Hi Dr. Bell, Thanks for your message. I definitely understood that any employer has the right to choose what they want to support; they will naturally want employees to keep their certifications but are never required by anyone to pay for anything. It is helpful to know, for sure, that Washington Seminar counts toward recertification. I am far more interested in the claim that Washington Seminar has nothing to do with our profession than I am in the decision itself. It is my hope that I can play a role in educating all players involved so that we may take a more holistic view of the empowerment model and really understand that Structured Discovery Cane Travel is not just about crossing streets and doing drop routes. It reminds me of Dr. Schroeder's guest lecture about holism versus reductionism. Yours, Justin Salisbury Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB Opportunity Ambassador National Federation of the Blind Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats From: Edward Bell [mailto:ebell at pdrib.com] Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 3:59 AM To: Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>; NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org Subject: RE: [Nomc] Washington Seminar as Professional Development Justin, Washington seminar can absolutely count for CEU points. What you are asking is a two part question. NBPCB reserves the right to count or discount any sort of training or conference if we don't feel it contributes to your professional knowledge related to SDCT. Irrespective of what NBPCB will count for CEU points, your employer has the total right to determine which sorts of professional development opportunities they wish to support, whether they count toward CEC or not. You have undoubtedly already participated in state staff trainings that do not count towards your recertification, but your employer feels it is important for you. On the other hand, they need not give you time off or support you going to professional development opportunities just because you want them to. Many employers will not support folks going to national convention even though hwe have a day-long seminar specifically on O&M. Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC Director, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 210 Woodard Hall PO Box 3158 Ruston LA 71272 Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010 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 From: NOMC [mailto:nomc-bounces at lists.nbpcb.org] On Behalf Of Justin Salisbury Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2016 6:59 PM To: NOMC at lists.nbpcb.org Subject: [Nomc] Washington Seminar as Professional Development Aloha everyone, I have recently partaken in conversations about the legitimacy of attending the Washington Seminar of the National Federation of the Blind as part of the professional development of a mobility instructor holding the NOMC. I am writing to ask a few questions to see how this practice has been justified by others before me. On the NBPCB website, there is a section discussing recertification. It reads: Recertification NBPCB recognizes the need for Certified Blindness Professionals to continue their education and training in order to remain current on innovations and policies in the field. Therefore, individuals must reapply every five years for recertification in order to maintain active NOMC status. The Recertification process is designed to ensure that all certificants maintain their skills and knowledge as cane travel instructors, and to promote continuous education within the profession. Recertification can be met by either retesting or providing documentation of a minimum of 100 Continuing Education credits throughout the five-year certification period. The following activities are examples of opportunities which may be helpful in a crewing continued education credits: o Professional Conferences and Presentations o Contribution to published works in the field of rehabilitation for the blind o Providing professional preparation o Engaging in relevant training o Conducting research in the field of rehabilitation of the blind o Providing community service including rehabilitation of the blind o Governmental Affairs o Professional Ethics (10 points must come from this category) Given that statement, it seems obvious to me that attending Washington Seminar is professional development because it helps us get recertified. I am hearing, though, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the job of a mobility instructor and that there is no way that it can be justified as professional development. How exactly is it that others have successfully justified attending Washington Seminar as professional development? Thank you in advance, Justin Salisbury Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB Opportunity Ambassador National Federation of the Blind Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats