1. Connections
Between Best Practice in General Education and Deaf Education.
Successful teaching of students who are deaf and hard of
hearing requires not only the knowledge and skills to teach
hearing students but also specialized knowledge and skill in
deaf education (Bowe, Approaching Equality: Education of the
Deaf, 1991; Council on Education of the Deaf, Standards for
the Certification of Professionals Involved in the Education
of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth, 2001; Lytle
& Rovins, 1997). Not only does Gallaudet's M.A. Program in
Deaf Education require a background in elementary, secondary,
or early childhood education for admission, the program
emphasizes both general education content (e.g., Drake,
Planning Integrated Curriculum, 1993; Durkin, Language Issues,
1995; Wood, Interdisciplinary Instruction, 1993) and
specialized content related to deafness (e.g., Chamberlain et
al., Language Acquisition by Eye,1999; Compton, Audiology for
Counselors and Educators; Mahshie, Educating Deaf Students
Bilingually, 1995; Moores, Educating the Deaf, 2001) .
2. Connecting Local, National,
and Global Perspectives. Deaf and hard of hearing children
exist around the world. Even in the United States their
cultural and ethnic diversity is greater than that of the
population at large (Gallaudet Research Institute, 1998;
Schildroth & Karchmer, Deaf Children in America, 1986).
Teacher candidates must understand deafness from a cultural
perspective (Lane, Hoffmeister, & Bahan, A Journey into
the Deaf-World, 1996). They also must understand and
accommodate diverse cultural perspectives (Christensen &
Delgado, Deaf Plus: A Multicultural Perspective, 2000). In no
sense is Gallaudet's program a local program—our students
come from all states and many countries and graduates become
educational innovators and leaders in diverse national and
international venues. For these reasons, the program prepares
teachers with national and international perspectives, accepts
students from many countries and cultural backgrounds, and
provides internship experiences locally, nationally, and
globally.
3. Connections to Tradition and
Innovation. Tradition and innovation in deaf education have
been closely linked to Gallaudet since its founding in 1864
(Van Cleve, Deaf History Unveiled, 1993). Similarly, the
university's teacher preparation program has been on the
forefront of innovation in the field since it began in 1891
(Jones & Achtzehn, 1992). To succeed as innovators
teachers must understand both the field's history (Moores, op.
cit.) and contemporary innovations (Gibb & Dyches, Guide
to Writing Quality Individualized Education Programs: What is
Best for Students with Disabilities, 2000; Mahshie, op. cit.)
4. Connecting Theories and
Practice. Effective teachers must understand the ways in which
their students learn (Gardner, Multiple Intelligences, 1993;
Richardson, Constructivist Teacher Education, 1997; Slavin,
Cooperative Learning, 1995). Throughout Gallaudet's M.A.
Program in Deaf Education, current teaching practices are
modeled and experienced, so that the theories underlying them
may be examined and understood. Since practicum experiences
are correlated with coursework in most semesters of the
program, candidates may connect their university
classroom-based experiences with their teaching experiences in
school sites.
5. Connecting Curriculum to
Continuous Learning Through Reflection and Inquiry. With
reflective portfolios required each semester, Gallaudet's
program emphasizes reflection throughout the candidates'
preparation. Such reflection is necessary for teachers to
develop their full potential for motivating student learning
(Black et al., New Directions in Portfolio Assessment:
Reflective Practice, Critical Theory, and Large-Scale Scoring,
1994; Brookfield, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher,
1995; Paris & Ayres, Becoming Reflective Students and
Teachers with Portfolios and Authentic Assessment, 1996). |
