/ Modified sep 8, 2017 4:16 p.m.

Episode 332: STEM Education For Blind Students

Exploring methods to enrich education for those with visual impairments. Plus, DACA expires in 6 months.

This week President Trump announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program will end in March, 2018. We explore what that means for those who have received the temporary reprieve from deportation.

Then, STEM education for visually-impaired students is making major leaps forward.


A review of what DACA is, and who is eligible to apply. Then, a breakdown of what this week's news means.


How do you teach students who are blind about subjects like math and science?

To find out, we go to the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in Tucson, which has about 150 students and 40 teachers. We hear from Kelly Creasy and Kathy Sierzega, who are teaching students new ways to learn.


Then, we go to University High School. There’s often a misconception that visually impaired students don’t attend public schools, but many do. A teacher and student duo are beating the odds and challenging the status quo by integrating lessons for a student who has visual impairments into a high school science class.


The National Science Foundation recently awarded researchers at the University of Arizona a $1 million grant to study how to better develop teaching stem education — that’s science, technology, engineering and math concepts to students who are blind. Behind the research on how to better support the learning needs to visually impaired students are professors at the U of A Steve Kortenkamp and Sunnggaye Hong.


Finally, we meet students at the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and the Blind who share what they’re learning, how they’re doing so, and their career goals.

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