Using What we Know, Learning What we Need: A Community of Learners for Deaf Education

1. Using What we Know, Learning What we Need: A Community of Learners for Deaf Education May 1, 2008 State Leaders Summit – Great Falls, MT Harold Johnson/Professor Michigan State University

2. Current vs. Needed Community • Current Reality: • Community of Believers... • ...based on an individual, experimental knowledge base • Needed Reality: • Community of Learners... • ...based on a shared, empirically knowledge base

3. Transition: Why bother? • Why bother going from the current community of believers, to a community of learners? • Recognize, share and build upon the instructional knowledge of existing teachers. • Establish collaborative, technologically facilitated instructional teams to address critical problems.

4. Transition: Why bother?... • Facilitate the translation of research into practice and practice into research via efficient and effective interactions between researchers, parents and professionals. • Ground the preparation of new teachers in both the realities and success of existing teachers, while simultaneously recruiting new teachers to your state. • Establish an interactive “Knowledge Bank” of “What works” for the field of Deaf Education.

5. Transition: How to make it happen? • How do we go from our current community of believers, to a community of learners? • Three steps: • 1. Stories of Success • 2. Topical Teams • 3. Researcher, Parent and Professional Interactions

6. Transition: How...? • Three steps: • 1. Stories of Success • Utilize undergraduate preservice teachers to interview and document existing teachers knowledge of what works • 2. Topical Teams • Utilize collaborative teams of “Master Teachers,” linked via technologies and supported by graduate preservice teachers, to develop empirically based responses to critical problems • 3. Researcher, Parent, Professional Interactions • JDSDE Author’s Corner

7. Benefits? • What would be the benefits of this transition effort? • Establishment of an interactive, Web based, “Knowledge Bank” of “What Works” for the filed of Deaf Education • Development of resources and local experts to provide “just in time,” vs. “just in case” professional development • Enhancement of teacher preparation and the recruitment of deaf education teachers to your state • Recognition for innovation, instructional expertise and educational leadership • Collaborative network and pilot data that would provide the foundation for grant proposals.

8. Next Step • I have used my ten minutes to share an idea that has the potential to dramatically enhance the field of Deaf Education. • I am willing to use $10,000.00 of my existing research funds to pilot the idea. • I need three to five states who would like to collaborate with me in this effort. States that are willing to invest time, funds and leadership to establish a community of learners. • Please talk with me if you would like to learn more.

9. Contact Information • Harold A. Johnson, Professor • Deaf Education Teacher Preparation • Michigan State University/College of Ed •    Dept. of Counseling, Ed. Psy. & SPED • 343A Erickson Hall • East Lansing MI 48824-1034 • hjohnson@msu.edu • 517 432-3926 [v] • 517 353-6393 [fax] • 35.8.171.220 [video phone] • edhh_Harold_J [iVisit address]