina Central University's Visual Impairment Program. I left the school for the blind in 2003 when I accepted an itinerant position with the Wake County Public School System’s Visual Impairment Preschool Program. We moved to Ohio in 2006 to be closer to family (and free childcare!) when I accepted a position as an Itinerant TVI with the Mahoning County Educational Service Center (MCESC) serving students PreK - high school. I worked for the MCESC until 2012 when our family decided we missed the warmer climate (and I was particularly tired of driving in the snow!). I accepted a position with the Forsyth County School System in Georgia where I continue to teach full time as an itinerant Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments.
Why I Developed Teaching Students with Visual ImpairmentsThe reason I developed this web resource is twofold. I had been working for years on developing a resource tool to help me provide consultation and support to classroom teachers. I found providing consultation to be one of the most challenging aspects of being an itinerant TVI. I found it difficult to coordinate the time to have uninterrupted collaboration with teachers and therapists. Additionally, I had created a number of resource handbooks for myself filled with notes from conferences, trainings and from VI resource books I had read. My files continued to grow and become quite cumbersome. I wanted a more efficient way to organize the information for quick reference. After attending a website development training at a technology conference in October 2012, I realized I could create a website that would allow me to support all persons involved in educating students who are blind or visually impaired and also provide me with a means to organize and file all the resources and notes I had gathered over the years. What started as a means to support local teachers and my own needs has grown into a global educational resource! I am thrilled to hear from so many of you that Teaching Students with Visual Impairments has become your go-to resource!
How I Can Help YouAs you read in My Career Path, I have worked in a wide range of teaching positions in large school systems with many TVI’s and have also worked as the only TVI for a large county wide program. I have taught in the classroom as well as itinerantly. I have been employed by a State School for the Blind, an educational service center and public-school systems. I have experienced many of the frustrations and challenges you have experienced along with the growth that comes from each of those.
It is my hope that whether you are a seasoned professional in the field of visual impairments, just entering the vision field, a classroom teacher learning how to meet the unique needs of a student with visual impairments, a parent of a student with visual impairments, or an administrator that you will find this site to be a helpful resource! My articles are developed through research and direct experience. I would love to partner with you and support you in educating students with visual impairments and to discover new ways to meet each student's unique visual and learning needs. Stay ConnectedI am continuing to add to the site and update each article regularly. I am developing new tools and trainings to support you. To stay connected and be the first to learn about new articles and educational opportunities, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter. Finally, if you have suggestions and feedback for this site, including topics you would like covered, or vision specific resources you would like added please feel free to share them with me. I enjoy hearing from so many people throughout the United States and around the world! Knowing you find this resource helpful is truly my inspiration!
All the best! ~Carmen Willings |
Free Membership
Sign up for free membership to access the FREE downloadable templates, handbooks and handouts on the Printables page, network with fellow VI professionals in the VI forum or contact me. Simply click on the Log In | Register link in the navigation bar. If you haven't joined yet, you will be prompted to create a password.
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Site Map
I have included many pages and resources on this site and understand it may be difficult to quickly locate the information you need. Visit the Site Map to quickly locate the articles, resources or sections your looking for.
Printables
Become a member for FREE to access the Printable VI Program Templates to support your district's vision program. Simply click on Log In|Register in the navigation bar at the top of the page and follow the directions to register and create your password.
VI Forum
This is a forum for discussion, learning and support on all things related to teaching students who are blind or visually impaired. Use this forum to share or comment on any resources, strategies, research, or products specific to teaching students who are blind or visually impaired.
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