Shows
A Step Forward200. Why Academic Success isn't the same as Student SuccessMost educators are trained to chase academic success, but what if that’s not enough, especially for students with visual impairments? In this video, Kassy Maloney breaks down how traditional educational goals miss the mark and introduces a modern, 4-part framework that empowers real, lasting progress in both academic and life skills.⌚ Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:13 Overview2:01 Maslow's Hierarchy in Education2:53 Where grades stand in your student's sensory needs4:44 Examples of Successful People5:58 The History of the Education System7:56 The career path of students with visual impairment9:31 What's happening with 21st Century Education16:47 21st Century Success in ECC17:04 The Four Pillars of t...2025-05-0623 min
A Step Forward143. The Worst 4 Letter Word in Teaching: Data. How to Overcome the Biggest Time Suck, No Matter How Big Your CaseloadIn the world of education, the word "data" often elicits groans, eye rolls, and a sense of overwhelming dread. Teachers are no strangers to the mountains of data they need to collect, analyze, and report on a daily basis. But fear not, dear educators, because in this episode, we're going to help you transform data from the dreaded four-letter word into a powerful ally in your teaching journey.
Tune in as Kassy Maloney reveal how to break free from the time-consuming data grind, regardless of the size of your caseload. Learn how to unlock...2023-10-1725 min
A Step Forward131. The Collaboration Series Part 1- Moving from a Multidisciplinary Approach to a Transdisciplinary ApproachHow can we move from a multidisciplinary approach to a transdisciplinary approach? What are the secrets to getting our teacher-peers to collaborate with us?
Join Kassy Maloney for a 3 part series as we dissect how you can become a better collaborator and support the teachers you work with.
Don’t miss the workshop designed to increase your learners routines and your collaboration strategies on July 20! Learn More at: alliedindependenceonline.com/training
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A Step Forward130. Live Q&A: Blindsquare, Cane Length for Wheelchair Users, & More!Is Blindsquare still a good GPS app to use with learners with visual impairments? What length of cane should I use with wheelchair users?
Kassy Maloney, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, answers your questions, live! Whether you're a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI), O&M Specialist, or anyone else in the world of visual impairments, this episode covers an array of topics that will help you become a better teacher.
SAVE THE DATE:
Free Workshop- What's Working for TVI's: Working with Students with Multiple Impairments. Happening July 20 live. A...2023-06-2714 min
The Mind Your Business PodcastThe One Email That Made $7K with Kassandra MaloneyToday’s case study episode breaks down how one entrepreneur generated over $7,000 in sales with just ONE email! Not only is Kassandra Maloney in a very unique niche, her journey is one of overcoming the limiting beliefs that so many online business owners face, including not believing in herself, which is why I’m so excited for her to share how she did it with all of you! If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, tagging us @jameswedmore and @alliedindependence....2022-06-0133 min
A Step Forward94. How to Handle Difficult Parents of Students with Visual ImpairmentsWorking with anyone has it’s challenges, especially working with the people who care for and possibly gave birth to your learner. Do you love it? Do you hate it? One thing for sure, they are not the enemy.
In today’s episode we are going to discuss all about working with parents. I will be sharing about the benefits of working with parents, for both the parents and students, as well as for us O&M Specialists and TVIs. You will also get to takeaway some communication strategies that you can implement when working with your lear...2022-04-0523 minA Step Forward93. Teaching Strategies for Learners with Autism and Visual ImpairmentsTeaching learners with autism spectrum disorder can be quite tricky for both new and even experienced O&M specialists. There are a lot of key things that we should always keep in mind. There are also a few things that we should know to do differently.
In this week’s episode, I’m so excited to be sharing all about teaching strategies for your learners with autism spectrum disorder and visual impairments. This episode can act as a quick reminder about how you can work with your learners. It will be informative as I will be sharing a li...2022-03-2921 minA Step Forward92. Optimal Evaluation Methods for Students with Visual ImpairmentsEvaluation tends to be the less prioritized thing that we do when we are in our day to day activities. However, that should actually be one of our priorities because it acts as the foundation, the guiding force, the exact map that drives all of our lessons today. Many evaluations ended up being very subjective and incomplete.
In this week’s episode, I will be sharing ways on how you can make your evaluation easier, more objective and more well-rounded for your students with visual impairments. These ideas that I will be sharing will be able to help bo...2022-03-2217 minA Step Forward91. 5 Apps I Use Everyday As A Teacher & CEOWith all the different kinds of technologies around us, our phones now play such a huge part in our day to day life. Keeping a few apps that can help us in terms of our work and personal life can really change how we do things.
I’m excited to bring you this episode where I will share with you 5 apps that changed my work and personal life. I’m obsessed with these apps and have been using them everyday to help me get things done easier, feel less overwhelmed, and less burned out; allowing me to actually live...2022-03-1530 minA Step Forward90. Advocacy Tips to Support Your Learners with Visual ImpairmentsBeing an advocate for someone is not an easy thing to do. We’re often so affected by our fears that we tend to also degrade ourselves in the process. But all that is normal. It’s normal to feel fear, it’s normal to feel anxiety, it’s totally normal to feel all those feelings.
In today’s episode, I will be talking all about becoming a better advocate. I will be sharing why it’s normal to feel those things, especially for my female friends. I will also be talking about how and what you should ask y...2022-03-0822 minA Step Forward89. Spring Lesson Plan IdeasCan you believe it’s March already? It’s the beginning of springtime! This is the time of the year where we are getting back outside, away from the indoors that kept us during the winter.
With the arrival of Spring, I have some cool themed-lesson plan ideas that you can take away from this episode to help keep your learners engaged and motivated to learn. There are a lot of national days coming up in March and April and you can really make use of those days to plan for interesting and exciting activities for your lear...2022-03-0119 minA Step Forward88. Reasons Why Your Learners Are Not Making the Progress They DeserveHey friends, I’m sure we all wanted to see our learners grow to their full potential. But I’m sure there are also times where you feel like your learners are not making the progress they deserve to be making. What could possibly be the reason for that? Is it because of your teaching? Or does the problem lie within your learners?
In this week’s episode, let me share with you a few possible reasons as to why your learners are not making good progress. I will also be sharing a few tips on how you ca...2022-02-2225 minA Step Forward87. How to Keep the Momentum After A ConferenceIt’s always great to feel all motivated and inspired right after a conference. Sometimes that feeling lasts for a few days, sometimes a week, sometimes it only lasts for a while. How do we maintain that momentum and implement it in our teaching?
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m going to share a few ideas on how you can keep that momentum after a conference and have you feeling great all year long. You’re going to learn about a few prompts that can help you think beyond just taking down notes and how you can...2022-02-1518 minA Step Forward86. Transition to Adult Life Pilot Program w/ Dr. Nicholas Casias and Hangameh AubuchonWe all know how tough it was, transitioning from being a teen to an adult where you have more responsibilities in life and are expected to be independent as an individual.
In today’s episode, I’m so excited to be bringing back Dr. Nicholas Casias and introduce you guys to Hangameh Aubuchon where we will be talking all about the pilot program on transitioning to adult life. You will get to hear all about the program and hopefully it could help you in your O&M and teaching skills as well as in improving your students’ lives...2022-02-0135 minA Step Forward85. O&M in the Golden Age with Anna PeskinDo you know that one in three individuals who has a visual impairment is over the age of 65? And yet they often receive the least amount of funding services for that population. Having said that, there’s also always something that we can do about it.
I’m so excited to be bringing back Anna Peskin in our podcast. She has been working on new things since the last time we spoke to her. Today, you will get to hear all about how Anna has been teaching the older population O&M skills, the challenges she faced and...2022-01-2531 minA Step Forward84. What's Working in O&M (Webinar Replay)Hey friends, this week's episode is a little bit special and it will only be aired for a limited time only. We got 4 guests sharing all they know about cane skills and mobility skills. This is a replay of the webinar that happened recently. So for those of you who missed the webinar, this is your chance to find out what it was all about.
Let's hop on to the show!
Links:
Allied Independence, Website2022-01-181h 05A Step Forward83. The Future of Telehealth & O&M with Joe NemargutLooking past the pandemic, how else can we make things easier for ourselves while constantly increasing the independence of our learners? What if we can put our emotions aside and look at things from a scientific perspective, as heart-centered professionals? Would it be more successful? Telehealth and O&M has been an ongoing topic recently and while some people love it, some people have no care for it.
In this week’s podcast, I’m excited to introduce Joe Nemargut to you guys! Joe is a practising O&M specialist and Assistant Professor at the School of Opto...2022-01-1145 minA Step Forward82. 3 Beginning of the Year “Must Do’s” for Successful TeachersIt’s January 2022, my friends! This is going to be our year. We all know that during this time of the year, most of us would create a list of resolutions or goals that we wanted to achieve throughout the rest of the year.
In this year’s first podcast episode, I would like to share with you 3 things that you must do in the beginning of the year for you to take steps forward to become a successful teacher. I will also be sharing about how I usually plan for these, which I hope could provide some...2022-01-0424 minA Step Forward81. Increasing Interdependence with Fun Holiday Lesson Plans!We are an interdependent species. We often say we want to be “independent”, but we can’t do things without other people. In this podcast episode, we will be talking all about soliciting assistance, where we can allow our students to learn the power of both self-determination, Independent living skills, and social skills all in one. I will be sharing with you a few lesson plan ideas that you can take with you and implement it together with your students.
Let’s get on to the show and take a step forward together!
Links:
Alli...2021-12-0724 minA Step Forward80. Increasing Your Intercultural Creativity with Genein LetfordIntercultural communication, creation, and innovation is always something that we strive to achieve, especially as teachers, in order for us to successfully reach our students. Being able to do just that, we will be able to adapt our teaching into their perspectives, allowing them to excel faster.
I’m so excited to be bringing Genein Letford, who is an award-winning educator, best-selling author, and a global speaker on Intercultural Creativity®, in this episode! She is such an inspiration to a lot of educators, bringing awareness on cultural creativity and striving for innovation in classroom environments. You will be...2021-11-2353 minA Step Forward79. 5 Ways to Stay Positive in Another Crazy YearI can’t be the only one to think that 2021 is actually crazier than 2020. So much has happened in 2021 and most of us are just trying to get through it, trying to avoid burning out. I’ve also started to realize that COVID may not actually be a good thing that is happening to us but I’m still going to stick with my positivity; just with a bit more of a realistic view.
On that note, in this week’s episode I would like to share 5 ways that we can stay positive in this crazy situation that we...2021-11-0931 minA Step Forward78. Organisation Hacks with Kristen SharplessOrganisational skills and being able to plan and manage your time properly is super important in order to avoid feeling burnt out. If you’re able to keep things organised, you’ll be able to also set aside time needed for you to rest. I’m sure during your first year of teaching, that was one of the struggles that you’ve experienced. Well fret not because in this week’s episode we have Kristen Sharpless, who is a Certified O&M Specialist, Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, as well as a Sign Language Interpreter. She’s going to share with us how...2021-10-2629 minA Step Forward77. Easy White Cane Day Activity Ideas (For Virtual and In-Person)October is such an exciting month, you guys! For one, it is the Blindness Awareness Month which we all love. We also have White Cane Day coming up which is our favorite. And of course, with that, I’ve got some easy activity ideas that I would love to share with you guys to implement with your students for White Cane Day! You will get to hear five activity ideas that you can also mix around for you and your students to do together, depending on how you see fits. These ideas are a mix of virtual activities as we...2021-10-1218 minA Step Forward76. Using TRIZ to Problem Solve with Dr. Fatane AmiriProblem solving in orientation and mobility is always about figuring out the solution right after something was done incorrectly. What if we can take out that idea and make problem solving broader?
In this week’s episode, we are so excited to be bringing on board Dr. Fatane Amiri from Iran. Dr. Amiri is a member of ICEVI. She has a PhD on creativity and engineering in the field of disability incentive problem solving, TRIZ. She is such a powerful and amazing woman. You will get to learn about TRIZ, which is a problem solving tool that ca...2021-09-2844 minA Step Forward75. Is My Idea Presentation Worthy?Do you have a strategy that has been working for you but you’ve never really considered it as something to celebrate? Do you have an idea that you wanted to share but am not sure if it is presentation worthy?
In this week’s episode, I will be sharing all about what you need to know when preparing a presentation. This episode will be full of information. You will get to know what I look at when I submit my own presentation idea and what the symposium planning committee looks at. You will also get to hear...2021-09-1430 minA Step Forward74. Teaching O&M During the Pandemic with Nick CasiasMy friends, we are so excited to be bringing Dr. Nicholas Casias in this week’s episode. Dr. Nicholas Casias is a certified orientation and mobility specialist and holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Laverne. He also serves as assistant professor in the orientation and mobility program in the Division of special education and counseling.
This conversation is going to be so interesting as we get into different topics and also Nick’s views on all of the topics that we will be getting into.
Hop on the show now to find...2021-08-3143 minA Step Forward73. 3 Predictions for Orientation and Mobility Specialists for the 2021-2022 School YearAs summer comes to an end, it marks the start of a new school year. With that, I’m bringing you this week’s episode, all about my predictions for the 2021-2022 school year as well as a few things that I am here to support you with. I hope you can get some inspiration and ideas from this episode, to help you kickstart the new year on the right track.
Links:
Allied Independence, Website
Episode 26, with Kristin Messegee
Orientation and Mobility Symposium, Website
Start the year off with done-for-you lesson plans that...2021-08-1736 minA Step Forward72. 3 Mistakes I Was Making Early in My O&M CareerHello my friends! Being human, one thing for sure is that we are not perfect. With that, have you guys ever made any mistakes in your career?
In this week’s episode, that is what I will be sharing with you guys and I can’t believe that I’m actually sharing these. I will be talking about the 3 mistakes that I made early on in my O&M career and let me just tell you, we are getting vulnerable today! While it’s nerve wracking that I’m about to share these, it’s important that you guys kno...2021-08-0325 minA Step Forward71. (BONUS) Increase Your Learners' Independence with EaseSurprise surprise friends! I am so excited to bring you this bonus episode. This episode is a replay of our workshop last Thursday, all about ways you can increase your learners’ independence with ease. You’ll be able to get a lot of takeaways from this episode that can help you increase your learners’ independence. Also, if you want CEU credits for this presentation or to get the visuals, you can register for it from the link below, until August 5.
Tune in now for all the goodies!
Links
Allied Independence, Website | Registration2021-07-271h 27A Step Forward70. 3 Essentials for Creating More Independence with EaseWelcome welcome, my friends! Are you struggling to increase your learners’ O&M skills? Have you ever wondered if you’re doing all the things correctly when it comes to increasing your learners’ independence? You can find out about all of that in this week’s episode.
Did you know that there are 3 essential things to take note of when it comes to increasing your learners’ O&M skills? We are diving right into those 3 essentials in this episode. I’m sure you may or may not already be doing all these things but perhaps you are not doing it...2021-07-2015 minA Step Forward69. How Inspirational O&M Specialists Both Pivoted in Their Careers to Create Greater Impact with Becky Keller & Jimmy MorrisWelcome my friends to another episode of A Step Forward! I’m sure all of you know by now that our community consists of a bunch of quirky people. How do you think it would feel to have a partner doing just what you do and be able to be together forever?
This week’s episode is where you may just find out! I am so excited to bring you Becky Keller and Jimmy Morris, both who work as an Orientation and Mobility Specialist, who are married! Both of them are such an inspiration and are so know...2021-07-0655 minA Step Forward68. Should you give a young learner an NFB Cane?Hello, hello my friends. It is the summer and I bet you’re excited! Because I am too! However in this episode, I am even more excited to be sharing my opinion with you on whether young learners should be given an NFB Cane.
You will get to hear all about my teaching experiences as well as what I learned from it. Most importantly, you will get to hear about my opinions on today’s topic, on whether we should teach them structured discovery along with this and also to blindfold them. Las but not least, I will...2021-06-2222 minA Step Forward67. Summer Lesson Plan Ideas (That Caregivers Can Do, Too)It’s June you guys! The school year 2020-2021 is finally behind us as we approach summer. Exciting times!
I’m also excited to bring you guys this week’s episode where I will be sharing with you a few summer plan ideas that can help your learners increase their independence this summer. What’s more is that these ideas can be done by their caregivers! Isn’t that amazing? You’ll get to collaborate with your learners’ caregivers; which is also an effective way in order to create a significant impact in your learners’ lives and watch as your le...2021-06-0815 minA Step Forward66. Experiencing the World through Soundscape with Jarnail Chudge and Amos MillerHave you guys ever downloaded an app and realized how life-changing the app is? In today’s episode, we are talking about that one specific life-changing app, Soundscape.
We are super duper excited to be bringing in Jarnail Chudge and Amos Miller, both are app developers who worked for Microsoft Soundscape, bringing us a technology that provides support for accessibility, mobility, and empowering their users while also adding value to their lives in a sustainable way. Jarnail is a design and innovation architect in the Enable Group at Microsoft Technology and Research. Amos is a product strategist at...2021-05-1849 minA Step Forward65. Hault the Summer Slide (for all ECC areas)It’s the beginning of May you guys! With summer break coming soon, there’s this thing called summer slide that comes along with it. Summer slide is the loss of skills in students, due to the absence from school for 10-12 weeks. Studies have shown that students could lose up to an equivalent of 1 month’s worth of learning for not being in school for a period of time. But I’m here to let you guys know that I have a few tips that I will be sharing with you in this week’s episode in order to combat...2021-05-0426 minA Step Forward64. Delete, Automate, and Delegate Your Way to A More Balanced LifeAre you feeling overwhelmed? Feeling like you have so much to get done but not sure if you could complete all of them? Don’t worry there, I’ve got your back!
This week’s episode is all about how we can strive for a more balanced life by deleting, automating, and delegating tasks in our work and even personal life. I will be sharing a few work and personal stories on how I do exactly that in order to be a better parent for my kids and also to take care of myself.
You will g...2021-04-2033 minA Step Forward63. Easy O&M Lesson Plans for AprilWe are officially in April which is exciting! It’s actually my favorite month of the year because it is the month for us, teachers, O&M specialists, and VI specialists to have a proper look on how much our students have grown to be more independent. We could also help support them and guide them into taking more steps forward toward their goals.
In this week’s podcast, you will get ideas on how you can plan your lesson plans, making use of the themes for April which are Autism Awareness Month and Explore the World Mont...2021-04-0617 minA Step Forward62. How to be an Advocate or a Leader without Pissing Everybody OffDo you ever feel scared to be in a leadership position or scared to advocate for you students? Maybe because you don’t feel heard, you don’t feel confident, or maybe you think that you may come off too strong and irritate people? Most of the time, being in this situation is never easy but that doesn’t mean that there’s no way to work around it.
In this week’s podcast, I will be sharing a few tips on how you can advocate or be a leader without pissing people off. These tips come from my ow...2021-03-0924 minA Step Forward61. Turning Strategies from Presentations into Actual O&M SkillsWe all have those moments where we participated in different webinars, presentations, and perhaps the most recent O&M Symposium, getting all that information coming but once they’re over, you find yourself sitting in front of your computer like “Now what?” Don’t worry, I got you there.
In this week’s episode, I will be sharing about how you can turn strategies that you learned from presentations into actual O&M skills. For this, I will be talking a little bit about one of the presentations from the Symposium that I find particularly interesting. Presented by Dr. Fat...2021-02-2320 minA Step Forward60. Innovative Way to Create Tactile Maps using TMAP Software with Greg KehretWelcome back my friends! I have a question for you today. Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you had to create one or multiple tactile maps for your students but you just don’t have the time and energy to go to the store, get the materials, draw every street and lines from scratch, while trying to get you other tasks done? What if I told you that there is a faster way to do that?
In this episode, we are so excited to have Greg Kehret who will be sharing information about the TM...2021-02-0941 minA Step Forward59. Productivity Hacks to Help You Get Things DoneIt’s January, my friends, the month of this familiar cycle where we make new resolutions, we break them, and we make them again. Most of us tend to struggle when it comes to sticking to a new habit or anything new in general. But in this week’s podcast, I will be sharing with you on a few hacks that can get you out of the cycle.
This episode is all about productivity hacks that can help you get things done efficiently. You will get to learn about how you can better manage your time and make...2021-01-2635 minA Step Forward58. Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Ideas to Support Acts of KindnessWelcome back and welcome to 2021! Can’t believe we are finally here. 2020 is filled with so much changes and events happening around the world but it has also brought us so much clarity in everything we do. Starting from coming up with new ways of living our lives, new ways of coping, new ways of teaching, of communication, and so much more new ways of what we have been doing before 2020.
With all the things that are happening, we could all use some understanding and kindness from one another. As Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming, I...2021-01-1822 minA Step Forward57. The Correlation Between Mental Mapping Skills and OrientationNavigating the world around our everyday lives can be tricky at times. It’s even trickier when it comes to new places that we are unfamiliar with. This is where the importance of spatial awareness and mental mapping came to play. How exactly do we subjectively assess and teach mental mapping skills to our students?
In this week’s podcast, we are so excited to have Lil Deverell with us. Lil has been an O&M specialist since 1993, starting out with a full caseload, in Australia. She then focused on clients with brain injury and children with mult...2020-12-0857 minA Step Forward56. Easy Sports Adaptation with Kirsten FrenchChange is something that most people fear. But what if I tell you, a huge change is not necessarily needed in order to make an impact and that you can make a bigger impact by just implementing small adaptations?
Well, this episode is all about that. We are so excited to bring Kirsten French, programs manager, sport’s adaptations at Camp Spark and co-camp director at Camp Spark for Northwest Association for Blind Athletes in this week’s podcast! She will be sharing a lot of information regarding sports adaptation on how it could open up more oppo...2020-12-0137 minA Step Forward55. What's Working in O&M: Live Panel DiscussionsIt’s always interesting to hear people blame everything that’s happening right now in 2020. But perhaps we are the one who’s stuck in the old paradigms where everything around us is affected. Our education systems as we know, started with the industrial revolution where indoctrinating children to be industrial workers is the norm. While that hasn’t changed, we can agree that all of us have changed. Nowadays, all of our needs are different.
While our education system is not fixed, perhaps it’s getting better. We, as educators, should also do our part by staying op...2020-11-1717 minA Step Forward54. The Future of Remote TeachingIn a year full of bumpy roads and uncertainties, many of you can’t help but wonder where remote teaching is taking us? What’s going to happen to O&M teaching? As some of you are probably transitioning back and forth from remote teaching to in-person teaching, or even to hybrid teaching.
In this week’s episode, we will be talking exactly all about the future of remote teaching. I will be bringing in some new perspectives on how you can view remote teaching and fully utilize remote teaching in order to teach O&M more effect...2020-11-1018 minA Step Forward53. How to Create Eloquent IEP GoalsFriends, I’m sure most of you experienced working or planning on something for a while, only to realize that you could’ve lessen your work had you worked more efficiently. I’m here to say don’t worry, I’ve got you.
In this week’s podcast you will get to know how you can work in a much simpler way with less work and less stress where the focus this week will be on creating IEP goals. You will get to learn where IEP goals actually come from, what are the components of IEP goals, and how you...2020-11-0327 minA Step Forward52. Making Distance Teaching Easier with Jennifer ReederMost of you have probably adapted to online teaching while some of you might still be struggling to adapt well. This week, we will be bringing back our best of episode where we will be talking about how we can make distance teaching easier with Jennifer Reeder. Jennifer is a teacher of the visually-impaired and an ACVREP-certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist. She will be sharing tips on how she teaches distantly and how to make online teaching more effective and fun.
Towards the end of the episode, we will also be giving you updates on upcoming activities that...2020-10-2733 minA Step Forward51. How to Teach Yoga VirtuallyIt has been forever since I first started teaching yoga online to busy moms as my first side gig where I got to be at home with my own children during that time, and I also get to learn about all the backend of a business. I am so excited to be sharing this week’s podcast with you about how you can teach yoga virtually to your students.
Yoga has tons of benefits where in this case, by practicing yoga with your students, you will be able to build rapport and relationships together. You will get to...2020-10-2034 minA Step Forward50. Cancelling Grind CultureThe grind culture is no longer a culture that’s unfamiliar to us. We are actually rather involved in it by being a part of the society. In this week’s episode, we are talking all about the grind culture and how it affects the education system. You will get to understand how the culture actually affects students and also how it affects us, their teachers. You will also get to learn how you can actually get out of this culture in order to improve your students’ lives and also your teaching.
Listen to the podcast now to fin...2020-10-1324 minA Step Forward49. Remote White Cane Day ActivitiesIt’s so exciting to know that we are entering the Blind Awareness and White Cane Day month which is my second favorite month in the entire year! This is the month to celebrate what it means to be a person with a visual impairment and letting them feel successful and independent as someone they’re capable of being. In this week’s podcast, you will get ideas on what you can do in order to let your students bond with their classmates remotely. Yes, you heard that right, remote activities! But for people who are back to teaching in per...2020-10-0613 minA Step Forward48. Benefits and Strategies of Teaching Assistive Technology RemotelyIt has been quite a challenge adapting from teaching in person to teaching remotely especially when it comes to teaching Assistive Technology. We have had a few guests who came in, provided tips and shared their experiences on teaching remotely. However, this week’s podcast will be a little different from usual where we will be learning from Tim Richard. Tim Richard is a certified O&M Specialist, VRT, and one of the first CATIS-certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialists through ACVREP.
Are you excited for this episode? Join us now to learn more!
...2020-09-2212 minA Step Forward47. What to Focus on When Teaching RemotelyHave you ever felt like you are stuck in a hamster wheel, spinning out of control and feeling scattered while your friends and colleagues seem to get a hang of things? My friend, don’t you worry as we will dive into what we can do in order to find a solution out of that situation.
In this week’s podcast, we will be talking about tips on narrowing our focus in order to avoid feeling scattered. These tips were gathered after talking to multiple experts on how they manage what they do.
Can’t wait t...2020-09-1524 minA Step Forward46. Living Accessibly as an Independent Adult with a Visual Impairment with Carrie MoralesThe advancement of technology has provided access to more and more assistive techs that can help people who are visually impaired to lead a better life. However, the resources on how to properly operate the technologies are limited.
In this week’s podcast, we are joined by yet another Youtuber, Carrie Morales of Live Accessible. Carrie shares her knowledge on assistive technologies on Youtube to help people who are visually impaired. You will also get to find out more about how Carrie started her Youtube channel and how she manages it while making sure that there is a...2020-09-0826 minA Step Forward45. What to do when you don't know WHAT to do?A lot has happened this year but it doesn’t stop us, everyone in Allied Independence, to continue to share information about what’s happening in the O&M world every week.
This week, we are talking about fear. Fear is one of the reasons why we tend to get stuck in a situation where we can’t move forward but there is always a way to solve that problem. We will also be providing an update on all the upcoming webinars that you can join and learn something out of it.
So, what are you wa...2020-09-0117 minA Step Forward44. What Are The BEST Apps For A Person with A Visual Impairment? with Youtuber, Sam Seavey of The Blind LifeTechnologies are everywhere in this day and time but how do we know which types of technology works best for, specifically, people who are visually impaired?
In this week’s podcast, we welcome Sam Seavey who is well-known for his Youtube channel, The Blind Life, where he shares tips & tricks and information emphasizing on assistive technologies for people who are visually impaired. You will get to know more about assistive technologies as we talk about how the cost of the technologies came about and which types that work for most people.
Tune in to the po...2020-08-2540 minA Step Forward43. Unique Uses for Google Slides to Enhance Your Virtual TeachingAre you looking to create a more engaging lesson plans? There are endless resources online that makes teaching virtually much more efficient and I’m sure most of you have heard of Google Slides. I have to say, they have a lot of mind blowing features that are not really out there.
This week, you'll get to take away extra tips on how you can actually utilize Google Slides in order to engage with your students and your students' parents more. From creating interactive slides to even your own websites, this episode will open up a new wo...2020-08-1824 minA Step Forward42. How O&M Specialists Can Support Special Education Teachers? with Braelan MartinHow can O&M Specialists support the special education teachers we work with? During the pandemic and beyond, collaborating with our students’ team members is the most efficient way to increase their skills when we aren’t there with them in person.
We spend 1% of our students’ waking lives with them. The other 99% is with other people. And those people need to know how to do what we need them to do and feel comfortable doing those things.
This week, we have Braelan Martin on the podcast.
Braelan Martin is a K-2 Special Educat...2020-08-1149 minA Step Forward41. How do we talk about antiracism with our students? with SidnayaCurious about how to approach the topic of racial inclusion, antiracism, and the Black Lives Matter movement with your students? Join Kassy and Sidnaya as they break down how to approach this subject with your students.
Links:
Kendi, I. How to Be an Antiracist
DiAngelo, R. White Fragility
2020-08-0445 minA Step Forward40. Teaching Young Children with Visual Impairments in a Preschool Setting with Katie ArmstrongTeaching young children with visual impairments in a preschool setting is quite a unique situation in our field. This week, we welcome Katie Armstrong, M.S., CTVI, COMS, and Doctoral Candidate, who specializes in teaching young children with visual and multiple impairments to talk about her experiences leading a preschool classroom for children with visual and multiple impairments. 2020-07-2849 minA Step ForwardEpisode 39. Collaboration for Remote LearningI’ve been thinking and talking about remote learning a lot lately. With schools all over the country announcing that they will not be not be holding in-person classes this fall, it looks like the virtual classroom is here to stay — at least for a while.
As with any change, this shift is going to bring about plenty of new challenges. Yes, there will be growing pains. But we have the choice to focus on the growing, while keeping in mind that the pain will be temporary. At this present time, we are in our metamorphosis phase as a...2020-07-2119 minA Step ForwardEpisode 38. A Person Centered Approach in a Virtual World with Dr. Amy ParkerNow more than ever, with teaching moving further and further into a virtual space, it is imperative that we keep in mind our primary goal — improving the lives of our students.
Orientation and Mobility is already a field that specializes in catering to a person’s specific needs, and the COVID-induced shift to online learning has certainly added another layer to that task. But instead of looking at this as another hurdle, let us see it as a time of new opportunity.
In this week’s podcast I get to talk with Amy Parker, an assist...2020-07-1442 minA Step ForwardBonus Episode. Being Effective Without Having to be the Last Car in the Parking Lot: Teaching Made Easy with Kristen WalkerWe all love our students, that is why we chose this path. But as all teachers eventually discover, passion and long hours alone don’t get the job done.
As a professional in the ever-changing educational system, it is all too easy to feel like you must sacrifice your personal life in order to be an effective teacher. We stay in the classroom as the parking lot empties, we bring our work home with us, and still find ourselves writing tomorrow’s lesson plans after dinner. There doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to kee...2020-07-1325 min
A Step Forward37. 4 Guide Technique Options During a PandemicHow do you practice guide technique during a pandemic? We have the responsibility to keep ourselves and our students safe right now. In this episode, we dive into four options for safely practicing guide technique during a pandemic. Find the rest of the show notes at https://astepforwardpodcast.com2020-07-0726 minA Step Forward36. The 1st Step to Creating Online Professional DevelopmentSo, you’ve just got thrown a curveball of a lifetime, just a few months ago. We've all had to relearn our jobs, and figure out how to do everything in a new way.
With that in mind, I have some really good nuggets of information that are going to help bring your teaching and your association to the next level. This will take you step-by-step in this scientific approach to teaching online that I've been using to engage people.
So, press the play button to get the inside scoop on these effective yet easy to...2020-05-2620 minA Step Forward35. Remote O&M Lesson Plan Ideas for Early Elementary StudentsThe truth of the matter is that you can plan your lesson plans, all you want, they can be as detailed as you want them to be but when your students are not physically with you, things can be a little bit more difficult. The goal is to keep your lessons and lesson plans exciting enough that your students can tune out all of the distractions of their lives and actually pay attention and learn from you.
So today, I'm going to share with you a few really fun Remote O&M Lesson Plan Ideas for Early...2020-05-1925 minA Step Forward34. Bringing an In-Person Conference Online: The Good, Bad, & UglyPeak behind the curtains of what it takes to bring an in-person conference online in 30 days. We will bring you the good, the bad, and the ugly as no truth is off limits in this episode.
Find the rest of the show notes on our Allied Independence blog page.2020-05-1213 minA Step Forward33. The key to creating a successful remote internship with Anna Peskin & Jill PetersonInternships are a great way to gain valuable hands-on, professional experience of your chosen profession. But is this practical to do while the quarantine is in full swing? Is the process mutually beneficial for both the mentor and the intern?
I am happy to say that yes, both are possible my friends!
My guests today are the amazing Anna Peskin, who is a certified O&M specialist and her intern, Jill Peterson. They’ve discussed how they were able to make it work and what hurdles they had to overcome.
So, please press on...2020-05-0531 minA Step Forward32. BEST OF: Learning how to cross an uncontrolled intersection REMOTELY with Dona SauerburgerDona Sauerburger joins A Step Forward in a replay episode where she talks about her collaboration with APH. Their new product allows you to learn how to recognize when a car is too close for you to cross an uncontrolled intersection. The thing is, it can be taught remotely!
See Dona's webinar on their new product at : https://www.sauerburger.org/dona/Remote.html
2020-04-2827 minA Step Forward31. Making Distance Teaching Easier with Jennifer ReederVersatility is one of humanity’s greatest strengths. We have always done our best to move on and continue on with our lives despite uncertain times.
One great example of this is our initiative to transition to online platform to continue with our educational process now that schools have been paused. It has been challenging for both the teachers and the students but we’re thankful for trailblazers like the awesome Jennifer Reed who have shown us how to make distance teaching easier.
Please enjoy this episode as we discuss the methods that Jennifer and her...2020-04-2128 minA Step Forward30. How to Be Productive During Chaotic TimesThings keep changing so fast! And it can get chaotic for sure!
I know a lot of us are now working from home and are probably still trying to figure out how to do all of these things in your normal work description. You might also have your own children there and you might have to juggle what that looks like and how to figure it all out.
It can get overwhelming and at this challenging time, it is very tempting to let this negative emotion sway and control us. However, we can rise up t...2020-04-1419 minA Step Forward29. The 3 Things You Need for a Profitable Online EventHave you always wanted to have your own profitable online event? But you have very limited experience with marketing? And don’t have a degree in business as well?
Fear not, my friends, today, I am opening up the curtains so that I can show you a little bit of behind the scenes of how we've been able to create a very successful, complete business basically, out of nowhere!
We will talk about the three important components that draw your target audience to online your events and make them coming back for more.
Fi...2020-04-0725 minA Step Forward28. Resources for Teaching Online with Charlotte CushmanAt this day and age, it is so essential that you are taking the time for yourself to continue your professional development and reaching out to seek information that will help guide you and help you succeed. And what better way for us to spend our free time at the moment than to enrich our minds and ourselves with positive and helpful information. But where do you go? And are these resource materials easily accessible?
This has been a crazy time for people everywhere. We are trying to cope with changes that are happening so quickly. As a...2020-03-3123 minA Step Forward27. Virtual Teaching from Home with Your Kids ThereAre you about to start a new online teaching career but have children of your own at home as well? Are you excited to start this new career but but dread having to wrangle your children together to keep the peace?
Let's get real and talk about how to handle your day so you can be an effective online teacher.
Hopefully, today's episode is gonna be fun and a little insightful because this is something that I've been working with and dealing with for two years now.
Find the rest of the show n...2020-03-2620 minA Step Forward26. Staying Happy In A Time Of Uncertainty With Kristin MessegeeAt this time of uncertainty, turmoil and chaos, our circumstances appear to be grim and hopeless. So, what are you thinking about right now? What are your worries? Is happiness a possibility at this time? And how can we get there?
My friend, I am happy to say that yes, it is absolutely possible. In fact, this is the perfect time for you to be learning new skills for how to manage our mind and process what is happening right now so that our thoughts and emotions result in positive actions.
So please join me a...2020-03-2241 minA Step Forward25. How To Know What Kind Of AMD Your Student NeedWhat kind of Adaptive Mobility Device (AMD) does my student need? How will I know when they are ready for a different type, or to transition to a long cane?
In this episode, we break down what AMDs are, the types of AMD's, and how to know which type is right for your students.
Find the rest of the show notes on our Allied Independence blog page. 2020-03-1726 minA Step Forward24. Help! My students' skills are still not emergingEvery single teacher, parent, person in themselves wants to see their skills improving. However, it can be frustrating when we don't see these skills emerging fast enough. It's okay to feel that way because that means that you care. However, you can’t help but ask yourself, What could be causing this? Am I doing something wrong?
So in this episode, I’d like to have a little real heart to heart talk with you about what to do when your students skills are not emerging. We will address the questions above and we will also talk about...2020-03-1017 minA Step Forward23. From Lost in a Bathroom to Independent(ish) TravelerHave you ever had a student who got lost easily? In 13+ years of teaching Orientation and Mobility, there has been one student who has had so much trouble with spatial awareness, that she got lost in the bathroom stall.
This episode will give you a sneak peek of these techniques which I’m sure you will find useful to help our Orientation and Mobility students become more independent travelers.2020-03-0320 minA Step Forward22. Assessments for Students with Multiple ImpairmentsIn this episode, we are going to be chatting all about assessments for students with multiple impairments.One of the pitfalls of assessing students with multiple impairments is thinking that your student doesn't have multiple impairments.
So, today we will:
Define what a student with multiple impairments is.
Assess the student with multiple impairments
Discuss the common pitfalls
2020-02-2423 minA Step Forward21. How to Role Release Skills to an Instructional AideIn this episode, we will talk about the skills that your instructional aide can teach and also determine where the line is, as far as if you look at the O&M inventory. And we will discuss when you can release the skills to the instructional aide and so that you can start to move on with other skills.
I will also be giving helpful tips on how to give anybody criticism so that way you can become the advocate for your students and hold their parents, their instructional aides, everybody accountable for how they treat the...2020-02-1740 minA Step Forward20. How Successful People with Visual Impairments See the World [Panel from the 2020 O&M Symposium]When 4 successful people with visual impairments come together to share their life stories and their views on technology, independence, and O&M, it's magic. On today's episode, we have a panel of individuals who lead impressive lives and also happen to have visual impairments.
If you work with people who have visual impairments or have a visual impairment yourself, this inspirational episode is for you! 2020-02-111h 11A Step Forward19. Finding Your Specific Area of ExpertiseIn this episode, we're gonna talk specifically to those O&M specialists who kind of feel like you're still trying to tread water.
If you're still trying to figure out:
Where you fit in all this?
If you're still trying to figure out what would you present on?
How would you share your message?
What message do you have to share?
If you're in the range, zero to 10 years of experience, or if you have a lot of experience, but you've just been really shy about presenting or sharing your information in any form, then this...2020-02-0421 minA Step Forward18. The Art of PresentingWant to rise up amongst the ranks to become an expert in our field? Need your presentation attendees to actually pay attention while they are there? In this episode, we'll dive into the Art of Presenting so your in-service, presentation, and peer-led meeting participants stay engaged and you leave knowing you were able to actually make a difference in their lives.
If you’ve been wanting to present at a conference, inservice, or any other peer-teaching moment, this week’s podcast episode is for you.
How to get people engaged in your presentation and not zoning out.2020-01-2829 minA Step Forward17. Top 5 moments from the 2019 International O&M Online SymposiumLet's take a walk down memory lane! In this episode, we'll go over the top 5 moments that made up the 2019 International O&M Online Symposium last year. The International O&M Online Symposium is the most efficient way to earn your CEU's and gain the tools you need to make a significant impact in the lives of your students.
With current O&M Strategies, a community of dedicated O&M Specialists like you, and by using the power of the internet- you can enjoy all of the luxuries of an international conference without the hassle of travel. ...2020-01-2132 minA Step Forward16. How we can all improve our technology skills without stress w/ Tim Richard, CATISIt happens all the time. The moment we finally learn a new piece of technology, it changes. What if there was another way to think about how we teach technology skills? A way doesn't make us read every article and learn every new piece of technology? In this episode, we jump right into a casual conversation between myself, Kassy, and Tim Richard, a CATIS and COMS who owns his own business helping people with Visual Impairments increase their O&M, AT, and Daily Living Skills through the use of technology.
Join us for a free ceu training b...2020-01-1421 minA Step ForwardEpisode 15: Top 3 Traits That The Most Impactful O&M Specialists HaveI've really been thinking about what makes an impactful Orientation and Mobility specialist. A couple of episodes back, we talked about how you can be more successful in your life and how to define what that looks like for you. Now, we're going to take that information and apply it here because I want to share with you the three traits that the most impactful O&M specialist has.
Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode152020-01-0721 minA Step ForwardEpisode 14: 5 BIGGEST Trends and Predictions for 2020In this ever-changing world, those who hold back and refuse to adapt get left behind. As Grace Murray Hopper said, “The most damaging phrase in the language is, ‘We've always done it this way’.” It is crucial, more than ever, to be fluid, to think forward and face the changes head-on. We, as Orientation and Mobility specialists, want to be on that leading edge, at the forefront of what's coming up and what to expect so that we will know where to put our time and energy.
I find this episode special because we are going to be chatt...2019-12-3135 minA Step ForwardEpisode 13: How To Reach “Success” Without A New Year’s ResolutionWe are officially entering a new decade. And these last few days of 2019, we are somehow expected to make it count and finish strong. Social standards have changed over the years and in this day and age, it feels like we have to tick all the boxes on this criterion set by the society before we can claim ourselves as winners.
It has become such a competitive world that we find it hard to define SUCCESS.
Find the rest of the show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode132019-12-2428 minA Step ForwardEpisode 12. Inside The Mind Of an Orientation and Mobility Practitioner With Dona SauerburgerHave you ever met someone who has accomplished so much in her career but is still humble enough to say, “I am still learning!”? In this episode, I had the privilege to interview someone who takes every opportunity to continue to grow and further her knowledge so she can share new ways to help people with disabilities.
Meet Dona Sauerburger, an Orientation and Mobility practitioner for 50 years. She is the author of Independence Without Sight or Sound and Self Study Guides: Street Crossing for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, to name a few. She loves to s...2019-12-1726 minA Step Forward11. Embracing where you are right now with Michelle HicksBeing a mother is not always about cute little smiles and kisses from our children; its beauty comes with struggles, too. More so, being a mother and a career woman is on another level. Finding a balance between family life and profession is one heck of a fight, especially for women. We often catch ourselves at a crossroad with hopes that we would make the best decision for our family. Making things work and has become one of our specialties.
In this episode, Michelle Hicks, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, gladly shared her fair share of...2019-12-1027 minA Step Forward10. How not feeling prepared to teach O&M to students with multiple impairments can lead to triumph.Lack of confidence can sometimes hold us back from doing things that we want to do, especially if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s human nature to have mixed feelings about new challenges. There’s the excitement to learn and then we also have the fear of not measuring up.
In this episode, we had a lovely time chatting with Anna Peskin. She is one of the best experts on teaching Orientation and Mobility to children with multiple impairments.
Find the rest of the show notes at https://alli...2019-12-0321 minA Step Forward9. 3 Indoor Orientation and Mobility Lesson Plans to Celebrate the HolidaysIt’s the time of the year again and I don’t know about you, but I am already feeling the holiday breeze in the air! As much as we want to keep our students exploring and learning outdoors, the cold may bother them at some point. So, you might want to start looking at things to do inside, because crossing the streets outside in the cold may be effective, but it’s not very fun.
In this episode, I am going to share some activities that you can do with your students that don’t require being ou...2019-11-2614 minA Step Forward8. How to accurately assess O&M skills in young children with visual impairments.Have you ever had trouble assessing your students' O&M Skills when they were 0-5 or had multiple impairments? On this week's episode, we are joined by Texas Two Steps creators for a casual conversation about the inconsistent evaluations they experienced and how they wanted to improve the assessment and curricula strategies being used with young children.
You'll get to hear all about Tracy's biggest accomplishment, despite having a TON of accolades under her belt. And what Shay thinks is holding us back from becoming the experts in our own right.
...2019-11-1935 minA Step Forward7. Easy 4-step time management system to help you beat overwhelm.Have you ever felt overwhelmed because you have so much on your plate, you couldn't possibly get it all done? Well my friend. Today is your lucky day. I am taking you on a step by step journey detailing the exact system that I use to manage my time. It helps combat feelings of stress, overwhelm, and helps keep you on track so you can get more done in less time.
Learn how to throw away your to-do list with this super easy 4 step time management system.
Find more information at our website: https://alliedindependenceonline.co...2019-11-1225 minA Step Forward6. Teaching O&M in Rural Areas with Shannon Wright and Jeremy HillTeaching O&M in rural areas can be frustrating. The bus doesn't run on time- if at all. There are no sidewalks to help our students get a sense of orientation. The community, though well-meaning, can sometimes hinder our students' independence.
In this episode, Shannon Wright and Jeremy Hill come together from opposite sides of the world to discuss the challenges of teaching O&M in rural areas and how they overcome these challenges.
Join us for an insightful episode that's sure to help you find a creative way to help your students increase their in...2019-11-0533 minA Step ForwardHow to get your students to their off-campus O&M lessons.In this lesson, Kassy shares 5 ways to get your students off of their school campus and in to appropriate learning environments.
See full show notes at https://alliedindependenceonline.com/episode52019-10-2918 minA Step Forward4. How the veterans of WW2 are still influencing your students’ independence.You probably already know that our profession officially started during WW2 and then catapulted in the ’60s when the first university accredited programs were created. Although we started by inviting only World War 2 veterans to live their highest level of independence, we now serve a much broader range of students. Find out where we still struggle and how the veterans of WW2 are still influencing your students' independence. 2019-10-2217 minA Step Forward5 Easy Ways to Celebrate White Cane Day and Blindness Awareness Month5 Easy Ways to Celebrate White Cane Day and Blindness Awareness Month with your Orientation and Mobility Students:
Have a big celebration. Invite 1,000 of your closest friends to march along main street and have a party! Make shirts. Hire a bounce house. Have the mayor give a proclamation. Pull out ALL THE STOPS. This way to celebrate White Cane Day with your students and the entire community. In Austin, they start planning in April and have a lot of support from the community. This is a great option if you are looking for ideas for next year and if y...2019-10-1413 minA Step ForwardHow One O&M Specialist Started the International O&M Online SymposiumJust because you are only one person, doesn't mean you don't have what it takes to make a HUGE impact. Ever wondered how Kassy Maloney came to running the International O&M Online Symposium when she was just an O&M Specialist? Then this episode is for you!
In Episode 2, we are going to take you on the journey of:
How Allied Independence came to came to be.
Answer your burning questions like “Who IS this girl?”, how can an O&M Specialist create an entire purpose-driven company?
How we are working to get more...2019-10-1418 minA Step ForwardA Step Forward for Orientation and Mobility Specialists: What's coming up.Welcome to A Step Forward, a podcast for Orientation and Mobility Specialists!
This week, check out what’s coming up and how Orientation and Mobility Specialists are coming together to take... A Step Forward.
Are you an Orientation and Mobility Specialist who wants to increase the independence of your students with visual impairments? Welcome to A Step Forward, an O&M Specialists’ roadmap for helping your students become more independent while staying sane in the workplace.
Every week, join Kassy Maloney as she has shares conversations with other O&M Specialists to help give...2019-10-1103 min