2018 Keynote Announcement
The keynote for the 2018 Joint PNW AER and Oregon AER Conference will be Ryan Knighton, author of the memoir “Cockeyed.” You can find out more at: ryanknighton.com and we’re excited to have him!
2018 Conference – Pre Conference Announcement
One of the pre-conference (March 22) options will cover the topic of Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and the presenter will be Diane Sheline from Texas. Diane will include information from her book and website Strategy to See. We’re excited to welcome her to the Northwest!
2018 Conference – Call for Presenters
We need your expertise! Consider sharing your practice and experiences with fellow AER members. Submission for papers is due January 15, 2018. Select the below link to find out more!
2018 Conference – Save the Date!
We’re excited to announce that 2018 will be a joint PNW AER and Oregon AER Conference!
It will be held March 23-24, with a pre-conference on March 22.
The location will be The Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, WA. Registration will be open soon!
Hotel Information:
The Heathman Lodge is located at 7801 NE Greenwood Dr. in Vancouver, WA. Call (360) 254-3100 to reserve your room and mention the AER Conference to secure the conference rate of $142 a night.
Agenda! Spring Conference 2017
PNW AER Spring Conference Agenda and Descriptions
March 23, 24, and 25
Location: Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA
Thursday, March 23
Pre-Conference 8:30 – 4:30
Breakfast 7:30 – 8:30
Lunch 12:00
Strand #1 – Presenter: Scott Crawford
All-Day Session: O&M Pre-Conference
Description: Session 1 Wheelchairs: Proven strategies for teaching visually impaired students how to utilize manual and powered wheelchairs and scooters. Strategies will be discussed for navigating tight spaces, navigating doorways, guiding, navigating sidewalks, and using the cane with the chair.
Session 2 Walkers, Crutches and Support Canes: Proven strategies for teaching visually impaired students how to utilize Support Canes, Walkers and Crutches. Not just for the Elderly! Session covers strategies utilized with students of all ages.
Strand #2 – Presenter: Karen Blankenship
All-Day Session: Essential Assessments
Description: This presentation will be an interactive session that will first provide the legal underpinnings of the effective instructional continuum for students with visual impairments. As we explore assessment (FVALMA, LMA, Jerry Johns, & ECC), developing measureable IEP goals, quality instruction, and evaluative data participants will have access to resources for each area of the continuum. Participants will critique sample assessment reports, IEP goals, and analyze sample data. We will go into depth in each area exploring the latest research on teaching and learning.
Friday, March 24
Breakfast 7:30 – 8:30
Opening/Keynote Presentation 8:30 – 9:30
Keynote: Craig Meador, American Printing House for the Blind
Exhibit Hall: 9:30 – 10:00
Session 1: 10:00 – 11:10
- Title: Writing CAN Be Child’s Play: Co-Creating Stories with Students who have Visual Impairment and Atypical Social Development (Part 1 of 2)
Presenter: Linda Hagood
Description: A play-based model will be presented for teaching social communication skills through collaborative story writing and drama activities. The program is appropriate for students of all ages who have autism or social-communicative challenges, with language skills from the single word to the connected speech/ conversational levels.
- Title: Multisensory magic: Bridging the Storytime Gap
Presenter: Marian mays
Description: Early exposure to rich emergent literacy experiences ensures children reach important early literacy milestones. Learn how to develop and perform sensory storytime programs that incorporate engaging materials, the Five Early Literacy Practices, and the Six Early Literacy Skills.
- Title: A Day with the new Braillenote Touch; A Students Accessible Means to Teacher Resources and Classroom Curriculum using the BrailleNote Touch
Presenter: Kevin Hughes
Description: Presenters will demonstrate how a blind student, using the BrailleNote Touch, can generate math assignments (using Nemeth Code), access print material using the KNFB Reader application, access Google doc content and obtain their own reading material from BookShare.
Session 2: 11:20-12:30
- Title: Writing CAN Be Child’s Play: Co-Creating Stories with Students who have Visual Impairment and Atypical Social Development (Part 2 or 2)
Presenter: Linda Hagood
Description: See previous session.
- Title: Northwest Association for Blind Athletes Sports Adaptations
Presenter: Stacey Gibbins, Kirsten French
Description: This interactive and informative session will give an in-depth overview of sports adaptations available to visually impaired individuals and their families, including Camp Abilities, a developmental sports camp promoting life skills through physical activity for visually impaired youth, ages 8-15.
- Title: Blocks4All: Making Block Programming Languages Accessible for Blind Children
Presenter: Lauren Milne, Richard Ladner
Description: Block programming languages are popular educational tools to teach children how to program. However, they are very visual, which makes them inaccessible to blind children. We will talk about new techniques we are exploring to make these languages accessible.
PNW AER Business Meeting/ Luncheon 12:45 – 2:00
Exhibit Hall 2:00 – 2:30
Session 3: 2:30 – 3:40
- Title: WTBBL Wizardry: Navigating BARD Express and the Online Catalog
Presenter: Marian Mays, Tyler Kaye
Description: Learn to confidently navigate BARD Express and the updated online catalog, two of the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library’s newest tools. Bring your questions, concerns, and laptops!
2. Title: Student Voices: Reflections on public education experiences and interventions
- Presenter: Michael MunroDescription: This presentation details a phenomenological study of the narratives of students with visual impairments. The research explores the essence and meaning of the experience of being a student with a visual impairment in public school. Feedback for professionals is provided.
- Title: The Syndrome of Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: It’s More than Just the Eyes…
Presenter: DeEtte Snyder
Description: This presentation will explore the ocular, neurological, and hormonal complexities of children with optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Presentation will focus on a multidisciplinary approach as students with ONH who often have additional learning challenges beyond being visually impaired or blind.
Afternoon Break 3:40 – 4:00
Session 4: 4:00 – 5:10
- Title: Braille sessions
Presenter: Cay Holbrook, Elizabeth Umphress, Michael Dickneite, and Sara Zachariah
Description: This session will highlight a new mobile app based on The Braille Challenge. The app contains activities that allow teachers to assess a student’s oral reading fluency and comprehension and prescribe reading and writing activities that meet the student’s needs.
- Title: Service Dogs in Schools: The Benefits and Challenges
Presenters: Leslie Weilbacher, Melissa Mitchell
Description: My student wants to get a guide dog? Learn why it is not an easy decision and where to find the answers. Hear from a TVI who worked a guide dog when in high school and a service dog advocate.
- Title: Adaptations and Modifications for Braillist and Para-Pros
Presenters: Jade Jones, Sarah Clarke, Pat Nord
Description: We hear it every day – the IDEA – Equal Access to Education for all students. How do we ensure our students with visual impairments are afforded this right? Join a group of fellow Braillist and Para-Pros as we dive into different strategies we use every day in order to meet this promise.
Saturday, March 25
Breakfast 7:30 – 8:00
Session 1: 8:00-9:10
- Title: Reflective Supervision for B-3 Providers: Attending to our own mental health needs
Presenter: DeEtte Snyder
Description: This presentation will explore the concepts and benefits of “Reflective Supervision”, which is a strategy to support the mental health of service providers when working with young children with disabilities and their families.
- Title: To Curriculum or Not to Curriculum: Comparing available Braille reading programs and alternative instructional methods
Presenter: Linda McFall
Description: Let’s come together and share our thoughts on the current options for Braille instructional materials. Results from a survey of colleagues will help shed light on the most popular methods in our region.
- Title: Defining the role of the DSB/ WSSB Youth Services Specialists: Connecting our Youth to Pre-Employment Services
Presenter: Laura Ozios-Townsend, Marcie Ebarb, Debbie Brown, Janet George
Description: Meet the Youth Services Specialists from Washington State Services for the Blind (DSB) and Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB). Learn about the pre-employment training opportunities available for blind and visually impaired youth and opportunities to participate
Session 2: 9:20-10:30
- Title: ChromeVox Next, the New Screenreader in the Chromebook
Presenters: Bruce McClanahan
Description: Setting up the Chromebook for low vision access. Tips and techniques for using ChromeVox Next on the Chromebook in the classroom setting.
- Title: Neuro-Optometric Considerations for Visual Rehabilitation
Presenters: Dr. Curtis Baxstrom
Description: This course will overview visual sequelae from traumatic brain injury and stroke. The effects of these upon school and work will be emphasized as well as case presentations to demonstrate the process of recovery.
- Title: Behind the Scenes of the Ogden Resource Center
Presenter: Jennifer Fenton
Description: What can the Ogden Resource Center (ORC) do for you? Take a peek behind the scenes of the ORC. Look at materials available from the ORC and ask questions about instructional and braille materials.
Morning Break: 10:30-10:50
Session 3: 10:50-12:00
- Title: Is that a Frisbee on your cane? The Dakota Disk, an open discussion of a cane tip used for uneven terrain
Presenter: Pam Parker and Sara Zachariah
Description: This presentation allows for an open discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the Dakota Disk Cane Tip, facilitated by two COMS who have used the tip with students in a variety of settings.
- Title: The Neuroimaging an Visual Improvement Project (NIVI): An exploratory study in brain-based visual impairment and educational programming
Presenter: Melody Furze
Description: The Neuroimaging and Visual Improvement (NIVI) Project at the New Mexico School for the Blind, in a joint partnership with the M.I.N.D. Research Network at the University of New Mexico, is using brain imaging technology and educational programming to better serve a group of our students with CVI.
- Title: Bridget and Featherfrost: Strategies and Perspective for working with students with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia
Presenters: Carrie Tanner
Description: Students with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia are very unique learners who can pose quite the challenge to teachers. We will discuss why children with ONH act they way they do, as well as successful practices for teaching these students.
Session 4: 12:10-1:20
Title: Using visual maps with low vision students
Presenters: Joe Dlugo
Description: I have developed and implemented a variety of graphics-based maps for iPad as a teaching tool for students with low vision. These maps are aimed at teaching route travel and street crossing skills and through the use of various apps can be used in a fashion where the instructor can interactively annotate them during the lesson. This session takes the participant through loading the maps, interacting with them, and how to develop their own maps.
Title: The 3d Printer: Is this a tool for your toolbox?
Presenter: Holly Lawson
Description: This presentation is designed to provide practical considerations for using 3d printed models in the classroom. Current research related to the use of 3d printers for those with visual impairment will be shared. Attendees will have access to a wealth of resources related to 3d printers and materials.
Lunch for the Road!!! (Or to stay…your choice!)