2023 Breakout Session Description

Details

Breakout Sessions: Friday, March 3rd, 2023

Friday 10:45 - 11:45

Providing learning experiences for student teachers- Lewanda Brewer Are you a seasoned teacher that has honed your craft? Have you ever considered sharing your classroom with a prospective teacher candidate? Perhaps having a student teacher has sounded daunting to you. Well, no more! Come learn how easy it is to provide valuable hands-on experiences for a student teacher. Our field is dwindling and what better time to consider sharing your knowledge from your experiences with a prospective teacher in training.

Representation Matters: Picture Books for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children- Maddie Hinckle This presentation discusses the importance of providing Deaf and Hard of Hearing children with literature in which they can see themselves represented. We explore the options currently available for DHH representational picture books and then discuss more in-depth 24 books or series in five categories based on topic. The categories are: Deaf Life, Hearing Tech, Educational, Inspirational, and Storybook. We will end with a brief discussion of the gaps in existing literature and what educators can do to help fill those gaps.

The One Where We Collaborate With Parents- Cheri Sinnott Springer Cheri Sinnott Springer is the Director of the Illinois Service Resource Center, which provides behavior support at school and home for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired. Establishing and maintaining home school connections benefits students in the classroom and at home. There are many opportunities beyond Class Dojo to support student behavior. This presentation will review a variety of tools and strategies to utilize home school collaboration to support students.

Itinerants . . . Preparing the next generation- Lindsey Siegel, Jill Lauer, Alex Giosta “What do you think about becoming a hearing itinerant teacher?” They have heard of this somewhat scary and strange career, yet so many college students, recent graduates, and current classroom teachers answer “No, I want to be a classroom teacher.” Why? The number of students in need of hearing itinerant services is on the rise, yet the preparation of teachers for this career is minimal. Becoming a hearing itinerant is viewed as the second choice or not an option at all. We are here to change that! Come and join some seasoned (and hilarious) hearing itinerants who have seen it all! Get prepared for interviews, gain knowledge about the ins and outs of this job, and find out why being a hearing itinerant should be a top choice in your career path.

Collaborations & DHS-DRS- Christian Pean The Workforce Innovation and Opportunities (WIOA) requires vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to dedicate a portion of its fund to providing pre-employment transition services (PTS) to students and youth. Adult VR services are provided to persons who have a disability that impacts one or more life activities. Illinois VR uses a functional model to demonstrate how our services can assist the individual. This is different from the medical model used by federal and other programs. We will look at what services are available throughout the state and how students can take advantage of these services prior to and after graduation from high school

Friday 1:15 - 2:15

Teach and Retire Rich- Eric McClarey, Scott Dauenhauer, and Dan Otter Teachers in Illinois pay into the TRS every paycheck and understand they will receive a benefit when the retire. However, that is where the knowledge ends for many teachers. Part of this session will help you decode the pension system and give you tools to make accurate projections for your retirement. The second part of this session will explore additional retirement savings options including 403(b) and 457 plans. Unfortunately, many teachers think they are saving well for retirement when actually they are in high-cost, commission-yielding products. This session is for students preparing to be teachers, those nearing retirement, and EVERYONE in between.

The One Where Itinerants Collaborate (DOUBLE SESSION)- Michelle Roberts & Amber Rich We are back again for more Itinerant collaboration. This is for the Hearing Itinerant that is wanting to see and learn, take and exchange materials, apps, tools, and data collection! There will be a time to see and learn, and another session to collaborate and exchange! To the audience: participation is EVERYTHING!! Bring your idea, tool, or app! This is how we learn from the best and level up as professionals! The more materials the merrier! Let's make it happen! Use this form to add your resources or ideas to our collection www.bit.ly/ITDHHCollaboration or bring them with you! Our collaboration time will be in small groups or pairs: think Speed Dating style. Please come prepared to share.

Cochlear Implant Troubleshooting Lab (DOUBLE SESSION) - Lurie Children’s Hospital - Cochlear Implant Team (Limit 45) Members of Lurie Children’s Cochlear Implant Team will provide a brief overview of each of the three cochlear implant manufacturers and their most current devices. The fundamental parts of each device and basic function of a cochlear implant will also be discussed. Participants will then be instructed on troubleshooting procedures and have an opportunity to practice on live cochlear implant systems. Representatives from each company will be on hand to answer any questions. This interactive workshop is a double breakout session. Limited to 45 participants.

How to Avoid or Diffuse Power Struggles- Raven Stromek A power struggle is a competition, often in the form of a verbal argument, with one goal: for someone to win. Power struggles have been known to lead to broken relationships, lack of trust, and embarrassment. Power struggles can be especially difficult with kids diagnosed with ADHD, autism, oppositional-defiant disorder, and other social-emotional challenges. Come to this session to learn ways to avoid power struggles, get out of power struggles, and recover from power struggles to maintain positive relationships and a safe learning culture with your students.

Foundations for Literacy Overview- Dr. Stacey Tucci and Dr. Molly Herman Foundations for Literacy, is an evidence-based intervention designed for DHH children who are preschool and kindergarten aged. When the kit is purchased, it comes with all the materials needed for full implementation on foundational skills including vocabulary, narrative skills, alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness, and reading decodable words and short connected text. This session will be an overview of the intervention to give insight about implications for your students. Teacher’s must receive full training from the Center for Learning and Deafness CLAD in order to purchase the kit and receive materials. This is not the full training, simply an overview of the benefits of Foundations for Literacy.

Friday 2:30-3:30

CODAS @ The Movie CODA- Abby Long & Dan Roche Abby Long (President of CODA International), and Dan Roche, both children of deaf adults (Codas), will share their reactions about the movie, both positive and negative. From there, they will share suggestions that those in the field may wish to consider when working with our d/hh children and their families. Then, we will take questions from the audience.

College Hour - ISHI Come hear from supervisors for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Programs in the state. Brief information of what is looked for during an interview for a position will be shared. Learn about current and upcoming openings for positions around the state.

Fingerspelling Our Way to Reading Overview- Dr. Nancy Bridenbaugh and Dr. Molly Herman Fingerspelling Our Way to Reading is an evidence-based supplemental reading intervention program specifically designed for DHH students. Since DHH students may not have full access to phonemic awareness and phonics due to their hearing loss, the fingerspelling strategy is a way to kinesthetically unlock decoding of words through a systematic approach. Teacher’s must receive full training from the Center for Learning and Deafness CLAD in order to purchase the kit and receive materials. This is not the full training, simply an overview of the benefits of Fingerspelling our Way to Reading.

Friday 3:30-4:00

AREA MEETINGS

Friday 4:15-5:15

How to plan and implement a Deaf Storyteller event- Lawanda Brewer Do you need to provide a Deaf role model for your students? Do you struggle to find novel conversation opportunities with your students who are DHH to interact with other students who have hearing loss? Are you looking for a way to encourage your students to practice self-advocating without sabotaging or creating situations? Want to have a special fieldtrip that is exclusive to meeting the needs of our students with hearing loss? Come find out how I plan and implement our Deaf Storyteller event in St. Charles, MO since 2006! This breakout will provide you with steps you can take back to collaborate and plan a similar event and create a special day for your students, too!

Help - My Student has Unilateral Hearing Loss- Beth Tournis, Au.D., Carrie Sanders, Au.D., Alison Olivo, Au.D. Research continues to show the importance of bilateral hearing and the risks to academic achievement for students who suffer from unilateral or asymmetric hearing loss. Treatment options continue to expand and include remote microphone systems, CROS fittings, unilateral hearing aids, bone conduction devices and cochlear implantation. This interactive presentation will review available treatment and rehabilitative options and discuss specific cases where they have (or haven't) been successful.

Itinerant Teachers Collaborate on the Go- Sharon Jenkins Meeting the needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in the regular education classroom and other special education classrooms is no easy task for itinerant teachers whose time is limited. The student population is changing and itinerant teachers have to think outside the box to consult and collaborate with a multitude of teachers and service providers in multiple schools. Participants will learn about the hearing itinerant program student population, methods used to provide consult support service, and how to collaborate on the go.

DHH Teacher “Life Hacks" 3rd Edition- Sarah Kiefer & Amber Byrd This presentation will review a collection of some practical tips and tricks to help make DHH teachers’ lives a little easier in this ever-changing educational system. We’ll focus on no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech hacks for accessibility, student engagement, tech shortcuts and tricks, must-haves, apps, add-ons, extensions and other educational resources. Participants are encouraged to share their best kept life hack with the group.

The New HI: I am not Hearing Impaired, I am Hearing Implanted- Todd Williams This session will be a show and share on cochlear implantation. An open discussion on the challenges of auditory training with cochlear implant recipients.

Breakout Sessions: Saturday, March 4th, 2023

Saturday 9:30-10:30

Successful Self-Advocacy- Andrea Marwah Self advocacy skills are a necessity for all students who are DHH, socialization skills are a known weakness in our students. With strong awareness of their disability, their need for accommodations and knowing how to seek access these skills can be sharpened and the students' success will be evident. These skills need to start from the beginning, waiting until Jr. High and High School is too late. Learn strategies on how to incorporate self advocacy into your typical goals without necessarily needing a separate goal specific to self-advocacy.

"The One, Implementing ReACTive Strategies is Where We Collaborate”!- Kari Taylor Humans are reactive by nature. Have you found yourself reacting to your student’s behaviors without support from anyone in the building? Without team collaboration? Have you found yourself struggling with providing behavioral support to your student and can’t get others on board? You will learn how to develop and implement reactive strategies the WHOLE team can get on board with. Discover the reactive strategies to bring back to your school team!

Parent Support - What’s New?- Carrie Balian With over 13 years of providing one-on-one parent support and resources, the IL Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side program is excited to share new resources and activities available to families with children who are DHH. Join us to learn more about our DHH Guides, Fostering Joy and transition supports in place for families with children who are DHH.

Life Applicable Content for High Schoolers- Jasmine Spotts There are numerous skills and topics high schoolers need to learn before transitioning out into the real world. Come gather resources in this workshop-style hour. Materials include safety/legal rights in an emergency, getting a job toolkit, deaf and hard-of-hearing characters in books, and Post-Secondary scholarships and college resources

Audiology Adventures in Podcasting - Katie Colella, AuD CCC-A and Katie Farnsworth, AuD CCC-A

Creation of the unique podcast Amplified: Presented by Lurie Children's. Amplified is a mini-series about growing up with hearing loss. Katie already demonstrated a speech and language delay when she was identified with a significant hearing loss at age two. Listen to Katie and her family share the journey from pre-diagnosis to Katie's current incredible accomplishments through anecdotes, tears and laughter - very loud laughter. This is a great resource for families who have a child with hearing loss, or anyone who enjoys uplifting human interest stories. Learn how to identify and utilize the resources available in your environment to produce a podcast and how to maintain your primary target audience's best interest while planning a podcast.

Saturday 10:45 - 11:45

Partnering with Parents Panel: Collaborating to Maximize Potential of Children Deaf with Disabilities- Corie Fulton, Crystal Johnson, and Amy Keslinke Parents are an integral part of a child’s educational team, but, when it comes to meeting the needs of children who are deaf with disabilities, partnering with parents is essential to balancing multiple needs to promote successful outcomes. In this session, three mothers of young children who are deaf with disabilities, all with serious medical conditions, will share their experiences and insights related to the challenges that come along with advocating for their childrens’ educational needs both inside and outside of school.

Interventions for PreK- First Grade- Molly Herman & Michelle Wolfe Have you ever wondered what exactly you should be teaching and focusing your instructional time on with students ages 3 through 7? Are you an itinerant who has been called in to determine if there is a service need for a student in this age range, and you were not exactly sure what to be looking for? This session will provide some insight on what curriculums, assessments, and supplemental programs we have used to help support DHH students closing the language gap while keeping students at grade level. Furthermore, information related to incorporating district level general education curriculum to support DHH students with practical applications and approaches will be shared. Sample schedules and video examples will also be included. Information will be applicable to itinerant teachers and self-contained TOD.

Maximizing Auditory Access in the Classroom Through Roger Technology- Stacy Michels As we all know, even the most controlled classroom is not totally quiet. It is a place full of fun learning and interaction from not only the teacher, but the students and classroom technology. I think it is safe to say that all of us strive to provide the best possible solutions to produce the best listening outcomes and optimize students’ access to auditory information throughout their school days. Learn how Phonak’s Roger technology provides a compatible and flexible solution for your students no matter their hearing device or classroom technology.

Sundae Services: Not Preaching to the Choir- Dr. Sonia Arora & Dr. Stephanie Gardiner-Walsh While we are all trained in serving all deaf students, many of us struggle to know what to do to ensure we consider the entire "ice cream sundae" of deaf populations. Come to this session to chat about the frustrations and strategies we need to best meet the diverse deaf population. Topics include accommodations, modifications, perceptions, assumptions, and collaboration.

Conquering the DHH Teacher Shortage - Hybrid Service Model- Jamie Bozarth Are you an itinerant teacher needing to clone yourself? Are you having a hard time finding another TOD? I have a solution! Hybrid Service Delivery Model. Not sure how this would work? I’ll explain the ins and outs of why this model works so well. I’ll also cover how to find facilitators, determine appropriate service options (in-person or virtual) for DHH students, and how to get support from parents and administrators on using the hybrid model. We will discuss the pros and cons to all aspects of DHH service delivery and how to conquer the need for hiring more teachers.

Saturday 12:30-1:30

Socialization Skills for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing- Andrea Marwah Socialization Skills just happen, right? Unfortunately this is not the case for many students who are deaf/hard of hearing. Why is socialization such a challenge for our kids? Many reasons beginning with language. How can we ensure that our children who many times are the start peer in 1st and 2nd grade continue their social emotional growth at the same rate as their peers? By actively teaching socialization from the start. Waiting until a problem presents itself is too late. Learn from a trainer who has been actively researching this topic to bring you great techniques to use with your students starting tomorrow.

Parent Panel - Reflections of choices, decisions and their outcomes- Carrie Balian Parents are an integral part of a child’s educational team, but, when it comes to meeting the needs of children who are deaf with disabilities, partnering with parents is essential to balancing multiple needs to promote successful outcomes. In this session, three mothers of young children who are deaf with disabilities, all with serious medical conditions, will share their experiences and insights related to the challenges that come along with advocating for their childrens’ educational needs both inside and outside of school.

myASLTech - an online solution to efficiently making ASL-friendly instructional materials- Corinne K. Vinopol, Ph.D. Have you been looking for a quick, efficient way to support your deaf students’ access to curriculum and other educational content with ASL? Did you know that there is a website that enables you to create customized instructional materials with professional ASL graphics and videos in just minutes? myASLTech.com is a one-of-a-kind website that can do all of that! There are more than 20 apps and a database of over 12,000 entries consisting of words, phrases, idioms, numbers, letters, and symbols, each with explanatory ASL graphics and video clips that you can use. Check it out!

Big Impact Easy Implemented Behavior Strategies- Lisa Cipriano This session will share research based concrete ideas to prevent problem behaviors in the classroom. Engage in an interactive presentation that will leave you with strategies you can use right away. This is a great way to refresh for the spring push with your students. Appropriate for all settings and examples for each setting with be included.

The One Where We Did a Deep Dive Into Accessibility Options in iOS and Android- Tina Childress It seems like every few months, our devices get a notification for a new operating system (OS) upgrade to our iOS or Android devices. With these upgrades often come security patches and/or new features. There have been quite a few new accessibility features related to DHH individuals lately and they have been happening on both platforms. We will discuss not only the native accessibility options available on iOS and Android but also specific helpful apps that can be used on both of these platforms. Bring your device(s) and let’s look around! Make sure your device has the newest update!