Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) often teach in itinerant settings with limited access to resources and ongoing training. Use of communities of practice provide the missing link to access essential tools and information for professional development.

1. 1
Communities of Practice in
Tech & Literacy:
A Dynamic Example from
the Field
http://bit.ly/virtualcop-aerintlconf
Yue-Ting Siu, UC Berkeley & SFSU
Charlotte Cushman, Perkins School for the Blind
Cyral Miller, TSBVI
#AERIntlConf

2. 2
Today’s Objectives
• Describe: A “Community of Practice” and its value
in expanding access to educational resources.
• Discover: The Paths to Literacy site, use of social
media platforms, and interactive features.
• Discuss: Ways a Virtual Community of Practice
supports teachers and families in literacy activities.
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy @TVI_ting

3. 3
What is a
“Community of Practice”?
“Communities of practice are groups
of people who share a concern or a
passion for something they do and
learn how to do it better as they
interact regularly.”
-- Etienne Wenger (2006), Cognitive Anthropologist
http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
#AERIntlConf @TVI_ting

4. 4
Elements of a CoP
The Domain:
Shared interest and values
The Community:
Members interact and learn from each
together
The Practice:
Mutual development of a shared repertoire of resources:
experiences, stories, tools, and ways of addressing
recurring problems - a shared practice
#AERIntlConf @TVI_ting

5. 5
Levels of Participation
From: http://wenger-trayner.com/resources/slide-forms-of-participation/
#AERIntlConf @TVI_ting

6. 6
Relevancy to Itinerant TVIs
• Invite different and informal levels of
participation
• Focus on shared values, goals
• Combination of mentors and mentees
• Access to shared expertise, experiences
-- by Etienne Wenger http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
(Harvard Business School, 2002)
#AERIntlConf @TVI_ting

7. 7
Example:
Teachers’ technology use
Teachers and students in
general education:
1. Improved infrastructure
2. Increased funding and
availability of technology
3. Standards for tech
instruction in pre-service
4. Professional development
• Learning communities
• In-service trainings
TVIs and students with
visual impairments:
1. Improved infrastructure
2. Increased funding and
availability of technology
3. Standards for tech
instruction in pre-service
4. Professional development?
#AERIntlConf. @TVI_ting

8. 8
Differentiated Tech Use for
TVIs
• TVIs are the gatekeeper
• Device-specific knowledge is
insufficient
• Must flex tech in response to:
- student needs
- subject/content
- technology constraints
• Toolkit changes quickly as
technology progresses
#AERIntlConf. @TVI_ting

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What’s next?
• Provide solutions using a “what works”
approach
• Create professional networks for better
access to resources and development:
• Social media
• Virtual networks
• Nurture communities of practice (CoPs)
• Introduce skills and start building CoPs
in pre-service!
#AERIntlConf. @TVI_ting

10. 10
What is Paths to Literacy?
• A community of practice that is dynamic
• A symposium or think tank that gives
people access to ideas and conversations
about literacy
• A home to multiple platforms, including an
interactive website, Facebook, Pinterest,
and Twitter
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

11. 11
Content Areas
The site is divided into 12
content areas:
1. General Literacy
2. Learning Media
Assessment
3. Emergent Literacy
4. Multiple Disabilities
5. Braille
6. Struggling Readers
7. Print
8. Writing
9. Dual Media
10.English Language
Learners
11.Auditory Strategies
12.Math Literacy
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

12. 12
Features of the Site
• Blogs
• Strategies
• Resources
• Technology
• Research
• Instructional Guidelines
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

13. 13
Value of Registering on
the Site
•Email notifications of blog posts
• Subscribe to learn when posts are made in
different areas
• Make comments, ask questions
• Submit a post and earn continuing education
credit!
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

14. 14
Interactive Possibilities of
Site
Conversations/comments
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

15. 15
Dear Paths
http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/dear-paths
Sample questions include:
- Parent of child with CVI looking
for suggestions
- How can I teach my deafblind son
about the passage of time?
- Which video games are
accessible?
- I need ideas about teaching the
concept of “wide”.
- Where can I find out about the
methodology of teaching braille?
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

16. 16
Social Media
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

17. 17
Facebook
★ Great way to share information quickly!
★ Conversation threads and meaningful engagement
continue to increase
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

18. 18
Twitter
★ The Power of the #
★ Immediacy -- Connecting quickly throughout the day
★ Quick links, such as Assistive Tech. resource list
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

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Pinterest
• Tool to visually organize information
• Locate ideas on topics and themes that are of interest
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

20. 20
Finding the Community
We need to go to where the discussions are
happening:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Comments on posts on website
• Dear Paths
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

21. 21
How do people follow us?
Note that these numbers are old and we now have more than 5,000
people registered across all platforms.
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

22. 22
Who is in our community?
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

23. 23
Non-Registered Users
• 136,500+ unique visitors to the site since launch
in April 2012
More than 520,000 page views during that time
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

24. 24
International Community
• Visitors from 196 countries
• Spanish-language posts
• Cross-cultural content
• Posts from UK, Australia, Argentina,
Canada, Philippines
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

25. 25
Some of our favorites!
• Student-Made IEP Book
• Making Toast: Conversation Boxes
• O & M Literacy: “Routes “Journals
• Test Down and Teach Up: Task Analysis of a Duck
• Flying Fingers: Fluency Instruction for Beginning Braille Readers
• Using the iPad to Develop Literacy and Social Skills
• Toy Bars and Literacy
• Using the Preferred Learning Medium to Design a
Communication System
• Follow-up Q & A from above
• Word Processing on the iPad Using VoiceOver
• Montessori Activities to Promote Pre-Literacy Skills for Tactual
Learners
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

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What would you like to see
from the community?
#AERIntlConf @PathsToLiteracy

27. 27
https://www.facebook.com/ptliteracy
@PathstoLiteracy
http://www.pinterest.com/pathstoliteracy/
http://bit.ly/virtualcop-aerintlconf
• Yue-Ting (Ting) Siu, TVI & Doctoral Candidate
yueting.siu@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/yuetingsiu
Twitter: @TVI_ting
• Charlotte Cushman, Project Manager
Perkins School for the Blind
charlotte.cushman@perkins.org
• Cyral Miller, Outreach Director
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
millerc@tsbvi.edu
#AERIntlConf