EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND IN THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS

The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the teacher development process in a virtual learning environment as well as to link this process to the teaching learning contexts of visually impaired students. In this perspective, the paper addresses two objectives which, although distinct, are connected by the same theoretical epistemological reference, pointing to language as an essential tool through which individuals constitute themselves as historical and cultural subjects. The conclusions tend to show that the formation of teachers in virtual learning environments may favor the construction of new knowledge based on dialogic and collaborative network communication. In this sense, it is possible to build a construction space of the senses for the visually impaired in learning processes utilizing educational strategies which also allow for dialogues and the construction and diffusion of knowledge.