Compelling Question: What are ways to support deaf and hard of hearing students in developing their literacy and language?
Answer: The Common Core Connections project instilled me with the insight to appropriately unpack and integrate Common Core Standards. Through an in-depth understand of the Common Core Standards I was able to integrate their grade-level benchmarks while being able to teach them according to their needs and abilities. Also, embedding literacy theories into my instruction helped me to choose the appropriate way in which I delivered instruction.
Answer: Deaf and hard of hearing students need access to and practice with 21st century technology in conjunction with their hearing amplifications and communication devices. Many of the newest 21st century Web tools can be a used along with their hearing technology.
Answer: Parent involvement is a critical element in enhancing deaf and hard of hearing students' literacy and language skills. Self-exploration through a WebQuest is just one way to facilitate self-awareness within parents to later transfer to their children--our students!
Answer: Tools, tools, and more tools! Resources such as Words Their Way have been a tremendous help in providing instruction to my deaf and hard of hearing students. I've been able to use the Informal Reading Inventory to evaluate my students and later plan appropriate intervention. The knowledge and skills acquired throughout ECI 543 and 544 is immeasurable and I look forward to revisit these findings throughout my professional career.
Answer: Through Teaching Children's Literature (ECI 537), I intend to bestow a passion for reading to my students by introducing them to new and inviting books to read. This passion and excitement for reading will transfer into their language and literacy development being that a child who loves to read will reap the benefits again and again. In addition I intend to challenge myself in Teacher as Researcher (ECI 523) in becoming a teacher who discovers and critically analyzes information. This information that I learn to view with a critical eye will help me to learn more about language and literacy development for deaf and hard of hearing students and create my own research clarifying my own pedagogy.
Answer: Be human! This course turned my world upside down. After researching, analyzing, creating, and applying, I entered Teachers as Leader and relearned one of the more important things of all: be human! Within the realm of education, there is a certain standard of decorum that teachers must have among their colleagues, students, and administrators. If this decorum is executed appropriately it can be transformational in the way we provide instruction. In regards to literacy learning for deaf students, how I carry myself as a teacher and a leader are pivotal and have a reciprocal relationship into the success of my students. My attitude and actions affect others. Above all, they affect my students and I must remain cognizant of the potential I have in influencing others for change on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing students.
Answer: This opportunity joining 4 the World truly stretched me as an educator and a person. It allowed me approach education by seeing beyond my own immediate community and to consider the perspectives of others. Subsequently, I am able to offer this broader understanding of the world to my students and leave with them an appreciation of a vast majority of people, languages, and cultures. Experiences like these are ones that prove to be the most authentic to share in language and literacy instruction.
LITERACY IS EVERYTHING!