Scottish Sensory Centre

First Steps to Teaching Braille

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

Course evaluation summary Day 2

Number of Participants: 11
Number of Respondents: 11

Overall Assessment: 

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

How will you use what you have learned today?
Gained many tips about teaching good hand movement for reading Braille and how to Braille Maths sums.
Huge amount of practical help. A lot of very useful guidance re assessment.
With a young P1 child learning braille; with staff at that school; with parents; with colleagues in peripatetic services.
I’m very glad to have attended this course. Both days gave lots of useful information.
I will use it immediately to work with the school of a P1 potential Braille user to put in place pre-braille methodology strategies etc.
New pupil who might be a Braillist - preparation for teaching them. Info for a probationer; training day we are giving.
Take points re preparing for a Braille user back to Council Manager - staff etc. Noted resources for future reference/consideration.
I feel I will be able to teach younger children Braille a lot better now with a lot more confidence.
I will use it within the school with a blind child/in my present role. (3)

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

What was best about the course/event?
Lovely relaxed atmosphere where people were encouraged to ask questions and contribute opinions.
Practical demos. Guidelines on assessment.
Practical equipment/how to adapt equipment for use with a blind child.
Knowledge and practical part. (3)
The overview of braille and the fact that I was exposed to knowledge of braille ranging from early years pre-braille preparation through to snapshots of teenage years and even employment.
Hands-on activities (2) and lots of ideas for resources: SSC website - reminded about this!
All the practical teaching methods shown plus equipment used for younger children. All the advice and experiences shared by everyone.
Hearing other people’s views, experiences and about their work practice, along with information and content of the course. VI is such a low incidence difficulty that this is a rare opportunity to meet professionals in same field.

What, if anything, could have been improved about the course?
Nothing but just more of it and more on braille technology.
If you will present Braille technology, please can you have some machine to see and try.
The Concept Northern rep could have remembered to bring demo models regardless at short notice. This is the first time ever that I've been in the company of a sales rep with NOTHING to try and sell.
Better matching - please read comment below.*
List of the resources and where they can be bought - Wikki sticks etc and eg; Braille reading schemes other than Braille for Infants.
Next time have an advanced session and a beginner's session.

Any other comments regarding the course?
Great to get advice and offer of hands-on support from Andrew Tasker.
Very helpful and well pitched.
Please could we have some video on SSC website showing how a braille user should be seated, hold hands, elbows, feet etc and techniques for increasing braille speed.
Nice relaxed, but very professional and well prepared course content. I am going back feeling inspired, thank you.
*Although I have learned a lot (as I always do) I feel there was a bit of a mismatch between what was taught today and what is actually described in the booklet. I have just taken over the VI input for 2 blind secondary school pupils and had hoped that I would receive more direct support about how to teach them Braille.
Second day very much better than Day 1 - broken up into good chunks: opportunities for chatting better.
Courses run by SSC are invaluable. They are the only body which I am aware of, other than RNIB, that run courses in this field - I travel quite a distance to attend.
Brilliant. Not many companies do courses and we always come here as it delivers such a high quality course.

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. (3)
Course Leaflet Mailshot. (4)
SSC Newsletter. (2)
Colleague. (1)
No response. (1)

What other CPD training would you like the SSC to provide?
Glad to hear Assessment coming up. More work on working with those with low vision and also with Celebral Palsy.
Update recent legislation, including the parts of Curriculum for Excellence we should be considering eg literacy, numeracy and health and well-being across the curriculum.
Further training on teaching Braille - specific to a popular scheme?
More on teaching specific subjects eg geography, maths, science with Braille users.
PE more maths in Braille.

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

Where next

• First Steps to Teaching Braille