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! • Please tell me… • Who is here today? • What and where do you teach? • What is the biggest challenge you now face within your teaching? An Opt. To Share...

Since I left Memphis in ‘77 • 1977-1980 - Univ. of Cincinnati – Ed. D. • 1980-present – Kent State University – Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Program • Teaching & Supervision • Language Assessment & Instruction • Instructional Approaches & Settings • Curriculum Design & Instructional Strategies • Practicum & Student Teaching • Research & Service • Use of technology to enhance teaching & learning • Establishment of a community of learners An Opt. To Share...

My Nonacademic Work Almost Done How it looks now from my home office window An Opt. To Share...

I need your advice… • 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. An Opt. To Share...

Three Main Problems • What is your reaction to the following summary of the major problems facing Deaf Education? An Opt. To Share...

…Problems • Problem #1: • “The primary problem of deafness… • …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: • role models & • comprehensible, engaging , rigorous and age appropriate learning opportunities • Is this a problem in Memphis? An Opt. To Share...

… Problems • Problem #2: • “The primary problem of Deaf Education… • …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: • efficient collaborative opportunities concerning effective, innovative teaching strategies & • engaging, rigorous, age appropriate curricular resources and instructional activities • Is this a problem in Memphis? An Opt. To Share...

…Problems • Problem #3: • “The primary problem of Deaf Education teacher preparation … • …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: • 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? An Opt. To Share...

Solutions • How many years of teaching experience are represented by the Memphis Deaf Education faculty here today? An Opt. To Share...

…Solutions • 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. An Opt. To Share...

…Solutions • 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. An Opt. To Share...

Have any of you been to this Web site? Are any of you already users of the site? An Opt. To Share...

A few of the Web site features… • 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. • +…. An Opt. To Share...

…features (cont.) • An opt. to ask questions/read the responses of a growing array to “Topical Experts” • 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 An Opt. To Share...

So what do you think? • 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?” An Opt. To Share...

First...You Must Log On to the site An Opt. To Share...

Who is going to be our Web site Navigator? • Lets try out the Deaf Web Net Search engine….I wonder what we will find if we search for “Memphis” An Opt. To Share...

…Web site exploration (cont.) • 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 An Opt. To Share...

…Web site exploration (cont.) • Lets also look to see who wants to work in Tennessee….resume search option An Opt. To Share...

Moving On… • If we had more time, we could check out the other features of the Web site. • I hope all of you will: • 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 An Opt. To Share...

How are we doing on time? • 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…. An Opt. To Share...

…time • If time permitted, I would love to tell you about some of the projects I am working on now: • 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 An Opt. To Share...

Ongoing Interactions • 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. An Opt. To Share...

Goodbye from the Johnson Family An Opt. To Share...

An Opportunity To Share…To Learn…& To Collaborate