Scottish Sensory Centre

First Steps to Teaching Braille

Presented on Thursday & Friday, 30 September and 1 October 2010

Course evaluation summary Day 1

Number of Participants: 17
Number of Respondents: 17

Overall Assessment: 

How would you rate the following: Excellent = 1; Poor = 5

How will you use what you have learned today?
Apply ideas to pupil who may be taught Braille.
To start off a 3 year old with pre-braille skills.
To teach a blind P1 child in the mainstream, within a local authority that has not educated a blind child for many years: skills have been lost.
Will use with a blind Nursery pupil for pre-braille skills, as well as with blind Primary pupil. (2)
The content today was excellent but low score for enhancement is purely because went over things I already know and use in practice.
When have a Braille learner next year - nursery age.
In every day work and making time to get work ready for the child.
Implement new strategies in class for blind child.
I will find time to go to teaching room to observe the teaching of Braille and resources that my School have available.
To help me teach younger children Braille.
This was well pitched for my experience and met my expectations well.
Currently I'm working with blind adults. All information I’ll use working with children. Also some parts I will try to use in my present work.
Use dictionaries in class.
Ideas will be very useful - now working with a nursery pupil who is blind. No previous experience of nursery/early years activities.
To think about in relation to the place where I am at in my understanding of Braille.
I will use techniques suggested to stop my pupil from rubbing Braille and to encourage flat finger pads.

How would you rate the following: Excellent = 1; Poor = 5

What was best about the course/event?
Ideas of how to teach Braille.
Talking to other professionals. Good ideas to trial with VI pupils. Examples of books/resources.
Being able to ask questions to experienced professionals.
Lots of practical ideas and examples for use with pre-braille child and additional ideas for Primary pupil.
All the information that was given out and the feedback from others.
Chance to ask questions to experts. Reassurance. Lots of ideas.
Practical activities (5) - resource ideas.
I enjoyed the practical section when we used different equipment.
Real life stories relayed by both speakers.
Professional dialogue.
Able to see resources/try activities suitable for pre-braille skills.
Just simply the overview of how to and when to introduce the idea of Braille.
Listening to the presenter describe how she introduces young children to pre-braille skills - ideas from both presenters of activities to develop tactile skills.

What, if anything, could have been improved about the course?
Copy of presentation needed so take less notes. Clear demo of how to teach a Braille learner to 'track' Braille from day one.
More time on learning the direct skills of reading Braille eg; how should a child hold their hands, which angle?
Video of use of Braille by young learners? (2)
Mixing practical with talks a little more.
More time to access all the 'stations'.
Information for PE

Any other comments regarding the course?
Very useful and worthwhile.
Less being talked at/PowerPoint and more discussion/networking/trouble-shooting.
I liked the fact that everyone joined in and we could use their experiences.
Wish it could have been longer!
Great to hear from both presenters and others present about their own experiences of teaching Braille users.

Location and Venue
Excellent = 1; Poor = 5

Have you made use of the website? If yes:

Suggestions/Changes: more video.

How did you hear about this course?
SSC Courses Brochure. (5)
Course Leaflet Mailshot. (4)
Co-ordinator/Line Manager. (1)
SSC Newsletter. (5)
Colleague. (1)
No response. (1)

What other CPD training would you like the SSC to provide?
Maths teaching.
PE
Current diet very good.
More perhaps on CVI in mainstream.
Curriculum for Excellence issues - problem solving.
Achieve learning and how to facilitate in an increasingly provisional and ad hoc planning curriculum map.
Children with VI in group work.
I think that the SSC does a great range, just not always convenient to come!

Outcomes Assessment
Chartered Teacher Standard components:
Very useful = 1; not useful = 5

Where next

• First Steps to Teaching Braille