Minneapolis - It’s an exciting time of year as students and teachers head back to school. For students who experience bullying, however, going back to school can be a time of anxiety and apprehension, affecting their education, health, and safety.
October marks National Bullying Prevention Month, which was initiated by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in 2006 and brings together communities around the world to unite in a campaign to keep all youth safe from bullying. National Bullying Prevention Month is supported by hundreds of schools, community members, major corporations, and celebrities, and it is an opportunity to encourage everyone to unite for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
One of every five students reports being bullied during the school year. Online, the percentage of individuals who have experienced cyberbullying has nearly doubled over the past decade.
“October is a time when educators, students, parents, and community members can unite to share their support for the important issue of bullying prevention,” said Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “Together, we can make our schools, communities, and online environments safer.”
There are many ways to be involved during National Bullying Prevention Month, such as wearing and sharing orange on Unity Day, Wednesday, Oct. 23, to send a unified, orange message of hope and support to those who experience bullying.
PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers resources for students, parents, schools, and communities to address bullying. Engagement begins with its three innovative websites, all created to target a specific audience:
• PACER.org/bullying for parents and professionals
• PACERTeensAgainstBullying.org for middle and high school students
• PACERKidsAgainstBullying.org for elementary school students
These websites provide information about bullying at school, in communities, and online and support to those who experience bullying. The sites include classroom toolkits and activities, videos, personal stories, statistics, and resources to raise awareness of this important issue, and feature a pledge kids and teens can take to be together against bullying.
For more information about National Bullying Prevention Month and to learn how to become involved in this worldwide campaign, call 952-838-9000 or visit PACER.org/bullying.
DCMP Resources
Stop Bullying - Features DCMP media for students, parents, and educators about bullying, including videos with lesson guides. |
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In 1964, the United States Congress adopted a joint resolution designating October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day. Initially a day recognizing white canes as tools for safe and independent travel, today the emphasis is on independence and equality for people who are blind. In 2011, White Cane Safety Day was also named Blind Americans Equality Day by President Obama. It is alternately recognized as White Can Awareness Day.
Courtesy Tips
- Before helping someone with a white cane, ask first.
- Identify yourself when speaking.
- Drivers must yield the right of way to pedestrians with a white cane or guide dog.
Related Media Resources
Raising A Visually Impaired Child (Series)
Children with visual impairments and their family members discuss their lives, highlight activities they participate in, and promote the message of inclusion and respect.
Grades 7-12 / PT-TT
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Our Special Life: A Child With Blindness (The Planson Family)
Emma is an active five-year-old who enjoys gymnastics and Girl Scouts. She was born with a visual impairment. In this episode, her family discusses learning to read and write in Braille. Part of the Our Special Life series.
Grades 7-12
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The American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project (ACB-ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program are cosponsoring an exciting opportunity for young people who are blind and visually impaired, in four categories from ages 7 to 21: the Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) contest.
Kids love movies! Multimedia experiences are integral to public, private, and special education curriculum. Audio description provides access to all the visual images of the films and videos that young people who are sighted enjoy.
Students can choose an audio-described film or video from the thousands of titles available through DCMP, borrow an audio-described video from a library, or find dozens of audio-described videos available for purchase through the ACB-ADP website.
Reviews can be submitted in writing, in braille, or via an audio recording. Entries can also be submitted via email or postal mail.
Deadline for entries is Friday, December 6, 2019. Contest winners in each category will be chosen by January of 2020, and the grand-prize winner will receive an iPad Mini! Each first-place winner will receive a $100 iTunes gift card. Second-place winners will receive a $50 iTunes gift card, and the third-place winners will receive a $25 iTunes gift card. Each supporting teacher who has a first-place winning student will be awarded a $100 Amazon gift card.
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QuickClasses are three-week asynchronous, online classes for professionals working with students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision, or deaf-blind. Choose your preferred time during the week to work online and meet weekly deadlines. Expect to spend approximately five hours per week completing the required work. When you successfully complete the class, you will receive a certificate for 15 continuing education credits. Free of charge and fully accessible.
QuickClass: Using Accessible Media in the Classroom With Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
November 4 – November 24, 2019
For professionals working with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing in K-12 educational settings. Explores the benefits of using media in the classroom. Explains the importance of accessible media for students with sensory impairments as well as students with and without disabilities. Learn to evaluate the quality of accessibility features and various techniques for utilizing media to enhance classroom instruction.
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QuickClass: Using Accessible Media in the Classroom With Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired
November 4 – November 24, 2019
For professionals working with individuals who are blind or visually impaired in K-12 educational settings. Explores the benefits of using media in the classroom. Explains the importance of accessible media for students with sensory impairments as well as students with and without disabilities. Learn to evaluate the quality of accessibility features and various techniques for utilizing media to enhance classroom instruction.
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Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math. They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race explores the story of four female African-American mathematicians as they overcame gender and racial barriers to succeed in a highly challenging career. Based on the children's book by Margot Lee Shetterly.
Grades 2-5
DCMP partners with professional educators who create original content and who share our commitment of promoting equal access in the classroom. Genetics PhD Alex Dainis encourages students to "Go forth and do science!" as she explains GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein), pigments found in leaves, the uses and history of parafilm, and the science behind striking a match.
Grades 10-12
The Cerebellum Channel features over 100 accessible educational videos on nearly every school subject. Recently added are Trail of Tears, Ulysses S. Grant: A Legacy of Freedom, Break It Down: Velocity & Friction, Bullying: There's Always a Way Out, Children and Divorce (Series), Guidance Systems: Gay and Accepted, and Science to Go With Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Series). Cerebellum also has parent and teacher training videos.
Grades 2-12
Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins. Some people collect art. However, Jerome collects words after he discovers that words have the power to connect, transform, and empower. Based on the children's book by Peter H. Reynolds.
Grades 3-5
Other videos based on books written or illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds:
The North Star • The Dot • The Dot (Spanish) • Sky Color • Ish
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Conferences
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OCT
10-13
Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness (SERID) Conference
The Westin Huntsville - Huntsville, AL
DCMP will be presenting and exhibiting. Website
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OCT
27-29
CASE/NASDSE Joint Conference
Galt House - Louisville, KY
DCMP will be exhibiting. Website
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NOV
14-16
American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Conference & Exhibition
Kentucky International Convention Center - Louisville, KY
DCMP will be exhibiting and presenting. Website
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DCMP membership provides unlimited access to thousands of accessible educational videos. We're fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education, so there are no costs associated with any of our services. Family members, school personnel, and other professionals who work with early learners through Grade 12 students with a hearing or vision loss do qualify for membership. DCMP members can:
- Access thousands of educational videos that are described and captioned, and aligned to standards, in our Media Library, including training for parents, teachers, and interpreters.
- Check out videos on DVD (with free return postage), or watch instantly on PC, Roku, Apple TV, tablets, and smartphones. iOS users can use the DCMP iOS app.
- Create and share Student Accounts to assign videos and promote independent learning.
- Access resources on education, accessibility, and advocacy in our Learning Center.
- Stay up-to-date on news and recently added videos by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
- Watch accessible television series such as Cyberchase, How the Earth Was Made, Nature, Teen Kids News, and This Old House: Trade School.
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Screen shot from "Where the Wild Things Are."