Charlotte Cushman – Educational Resources Manager
Testimonial: Collaborating with Paths to Literacy, Perkins Schools for the Blind
Charlotte Cushman -Educational Resources Manager for Perkins Schools for the Blind in Massachusetts, USA
Perkins was America’s first school for educating the blind and deafblind, incorporated in 1829, and is famous for being the school that taught Helen Keller. The organisation maintains a number of websites for teachers of visual impairment, and Charlotte first met Positive Eye Director Gwyneth McCormack when she approached her online to ask if she could share information about Positive Eye.
Charlotte says, “We began a long distance friendship. Gwyneth has always been so passionate about what she does, her attitude is ‘what can I give you to help – what can I share with you?’ After working with her online, I was delighted that she was able to come to the conference and share her knowledge and enthusiasm with an American audience.
“Her energy was amazing. When she arrived I was the only person in America who knew about Positive Eye, but by the end of the conference everybody knew her, and wanted to work with her.”
“She is very practical and hands on, and invents resources that anybody can recreate at home. She opened people’s minds to a new way of teaching – explaining how you can teach so many things from a single activity. Gwyneth is a champion for integrated learning. The resources she creates are perfect for teaching the visually impaired, but can also be applicable for a wide range of special educational needs.
When Gwyneth came to our conference, everybody who met her wanted her to return and run courses for them, but with the distances involved that is not always practical, which is why we invited her to do a webinar for us.
Gwyneth is inspirational, her passion and her enthusiasm shine through and make a difference, and she creates practical, accessible and imaginative resources that anyone can use. We are delighted to work with Positive Eye and would recommend them to everyone involved in the world of VI and SEN education worldwide.”
