1. Lisa Moses, PhD, COMS University of Alabama at Birmingham lisamoses@uab.edu 256-335-1080 1

2. Some Things to Think About During Presentation  What are your state’s needs concerning low incidence personnel prep?  What are the challenges in your state?  Have you seen some of the following strategies work in your state?  What are some other strategies that have worked or could work for you? 2

3. My Journey: O&M in Alabama 2001-Last year of PhD (met a dreamer: Mary Jean) 2002-While finishing; added Adm. Certificate 2004-Texas Tech 30 days anticipating collaboration (compare to FSU) 2005-Texas Tech at UAB/ me support 2006-Me Adjunct at UAB/ Texas Tech support 2007-Quit tenured job; accepted full time in Oct 2008-OSEP grant>>>60 COMS 3

4. My Journey: Personal Challenges  Pay for Adm. Certification and PhD  Pay for Texas Tech and to live there 30 days  Live 125 miles away from UAB  Quit tenured job; UAB non-tenured  Initially made less money (9mts/12 mts)  Dependent on soft money…economy…  2008 notified of OSEP grant a couple of weeks prior to a 30 day notice 4

5. Challenges: Recruiting  Time to recruit  Where to find prospective students  How to find qualified students from underrepresented areas  What techniques work /are efficient? 5

6. Possible Solutions: Recruiting *Finding Time  Get involved with colleagues and divide state  Use current and past students  Talk everywhere you go  Recruit everywhere you go  Design a written plan *Where to find prospective students (underrepresented groups)  Other universities  Conferences  Word of mouth  Teach current and past students to recruit  Job fairs  Parent groups  Wal Mart 6

7. Possible Solutions: Recruiting (con’t)  What techniques are efficient?  Have to collect data to confirm opinion  Colleague and I disagree (conferences)  Brochures & flyers (rate of return)  Press (paid ads and articles)  Entry interviews indicate word-of-mouth 7

8. Challenges: Training * What system meets students’ needs best?  Internet based  Face-to-face instruction  Combination * What sequence meets students’ needs best? Traditional schedule Summer courses Weekend college 8

9. Possible Solutions: Training * Students’ Feedback for System  Students like combination  Skills class direct instruction  Seminar class on-line (with 2 hr/wkd college for direct instruction) *Students’ Feedback for Sequence  Started with summer courses (4 weeks-skills)  Weekend college was preferred by students 9

10. Challenges: How To Teach It All  Limited time: credit hours  Competencies to be taught  Have only one full time O&M faculty  Increasing requirements from Association for interns 10

11. Possible Solutions: How to Teach It All  Find ways to allow others to teach  Resources on campus (university)  Guest speakers with expertise  Other instructors in specialty areas (deafblind/ multiple disabilities, current COMS)  Collaborate with other weekend classes when appropriate  Use available national resources (ex The Seeing Eye)  Use resources in community (ex. VA, Mass Transit Superintendents…ADA presentation) 11

12. Possible Solutions (Con’t)  Web links  Resource notebooks  Hands-on with students  Use of remote video conference teaching sites to allow for training from other geographical areas  Send students to specialized conferences 12

13. Challenges: Practicum & Internship Sites  In Alabama, we began with less than 10 COMS  COMS have to practice for 3 years before they can be supervising teacher  Many school systems have not provided O&M services for their students with visual impairments 13

14. Possible Solutions: Practicum & Internship Sites  Think differently about internship (not all in one place)  Build “projects” into internship requirements (camps for various populations across state)  Work to maintain every project as continue to build new ones  Collaborate with out-of-state programs (meet a need of theirs) even out-of-country programs 14

15. Possible Solutions: Practicum & Internship Con’t  State school for the blind…worked with special sessions to provide staffing  Transition camps  Assessment camps  Weekends with students who live on campus (ex. students with multiple disabilities)  Rehab-developed 2 week camps for Seniors  Rehab-transition camp for pre-college 15

16. Possible Solutions: Practicum & Internship Con’t  Continue to build intern sites through partnerships (students’ special interest) Helen Keller National Perkins  Work with professional conferences that have large numbers of participants with VI…provide sighted guide services 16

17. Challenge: How to Support Students During Training  Retention is a problem…MA in TVI first  Students get tired and don’t want to go another year  Student’s generally have families and work full time 17

18. Possible Solutions: Support Students During Training  Rethinking TVI requirement…possibly MS in O&M; certification for those in related fields  Support financially through OSEP Grant  Available at non-office hours  Use cell phones and texting as well as email  Allow flexibility in due dates (take of minimal pts) to allow for family/work commitments  Allow student input into scheduling 18

19. Possible Solutions: Support Students During Training  Have alternate ways of making up missed class time if needed  Allow for frequent student input and respond to that  Be creative and empathetic 19

20. Challenges: How to Support Students After Training  Right now retention after training is not a problem  Students are often lonely…no peers in system or even area  New graduates don’t have colleagues to readily ask questions of or work with on difficult issues 20

21. Possible Solutions: Support Students After Training *Mentoring-on site assistance  With technical issues  With challenging students, parents, or teachers  With assessments  With any problems * Remain accessible *Pay for professional membership *Encourage developing networks in class and in field 21

22. Closing Thoughts  Always rethink and often go to plan B  Out-of-state, as well as in-state partnerships are imperative  Out-of-country partnerships are possible and expand our knowledge and insight  Always look for ways to increase awareness of project  Key words: Flexibility, Faith, & Focus  Perseverance, Persistence, Passion 22

23. I choose not to simply live my life; I choose to invest it. 23 Helen Keller