American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Spring 2020 EDUCATION
The Art of Teaching: Introducing the National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education
by Eric Guillory
From the Editor: First established in 2011, the National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education (PIBE) is a vitally important division of the National Federation of the Blind. In this article PIBE President Eric Guillory introduces the division, describing its goals and accomplishments.
"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." This quote from Mark Van Doren speaks to the critical importance of students taking an active role in exploring their environments. Van Doren recognizes the meaning, joy, and challenges these places and contexts have to offer. As a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education, or PIBE as we are more commonly known, works to foster exploration and creative problem solving in the lives of blind students, their families, and the educators with whom they interact.
THE MISSION OF PIBE
As the premier consumer organization of blind people in the United States, the NFB possesses the experience and know-how to address the myriad opportunities and challenges of today's fast-paced, highly dynamic world. All too often educators serving blind students feel overwhelmed and alone, uncertain of where to turn for resources and networking opportunities. By connecting with PIBE professionals and, by extension, those they serve, educators can gain two essential elements—expertise and hope.
Since its founding in 1940, the National Federation of the Blind has combatted the tyranny of low expectations. Tirelessly it has resisted the deleterious effects that low expectations have on educational and life outcomes for blind students. Through innovative initiatives developed and led by skilled, knowledgeable blind experts, the Federation demonstrates that diminished expectations, rather than blindness itself, create and perpetuate obstacles to success in the classroom and beyond. PIBE members are among those who take the lead in crafting current and future programming that will ensure that students are provided access to the skills they deserve. These skills, along with a positive philosophy about blindness, can enable them to compete on terms of equality with their sighted peers.
Through the individual and collective efforts of its members, PIBE has been influential at the local, state, and national levels since it was established. It conducts workshops, gives presentations, and provides requested support to individual educators and students. Often PIBE works collaboratively with the Jernigan Institute, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), and others in the provision of these services.
PIBE RESPONDS TO COVID-19
In March 2020 schools began to close their doors, and students, teachers, and families scrambled to acclimate to at-home learning. Members of PIBE and NOPBC worked in concert with the Federation's education team to develop instructional content for our blind children. Following the lead of Education Programs Coordinator Karen Anderson, this group of dedicated individuals worked quickly and with savvy. Members teamed up with additional Federationists to create meaningful resources that will remain useful for the foreseeable future. Please visit https://www.nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources to explore the fun and engaging materials that have been made available free of charge.
"In the National Federation of the Blind, we believe in the capacity of blind students to shape their own destinies," says Karen Anderson. "These students deserve the same opportunities to access high-quality instructional content as do their sighted peers. I am privileged to serve alongside my fellow Federationists as we work to provide meaningful lessons for students and their families. The negative that is COVID-19 has given us new opportunities to continue to make a positive difference in their lives."
LOOKING AHEAD
The coming months will doubtless be fraught with uncertainty and replete with challenges. Nevertheless, this uncertainty will not impede our ongoing commitment to blind students and their families. We will make sure that students and those who serve them remain connected and that their educational rights are protected. Already PIBE is planning the next series of lessons and other distance education content, doing so in consultation with students, families, and practitioners. In spite of the dire effects the pandemic continues to have on our world, we will not settle for blind students being given short shrift. Our advocacy work, always of paramount importance, is indispensable. We will not retreat from the hard-fought gains it has taken us far too long to realize. The determination of our members and the support of our fellow Federationists will give students and educators the opportunities and the victories they deserve.
To join or to learn more about the Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education, please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/npibe.