Transcript An Opportunity To Share…To Learn…& To Collaborate

An Opportunity To
Share…To Learn…&
To Collaborate
Harold Johnson/Professor – Kent State University
Formally a Member of the Memphis City School –
Deaf Education Faculty
(1971-1977)
December 12, 2002
Its been a l o n g time!
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Please tell me…
Who is here today?
 What and where do you teach?
 What is the biggest challenge you now face within
your teaching?
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Since I left Memphis in ‘77
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1977-1980 - Univ. of Cincinnati – Ed. D.
1980-present – Kent State University – Deaf
Education Teacher Preparation Program
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Teaching & Supervision
Language Assessment & Instruction
 Instructional Approaches & Settings
 Curriculum Design & Instructional Strategies
 Practicum & Student Teaching
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Research & Service
Use of technology to enhance teaching & learning
 Establishment of a community of learners
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My Nonacademic Work
Almost Done
How it looks now from my home office window
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I need your advice…
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Part of my job calls for me to see the “big
picture,” to design the “big solution” and to
then seek the “big funds” that are needed to
implement the “big solution.”
As such, I need your advice to determine if I am
on the right track or not.
Please don’t be shy….tell me what you think.
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Three Main Problems
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What is your reaction to the following summary
of the major problems facing Deaf Education?
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…Problems
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Problem #1:
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“The primary problem of deafness…
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…is not too little hearing, but too much interpersonal and
informational isolation.”
…1999-2000 AY – 71,500 d/hh K-12 students
…80% of those students are now educated in public school settings
…60% of those settings serve 1-3 students a year
= d/hh students lack sufficient:
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role models &
comprehensible, engaging , rigorous and age appropriate learning
opportunities
Is this a problem in Memphis?
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… Problems
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Problem #2:
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“The primary problem of Deaf Education…
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…is not a lack of information, innovation or effort, but rather a
persistent and growing difficulty in achieving critical mass of
individuals, knowledge and resources.”
…too few deaf education professionals in a school
…too much difficulty in gathering needed information
…too little access to pertinent learning materials & activities
= deaf education professionals lack sufficient access to:
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efficient collaborative opportunities concerning effective, innovative
teaching strategies &
engaging, rigorous, age appropriate curricular resources and instructional
activities
Is this a problem in Memphis?
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…Problems
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Problem #3:
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“The primary problem of Deaf Education teacher
preparation …
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…is not a lack of information, innovation or effort, but rather a
persistent and growing ‘realities divide’ between what is taught in
colleges and how teaching is conducted in K-12 settings.”
…college resources are not found in K-12 settings
…research neither informs or is informed by practice
…preservice teachers receive conflicting information in their college
classes vs. field experiences
= preservice teachers lack access to:
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innovative and effective K-12 teachers of d/hh students &
engaging, rigorous, age appropriate curricular resources and instructional
activities
Is this a problem in Memphis?
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Solutions
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How many years of teaching experience are
represented by the Memphis Deaf Education
faculty here today?
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…Solutions
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Given all those years of experience, please share
with me some of the “tricks of the trade” that
you have learned.
Please tell me what you have found that enables you
to engage, challenge and inform your d/hh students.
 Please tell me what YOU have found to be engaging,
challenging and informative within Deaf Education.
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…Solutions
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Since 1991 I have been working to establish an
online learning community that collaboratively
seeks to recognize excellence and enhance
learning within Deaf Education.
Rita….if you have not already done so, will you
please pass out the brochures and posters that I
sent to you.
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Have any of you been to this Web site?
Are any of you already users of the site?
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A few of the Web site features…
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Deaf Web Net Search Engine
Information and links to the nation’s Deaf Ed.
teacher preparation programs and major
professional organizations.
An interactive job/resume data base and
calendar of events.
An opt. to become a “Cyber Mentor” to an indi.
who is in prep. to become a Deaf Ed. teacher.
+….
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…features (cont.)
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An opt. to ask questions/read the responses of a growing array
to “Topical Experts”
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Attention Deficit Disorders
Bilingual/Bicultural
Early Intervention
Methodology Questions for New Teachers
Multicultural Education
Multiple Disabilities
Oral/Aural
Technology Integration
Thinking Skills for Deaf Learners
An interactive data base of deafness related scholarships,
documents and Web sites
“My DeafEd” Personnel Web page
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So what do you think?
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What would you like to know more about?
What would you suggest we add to the Web site?
Do you want to give it a “spin?”
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First...You Must Log On to the site
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Who is going to be our Web site
Navigator?
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Lets try out the Deaf Web Net Search
engine….I wonder what we will find if we
search for “Memphis”
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…Web site exploration (cont.)
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Just for “kicks” lets see what kind of jobs are
“out there” in Deaf Ed.
First lets look in Tennessee
 Other states you would like to look in
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…Web site exploration (cont.)
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Lets also look to see who wants to work in
Tennessee….resume search option
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Moving On…
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If we had more time, we could check out the other
features of the Web site.
I hope all of you will:
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become registered users of the Deaf Ed. Web site
place the poster in a prominent place in your classroom
pass the brochure along to a parent or another teacher of
d/hh students
consider becoming a “Cyber Mentor” for an indi. who is in
preparation to become our colleague...just one e-mail
message a week…sent/received….to share ideas, questions
and resources
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How are we doing on time?
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So far we have just touched on “what is.”
We have not even discussed what we are
working on now.
I would love to know how you are planning to
further strengthen what must be one of the
largest public school K-12 deaf ed. programs in
the country
If time permitted….
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…time
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If time permitted, I would love to tell you about some
of the projects I am working on now:
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Establishing a “Virtual Professional Development School for
Deaf Education”
Research concerning the use of a Web based curriculum tool
(Nettrekker) in Deaf Ed.
Using Internet based video conferencing technologies to link
K-12 w/ Deaf Ed. teacher preparation programs throughout
the country
Design & submission of a major NSF proposal to enhance
science and math instruction, resources and research in Deaf
Ed.
+++++ .....guess we just can’t catch up all at one time
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Ongoing Interactions
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I hope that this is only the first of many times
that we have to interact with one another.
I know that I, my students and colleagues
around the nation would benefit from closer ties
with the Memphis Deaf Ed. Program.
Lets talk more about this....hopefully via the
video system that Rita and Tracey are working to
establish at White Station.
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Goodbye from the Johnson Family
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