HI everyone,
I?m going to agree with my classmate Joanne here, though I think it will be some challenge to determine exactly which centers practice under the Structured Discovery model. To be clear, I fully support the idea of anyone from SAAVI joining if they want, even though SAAVI is not accredited so far as I know.
There are even some individuals who are quite open to our ways who do not hold a certification or work at an accredited center. For example, there is a COMS here in Pennsylvania who is blind and is a graduate of the Colorado Center, but who attended one of the in-state COMS programs. I would never expect her to be hostile to anything we do because that?s why she can live the life she wants, and she also does not work for an agency that gives any praise to Structured Discovery so far as they know.
If we are going to draw some kind of clear line, it?s difficult. I might be open to us saying something like ?All NOMCs plus travel instructors at training centers that are actively contracting with NBPCB for consultation,? which I will assume is true for SAAVI, or something like that.
With all due respect to those COMS who work with NOMCs, I donn?t know that simply having an NOMC as a coworker should be a sufficient credential alone.
Aloha,
Justin
Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury
he/him/his
Phone: 808.797.8606
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury
?Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.?
Cesar Chavez
From: Jane Lansaw <widearc2000 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 7:14 PM
To: Joanne Gabias <jklgabias at hotmail.com>
Cc: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>; Edward Bell <ebell at pdrib.com>; NOMC Mailing list <nomc at lists.nbpcb.org>
Subject: Re: [Nomc] Question about zoom participants
I agree with Joanne about the methodology. If somebody is teaching under our methodology and is not behaving in a confrontational manner toward structured discoverists, maybe they can have someone like Joanne or Dr. Bell or myself recommend them to be allowed in our regular meetings. I?d like to keep those meetings a safe place so that we don?t have to be confronted by people who will never get it.
That said, like I said when I responded to Justin, perhaps special meetings for outsiders could be arranged and perhaps even our own members could be hand-picked to best educate those who are at least saying they want to be educated. By keeping the two group support, we can discuss what we want safely amongst ourselves and still meet our obligations to educate the public. I really want to different sets of meetings. I would volunteer to help with the other meetings if allowed. In my state there is only one other orientation and mobility instructor that I would recommend for our meetings. He does not teach understructure discovery but he has had limited exposure to it in Texas. He would not be confrontational. Even if he disagreed with someone he would do it respectfully and would probably ask his questions in a manner calculated to learn rather than to criticize. The other two in my state are very confrontational and I really don?t care if they are in any of our meetings. I would actually hope they never show up to a national convention because I believe that they would be extremely disruptive and come home very critical of every little thing.
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 21, 2020, at 6:02 PM, Joanne Gabias > wrote:
?
Hello Dr. Bell and others,
Although I completely agree with Justin about wanting to be able to discuss with people who are using Structured Discovery methodology, I do not think we should limit it based off of their qualifications. My reasoning is that I currently work with a COMs but she has adopted Structured Discovery methodology. I think it is very important for her to feel welcome to learn from other Structured Discovery instructors. She believes in how we teach and she is learning a lot from participating in these discussions. It is unrealistic to ask her to go back to school for her NOMC just to be able to participate in these discussion. This is the best place for her to learn.
My suggestion is that it is limited to NOMCs and instructors at centers which are teaching under Structured Discovery Methodology. If we want to create another one that is open to everyone we could do that as well but I think it is important that anyone who is teaching under Structured Discovery Methodology is welcome.
All the best,
Joanne Gabias, M.A., NOMC, NCUEB, NCRTB
Statewide Operations Manager
SAAVI Services for the Blind
________________________________
From: NOMC > on behalf of Justin Salisbury >
Sent: April 21, 2020 3:05 PM
To: Edward Bell >; NOMC Mailing list >
Subject: Re: [Nomc] Question about zoom participants
Hi Dr. Bell,
I would be happy to have one that includes those who practice under the vision-centered approach, but I would like to be sure that we can have a conversation just among our people in a purified space.
The reason I say that is that I think the call with the vision-centered folks will end up taking on the focus of us sharing what we do with them, and that would distract from what I would expect to have on the call that is just for Structured Discovery practitioners.
For me, there is value to having that interaction with outsiders for us to teach them, but I would benefit from that purified space to talk, too.
Mahalo and aloha,
Justin
Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury
he/him/his
Phone: 808.797.8606
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury
?Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.?
Cesar Chavez
From: NOMC > On Behalf Of Edward Bell
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 5:51 PM
To: NOMC Mailing list >
Subject: [Nomc] Question about zoom participants
Hello,
First, my apology for the dropped zoom call today. I now know what the problem is and will work for that not to happen again.
My question is about participation in any future of these zoom meetings.
At national convention we open our conference to anyone interested, but we keep this NOMC list primarily restricted to only certified NOMC.
Last week, I mostly only allowed NOMC onto the zoom call list. This week I am getting increasing numbers of requests to participate by O&M people who are not NOMC. So far, I am adding them to the registration list; however, I do realize in these times you all are discussing somewhat sensitive information, some of which others may not agree with.
My question to those who are NOMC: From next week forward for as long as we do these weekly zoom calls, are you all comfortable with conventional O&M joining this conversation or would you rather I restrict it to only NOMC at this time.
I am glad to do it either way
Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC, Director,
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
600 Mayfield Ave / 210 Woodard Hall
PO Box 3158
Ruston LA 71272
Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259
ebell at latech.edu www.pdrib.comhttp://www.pdrib.com
*************
"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops."
-- Stephen Jay Gould
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