Use of Auditory Techniques Checklists As Formative Tools: from Practicum to Student Teaching Marietta M. Paterson, Ed. D. Program Coordinator & Associate Professor University of Hartford ACE-DHH 2011
Preparation of New Professionals: To train teachers who are: Challenges Prepared to work with advanced hearing technology and able to keep up with advances. Able to talk intelligently with a pediatric or educational audiologist about a hearing impaired child s auditory access. Able to optimize auditory-linguistic development with hearing impaired children to develop listening, speech and spoken language abilities.
Topic Need: Field is Changing Quickly Preparation programs need to adjust pre and post professional training especially auditory-linguistic learning through advanced technology (Luckner, 2010). Parents choosing mainstream education settings. Increasing use of cochlear implants and necessity to learn about auditory-linguistic development. More one on one teaching skills needed.
Assumptions About Training Flexible Model Some programs focus on acquiring core knowledge in listening, speech and spoken language development, assessment and teaching. Apply knowledge and skills to teach in any intervention or educational setting Traditional Model Some programs focus on training classroom teachers of the deaf who teach in classrooms with deaf children Some programs focus on early childhood and some are hybrid approaches but the goal is often still classrooms with deaf children.
Creating Flexible Teachers Model from McGill University Auditory-Oral (Re)Habilitation and Education of Hearing Impaired Children, M.S. Created by Daniel Ling and Agnes Ling Phillips, later directed by Elizabeth Cole, McGill University, Montreal, 1975-1990. Two year graduate training in the School of Human Communication Disorders at McGill. The University of Hartford graduate program in Aural Habilitation and Education of Hearing Impaired Children is modeled after the McGill program
Abundance of information There is a great abundance of information and approaches to auditory-verbal learning. Recognition that pre and post professional training needs to create a cadre of teachers who are specialists in listening, speech and spoken language development and the use of advanced hearing technology.
Influence of AGBELL LSSL Certification Paths Recent influence of AG Bell Academy in recognizing the need to address standards. Key domains of knowledge and principles of auditory-verbal approaches to teaching and learning have been identified, exams written and expectations set out.
Yet, no complete agreement No complete agreement on the core knowledge within each domain. No complete agreement on how to prepare new professionals towards that knowledge base. We are all doing our own thing.
Purpose of This Presentation Address some of the issues by sharing information used in an aural habilitation focused graduate training program. How have we addressed this enormous learning challenge for the candidates? Focus: Use of auditory techniques {and other} lists of strategies as formative tools.
Key Areas on our formative checklists Auditory Environment Auditory Techniques Speech Techniques Spoken Language Strategies and Techniques Parent Guidance
Process : Fall Practicum Areas and competencies developed by Paterson and Nancy Carroll, adjunct faculty, for the new program initiated in 2007. Adjusted and revised over the past four years. Fall 2010, decided to call them checklists rather than record forms. These are not exhaustive
Learning Activities in Practicum Observe and participate in range of intervention and educational settings. Write up observation of a whole lesson using guiding questions. Write reflective papers on domains of reflectivity. Record all the amplification devices used by each student at school and at home including types, models and manufacturers In addition
Use of Checklists as Formative Tools in Candidates: Practicum Observe in each of the 5specific areas of techniques over the course of practicum. Log dates, times of each of the techniques used by the cooperating teacher. Take note at least three examples of each technique in each setting [as appropriate] Write a reflection on each of the 5 areas.
Formation Process: From not seeing to seeing Explanation and demonstration of each area of techniques occurs in practicum seminar and in concurrent courses. Links are made. Group and individual feedback and discussion with cooperating teacher and from practicum coordinators. Candidates know little in September but by December they are generalizing their ability to recognize techniques. * except those with some prior knowledge
Original Format as Guidelines for Observation Auditory Techniques Date Observed Comments/ Specific Examples
Grading Form for student observations of Teaching Strategies and Techniques Question Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 A. Setting B. Description of Techniques and strategies observed C. Child s response and candidate s response to techniques observed.
Candidate Ratings of Competence on New Checklists, Fall 2010 In September rated as mostly absent In December - 3-5, majority 4 & 5 1= Not applicable 2=Never 3=Sometimes 4=Usually 5=Almost always
Relating Techniques to Standards and Principles AGBell Academy, LSSL, Core Competencies [content areas/test domains, 2011 version] CEC-CED standards Cole and Paterson 1984, The McGill University Project Experience and feedback from practising professionals
Part 1: Listening Environment Competencies Paterson and Carroll, 2011 (16) Teacher Candidate encourages students to monitor their own speech and language through audition. (LSLS D8 E) 2. Teacher Candidate trouble shoots hearing aids. (CED IV-A-8, LSLS D1 B1, B4) 3.Teacher Candidate trouble shoots cochlear implants. (LSLS D1 B1,B4) 4. Teacher Candidate trouble shoots FM systems (LSLS D1 B2, B4) 5. Teacher Candidate is aware of the student s distance from the speaker when communicating with students. (LSLS D1 A7b; CED IV-A-8) 1.
Part 2: Listening Environment Competencies 6. Teacher Candidate minimizes background noise when teaching. (LSLS D1A7a,c,d) 7. Teacher Candidate speaks at a normal volume when communicating with students. (CED IV-A-8, LSLS D3, 7d) 8. Teacher Candidate sits on side of the student s better ear when student is not using an FM system. (LSLS D1 7a-c, D6A) 9. Teacher Candidate speaks close to the microphone of the student s listening technology when student is not using an FM system. (LSLS D1, 7a-c)
Part 3: Listening Environment Competencies Teacher Candidate Encourages Student Awareness of the Listening Environment and Teaches Self-Advocacy Skills that the Student Can Use to Request an Optimum Listening Environment 10. Encourages and expects student to refer to his/her amplification equipment by the correct name. 11. Encourages and expects student to change amplification settings for particular listening or learning situations. 12. Encourages and expects student to notify the adult if his/her equipment is not working.
Part 4: Listening Environment Competencies 13. Encourages student to manage his/her own listening equipment in an age appropriate manner. 14. Encourages and expects student to hand the microphone to the speaker. 15. Encourages and expects student to indicate when the auditory signal is not loud enough. 16. Encourages and expects student to indicate when message has not been heard. (LSLS D6 A)
Example: Candidate, C. late September Reflection on Listening Environment I observed Ms. X: even in the home the listening environment is important Ms. X always made sure she was sitting behind the child but close enough to the child that she could talk into the microphone.. T o be sure that the child would need to use listening and not vision I noted that Ms X always spoke at a normal volume. She never yelled or over articulated her words. She made sure that the mothers were doing the same.
Candidate C: Response from Practicum To C. (Late September) Coordinator This was a good observation and write-up. Positioning yourself to allow the child the best listening environment is a very important technique and you observed this several times. It s nice to know that the parents are thinking about the auditory environment! How did the parents respond to this strategy and did they use this strategy when they talked to the child?.
Part 1: Auditory Techniques - Competencies 1. Teacher Candidate fosters an atmosphere in the classroom, Consulting Teacher setting, early intervention session or home that the student will learn through audition. (LSLS D6 F, D6 A) 2. Teacher Candidate administers Six Sounds Test with appropriate voice loudness. 3. Teacher candidate notes listening problems for each student based on the Six Sounds Test and explains why errors may occur. 4. Teacher candidate has a record of each student s current ability to use audition as the primary input for learning.
Part 2: Auditory Techniques - Competencies 5. Teacher candidate speaks to students with mouth covered, back turned, or standing in back of students to promote listening. (CED IV-A-8) (LSLS D6A &D) 6. Teacher Candidate provides an auditory sandwich to help student comprehension of auditory message: Auditory presentation first, clarification with visual cue, repetition of auditory input. Puts spoken language immediately into listening if it has been necessary to use visual cues. (LSLS D6 H)
Part 3: Auditory Techniques - Competencies 7. Teacher Candidate asks the student What did you hear? before repeating the spoken stimuli. (LSLS/AVEd 8) 8. Teacher Candidate sings to student or uses melodic voice when appropriate.(ced IV-A- 8) (LSLS D2A) 9. Teacher Candidate pronounces words clearly with the appropriate melody for the age of the student. (CED IV-A-8) (LSLS D3 A7d,710)
Part 4: Auditory Techniques -Competencies Teacher Candidate uses acoustic highlighting appropriately: (LSLS D6 G) (CED IV-A-8) 10. Stresses selected words for emphasis 11. Talks with rhythmic variation to emphasize prosodic information. (LSLS D6 D) 12. Uses whispered speech to highlight formant structure. 13. Uses wait time and pauses appropriately after giving auditory input. (LSLS D6 B)
Example: Candidate C Observation of Auditory Techniques C. wrote, in early October about observing elementary aged speech sessions: Ms. W always addressed the students by speaking in full sentences and pronounced clearly with a lot of melody. Ms. W also covered her mouth considerably when she talked. The children always needed to rely on their hearing. I noticed pretty much all of the auditory techniques from our log
Candidate C. Reflection continued Often, Ms. W used stress to emphasize a certain sound that she wanted the child to pronounce. She would do this in accompaniment with rhythm so a child would understand. While doing many of her speech activities she would give the child the kids time to think about what they heard and answer the question.
C. Candidate C. Response from Practicum Coordinator Excellent observation. It s nice to see you making connections between classwork and classroom teaching.
Example of Generalization Candidate C: Late November What spoken language teaching and learning strategies did the teacher use? Partial mainstreamed middle school group: Mrs. B. made sure that she repeated what she heard the students say, and provided wait time for the students to respond. Mrs. B. covered her mouth when she wanted to rely on the student s audition to pronounce a word. She also used an auditory sandwich when the students were having some trouble with articulating some words.
Use of Lists of Techniques in Student Teaching: Student teaching evaluation form is formative first and then evaluative. Demonstrate Continuous Improvement in Use of Techniques Form is made up of 1. Core teacher [pedagogical competencies] that UHA expects in graduate training programs 2. Indicators of competence in domains specific to teaching hearing impaired children [Checklists]
Formation and Evaluation Who rates: Cooperating teachers, University supervisors and Candidates Candidate self-evaluates using the checklists before starting student teaching. Mid-term evaluation - triad meeting, all three rate on the Student Teaching Evaluation form. Strengths and weaknesses identified, areas for improvement specified Final Student Teaching Evaluation expect changes
Example: Candidate P : Feedback from Cooperating Teacher, Week 3 Strengths: You used an auditory presentation throughout by standing behind the students or covering your mouth You focused on audition when modeling pronunciation and broke multisyllabic words into syllables when needed. You used acoustic highlighting by putting the emphasis on the key word Helpful Comments: try giving a little more wait time before giving T. a clue
Candidate P: Comments Continued. You realized that the microboom was not securely connected to the transmitter, which may have been the cause of static. You have asked students to change their batteries when problems could not be solved in other ways.
Analysis and Discussion Feedback on use of auditory environment and auditory techniques checklists in practicum and student teaching very positive. Teachers in practice reported that the checklists really provided a concrete way to mentor and helped them to review their own practice. We have been very satisfied with the change and growth that occurs in use of these techniques in a relatively short and intense learning time.
Next Steps We intend to review all the checklists and make some additions and revisions. Gather feedback and insights from the last group of candidates, our 3 years of graduates and the cooperating teachers. Consider publication.
Course sequence: Summer Semester Perspectives on the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing-Impaired Children Anatomy and Physiology of hearing and Speech mechanisms. Psychoacoustics and the Development of Auditory Perception and Processing, Articulatory Phonetics
Fall Semester Introduction to Clinical Audiology Acquisition and Analysis of Spoken language Teaching Speech I Acoustic Phonetics Spoken language Intervention I Practicum I
Spring Semester Hearing Instruments Teaching Speech II Spoken language Intervention II Literacy Development in Children with Hearing Loss Educational Methodology for the Mainstream Student Teaching
Other sources Ling, D and Ling, A. (1978). Aural Habilitation: The Foundations of Verbal Learning in Hearing Impaired Children. Cole, E.B., and Paterson, M.M. ( 1984). The McGill University Project. In D. Ling (Ed.). Early Intervention for Hearing Impaired Children: Oral Options. San Diego, CA: College-Hill Press. Mintz, S. Training the ear: strategies for self-directed listening practice for teens and adults. Flexer, C. Auditory brain development: the key to language and literacy. Dornan, D. Hear and Say Centre: What is the A-V approach? CASTLE-Center for Acquisition of Spoken Language Through Listening Enrichment