Turning Strategies from Presentations into Actual O&M Skills
Feb 23, 2021
In this episode of A Step Forward, we dive into how to take strategies learned from webinars, presentations, and conferences and turn them into real, actionable Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills for your students. I’m your host, Kassy Maloney, and as an O&M specialist, I firmly believe you don’t need to be perfect to be effective. Join me each week for practical tips and motivational ideas to help you make a significant impact in your students' lives, one step at a time.
Making Presentations Matter: Turning Ideas into Skills
It’s common to walk out of a conference or symposium with a head full of ideas, but when the excitement wears off, the question arises: What now? How do we take the information from presenters and apply it in our lessons? This is a challenge many of us face.
Here’s the good news: A Step Forward is here to help you take those abstract ideas and transform them into structured, engaging lessons for your students. This week’s episode is all about making that connection and ensuring your time spent at conferences and webinars translates into real-world impact.
For our Clarity members, we have an exciting treat. You’ll be receiving lesson plans directly derived from the presentations at this year’s symposium. This will give you a clearer picture of how these ideas can be implemented in your O&M practice and provide you with all the digital resources you need to hit the ground running.
The Brain-Based Approach to Lesson Planning
One of the most effective ways to plan lessons is by understanding how our students learn. We’ve all heard the terms "kinesthetic learners," "visual learners," and "auditory learners." While it’s important to recognize these differences, the key takeaway is that we shouldn’t separate lessons based on the type of learner. Instead, we need to engage all learning styles in our lessons. Why? Because our students absorb and process information in various ways at different stages of the lesson.
In my experience, especially when working with O&M students, it’s vital to start with motivation. If we dive into teaching before showing the students why it matters, it’s hard to get them fully invested. That’s why I always begin my lessons by connecting the topic to something relevant to the student's life. For example, I might discuss dating with a teenage student or talk about navigating a playground with a younger child. This engages their curiosity and sets the stage for the lesson to come.
Once we’ve sparked interest, we move into the "what"—the big picture of what we’re teaching. Then, it’s time for the "how," where I break down the steps involved. The practice phase follows, where I guide students from doing it with me to doing it on their own. This gradual transition helps them build confidence and understanding. Finally, I wrap up with a summary and questions to reinforce their learning.
The TRIZ Approach: A Structured Problem-Solving Method for O&M
One of my favorite presentations from the symposium was on TRIZ—a theory of inventive problem solving. Although the presentation was brief, it made a significant impact on me. TRIZ provides a systematic approach to problem-solving, helping students overcome challenges more efficiently. The theory was originally developed in Russia and focuses on categorizing resources into six types: substances, fields, functional, informational, time, and spatial. These resources can be applied directly to O&M instruction.
For example, in O&M, we often use substances like the cane, fields like sound energy, and functional resources like walking with a guide or cane. Time and spatial resources also play a huge role in orientation. Think about it: Can you sense the sun’s position? Do you know how to orient yourself in space and time?
I see a lot of potential for TRIZ in O&M lessons, especially for students who need to generalize skills across different environments. By categorizing the resources they have at their disposal, they can better navigate unfamiliar spaces, such as shopping centers or parking lots. The goal is to equip them with the skills to solve problems and make decisions on their own.
Lesson Plan Example: Using TRIZ in O&M
Here’s how I would break TRIZ into a practical lesson plan. First, students need to identify the resources they have in their environment. For example, “What substances do you have? Your cane? Your shoes?” Then we move into how these resources can be used in real-life scenarios. For instance, "If you’re in a busy street, what functional resources can help you navigate safely?"
The third part of the lesson would involve applying these resources to specific problems, like finding your way in an empty parking lot. This would challenge students to think critically about their environment and how to use their resources effectively. Over time, this process builds confidence and independence.
Bringing It All Together
By using TRIZ as a framework and integrating brain-based approaches to lesson planning, we can help our students become more independent and better problem solvers. The key is to break down complex ideas and present them in a way that connects to the students’ lived experiences.
This is just one example of how we can turn ideas from presentations into actionable skills. And it’s a reminder that the information we gain from events like the symposium can transform our teaching practice. You can take these strategies and turn them into lesson plans that will resonate with your students, helping them build independence in the real world.
Remember, we’re here to help you every step of the way. If you’re looking to dive deeper into these strategies or want personalized guidance, be sure to check out Clarity and stay tuned for upcoming episodes.
