Jandi Arboleda

Accepting Deaf Identity among Asian and Asian American Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the United States

This session will feature the findings and implications to education and deafness rehabilitation of an interrelationship study that looked at three variables: acculturation to Asian hearing culture and to American Deaf culture was correlated with acceptance of deafness. After variable analyses, the significant findings were: 1) Participants, less acculturated to behavioral aspects of Asian hearing culture, have higher levels of self-acceptance. 2) Participants, more acculturated to American Deaf culture, have higher levels of self-acceptance. 3) Participants, with hearing or marginal identities, have lower levels of self-acceptance. 4) Participants’ age and the highest education level predicted acceptance of deafness. 5) The fathers’ hearing status predicted acceptance of deafness.

Jandi Arboleda is an evaluation associate in the Program Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (or The Clerc Center) at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Prior to this position, he was a transition counselor preparing students for post-secondary educational and vocational programs. Dr. Arboleda received his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at Gallaudet University and is a certified rehabilitation counselor. He has a Ph.D. in Counseling with a specialization in deafness rehabilitation from The George Washington University.

Jandi Arboleda

Ensuring successful transition of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students at the Clerc Center

Transition is a process that has its foundation in elementary school, continues throughout middle and high school and encompasses preparation for success in school, employment, and life. To support the successful transition of deaf and hard of hearing students, the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University offers a variety of programs and services. During this poster session the participants will learn about these transition programs and services. They will have an opportunity to review materials and to discuss how these materials support the evolution of essential transition skills and how they can evolve naturally within an academic environment.

Jandi Arboleda is an evaluation associate in the Program Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (or The Clerc Center) at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Prior to this position, he was a transition counselor preparing students for post-secondary educational and vocational programs. Dr. Arboleda received his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at Gallaudet University and is a certified rehabilitation counselor. He has a Ph.D. in Counseling with a specialization in deafness rehabilitation from The George Washington University.

Cristina Berdichevsky, Franklin Torres and Delia Lozano Martínez

Sí, se puede. Educating Latino Deaf College Students

Latinos now make up the largest minority in the US and 25% of Deaf school-aged children are of Latino descent. At Gallaudet Latino students represent a small minority, but are increasingly feeling empowered due to a holistic effort, which includes appreciation for their unique trilingual and tricultural background, a new course on Deaf Latino Identities to educate the campus, cohort support programs to improve retention and graduation rates, and service learning in solidarity with Deaf Latin Americans.Two Latino faculty and one Latino undergraduate student will discuss what is being done at Gallaudet to ensure that Latino students succeed academically.

Originally from Argentina, Dr. Cristina Berdichevsky has degrees in Spanish and in French. Due to her commitment to improving the lives of deaf people in developing countries, Dr. Berdichevsky has received external and internal grants to establish a "deaf friendly" version of the Peace Corps, known as the International Deaf Partnerships. This program involves deaf peer mentoring through internships and service projects among US deaf college students and deaf people in five Latin American countries, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Originally from Perú, Franklin Torres has degrees in Spanish and Deaf Education and is currently writing his doctoral dissertation. Due to his commitment to improve the lives of Deaf Latinos, he was instrumental in establishing the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area, Inc., chapter of NCHDHH. He is currently serving his second term as president.

Delia Lozano Martínez is an undergraduate student at Gallaudet University, majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Spanish. She is the student program coordinator of Keeping the Promise to Educate Deaf Latino Students, a member of Latino Student Union,  Phi Kappa Zeta Sorority, and Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area.

Dianne K. Brooks and Alvin Boyd

STEPS to SUCCESS

STEPS to SUCCESS is a weekend summer career exploration camp for African-American, Latino, and Native American students in grades 7, 8 and 9. Participants include students and their parents, guardians or mentors. Two concurrent programs are offered. The student-centered program component offers a variety of hands-on career exploration activities, including exploration of interests, aptitudes and preferences. The parent component offers opportunites to share experiences, learn strategies that facilitate involvement in the IEP/Transition planning process, and assist the child in the development of academic skills and self-advocacy skills that support successful transition from school to work and adult life.

Dianne Brooks is Associate Dean for Outreach at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is also Director of the Postsecondary Education Programs Consortium - Northeast Region ( PEPNet-Northeast), one of four regional centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ms. Brooks has more than 30 years experience in the field of deafness that includes teaching at the College level, and higher education administration. She received a B.S degree in Psychology from Howard University and a Masters Degree in Counseling from Gallaudet University.

Alvin Boyd, Sr. is a faculty instructor in the Business Studies Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), one of eight colleges of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He holds an Associate of Arts in Educational Interpreting for the Deaf and Master of Science in Secondary Education (MSSE) of Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Mr. Boyd has worked with deaf persons in various settings, but specifically in settings from K-12 and post-secondary education. He has coordinated the Steps To Success Program for the past two years.

Jody H. Cripps, Sam J. Supalla and Laura A. Blackburn

An Examination of an Alternative Curriculum and Assessment for Deaf Students Who Sign

The question of how to teach deaf students who are proficient in American Sign Language to read is examined in quantitative and qualitative terms. Two deaf elementary-aged students participated in a two-week tutorial where special tools were used to connect their signed language knowledge with print. These tools included gloss, an intermediary writing system, along with an ASL-phabet and The Resource Book. These tools were designed to combat the effects of deafness on reading. The results of the study include understanding how reading strategies were taught and learned and what measures allow for documenting the students’ reading progress.

A native signer (American Sign Language), Dr. Jody H. Cripps is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology & Deaf Studies at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. He obtained his doctoral degree in May 2008 from the University of Arizona’s Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Interdisciplinary Program. His doctoral dissertation titled, “A Case Study on Reading Processes of Signing Deaf Children” focuses on deaf children’s reading processes in English as a second language through the support of American Sign Language as their first language.

Dr. Samuel J. Supalla is an Associate Professor of the Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology Department at the University of Arizona. His research interests lie in understanding and remedying some of the reading development issues concerning deaf children. Special tools and instructional procedures are subject to testing as well as measures developed to assess the different skills involved. Proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) is also part of this linguistic accessibility framework where deaf children need to bypass the sound barrier to language and later in reading. Dr. Supalla extended his service to the establishment of a charter school and training for teachers of the deaf in the nation and internationally. Dr. Supalla is well-known for his storytelling performances in ASL and participates in the development of a signed language literature curriculum for use in ASL and Deaf Studies programs.

Dr. Laura A. Blackburn is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education and Interpreter Preparation at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Blackburn is a seasoned classroom teacher (grades Pre-K through 12) and has also taught undergraduate and graduate students at Gallaudet University and Northern Illinois University. Her area of expertise is curriculum development and instructional design. Blackburn also serves actively as a systemic reform advocate. She continually works to apply her complementary professional experiences as teacher, researcher and administrator in an effort to develop scientifically-grounded and universally accessible instructional tools for deaf students as well as their teachers.

Norman Crozer

Remedial English Computer Software for Deaf Students

The presenter has developed three computer programs that improve the writing abilities of deaf students. The programs can either form the basis for an entire course, or be used as auxiliary aids in high school or college English courses. Students create varying types of sentences and each time they make a mistake, the programs stop and help the student correct the mistake. This immediate feedback and self-correction along with pull-down menus containing relevant rules and information means students primarily teach themselves with minimal staff involvement. This program design also allows students to progress at their own rate.

Norman Crozer has been a teacher of the deaf for almost 40 years. Mr. Crozer attended California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where he helped to set up the program for training teachers of the deaf in 1969. He received his teaching credential and Master of Arts degree in the education of the deaf from CSUN. Mr. Crozer is the Director of the Disabled Students Program at Los Angeles Pierce College.

Debra Cushner, Brenda Perrodin, and Debra Nussbaum

Considerations For Developing an ASL/English Bilingual Parent-Infant Program

This session will discuss a rationale to support ASL/English bilingual education as a strong option for families of newly identified deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers. It will discuss the philosophy and framework of the Parent-Infant Program (PIP) at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center related to facilitation of language development in both ASL and English,and discuss considerations for implementing a comprehensive ASL/English program in other programs. Videoclips demonstrating activities and strategies used in the KDES program will be shared.

Debra Cushner is a Parent-Infant Teacher at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. Since graduating with an M.A. from Gallaudet University in multiple disabilities and a B.A. from Syracuse University in Special Education, she has worked at KDES since 1980. Since 1981 she has focused on designing and implementing early childhood programs and has presented in a variety of venues on this topic.

Brenda Perrodin is a Parent-Infant Teacher at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. Since graduating with an M.A. from Gallaudet University in Family Centered Early Childhood Education and a B.A. from Gallaudet University in Early Childhood Education, she has worked at KDES since 1996. She is also a mentor with the KDES Shared Reading Program.

Debra Nussbaum is Coordinator of the Cochlear Implant Education Center at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University. Since graduating in Audiology from George Washington University, she has worked at the Clerc Center since 1977. She has developed numerous resource materials and presents nationally and internationally on the topic of auditory and speech skill development for deaf children who also use sign language, and on educational considerations for students with cochlear implants.

Daniel Dukes and Darian Burwell

Eliminating Racial Harassment in Your School/Classroom

In 2007, the Model Secondary School for the Deaf encountered a serious racial situation which grabbed headlines and the attention of the deaf community. Instead of shying away from the topic, MSSD teachers and staff pressed forward to open discussion and face the issues with intentionality and purpose. This session, "Eliminating Racial Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying: A Dialogue for Improving our School" will focus on MSSD's strategies to open discussions about race, address issues related to racial harassment and discrimination in schools, and continue ongoing dialogue with students about issues related to race. The goal of the workshop is to help teachers/administrators understand the various forms of intentional or unintentional discrimination, harassment, and bullying that occur in our schools; and the best approaches to addressing these issues in a safe and positive way.

Daniel Dukes graduated from Texas Christian University in 2000, with a degree in history and English, and from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2004, with a degree in education administration. He taught sophomore English and world history at Birdville High School from 2000-2004. It was at Birdville High School that he met his first deaf person, Beth, whom he also married. In 2004, he began working at the Laurent Clerc Center as the Honors Program coordinator. He also served as MSSD Principal from 2007-2009, and will now be working as the Director of Instruction for KDES/MSSD. Daniel is in the process of completing his Ed.D degree in education administration at George Washington University.

Darian Burwell attended Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in Washington, DC,  from 1984-1988, where she learned sign language. In 1992, she graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Maryland where she was mainstreamed with interpreters. In 1996, she received her Bachelors in Communication Arts and worked as a job coach at New York Society for the Deaf and logistics specialist for Summer Programs at Gallaudet. Over the years, she has worked as Coordinator for Academic Bowl, Coordinator of Recruitment, and Presidential Assistant, Diversity Relations. She received her Masters in Administration and Supervision in 2004 and currently works as Interim Coordinator, Student Success in First Year Experience.

Luane Davis Haggerty and Peter Haggerty

Theatrical Interaction in Song, Sonnets, Sign and Cyberspace

This is a sessional approach that uses technology and performance to put Shakespeare (or music) into a format that allows for immediate uploading to a broader audience. Unlike film or movie genres that freeze the performance the opportunities provided by podcast and facebook clips involve the audience through giving opportunity for response in the moment of performance expanding the audience while still honoring the live performer - hence live theater that can exist in real time but in more than one space. This also has application for distance learning curriculm.

Luane Davis Haggerty is co-founder of the Interborough Repertory Theater (IRT), a non-profit AEA Off-Off Broadway Company dedicated to inclusion and outreach to women, the disabled and other minorities. She has been a Public Education Specialist for New York State Department of Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities and is now an Assistant Professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology in the department of Creative and Cultural Studies.

Peter Haggerty received his BA from Wesleyan University (CT) and his MA from Rutgers University. Both degrees were in English Literature. He has also worked as a journalist in Princeton (NJ) and Medina (NY).

Professor Haggerty has been teaching hearing-impaired students at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY since 1976. His primary areas of interest are reading, critical-thinking, and writing development. He communicates with hearing-impaired students in his classroom using Simultaneous Communication. Professor Haggerty also has taught English Composition to hearing students in RIT's College of Liberal Arts (CLA) for 10 years.

Kyle Edenzon and Dr. LKQuinsland

"My way or the highway!"

Millennial students growing up in the digital age with much less practice in interactive collaboration (a.k.a. teamworking) skill development compared to past decades. This interactive session will introduce the concept from two educational perspectives. A student graduate from the NTID Lab Science Technology (LST) program and his former professor will share real stories and experiences related to laboratory simulations where effective teamwork was required. Student reactions to the simulations were sometimes dramatic/traumatic to the students and challenging to the instructor. Presenters will engage participants in a discussion and suggest relevant activities that contribute to the development of important team collaboration skills.

Kyle Edenzon is a recent graduate of the NTID Laboratory Science Technology Program. He is a native of Northridge, CA, and is currently pursuing his BS degree in the College of Science at RIT.

LKQuinsland is a Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and works with both non-science and science majors in the College of NTID. He is currently the President of CAID.

Angela Lee Foreman

Case Study: Direct Vertical Mentoring of NTID-Supported Undergraduate Students involved within Biomedical Research at RIT

A Case Study of direct vertical Mentoring of a NTID-Supported Undergraduate Student involved within Biomedical Research at RIT working on a biomedical research project during summer 2008 which continued throughout Fall and Winter quarters 2008-2009 Academic Year is described herein. Also part of Dr. Foreman's research team during summer 2008, another third year NTID-supported biomedical major student, during the latter part of the summer. The successful research project data was disseminated by the student during RIT's annual Undergraduate Research Symposium through poster display at the end of summer and through a oral/sign language session during RIT's College of Science Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Dr. Angela Lee Foreman is a deaf biomedical researcher from University of California at Davis currently as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at RIT/NTID.

Jennifer Furlano

Developing Metalinguistic Awareness in ASL at Early Age

In this session, discussion will focus on an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher who works with a group of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten deaf students, giving those students the opportunity to develop ASL storytelling skills within the classroom every day to prepare them for academic and literacy readiness. The teacher faces the question: How can deaf children develop beginning metalinguistic awareness if they have not had the opportunity to view themselves signing? Deaf children need to view themselves to be able to reflect on their ASL. In this project, the teacher uses WEBCAM or iFLIP (Mac) to allow students to tell ASL stories from their drawings or imagination and then view themselves.

Jennifer Furlano is an Early Childhood Education ASL Specialist at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. She is also a Co-site Coordinator for the Shared Reading Project, a program dedicated to improving literacy and encouraging learning at home by instructing parents on how to read with their children. Jennifer's passion for ASL and her strong belief in children allow her to instill an excellent cognitive and linguistic foundation in her students. Jennifer received her B.S. in ASL Studies from Gallaudet University and her Master's Degree in Deaf Education from McDaniel College.

Patricia K. Graves

Communication Access - It's a Team Effort!

There is no “one size fits all” when it concerns communication access. In this session different speech-to-text systems will be identified. The focus will be on remote and onsite CART services, options for online and in-classroom word-for-word realtime text, as well as the common goal of successfully retaining and graduating students.

Patricia K. Graves is president, CEO and a captioner for Caption First, which was established in 1989. She currently serves on state and national boards and committees serving in the areas of court reporting, certification, legislation for people who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing, and all forms of speech to text. Pat is certified at a state and national level. She has taught both on the local and national levels for CART and captioning for Court Reporters, CART providers, captioners and consumers. In 2000, Pat was listed in Today's Chicago Woman as one of the "100 Women Making a Difference."

Jan Hafer and Amanda S. Holzrichter

Addressing the diversity of language, culture and learning in both course content and the learning community: interaction and influence

The freshman college course "The City as Text: The Languages, Cultures and Education of DC's Children" is the basis of a case study on how the course content and instructional strategies as well as the profile of the learning community have a dynamic influence on the experience in the course. The co-instructors of this course will illustrate with video clips and text excerpts the effect of complex interactions of the diversity of the students (learning community), the course content and the instructional strategies employed on the quality and effectiveness of the course.

Dr. Jan Hafer is a Professor in the General Studies Program at Gallaudet University. She has taught deaf and hard of hearing children, youth and adults for over 35 years in various settings. Her research interests include assessment of young deaf and hard of
hearing children and family support.

Dr. Amanda Holzrichter is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at Gallaudet University. Previously, she taught applied linguistics, including courses in language acquisition and bilingualism, at a university in central Mexico. Her research interests include deaf and hearing children’s language acquisition, parent-child interactions, and the linguistics of signed languages.

Jason Hurdich

Utilizing Lifelike, 3D Animated SigningAvatar Characters for the Instruction of K-12 Deaf Learners

Vcom3D, Inc. creates tools utilizing SigningAvatar characters that make curriculum accessible to Deaf/HH students in their native language, American Sign Language (ASL). Our research has produced proof-of-concept tools that improve STEM and literacy development for Deaf/HH students such as mobile devices that allow the student to learn beyond the classroom; and a system for creating and delivering 3D avatar animated stories using the full range of facial expressions, nuances and body language of ASL.

The session will demonstrate our research projects and how our technology can be integrated into curriculum to increase language development among Deaf/HH students.

Deaf and a native ASL signer, Jason Hurdich is involved in the research and innovation of Vcom3D’s sign language products. He is currently the Team Leader of Vcom3D's Sign Language Division. Mr. Hurdich earned his B.A. in Political Science from Boston University. He has taught American Sign Language (ASL) and Sign Language Interpreting at major colleges and universities for the past 17 years. He is actively involved in the Deaf community and hopes to bring better educational tools to the community utilizing Vcom3D's products.

Sheila Jacobs

The Impact of Deaf Education on Communication and Relationships in the Deaf Community: A Five Generation View of Each Deaf Student

Deaf Education has major impact and implications, not only for the deaf student, but for the five generations of the deaf student's family. The student brings to the broader world what he has learned,not only academically, but what he has learned about himself and how he views himself in the broader world. Key points for communication assessment and intervention will be presented: focusing on how the deaf student both interacts with others in the school setting as well as within the context of his/her family. Healthy communication means healthy connection and relationship to others: both hearing AND deaf, both at school AND at home.

Sheila Jacobs is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist and CEO of Double Pride. She has seen first hand the impact of Deaf Education in her own family over the course of five generations. As the only hearing person in her large Deaf family, Sheila has experienced the impact of Deaf Education throughout her family tree--her deaf parents, deaf sister, deaf grandparents, deaf aunts and uncles, and some deaf cousins. Over the last 20 years, Codas and the Deaf Community have asked Sheila to consult and provide various trainings based on her mental health approach she calls "Double Pride". Double Pride helps us to better understand the stages of bicultural and bilingual development, when they break down, and how to understand the sometimes bumpy road to bicultural empowerment she calls "Double Pride".Now with her new company--Double Pride, we can better address the counseling, coaching, consulting, training, educational, and public speaking needs of our clients. Double Pride empowers both Deaf and multicultural clients personally and professionally in order to have the best of both their worlds at home, at school, and at work. Come visit us on the web at www.doublepride.com.

Richard L. Jeffries, Jr.

Changing the Way We Teach…

Studies show that teachers, despite receiving in-depth training in reading instruction, are inclined to use instructional strategies they experienced as students when growing up. Current research shows that teachers need to integrate data-driven practices into their daily instruction, use research-based practices, and collaborate with their peers. To implement these practices, teachers need to engage in a process that will allow them to change their personal belief system through reflective practice. At the conclusion of the session, the teachers will have an array of strategies they can apply to initiate the process of changing the way they teach.

Richard L. Jeffries, Jr. is a Planning Specialist at the Clerc Center, Gallaudet University. Mr. Jeffries has been a classroom facilitator, writing mentor, English teacher, ASL instructor, literacy specialist and planning specialist during his fifteen years of working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Through the Clerc Center, Mr. Jeffries has presented nationally on topics such as: Literacy – It All Connects, Read It Again and Again, Leading from Behind: Language Experience, Reading to Deaf Children and 6+1 Traits Writing Assessment and Instruction. Mr. Jeffries is currently working on his doctorate degree at the University of Nebrasksa-Lincoln.

Kate Johnson

Creating an Experience-Based Mathematics Classroom

Teaching mathematics can be difficult when faced with textbooks that focus on procedural skills. How do I make lessons engaging and memorable for deaf and hard of hearing students? Taking a closer look at examples from middle and high school geometry provides us with the tools to answer this question. This session will engage the participants in an experiential lesson and then walk through the steps of creating these kinds of lessons. While the concepts presented in the session will be in middle and high school content, the resources gained in developing lessons are applicable in the elementary level too.

Kate Johnson is a doctoral student in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy at Michigan State University. Her interests are in mathematics education, deaf education, and teacher education. She was a high school math teacher at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind and teaches now in methods courses for pre-service teachers.

Ronald R. Kelly, John A. Albertini and Mary Karol Matchett

Personal Factors that Contribute to Deaf Students' Success in College

Prior research indicates that academic preparation alone does not account for deaf students' success in college. This study of deaf and hard-of-hearing students at NTID/RIT examines personal factors (study skills, time management, attitudes, nonverbal reasoning skills, etc.) that are associated with persistence and success in college, in addition to academic skills. Findings from 2007 and 2008 cohorts (n = 300) of entering deaf students will be presented relative to their success as college students. The results of this longitudinal study indicate that personal factors and nonverbal visual reasoning relate to deaf college students' progress and success in college.

Ronald R. Kelly is a Professor in the Department of Research and Teacher Education at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Ron has been at NTID/RIT for 26 years. He has published 51 scholarly articles and 5 book chapters, and presented 71 papers at national and international conferences on deaf learners. His research has focused on deaf students' mathematical problem solving, comprehension of mathematical word problems, quantifier knowledge, and persistence and success in college.

John A. Albertini is a Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Research and Teacher Education at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. John has been at NTID/RIT for 33 years. His research has focused on language skills of deaf students in reading and writing, as well as their persistence and success in college.

Mary Karol Matchett is a Personal/Career Counselor and Student Retention Coordinator for Student Affairs at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology.Mary Karol has been at NTID/RIT for 15 years. Her primary interest is on deaf students' retention, persistence, and success in college.

Karen L. Kritzer and Claudia M. Pagliaro

Learning-2-Learn: Designing Instructional Environments that Mediate the Natural Learning of Mathematics Concepts

This session will discuss the classroom implications of research findings related to the mathematics ability demonstrated by young deaf children. Findings indicate that deaf children may not be starting their formal education with the same foundational knowledge as hearing children, suggesting the need for curricular and pedagogical modifications not only in the early childhood classroom but beyond. This session will discuss how teachers can design instructional environments that support the development of learning behaviors for deaf/hh students and mediate the learning of formal and informal mathematics concepts.

Karen L. Kritzer, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor within the Deaf Education Program at Kent State University. She has a B.A. as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped with a minor in Secondary Education from Hofstra University, a M.A. in Deaf Education specializing in Early Childhood education from Gallaudet University, and a Ph.D. in Special Education specializing in Deaf Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Kritzer’s research agenda is focused on mathematics education for young deaf children and family/home-related factors that contribute to early learning opportunities for this population.

Claudia M. Pagliaro, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Deaf Education Programs at Michigan State University. She has earned a B.S. in Deaf Studies and Ed.M. in Education of the Deaf from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Deaf Education (Curriculum) from Gallaudet University. Dr. Pagliaro’s research agenda focuses on the mathematics instruction and learning of d/hh students, particularly problem solving and the influence of a visual language.

Karen L. Kritzer, Claudia M. Pagliaro and Rachel Trent

Let’s Solve the Problem! Helping Deaf Students Solve Story Problems through Mediation

This session will review problem solving lessons taught by a pre-service teacher to a deaf high school student under the supervision of a university deaf education faculty member. This session will discuss the strategies the teacher used to help the student work through story challenging problems and include an analysis of the language used during the lesson to stimulate higher levels of thinking and ultimately mediate learning.

Karen L. Kritzer, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor within the Deaf Education Program at Kent State University. She has a B.A. as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped with a minor in Secondary Education from Hofstra University, a M.A. in Deaf Education specializing in Early Childhood education from Gallaudet University, and a Ph.D. in Special Education specializing in Deaf Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Kritzer’s research agenda is focused on mathematics education for young deaf children and family/home-related factors that contribute to early learning opportunities for this population.

Claudia M. Pagliaro, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Deaf Education Programs at Michigan State University. She has earned a B.S. in Deaf Studies and Ed.M. in Education of the Deaf from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Deaf Education (Curriculum) from Gallaudet University. Dr. Pagliaro’s research agenda focuses on the mathematics instruction and learning of d/hh students, particularly problem solving and the influence of a visual language.

Rachel Trent recently graduated with honors from Kent State University with a BA degree as a Deaf Intervention Specialist. She completed her student teaching experience working with elementary level deaf students and has experienced practicum placements working with deaf students at varying grade levels.  Rachel is looking forward to beginning her career as a teacher of the deaf. 

Mollie Kropp, Eileen McCartin and Kristie Ketchum

Accessible Electronic Books: A Collaborative Approach to Dual Language Literacy

Presenters from two adjacent school systems will demonstrate how they created interactive electronic books and related activities through collaboration with hearing and deaf students, educational specialists, teachers, interpreters, and transliterators. These e-books incorporate scanned images; embedded video with American Sign Language, Cued English, and spoken English; and a variety of hyperlinks to help expand linguistic concepts in ASL and English. Assessment activities are included for linguistically and academically diverse students in elementary and secondary settings. Participants will leave with instructions for creating their own interactive e-books.

A native of Northeastern PA, Mollie Kropp attended the University of Pittsburgh and received a Master's degree in Deaf Education and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with emphasis on Children's and Adolescent Literature and American Sign Language. She taught for eight years in Fairfax County Public Schools in northern Virginia at W.T. Woodson High School, where she taught English in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program, served as department chair for two years, and coached the Woodson Academic Bowl team. She then taught junior high language arts and served as a technology resource for one year at the Scranton State School for the Deaf in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She is currently an Assistive Technology Resource Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Eileen McCartin was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and attended NYU where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Psychology. She later received her Master's degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet and her Ph.D. from George Mason University, with a specialization in literacy and instructional technology. She has taught deaf and hard of hearing students from elementary to college levels. She taught for seven years at W.T. Woodson High School where she worked with students who used ASL, Cued Speech and/or spoken English and coached the school's Deaf Academic Bowl team. She is currently the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist for Loudoun County Public Schools in northern Virginia.

Kristie Ketchum attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Deaf Education. She received a Masters Degree from Gallaudet College in 1981, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Gallaudet University in 2001. She worked with deaf and hard of hearing babies and pre-schoolers and their familes, in the Department of Hearing and Speech at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for fourteen years. For the past ten years, she has taught Deaf and hard of hearing students in Fairfax County Public Schools, in northern Virginia.

Mollie Kropp

Shakespeare for Everyone!

Shakespeare is hard. For everyone. And with the additional language issues often faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing students, it seems downright impossible. In this session, you will learn ways to make reading Shakespeare possible for your high school students - even fun! Topics include building background knowledge by studying the life and times of William Shakespeare, as well as developing both literacy skills and literary appreciation with the reading of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Texts, instructional materials, assessment tools, and technology integration ideas will be shared, with tips for differentiation strategies for meeting the needs of ALL your students.

A native of Northeastern PA, Mollie Kropp attended the University of Pittsburgh and received a Master's degree in Deaf Education and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with emphasis on Children's and Adolescent Literature and American Sign Language. She taught for eight years in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA at W.T. Woodson High School, where she taught English in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program, served as department chair for two years, and coached the Woodson Academic Bowl team. She then taught junior high language arts and served as a technology resource for one year at the Scranton State School for the Deaf in Scranton, PA. She is currently an Assistive Technology Resource Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Christopher A.N. Kurz

Writing, Writing, and Writing in the Mathematics Classroom: Can We Do That?

Participants in this session will learn different writing strategies to promote formal and informal writing in mathematics. Writing activities engage students on tasks and to assess student's ability to recall, generalize and apply the knowledge being taught. Examples of teacher-produced writing lessons will be shared.

Christopher A. N. Kurz holds a B.S. in mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology and both an M.A. in deaf education and a Ph.D. in foundations of education from the University of Kansas. His dissertation concerned mathematics education for deaf students during the nineteenth century. Deaf himself, Kurz is assistant professor in the instructional faculty at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, specializing in mathematics education.

Denise Lengyel

First Year Reflections: What I Wish I Knew Then

Educators of the deaf face heterogeneous classrooms on a regular basis and diversified instruction is required in these situations.Whether it be culture, language abilities, communication, student diversity or a lack of resrouces, it can be quite a challenge when the numbers are 10+ to one. In this session you will learn different methods to assess, communicate, and teach cultural sensitivity. Participants will be provided with resources and strategies to help students and instruction be more successful.

Denise Lengyel is a New York native who holds a bachelors degree in biochemistry from SUNY Geneseo and a MS degree in Secondary Deaf Education from RIT. For the last four years she has been working as the sole high school science teacher at the New Mexico School for the Deaf and has been the acting science and health specialist for the last three years. Throughout her time there she has been the acting chair of the science fairs, provided workshops to elementary and middle school science teachers focusing on content and curriculum mapping, and has established a science lab for the elementary students so inquiry based instruction can start as early as possible.

Larry LoMaglio

Utilizing Cloze Exercises to Improve Both Reading and Writing Skills

The session focuses on the benefits of using cloze exercises, not only for evaluating language literacy, but also for improving students' conversational, reading , writing , and grammar skills in a target language. Numerous exercises and strategies will be shared along with audience interactive activities.
session Plan: Cloze exercises will be defined with examples from the literature. Participants will be asked to complete a variety of exercises, discuss the strategies they used to complete them and to finally discuss the application to the teaching of English or a foreign language. Participants will leave with a folder of information.

Larry LoMaglio is an Associate Professor at NTID/RIT in Rochester, New York. He has a M.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Rochester and a Ed.M in TESOL from SUNY@ Buffalo, N.Y. For the past 32 years, he has taught a variety of developmental reading and writing courses to post-secondary deaf and hard of hearing students at NTID. Also, he teaches all deaf sections of Beginning Spanish courses in RIT-College of Liberal Arts.

Pamela Luft

Authentic, Flexible, and Student-Centered Assessment of Reading Skills: Use of Miscue Analysis Across the Range of Communication Options

Miscue analysis provides an authentic and student-centered approach to reading assessment that provides the teacher with specific, descriptive information on the meaning-making and reading skills of students. With minor modifications, the process can be used across the range of communication options used by deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Results can be used to plan effective intervention and to evaluate student outcomes. The session will show the miscue process across three diverse DHH students: one who is fluent in ASL, one who uses a mix of Signed English and ASL, and a one who is oral.

Pamela Luft, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Kent State University’s Deaf Education Program. She began her career in WA and WV public school classrooms with deaf students, then worked at the Maryland School for the Deaf, Kendall and MSSD at Gallaudet University, the Florida School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. Her research includes literacy and transition to adulthood.

Pamela Luft

Successful Diverse Deaf Individuals: Deaf Can!

This poster session will describe and show five powerpoints developed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and their teachers. The participants will identify and discuss ways that information can be utilized in their classrooms and schools to positively support the diversity of their students.

Pamela Luft, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Kent State University’s Deaf Education Program. She began her career in WA and WV public school classrooms with deaf students, then worked at the Maryland School for the Deaf, Kendall and MSSD at Gallaudet University, the Florida School for the Deaf, and the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. Her research includes literacy and transition to adulthood.

Eugene Lylak

Using teacher-generated vocabulary software for on-line practice

The session shows teachers of the deaf and parents of deaf children how they can develop their own lessons for practicing specific words on the computer. A teacher-generated, self-correcting, on-line computer program is in the process of being developed to provide instruction for deaf college-age students placed in English language development courses. The program focuses on learning vocabulary words through word roots in self-paced lessons. The program supplies students and teachers with immediate feedback on the word practice opportunities.

Eugene Lylak has been teaching English at RIT since 1976. He has also taught at Pierce College in Athens, Greece, St. Michael’s College and Norwich University, both in Vermont, and at Monroe Community College in Rochester New York. He is a graduate of the University of Rochester doctoral program in Curriculum Development and Linguistics. He is most interested in how deaf students acquire English through reading, and how best to apply American Sign Language to help Deaf students improve their own language.

Matthew A. Lynn and Laura Braggiotti

Interpreter Support in University Chemistry Education Via Faculty-Interpreter Collaboration

Supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing students in mainstream university-level chemistry courses requires that interpreters be familiar with technical vocabulary and jargon and be able to accurately convey these concepts in American Sign Language. To support this effort, NTID faculty have developed several ways to support academic interpreters in upper-level university chemistry courses. These methods include live, in-class content support as well as separate in-service training sessions in which faculty present chemical concepts and discuss how they can be interpreted. The specifics of each of these areas of interpreter support, including interpreter evaluation of these methods, will be presented.

Matthew Lynn received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from The University of Arizona in 2000 and subsequently learned ASL through coursework at Pima Community College. He joined the faculty of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 2007. His academic responsibilities have included teaching organic chemistry in NTID’s Laboratory Science Technology program as well as within RIT’s College of Science. He also provides academic tutor support for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who have been mainstreamed into RIT College of Science chemistry courses at all levels. It is through this academic support role that he has worked with a number of interpreters to assist them in their understanding of chemistry course content and to serve as a liaison between students, interpreters, RIT faculty, and NTID faculty.

Laura Braggiotti currently works as an interpreter in post-secondary and video relay settings.  She earned a B.A. in liberal arts from the SUNY system in 1978, an A.A.S. in interpreting from NTID in 1988, and a Master of Arts in Education from Nazareth College in 1992.  Prior to joining RIT, she worked for 17 years as a mainstream interpreter, including as an academic interpreter in the K-12 environment.  She is the creator and co-producer of two technical sign resources: the Technical Signs in Context Program Series and the Deaf Professor Lecturer Series, of which the former was presented in 2008 at the NTID-sponsored “Technology and Deaf Education -Exploring Instructional and Access Technologies,” an international conference featuring pioneering work in field.  She has worked as an academic interpreter for more than 20 years and believes it is crucial for interpreters and other providers of services to Deaf students to work to not only develop ASL skills but also to develop an understanding of subject content.  With continued growth in these areas, providers are better equipped to represent any content presented in an academic setting in a meaning-based way.  

Sidney McQuay, Ph.D.

CO-OP EDUCATION: Preparing for the world of work

How important is a career in our lifetime? Psychologists suggest that it is one of the most important decisions that we will ever make.

This session will focus on co-op work experience in general and the advantages it has for deaf students. Time will be allowed for questions and answers.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is the largest technical college in the world, specifically for the deaf. NTID is one of eight colleges at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RIT is the fourth oldest co-op university in the country and one of the largest in the world to offer a co-operative work experiences. All the students that enroll in A.A.S and A.O.S programs at NTID are required to successfully complete a co-op work block, as part of their degree requirements.

At the age of seventeen, Sidney McQuay, Ph.D. Sidney enlisted in the United States Navy and spent three years aboard naval vessels machining ship parts and working in the engine room. His journey of forty-seven years from machinist apprentice, including thirty-seven years as a University Professor, has given him a remarkable prospective of on-the-job training and co-operative work experience. PEN-International selected him to represent Rochester Institute of Technology and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) as a Visiting Scholar to assist with co-op development at De La Salle University, College of Saint Benilde in Manila, Philippines. For more than twenty-eight years, he has represented NTID’s Computer Integrated Machining Technology Program (CIMT) as their co-op coordinator. The CIMT program has consistently placed the highest percentage of co-op students at NTID.

Sheri Medlock

Teaching Science With Marie Curie by Using the Content Area Literacy Approach

Motivating students with delayed reading skills through various teaching strategies that promote higher level thinking about Marie Curie. Teaching science using 'content area literacy' strategies are useful when teaching students with high conceptual understanding and reading skills below 5th grade. Various strategies, resources and materials will be emphasized. Explore which strategies work best. Strategies used in this session will keep your students motivated while learning about Marie Curie, science and any other content areas.

Sheri Medlock is currently a High School Science teacher and an I.E.P. Process Coordinator with the Missouri School for the Deaf in Fulton, Missouri. Medlock has previously worked as a Naturalist with the Missouri Department of Conservation for 10 years, educating the deaf population about the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. She has published professional articles relating to bringing the deaf public into the world of outdoors. Medlock holds a Masters degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

Ava Morrow and Jorge A. Santiago-Blay

Internships: Assessing Student's Knowledge and Skills in the Work Environment

College graduates have some new competition for jobs: the millions of newly unemployed Americans. Although a college education is often considered a critical step in preparing for employment, students looking for a competive edge can greatly enhance their chances of obtaining employment by pursuing an internship before graduation. This workshop will explore strategies for assessing student's preparation for future careers. By incorporating role play, and group discussions, participants will acquire knowldege for implementing strategies for assessing students' learning on the job. If you want to help you students progress from backpack to briefcase, this is the right workshop for you!

Dr. Ava Morrow is a tenured Associate Professor of Biology at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She earned a B.S. degree in biology from Morgan State University and earned a Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in microbiology from Howard University. Dr. Morrow is the Internship Coordinator for the Biology Department and she is actively involved in curriculum development and assessment of students.

Jorge Santiago-Blay was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1955. He finished an M.S. in biology, with emphasis in zoology, at the University of Puerto Rico. In 1990, he completed an MA in Botany and a PhD in Entomology at the University of California at Berkeley. He pursues his broad research interests in arthropods and plants - including exudates and amber - as a Research Collaborator in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. He serves as an Associate Professor of Biology in Gallaudet University.

Jill Naumann, Stacey Pederson, and Rosemary Stifter

Wildcat News 13: Making Your Students the Stars of the Show

Do you want to make your students the stars? Come to this poster session to learn how to start your own school or class news show and how students can have fun being creative and using technology while they develop self esteem and learn about communication, teamwork, deadlines, as well as gain valuable knowledge of Academic ASL and English.  In this session, you will see great student-created news shows and get hands on experience working with a camcorder, lighting, Chroma Key, and video editing software.

Jill Naumann received her Masters in Educational Technology from Gallaudet University in 1994. She is currently working at the Clerc Center - Kendall Demonstration Elementary School as Educational Technology Specialist Before her current employment, she worked at New Mexico School for the Deaf as Instructional Technology Specialist for 12 years.

Stacey Pederson is an ASL Specialist at Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center where she works with students in grades 1-5 at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School.

Rosemary Stifter is an Instructional Technology Specialist at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center working primarily with teachers and students at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf.  Rosemary has taught elementary and high school deaf students and was the Instructional Technology Specialist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program in Fairfax County Public Schoosl in VA.  She earned her M.S. degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University.

Jill Naumann and Mindi Failing

Harnessing the Power of Technology in your Classroom

Come learn on how to harness the power of current technology and resources in classroom to prepare students for the 21st Century.  The presenters will discuss on how to integrate various software applications and peripherals (digital camera, document reader and the like) to enhance literacy and support visual access to the curriculum in classrooms.  The participants will also get ideas on how to integrate technology into their curriculum in compliance with NCLB.

Jill Naumann received her Masters in Educational Technology from Gallaudet University in 1994. She is currently working at the Clerc Center - Kendall Demonstration Elementary School as Educational Technology Specialist Before her current employment, she worked at New Mexico School for the Deaf as Instructional Technology Specialist for 12 years.

Mindi Failing received her Bachelors Degree in Information Technology in 2000 and Masters in Instructional Technology and Deaf Education in 2002 from Rochester Institute of Technology. She also received her Educational Specialist degree from Gallaudet Leadership Institute in 2005. She worked as a technology teacher and coordinator at Delaware School for the Deaf from 2002 to 2005 before becoming a secondary school leader until 2008. Currently, she is the director of technology services at the Clerc Center.

Dagmara Nowak-Adamczyk

Technology & English in the context of diversity: learning and teaching deaf/Deaf and hard of hearing students

This poster session is focused on realization of diversity idea in the academic context. It refers to using multimedia in a process of learning and teaching of deaf/Deaf and hard of hearing students at the Jagiellonian University as a part of educational politics. It presents students' opinion about technology using during English courses as well.

Dagmara Nowak-Adamczyk is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the Jagiellonian Univeristy and a disability officer in the Disability Support Service at the Jagiellonian University. She is interested in Deaf culture and academic support of students with disabilities. She has written numerous scientific publications about deafness and disability.

Kristi Ann Nolan and Jill Naumann

Literacy through Photography

This session will feature two research projects (“How does photography affect students’ expressive skills through ASL and writing?”) that were implemented at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School during Spring of 2007 and Spring of 2009.   Detailed unit plans were developed in order to gather information about how two groups of 4th/5th graders’ expressive skills (through ASL and writing) were affected by the use of photography. Data was collected through video clips, field notes, interviews, and writing samples and will be shared. Ultimately, the results of the project were determined to be valuable and educational.

Kristi Ann Nolan has been in the field of education since the year of 2000. She received her bachelor’s degree in History from University of California, Los Angeles. She obtained her Masters in Special Education from California State University, Northridge. For six years, she taught grades Kindergarten through 5th grade in a self-contained class at a public school in Los Angeles, California. Currently, she is a 3rd year 5th grade teacher at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in Washington, D.C.

Jill Naumann received her Masters in Educational Technology from Gallaudet University in 1994. She is currently working at the Clerc Center - Kendall Demonstration Elementary School as Educational Technology Specialist Before her current employment, she worked at New Mexico School for the Deaf as Instructional Technology Specialist for 12 years.

Debra Nussbaum

Effective Educational Practices for Children With Cochlear Implants: What We Are Learning

As more and more children are obtaining cochlear implants, the diversity of student outcomes is becoming increasingly apparent. The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University established a national Cochlear Implant Education Center (CIEC) in 2000 to address education and communication considerations for children with cochlear implants. This session will discuss the initiatives of the CIEC, national trends and observations, and recommendations for education and communication planning and supports for varied students with cochlear implants, that are inclusive of both spoken language and sign language.

Debra Nussbaum, M.A. CCC-A, has been Coordinator of the Cochlear Implant Education Center at the Clerc Center at Gallaudet University since 2000. Prior to this time she was a pediatric audiologist at the Clerc Center beginning in 1977. She has developed numerous resource materials and presents nationally and internationally on the topic of auditory and speech skill development for deaf children who also use sign language, and on educational considerations and planning for students with cochlear implants.

Claudia M. Pagliaro and Dr. Ellen Ansell

The Influence of ASL on Deaf Children's Use of Ressession Systems in Problem Solving: Implications for the Classroom

This session will make use of data collected on the solution strategies used by primary-level, Deaf children when presented story problems in American Sign Language (ASL). Results indicate that Deaf children who are successful problem solvers work within and between resession systems (language, manipulative models, real world situations, and pictures) to find solutions. Further, findings show that aspects of ASL are used to facilitate the simultaneous use of multiple resession systems. The session will discuss how teachers can make use of these findings in mathematics instruction.

Claudia M. Pagliaro, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Deaf Education Programs at Michigan State University. She has earned a B.S. in Deaf Studies and Ed.M. in Education of the Deaf from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Deaf Education (Curriculum) from Gallaudet University. Dr. Pagliaro’s research agenda focuses on the mathematics instruction and learning of d/hh students, particularly problem solving and the influence of a visual language.

Ellen Ansell is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Mathematics Education program in the Department of Instruction and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Ansell received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where, as a member of the Cognitively Guided instruction (CGI) Project, she designed and implemented professional development for primary-level teachers, and researched the teaching and learning that resulted. Dr. Ansell has provided CGI professional development workshops nationally.

Sharon Pajka-West

Understanding Diversity in Comics: A look at Marvel Comics' Echo: Deaf, Female and Biracial

The benefits of comics with diverse characters are extensive for reluctant readers who seldom find characters like themselves. Although engaged in class, my students held impromptu gatherings about the comics they were reading in their spare time. This poster session with give an overview of my research on Deaf Characters in Comics and Graphic Novels highlighting Marvel Comics' Echo, a deaf superhero who is Bilingual and Biracial.

Sharon Pajka-West holds a PhD in English Education from the University of Virginia and an MA in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Literacy at Gallaudet University.

Mary Beth Parker

Mentor: Let Each One Teach One

A relationship with superiors, peers, subordinates, and friends is essential for growth and development throughout the ongoing process of career development. Mentors who support the career development of an individual as they address the challenges facing them are critical. Establishing a team approach through a mentoring experience is beneficial to everyone involved in the experience. It allows “each one to teach one!” This session will provide insight into a formal mentoring program at NTID/RIT, which accomplishes this through a 10-week course in the Business Studies Department.

Mary Beth Parker is an Associate Professor at NTID/RIT, Business Studies Program Coordinator for AAS/AOS degree candiates and teaching faculty (1981-present) in Administrative Support Technology program. She is active in curriculum development initiatives at NTID and currently sit on RIT's Intercollegiate Curriculum Committee and RIT's General Education Outcomes Assessment Phase II committee.

Stephanie Polowe-Aldersley

Reasoning about Ethics: A Rubric for Assessing Essays of College Students Who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Twenty deaf or hard-of-hearing students in a higher education setting participated in a pilot project for assessing ethical reasoning. Working on such topics as "petty theft," " academic cheating," and "performance enhancing drugs," students were assessed and provided feedback using a seven-field rubric with a spread of four standards (beginning, developing, competent, and exemplary). The assessment provided useful information for evaluating the success of the writing program, and also provided students with usable feedback they could incorporate into subsequent writing assignments about ethics. Results and analysis are reported, along with plans for future research.

Stephanie Polowe-Aldersley is an Associate Professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. She received her doctorate in linguistics from the University of Rochester in 1985. She was president of CAID from 1991-93, program chair from 1989 through '91 (the New Orleans Convention), and Secretary from 1887 through 1989. Prior to that she was chair of the CAID TELA SIG. Dr. Polowe also served as the legislative chair of CAID from 1993 through 1995.

Matthew Rider and Cynthia Hunt

Keeping Them Safe: Benefits and Potential Dangers Advancements in Technology and the Internet Present to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

Advancements in technology have made our world a much smaller and more comfortable place without question. It’s hard to imagine that the majority of what we know as the internet and other amazing advancements in communication technology has mostly developed within the last 30 years. A generation ago people couldn’t imagine life with such technological ubiquity. Now it’s hard to imagine how we would survive without the ever advancing field of technology making our lives easier and safer, our jobs more productive, and our “families” farther reaching. Technology has certainly made communication more expeditious for deaf and hard-of-hearing people of all ages. With our ever growing dependence upon technology has come a darker truth. As advancements in technology can make life easier and the world a smaller place, it can create opportunities for people to hurt each other in unprecedented ways. Cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, sexual predation are some of the dangers that lurk for the unsuspecting. This workshop explores the benefits and potential risks that technology and the internet have for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Matthew Rider earned his BA in Criminology and Psychology from The Ohio State University in 1990 and his MSEd in Community Counseling from Youngstown State University in 1995. He is currently a Training Specialist for the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University where he has worked since 2003. Over the past eighteen years Matt has worked with children and adolescents in the areas of outpatient mental health counseling, school counseling, foster care and adoption, inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and behavioral health rehabilitation (wraparound services).

Cynthia Hunt is a school counselor at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, at Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center; working with students in 4th through 8th grades. In addition to working with the students, she provides training and consultation to administrators, teachers, and parents on various emotional intelligence issues.

Jorge A. Santiago-Blay

What has worked in the teaching and learning of Biology at Gallaudet University: Progress Report and Future Plans

This session will discuss several recently implemented changes that seem to work in the teaching of biology. Although the presenter’s statements do not emerge from a rigorous scientific study, quantitative and qualitative data are presented whenever available. Generally accepted good educational practices that have been successfully incorporated, practices that appear particularly important for deaf and hard of hearing students, and commonly held misconceptions about how deaf and hard of hearing people learn will be discussed.

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Jorge Santiago-Blay was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1955. He finished an M.S. in biology, with emphasis in zoology, at the University of Puerto Rico. In 1990, he completed an MA in Botany and a PhD in Entomology at the University of California at Berkeley. He pursues his broad research interests in arthropods and plants - including exudates and amber - as a Research Collaborator in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. He serves as an Associate Professor of Biology in Gallaudet University.

Marilyn Sass-Lehrer, Beth S. Benedict and Julie Mitchiner

Birth to Three: A New Paradigm for a Diverse Population

Newborn hearing screening has captured a widely diverse population of infants and families who are entering early intervention programs. Traditional models for addressing this population are no longer adequate given the diversity in communication, language, culture, technology and learning needs. A new paradigm for meeting the needs of the birth to three population will be discussed that includes deaf and hearing partnerships and interdisciplinary practices. This “new” paradigm will focus on how we can change perspectives about what it means to be deaf in the 21st century. Participants will share their experiences and effective strategies for bridging cultural and ideological gaps.

Marilyn Sass-Lehrer is a professor at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. She specializes in preparing professionals to work with young children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. She received a master’s degree in Deaf Education from New York University and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Sass-Lehrer worked with deaf and hard of hearing children and families in a variety of educational settings. Her research and writing address teacher competencies and guidelines for best practice, diversity, family-school partnerships, early intervention, and family support and involvement. Dr. Sass-Lehrer is a co-author of Parents and their Deaf Children: The Early Years (Gallaudet Press, 2003), and co-editor of The Young Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child: A Family-Centered Approach to Early Education (Brookes, 2003).

Beth S. Benedict, Ph.D., is a Professor at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C. Her work has focused on family involvement in schools with deaf and hard of hearing children, early childhood education, advocacy, early communication and partnerships between deaf and hearing professionals. Dr. Benedict is currently a member of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, representing the Council of Education of the Deaf that wrote a 2007 Position Statement. She has served on several boards and councils such as Maryland Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Council and is now the president of the American Society for Deaf Children. Dr. Benedict has made sessions at national and international conferences, schools and for family organizations. Published works include articles and chapters in numerous books related to early communication development.

Julie Mitchiner is an instructor with the Education Department at Gallaudet University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Early Childhood Education & Family-Centered Early Education. She is also a doctoral student at George Mason University in Education with specialization in Early Childhood Education and Multicultural/Multilingual Education. She is a fellow in a federally-funded leadership program called, New Leaders Now, at GMU. The fellowship prepares individuals to assume a leadership role in advocating on behalf of culturally and linguistically diverse young children and their families. Before she started work as a faculty, she taught in the Nursery program at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School with deaf and hard of hearing children for six years. She graduated with a Masters in Deaf Education: Family-Centered Early Education in 2000 and a BA in Early Childhood Education in 1998 from Gallaudet University.

Susanne Scott, Lynne Erting, Bobbie Jo Kite, C. Michelle Shadow and Jennifer Drew

Designing an ASL/English Bilingual First Grade Classroom for Diverse Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

During 2008-2009, Kendall Demonstration Elementary School designed an ASL/English bilingual classroom to meet the needs of a diverse group of first grade students. A deaf teacher, hearing teacher, and a teaching assistant were assigned to the class. This session will define the components of an ASL/English (written and spoken) bilingual classroom and discuss the evolutionary process of designing this classroom including the challenges faced and considerations needed to implement an effective bilingual program.

Susanne Scott, M.S., CCC-A has worked at Gallaudet University since 1980. She has extensive experience in working with deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. She has done numerous sessions at national conventions/conferences and written articles and books related to habilitation with deaf and hard of hearing individuals from birth through adult. She joined the Cochlear Implant Education Center in the fall of 2003 at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. She is currently a Cochlear Implant/Bilingual Specialist and provides content expertise in cochlear implants and ASL/English bilingual programming specific to working with professionals, students, and families at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center and throughout the nation.

Lynne C. Erting, Ph.D. is the Assistant Principal for Instruction (birth - age 8) at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School on the campus of Gallaudet University. For the past 29 years, she has been teaching and learning from deaf students (2-15 years of age) and their families as well as undergraduate and graduate students in higher education. She has extensive experience team-teaching with Deaf teachers in visually-oriented, bilingual (ASL/English) early childhood classrooms. She also spent five years conducting research with the Signs of Literacy research group at Gallaudet. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001. Her research focused on how Deaf teachers shared books in ASL with small groups of deaf preschool students in an ASL/English bilingual preschool.

Bobbie Jo Kite has 4 years of teaching experience ranging from Prekindergarten to 1st grade. She has taught at New Mexico School for the Deaf and is currently at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. Bobbie Jo graduated from Gallaudet University with a BA in Early Childhood Education and a MA in Deaf Education--Elementary. Bobbie Jo is passionate about Reggio Emilia and Responsive Classroom approaches as well as ASL/English Bilingualism.

C. Michelle Shadow has been teaching since 2000. She has a BA in Elementary Education and Deaf Education from Flagler College in Florida and a MS in Deaf Education from McDaniel College in Maryland. Most of her experience lies in early childhood education and elementary education of deaf and hard of hearing ASL/English bilingual children. Her constant focus as an educator has been meeting the needs of all of her students no matter how diverse.

Jennifer Drew has four years teaching experience. She has been at Kendall since 2007 and prior to that she taught in New York City for two years. Since receiving both her B.S. and M.S. in Deaf Education from the University of Tennessee, she has taught children from infants to first grade. Having grown up bilingual herself, she is a strong supporter of ASL/English bilingual education and has been very involved with its implementation at Kendall and Gallaudet University.

Chad E. Smith

Integrating Deaf Culture and Science with Deaf Scientist Corner, a Web Site and a Wiki

The session will focus on incorporating Deaf Culture, and the lives of Deaf scientists into the K-12 deaf education science classroom through the use of Texas Woman’s University’s Deaf Scientist Corner Website and Wiki, (http://www.twu.edu/dsc), and (http://deafscientistcorner.pbwiki.com). Integrating the science of those Deaf scientists into science, reading, and language arts curricula will be explored. The online K-12 content sign language dictionary Signs for School (http://www.twu.edu/dsc/Signsforschool/index.htm) will also be explored as a reference tool for those educators seeking to complement their scientific sign vocabulary for such instruction.

Dr. Chad E. Smith spent a decade teaching deaf students at the middle school, high school, and elementary school levels. He has a B.A. in Spanish, an M.S. in Deaf Education from Lamar Univeristy - Beaumont, Texas. He earned a doctrate in Computing Technology in Education from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. He currently serves as Director of Deaf Education at Texas Woman's University.

Jane Smith

Cued Speech--A Real Solution

Cued Speech can be a solution! It can increase literacy through phonemic awareness and can break the English code for deaf students with learning needs. Since it is based on phonics, it can benefit students who come from homes where non-English languages are spoken langauges. It can also be used with ASL as well as benefit students with cochlear implants. Now is the time to consider this system which has been used successfully for over 40 years.

Jane Smith has over 30 years experience working with the deaf. She is a Communication Specialist and a former cochlear implant consultant in Montgomery County, Maryland Public schools. She has used Cued Speech with deaf children for over 20 years. She has a masters degree in deaf education from Columbia University and 60 hours beyond her masters including a Certificate in Auditory Learning from the University of North Carolina. She also completed the Educational Consultant Training Program through Smith College and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2008, she became a certified auditory-verbal educator.

Tonya Stremlau and Gene Mirus

Play as Work: Ideas for ASL and English Play for Language Learning

Understanding of the structure of a language permits not only greater facility in using that one language; also, the level of abstraction required to see one language’s structure can help with second language learning as well. However, the average student does not get excited at the prospect of a grammar lesson. They do, however, get excited at the idea of playing. Effective language play requires understanding the rules of the language as it is normally used as well as the rules for breaking those normal rules. We will discuss both English and ASL play applicable to learners of all ages.

Dr. Tonya Stremlau is a Professor in the Department of English at Gallaudet University. She has worked there since completeing her Ph.D. in English from Louisiana State University in 1996. She is the editor of The Deaf Way II Anthology: A Literary Collection by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Writers. Her published articles and book chapters are primarily on writing and teaching writing. Her primary scholarly interest now is on Deaf creative writing--and on producing her own.

Gene Mirus is on the faculty of the Department of ASL and Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University. He completed his Ph.D in Anthropology from the University of Texas, Austin, in May 2008. He specializes in linguistic anthropology, with a focus on gestures, language play, and conversation analysis. He has studied the ways in which new videophone technology has contributed to new language practices among Deaf users (Keating & Mirus 2003 in Language and Society). He has also examined the communicative strategies of deaf children in an American "mainstream" school setting by looking at how they creatively manage their casual communicative interactions with hearing peers (Keating & Mirus 2003 in Anthropology and Education Quarterly). In the future, he plans to continue his studies on lesser-known groups within the Deaf communities.

Kathleen Szczepanek

Business Ethics: How to Develop Ethical Awareness and Introspection in Our Students

This session will address the challenge facing NTID graduates required to demonstrate ethical attitudes and behaviors in business and industry today. The methodology of designing an effective workshop and elective business ethics course at NTID’s Business Studies Department is to increase introspection abilities and a better understanding of demonstrating good ethical behavior and values. The anticipated outcome of my workshops and course design using some of the fundamental concepts of business ethics for students to integrate ethical business leadership and values upon graduation will be shared to help to reinforce ethics concepts in the middle and high school classrooms.

Kathleen M. Szczepanek is a full-time instructor teaching Administrative Support Technology courses at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. Her instruction consists of teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students how to produce business-related documents as well as helping to develop best business practices and ethics in the workplace. Before becoming an instructor, she was a Senior Admissions Counselor at NTID working with prospective deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students related to their post-secondary educational goals. She completed her undergraduate studies at RIT/NTID and holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design; an M.S. in Secondary Education for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students; and an additional M.S. in Professional Studies with combined concentrations in Human Resources Development, Management and Secondary Education for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students.

Brian Trager and Joseph Stanislow

Instructional Software Tool: A visual-oriented learning approach to address conceptual barriers

Core courses that introduce abstract concepts, such as computer programming, are challenging to deaf learners. A cognitive connection between the abstract concept and the real world meaning needs to occur for learners to be able to apply what they learn. The focus of this topic is to demonstrate a supplemental software-based instructional tool as an alternative approach to teaching and tutoring complex subjects such as computer programming. The supplemental was developed to match a visual learning style and attempts to bolster the performance of deaf students in relating abstract concepts to real-world examples. The term "deaf" will be used to refer to both deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Brian Trager is an NTID faculty who works in the Information & Computing Studies department. He works closely with deaf and hard of hearing students as a tutor and instructor to deliver materials related to programming languages, database, multimedia and web development.

Joe Stanislow is an NTID faculty who works in the Information & Computing Studies department. He works closely with deaf and hard of hearing students as an instructor to deliver materials related to programming languages and computer hardware.

Anne Van Ginkel and Laurie Mousley

Counseling/Advising the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Millennial College Student, Part II

General characteristics and values of past generations will be presented and compared to our current generation of millennial students. Results of several surveys conducted with counseling colleagues focusing on
the issues Deaf/HH students bring to counseling/advising sessions will be shared. Categories of issues from the surveys include personal, academic, career, communication, family interaction. Results will be compared to
issues brought to counselors from past generations of deaf students.

Anne Van Ginkel has worked with Deaf/HH students for 30 years as a counselor in the Counseling and Academic Advising Services Department of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, she teaches art history classes for the Art and Computer Design major at NTID.

Laurie Mousley has worked for Deaf/HH students for many years in the Counseling and Academic Advising Services Department of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT. In addition, Laurie teaches Freshman Seminar and Career Decision Making classes for students at NTID.

Sharron Webster

Enhancing Deaf Learners' Access to Mathematics through Technology Tools

This session will be relevant for educators working with deaf students. It will include a discussion of the advantages of using technologies and a demonstration of Math Gallery for interactive whiteboards (SMART Boards), and on-line textbook supplements such as MATHXL being used at RIT/NTID.

Sharron Webster is Assistant Faculty at RIT/NTID in the department of Science and Mathematics and has taught for 14 years. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from RIT.

Janet Weinstock

Deaf Studies:  One for All; All for One!

This workshop focuses on how to put Deaf Studies into practice in and out the classrooms with Deaf and hearing students of all ages.  Units, activities, assignments, materials, and resources will be introduced and shared.  The participants will have the opportunity to share and exchange ideas by creating a number of projects that are practical for later use.  

Janet S. Weinstock, M.A., has been teaching ASL/English, Creative Writing, and Deaf Studies at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf since 1981.  On loan to Kendall, she participated in the language and literacy collaborative research project as a preschool teacher-researcher from 1993 to 1996.   She became Lead Teacher in Teams 1-2 and 3-4-5 from 1996-1999, where she facilitated the use of integrated curriculum with a strong focus on literacy and positive discipline.  She was also Literacy Teacher/Specialist, working with students, teachers, and staff of all grades.  Janet has developed and conducted a variety of workshops and sessions since 1985.  In addition, Janet taught courses at Gallaudet University and Western Maryland College, such as, Children’s Literature, Putting Deaf Studies into Practice, Language and Reading Methods, Story-sharing Techniques, and Foundations in Deaf Education.  She has presented to parents groups on various topics: ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome/Autism, and language and literacy development.

Enid G. Wolf-Schein and Silvia Golocovsky

A Literacy Program for Students with Severe Disabilities - English and Spanish Versions

This poster session will show examples of the five modules of the SMILE Association Method in both Spanish and English. This program has proved sucessful with deaf students who have a variety of other dififculties. Presenters will be available to explain how this program can be implemented in a variety of placements available for deaf students, including programs for students with varying exceptionalities.

Dr. Enid Wolf-Schein is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and a consultant in programming for special populations. She is currently on contract with the Broward County Florida Public School's Division of Exceptional Children Education and New York City Public Schools, District 75 for Special Educational Needs to provide training and support in the SMILE program for teachers with severely language-impaired students.

Silvia Golocovsky taught deaf and MHHI students for over 11 years at Gallaudet University. Following that she was appointed Director of Programs and Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Center on Deafness. She has also consulted for the Organization of American States in the area of educating Deaf children in the Americas and coordinated the International Student Services Offices at Gallaudet University. She currently is Coordinator of Multicultural/Transliteration Services in the Dean's Office - Clerc Center that offers services in the area of language, culture and education to those families from other countries who speak/sign other languages than English or American Sign Language.

Enid G. Wolf-Schein and Jerome D. Schein, Ph.D. FAPA

Literacy for Deaf Students with Severe Disabilities

This session will describe the SMILE Association Method that has proved successful in helping deaf and hard of hearing pupils with additional disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental handicap or traumatic brain injury acquire language and literacy. Techniques will be presented that teach a range of skills beginning with nonverbal attention getting and imitation, through phonemic awareness, development of expressive and receptive vocabulary, transition into sentences and ultimately the ability to create, speak, read and write a short story. SMILE can be applied in a wide-range of settings.

Dr. Enid Wolf-Schein is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and a consultant in programming for special populations. She is currently on contract with the Broward County Florida Public School's Division of Exceptional Children Education and New York City Public Schools, District 75 for Special Educational Needs to provide training and support in the SMILE program for teachers with severely language-impaired students.

Dr. Jerome D. Schein is unique in having held two endowed chairs of deafness research-the Powrie Vaux Doctor Chair, at Gallaudet University, and the David Peikoff Chair, at the University of Alberta. He presently writes books and articles and consults to programs internationally including those in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and Zimbabwe as well as in the United States. Dr. Schein is Professor Emeritus of Sensory Rehabilitation, New York University, and Adjunct Professor of Psychology, University of Alberta. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has received numerous awards and citations including the National Association of the Deaf Golden Rose Award.

Alexander Zernovoj

Guided Viewing: Strategies for Academic ASL Acquisition

This session will provide new strategies and tools for teachers and other professionals to aid in development of academic American Sign Language (ASL) receptive skills through the use of Guided Viewing. In Guided Viewing, the teacher works with a small group of students with similar receptive skills. The students view ASL videos and the teacher stops the video to make teaching points during the viewing process. Guided Viewing is a key component of the bilingual approach to the teaching and learning of deaf and hard of hearing students. The presenter’s action research focuses on how deaf students view, analyze, and discuss clips from different ASL genres (e.g., literature, instructional, informative) guided by the teacher.

Alexander Zernovoj currently works as a middle school ASL-English Bilingual Teacher-Researcher at Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. He holds two master's degrees in Teaching & Learning: Bilingual Education from UC San Diego and in Deaf Studies with cross-cultural emphasis from Gallaudet University. He is an experienced researcher/presenter of socio-cultural/language diversity topics all within contexts of Bilingual and Deaf Education.