SWOMA 2007 Agenda
An Orientation & Mobility Specialist for All Seasons
Preparing to Meet the Needs of a Diverse Population
Thursday – November 1, 2007
4-6 PM / Lobby /Registration
Friday – November 2, 2007
Day / Time / Location / Speaker / Session/Event8 AM / Lobby /
Registration
Ballroom / Continental Breakfast9 AM (General Session) / Ballroom / Diane Brauner / Putting Orientation Back Into O&M
10:30 AM /
Break
10:45 AM(General Session) / Ballroom / Diane Brauner / Putting Orientation Back Into O&M
12 PM / Lunch On Your Own
1:30-3:30 PM (Breakout Sessions) / Laurel/Jasmine / Diane Brauner / Tactile Mapping
1:30-2:30 PM (Part 1) / Azalea / Gil Lutz / BrailleNote GPS – General
2:45-3:30 PM (Part 2) / Excursion / Gil Lutz / Excursion
3:45-4:30 PM (Part 2) / Excursion / Gil Lutz / Excursion
4:45-5:30 PM (Part 2) / Excursion /
Gil Lutz
/ Excursion5:45-6:30 PM (Part 2) / Excursion /
Gil Lutz
/ Excursion (this group will end up at Tomatillos)3:30-3:45 PM / Break
3:45-5:00 PM / Laurel/Jasmine / Diane Brauner / Computer Games and Software for Students with Visual Impairments
6:30 PM / Tomatillos Café y Cantina /
SWOMA Dinner - Optional
Saturday – November 3, 2007
Day / Time / Location / Speaker / Session/Event8:00 AM / Ballroom / Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM (General Session) / Ballroom / Jo Mascorro / “You Want Me To Do WHAT?” Planning Instructional Strategies To Assist in Working
With Students Who Experience Blindness, Visual Impairments, and/or Multiple Disabilities…
10:30 AM / Break
10:45 AM / Ballroom / Jo Mascorro / General Session Resumes
12:00 PM / Restaurant /
SWOMA Luncheon
1:00 PM (Breakout Sessions) / Laurel / Millie Smith / The Body and BeyondJasmine / Jo Mascorro / “When We Feel We’ve Tried Our Best, and Quitting IS NOT an Option!” Strategies to Assist in Working with Primary Caregivers of Young Children/Infants Who Experience Visual Impairments and/or Multiple Disabilities”
Azalea / Laura Marin & Marian Small / Building Confidence One Step at a Time
2:15 PM /
Break
2:30 PM / Breakout Sessions Resume4:00 PM / Breakout Sessions End
5:00 PM / Laurel /
SWOMA Meeting
SWOMASession Guide
Friday – November 2, 2007
9 AM (General Session)Ballroom
Diane Brauner, Private O&M Specialist, Diane Brauner COMS, Inc., NC
Putting Orientation Back Into O&M
This general session will focus on teaching foundation “orientation” skills to toddler, preschool, young elementary and multihandicapped students with visual impairments. These foundation concepts will be identified, discussed and broken down into small, easily taught steps that are appropriate for these young O&M students. A multitude of concrete activities will be presented to help teach orientation skills in a fun, motivating way.
1:30-3:30 PM (Breakout Session)Laurel/Jasmine
Diane Brauner, Private O&M Specialist, Diane Brauner COMS, Inc., NC
Tactile Mapping
This breakout session will discuss how to teach foundation map skills, i.e., basic skill and tactile activities needed to be a good map user. We will also look at when and how to introduce map skills to young students (toddlers thru elementary age). Finally we will discuss easy ways to make quality tactile maps for students of all ages, analyze previously made maps, and many other map related techniques.
1:30-2:30 PM (Breakout Session)Azalea
Gil Lutz, President of The Phoenix Group, Consultant with Sendero Group
BrailleNote GPS General Lecture
Gil Lutz, from the Sendero Group, has been a tester and devoted user of the GPS program. In this session he will provide information about BrailleNote GPS and offer demonstrations of how it is used. This presentation will include an opportunity to see BrailleNote GPS in action.
Gil Lutz - BrailleNote GPS
2:30-3:30 PM (Part 2) Excursion
3:30-4:30 PM (Part 2) Excursion
4:30-5:30 PM (Part 2) Excursion
5:30-6:30 PM (Part 2) Excursion ending up at Tomatillo’s
Participants will sign-up for a special excursion trip via a van where Gil will demonstrate the use of the BrailleNote GPS. Sign up during the 1:30 lecture for the excursion time of your choice.
3:45-5:00 PM (Breakout Session)Laurel/Jasmine
Diane Brauner, Private O&M Specialist, Diane Brauner COMS, Inc., NC
Computer Games and Software for Students with Visual Impairments
Participants will be introduced to a variety of computer software that the University of North Carolina has designed specifically for students with visual impairments. These games are designed to teach and reinforce concepts and skills that are unique to VI students. Various games have been designed for preschoolers, and young elementary students while other games target middle and high school students. Participants will learn how to incorporate these games into their students’ current IEP goals. FREE software will be given to everyone that attends this session!
Saturday
9:00 AM (General Session) Ballroom
Jo Mascorro, Private Education Consultant, San Antonio, TX
“You Want Me To Do WHAT?” Planning Instructional Strategies To Assist in Working With Students Who Experience Blindness, Visual Impairments, and/or Multiple Disabilities…
When planning for the instructional needs of an individual who experiences vision loss and/or multiple disabilities, it is imperative that we consider the “what’s the point?” factor in the development of the learning/teaching criterion. This presentation will provide strategies to assist in the development, selection, and implementation of various instructional techniques by providing the participants with “frameworks” to help in determining chronological, age appropriate activities that are purposeful and learner specific.
1:00 PM (Breakout Session)Laurel
Millie Smith, TVI, Consultant for Students with Visual and Multiple Impairments
The Body and Beyond
Students with visual and significant cognitive impairments learn about their worlds through sensory-motor interactions. One of the primary challenges for Orientation and Mobility professionals supporting educational programs for these students is providing opportunities to learn about the body and space in activities that address skills within the level of attainment of a given student. Understanding the role of memory in cognitive development and the relationship of sensory processing to memory construction is essential in planning and providing effective instruction that gives students maximum access to their worlds.
1:00 PM (Breakout Session)Jasmine
Jo Mascorro, Private Education Consultant, San Antonio, TX
“When We Feel We’ve Tried Our Best, and Quitting IS NOT an Option!” Strategies to Assist in Working with Primary Caregivers of Young Children/Infants Who Experience Visual Impairments and/or Multiple Disabilities”
Frustrated? You’ve tried EVERYTHING and NOTHNG seems to be working? This presentation will provide participants with an array of options to consider when working with the primary caregivers of infants/young children who experience vision loss and/or multiple disabilities. Techniques will emphasize the use of effective communication skills and the development and implementation of useful strategies that can benefit both the primary caregiver AND the child during their learning/teaching journey.
1:00 PM (Breakout Session)Azalea
Laura Marin & Marian Small, COMS, DARS – Division of Blind Services
Building Confidence One Step at a Time
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Mr. Johnson has so many great skills in O&M. I’m not sure why he isn’t using these skills outside of class.” If you have ever asked yourself this question, part of the answer may be that Mr. Johnson has acquired the knowledge to perform the necessary steps, but lacks the confidence to do this on his own. Come fill your tool kit with some possible approaches to put into practice when providing direct service instruction to adults.
5:00 PMLaurel
Please join your colleagues for the general SWOMA business meeting.
1
SWOMA 2007 - An Orientation & Mobility Specialist for All Seasons Preparing to Meet the Needs of a Diverse Population
San Antonio, Texas