Creating Quality Practicum Experiences

for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student

Teachers

Presented by Raschelle Theoharis

and Catherine Krammer

Challenges faced by novice d/hh teachers

Changing settings Wide variety of students using many different

communication methods Lack of mentors in small districts and rural

locations New technology-CIs, hearing aids, FMs Students with additional disabilities Students who are ESL and d/hh

Changing Settings

Residential Schools for the Deaf are experiencing declining enrollments. In some cases they are closing or consolidating with state deaf schools. (Neb., Wy., NC., OR?).

More students are being enrolled in their local school districts

Consequently there is a need to shift the focus from resource teacher to itinerant teaching.

Lack of Mentors

Particularly in rural areas there may only be one TOD within a 1-2 hour radius

Teachers are often hired during their practicum due to teacher shortages with very little training

There is a need to establish a mentor for these practicum students/teachers even if it is through e-mail/phone /video relay

Variety of Communication Modalities

Deafed.net lists 77 Deaf ed. Teacher Preparation Programs in the U.S./Canada

Program Philosophy 34 Comprehensive 25 Not Reported 8 Aural/Oral/Auditory Verbal 6 Bilingual 2 Total Communication 1 Eclectic The variety is evidence of the diverse methodology in

the field

New Technology

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) 2005 data nearly 15,000 children have received cochlear implants.

1999-2000 5.3% of students w/hearing loss used Cochlear Implants

2004-2005 number doubled to 11.2 % Use of hearing aids and FM systems also increasing Gallaudet Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth (1999-2000 and 2004-2005)

Students with Other Needs Statistics vary but a study from 2001 stated that 25-33% of

school-aged students who are D/HH have an additional educationally significant disability. In the 2004-05 Annual Survey-42%.

As the Hispanic population increases so does the % of d/hh students who come from Spanish speaking homes. The 1999 Gallaudet Annual Survey reported that 21% of the nearly 43,000 students included were Hispanic. In the 2004-05 survey-25%.

Luckner, J. & Carter, K. (2001). Essential competencies for teaching students with hearing loss and additional disabilities . American Annals of the Deaf, 146 (1) 7-15.

Gallaudet Annual Surveys 1999-2000 and 2004-2005.

Ideas for Improving the Practicum Experience Establish good partnerships between the University

and local school districts Provide a variety of placements that ensure exposure

to different settings, students, and modalities Discuss possible scenarios that students might

encounter and model how situations should be handled

During seminar have a panel of deaf ed. teachers for students to ask questions of

Require that students attend at least one session of speech, OT, audiology, early childhood screening, home visit, etc.

Improving the Experience (Cont.)

Ask for feedback from practicum students periodically to find out what they wish they had more of, less of, etc.

Provide opportunities for practicum students to discuss their experiences with each other

At the end of the semester have a “catch all night” based on feedback gathered from students and fill in the gaps that they didn’t experience during their practicum

Practicum Experience Initial test of an individual’s decision to enter the

profession of education Culminating experience in teacher education

programs Considered to be one of the best predictors of

future success in the classroom

Koerner, M., Rust, F. O., & Baumgartner, F. (2002). Exploring roles in student teaching placements. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35-58.

Hoy, W., & Woolfolk, A. (1990). Socialization of student teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 27, 279-300.

KU’s Effort to Create a Unified Practicum Experience

Field Supervisor Hired in January 2004 Graduate Teaching Assistants hired beginning

2004-2005 school year Consistency across practicum experiences and

specialty areas University supervisors from all specialty areas worked

together (Adaptive, Functional, ASD, Deaf/Hard of Hearing)

Same training for university supervisors Weekly university supervisor meetings

University Supervisors

Studied literature related to special education teacher shortages

Studied the literature about practicum experiences

Designed the practicum experience Determined what steps to take when a practicum

student is experiencing difficulties Identify objectives for the student Develop an improvement plan for the student

Components of the Practicum Experience

Reflection Connection between university coursework

and what occurs in the actual classroom Formative feedback Mentoring and communication Graduated responsibilities

Each of these elements of the practicum experience is potentially impacted by the richness of the students’ practicum setting

Literature to Support the Practicum Components Hammerness, K., Darling-Hammond, L., Grossman, P., Rust, F., &

Shulman, L. (2005).The design of teacher education programs. In L. Darling-Hammond, & J. Bransford (Eds.), Preparing Teachers for a Changing World (pp. 390-442). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Barksdale-Ladd, M. A., & Rose, M. C. (1997). Qualitative assessment in developmental reading. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 28, 34-55.

Gagne, R. M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of instruction (4th Ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

Gardner, H. (1999). Multiple approaches to understanding. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory (Vol. II, 69-89). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Hillman, S. L., Bottomley, D. M., Raisner, J. C. & Malin, B. (2000). Learning to practice what we teach: Integrating elementary education methods courses. Action in Teacher Education, 22(2), 1-9.

How the Components of Practicum are

Covered in a Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Practicum Experience

Reflection

Reflective Journaling With the University Supervisor

Portfolio Assignments Tied to the State Standards

Post-Lesson Observation Questions to guide reflective thinking

Connection between university coursework and what occurs in the actual classroom Portfolio assignments Informal and formal discussions with

University Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher

Formative feedback

Daily formative feedback from cooperating teacher

6 or more visits from a University Supervisor (based on an 8 week practicum—3 formal and 3 informal)

Mentoring and communication

From both the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor

Practicum model has shifted from evaluation to mentoring

Worked closely with cooperating teachers to create a triad model

Graduated responsibilities

Student teachers gradually take over the responsibilities of classroom teacher

They have time to Observe instruction Become familiar with the building and staff Get comfortable with behavior systems Know IEP goals and objectives

Forms

Observation forms and Portfolio Assignments are linked to the Kansas State Standards

Contact Information: Catherine Krammer kdkrammer@yahoo.com Raschelle Theohrais rtheo@mail.ku.edu