Hi everyone! I have a great solution for REMOTELY teaching students LOTS of hands-on skills for uncontrolled crossings, such as learning to analyze situations to determine if it would be clear to cross when quiet; recognizing masking sounds and their effect on the ability to hear vehicles; measuring the warning time of approaching vehicles and comparing it with their crossing time; developing an intuitive understanding of their crossing time; learning how to analyze risks of crossing, and more! You can do this all remotely without the internet if you use the APH program “Crossing with No Traffic Control,” which provides very realistic simulations of the sound of approaching vehicles, with step-by-step instructions for teaching your students the skills and concepts they need to deal with crossings with no traffic control. The program requires that the instructor be with the student during these exercises, which you can do by phone, skype, face-time, etc. in such a way that you and your student can both hear the exercises and instructions. The program comes with two headphones to allow you to hear what the student hears while you sit beside her, but I’ve used the program with the computer speakers, which should allow you to hear from your phone or skype. In order to present appropriate simulation exercises, the program needs to have the student’s actual crossing time. Normally you would determine that by timing the student crossing a street that you have chosen as the site where she can come back and apply the skills that she masters through the simulation exercises. Since you can’t be with the student to get her street-crossing time, you could either have the student’s family take the student to the street you’ve chosen and get her crossing time or, if that would be difficult or you’re uncomfortable having the family be responsible while the student crosses, you can measure the street and ask the student / family to mark that distance in a driveway or parking lot and time her while she walks that distance (the APH program has instructions for timing the crossing – if the student is crossing the distance in a safe, quiet place rather than the street, be sure she understands that she is to walk as fast as she would if she’s trying to get across the street). To use the program remotely, you could install the program in the student’s computer or lend the family your computer, though in either case you’d have to be careful that they have no password to allow them to see any records from your other students (yes, the program automatically documents the students’ progress for you!). The program is available from APH for $65, and can be purchased with quota funds. Information is at https://www.aph.org/product/crossings-with-no-traffic-control/ -------------------------------------- ANOTHER IDEA to develop concepts is to go through the Self-Study Guides on street crossings with your students – they can read segments and then discuss with you. They are at a.. Uncontrolled Crossings: www.sauerburger.org/dona/crosscredit.html b.. Signalized Crossings: www.sauerburger.org/dona/signal.html -- Dona ________________________________________ Dona Sauerburger, COMS Orientation and Mobility Specialist for the blind Gambrills, Maryland dona@sauerburger.org / 301-858-0138 www.sauerburger.org ________________________________________