SPEVI is dedicated to supporting specialist teachers (Vision Impairment) as a collective to support students who may be learning at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. To this goal, SPEVI has created a Community of Practice – Online Learning. Only SPEVI members can attend the meetings.
Facilitator: Melissa Fanshawe.
Terms of Reference
You can download the Terms of Reference of the SPEVI Community of Practice from this link:
SPEVI-Community-of-Practice-Terms-of-Reference_2020
List of useful resources supporting Online Teaching
SPEVI has put together a document listing useful sites that may be helpful for you during times of remote teaching.
Download SPEVI Learning at home resources (accessible Word document).
If you have any additional resources, please contact us to add to the list!
Email: spevisecretary@gmail.com
Upcoming meetings
Tuesday 1 March at 4:30- 5:30pm AEDT Online and blended learning via Zoom
Dr Melissa Cain, Australian Catholic University will be joining us online to talk about and brainstorm together ways in which go forward with online and blended learning during 2022. This session is designed to prepare for future times of crisis that necessitate remote teaching and learning, or other fundamental shifts in practice due to unanticipated change. This research was kindly supported by a research grant through the South Pacific Educators of Vision Impairment.
Please register by emailing: spevisecretary@gmail.com
Tuesday 8 March at 4:30- 5:30pm AEDT Microsoft Accessibility for students with Blindness and low vision via TEAMs
Troy Waller, Microsoft Accessibility lead will spend some time with us showing us how to use Microsoft word to ensure access for students with blindness and low vision. This will be helpful for Specialist and classroom teachers.
Please register by emailing: spevisecretary@gmail.com
Past Meetings
Zoom meeting 5
The fifth meeting of the SPEVI Community of Practice Online Learning took place on Thursday 10th June 2021. Following presentations by Phillipa Enright, Jarek Beksa, and Phia Damsma who shared their insights on the topic "Virtual assistants - friend or foe", participants enjoyed a dynamic panel discussion.
Zoom meeting 4
The fourth meeting was held on 4th August with our special guest presenter, Graeme Douglas, Professor of Disability and Special Educational Needs in the School of Education, University of Birmingham. Professor Douglas spoke to us about agency for our students.
If you wish to access the recording, please contact us: spevisecretary@gmail.com
Zoom meeting 3
The third meeting of the SPEVI Community of Practice was held on Thursday 7th May 2020. The focus of this meeting was 'Back to Business: Building online learning into our pedagogy'. The most relevant issues that were discussed can be found in this document:
SPEVI Community of Practice Meeting 3 - Back to Business, Building online learning into our pedagogy
Zoom meeting 2
The second meeting of the SPEVI Community of Practice was held on Friday 8th May. The most relevant isssues that were discussed can be found in this document:
SPEVI Community of Practice - Online learning #2
Zoom meeting 1
The first meeting of the SPEVI Community of Practice, held early April, highlighted the following points
• All schools are providing online learning differently. This means specialist teachers will need to be aware of how services are being provided
• Some parents are feeling overwhelmed. They will have their own work/loss of job/ other children to manage. Bits of information/ one or two relevant websites at the relevant time will be more useful than large amounts at once.
• How will you stay in contact with your students? Again, this may be different throughout your caseload/ schools. The mental health of our students is important during this time.