Fall Edition: Offering resources and tips to ensure uninterrupted support for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in Florida.

LSL Tip: Prepare in Advance for Field Trips 


Field trips are a highlight of every school year and are an opportunity to shake up routines, learn in a natural environment and have fun. The benefits of field trips for students include:

 

  1. Promoting academic growth 
  2. Strengthening engagement 
  3. Providing real world experience 
  4. Enhancing critical thinking 


For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, field trips can be especially useful to reinforce vocabulary and language and provide real life experiences. However, varied environments and routines may present challenges to a child’s ability to access information on the fieldtrip. Fortunately, with some preparation, educators and caregivers can ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing have the same enriching field trip experience as their peers with typical hearing. Clarke professionals recommend:  


  1. Plan ahead  
  2. Consider travel and logistics 
  3. Plan for equipment needs 
  4. Share a briefing document with the venue, location or tour guide 
  5. Rehearse what you will see or do on the field trip 
  6. Follow up with a field trip report after the event for maximum impact  


Alisa Demico, director of Clarke Florida notes, “We invest a lot of time in pre-teaching vocabulary and language including concepts like sequencing before trips. For example, if students see a pumpkin being carved, we want them to have the language and context to describe what they see and anticipate what comes next.”  


Find resources below and read more about how to carefully prepare and ensure success for your students. 

Resources

Field Trip Briefing Document Template 


For field trip locations such as a museum where there is a docent or tour leader, it’s helpful to provide them with information and a brief handout in advance. Clarke has a customizable template here.  


Explain that the tour guide may need to wear a small wireless mic (provided by the school) or that one student may need to stand closer to them to hear better. The handout does not require extensive detail but should include whether there is one or more students with hearing loss, the type of devices they use and what additional accommodations can be helpful. 

 

Teachers Pay Teachers 


This resource platform was created by teachers for teachers. Founded in 2006, Teachers Pay Teachers is a marketplace for educators to exchange instructional materials and access digital tools. Clarke Florida team members use the platform for templates and prepared activities.  

#LSLsuccess Story 


Meet Julien



Clarke alum Julien is a member of his school’s competitive robotics team and an accomplished guitar player.

  

Here, Julien shares his STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) experiences as a student, engineering enthusiast and musician. His advice to fellow students with hearing loss? Don’t doubt yourself. “Pursue what you love and persevere through whatever technical differences come your way! You are just as capable and smart as all of the other kids; nothing is standing in the way of accomplishing your dreams.” 

Events 

Clarke's Webinar for Families: Addressing Social Obstacles for School-Aged Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

October 11, 2022, 7:00 pm ET 


Florida Summit on Childhood Deafness

November 10-12, 2022 


Clarke’s Webinar for Professionals: Supporting Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing with Additional Needs 

November 15, 2022, 7:00 pm ET 

 

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference

November 16-19, 2022 


2022 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Convention  

November 17-19, 2022 

About Us and This Newsletter

"Talking About Florida" is a quarterly newsletter produced by Clarke Florida that serves as a resource for families and professionals. The newsletter is made possible through the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS)  Discretionary Project Auditory-Oral Education Grant.


Clarke Florida serves children and families by providing a wide range of auditory-oral services and programs through early intervention (birth-three), preschool-first grade, inclusive education settings and speech and language services with experts who focus on achieving key milestones at every stage. The auditory-oral program for children ages three to seven is in partnership with school districts in Florida and the Department of Education.


Have an event or resource to share?

Email Clarke Florida at florida@clarkeschools.org.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As an IRS qualified charity, gifts to Clarke are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.


Clarke teaches children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk. Since our founding in 1867, we have prepared children to succeed in neighborhood schools and the wider world, evolving to meet the needs of children and families today. Our teachers of the deaf, audiologists and speech-language pathologists partner with families to help their infants, toddlers and school-age children develop listening and spoken language (LSL) skills to maximize their learning. In addition to our work with more than 1,000 infants and children annually, we serve families and adults through a wide range of programs and services--in homes, at our five East Coast locations, in neighborhoof classrooms and using remote technology. Learn more at clarkeschools.org.


Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech | 9803 Old St. Augustine Road #7, Jacksonville, Fl. 32257

Voice 904.880.9001 | florida@clarkeschools.org  | clarkeschools.org

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