News
NCLVI Fellows in the News
Three NCLVI fellows, Amy T. Parker, Eric S. Grimmett, and Sharon Summers had articles published in the September Issue of the Journal of the Visually Impaired and Blind (JVIB). Amy Parker also published an article in Deaf-Blind Perspectives’ fall issue.
Additionally, three fellows passed their dissertation proposals recently: Amy Parker at Texas Tech University, which included re-writes on election day during one of our most historic elections; Sharon Summer at Texas Tech University and Amy Freeland Western Michigan University.
May, 2008
Congratulations to.... Stacy Kelly
Colleagues:
I am extremely pleased to let you all know that Stacy Kelly, formerly Stacy Haack, will be joining AFB and our Public Policy Center in DC serving in the position of Policy Research Associate. If you don't know Stacy, you will very soon (smile). Those of you who know her are well aware of the enthusiasm, capacity and experience she will bring to the important work of AFB and all of us in the policy, research, and technology arenas. Stacy will be completing her doctoral program at Northern Illinois University this summer and joining the AFB staff on August 25. Please join me in congratulating Stacy! On a slightly more personal note, I can't tell you how much I'm not only looking forward to working with Stacy but also to have more hands on deck here in DC. Along with several other of the NCLVI fellows, Stacy was one of our policy and research interns and did a fabulous job for us. So, to Kapp and our colleagues at NIU, y'all done good (smile)!
April, 2008
Congratulations to....
Martin R. Monson for the lead article in JVIB April 2008 • Volume 102 • Number 4 issue, pp. 210-220..
The Development of Phonological Awareness by Braille Users: A Review of the Research-
Martin R. Monson and Sandy K. Bowen
Abstract: This article presents a review of research on the development of phonological awareness by braille readers. The review determined that the relationship between phonological awareness and braille is uncertain because of the lack of commonality among the studies, the extent of contradictory findings, and the small number of studies involving beginning braille reader.
Derrick Smith successfully defended his dissertation and earned his doctorate in February, becoming the first NCLVI Fellow to do so. Dr. Smith has accepted a post as Assistant Professor in Special Education at the University of Alabama - Huntsville.
In addition, Dr. Derrick Smith Awarded Dissertation of the Year Award by the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for the Visually Impaired. For the complete story...
Dr. Diane P. Wormsley, former co-director of NCLVI and now the Breda Brodie Endowed Chair, Professor at North Carolina Central University and NCLVI Fellow, Frances Mary D'Andrea for their work and article in the AER Report, "ABC Braille Study Completed", Volume, 23, No. 1., Spring 2008, p. 23.
Tessa Wright Carlson for the Conference Review,"Expanding the Core: 139th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests of the American Printing House for the Blind" published in JVIB March 2008, Volume 102, Number 3, p 174-178.
Dr. Sheila Amato, Graduate Studies adjunct faculty member, was selected to receive one of the most prestigious awards in special education, the Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year award from the Council for Exceptional Children. Chosen from among many exceptional nominees from around the country, Dr. Amato received her award at a special luncheon in her honor at the CEC annual meeting in Boston.
Pictured above, left to right are: Dr. Kathleen M. Huebner, Co-director of NCLVI; Ms. Tina Fitzpatarick, NCLVI administrative assistant; Ms. Glinda Foster Hill, DOE, OSEP, NCLVI Project Officer and Dr. Missy Garber, Co-director of NCLVI
On Friday, March 7, Ms. Glinda Foster Hill, NCLVI Project Officer from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, visited the College.
Ms. Hill, who will be conducting an on-site review of the National Center for Leadership In Visual Impairment, met with NCLVI co-directors, Dr. Kathleen M. Huebner and Dr. Missy Garber; Dr. Anthony Di Stefano, Vice President of Academic Affairs; Dr. Audrey Smith, Director, Low Vision Rehabilitation programs, and Ms. Tina Fitzpatrick, NCLVI administrative assistant.
Funding for NCLVI is made possible through a $5 million DOE cooperative grant. Additionally, Ms. Hill oversees a second DOE $800,000 grant for the Graduate Studies department.
December, 2007
APH Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY.
Product Consultant for the American Printing House for the Blind, NCLVI Fellow,and Doctoral Student at Texas Tech University Derrick Smith offers training on the new Math Builders product at recent - (Photo right)
November, 2007
BANA Announces Consolidated Update of Braille Code Changes BANA Board of Directors at their November 2007 meeting in Philadelphia
Chair Judy Dixon and a very full agenda kept the Board of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) quite focused at its fall meeting, which was held November 14 - 16 at Associated Services for the Blind in Philadelphia (ASB). The BANA Board meets semiannually, with the location of these meetings rotating among the member agencies. The most time-sensitive item of "BANA business" is the January 2008 implementation of a new publication entitled BANA Braille Codes Update 2007. This document compiles braille code changes approved by BANA over the past few years, providing updates to the following three codes:
- English Braille American Edition 1994, Revised 2002
- Braille Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription, 1997
- Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, 1972 Revision
The Update is available in several electronic formats on the BANA web site: www.brailleauthority.org . Users can easily create print and/or braille versions from the files provided there. Hard copy print or braille versions will be available free of charge upon request from Judith Dixon, BANA Chairperson, at 1-202-707-0722 or jdix@loc.gov. BANA, through its technical committees, is currently undertaking a comprehensive revision of English Braille American Edition and of Braille Formats: Principles of Print to Braille Transcription. The 2007 update is a preliminary release of specific changes prior to the complete revision and publication of new editions of each of the codes. The Nemeth portion of this update is a compilation of all changes and errata to the 1972 edition of the Nemeth Code. BANA intends to publish subsequent BANA Braille Codes Updates as necessary. Future updates will contain code changes that are adopted following the release of the 2007 Update. The BANA Board recognizes the tremendous work of the technical committee members who made this Update possible. Their generous donations of time, energy, insight, and expertise are truly remarkable.
The code changes detailed in the BANA Braille Codes Update 2007 take effect on January 1, 2008. Submitted by Mary Nelle McLennan
(Photo) BANA Board of Directors at their November 2007 meeting in Philadelphia: Front row, from left to right: Eileen Curran, Vice-Chair; Judy Dixon, Chair; Mary Archer, Treasurer; Jennifer Dunnam, Secretary; Second row: Kim Charlson, Pam Boss, Mary Nelle McLennan, May Davis, Diane Wormsley, Frances Mary D'Andrea; Third row: Sue Reilly, Bonnie Grimm, Darlene Bogart, Donna Passey; Back row: Observer Romeo Edmead
May, 2007
NCLVI FELLOWS
Along with PCO based project directors Dr. Kathleen Huebner and Dr. Missy Garber, 20 NCLVI (National Center for Leadership in Vision Impairment) doctoral Fellows recently attended the annual meeting of the AERA (American Education Research Association) in Chicago.
This year, the focus of the NCLVI enrichment program is on research in the field of blindness and visual impairment. The Fellows used this opportunity to network with education researchers and participate in sessions related to research methods.
In March, the NCLVI Fellows presented an update on their research at the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute of the American Foundation for the Blind.
February, 2007
New Fellow Representatives
As the Fellow Representative on the Research Enrichment Committee for the duration of this entire academic year, I am pleased to announce the results of the selection process for the two new Fellows that will serve as the Fellow Representatives on the Higher Education Enrichment Committee. Since the Higher Education Enrichment Committee is engaged in planning and preparations already for the upcoming 2007-2008 academic year, it was fitting to have the new Fellow Representatives jump aboard the committee at this time. It was also decided that it was fitting to include two Fellows in this Representative position, instead of having one Fellow as a representative as they do this academic year. The Fellows took part in a thorough discussion and voting process over the past several weeks and the results of this entire process are in! The Fellows selected two Fellows from the entire group of Fellows to be the liaisons to the Higher Education Enrichment Committee.
The two NCLVI fellows that will serve as Fellow Representatives on the Higher Education Enrichment Committee are Julie Durando and Frances Mary D'Andrea. Julie is studying at the University of Northern Colorado and Frances Mary D'Andrea is studying at the University of Pittsburgh. Congratulations!
October 2006
JVIB Presents Papers by NCLVI Fellows
The October issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) will feature issue briefs written by 14 of the doctoral fellows during their first year of study with the National Center on Leadership in Visual Impairment (NCLVI). NCLVI awards doctoral-level fellowships to full-time students who are committed to the education of children who are blind or visually impaired. The papers cover topics of critical concern to special educators: the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation on educational services to students who are visually impaired and their teachers. To learn more about JVIB, visit AFB's web site http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=54
June 2006
NCLVI Fellows Busy with Coursework, Public Policy, Research and Higher Education Teaching This Summer
NCLVI Fellows Tilly Steele, Sharon Summers, Lori Johnson, Shawn Sweet-Barnard, Julie Durando, Jennifer Arnold, Donna Brostek, and Derrick Smith are very busy taking classes this summer at their respective universities.
In addition to his coursework at Texas Tech University, Derrick Smith is working with Nora Griffin-Shirley, Rona Pogrund, and Lee Duemer on completing a research project on duel-certified vision professionals. He is also working with Pat Kelly to develop a research study on assistive technology, and he is helping American Printing House for the Blind develop an elementary math unit.
Donna Brostek is supplementing her course work at University of Louisville this summer by working on a research study with Bill Penrod. She has also been collaborating with NCLVI Public Advisory Council (PAC) member, Dr. Deborah Hatton on a phonological awareness study. Through her work with Dr. Hatton, Donna was able to attend the International Preschool Seminar this past spring, which was held at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Shawn Sweet-Barnard of University of Northern Colorado is carrying out an externship with an NCLVI PAC organization, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. She is also volunteering services for the National Center on Low Incidence Disabilities.
Interning with American Foundation for the Blind’s Public Policy Office in Washington, D.C. are NCLVI Fellows Holly Lawson, Tiffany Wild, and Amy Freeland. Holly Lawson is also working with NCLVI Consortium representative for University of Northern Colorado and PAC member (representing NCLID), Kay Ferrell on a survey seeking to identify concerns that professionals have about highly qualified certification requirements.
Florida State University NCLVI Fellow Jennifer Arnold is helping code and compile research for a teacher preparation reading project that she is working on with Stephanie Al Otaiba.
Finally, several NCLVI Fellows are assisting with courses at their respective institutions. Beth Harris is helping teach “O&M for TVIs” at University of Arizona and is supervising several students in TVI internship placements. She is preparing two papers for publication. Eric Sticken his helping teach “Introduction to Visual Impairments” also at University of Arizona, and he is supervising several O&M interns.
In addition to carrying out an internship in higher education teaching at Northern Illinois University, Stacy Haack is teaching a course in assistive technology under the supervision of her advisor, Gaylen Kapperman. Stacy was elected by the Fellows to serve as the student representative on the NCLVI Research Enrichment Committee, which is currently planning the NCLVI research-focused enrichment curriculum for the 2006-2007 academic year.
March, 2006
(Photo
Left) NCLVI Fellows Sharon Summers and Derrick Smith were initiated into Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society at Texas Tech
University which honors the top seven percent of its graduate students.
(Photo Right)Jean
D. Martin, State Specialist (Blind/Visual Impairments), 
Minnesota Department
of Education, spoke to the NCLVI Fellows and guests on the topic of “Public
Policy in Action” on March 5th in Atlanta, Georgia. This was the final
face-to-face meeting of the 2005 NCLVI cohort in their year of Public
Policy/Advocacy Enrichment. They will continue to examine public policy and
advocacy in the field of blindness and visual impairment through online
discussion of topics including, Parent and Consumer Partnerships; The Daily
Implementation of IDEA-NCLB; Certification and Licensure; Financing Special
Education Programs; and Cultural Competence.
February, 2006
NCLVI Fellows visit Legislators on Capital Hill
Fourteen
National Center for Leadership in Visual Impairment doctoral Fellows and
four guest doctoral students made visits to legislators on Capitol Hill as
the culminating activity for the students' three-day training on public
policy and advocacy in the field of blindness and visual impairment in
February. Seminar presenters and Hill escorts included faculty from
University of Northern Colorado and staff from American Foundation for the
Blind, National Federation of the Blind, American Council of the Blind, and
National Industries for the Blind.
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the U.S. Department of Education, John Hager (left) meets with the students at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in Washington, DC as part of their training. Dr. Lou Danielson, Director of the Research to Practice Division of OSEP (right) also met with the group.
January, 2006
NCLVI Fellow Selected for Educator of the Year Award in Conservation
Influencing the lives of future generations is a daily occurrence for
teachers across the nation, yet they never seem to get the recognition they
deserve. Knowing this, the National Wild Turkey Federation applauds
educators for teaching the importance of conservation to students.
The NWTF's Conservation Educator of the Year Award program acknowledges outstanding teachers who demonstrate innovative teaching techniques using the Wild About Turkey Education Box.