One of the ongoing challenges teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing face is managing the visual split attention implicit in multimedia learning. When a teacher presents various types of visual information at the same time, visual learners have no choice but to divide their attention among those materials and the teacher and…

The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)--a group of developmental disabilities that cause severe problems with socialization, behavior, and communication--continues to grow. In 2008, the year that "Odyssey" focused on autism, the estimated prevalence of ASD for hearing children was 1 in 150 (CDC, 2007), while today estimates suggest…

In this article, the author tells her professional journey as an educator of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The author started her career in 1991, fresh out of college with her bachelor's degree in education of the deaf K-12. She took a job at the Delaware School for the Deaf (DSD) as a resident advisor in the dorm program. Here she is…

The California School for the Deaf (CSD), Fremont, is a deaf-centered bilingual program. CSD's approach to curriculum development, instructional pedagogy, and assessment integrates best practices in deaf education, bilingual education, and general education. The goals of the program are outlined in the Expected School-wide Learning Results which…

Wiggins (2010) writes: "We tend to define teaching by measuring all the things a teacher is supposed to 'do' rather than all the things a teacher is supposed to 'accomplish'." When teachers think about what they need to do, they need to think about the expected results and how they can best support students in achieving those goals. As they face…

In 1999, the National Reading Panel investigated arguments regarding how best to teach reading. The members of the panel examined thousands of articles on literacy development and identified six key factors in teaching reading. Further, the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 obligated teachers to use scientifically proven practices, or…

A visit to any classroom at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) or The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children reveals a host of amazing things--all at the same time. Visitors see dedicated and passionate teachers presenting engaging and relevant material. They see an all-inclusive communication environment, where…

At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ASSDHH) was informed that they had met Alaska's Annual Yearly Progress as required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for the first time ever. This was incredibly exciting and worth celebrating since teachers had invested so much "blood, sweat, and…

In math, students and teachers toss tennis balls. In science, students become rain, hail, sleet, and snow. In language arts, students maneuver their bodies into related positions and hold into a frieze they call "tableau." The students and teachers are part of TheatreBridge, a four-year model demonstration and dissemination program lead by Quest…

Learning to write is an arduous undertaking for every student; for deaf and hard of hearing students, it can be particularly difficult. Too often, they arrive in school with minimal literacy skills, experience subsequent difficulties in writing standard English, and, unfortunately, still graduate with reading levels below those of their hearing…

Revolutions can happen in different ways. About six years ago, a very particular type of revolution began in a cluster of rooms on the main campus of Gallaudet University. There, a handful of individuals began a "quiet revolution" guided by an overarching passionate mission to conduct groundbreaking science that would have widespread benefits for…

The February 2011 National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) conference marked its tenth annual event. During the opening plenary, speakers looked back and described the progress and accomplishments of past years. They highlighted activities of the various federal agencies, medical organizations, and individuals who helped move EHDI…

In Illinois, several organizations collaborate to provide a comprehensive approach to family outreach for families of students who are deaf and hard of hearing. This article provides an overview of some of the agencies that work together in this effort: (1) CHOICES for Parents; (2) Illinois Hands and Voices; (3) Guide By Your Side; (4) Illinois…

In Indiana, families with newly identified deaf and hard of hearing children may have varying experiences in discovering the support systems available to them. Indiana has a Part C early intervention (EI) program, known as First Steps, that serves all children at risk or identified with a disability. This program, however, is not yet seamless in…

Current trends and issues surrounding birth screening, early intervention services, and deaf children's varying access to language and literacy demonstrate a critical need to improve one's understanding of how to involve families as partners in their children's education. In the past decade, increasing numbers of deaf children have been identified…