2011 GURC Fall newsletter

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Gallaudet University Midwest Regional Center at John A. Logan College 700 Logan College Road, Carterville, Illinois 62918 www.jalc.edu/gurc

Welcome to our First E-Newsletter!

The purpose of GURC? •

We provide information on professional development opportunities.

•

We provide assistance in planning programs or workshops.

•

We provide academic excellence through Gallaudet University courses.

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We provide technical assistance related to the education of deaf and hard of hearing students

Contact Information Sheri S. Cook, Director

Misti Harrison, Coordinator

Office C202B

Office C202A

700 Logan College Road

700 Logan College Road

Carterville, IL 62918

Carterville, IL 62918

shericook@jalc.edu

mistiharrison@jalc.edu

VP: 618.565.0054

VP: 618.565.0055

The Gallaudet University Midwest Regional Center is one of six Gallaudet University Regional Centers (GURCs) in the United States that partners with Gallaudet University. Based in Washington, D.C. and chartered in 1864, Gallaudet University is recognized as the premier educator for the deaf community. The GURCs help bring the resources and expertise of Gallaudet University and the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center to sites across the country through extension courses, training programs, workshops, conferences, enrichment programs, and technical assistance.

The Midwest Regional Center serves Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Sheri Cook, the Center’s Director, started in October 2010 and Misti Harrison, the Coordinator, started in December 2010.

Sheri and Misti will send out the Midwest GURC e-newsletter quarterly to keep you informed about available conferences, and workshops,

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FALL 2011

The Director’s Corner

By Sheri S. Cook Greetings from the Gallaudet University Midwest Regional Center at John A. Logan College!

It has been nearly ten months since the Gallaudet University Midwest Regional Center at John A. Logan College had its grand opening on November 23, 2010.

Misti, the center’s coordinator and I have been working diligently to support our region and have served over 7,500 people. Our service includes developing and maintaining networks across our area, identifying and responding to training needs and requests, pursuing collaborative opportunities with schools and agencies, and implementing projects in support of Gallaudet University’s strategic plans.

Misti and I have given presentations at various conferences and events in IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, OH, SD and WI. In addition, we are actively attending conferences, such as the Indiana Deaf Educators and Educational Interpreters Conference, the Midwest Conference on Deaf Education in South Dakota, the Wisconsin Association of the Deaf Conference, and the Missouri Association of the Deaf Conference to disseminate information about the Center. In addition to presenting, we often disseminate information at our exhibit booth. We also reach the Midwest region via our website (www.jalc.edu/gurc), Facebook page, and our quarterly electronic newsletter.

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The Director’s Corner (continued) We also participate in workshops such as the “Reading to Deaf Children: Learning from Deaf Adults”, “Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students who have Additional Disabilities”, and “Transition: Resources Available for Deaf and Hard of Hearing High School Students”. Misti and I also participated in family, school, and community events such as the Statewide Family Conferences for families of children who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind, Deaf Winterfest, Annual Deaf High School Academic Bowls, and High School Senior Awards Ceremonies for the Deaf.

hearing children and adults, family members of deaf and hard of hearing children, and both students and professionals who work with these individuals. We look forward to starting our second year on October 1, 2011 and thank John A. Logan College and Gallaudet University for their support.

If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns, please email me at shericook@jalc.edu.

Sincerely,

Sheri Cook

During the last ten months, we have enjoyed working with deaf and hard of

Save the Date!

John A. Logan’s Annual DeaFest!

2011 NAD Conference NAD Leadership Training Conference National Association of the Deaf

Friday, March 30th, 2012 Conference Center 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Free admission!!

Matt Daigle, a deaf cartoonist and The Little Theatre for the Deaf will be coming!

September 15-17, 2011 Minneapolis, Minnesota If interested, check out their website at: http://nad.org/nltc

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Information from Gallaudet University Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants, Toddlers and Families: Collaboration and Leadership Program (Graduate Certificate) This 6-course (18 credit) certificate program provides professionals with current evidence-based knowledge and skills for working with families and their very young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The content and teaching of the program is interdisciplinary and focuses on professional and ethical practices, communication and language(s), families, and developmental assessment and programming. Candidates will acquire leadership, advocacy and collaboration skills that promote age and developmentally appropriate outcomes for infants and toddlers. For more info: http://www.gallaudet.edu/Documents/Academic/GSPP/Families_education.pdf

Burstein Leadership Institute (BLI) Established in 2001, Gerald "Bummy" Burstein Leadership Institute (BLI) is a comprehensive entity dedicated to improving the quality of the personal and professional lives of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and developing and enhancing the leadership abilities of individuals who administer programs and services in deaf-centric, non-profit and for-profit agencies and corporations.

BLI strives to achieve this mission through innovative programming designed to enable deaf and hard of hearing individual to reach their full potential in their chosen communities; and by providing an array of quality and innovative program offerings that incorporate engaged learning formats with a focus on experiential learning, problem solving, and transformation. For more info on workshops or seminars: http://www.gallaudet.edu/BLI/BLI_Courses_and_Programs.html

15 month Summer/Online Masters in Sign Language Teaching The Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies offers a M.A. degree in Sign Language Teaching. This program is designed to prepare future sign language teachers, who will provide exemplary leadership in the sign language teaching field.

Students will be introduced to key theoretical and methodological issues involved in sign language instruction including curriculum development, assessment, and incorporating Deaf culture into the language curriculum. For more info: http://www.gallaudet.edu/american_sign_language_and_deaf_studies/graduate_progra ms/ma__sign_language_teaching.html 4

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Online Certificate Program: Deaf Students with Disabilities The on-line deaf students with disabilities graduate certificate program prepares current educators, other educational professionals, and second year graduate students seeking certification and/or state licensure in the area of special education to work with deaf and hard of hearing students who have disabilities. The certificate program emphasizes culturally relevant critical pedagogy as a foundation for preparing highly qualified special education teachers. The program focuses on working with the whole child, the family, and other professionals while merging content standards and CEC standards, in addition to general, bilingual, special, and deaf education pedagogy through coursework to prepare teacher candidates to work with a diverse group of children within a range of educational settings. Although completing the on-line educating deaf students with disabilities certificate program will not result in a license, the program is designed to meet the requirements for a non-categorical special education license in DC. Email questions or to find out more about this program: DSWDProgram@gallaudet.edu

Information from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center What is the Shared Reading Project?

The Shared Reading Project (SRP) is designed to teach parents and caregivers how to read to their deaf and hard of hearing children using American Sign Language, and to use strategies to make book sharing most effective. http://www.gallaudet.edu/Clerc_Center/Information_and_Resources/Info_to_Go/Language _and_Literacy/Literacy_at_the_Clerc_Center/Welcome_to_Shared_Reading_Project.html This site helps explain what the Shared Reading Project is, how it works, what the research behind it is and what we are learning. If you are interested in setting up a Shared Reading Project at your school, please contact training.clerccenter@gallaudet.edu for more information. Or you could contact us at shericook@jalc.edu or mistiharrison@jalc.edu. We could set up a workshop in your area. Feel free to contact us!

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Our next E-newsletter will be sent out in November.

Email Misti Harrison at mistiharrison@jalc.edu if you want to let us know about upcoming events, etc.

Share this e-newsletter with your co-workers and friends. They can email Misti to be added to the email list.

Thank you!

Product of the Month features Strategies for Literacy POM Special Offer Literacy-It All Connects Manual and Poster

$15.95 $12

The Literacy-It All Connects manual shows teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students how to incorporate nine integrated teaching strategies into their own schools and programs.

The colorful poster illustrates and explains each of the nine areas of literacy.

The Clerc Center also offers a professional development workshop on this topic.

Email training.clerccenter@gallaudet.edu or call (202) 6515855 for more information.

To order: http://clerccenter2.gallaudet.edu/products/