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Professional Development

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
updated March 28, 2022
Taking initial coursework to become a vision professional is not enough to become or remain an effective vision professional. Part of professional practice is to remain a lifelong learner and staying current with developments in the field of visual impairments and also staying on top of current trends. This includes engaging in ongoing professional development to expand and develop your professional knowledge and skills. ​

Benefits of VI Professional Development

  • Involvement in vision-specific professional development provides you with instructional strategies and the latest in best practice to reflect on and incorporate into your instruction and share with teams on which you serve. 
  • Attending workshops and conferences allows you to network as well as share practices through dialogue, modeling, and demonstration.
  • Staying current in best practice allows you to be a better mentor, coach, and educate teams. 
  • Consistent involvement as a leader in VI activities allows you to contribute to a positive climate.

Professional Development Activities 

If you don't work at a school for the blind or organization that works primarily with individuals who are blind or visually impaired, it can be difficult to find professional development opportunities specific to instructing individuals with visual impairments. The following is a list of activities to help you continue to develop your professional skills and knowledge:
  • Attend local, state, regional and/or international conferences on the unique needs of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. 
  • Become a member of a professional organization such as the  Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Division on Visual Impairments of the Council for Exceptional Children. Membership to AERBVI includes an electronic subscription to the  Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. Consider serving on the board as an opportunity to impact your chapter and also as an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the field of visual impairments. Additionally, if you serve on the board, you can earn ACVREP credits toward your renewal. 
  • Subscribe to professional list-serves on the internet to interact with colleagues and engage with other professionals in the field.
  • Participate in workshops or webinars to maintain proficiency in braille and technology updates as well as to stay current on best practice.  I now offer on-demand webinars on this website. Additionally, the American Printing House for the Blind now features the APH Hive that offers presentations, the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a wealth of articles and is a go-to resource in the vision field. Perkins School for the Blind offers Perkins eLearning. Additionally, they have a Paths to Technology site with many AT resources. Many other schools for the blind offer professional development opportunities as do consumer groups and organizations. The American Council for the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Fe​deration for the Blind are just a few. Additionally, many vision specific vendors offer webinar opportunities to learn about the latest vision technology.
  • Conduct ongoing research of best practices and strategies through the internet, professional resource books, and professional journals.
  • Even if you can't attend a live conference or webinar, you can sometimes access the PowerPoint presentations that were presented which can provide you with some details and links to resources. 

Tips for Being a "Physically Fit" TVI Recorded Presentation

$25.00

Itinerant teaching is very rewarding, but it can present many challenges as well. TVI’s must be able to work well with a variety of personalities to best support students and their teams. It is just as essential to be organized, flexible, reliable, and a team player as it is to be knowledgeable in your field. Seeking out professional development opportunities, developing a professional support system and continually striving to excel will foster growth in all TVI’s whether new to the field or those with years of experience. The intent of this session is to provide strategies for itinerant TVI’s to excel in their careers by providing specific strategies to improve their effectiveness as an itinerant VI professional. ​​This hour-long presentation is packed full of tips and strategies from Carmen Willings who has been a full time Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments for over 20 years. This webinar is perfect for TVI's just entering the field and for all TVI's as they start the new school year!


Objectives:


  • Learn organization and time management strategies.
  • Improve effectiveness as a professional and in coping with challenges.
  • Identify strategies to grow in career 


Ways to Access the Presentation


  • Recorded PowerPoint Show of Tips for Being a Physically Fit TVI
  • Closed Caption Video Recording of Webinar 
  • Tips for being a "Physically Fit" TVI Transcript​
  • Tips for Being a Physically Fit TVI Handout


Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for 1 contact hour, complete the short "Be A Physically Fit TVI" quiz on Google Forms and receive a score of at least 80%. Don't worry. If you don't pass, you can look over your notes or re-watch the presentation and retake the test! If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  


System Requirements:

Presentations are recorded PowerPoint presentations. You must be able to access PowerPoint to view the PowerPointpresentation. Please note that the presentation pages are closed member pages available to individuals who have purchase access to the presentation. 


*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.
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The Art of Teaching the ECC Recorded Presentation

$25.00

The role of the TVI is to orchestrate the ECC and ensure that it is embedded throughout the student's day. This presentation on the Art of Teaching the ECC provides suggestions and strategies for teaching the ECC. It includes tips for collaboration and making the instruction in the ECC a team effort, how to know the student's unique visual needs, instructional techniques and strategies, suggestions for material preparation, and Carmen's favorite resources. 


Objectives:


  • How to orchestrate the ECC
  • Importance of Knowing Each Student’s Needs
  • Service Delivery (Teamwork & Prioritizing Goals)
  • Strategies for preparing for instruction
  • Learn Carmen's go-to resources


Includes:


  • Recorded PowerPoint Show
  • Transcript
  • Presentation handout
  • Printables & Links to Resources discussed in presentation


Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for 1 contact hour, complete the short The Art of Teaching the ECC quiz on Google Forms and receive a score of at least 80%. Don't worry. If you don't pass, you can look over your notes or re-watch the presentation and retake the test! If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  


System Requirements:

Presentations are recorded PowerPoint presentations. You must be able to access PowerPoint to view the PowerPoint presentation. Please note that the presentation pages are closed member pages available to individuals who have purchase access to the presentation. 


*Please contact me if you need to purchase using a purchase order. I am happy to help guide you in the process of adding Teaching Students with Visual Impairments as an approved vendor for your school or program or you can visit the product support page for information on using a PO.
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Foundations of Teaching the ECC in the Age of Virtual Instruction & Social Distancing Recorded Presentation

$25.00

We were all thrown a curve ball at the end of the 2019-2020 school year when schools around the country closed and moved to virtual instruction. We scrambled to figure out how to teach our students online. Unfortunately, COVID-19 did not go away over the summer and as schools prepare to open with social distancing guidelines, we now need to learn how to safely teach our students from a distance of six feet and wearing PPD. An added challenge is the uncertainties of toggling between face to face instruction and virtual instruction as buildings open and close. My objectives for this presentation are to discuss the impact but also discuss strategies for still successfully serving students whether you are using face to face instruction or providing virtual instruction. Either way, you will still want to review records to get to know the student and ensure you are meeting their current needs, collaborating with teams and providing instruction no matter the student’s placement. 


Objectives:


  • Defining your role as a TVI
  • Implementing IDEA, the National Agenda & the ECC
  • Records Review & Interviews
  • Conducting Observations
  • Vision Specific Evaluations
  • Determining ECC Needs & Service Delivery
  • Instructional Strategies


Includes:


  • Recorded Video Presentation
  • Transcript
  • Presentation handout for note taking


Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for 1 contact hour, complete the short survey on Google Forms. If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  ​


System Requirements:

Presentations are recorded PowerPoint presentations in an MP4 file. Please note that the presentation pages are closed member pages available to individuals who have purchase access to the presentation. 
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Itinerant Teaching Strategies & Tips Recorded Presentation

$25.00

Itinerant teaching is very rewarding, but it can present many challenges as well. TVI’s must be able to work well with a variety of personalities to best support students and their teams. It is just as essential to be organized, flexible, reliable, and a team player as it is to be knowledgeable in your field. Seeking out professional development opportunities, developing a professional support system and continually striving to excel will foster growth in all TVI’s whether new to the field or those with years of experience. The intent of this session is to provide strategies for itinerant TVI’s to excel in their careers by providing specific strategies to improve their effectiveness as an itinerant VI professional. In this presentation, I share my experiences and what I've learned from over 21 years as a TVI, with the past 17 years being an itinerant teacher. 


Objectives:


  • Learn collaboration strategies
  • Learn organization strategies
  • Learn time management Strategies
  • How to be a VI professional
  • Strategies for growing in your career


Includes:


  • Recorded Video Presentation
  • Transcript
  • Presentation handout for note taking


Request a Certificate of Completion

To receive a certificate of completion for 1 contact hour, complete the short survey on Google Forms. If you have any accessibility issues with the form, please don't hesitate to let me know and we can make other arrangements.  ​


System Requirements:

Presentations are recorded PowerPoint presentations in an MP4 file. Please note that the presentation pages are closed member pages available to individuals who have purchase access to the presentation. 
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"I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way." ​ ~Franklin P. Jones
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