Teaming Up for Units and Deaf Kaleidoscope

Pam Carson Shaw
(Abridged Version for the Proceedings)

The Kansas School for the Deaf focused on Deaf Studies last fall by doing campus-wide (preschool through high school) instructional units with the common theme of “Deafness … Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” Dormitory and schoolteachers teamed to write instructional units that were later taught to students. During a “Deafness Kaleidoscope,” products that students created were displayed so that other students, parents, and staff could also learn about deafness.

At the Kansas School for the Deaf, as across the nation, there is much discussion about the bilingual/bicultural approach with Deaf children. Since this topic can provoke emotional discussions, our professional development plans for this school year have focused on the idea of team building. First, we gave all of our school and dormitory staff the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and planned several sessions throughout the year to discuss the results of the instrument. Our purpose was to help staff better understand themselves and others so that effective teams could be built. Second, we teamed school and dormitory teachers in order to plan integrated objectives and activities in an instructional unit plan. Because Deaf Culture/Studies was a curriculum area of concern at our school, we selected as our content theme, “Deafness … Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

During in-service days, our entire school and dormitory staff were trained on instructional unit writing (Meyen, 1981). Then, staff were divided into smaller curriculum and dormitory teams, such as math, language, science, library, speech, elementary dormitory, etc. These teams selected Deaf Studies concepts and planned objectives and activities for grades preschool through high school. For example, if one of the concepts selected by the math team was “identify hearing status of members of the school community,” then they had to write math objectives and activities that were grade appropriate for that concept (Kendall School for the Deaf, 1988). If that concept was appropriate for elementary children, then a math activity might be to make a picture graph of the hearing status of school and dormitory staff. If that concept was appropriate for high school students, then a math activity might be figuring percentages for hearing status of school and dormitory staff. Other activities could be planned to teach that same concept in subject areas such as reading, social studies, or in the dormitory setting.

After outlining possible curriculum and dormitory objectives and activities for preschool through high school, staff were placed in instructional unit writing teams. These teams were composed of school and dormitory staff who worked with specific groups of children. For example, school and dormitory staff who worked with our first and second graders were teamed so that they could make plans for teaching those children about Deaf Studies. Staff who worked with other grade levels were also teamed. This resulted in 10 different teams who planned instructional units for the 200 Deaf students at our school.

Finally, staff members were asked to complete a product paper which specified and explained a product that they wanted students to create as a result of their Deaf Studies learning. Examples of products were written reports, booklets, videos, photographs, art projects, skits, slide shows, collages, mobiles, diorama, charts, graphs, bulletin boards, puppets, journals, murals, etc. These products were displayed at a “Deafness Kaleidoscope” organized and set up by the administrators of our school. A performance by a Deaf community group, Signtastics, was done on the same night as the Kaleidoscope. Students, staff, parents, and the community were able to view student-created products and learn more about Deafness.

“Teaming Up for Units” was a success. The staff and students at the Kansas School for the Deaf would recommend this Deaf Studies approach to other schools because students and staff became more aware of the rich culture of Deaf people. “Deaf Kaleidoscope” was especially successful since it provided an avenue for students to share their cultural learning with other staff and students, and with parents and community members. We have learned from our experience this year and will continue to improve the process in future years. Some suggestions for next year were to teach the unit in the spring, allow staff more time to meet together, and involve students more in the initial planning. Campus-wide unit teaching and “Deaf Kaleidoscope” will definitely continue at our school.

About the Presenter

Dr. Pam Carson Shaw received her master’s and Ph.D. in Special Education/Deaf Education from the University of Kansas Medical Center. Currently the curriculum/staff development director at the Kansas School for the Deaf, she has worked as a classroom teacher for more than 10 years teaching preschool through college.

References

Deaf Studies

Kendall Demonstration Elementary School. (1989, Summer). Deaf studies curriculum (working draft). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University, Pre-College Programs.

Other Deaf Studies reference materials have been listed on another handout.

Team Building

Information on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can be obtained from Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc., 577 College Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, (415) 857-1444. The following books are recommended as resources for team building with staff:

Hirsh, S. K., & Kummerow, J. M. (1987). Introduction to type in organizations (2nd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Keirsey, D., & Bates, M. (1984). Please understand me: Character and temperament types. Del Mar, CA: Prometheus Nemesis.

Lawrence, G. (1982). People types and tiger stripes: A practical guide to learning styles (2nd ed.). Gainsville, FL: Center for Applications of Psychological Type.

Unit Writing

Luetke-Stahlman, B., & Luckner, J. (1991). Effectively educating students with hearing impairments. New York: Longman.

Meyen, E. L. (1981). Developing instructional units: For the regular and special education teacher (3rd ed.). Dubuque, IA: W. C. Brown.

Sanders, D. A. (1988). Teaching deaf children: Techniques and methods. Boston: Little, Brown.

Treffinger, D., Hohn, R. L., & Feidhusen, J. F. (1989). Reach each you teach II. Buffalo, NY: DOK.