After teaching the reading story “From Puppy to Guide Dog”, the students became very interested in knowing about guide dogs. They asked questions like “How are they trained?”, “Can I play with them?” or “May I have one at home?” They wanted to know all about guide dogs. After the school announced that the students had a chance to see one up close, all of the kids were looking forward to that day.

The students marched into the auditorium filled with anticipation and Molly was waiting quietly for us on the stage. Molly is a three-year-old Black Labrador and one of around 40 guide dogs currently working in Taiwan. The students watched closely as Molly demonstrated how she helps people. Several student volunteers were even able to go onto the stage and interact with Molly. The students were blindfolded, and Molly helped them walk around the room and find places to sit down. Everyone agreed that life can be much harder for people who cannot see, and guide dogs can help them in many ways,

When it comes to Guide dogs or Guide Dogs in training, there are some rules that we should follow, like “No feeding, no interference, no rejection, and active inquiry!” During the whole process, Molly wasn’t affected by the noisy environment, and she waited patiently for her instructions. The guide dog training process is very solid.

It’s very touching and inspiring to watch the kids interact with guide dogs, and the feedback from the parents was very positive and supportive. Through the authentic interaction, students can experience real life beyond their textbooks.

自從導讀了Reading Class的課文“From Puppy to Guide Dog”之後，與孩子們分享導盲犬是如何幫助人類，孩子們就對導盲犬的一切充滿興趣。“他們是怎們訓練的?” “我們可以跟他們玩嗎?” “我家可不可以也養一隻Guide Dog?” 不斷地問著跟Guide Dog相關的問題。在宣佈學校將會邀請“導盲犬協會”的訓練員與導盲犬來學校之後，孩子們更是滿心期待著活動日的到來。

活動當天，一進入視聽中心，就看到導盲犬Molly靜靜地趴在舞台上等待我們的到臨。Molly是一隻3歲左右的黑色拉布拉多犬，同時也是我國目前經內政部核可的現役導盲犬四十多隻的其中一隻。訓練員邀請了幾位小朋友上台做體驗，因為要感受盲人的不便，所以上台的孩子要全程戴上眼罩，體驗如何使用白手杖去找到椅子，並順利的坐下來。平常下課總是活蹦亂跳的小朋友，在戴上了眼罩後，每個人都是小心翼翼的走，不敢大步向前邁進，真實體驗了盲人生活中的不便。

在活動中，訓練員分享了許多與導盲犬相關的知識，譬如在公共場合遇見有配戴盲鞍，或是穿著印有“導盲犬訓練中”紅背心的導盲犬時，要遵守三不一問的原則 : 不餵食、不干擾、不拒絕、主動詢問。在整個活動過程中，導盲犬Molly總是靜靜地等候指令，堅守自己的工作崗位，不會因為外在環境的喧擾而受影響，讓人感受到這整個訓練養成的過程真的很專業、很紮實。

   身為低年級的導師，雖然已經不是第一次參加這個活動，但是每次看到孩子與導盲犬之間真誠的互動，以及活動過後家長所給予的正面肯定與回饋，內心總是充滿感動。透過這次的體驗，孩子們都對導盲犬有更多的認識與了解，而這種真實接觸的感動，是讀再多教科書都體會不到的。

By Teacher Zack and Teacher Karen