This interview focused more on deaf children who were not able to receive the same academic levels I have received. Too many deaf children were not aware of their potentials, because they believed their academic levels were normal and that they could actually exceed their limit.
Teacher and Tutor Helps Deaf Children
Q: What are ways deaf children can get proper education in public schools to achieve academic success?
A: Each child is different, and a determination has to be made as to the least restrictive environment for the student. For many students, this will be an inclusive school. For others, it will be a school for the deaf. For some, it means a deaf program contained in a public school.
For still more, it means mainstreaming in a public school that has a deaf program where they can go for support and socializing. Students who are mainstreamed in this type of program often do very well, and go on to universities.
Q: How can we best teach in all of these environments to ensure academic success?
A: To surround students with language using literature and text, and to encourage not only reading, but discussion of what is read. Students need equal access to critical thinking skills.
Q: Who do you feel should take responsibility for the deaf children's education?
A: In an inclusive school there needs to be a team working together with the family to ensure a successful academic experience. If the student is struggling, rather than blaming the student, educators need to sit down and reflect on their teaching methods. Educators need to think about what they can do to empower the student, and help the student become engaged in learning
Q: Do you think that parents should learn visual language to help them communicate to their deaf children?
A: To quote from the national organization Hands and Voices, "What works for your child is what makes the choice right." Some parents may believe they are making the best choice for their child while ignoring how their child may be struggling. Many students do succeed in oral/aural environments.
Many others prefer a total communication environment of both spoken and sign language. If the child is using sign language in school then the parents should learn visual language.
If a child was born deaf and is struggling with a cochlear implant or hearing aids, the parents would empower both themselves and their child by learning sign language.
Q: Do you believe the state schools for the deaf are in jeopardy today?
A: One need to look at state schools to see they are struggling. Numbers are dwindling as more children receive cochlear implants and are sent to their home schools, whether or not they are best for the children.
At one state school, a teacher told me they often have junior and high school students attending their programs after the public school failed to help them. Note: I'm not saying the students failed to learn in public schools, the public schools failed them.
Q: What do you do to help this situation?
A: I've asked the deaf programs in my area to hire me as an itinerant school librarian, but they claim there's no money even though they have a itinerant art therapist. I created my tutoring services to supplement student learning, but word has been slow to get out.
Without teachers encouraging my service, parents are reluctant to devote the time and money needed to get help for their children. I have a student I tutor who is in 5th grade, and came to me in September reading at the 2nd grade level. It recent weeks, I've seen her fluency increase. She begun reading chapter books. She's reading at a 3rd grade reading level now.
The student's mother made the decision to find her daughter a tutor, because she felt her daughter could accomplish far more than she had at that point. I've been talking to a few other deaf (newly) unemployed teachers about creating our own after school enrichment program.
Q: What is your goal to help deaf children?
A: My goal as a school librarian and a tutor is to provide students with every opportunity to succeed by exposing them to literature and language, and encouraging them to think and ask questions.
I actually had someone who was hearing impaired in a class while I was a freshman, and they required the use of a sign-language assistant. This made me wonder however if no assistant is available what then? As someone who keeps up with technology I thought, why haven't there been other methods to help with this. For example should a teacher that doesn't know sign language have the need to provide answers, couldn't a program easily be devised where they could do text/speech to video of the words, similar to the text to speech programs currently available.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly the TED talks haven't posted anything about innovations in curing deafness, that's a little disappointing.
Well, sign language interpreter is not the only option today. They have Communication Access Real-Time (CART). A translator would use stenograph machines and translate the class lecture into real-time captioning in laptops for students to read. I do wonder, what if there isn't a CART translator? That would be so difficult to learn without it. I guess a notetaker will suffice? I still think it is not enough, because what will the deaf students do during class lectures. I mean I wouldn't want to sit in class and twiddle with my fingers bored as heck.
ReplyDelete