The Point/Counterpoint article by Hatlen and Spungin, The Nature and Future of Literacy: Point and Counterpoint discuss a number of important issues that relate to tactual literacy. Perhaps the most important contention/conclsion (which is, incidentially, agreed to by both Spungin and Hatlen) is that "After some years of uncertainty on the issue of providing braille or print to visually impaired students, it seems to me that we have at least come to some conclusions. We will not call reading 20 words per minute on a closed-circuit television literacy. We will not condone teaching children in 42-point print. We will reach out, even to children in rural areas, so that children who will be better readers with braille will receive appropriate instruction. By "appropriate instruction" I mean more than one hour a week from an itinerant teacher of students with visual impairments." Why are these statements so important to the understanding of tactual literacy? Why are these issues so important? What changes in the education of students with visual impairment will need to be made to be certain that these issues are addressed?
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After reading and researching information, I’ve come across so many different definitions of literacy. I think these statements are important because, just as the blind and visually impaired have an expansion on their core curriculum called expanded core curriculum there should be and expansion to the term literacy; tactual literacy is essential to the world, we all at some point use tactualities (decorating a house, picking out clothes) to name a few; being blind or visually impaired is a different culture and apart of that is tactual literacy. Being able to read, write, and comprehend for the blind is all tactual or for the most part. In order for others to understand, we need to continue just as our vision forefathers did and be positive, proactive advocates for the vision field. As we all know there is a shortage of CTVI's, COMS, and low vision therapist. We as service professionals understand that each client is unique and literacy for everyone is unique.
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed in class, literacy is a very important aspect in everyone's life. Without literacy there is a limit to the students' ability to interact with the people and the world around them. If we as educators would spend years in educating students with print literacy, why would we do less for our students who benefit from tactual literacy? Students cannot become efficient in the use of Braille materials even on a limited basis if they are not taught how to do it. If you look at children who use print media, you will see that without everyday practice they do not become proficient and enthusiastic with the use of print anymore than the tactual learner would with Braille in the same circumstance. While it is a difficult thing for the CTVIs to keep up with the caseload, it is not the fault of the student. Every student deserves to be taught in a way that allows them the best likelihood for success. It is up to us to be the kinds of advocates that will make sure that the students we serve are given all the tools for success. Schools must show proficiency with testing of the print media students, why is it less important for us to make sure our tactual media students are successful?????
ReplyDeleteLiteracy is an important part of everyone's life. We use literacy in many different ways, such as books, tactual and auditory. Learning literacy is a step by step process by building what you learn on top of what you already know. For example as a child you would learn how to hold the book, turning the pages, looking at the pictures and seeing that the letters have sounds and meanings. It starts to build on top of each other. Through out schooling you learn more and more each year, the hows and whys. For CTVI's, teaching the student with visual impairment would benefit using a step by step process and incoorportating oral reading so that when they are independent readers then they would want to enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteOne question is, "How does one measure literacy?” Although there are many definitions of Literacy, how do we know if the appropriate learning has taken place? How do we know if a child has reached his or her full potential?
ReplyDeleteAs an O&M, tactual literacy is certainly an important skill to learn. Tactual maps, given the child is congenitally blind, provide very pertinent feedback to a child when discussing landmarks and clues with your student. To me, tactual literacy to students in O&M may be there only way of confident travel. He/She may not know what the “Golden Arches” of McDonalds is when someone says to turn by the “Golden Arches”. Granted the student may not be able to literally see the “Golden Arches”, at least he/she will know what the heck we are referring to by “feeling” tactually what the arches “look” like.
In time, the student will be able to know what different landmarks like McDonalds on a tactual map feels like. In time their literacy will broaden when it comes to tactual literacy. Can it be done in one day, one week, one year? Well, it depends. Some things may take one year, one week or one day to learn. The key is that tactual literacy is always being learned and taught. As O&M and TVIs, it is up to us to share with other professionals that this is not something that can be taught overnight, but we will be teaching tactual literacy for a lifetime.
I think that there is an easier way to define literacy. It is the act of understanding information from written, tactual or auditory text. As a CTVI, it is our job to make sure that our students are able to do just that. If you cannot read or write, jobs are pretty limited. Tactual reading and writing is essential to the student who is Blind or Visually Impaired. These students are our future. Tactual media and listening skills take months, even years to develop. We cannot accomplish this task if we see the student for 1 hour per week. Just like a student, with normal vision, does not learn to read or write overnight. It takes months and years to learn.
ReplyDeleteWhy are these statements so important to the understanding of tactual literacy?: These statements are important because we cannot call reading twenty words per minute on a closed-circuit television literacy. With fluency of twenty words per minute, the student will not be able to gain enough information in a short amount of time. It is not practical for a student to read twenty words per minute and be passed the first week in first grade. Considering this, the student needs to take instruction in a different medium to insure success in reading to gain information in a timely manner. Why are these issues so important?: The issues are important because we are first preparing these students to pass the TAKS, then graduate, and then be successful and accomplished citizens. Reading twenty words per minute on a closed-circuit television literacy will not allow for any of things to take place. What changes in the education of students with visual impairment will need to be made to be certain that these issues are addressed?: In order to "reach out, even to children in rural areas, so that children who will be better readers with braille will receive appropriate instruction", more teachers of the visually impaired will need to be hired. In order to travel to all the rural areas, many miles will have to be traveled. There are only so many hours in a day/week to get to each child. I truly feel that it is the teacher's desire to reach all of the students but time simply does not allow for it. If more districts or coops would hire teachers of the visually impaired and pay comparable to regular teaching salaries, I will that appropriate instruction in braille would then happen.
ReplyDeleteLuci Pool
One of the most important statements in that article, I beleive was they dont beleive reading 20wpm on a CCTV to be literacy. I beleive many general ed teachers or others in the school enviroment may realize the students visual impairment and think '20 WPM is good for them, I mean they really can't see anything' Others may be afraid of braille and what it entails. I dont beleive the teachers dont want whats best for the student, I beleive they are scared of the unknown. School administators too, may not know what to do when a students vision is that low and may need to be educated on steps to take if their district doesnt have their own CTVI.
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