News
News from the Editor
Entry from 10.05.2013
The ISaR International team has concentrated on PR activities this spring. We really want to spread the information about ISaR International to the whole world, not only to the experts but to the teachers in mainstream schools with pupils with visual impairment in their classroom. It is already a pleasant task to look at the map from which we can see from what countries people have found ISaR. It is furthermore nice to see that someone has taken hours to really look into the different parts of the homepage. It is really worth doing. Few things can be seen on the surface. Look at the left-hand side of this page, check the didactic pool, play around and find useful articles. Or browse around among the links. Really useful materials for everyone can be found there. And what about looking up the authors to find useful literature and articles?
As you know, you are the experts, but even for experts ‘life long learning’ is a must. We know it, we are learning all the time. It is wonderful to be a part of the global team working with children and students with visual impairment. We teach them, they teach us and we teach each other. We cannot stand by and keep our knowledge to ourselves, afraid that when we have given it away, our job is done. New winds are blowing; our children with visual impairment are in the hands of teachers in mainstream schools who do not have our knowledge and skills. We cannot be by their side all the time, but ISaR International is there for them if you tell them about our homepage. So, please inform them. Then you can discuss the challenges they face on a much higher level. This is our new task.
New Interesting Links
Entry from 17.01.2013
ICEVI World has on their front page the book Mathematics Made Easy for Children with Visual Impairment. You can download the book. Look for http://icevi.org in our link list.
Department for Education Uk has launched an interesting home page on teching learners with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties. Please visit the education subjects link. http://www.education.gov.uk/complexneeds/
OECD
Special article
Finland: Slow and Steady Reform for Consistently High Results
Homepage: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46581035.pdf
Finland is one of the world’s leaders in the academic performance of its secondary school students, a position it has held for the past decade.
This top performance is also remarkably consistent across schools. Finnish schools seem to serve all students well, regardless of family background, socio-economic status or ability. This chapter looks at the possible factors behind this success. Thousands of experts in education visit Finland every year to find out why. Here is the answer!
Paths to Literacy http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/
This website is the result of a joint project between Perkins School for the Blind : http://www.perkins.org and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, http://www.tsbvi.edu. By combining their resources and expertise, they hope to assist educators and families in the quest to provide literacy experiences for children who are blind or visually impaired.
The information on this site ranges from a basic overview of literacy to various stages of development and special challenges, as well as an exploration of different media (print, braille, auditory strategies).
FamilyConnect
http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp
Raising a Visually Impaired Child
On FamilyConnect you will find videos, personal stories, events, news and online community that can offer tips and support from other parents of children who are blind or visually impaired.
Optic-Comenius
Homepage: http://www.optic-comenius.eu
OPTIC - OPTimising the Inclusive Classroom
The Optic project illustrates how good environmental design for young learners with visual impairments results in improvements in learning for other students therefore inclusion of the young learner with visual impairment in the classroom is likely to lead to a more positive experience for all. It contains among other matters examples of good practice. Movies, PowerPoint, Survey and a Literature review
Conferences
Entry from 01.01.2013
The 8th ICEVI European Conference will take place in Istanbul from June 30 to July 5, 2013.
Please follow the Conference WEB Site, www.icevieurope2013.org
Flyer ISaR-International
Entry from 24.08.2009
ISaR is a web-based data bank and resource centre in the field of inclusive education and rehabilitation of children and young people with visual impairment.
This home page will continue the newest information in our field. We thus depend on close cooperation with you. Please send us information about your plans so that we can spread the information to everyone concerned.
The existing data base will be extended through cooperation with teachers, parents as well as students. Togetherness and networking, sharing the competences and resources are the key components in further development of the pedagogy for visual impairment.
To spread the information to your colleagues please use our flyer.
Here is the link to the flyer.
