Stories

LEGO® Braille Bricks

May 7, 2021

BLENNZ is excited to be an official partner of the LEGO Foundation and the LEGO® Braille Bricks toolkit. The LEGO® Braille Bricks concept is a play-based methodology that teaches braille… Read more

Staying safe after an earthquake

March 5, 2021

After the 7.1 earthquake that rocked most of New Zealand at 2.27 a.m. there has been information communicated at different times, including warning of coastal areas about possible tsunamis. Check… Read more

BLENNZ Board of Trustees – Casual vacancy for an elected trustee

December 17, 2020

A casual vacancy has occurred on the board of trustees for an elected parent representative. The board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection. If 10% or more eligible… Read more

Visit by the National Assessment Service to Napier

December 13, 2020

The National Assessment Service went to Napier in early September 2019. This was particularly timely, as four early childhood ākonga were transitioning to school. It has been lovely to see many of the recommendations… Read more

Our new space in Pukekohe

December 1, 2020

BLENNZ is pleased to announce that a new Visual Resource Centre together with a satellite classroom provision of the Homai Campus School, will open at Tamaoho Primary School in Pukekohe… Read more

ZoomPals Hui online Immersion course

November 20, 2020

This year has been challenging for the Immersion team as we responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns (nationally and Auckland-wide). We have seen these challenges as an opportunity to grow and develop Immersion courses; trying new… Read more

Northland Visual Resource Centre relocation

November 19, 2020

After being located in the old dental clinic at Manaia View School for the past nine years, BLENNZ Northland Visual Resource Centre moved into our very own purpose built Sensory Resource Centre located… Read more

Being prepared for change

November 18, 2020

Our work load changed in the year of Covid -19 and our delivery evolved. Remote learning provision became a priority. Making connections via Zoom and messaging become the order of the day. Appropriate devices and parental help… Read more

Transition to post school-life

November 18, 2020

Transition from secondary school to post-school life has been a focus for some of our ākonga in Otago this year. As part of our transition programme for a learner with additional needs we worked with the secondary school… Read more

Outcomes from DOM discussion

November 5, 2020

A highlight for BLENNZ DOM in 2020, was the inclusion of the service in the Lower North Island MOE Property Team meeting in May. Members of the BLENNZ team, Central Region Managers from Taranaki… Read more

BLENNZ

3 months ago

LEGO® Braille BricksBLENNZ is excited to be an official partner of the LEGO Foundation and the LEGO® Braille Bricks toolkit. The LEGO® Braille Bricks concept is a play-based methodology that teaches braille to children who are blind or have a visual impairment aged 4-21. The LEGO Group’s mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine.The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which means “Play Well”. Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. However, its products are now sold in more than 140 countries worldwide. They have collaborated with educators to develop the concept of the LEGO® Braille Brick.Each brick in the LEGO® Braille Bricks toolkit retains its iconic form, but unlike a regular LEGO brick, the studs are arranged to correspond to numbers and letters in the Braille alphabet. Each brick shows the printed version of the symbol or letter, allowing sighted and blind children to play and learn together on equal terms. This ingenious combination of features opens up a whole new world of playful learning that teaches children Braille in an enjoyable and tactile environment.BLENNZ is delighted to announce the launch of this programme across New Zealand with students who are focusing on the development of early braille literacy. Resource Teachers: Vision will under go training provided by the LEGO foundation and undertake direct teaching to this cohort of BLENNZ ākonga. This programme will be rolled out to identified ākonga from mid-June. LEGO® Braille Bricks are a teaching program/resource for early braille literacy. They will be used by the RTV with specific BLENNZ ākonga. Image Description: A child is sitting in front of a grey LEGO base plate which has four rows of LEGO attached. The top two rows are coloured LEGO, the two lower rows are LEGO® Braille Bricks. One LEGO® Braille Bricks row is red and has one top left dot on the brick that represents the letter A and number 1. The second LEGO® Braille Bricks row is yellow and has the top and middle left dots on the brick which represents the letter B and number 2. ... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook