Upcoming pn2 Staff presentations
Building State Capacity to Address Critical Issues in Deaf Education: Transition from Secondary Education To Postsecondary Options
When 152 representatives from 25 states and national organizations met for three days in one room to tackle a very full agenda of topics relating to postsecondary transition, the resulting synergistic environment was filled with new ideas, brainstorming, planning, and more than a few “aha!” moments.
Pepnet 2 convened the first of five transition “Summits” on January 29-31, 2013 in Austin, Texas. The goal of the Summit was to support state teams as they address positive student outcomes, graduation, and transition to postsecondary education, training, and employment. It was an opportunity for members of each state team to review critical issues and relevant strategies to support quality educational programs and transition services for students and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Involving teams of key stakeholders from each state created opportunities for vested parties to work together for information gathering, planning within states, and problem solving. Ideally, a state team is diverse, including members from a variety of roles:
- Parents
- Transition specialists
-
Local education program representatives
- Staff from state (or other) special schools or programs for the deaf vocational rehabilitation personnel
- Faculty or staff of postsecondary education or training programs
- Representatives from state departments of education/special education
- Community agency staff
- Teacher preparation program faculty
- Deaf and hard of hearing individuals with first-hand transition experience
(Although each state was asked to bring a group of only five representatives to Austin, they were encouraged to convene the larger group back home after the Summit.)
State team representatives arrived in Austin ready to address the scope of services related to transition from secondary to postsecondary education and training programs.
The Summit opened with an update on initiatives within the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) from Drs. Melody Musgrove and Louise Tripoli. They encouraged state teams to work together, exchange information, and establish strategies to support programs and increase the number and proportion of students who continue past high school and complete postsecondary programs.
Cathy McLeod, Director of pepnet 2, and Claire Bugen, Superintendent of the Texas School for the Deaf, each provided additional perspectives on past Summit activities and future directions. As the result of a grass-roots effort in 2005, the National State Leaders Summit began addressing issues and challenges in deaf education and improving outcomes for all children and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. In subsequent annual meetings and activities state teams were encouraged to work together throughout the year. Additional information is available at http://www.ndepnow.org/.
In 2012, pepnet 2 assumed responsibility for the Summit as part of its efforts to build capacity in states and support the exchange of information and strategies for improving educational outcomes for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. At the same time, the Summit planning team presented its mission:
…to enhance the capacity in each state to provide evidence-based educational programming for deaf and hard of hearing children and youth in a seamless continuum of programs and services that prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.
The Summit agenda included topical presentations by panelists representing different stakeholder groups. Panel presentations included:
- Preparing Students for Life After High School
- Looking for the Best “Fit” – Addressing the Needs of Students with Other Interests or Additional Disabilities
- Career Awareness and Planning
- Collaborating Across Agencies – Innovative Models for Addressing Transition Concerns
- One Step at a Time: Parent Perspectives on Transition
The Summit also featured Dr. Catherine Fowler from the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) who shared ideas about building an effective network within a state to address student needs, local issues, and state requirements.
Pn2 researcher Carrie Lou Garberoglio discussed the use of collaborative tools and creating a Community of Practice (CoP). At the close of the Summit, pepnet 2 launched a CoP to continue the dialogue and group interactions. For more information about pn2 CoPs and other eLearning opportunities, visit: http://www.pepnet.org/e-learning
The Summit was designed to be a working meeting. Using the framework provided in the Taxonomy for Transition Programming (Kohler, 1996), participants considered critical issues facing students in transition and the cadre of individuals providing support. In addition to the panel presentations, one discussion session provided participants with similar roles an opportunity to reflect on issues and concerns from their perspectives as service providers. Additional discussion opportunities were set aside each day to enable state team members to consider their strengths and needs, and begin to develop a plan to be expanded when the larger group of stakeholders meets in each state after the Summit.
Where do we go from here? The first pn2 Summit included only 25 states, so we will expand the group to include the remaining states and territories in upcoming activities. All state teams–both those that attended the recent Summit and those that are newly forming–are encouraged to use the Community of Practice (CoP) as a tool for exploring new ideas and sharing successful strategies. Information about joining the CoP is available on the pepnet 2 website at: http://www.pepnet.org/e-learning/cop
Meeting face-to-face is a great way to exchange information and brainstorm among group members, but it’s not always feasible for groups within a state to get together frequently. Opportunities to meet with colleagues from various stakeholder groups are even less likely. The CoP bridges that gap and provides a mechanism for ongoing dialogue and interactions.
Spring Session pn2 QuickClasses begin on April 1
QuickClasses focus on specific skills for targeted audiences. Skilled and knowledgeable professionals facilitate the six-week online courses that are accessible 24/7. Participants successfully completing QuickClasses can download and print “Verification of Training Completion” documents, and learn how to receive CEUs.
QuickClasses are free, but enrollment is limited. We recommend signing up as soon as registration opens.
Spring registration opened on March 1.
Spring Session 2013 QuickClasses:
Skill Building for C-Print Captionists: Level 2
Facilitators: April Prater and Shannon Aylesworth.
Skill Building for New TypeWell Transcribers
Facilitator: Kate Erwin
Post-Production or Offline Captioning
Facilitator: Cindy Camp.
Mentoring Interpreters in the Postsecondary Environment
Facilitator: Chris Skoczynski.
Spring session classes run from April 1 to May 12
Here are the scheduled dates for the remaining 2013 QuickClass sessions.
June 3 – July 21 (No classes the week of July 4)
September 9 – October 20
October 28 – December 15 (No classes the week of Thanksgiving)
Registration opens one month before the beginning of each session; class offerings will be announced shortly before registration opens.
The QuickClasses are free, online and offer the participants a Verification of Completion that can be used to earn CEUs from relevant organizations.
Pn2 Offers Interactive eLearning Course for Job Hunters
Finding employment is not easy. Job-hunting can be stressful and discouraging—especially if you have little or no experience looking for work.
Fear not! Pepnet 2 has an interactive online training that will prepare you for your job hunt.
Pn2 has revised the popular Getting a Job! online training into a fully interactive, module-based course that can:
- Help individuals plan an effective job search,
- Teach essential job-hunting skills,
- Guide the collection of documents that potential employers want to see, and
- Even provide attitude-adjustment tips that improve employment prospects.
A new feature is an online folder called the Career Planning Log, where participants can record their progress, reflect on lessons learned, and store important documents such as their resume, transcripts and awards.
GaJ! interactive features include quizzes that students use to gauge their progress. If they need to improve their understanding of certain topics they can retake those modules. Students work through the process at their own pace, and apply what they learn as they go.
If a student chooses to just watch the GaJ! videos and not do the assignments, take the quizzes or keep a career-planning log, he or she will not receive the Verification of Completion. Teachers use the Verification of Completion to measure a student’s growth, understanding of concepts, and ability to apply them in their own life.
The modular structure and flexibility make it easy for educators, vocational rehabilitation counselors and school advisors to use as a component in an employment workshop, job training, or in a high school transition class.
Trainees successfully completing all of the modules earn Verification of Completion to add to their list of accomplishments.
Like the DVD edition that preceded it, the online Getting a Job! training highlights role model videos, provides tips on resume writing, explains the soft skills desired by employers and includes supporting documents needed by any job seeker.
This user-friendly training is offered, like all pn2 products, free of charge and is available 24/7 on our website: http://www.pepnet.org/e-learning/getajob
Forum Offers a Place for Connecting People and Capacity Building
Pepnet 2 is replacing the current listserv program with the Forum, a new program with features that make finding the information you need easier, and facilitates collaboration among the listserv’s 900 subscribers. The upgraded program has a new name too: pepnet 2 Forum.
PEPNet launched the original pepnet listserv in 1997 to respond to questions relating to deafness from vocational rehabilitation counselors, service providers, high school and postsecondary students, parents, administrators, teachers and others. The Forum continues to welcome all of the above, and provides a place for discussions that are useful and practical for our members. The Forum program’s expanded features enable members to:
- Manage personal Forum preference settings;
- View discussions organized by date, category or topic;
- Access all discussions right on the pepnet.org website;
- Search discussions based on a key word or phrase.
Forum discussions are available to view on our website at any time. You’ll need to log in only to respond to a discussion thread, create a new thread, or adjust your personal preference settings (e.g., whether or not to receive emails notifications of posts).
To log in to your pn2 account or to create a new account, go to: http://www.pepnet.org/user/login
The Forum connects you to your colleagues across the country. It’s a place to talk about issues, ask questions, brainstorm solutions or learn about new and innovative approaches to improving access and opportunities for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Join today to participate in discussion topics that include:
- Deaf-friendly colleges
- Teaching reading and writing to Deaf students
- Clear surgical masks for deaf or hard of hearing students in medical fields
- Finding parent resources
Our goal is to make the pn2 knowledge base easily available and searchable for all pepnet 2 stakeholders.
Check out the Forum at: http://www.pepnet.org/forum
Pn2 Staff Present Varied Menu for Spring, Summer Events
This spring and summer Pepnet 2 Staff offer presentations on topics ranging from large-scale datasets to mobile handsets, an informed look at the virtual world, and answers to your questions on accommodations for medical students who are deaf.
But wait, there’s more! Here is a list of pn2 presentations currently scheduled, but by the time you read this, there may be more. For the latest schedule of pn2 presentations and conferences that may interest you visit the pn2 website: http://www.pepnet.org/events
Date: April 17
Event: Society on Research on Child Development (SCRD) Biennial Meeting
Topic: “Large-scale datasets in deaf education research: Opportunities, outcomes, and future directions.”
Presenter: Carrie Lou Garbereroglio, pepnet 2 Lead Graduate Research Assistant
Where: Seattle, WA
More Info: http://www.srcd.org/
Date: May 31-June 1, 2013
Event: American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association (ADARA) Conference
Pn2 has four presentations at this conference:
Topic: “It’s a Brave New (Virtual) World”
Presenter: Cathy McLeod, Pepnet 2 Director
Topic: “Unpacking the VR Suitcase: An Interpreter’s Dilemma.”
Presenter: Chris Skoczynski Pepnet 2 Personnel Development Specialist
Topic: “Riding the new wave of mobile technology.”
Presenter: Cathy McLeod, Pepnet 2 Director
Topic: "Navigating Medical Program Accommodations."
Presenter: Chris Skoczynski Pepnet 2 Personnel Development Specialist
Where: Bloomington, Minnesota
More Info: http://www.adara.org
Assistive Listening Devices 101
Contributed by Becky Morris, pn2 Consultant
There are many factors to consider in matching Assistive Listening Device (ALD) features to an individual’s hearing loss. Here is some information about a few of the many types of FM systems available, some issues to consider in matching ALDs to the individuals who will use them, and links to additional information.
Traditional ‘old school’ systems
This technology been in use for years and continues to be a viable option. With these systems the listener most often has a small receiver that wirelessly receives the sound from a speaker’s lapel microphone and passes it on via a neckloop antenna to a telecoil in the listener’s hearing aid or cochlear implant. (A telecoil is a feature built into many hearing aids and cochlear implants to get sound directly to the aid or CI without using the hearing aid’s microphone, providing a clean audio signal.) When using the telecoil the hearing aid microphone is usually turned off so the only sound received is coming from the speaker’s lapel microphone. This works well for lectures, but not for group discussions.
Some receivers have an environmental microphone that allows the listener to hear sounds around them as well as the sound from the speaker’s microphone. Systems offering that feature are described below.
- The Williams Sound Motiva FM system (PFM360 model) includes a transmitter with lapel microphone and receiver with environmental microphone and a listening option, usually a set of headphones. A neckloop is usually needed for students whose aids have telecoils. The Williams Sound system will meet the needs of many students, but a student with a severe to profound loss may feel the system isn’t strong enough. In that case, the Comtek system (below) may be a better option.
- The Comtek AT216 FM system includes a transmitter, a lapel microphone and a receiver with an earphone and neckloop. An optional environmental “Smart-Mic” microphone is available. This system accommodates the widest range of hearing loss. The Comtek system is more expensive than the Williams, but may be a better option for students with severe to profound hearing losses.
Ear level FM systems
These systems work like the “old school” FM systems above, but use a much smaller receiver that connects directly to the hearing aid or CI via a connector called an audio boot. This allows the microphone on the hearing aids to remain on so that the student can receive all the auditory signals in the room as well as the improved signal from the transmitter. This type of system is popular with students.
Each model of aid or CI requires a matching audio boot, which will be different for each aid or implant. If the student has never used a wireless receiver before, the hearing aid or CI may need to be adjusted by an audiologist to provide a better FM sound signal or to reprogram the settings on the aid or CI.
Phonak Microlink and Oticon Lexis are two brands of ear-level systems. These systems are available only through the manufacturer or an audiologist.
Who pays?
A “frequently asked question” in postsecondary disability services offices is who pays for these accommodations? The determining factor is whether or not the item, should be considered “personal.”
One commonly used rule of thumb:
- If it's an item that could be used by one student for a short time (i.e., a semester), and then returned for another student to use, it's NOT personal.
- If it's something specific to one person's hearing aid or implant, not useful to others, then it's personal and must be purchased by the student.
Of course every rule has exceptions, and like many accommodation-related decisions, “who pays” should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Here are some links to additional, more detailed ALD information:
- Pn2 Tipsheet Understanding an Audiogram: Provides basic information necessary to interpret audiograms. http://www.pepnet.org/resources/u-audiogramtips
- Speech Banana: Shows speech ranges/sounds: http://www.firstyears.org/lib/banana.htm
-
Demystifying Hearing Assistance Technology: A Guide for Service Providers and Consumers
Useful, understandable information on the topic. http://www.wou.edu/~davisc/Demystifying.pdf.
Here are some frequently heard questions from pn2 TA:
Are scholarships available that are specifically for deaf or hard of hearing students?
Students preparing to graduate may be interested in applying for scholarships to fund their postsecondary education. Here are some links to websites offering information on scholarships specifically for students who are D/HH:
Some scholarships are available from Vocational Rehabilitation and the Division of Rehabilitation Services (VR/DORS). Each state has a VR/DORS office. For a list, see: http://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-state
Some students may be eligible for financial assistance in the form of SSI (Social Security Income): http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10026.html
If the student is not yet 18, his/her family can apply for benefits for him/her.
If you know of other scholarship resources, or if your institution or state offers any specific scholarships for deaf or hard of hearing students, please join the discussion on the PN2 forum: http://www.pepnet.org/forum/financial-aid-and-scholarships/financial-aidscholarships
If you have further questions, please contact help@pepnet.org
Why do some students with cochlear implants request accommodations while others do not?
Many factors affect the need for accommodations. Environmental noise, room acoustics, and age of implant are a few examples. Some students may not have used accommodations while in high school and ask you for guidance. Others might request an interpreter, or prefer CART. Still others might ask for an FM system that is compatible with their cochlear implant. It is important to remember that choosing the most effective accommodation can be a trial and error process, especially for a student who has not had to make that choice before.
For more information on this topic, please see the pepnet 2 video FAQ: http://www.pepnet.org/resources/faq01
You may also review our FAQ PDF document here: http://www.pepnet.org/sites/default/files/146%20students%20with%20CI%20FAQ.pdf
If you have further questions, please contact help@pepnet.org
Must an institution provide interpreters for extracurricular activities? Is it ever appropriate to provide both CART and an interpreter? Should Deaf students have notetakers in addition to interpreter/speech to text services?
These questions come up at many institutions’ Disability Services offices when working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Pn2 has compiled an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guide: Responsibilities for Postsecondary Institutions Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Questions and Answers Book - 2nd Edition. While there are no simple answers, this document addresses some of the most common questions answered by an ADA/504 trainer and a lawyer.
Pn2 ADA Guide
If you have comments or want to discuss one of these topics, please join the discussion on the pn2 Forum: http://www.pepnet.org/forum/legal-policy-and-administrative-issues
To add comments please be sure to sign in to your pepnet 2 account.
If you have further questions, please contact help@pepnet.org
Introducing
Jacqueline Caemmerer, Ed.M.
Jacqueline Caemmerer holds a master's degree in School Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, and is working toward a doctorate in the same field at the University of Texas at Austin.
She is a graduate research assistant at the pepnet 2 Research and Evidence Synthesis Center (RES) in Austin, where her responsibilities include assisting in data collection and analysis, summarizing research findings, and reporting outcomes.
Jacqueline has provided academic, social and emotional support in schools, collaborating with teachers, administrators, students and families. She is currently studying American Sign Language and expanding her knowledge and understanding of deaf education and culture.
Her research interests include family and social influences on students’ well-being and the role of expectations in shaping students’ views of themselves and their academic performance. Jacqueline looks forward to a career in educational research.
Anthony Ivankovic, pepnet 2
Resource and Dissemination Specialist.
Mr. Ivankovic is a twenty-plus year veteran of PEPNet and pepnet2, where he is the pn2 Resource and Dissemination Specialist. In that position he creates and disseminates high quality media and other resources supporting pn2’s goal of improving outcomes for students in postsecondary environments.
Anthony has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Television/Film/Photography from Gallaudet University and has used that training to produce videos for pn2. He also has extensive experience working with pn2’s national and regional virtual teams on such projects.
Mr. Ivankovic coordinates and oversees the circulation of pn2’s collection of deaf-related media, documents and other materials—the most extensive collection of its kind west of the Mississippi River. He is deeply interested in the history and documentation of issues in deaf education.
