Learning New Methods

I have spent the last few years discovering and learning about myself and enjoying every minute.

One big accomplishment was learning about Louis Braille. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Braille

I've found myself in a new situation where I am working with students who are visually-impaired. This opportunity has given me a glimpse of a world that I had no experience in.

I have taken, so far, a couple of on-line courses through a well established school for the blind, Hadley Institute for the blind and Visually Impaired. https://www.hadley.edu/

It has been an awesome experience learning about brailling and the history of it. If you are interested I highly recommend this school because you can set your schedule. They also offer scholarships for the courses they offer and the courses are also tailored to specific learners and learning environments.
I've learned how to use a Perkins Brailler:

and a more mobile device the slate and stylus:

The slate and stylus where a bit difficult to learn at first because not only are you using a new language but to braille it out properly on the paper you need to braille it backwards!! YIKES!

"Go Away Big Green Monster" book review and activity

"Go Away Big Green Monster" by Ed Emberley, has to be one of my all time favourite children's books. It simple in design with black background pages and bright colour for the monster.

What makes this book even more fantastic is that each page has a cut out part missing, so the reader can make the monster appear and disappear as they read. Every child group that I have read this book to was transfixed on the book and anticipating the physical outcome as the pages were turned.

As an extension to the book I cut out and laminated a monster face, and used Velcro to attach the various parts to the face.

Using this monster face allowed me to tell the story and teach parts of the face to the children. And also allows the children to take over the role of storyteller and tell the story using the vocabulary they've learned. The entire face is protected and durable, so the monster should last a couple of rounds in little hands.

The added great side to this is that the children can use their imagination to create a different looking monster, because we all know that not all monsters look the same!!

This is just one idea to use with the book.