Preparing DeafHard of Hearing Students to Use Interpreters

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Preparing Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students to Use
Interpreters
ACE-DHH 2008 Conference

• Darrell Doudt
• Olivia Krise
• Dr. Pamela Luft
• Kent State University
• Kent, Ohio

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Preparing DHH Students

• Who teaches the students?
• Interpreters are not teachers
• General education teachers are not knowledgeable
• DHH students may have limited time in deaf
  education classrooms
• Knowledge is critical for self-determination and
  self-advocacy

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Data Collection

• Survey of local interpreters in schools
• Spring 2007
• Two large local K-12 programs
• Feedback from Deaf adults
• Questions examined
• Whose responsibility is it to provide
  information?
• How important is this information?
• What type of information is needed?

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Preparation of DHH High School Students to Use
Interpreters

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DHH High School Students knowledge to Use
Interpreters
Depends on Age

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Preparation of DHH High School Students to Use
Interpreters

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Survey Results

• Top Issues
• Lack of knowledge in working with interpreters
  and about the interpreters role
• Lack of training and opportunities to educate
  students about working with an interpreter
• Minimal or low language skills of DHH students
• Linguistic skills are necessary to access
  academic information and to benefit from
  interpreted communication
• Knowing sign language does not mean having
  proficiency in language

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Survey Results

• Top Issues
• DHH students may be placed in inclusion
  classrooms before they are academically ready
• -The fast pace of instructional content in
  the general education classroom
• -Little or no opportunity to expose students to
  new signs, equivalent vocabulary, and other
  material prior to classroom teaching
• -Students are acquiring language simultaneously
  with learning curriculum content
• -DHH students with different language
  needs as well as different proficiency levels are
  placed together with one interpreter
• Teachers lack of information about the rights or
  the needs of DHH students

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Survey Results

• Top Issues
• IEP Team members, administrators, and teachers
  lack training and/or knowledge about the
  interpreters professional roles
• Many assume that interpreters function as tutors
  or teacher aides
• Many overlook the Interpreter as a
  professional contributor and member of the IEP
  Team
• The Interpreters role is to facilitate and
  mediate communication

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Survey Results

• Top Issues
• Interpreter Advocacy
• -Misunderstandings about leveling the playing
  field
• -Communicating about problematic areas of
  instruction.
• Fast-paced games and keeping pace with hearing
  peers
• Around the World, or Trivia games
• -Allow teachers to provide equal opportunity for
  involvement in the classroom.
• Interpreter Preparation and Training
• Lack of knowledge of new technical signs in
  specialized areas Chemistry, Calculus, Physics
  and other areas

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Survey Results

• Top Issues
• Students lack of maturity and ability to attend
  the extended periods of time, especially young
  students
• Students lack of knowledge in utilizing the
  interpreter, and importance of paying attention
  to an interpreter
• Content of classroom environment with little or
  no opportunity to expose students to new signs
• new vocabulary, materials prior the teaching

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Preparation for DHH Students

• The content about student roles and
  responsibilities for using interpreters is
  organized according to participation in
• Classrooms
• Presentations or lectures
• Small group discussions
• Meetings

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesGeneral
Preparation

• Awareness about the role of interpreters
• Prepare and express oneself clearly use sign
  language to express oneself appropriately
• Notify others about any problems with adapting to
  the pace of the communication
• Notify others about needs and any other
  accommodations (notetakers, etc.)

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesGeneral
Preparation

• Inform interpreter of your preference for using
  ASL, SEE or other communication mode
• Use proper conversational etiquette with
  interpreter and others
• Use of interpreters develop skills in
• 1. Asking for repetition and
  clarification from others
• 2. Requesting help from
  administrators, teachers, or others
• through an interpreter
  
• 3. Using your own voice, if desired,
  or supporting the
• interpreter to voice interpret for
  you
• 4. Developing personal relationships with
  others
• - How to do this independently of the
  interpreter
• - How to be assertive and resolve issues using
  interpreter

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesGeneral
Preparation

• Working With Interpreters
• Clear use of signs
• Be articulate in specific word choices to reduce
  misunderstandings
• Slower pace to allow a new interpreter to adjust
  to sign style when meeting for the first time
• Show respect and patience towards interpreter if
  she/he requires repetition or clarifications
• Do not assume interpreters will assist you with
  other things their job is to focus on
  interpreting and translating

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesClassrooms

• Notify the instructor about any problems with
  adapting to the pace of the classroom
• Request help from the teacher through the
  interpreter
• Dont expect the interpreter to help with or
  explain class work
• Direct questions toward the teacher, rather than
  interpreter
• Avoid having conversations with the interpreter
  during classroom instruction and testing
• Help peers in the classroom understand the role
  of the interpreter

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesClassrooms
Teacher Awareness

• Inform instructor about the importance of finding
  a good notetaker
• - Notify the instructor about unsatisfactory
  notes
• Explain the difficulties in using multi-selective
  attention
• - Watching a video and the interpreter
• - Taking notes and watching the interpreter
• - Paying attention to teachers lecture and
  peers comments and the interpreter
• Remind the teacher to request interpreters in
  advance for any special activities or field trips
• - Remind teacher to request 2 interpreters for
  events that are 2 hours or longer

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesPresentations
or Lectures

• Prepare your presentation and express oneself
  clearly.
• Use formal register of sign language to express
  oneself appropriately
• Notify others about the role of the interpreter
  during the presentation
• Voicing for the presentation
• Signing questions and facilitating communication

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesSmall Group
Discussions

• Explain to others about the role of interpreter
• Voicing for your comments and questions
• Signing for the groups comments and questions
• Facilitating communication
• Notify the group about problems with the pace of
  the groups discussion
• Do group problem-solving
• Teach patience and respect for slower pace
• Notify group members (and teacher) about needs
  and accommodations for notetakers and other
  things
• Adapt to different types of group work
  discussions, lab work, group projects, and other
  situations

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Student Roles and ResponsibilitiesMeetings

• Prepare to participate in meetings with
  interpreter
• IEP meetings
• Vocational Rehabilitation meetings
• Meetings with administrators or others
• Inform others about the role of interpreter
• Voicing for your communication
• Signing for others communication
• Facilitating communication between everyone
• Notify others about any problems with the pace of
  the discussion
• Notify others about needs and accommodations
  notetakers, etc.

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Classroom ActivitiesStudents Role Play

• Meeting an interpreter the first time What
  should you do?
• How should you communicate your rights and
  preferences for choice of sign language or mode?
• Meeting teachers with and interpreter the first
  time What should you do?
• How should you communicate your rights?
• How to you provide awareness of rights and
  responsibilities in a user-friendly way?
• Meeting with a Principal or Administrator
• How do you ask for for accommodations?
• Practice requesting an interpreter for
  extra-curricular activities.
• How do you ask for an interpreter if none has
  been provided?

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Classroom ActivitiesStudents Role Play and
Practice

• Locate the appropriate place to sit
• Find a seat with a clear view between the
  instructor and the interpreter
• Practice using appropriate communication
  strategies
• Adjusting to lag time in raising your hand for a
  question
• Asking for clarification or assistance
• Introduce yourself and your interpreter to each
  teacher prior to the start of class
• Explain about your needs and reasonable
  accommodations for various situations to the
  students and teacher
• Lab work, group discussions, Q A sessions

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Classroom ActivitiesStudents Role Play and
Practice

• How do you explain your accommodation needs to
  others and your peers?
• How should you request that the interpreter
  translate everything including classmates chats
  or discussions?
• What do you say to the interpreter?
• How do you inform the teacher?
• Explain to the teacher the benefit of complete
  communication access
• Communication exchanges other than lectures such
  as
• Conversation between teacher and students
  relating to assignments or projects
• Side comments and other incidental communication
  that add depth to core subjects, arts, working
  in the lab, etc.
• Conversations between teachers about school
  events or activities

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Presentation ActivitiesStudents Role Play

• Make a PowerPoint presentation about using
  interpreters
• Explain the lag time for interpreters to
  complete their translating between two languages
• Explain the translation process of moving between
  a spoken language and a visual language
• Explain that students should make eye contact
  with the student, and ask questions to the
  student, not the interpreter
• Expose to and provide awareness about DHH
  individuals needs and differences
• Discuss needs in different situations lecture,
  small group discussions, lab work, group
  projects, etc.

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Presentation ActivitiesStudents Role Play

• Give copies of lecture or speech notes to all
• - the teacher, interpreter, and students
• Provide notes that are neat, concise
• - give these in advance to the interpreter
• Practice and preparation ensures a successful and
  smooth presentation through an interpreter
• - practice your presentation alone and with the
  interpreter
• Sign and fingerspell clearly to the interpreter

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Small Group DiscussionsStudents Role Play

• Explain the presence of the interpreter
• - describe his/her role as a translator of all
  communication, not an aide for the student
• Explain to the group about speaking in turns
• - avoid overlapping and simultaneous
  communication during discussions
• - avoid side conversations
• - describe lag time and slower pacing

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Meetings Students Role Play

• Practice using the proper register of
  communication
• Know your rights about making requests for
  reasonable accommodations what are your rights
  to
• Have an interpreter for extra-curricular events?
• Have an interpreter for field trips or
  assemblies?
• Have an interpreter use your preferred sign
  language or communication mode?
• Attend an IEP, VR, or other service meeting?
• Provide awareness to others when working with
  interpreters to other school staff or to parents

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Advocacy Addressing Critical Situations

• Key Issues
• When there is no interpreter
• When the interpreter is unqualified
• - Approach the teacher to request a meeting with
  the Principal or Assistant Principal
• - Notify parents immediately about the situation

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For more information

• Middle School And High School Instructional
  Units
• Career Development Units
• Standards-Based Transition Teaching Activities
  
• To access the unit and other units please visit
• http//www.educ.kent.edu/fundedprojects/TSPT/grant
  .htm