H. Johnson 1

Join Together: A Join Together: A Vision for the Future – Vision for the Future – A Difference for Us AllA Difference for Us All

Join Together: A Join Together: A Vision for the Future – Vision for the Future – A Difference for Us AllA Difference for Us All

H. Johnson 2

Summary of Findings: We know that there is a critical,

nation wide shortage of teachers, but…

we do not know the extent to which our teacher preparation programs are working at anything close to capacity.

H. Johnson 3

… Findings• We know that our students are

increasingly isolated from each other and the resources that they need to be successful, but…

• we do not know the actual number of those students, nor the qualifications of the individuals who are teaching them.

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… Findings• We know that individuals who graduate

from our teacher preparation programs have been taught how to assess and teach, but…

• we do not know if they actually become teachers, if they teach how we have preached, how effective they are, or even how long they teach.

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… Findings• We know that our faculty are stressed

and stretched that they rarely have time to carry out research, publish or even take advantage of grant “buy-outs”, but…

• we do not know how we will replace them as they rapidly approach retirement.

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… Findings• We know that our students are

increasingly diverse and that they possess the full range of abilities and disabilities, but…

• we do not know how to recruit a more diverse pool of teachers, nor do we know how to prepare those teachers to teach students in grades ranging from kindergarten through high school.

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… Findings• We know that our educational system has

failed to provide most of our students with the increasing levels of linguistic, academic and social competencies that are required to become economically independent and successful adults, but…

• we do not know the “best practices,” proven instructional strategies and academic content of our general education colleagues who now teach many, if not most, of our students.

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… Findings• We know that a redesign of our teacher

preparation programs must be carried out if they are to survive and to become more readily available throughout the nation, but…

• we lack the vision, time and collaborative will to evolve the needed teacher preparation program designs.

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… Findings• We know that we became educators because

we value learning, know the value of becoming an effective and independent learner and become excited when we make a difference in the lives of our students, but…

• we do not know how to learn with our students, we do not know how to give our students practical reasons to use what we ask them to learn, nor do we know how to provide our students with the role models that they need to become the successful adults.

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… Findings• We know the students that we

taught “way back when,” but…• we are much less sure of the

students that our teachers are now teaching, or the students our teachers will soon be asked to teach.

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… Findings• We know that No Child Left Behind, Meeting

the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge and A New Era in Special Education will require our students to take state proficiency test, out teachers to become content specialists and our special education programs to more flexible and accountable than ever before, but…

• we do not know how we will accomplish all of this when we have yet to accomplish so much that we have worked on for so long.

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… Findings Finally, we know that many, if not most of our students

have not only been left behind, but essentially written off by an educational system that has come to expect, if not accept the ongoing linguistic, academic and social failure of our students, but…

what we do not know is whether or not we can use the challenges of No Child Left Behind to document, the opportunities of Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge to enhance and the requirements of A New Era in Special Education to apply the technological advances of our time to reduce isolation, to increase expectations, to share resources, to recognize excellence and to increase learning opportunities for us all.

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It is not just “us”• The proceeding findings were drawn from:

– Free and Appropriate Public Education and the Personnel Crisis for Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness

• by Ann Corn & Susan Spungin

– U.S. Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs: A Look at the Past and a Vision for the Future

• by Harold Johnson

• The findings apply equally to the nation’s 71,671 d/hh, 93,600 v/i and 10,600 d/b students

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A Solution for us all• “Join Together” in an effort where…

– three fields of sensory impairment (i.e., d/hh + v/i + d/b) are linked in a common effort to enhance both performance and opportunities;

– our best teachers, interpreters and aides are linked, recognized and used as models for the preparation of the next generation of professionals;

– our K-12 students are linked w/ adults that model what is possible vs. what is expected

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…Solution• “Join Together in a use of…

– No Child Left Behind to document the academic performance of our students;

– Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher Challenge to enhance the academic preparation of our teachers;

– A New Era in Special Education to demonstrate to the nation how the efficient and effective use of technology can enhance teaching and learning for us all

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…Solution• “Join Together in an effort to secure…

– A $35,000,000, five year grant from the National Science Foundation that is designed to enhance the mathematics and science instruction and performance of at least 10,000 K-12 students +…

• develop and use rigorous curricular materials; • enhance initial and ongoing professional

development concerning effective practices in mathematics and science instruction; and

• conduct research concerning rigors and effective mathematics and science teaching and learning.

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…Essential Elements - Students

Grades

K-3

Grades

4-6

Grades

7-9

Grades

10-12St

ate

Profi

cien

cy T

ests

National C

ompetitions

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…Essential Elements - Teachers

A Virtual

K-12 Professional Development School

(Innovative & Effective Teachers & Interpreters)

A Virtual Postsecondary Collaborative Network

d/hh – v/i – d/b – GE M/S

Virtual

Community of Mathematicians &

Scientists

Virtual Mentors

H32

3 Te

chno

logy

Preservice Teachers/Interpreters

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…Essential Elements - Strategies

Virtual Field Experiences, Instructional & Curricular

Enhancements

Actual Student Teaching

Placements

Actual Summer Institutes

Research

netT

rekk

er C

ur. R

esou

rce

Lectora OnLine D

ev. Tool

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…Essential Elements-On-Line Community

Informational Resources

Interactive Resources

Collaborative Resource

Teams

Research

Performance D

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