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Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education
 Sponsored by the Society for
Information Technology and Teacher Education
Volume 7, Issue 2   (2007)   ISSN 1528-5804

Use of Technology to Teach Content in a Methods Course

Joining the Deaf and the Hearing Communities

Elaine Hoter
Talpiot College of Education

Harry Markowicz
Gallaudet University

Patti Durr
National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology

Sue Livingston
LaGuardia Community College

The purpose of this course is to teach the technology through a content-based course linked with three other classes. The students improve their writing and technological skills while participating in a linked course with people in the world they would never get the opportunity to meet: the Deaf. Together they carry out online assignments in the subject area of deaf and the Holocaust.

Technology Tools Learned
  • Forums 
    1. Joining different cultures: the deaf and the hearing
    2. Asynchronous discussions on the topic of the Deaf and  the Holocaust
  • Video Conferencing
    1. Joint lectures from experts in the US and Israel
    2. Discussions through sign language on joint issues
  • Word-processing and emailing
  • MOO: online written discussions
  • Webcasts: material from previous courses
  • PowerPoint: summarizing the life of  a deaf Holocaust survivor
  • Photostory: Making a short film about their partner in the course

Context
  • Communicating/delivering information
  • Engaging students in learning and problem solving in ways that could not be done without the technology

Relevant Subject-Specific Technology Uses

The course was of interest to all teacher trainees because everyone at some stage will meet with a student with hearing difficulties. The second topic is one in which our students feel they are "experts" – the holocaust – so they were able to contribute and aid their group from the deaf classes, but the topic had a different slant- the deaf in the Holocaust - so the whole area was new and interesting. Also we saw testimonies from deaf survivors through video conferencing and webcasts.

Innovations

These groups of students from four different colleges would never be able to meet without the technology. It leads to a greater understanding so my teacher trainees will know from personal experience and close working relations about the deaf culture and then be more understanding and effective when they have a deaf or hard of hearing pupil in their classroom. The technology was the means by which the students communicated and carried out the various assignments. The students who took this course were exempt from introduction to computers courses, as the technology is taught via the content.

Student work Examples

http://www.talpiot.ac.il/elaine/harry/InterculturalBookpdf.pdf

Connections Between Courses

We incorporated teachers and materials on teaching the Deaf and we covered material that would otherwise be covered in a special education course. We also visited the afternoon school for the Deaf and had a lecture on how technology is used in deaf education.

Connections Between the Course and Student Teaching

Once the students have experienced a real online intercultural experience, they are ready to participate in intercultural projects with their own future classes. This has been shown from participants in previous courses. They feel confident about using the Internet and have learned firsthand the importance and added advantages of incorporating technology and online experiences in their teaching.

Course Syllabus

http://www.talpiot.ac.il/elaine/harry/Computer Projects 1.doc

Other Online Supporting Materials

user name - justlooking
password - guest