Tactile Aids

My country rep commissioned me to write a piece on my use of Tactile Aids. He shared it with his colleges who are running a summer school for special needs children.

Here it is for your perusal.

"My name is Fidra Sym. I’m currently volunteering at Devnar School for the Blind via the charity Project Trust. Teaching English to lower classes is one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever undertaken. They have limited English and I have very limited Telugu. Through trial and error I’ve found various ways to make English more accessible to my special students.  Although they are deprived of sight they make good use of their other senses, especially touch which enables them to read Braille. Tactile Posters are already used in Devnar explaining everything from circulatory systems to cells in biology. All have been meticulously handcrafted by the Biology Teacher, Mr. Egbert Dawson. As someone who loves art and being creative I’ve been very inspired by the possibilities of this medium.

International Education Week was a challenge for me to share global knowledge. After repeated attempts to verbally explain the small bumpy country of my birth were met with incomprehension I decided to take them on a tour.  I made a3d model of native country Scotland.  It’s creation began with scavenging some sturdy cardboard onto which the outline of Scotland was drawn. Using a simple combination of flour, salt and water I created a dough.  With this I sculpted the winding coastline, rolling fields and jagged peaks of Scotland. Major cities were marked by thumb tacks. Removable signs with Braille labels provided names for older pupils to read but could be removed for the less careful younger ones. Durability was a necessity. A lick of paint finished it all off.  

All my hard work was worth it for the children’s responses. They enjoyed exploring the length and breadth of a new country. As they felt along the many mountains, lakes and fields many varied questions appeared and I was able to explain the landscape in an accessible way.

Since this success I have created more tactile aids. Thanks to a generous donation from a friend all the way over in Scotland I was able to make some vocabulary posters. Using 3D foam stickers in the form of various animals stuck onto a drawn setting ie. Jungle, with written and Braille labels. This is suitable for partially sighted and totally blind pupils. When used in class the partially sighted pupils help guide their blind friends around the poster and explain. It’s great to witness such co-operation. Also 3D rewards charts provide a tangible incentive for good behaviour.

Through these endeavors I found a creative outlet which benefits my pupils. Thinking outside the box can yield interesting results. Learning aids are often very visual; it’s easy to forget our other senses can be used to great effect in education. I’m grateful to my pupils for obligating me to consider other options which opened my mind to the possibilities of classroom aids. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my wonderful pupils it’s that nothing is impossible - you may just need a different perspective. "