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January 13, 2008 01:36 PM
Project Title: Optimizing Listening/Learning Opportunities for Deaf/Hearing Impaired Children Through Integration of Assistive Listening Devises and Current Technology
Alison Kaiser, Teacher of the Deaf and Marcia Zegar, Speech/Language Pathologist are thrilled to have their grant funded through QWEST. Both Alison and Marcia work at Salem Heights Elementary in Salem, Oregon. Salem Heights is the Center Site for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students from Salem-Keizer schools and surrounding communities. With the advent of digital hearing aids and cochlear implants, students now have access to sounds never before achievable. This provides opportunities for auditory learning but also demands updated teaching methodologies and integration of current technology. With optimal integration of assistive listening devises and technology, many of our students can now �learn to listen and listen to learn�. The purpose of our project is to use technology to aid a student�s auditory language development in each of the 4 areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Through funds provided by the grant, 2 Listening/Learning Labs will be created. Each Lab will consist of a Mac Book, InFocus Projector, and iPods. Students will also have access to MP3 players paired with books for take-home activities. Students will learn how to link their assistive listening devises to the above mentioned technology to enhance auditory learning. Students will also learn basic processes to incorporate use of iLife features and iPods in the speaking, listening, reading and writing processes. Productions will include podcasts, auditory stories, iMovies, iPhoto books, iWeb design, and exploration of the many features of the operating system, Leopard. Use of Garage Band and the external Snowball Mic will enhance auditory learning and will be integrated into productions.
Many of our students are at the early stages of �learning to listen�. Through a generous donation by a local recording studio, selected literature will be recorded at stages of auditory development. Signal to noise ratios will be controlled and auditory background information will be introduced in developmental steps to aid the student�s auditory processing and development of auditory figure/ground differentiation.
Students will share their newly learned technology skills for select projects in their mainstream classrooms along with organizing a �parent night� to display their many project productions.
At this time (January 15, 2008) we are anxiously awaiting arrival of our Apple purchases so we can begin this merger of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and personal FM systems with current technology through the QWEST grant purchases.
Posted by marciazegar on January 13, 2008 at 01:36 PM in Ed Tech Grants | Comments (0)
