NMSBVI Virtual Learning Resources

Continuous Learning Plan

During this time of school closures across the state of New Mexico, the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI) will continue to provide educational and related services through a variety of delivery methods and modes. Each student’s educational team will individualize the Continuous Learning Plan for each student, with input from parents and guardians. Below you will find our general plan. Please know that many students and families will be offered a variety of ways in which to engage in continuous learning.

NMSBVI Continuous Learning Plan Page English
NMSBVI Continuous Learning Plan Page Spanish

Accessibility

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials and PACER Center have developed a brief video in easy-to-understand language that provides an overview of accessibility features to look for in digital learning materials. This open-captioned video is intended to increase awareness of: 1) features that can be designed into digital materials to increase broad usability and accessibility and, 2) the importance of considering accessibility features in the selection digital educational materials. We invite you to view and share this video with colleagues, students and families. For more information about accessible educational materials, visit http://aem.cast.org.

Understanding Accessibility in Digital Learning Materials


Career Education

Watch this video by Dr. Denise Robinson .Start now in k-12 school to get your child where they need to go tomorrow. All video lessons using keyboard commands--on the computer #Tech Tricks #keyboard #keyboard commands #keyboard tech tricks yourtechvision.com

What your child needs to enter college and get a job!!


COMS

Educators are being asked to prepare lesson plans for virtual instruction due to the Coronavirus threat. Yesterday, entire states have been proactive and have closed K-12 schools and most universities have moved to virtual classes/instruction. So, how do O&Ms handle virtual instruction? To know more please visit the link provided below

Perkins Virtual Instruction O&M


Documents

The AEM Center at CAST is offering free webinars on access and distance education for educators, parents, and those involved in remote instruction. Creating Accessible Documents and Slide Decks:  

Supporting Accessibility in Distance Education: Practices for Teachers


Fusion

Freedome Scientific press release (3/24/20).
Freedom Scientific today announced its plan to help students and employees in the US and Canada affected by COVID-19 remain accessible while working and studying from home.

JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19

AWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19


JAWS

Freedome Scientific press release (3/24/20).
Freedom Scientific today announced its plan to help students and employees in the US and Canada affected by COVID-19 remain accessible while working and studying from home.

JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19

AWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19


Keyboard commands

Learn all the skills to create a perfect electronic signature so you can insert it into any document that needs to be emailed or created in Word or other documents. Once the signature is created, you can use it anywhere you need on computer programs. The fastest way to achieve a professional document quickly, especially when your signature is required. www.yourtechvision.com has the lesson in text format to learn all these skills

Subscribe to YouTube Channel for hundreds of video lessons on all subjects, platforms and keyboard commands delivered in all of them.


Math

Accessible Math Tools for the Classroom

This section provides an overview of classroom tools for making math content more accessible with supports such as text to speech for reading math expressions aloud, handwriting recognition, sonification of graphs and more. 

Teaching with Accessible Math 

Equiaio

Equaio allows learners to type, handwrite or dictate mathematical expressions that can be inserted into Microsoft Word and Google Docs documents. A recently added feature called Screenshot Reader can take a screenshot of an inaccessible equation and convert it into accessible math. The captured equation can be read aloud with text to speech, or it can be converted into MathML or LaTeX code that can then be pasted directly into the EquatIO equation editor for addtiional edits or inserted into the current document. 

Equatio Website Information

Desmos

Desmos is a graphic calculator with sonification support for students with visual impairments. It works across a number of browsers and is also available as mobile apps for both iOS and Android.

Desmos Website Information


MS Teams Training

Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

MS Teams Training Videos


Psychological First Aid

The first free eLearning course is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) offered through John Hopkins University, ‘Psychological First Aid.’ The course addresses human resilience in the face of adversity and is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Red Cross, the American Psychological Association, the Federal Emergency Management Association and the American Psychiatric Association (link attached). The other free eLearning MOOC’s are offered through the most prestigious colleges in the world. They include Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. All eight schools place in the top fifteen of the U.S. News and World Report national university rankings and are available for you to share with your communities, April 1, 2020.

Psychological First Aid Webpage


Reading

Bookshare is an ebook library that makes reading easier.People with reading barriers can customize their experience and read in ways that work for them. See how it works!

Bookshare Website Information


Skype

J-Say is the world leader in providing a blind person with the ability to control the computer with the human voice.

J-Say brings together Dragon NaturallySpeaking professional from Nuance, and JAWS For Windows from Vispero. However although the product integrates these applications, it also presents the User with an easy to understand interface enabling interaction with the computer using natural language and easy to remember and understand vocabulary.

Using J-Say with skype:

With Diction: JSay with skype-make a call, text, hang up and answer

With Keyboard Commands: Fastest way to text and call in skype with keyboard commands


Social Studies

Taylin with Focus Braille display completing work for History class-using drive/docs/word.


TSVIs

Virtual classroom instruction and activities:

Across the country, many TVIs have been using virtual instruction to reach students who are physically located in hard to reach areas or to be more efficient with their time by eliminating travel time. In some cases, virtual instruction is used to bring in an "expert" to teach skills such as technology, higher math or STEM classes. Due to the fast spreading Coronavirus, many K-12 schools and universities have temporarily closed and students are assigned work to be done at home and/or virtual instruction. While there is a difference between "virtual instruction" and "virtual classroom", these terms are often used interchangeably.

Preparing for Virtual Instruction

Proactively, many universities have moved to virtual instruction and a number of K-12 school districts in at risk areas are temporarily closing. Parents of students with underlying health conditions are choosing to keep their children home. Educators are being asked to prepare lesson plans for the possibility of moving to virtual instruction. What does all of this mean for TVIs? 

Virtual Classroom Activities


Videos

Webinar 2:Creating High-Quality and Accessible Video


Date and Time
Monday, April 6, 2020 from 3-4 PM ET
Presenters
Patti Ganley and Luis Pérez, AEM Center
Audience
All educators and families
Level of Expertise
Intermediate
Description
Learn skills for creating high-quality videos that also engage learners and promote understanding. Strategies will include the Top Ten Tips for Creating Quality Videos. If you have time before the webinar, we suggest that you review Why Is Accessible Video Important?

Office hours:
Tuesday, April 7, 10:00 - 11:30 am ET
Thursday, April 9, 4:00 - 5:30 pm ET

Register for Webinar 2

This page focuses on the “why” of captioned and described media, including their role in ensuring equal participation as a civil right, their benefit for learning and literacy, and their ability to expand the reach of a message and engage audiences.

Why Is Accessible Video Important?

Top Ten Tips for Creating Quality Videos

These tips will help you create high-quality videos that also engage learners and promote understanding. 

Top Ten Tips for Creating Quality Videos


Virtual Learning Support

Supporting Accessibility in Distance Education: Practices for Teachers

Webinar 3: We’re All in This Together: Four Cs for Supporting All Learners in the COVID-19 Crisis 

Date and Time
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 from 3-4 PM ET

Presenters
Joy Zabala and Janet Peters, CITES and AEM Center

Audience
All educators and families, technology leaders (InfoTech, EdTech and Assistive Tech)

Level of Expertise
Beginner

Description:
This webinar provides an overview of the who, what and how of 4 Cs — Coordination, Collaboration, Communication, and Continuity — that help us work together to support students and their families during the COVID-19 crisis. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that students with disabilities and their families have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from learning opportunities using technology and other strategies. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Register for Webinar 3

Webinar 5: We’re All in this Together: Communication and Collaboration In-the-Trenches

Date and Time
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 from 3-4 PM ET

Presenters
Joy Zabala and Janet Peters, CITES and AEM Center, and guests

Audience
All educators and families, technology leaders (InfoTech, EdTech and Assistive Tech)

Level of Expertise
Beginner

Description:
In this webinar, CITES leaders host a conversation with CITES advisors in-the-trenches to take a closer look at Communication and Collaboration—two of the essential elements for working together to support students and their families during the COVID-19 crisis. The discussion will include examples of how communication and collaboration are helping to ensure that students with disabilities and their families have the opportunity to participate in and benefit from learning opportunities using technology and other strategies. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

Register for Webinar 5


Virtual Lessons in a variety of subjects

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). We encourage you to add your ideas and questions, so that this will be an interactive hub of resources.

Path to Literacy Website and Information

Dr Denise Robinson
Learn how to use technology for blind/low vision and just to become a faster computer user.....only using keyboard commands

Youtube  channel of Dr, Denise Robinson


Writing

Christopher Duffley teaches Word MLA format via Zoom online platform


Zoom

Zoom Video Communications is an American remote conferencing services company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides a remote conferencing service that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration.

Zoom Video training for education.

Virtual training and access using Zoom Platform using keyboard commands

Campbell learning Zoom, making calls, adding contacts and more


ZoomText

Freedome Scientific press release (3/24/20).
Freedom Scientific today announced its plan to help students and employees in the US and Canada affected by COVID-19 remain accessible while working and studying from home.

JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19

AWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: Free Home Use During COVID-19