ERIC Number: EJ1104107
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1544-6751
EISSN: N/A
The Power and Promise of a Handshake: Milestones in Collaboration
Rosen, Roslyn
Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education, v17 p38-42 2016
In 1816, when Laurent Clerc, a deaf teacher of deaf students from France, met the Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a hearing preacher from the United States, one of the world's most important partnerships began. Gallaudet had visited England and then come to France in search of a pedagogy to teach deaf children. His quest was initiated by Alice Cogswell's father. Mason Gallaudet had worked with Alice, a young deaf girl from his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut, and he knew that there were many other uneducated deaf children like Alice throughout the United States. In Paris, Gallaudet observed classes in France's national school for deaf students where he met Clerc. Gallaudet knew that Clerc had the knowledge and experience to create relevant, deaf-centric, and successful educational programs for deaf children. Gallaudet needed Clerc. He implored Clerc to return to the United States with him. Clerc accepted the challenge. He shook hands with Gallaudet, thus forming a formidable team and setting a new precedent. Since Clerc and Gallaudet shook each other's hand two centuries ago on another continent, the leadership of deaf people and the collaboration among deaf and hearing individuals, families, state agencies, interpreters, schools, and communities have been essential to the success of deaf and hard of hearing students. Adherence to overarching principles has defined successful collaborations and continues to do so today.
Descriptors: Deafness, Hearing Impairments, Special Schools, Educational History, Access to Education, Cooperative Planning, Sign Language, Partnerships in Education, State Legislation
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, KS 3600, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-526-9105; Tel: 202-651-5340; Fax: 202-651-5708; e-mail: odyssey@gallaudet.edu; Web site: http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California; West Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A