Join Together: A Virtual Professional Development School & Community of Learners for Deaf Education NSoD/SD – 10/19-03 Harold Johnson & Sharon Baker

Handouts A brochure…the ideas A poster…the solution A LOT of paper…will make sense as the presentation progresses –A–An abstract –C–Contact information –T–Topical Teams & Leaders –A–A few graphical representations –A–A list of current collaborative partners + a few very special key lanyards for the inquisitive individuals in the group

Presentation Outline What do we know and what do we yet need to learn? How do we move from where we are to where we need to be? How can YOU make a difference? Your comments and questions?

What do we know and what do we yet need to learn? Johnson, H. (2002). U.S. deaf education teacher preparation programs: A look at the present and a vision for the future. [Issue Brief – contracted for and reviewed by the Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education - Retrieved from m.pdf

Summary of Findings: We know that our students are increasingly isolated from each other and the resources that they need to be successful, but… we do not know the actual number of those students, nor the qualifications of the individuals who are teaching them.

… Findings We know that our students are increasingly diverse and that they posses the full range of abilities and disabilities, but… we do not know how to recruit a more diverse pool of teachers, nor do we know how to prepare those teachers to teach students in grades ranging from kindergarten through high school.

We know that our educational system has failed to provide most of our students with the increasing levels of linguistic, academic and social competencies that are required to become economically independent and successful adults, but… we do not know the best practices, proven instructional strategies and academic content of our general education colleagues who now teach many, if not most, of our students.

…Findings We know that there is a critical, nation wide shortage of teachers, but… we do not know the extent to which our teacher preparation programs are working at anything close to capacity.

We know that individuals who graduate from our teacher preparation programs have been taught how to test and teach, but… we do not know if they actually become teachers, if they teach how we have preached, how effective they are, or even how long they teach.

We know that our faculty are stressed and stretched that they rarely have time to carry out research, publish or even take advantage of grant buy-outs, but… we do not know how we will replace them as they rapidly approach retirement.

… Findings We know that a redesign of our teacher preparation programs must be carried out if they are to survive and to become more readily available throughout the nation, but… we lack the common vision, time and collaborative will to evolve the needed teacher preparation program designs.

We know that we became educators because we value learning, know the value of becoming an effective and independent learner and become excited when we make a difference in the lives of our students, but… we do not know how to learn with our students, we do not know how to give our students practical reasons to use what we ask them to learn, nor do we know how to provide our students with the role models that they need to become the successful adults.

We know the students that we taught way back when, but… we are much less sure of the students that our teachers are now teaching, or the students our teachers will soon be asked to teach.

… Findings We know that No Child Left Behind, Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge and A New Era in Special Education will require our students to take state proficiency test, out teachers to become content specialists and our special education programs to more flexible and accountable than ever before, but… we do not know how we will accomplish all of this when we have yet to accomplish so much that we have worked on for so long.

Finally, we know that many, if not most of our students have not only been left behind, but essentially written off by an educational system that has come to expect, if not accept the ongoing linguistic, academic and social failure of our students, but… what we do not know is whether or not we can use the challenges of No Child Left Behind to document, the opportunities of Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge to enhance and the requirements of A New Era in Special Education to apply the technological advances of our time to reduce isolation, to increase expectations, to share resources, to recognize excellence and to increase learning opportunities for us all.

How do we move from where we are to where we need to be? Join Together:… to: (brochure & poster) –E–Establish a nationwide, on-line Community of Practice (CoP) for PK-20 d/hh education. –U–Use the CoP to: collaboratively research, refine and reform U.S. d/hh teacher preparation. establish a Virtual Professional Development School (VPDS) network to link the theory and research of the nations d/hh teacher preparation programs with the proven practices and resources of the nations Master Teachers of PK-12 students who are d/hh.

…how? Association of College Educators – Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (ACE-D/HH) –1– – PT3 ( Capacity Grant - $167,000 Basic faculty technology skills Basic collaboration and info. sharing –2– – PT3 Catalyst Grant - $2.1 million Deaf Ed. Web site ( Extensive, nation wide teacher prep. Collaboration Piloting PK-20 linkages and technologies –2– PT3 grant $1.57 million (abstract +++) Community of Practice & Virtual Prof. Dev. Sch Research, Refine and Reform d/hh teacher prep

Goal 1: Reform of d/hh Teacher Prep. Obj. 1.1: Technology Infrastructure Obj. 1.2: Faculty Tech. Competence Obj. 1.3: Preservice Teacher Diversity Obj. 1.4: Multi-state Cert. & Prep. Goal 2: Teaching Competence of Preservice Teachers Obj. 2.1: Instructional Competence Obj. 2.2: Content Competence Obj. 2.3: Technology Competence Obj. 2.4: Assessment Competence Year - 3 Year - 2Year - 1 Activities Topical Teams (TT) An increase in the ability of students who are d/hh to meet challenging state and local standards for academic achievement Virtual Professional Development School (VPDS) Community of Practice (CoP) 1. Needs Assessment 2. Research 4. Follow-up Research 3. Professional Development 5. Dissemination Grant Design

Topical Team Organizational Structure Obj # Team Leaders Topical Experts Team Members 1.1 Technology Infrastructure 1.2 Faculty Technology Competence 1.3 Preservice Teacher Diversity 1.4 Multi-state Certification, & Prep. 2.1 Instructional Competence 2.2 Content Competence 2.3 Technology Competence 2.4 Assessment Competence

Critical Web-based technology Pilot invest. re. the use of H323 video conferencing technologies to reduce isolation and increase collaboration (jump to video clips)

1.Search Engine 2.My Deafed 3.Job/Resume Data Base 4.Calendar Data Base 5.Document Data Base 6.Web link Data Base 7.Topical Bulletin Boards 8.Cyber Mentors Data Base 9.Best of the Web Competition 10.Collaborative Partners, e.g., ReView Video – H323 price list Over 13,000 registrations from around the world!

Critical Concepts to Remember 2 2. Teachers are the most important classroom technology and students are the most underutilized learning resources The primary problem of deafness is not too little hearing, but too much isolation Learning will not occur without a critical mass, actual or virtual, of students, teachers, resources and engaging learning opportunities. 4 4.Teachers and students as learners, assisted by an on-line Community of Learners and linked by a Virtual Professional Development School. Together we can make a difference!

How can YOU make a difference? 1.Share the brochure with a colleague. 2.Put the poster in a place where it can be seen. 3.Become a registered user of the web site. 4.Search for and share information on the web site. 5.Encourage your school or organization to join the Community of Learners. 6.Help us identify the nations most innovative and effective teachers of students who [for more info. re. the Master Teacher nomination process, go to: 7.Seriously consider helping us make a difference by working with one of the proposed grants Topical Teams.

Your Comments and Questions?..or, who wants a Key lanyard?

Thank You We are done!