Meet Jersey! My lovable labradoodle puppy who I share with my boyfriend Matthew. Sharing is hard sometimes. You thought only kids had a difficult time sharing, think again. The first night we took Jersey home, we allowed her to sleep in the bed with us. The whole night, Matthew snuggled with her! To make matters worse, he denies nudging me away if I came close. Still today he doesn't believe me when I say he was practically elbowing me away from the dog.

The situation solved itself... Jersey now sleeps in a crate at night. Don't worry, she gets PLENTY of attention all day long and in the middle of the night when we take her out to do her business.

I often think about dual citizenship. Not in the typical sense of the word, but more regarding my place in the hearing world juxtaposed with my place in the Deaf world. The two ‘worlds’ can be very separate and distinct, but what I have come to realize and am continuing to discover for myself a place where they collide. To many people I look like your typical NYC young professional- often assumingly hearing. However; to others, “People of the Eye,” as George Veditz refers to people who are more visually oriented in dealing with the environment like Deaf and Hard of Hearing, others percieve me very differently.

After losing much of my hearing 23 years ago to bacterial meningitis, my parents as strong advocates, placed me in an oral deaf school where I learned to speak and hear using my residual hearing and a hearing aid. Technology at the time, simply allowed for amplification of all speech and environmental noises making communication hard in public places, like restaurants and any environment with hard floors and walls. Sounds familiar to the make-up of many public school classrooms, where chatty children and talkative teachers are unaware of the echoing and added noises were evident to any hearing impaired student listening through an amplification system. I remember often lowering the volume on my hearing aid or FM unit so that I would not have to deal with the environmental noises that seemed to impede on my teacher speaking.

On occasion when my peers would ask about my hearing aid behind my ear, I was always open to explaining why I had it. The reason was simple enough- it helps me hear. I simply used the opportunity to explain to my acquaintences that they would need my attention before they simply started talking to me so that we would have effective face-to-face communication. If teachers talked at the chalkboard I would have to remember to ask them to repeat themselves. Asking for repetition, whether through audition or sign language, is a learned skill and I think if taught at a young age the comfort and understanding goes a long way. Otherwise a child might think to themselves, 'oh well I missed that,' maybe I’ll catch up later or more likely, they might not even know they missed information.

I never thought of my hearing loss as a crutch or as a way of passing as a hearing person. To me there was nothing wrong with having a hearing aid. In fact, like many kids, I wanted one in every color. I even remember asking for one with diamonds. Having a hearing aid allowed me to have extra time with teachers, one-on-one meetings with professors, especially as I progressed in my studies and in French. My hearing loss often unnoticed by others because of my clear speech made things easy, but other times hard. For those that did not know me and did not expect my hearing loss, were not sensitive to my communication needs and often mistook me for inconsiderate if I did not respond to their questions. This is just one minute example that seems to happen repeatedly with new acquaintances.

Yet, throughout elementary and high school, as I have become more of an expert on my hearing loss and could understand its implications I began to think about how I could use it as a vehicle. How could I share the ride with others, making it easier for others to learn about and talk about hearing loss? Sharing my thoughts with my teachers and resource room teacher I found myself becoming a spokesperson. With their support and guidance I went into classrooms within my school and shared my knowledge and understanding with my peers about the anatomy of the ear, hearing loss and what it all means. From a young age I was able to normalize the conversation with my peers which has gone a long way.

This personal sense of confidence that was encouraged by my teachers and adult role models had grown to allow me to focus on my interests in French, journalism and public relations throughout my undergraduate career at Rutgers College. With internships in PR at a firm, a ski resort and a ski magazine I was able to hone my writing and communication skills. I was also able to lead the Rutgers Women’s Ski team to a regional championship competition that I am still proud of. During my junior year of college, I tried out and made the US National Deaf Ski Team which competed in Sweden for the 2003 Winter Deaflympic games. It was an opportunity that opened up my world up in more ways than I ever imagined.

Going in to the ski team training and competitions I had to learn how to communicate with my new teammates and coaches. They all used American Sign Language, while I was very oral. A voice interpreter helped me understand everyone on the mountain. With so many finer intricacies of getting your fingers to sign correctly in heavy ski gloves, or being able to see facial expression through your helmet and goggles was interesting at the least. Off the mountain, however; I was on my own to figure out how to best communicate. I started picking up sign language and using it with my peers, they helped me out as much as possible with mouth movements and repetition, just like hearing people have always had to do for me.

Even with all the sign language and visual communication in front of me, I was still seemed to be missing communicative information. I had grown to notice that sometimes I would miss it in the hearing world and now was missing it in the Deaf world. Where did Hard of Hearing fit into this picture? Before my Deaflympic experience I always thought the hearing and deaf world were very distinct and separate. I thought there was no need to cross lines; for hearing to dabble in the Deaf world and vice versa.
The Hearing world, an auditory-oral world, where verbal communication is the norm is often be taken for granted and the less obvious non-verbal features of spoken language go unnoticed. I think of how my dad used to have a long mustache that affected the quality of our communication a period of my youth. I also think of my mom, who tends to talk with coffee mugs or folded hands in front of her mouth. Without being aware or not thinking about the communication needs of the other people you are engaging with, borders can be drawn and walls may be put up.
I have come to realize however through my work experiences and place on the Deaf National Ski Team, that these walls should not exist and only separate and perpetuate a long held stigma of inferiority that is unrealistic.

This realization came on a winter night when I was standing outside on the red carpet of a certain heiress’ watch collection launch party. At that time, as part of my public relations job, my first job out of college, I was checking in B- and C-list type celebrities, when a group of teenagers walked by signing to each other. They were curious about the event that was taking place that evening on Madison Avenue, they were also curious who might have been inside. My ‘ears piqued up’ (my eyes really) when I saw them signing to each other. With my clip board under my arm, I interjected into their conversation by signing to them the purpose of the event. They were shocked! Someone on the street, well, on the red carpet, could communicate with them.

That was the moment I realized I ought to become a teacher, help other students get to where I am as a student at Teachers College or beyond. With the right mindset and post college work experience I was able to step foot in the right direction of educating Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. This moment was part of my growing Deafhood unbeknownst to me. Deafhood as Dr. Paddy Ladd coined in her book Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood (2003) speaks of the journey a Deaf person makes as they discover themselves as a person in the Deaf world. Ladd, a Deaf Studies scholar at the University of Bristol in England focuses on this journey, as a vehicle by which a Deaf person discovers themselves on a linguistic, mental and spiritual level regardless of hearing or speaking abilities. This notion of Deafhood is what connects people as part of the Deaf community and Deaf culture.

So as it would turn out, the story of my Deafhood began 23 years ago, with a high fever and nervous parents who insisted I was not hearing them. We had just returned home from an extended family vacation and as I have been told by my parents, I was not responding to the music box in my room or their voices. My father, a business man, and my mother, an elementary school teacher, went through what every hearing parents endure when they find out their child is not normal. They had no idea I would grow to become better than normal when they were driving me to Summit Speech School everyday or to the audiologist for routine audiograms. They had no idea I would become a social butterfly as I sat quietly through IEP meetings and in the front row of classes through high school and college using an FM system to hear teachers and professors. They had no idea I would become a ski racer on a national team when I was watching the winter Olympics as a child with closed captioning on the television. They really had no idea I would be come a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing either and now that they do, it all comes full circle.

How Crossing Your Fingers Works!

As part of the Deaf Education program at Teachers College, a student teaching placement is required at one of several schools for the deaf in or around Manhattan. I had heard many good things about one particular school, PS 47, The American Sign Language and English School, and so I crossed my fingers for a placement there. Crossing your fingers works! I landed in the first grade classroom of Gary and Lauren and would be spending the next four months at PS 47 observing, learning and trying my hand at teaching.

The beginning was shaky... literally. As a new teachers voice might sound nervous in front of a full class of students, my hands were a bit unsteady as I signed through the math and reading lessons. Morning coffee didn't help the matter either. I realized that if my signing seemed confusing, then so were my thoughts. As I watched Gary and Lauren teach clear, wonderfully-connected lessons on Greek mythology and detailed writing, I aimed to keep mini-lessons simple and clutter-free.

As I practiced teaching, I hoped that my lessons would become more effective and engaging like my cooperating teachers'. They reminded me that, just as it takes time for the students to acquire knowledge and skills, it would take time for me to become a better teacher. With their guidence and follow-up conversations and suggestions I feel that I am making some progress.

With only one month left in Gary and Lauren's classroom, I hope I am able to leave a good impression- one of confidence and growth. Their leadership and teaching skills have helped me to learn so much about patience with myself in becoming a better teacher. Like anything, practice makes perfect, but crossing your fingers helps too.

Photo Credit: Jen Litt

Last words...

My expectations of this class were certainly met. I was hoping to learn about the available technologies for students with disabilities and I feel that I have. Not only did I learn so much about assistive technology, but also about myself and my successes with an online class. I do not feel that I have sold myself short, because I have put in effort and time into the work and because my time is valuable to me, I can honestly say that I wouldn't waste it intentionally as that would be an expensive mistake.

This course has changed my opinions of assistive and instructional technology in a very straight-forward way. Before this sesion I knew very little about A.T. so the opinions I had were easy-to-change because of their weakness. Now that I have the background on it all and can put it into perspective in the classroom I feel that my opions are stronger and more in tune with what is actually going on out in the real world.

With all of my newfound information I will certainly be more receptive to information on assistive technology and disabilities simply because it is on the forefront of my mind now. Just as you perk up as your name is called, I feel that I perk up now when I hear about people with disabilities making a difference in the world with the support of assistive technology.

As an example, there is a new show coming out called Blind Designers, where a visually impaired intererior decorator and a seeing co-host will be helping others redecorate using other senses to make their homes more stylish and functional.

I would recommend this course to someone who is interested in technology, disabilities and/or special education. It was informative, innovative and interesting.

There is only one way to make it better, in my opinion, and that is to have regular class meetings. Without class meetings I feel that there is no personalization, poor communication and clearly less fun to be had.

Chapter 8 of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, focuses on the Concord School District where Donna Palley has been incorporating UDL into the classroom since 1995. Donna has helped to lead the district from UDL on a small scale—"as small as one short curriculum unit in one classroom," to a globally successful action-oriented model.

Instead of focusing on making the curriculum fit into the student with a disability, they are anticipating challeneges and circumventing them before problems present themselves. This is a matter of respecting the student and being able to predict their needs based on prior knowledge. Just as each student has their own needs for assistive technology, so does each school. "Of course, we know it's not possible to import a model wholesale from one context to another. The specific approaches used in Concord will not be appropriate in every school system."

The seven key components that can help any school embrace UDL, Technology Infrastructure and Support, Administrative Support , Teacher Training and Support , Redefined Roles for Special and Regular Education Teachers, Collaborative Curriculum Planning, Parent an, Community Involvement and Creative Funding are the building blocks for UDL success. There is one thing however; that I think is missing from this equation and that is FLEXIBILITY.

The most important element to me, is the idea of being able to mold and change for any given situation. It is imperative that teachers and other school officials involved in the UDL changes are able to work together, change roles if necessary, consolidate, expand, as the situation may change because of timing, number of students needing UDL accomodations, etc.

A big shout out to the Concord school district for setting the trend in such a HOT topic.

Chapter 6 Revisited

Have you checked out http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/tools/ lately? What a great resource that can help you to grasp the benefits of Universal Design for learning and teaching. The website is the perfect guide to compliment the sixth chapter of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, Chapter 6: Using UDL to Support Every Student's Learning. As the author goes into detail about how to individualize lessons with flexible media and tools, we read about the success stories for several of the students. Teaching methods are examined and diverse affective networks are explored.

Within the specificities of the 'Multiple Example' method, we read how multiple examples suppor a bottom-up recognition process. The benefits of digital media are uncovered as a way to cater to the students individual needs. One student might get more out of a video of a hyena, while another could learn more from hearing their crys, yet another student might benefit from having an article read to them via a computer program like Kurzweil, etc...

The second method, one of highlighting critical features allows students to 'zoom in' on any part of the material. "Even more significant for individualizing, with the flexibility of digital tools, we can select different sets of highlighting options for different learners and show or hide these scaffolds depending on the student and his or her particular stage of learning." (Rose & Meyer, ASCD, 2002) I feel that this 'Critical Features' method, is duly appropriate in the electronic version of this chapter as the reader can click on concept map, full content, summary or Universal Design Edition.

The other methods mentioned, of equal importance are 'Provide Multiple Media and Formats' and 'Support Background Knowledge.' These methods also detail the importance of catering to the needs of individual students so that information gaps are filled and ultimately, the "Demand for this versatility will increase the speed with which it becomes ubiqitous." (Rose & Meyer, ASCD, 2002)

This article was very interesting for me simply because it is new, it is now and it is HOT!