Transcript Greenhouse Education for Preschool Students with Visual

Greenhouse Education for Preschool
Students with Visual impairments
and Deaf-Blindness Developed and
Taught High school Students
By
Susan Patten
Session Objective
• Creative program development can enhance
the lives of students with visual impairments
and deaf-blindness.
– Thinking “Outside the Box”
– Community involvement
How Greenhouse Program Started
• Idea came from evolved from teaching adults
with disabilities
• Spread to teaching students with blindness
and deaf-blindness
• Narrowed it down to preschool students from
the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind (USDB)
Outline of Greenhouse Program
• Implemented for two years
– First year one class
• Seven preschool students
• Basic curriculum
– Second year two classes
• 18 preschool students
• More high school students involved
• More involved curriculum
Beginning Steps
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Approval from High School administration
Approval from USDB
Set up schedule for USB preschool students
Developed explanation letter for parents
Obtain video releases for all students
Decide what training was needed for high
school students
Pre-evaluations
• High school students were given two preevaluations
– Determine knowledge on vision impairments and
deaf-blindness
– Determine how comfortable they were interacting
with individuals with disabilities
Mid and Post-Evaluations
• High school students were given the same
evaluation in January and then in March.
• USB preschool students were evaluated using
a five point Likert scale throughout the year
Training for High School Students
• Simulation
• Concept Development
• Behavior
Greenhouse Program
First Year
• USB preschool came two times a month
• Each USB preschool student was paired with
one high school student
• Both high school students and USB students
made progress
Student Examples
• Brayden
• Lindley
• Aiden
Greenhouse Education Program
First Year
• High School’s Presentation
– Refer to Handout #1
• High School Video
Greenhouse Program
Second year
• Analyzed what worked and what didn’t
– Great publicity
– Focus of high school students
– Preschool students progressed
– Too many high school students
– Needed more curriculum training
– Curriculum tied to expanded core
Second Year…Continued
• Added one more USB preschool
– Total of 18 preschool students
• High school students taking data were
assigned to a pair
– Total of 48 high school students
• Used curriculum tied to the expanded core
– Social Interaction
– Sensory efficiency skills
Second Year
• Same pre and post evaluations used
• Used same training model
– Started with simulation
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Concept development
Vision
Deaf-Blindness
Behavior
Student Examples
• Gabe
• Nevaeh
Differences in Second Year
(less successful than first year)
• More detailed curriculum was used. High
school students developed curriculum
• More high school students were involved
– More classroom management was needed
• Transportation and time became problematic
for USB preschoolers
Greenhouse Program Second Year
• High School Presentation
– Refer to Handout #2
• High School Video
Conclusion
• What we, USDB, learned…
– Importance of “We Can”
– Importance of collaboration
• USB preschool students and high school students are all
of our students
– Importance of new social experiences
– Importance of community involvement