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GOING THE DISTANCE Rona Shaw, Ed.D., Coordinator Program
for Teachers of the Visually Impaired Dominican College, New
York Online and other
distance learning formats are proliferating exponentially, and in fields where
personnel preparation programs are few and far between and the need for service
providers is great, bridging distance electronically to bring the training
‘home’ appears to be a viable alternative. While some programs are
offered completely online, many are hybrid in nature, utilizing a combination of
distance delivery methods; added to the web base may be
interactive television, cable television, videotaped material,
and streamed in video. Many of these programs also require some time
spent on campus for methodology and/or practicum type activities. Other programs
offer academic instruction on campus over two to three summers, with student
teaching requirements completed in the student’s home area. Each model has
advantages and disadvantages, and each one works for some students but not for
others. Factors impacting on choice of program may include, but not be limited
to, cost, time to complete the program, time required on campus, learning style,
and preference. Another alternative to
the traditional on campus semester approach is the weekend model. Dominican
College, in Rockland County, New York, recently converted its Teacher of the
Visually Impaired undergraduate program to a master’s level program, and is
offering it through the college’s well established weekend format. This model
has been successful with other graduate, as well as undergraduate, offerings at
the college. While not a ‘distance’ program in current electronic thinking,
it is a ‘reverse distance’ program which
permits students to attend who otherwise
could not as a result of geographic
distance and/or family commitments
which preclude being away from home. The weekend college operates on a trimester
schedule, with classes meeting six weekends per trimester, approximately every
third week. Students may take two courses per trimester; one class meets on
Saturday, the other on Sunday. Each
class meets from 8:45-4:00. The
weekends are intense and exhausting, but the students have provided positive
feedback, and find elements of the
program, such as the library’s remote access database, and email
to instructors in between class sessions, to be
supportive of their studies. Further, for those living 100-200 miles from
campus, the weekend option enables attendance; a long drive is palatable once
every third week, especially if it means being able to live at home
for the duration of the program. Persons living in more remote, rural
areas of the state can stay at home while still accessing a training program. The program is designed
to be completed over a two year period. Every attempt is made to be flexible in
arranging field placements for the student teaching experience. For some
students, this becomes an on the job experience, while others may complete this
component of training during the summer. Effort is made to identify a field
placement near the student’s home, and this
is especially relevant if the geographic area is experiencing shortages in
availability of trained personnel. Like any program, this
model has advantages and disadvantages . The advantages are primarily the
increased access to training and
the ‘fit’ of a weekend program into the lives of busy participants.
In addition, ‘going the distance’ every third weekend provides and
alternative that helps create a cadre of trained personnel for areas ordinarily
undeserved. The
major disadvantage of a weekend
teacher training program is the lack of opportunity
to observe and interact with children in school. This necessitates a
greater reliance on simulated activities and lessons with peers when in class.
However, all students are at the master’s level, and
almost all come to the program with teaching credentials and experience.
They are thus able to
transfer this general knowledge and strategy to planning and instruction
for children who have visual impairments. Exposure to specialized techniques of
instruction and materials for
developing tactual and visual skills enables students to enhance existing skills
and to provide appropriate instruction. Another challenge of the weekend class
is the number of hours a class meets; 8:45-4:00 is a long day. Instruction must
vary throughout the day using
videotapes, audiotapes, group activities, simulations, and demonstrations in
addition to lecture in order to maintain interest and remain challenging. Traditional programs
typically build in agency visits early on in the program to help students learn
about what services are available locally and how they can be accessed.
Knowledge of community services is critically important if teachers are to serve
as advocates for their students. Another challenge to the weekend model is
making local agencies ‘real’ for the students. One way to achieve this is
having the agency ‘go the distance.’ Representatives from local
and state agencies have been very gracious about spending part of their
weekend informing students about available services. Recently, Karyl and David
Loux spent an afternoon discussing their work at, respectively, DeWitt
Associates, in New Jersey, and Seeing Eye, also in New Jersey. Mr. Loux, who is
Manager of Field Operations for Seeing Eye, is also a consumer; he was able to
address questions from two different perspectives. This ‘reverse distance’
agency visit was very successful, and similar sessions are being planned. The Dominican College
master’s level program for Teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired is in
its’ first year of operation, with an enrollment of 15, most of whom would not
be attending if the offering were a traditional model. This model was developed
originally for the master’s level
program for Teachers of Students with Multiple Needs, now in its seventh year of
operation. Feedback from students in that program
indicates positive response to the weekend delivery model. It is hoped
the response will be similar for students in the Teacher of the Blind and
Visually Impaired Program. For more information, contact Dr. Rona Shaw, Program
Coordinator, Dominican College, 470 Western Hwy., Orangeburg, NY, 10962; ph:
845-359-3577; fax- 845-359-6701; email- rxro@aol.com |