Art could be the breakthru in deaf education

[sheri363]

Art could be the next big breakthrough in deaf education according to a teacher in a deaf/hard of hearing class in high school in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Joanne Weber has taught the deaf and hard of hearing class at Thom Collegiate for twelve years. Over the last five years, she's started to see a troubling trend in her students. Many of her high school students are not reading at the Grade 4 level.

………………

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Weber's new students have worse language skills than before. Whether it's through more television time, less communication, or something else, Weber said her students do not have the language skills they need.

Meanwhile, many children are not being taught how to become fluent in sign language. The parents often don't have time to learn a second language fluently, and Weber said the interpreters in Saskatchewan often aren't well trained and don't have opportunities for development.

This holds true for both written, oral, and sign language.

Many deaf and hard of hearing children get hearing aids so that they can communicate orally. Weber said for some students it's very successful, while for others it's not.

The result, said Weber, is a lack of access to a full language, which leads to a lack of knowledge.

"They're not picking it up through the hearing and the technologies, and they're not picking it up through the sign language, so they're really stuck between two languages."

See full report http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/saskatchewan/story/1.3123573

Is this what many of you have noticed nowadays? I really thought the language proficiency and knowledge have been improving especially since during the last decade or two. Or three. I would imagine that some of the students in that class have cochlear implants. Didn't CIs improve absorption of language dramatically in most kids??? Was this just propaganda all along?? That only a fraction of pre-lingually deaf/Deaf/HoH students with either HA or CI 'succeeded' in mainstream or inclusion?? I don't know what to think..

 

[deafdyke]

Why doesn't this surprise me? I would think that a lot of it is kids falling through the cracks....did you know in Canada it's not that unusal for HOH kids to be placed in life skills (for mentally disabled) classes!?!?!?! Our educational system is too one size fits all. Of COURSE kids are going to fall through the cracks.

 

[caz]

some good artist on here..seen websites just mind blowing

 

[hoichi]

Why doesn't this surprise me? I would think that a lot of it is kids falling through the cracks....did you know in Canada it's not that unusal for HOH kids to be placed in life skills (for mentally disabled) classes!?!?!?! Our educational system is too one size fits all. Of COURSE kids are going to fall through the cracks.

When i became Deaf at 9,.hearie school, literally dumped me into mentally disabled class, im not talking reading plm class, or bad attitude class, im talking kids with helmits on, kids that couldnt even read, write or do anything. Kids that would just hit their heads on things all damn day.....
The teacher (watcher) didnt know what do to with me, like i became an alien or something..so she just left me alone to myself, until my mother pulled me from the school and took me to.Deafie scbool a couple hours away..and had them look at me...they told my mother, im Deaf, she knew, and that its an outrage they just dumped me in the mentaly disableded class,....but its the usual way..
I was in deafie school the next weak after visist, which was fine as i was suspended.for fighting. Constanttly...i kept getting beat up by hearie kids, chest amplifier busted..so on...didnr work much anyway....meh....
The hearie achool didnt even try to move me or want too. They wish to keep Deaf kids in Hearie achool, they get added money for us. As we get dumped in mentaly disabled classes...
I remember those days...i never really seen people like that before, i was a kid, Deaf, hearie kids turned to hungry dogs, i coulldnt hear, so there i was with kids with helmits on......drulling, (shakes head)
Anyway....not suprised..
Re the article...

 

[deafdyke]

Yes Hoichi,
Although I wasn't dumped in with the mentally disabled or autistic kids, I WAS lumped in with the special ed kids. They gave me minimal accomondations, so of COURSE I didn't do well...and when I didn't do well they said that I would never go to college or accomplish things. Granted I didn't need the intensity of a Deaf School, but I could have done SO MUCH BETTER had I had the proper accomondations.

 

[caz]

When i became Deaf at 9,.hearie school, literally dumped me into mentally disabled class, im not talking reading plm class, or bad attitude class, im talking kids with helmits on, kids that couldnt even read, write or do anything. Kids that would just hit their heads on things all damn day.....
The teacher (watcher) didnt know what do to with me, like i became an alien or something..so she just left me alone to myself, until my mother pulled me from the school and took me to.Deafie scbool a couple hours away..and had them look at me...they told my mother, im Deaf, she knew, and that its an outrage they just dumped me in the mentaly disableded class,....but its the usual way..
I was in deafie school the next weak after visist, which was fine as i was suspended.for fighting. Constanttly...i kept getting beat up by hearie kids, chest amplifier busted..so on...didnr work much anyway....meh....
The hearie achool didnt even try to move me or want too. They wish to keep Deaf kids in Hearie achool, they get added money for us. As we get dumped in mentaly disabled classes...
I remember those days...i never really seen people like that before, i was a kid, Deaf, hearie kids turned to hungry dogs, i coulldnt hear, so there i was with kids with helmits on......drulling, (shakes head)
Anyway....not suprised..
Re the article...

this happens everywhere not just States it disgrace...but op topic art