Helping students learn more about themselves, their career goals and the skills they need to be successful in postsecondary settings or work.
By: Amy M. Hebert
High school seniors scurry when the time comes to prepare for graduation. Students and their parents are deciding whether the next step is college, technical school or a job. Given how vital these future decisions are, ONLY 5% of seniors who are deaf or hard of hearing have taken a career education class (Schroedel & Watson, 1991). Even more perilous is the fact that of those who actually receive an academic diploma, only one in three deaf students enter a two or four-year college setting (Bowe, 2003). Research shows that of those entering college, the number of students who drop out and do not obtain a college degree is a staggering 70%. These realities seem overwhelming, but amidst these concerns, a priceless resource has been revealed.
During a grand opening ceremony at the PEPNet Biennial Conference, the Transition Workgroup, spearheaded by a small and fabulous national redesign team, unveiled the cutting edge redesign of the Gates to Adventure online training. iTransition: It's All About Me!, as it is now called, is a free online training series designed to help students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing transition successfully from high school to postsecondary education or work. This new technological approach to the transition process offers students a virtual vehicle to take control of their career goals.
iTransition is designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, ages 14 through adult. This training can be used by students, teachers, college service providers, transition specialists, high school guidance counselors, parents and vocational rehabilitation counselors. The program includes four separate trainings with activities to help students learn more about themselves, their career goals, and the skills they need to be successful in the future. The newest training in iTransition, Career Interests and Education Choices: It's My Plan!, was first developed in 2002 as part of the original Gates to Adventure. Students and teachers who evaluated the redesign have remarked that they love its new look and added features. Additionally, students have commented that the training has a more mature look and feel. Educators have also expressed excitement over the redesign.
Elise Knopf (Left), Director of PEPNet-Midwest chats with Kathy Manlapas (Right), Deaf/HH Teacher for Intermediate District 287 in Minnesota and Kelsey Dahl (Center), student at VECTOR Transition program in Minnesota, who presented iTransition along with the PEPNet Transition Workgroup during the opening plenary
"As an educator, [I have] used the Gates, [but]most of my students were turned off by the design.... With the new design, [students] will be more willing to do [transition planning]," one teacher commented. Another added, "I really liked the design and the ease of it as well. I am so excited to have the 'signing' video for most pages."
The PEPNet transition workgroup established to address the training, marketing and promotion of the redesign, co-facilitated by Greta Palmberg and Beth Keller, had the task of conceptualizing this process. The workgroup felt strongly that the new name and tagline should reflect the goal of empowering students to take control of their own transition planning. The new tagline, "It's All about me!" was developed to send the message to students that when it comes to planning their future, it really is ALL about them.
iTransition has been redesigned to meet the growing needs of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Its new trendy look and catchy tag line has captured the attenti on of deaf youth. "It made me see options for what I could do later in life.... It gave me a better way to explain me," exclaimed one student. Bravo! Finally a mechanism has been developed to empower students to "explain" themselves, thereby increasing their overall career self-efficacy. The iTransition program offers students an interactive approach to explore and plan their future career goals. Students will have fun while they are enhancing self-advocacy and college readiness skills. This comprehensive, innovative program is sure to impact the way students think about and plan for future success.
The launch of this program is barely off the ground and educators are lining up to receive the training. "This is a free all encompassing curriculum that teachers can pick up and use....Teachers get it!" Palmberg said. Not only do teachers understand the usefulness and ease of the program, they are in dire need of career development and postsecondary planning materials that address the unique needs of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.