Curriculum & Professional Development

Resources for teachers for during virtual learning.
Last updated: 5-May-2021

Online Classes and Webinars

All times are listed in Pacific Time unless otherwise stated.

Subject Name/Sponsor Days/Date Time Web/Zoom Link
National Coding Symposium APH ConnectCenter and California School for the Blind (CSB) May 11th - May 14th 9:00am-12:00pm
1:00pm-4:00pm
 Symposium Information and Registration
2020-2021 APH Virtual ExCEL Academy APH

Through May 2021
Tuesday: Focus from Birth to 6th grade
Wednesday: Focus from 7th to 12th grade
Thursday: Focus on students with multiple impairments

11:00am-12:00pm Register for the ExCEL Academy External link opens in new window or tab.
Variety of online classes (cost varies)

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults

 Check Website Check Website HKNC Online Classes External link opens in new window or tab.
Coffee hour with TSBVI outreach Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired TSBVI Mondays and Thursdays Mondays at 1:00pm and Thursdays at 10:00am

Schedule & Topic: TSBVI Coffee Hour External link opens in new window or tab.
CareersPlus youth and teen zoom seminars (ages 14-22) focusing on success in middle, school, high school, and beyond Sacramento Society for the Blind Thursdays and Fridays 5:30pm-7:30pm Registration: rrueda@societyfortheblind.org
Product webinars HIMS See Schedule See Schedule Product Webinars External link opens in new window or tab.
Discussion groups on a variety of topics (cooking, travel, gardening, crafting, etc.) Hadley See Schedule See Schedule

Hadley Discussion Groups External link opens in new window or tab.

Recorded webinars for professional development TSBVI See Schedule See Schedule TSBVI Recorded Webinars External link opens in new window or tab.
Audiojack Live - an immersive listening and writing experience for all ages Audiojack

Tuesday and Thursday

11:00am and 8:00pm

 Registration: Audiojack Live External link opens in new window or tab.
Bookshare webinars - live and recorded Bookshare Ongoing Check Website Bookshare Webinars External link opens in new window or tab.
APH webinars focusing on classroom and workplace tools APH Ongoing Check Website APH at home webinars External link opens in new window or tab.
Objective Ed O&M/AT Training Webinar Objective Ed

Tuesday

12:00pm

ObjectiveEd training External link opens in new window or tab.

Objective Ed Hybrid O&M - Lessons learned from providing distance O&M through the Extended School Year Objective Ed

Wednesday

12:00pm 3:00pm

ObjectiveEd training External link opens in new window or tab.

ObjectiveEd TVI/Braille Training Webinar Objective Ed Thursday 12:00pm ObjectiveEd training External link opens in new window or tab.
Social-emotional safety skills for for all ages KidPower Check Website Check Website KidPower webinar link External link opens in new window or tab.
Resources for Remote Learning for Students who are Blind and Visually Impaired California School for the Blind and California Specialized Media & Technology in collaboration with the California Department of Education Recorded Webinar N/A

Recorded Webinar External link opens in new window or tab.

PowerPoint Presentation External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Drive)
Live and recorded webinars for educators of students who are blind and visually impaired- variety of topics Foundation for Blind Children See Website See Website Webinar Information External link opens in new window or tab.
Transition Forum Teleconference Monthly Meeting Society for the Blind Second Thursday of each month 3:30pm-4:45 pm

Zoom Link External link opens in new window or tab.
Meeting ID: 355 779 7767
Password: 123987

Tuesday Tea with CSB-Topics vary. Teachers helping Teachers: A place to ask questions and share resources with your professional colleagues California School for the Blind Tuesdays 3:30pm to 4:30pm Register for the webinars External link opens in new window or tab.
Recorded Webinars External link opens in new window or tab. (Youtube)
Access Academy webinars (future and recorded) APH Varies Varies About Access Academy External link opens in new window or tab.
Various AT webinars Braille Institute varies varies Schedule and Registration Information External link opens in new window or tab.

Assistive Technology

Description Subject Website Notes
Touch Typing Keyboarding TypingClub External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
HW Buddy Product Help HW Buddy External link opens in new window or tab. Step-by-step directions for HumanWare products (Android and iOS)
Helpful gestures to use with VoiceOver on iOS devices iOS Commands

Gestures Voice Over External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Docs)

N/A
Free (during COVID-19 Shelter in Place) accessible apps for Chromebook, iPad, Mac, Windows or Android Devices Apps Accessibyte Apps External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Accessible games for students Educational Games Objective Ed External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Braille Note Touch command summary Indigo Logic Braille Note Touch Command Summary External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF) N/A
California School for the Blind Note Taker Guides including BrailleNote Apex, BrailleNote Touch, BrailleNote Touch +, BrailleSense Polaris, and BrailleSense U2 Braille Note Taker Guides Braille Note Taker Guides External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Drive) N/A
Ballyland iOS apps are free during the school closure and are designed to teach VoiceOver gestures and coding iOS Accessible Apps Ballyland Apps External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Free NVDA "Cheat Sheet" Eye.t NVDA Cheat Sheet External link opens in new window or tab. Available in PDF, BRF, and DOCX formats
Technology YouTube "how-to" training videos TSBVI TSBVI YouTube Channel External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Free Technical Support for blind/vision impaired students, their families or teachers in California Sterling Adaptives Email john@sterlingadaptives.com N/A
BrailleNote training videos including Google Meet, Kahoot, & Google Classroom Mallory Carr YouTube Channel External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
ABC's of iOS for Toddlers and Beyond is now available for as a free pdf or epub document Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Information External link opens in new window or tab.

email store@cnib.ca or telephone: 1-866-659-1843 for a copy		 N/A
Past and Future webinars for HumanWare products HumanWare Webinar Homepage External link opens in new window or tab. (listing of past and future webinars N/A
Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcut list Microsoft Team Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Reading

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Free audiobooks for kids Audible Stories Audible External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Authors and celebrities reading elementary level books via YouTube Channel Various Story Online External link opens in new window or tab. Copyright compliant
e-books (all formats) Bookshare Bookshare External link opens in new window or tab. Student must have an account to access books. All accounts are free. Downloadable into any format, including braille.
Braille & Audio Books National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) The National Library Service All materials are free and can be delivered free of charge in a variety of formats.
Scholastic learn at home day-by-day projects divided by grade level Scholastic Scholastic External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Access the Perkins ebook library and other resources for children and adults Perkins School for the Blind Perkins Library External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Full-text 24-page children's book about the coronavirus Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson, & Nia Roberts Coronovirus A Book for Children External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF) N/A
Story time - interactive, fun, and inspiring story sessions. Gwyn McCormack Facebook Live Story Time External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
The Adventures of Abby Diamond: Hiding in Plain Sight - a fictional book about a smart girl who just happens to be blind. Kristie Smith Information about The Adventures of Abby Diamond External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Join Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Taika Waititi as he reads James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, in full across 10 episodes Partners in Health YouTube Link External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Math/STEM

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Links to math games and activities divided by age level Sue Sullivan Math Games External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Docs) N/A
Tactile math ideas for basic concepts and early math skills Paths to Literacy 56 Tactile Math Ideas External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Virtual BINGO-play with friends and family Lindsey Nelson

Engineering BINGO External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Docs)

 N/A
Video trainings on how to use the abacus for concept development and computation in mathematics Iowa Braille School Abacus Trainings External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Cranmer abacus video training Columbia Regional Program Cranmer Abacus Videos External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
MathMelodies- a video game, a tale and a math workbook for children within a single application! App Store MathMelodies External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Math Robot - fun drills and practices for simple math problems. Designed for students who are blind and visually impaired. ($4.99) App Store -  APH Math Robot External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Bedtime Math - Choose the Math Problem of the Day, or explore over 1,000 additional math problems in English or Spanish. App Store - Bedtime Math Foundation Bedtime Math External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Math Apps and how to move students to digital math learning for grades K-3. Paths to Technology Math Apps Link External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Converting inaccessible documents into accessible materials with a focus on math HIMS, California School for the Blind, and Sterling Adaptives

Webinar Link External link opens in new window or tab.

Download the PowerPoint Slides External link opens in new window or tab. (Direct Download)

 N/A
Electronic Nemeth Braille Searchable Database Pearson Nemeth database External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Nemeth curriculum Pearson Curriculum External link opens in new window or tab. PreK-1st grade

Braille & Literacy

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Tips and tools for teaching beginning braille skills Paths to Literacy - Cheryl Brown Tips and Tools for Teaching Beginning Braille Skills External link opens in new window or tab. Compilation of ideas to continue early braille literacy.
Braille Challenge samples including braille speed & accuracy, spelling, proofreading, reading comprehension, and charts & graphs Braille Institute Braille Challenge Practice Samples External link opens in new window or tab. Must be downloaded
Beginning Braille is designed to introduce parents, caregivers, and paraprofessionals to the Unified English Braille Code. Participants in this course will learn alphabetic braille, numbers, basic punctuation, alphabetic word signs, and some of the most common short form words and initial letter contractions. California School for the Blind Beginning Braille curriculum External link opens in new window or tab. Each lesson includes a description, examples, and independent practices with answers
Website with searchable literacy activities and resources for children who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, or have multiple disabilities Paths to Literacy Paths to Literacy External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Essay Contest by grade level NFB Newsline NFB Newsline essay contest External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Docs) Contact Emily Gibbs at egibbs@nfbtx.org or 281-968-7347 for more information
UEB Online- free, online training programs in braille literacy and mathematics RIDBC Renwick Centre, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) UEB Online External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Tactile Graphics Image Library APH Tactile Graphics Image Library External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
UEB Study Groups- all things braille UEB Study Group

Google Drive Link External link opens in new window or tab.
Instagram External link opens in new window or tab.
YouTube External link opens in new window or tab.
FaceBook Page External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A
Mini braille lessons on YouTube Norma Escobar Norma Escobar's YouTube channel External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
"Braggle Board" - adapted Boggle Elizabeth Symington

Braggle Board External link opens in new window or tab.
Braggle Files External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A

History/Social Studies

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
News articles for ELA, Social Studies, and Science Newsela Newsela External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Videos about famous women from Women's History Month PBS PBS Women's History Month External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Virtual walking tour of the USS Hornet Vista Center for the Blind Zoom meeting RSVP to Bethany Small at bsmall@vistacenter.org for Zoom link
Free, downloadable history lessons and articles organized by theme External link opens in new window or tab. , time period External link opens in new window or tab. , and grade level. Zinn Education Project Zinn Education Project External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Orientation and Mobility


Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Accessible education resources AFB AFB O&M Resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Videos of O&M Skills Variety Perkins O&M Skills External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
O&M resources for families divided by grade level O&M ParentMobility External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Apps for O&M students divided by age O&M

Perkins eLearning Virtual O&M External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A
A Guide to Outdoor Play for Children with Visual Impairments by the Royal National Institute for Blind People (UK) O&M

Messy and Muddy Outdoor Play Guide External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

Full website with additional resources
Messy and Muddy Website External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A
O&M resources, product reviews, and tutorials Blind on the Move Blind on the Move External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Virtual O&M lessons for all ages Marcy Kerston Virtual O&M Lessons External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Drive) N/A
California Association of Orientation and Mobility Specialists resource page CAOMS CAOMS Resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Resources for students and families regarding Orientation and Mobility including games, apps, maps, bloggers, transportation, & support links. Contra Costa County Office of Education Orientation and Mobility Resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Rock the Cane - Facebook page of O&M resources Jennifer Freeman Rock The Cane External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
homeBOUND FOR ADVENTURE- a podcast to promote O&M skills remotely Tracy Spohn

Information External link opens in new window or tab.

homeBOUND link		 N/A

Independent Living Skills

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Mealtime skills including pouring, serving, using utensils, etc. ECC Mealtime Skills External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
YouTube channel of short videos describing how to complete tasks such as cleaning, folding, vacuuming, cooking, etc. Tina de Araujo ILS Videos External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Kitchen Exploration Paths to Literacy Kitchen Exploration External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

APE

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
30-Day Accessible Workout Challenge Northwest Association for Blind Athletes 30 Day Workout Challenge External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Northwestern Association for Blind Athletes video resource library Northwest Association for Blind Athletes NWABA video resource library External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Instructional videos for various sports Camp Abilities Brockport Camp Abilities Instructional Materials External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Audio exercise program including stretching, conditioning, strengthening, and toning. Blind Alive Eyes-Free Fitness YouTube page External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Art

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Salt art painting for kids Kimbo Salt Art External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Art class for students with visual impairments taught by a TVI using materials found in your home Allison Alterman VI Art Class: Video 1 External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Braille patterns/designs (audio recordings and written directions) Paths to Literacy

Braille Patterns/Designs External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A
Fall braille patterns/designs Paths to Literacy Fall Braille Designs External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

CVI

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
At home activities for children with CVI. Specific suggestions for each of the CVI phases Paths to Literacy by Dr. Christine Roman-Lansky Activities for Children with CVI External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
CVI Adapted story (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) Sydney Frankel CVI Adapted Story External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Music

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Beats for Braille - 19 visual impaired musicians perform a virtual music concert NFB Beats for Braille External link opens in new window or tab. N/A

Mental Health

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Mindfulness Curriculum California School for the Blind CSB mindfulness curriculum Link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Recordings of mindfulness classes for children Mindful Schools Mindful schools free online classes External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Free teen telephone support group to connect high school students with other students all over the country who have successfully made the transition to life after high school Lighthouse Guild Free teen telephone support group External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Lighthouse Guild offers an acclaimed national tele-support network and a wealth of support services for parents Lighthouse Guild Support services for parents External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
The Emotional ABCs Classroom curriculum is a single year, skills-based Social Emotional Learning program that teaches children how to figure out what they’re feeling, why they’re experiencing that emotion, and how to make better choices for lifetime emotional resilience. Emotional ABCs Emotional ABCs The Free Teacher subscription includes access to all of Emotional ABCs, including the 20 Workshop curriculum of Emotional ABCs Classroom.
Access to over 400 premium activities, with new activities added each month on the MyLife All Ages and Kids apps. Ranging from guided mindfulness audio tracks, to videos on yoga and acupressure, and animated mindful games, you will have many options at your fingertips MyLife Stop, Breathe & Think N/A

Other Resources

Description Name/Sponsor Website Notes
Perkins eLearning website is filled with searchable activities, lesson plans and webinars ECC Skills
 Perkins eLearning External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Google folder with links to family resources, professional learning resources, and instruction Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind CSDB Remote Learning Resources External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Drive) N/A
Resources including many links to virtual learning resources Maryland School for the Blind Maryland School for the Blind Resource Link External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF) N/A
Resources for students with visual impairments, deaf-blind, and additional disabilities North Dakota School for the Blind North Dakota School for the Blind Resources External link opens in new window or tab. (Google Drive) N/A
Webpage of resources for virtual learning Natalie Shaheen Distance Learning Resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Ongoing activities and webinars for distance learning. National Federation of the Blind NFB Distance Learning Resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
AFB Leadership Conference Webinars American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) AFB Leadership Conference 2020 External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
TSBVI Outreach Resources Texas School for the Blind and TSBVI Outreach Visually Impaired (TSBVI) TSBVI Outreach External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Written guidance to TVIs and COMS regarding comprehensive evaluations & assessments during COVID-19 SFSU, CSULA, and CSB Guidance Document External link opens in new window or tab. (Please note this link will prompt you to make a copy for your personal files.) N/A
APH Hive-a virtual platform for eLearning opportunities APH APH Hive External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Program in Visual Impairments San Francisco State University webinars SFSU SFSU YouTube Homepage External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Past webinars related to areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum Paths to Literacy ExCEL Academy Homepage External link opens in new window or tab.

N/A
Google Doc of resources for students with visual impairments Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired resource list External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Google Doc with ECC Lesson plans Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired ECC lesson plans External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
"Brailling with the Experts: Literacy for All" conference Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired Agenda (including recordings and handouts) External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Video clips on blindness tips in various subjects (e.g., art, science, DLS, CVI) Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) WSSB Video Clips on Blindness Tips External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
A blog with ECC projects/ideas, resources, and tutorials Robbin Keating Clark Robbin Keating Clark's blog External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Webpage of resources for students with visual impairments Colorado Department of Education Colorado Department of Education resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Webpage of resources for students with visual impairments Michigan Department of Education Michigan Department of Education resources External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Teacher-created resource library Perkins School for the Blind Resource library External link opens in new window or tab. N/A
Essential Assessments webinar and resources Michigan Department of Education Low Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO) Assessment Resources from MDE-LIO Webinar External link opens in new window or tab. N/A