Join the Monthly DeafEd Twitter Chat

Resource Materials & Technology Center:

Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Outreach Services for the Blind/Visually Impaired
and Deaf/Hard of Hearing

207 San Marco Avenue

St. Augustine, Florida 32084

800-356-6731 (FL)

http://rmtcosbd.org

Back to School!

School has already started here in St Augustine, and in other places around the state, while others will be starting in a week or two. We hope that all of you are having (or will have) a great start to the 2015-2016 school year! Please contact us and let us know how we can support you this year! Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

RMTC/OSBD bid farewell to Diana Deacon over the summer. After being with OSBD for many years, she has decided to pursue a career with another agency. We wish her good luck and success. Requests for vision-related services can be directed to Mark Keith or Carmelina Hollingsworth.

If you have any new teachers in your school and/or district, be sure to tell them about RMTC and OSBD. Send them to our website and our Facebook page. They can sign up for our newsletters there!

Join the Monthly DeafEd Twitter Chat

A monthly #DeafEd Twitter Chat was organized after being inspired by the Deaf Youth advocates of the organization Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf (HEARD) who hosted the first #DeafEd Twitter chat in November 2014. The purpose of the chat is to connect Teachers of the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Deaf-Disabled & Hard of Hearing (DDBDDHH) students, members of the DDBDDHH Community, & other professionals through monthly dialogue on a variety of topics. Monthly chats are held on the first Thursday of every month from 7:30-8:30pm (EST). Each month new guest hosts are discussing a variety of topics.

You can view the archive of the August 6 chat about professional learning with guest host Christine Yuknis, assistant professor in the Department of Education at Gallaudet University.

Other archives are also available.

September 3, we are honored to have Kristin DiPerri (@HalimunKDP) as the guest host to discuss English literacy.

Heidi Givens (@Heidigasl) is the moderator of the monthly chat. Follow her to receive updated information about the chat.

Remind is being used to notify interested individuals in the monthly #DeafEd chat. To receive text message reminders, text @deafedch to the number 81010. To receive email notifications, send an email to deafedch@mail.remind.com

If you are new to Twitter, need a refresher, or want to learn how to participate in Twitter chats, this free online mini course includes eight modules that teach you step by step how to use and engage in Twitter. It is a total of 45 minutes and is well worth the time. Unfortunately, it is not closed captioned at the moment, but the developers have been contacted and brought it to their attention.

Thank you!

Heidi Givens, NBCT, NIC
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Daviess County Public Schools

Teacher Advisory Council, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2013 Kentucky Elementary Teacher of the Year
KYEDHH President
Twitter: @heidigasl

News from the State

2015-16 Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program

The FDOE has issued the following memorandum regarding the Florida Teachers Classroom Supply Assistance Program. The memorandum may be viewed at: http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-7389/dps-2015-110.pdf (Memo) and http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-7390/dps-2015-110a.pdf (Attachment A).

Changes to Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT)

The FDOE has issued DPS Memo #2015-92, 2015 Legislation: Changes Impacting PERT. The memorandum may be viewed at:
http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-7387/dps-2015-92.pdf.

Florida Standards Alternate Assessment - Datafolio (FSAA-D) Trial Administration

Teachers have the opportunity this year to participate in the trial administration of the FSAA-D, designed specifically for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Teachers interested in participating must complete the online application survey by September 1, 2015. Attached is the memorandum with detailed information on how teachers can volunteer and register to participate. Also attached is a flyer to disseminate to teachers and schools with information about the trial, student eligibility requirements and training dates. If you have any questions, please contact Angela Nathaniel at angela.nathaniel@fldoe.org or 850-245-0972.
� Filename: FSAA Datafolio Trial Memorandum.pdf
� Filename: FSAA Datafolio Flyer_FINAL_72915VA.pdf

Joint Meeting for Contacts of Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Visual Impairments

Registration is now open for the joint meeting of district contacts of deaf/hard of hearing and district contacts of visual impairments to be held at the Florida Instructional Materials Center for the Visually Impaired in Tampa on September 3-4, 2015. Up to two individuals per district will be provided the opportunity for reimbursement of travel expenses if travel is more than 50 miles. Registration, via the survey, is available until August 21, 2015. For additional information, please contact Leanne Grillot at 850-245-0475 or Leanne.Grillot@fldoe.org.

Research Aims to Improve Access to Music for People Using Hearing Aids
Published Tuesday 19 May 2015

Note: Music classes as well as music woven into the curriculum across all subjects can reach higher levels of accessibility with this research.

A collaborative project between the University of Leeds and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is bringing together music psychologist Dr. Alinka Greasley and Dr. Harriet Crook, Lead Clinical Scientist for Complex Hearing Loss, to investigate how music listening experiences are affected by deafness, hearing impairments and the use of hearing aids.

The project, Hearing Aids for Music, will look at how people use hearing aids in musical situations, from listening to music at home to going to a symphony or rock concert. Music is an important part of people's lives and can have powerful physical, social, and emotional effects on individuals, including those with all levels of hearing impairment - even the profoundly deaf. The purpose of hearing aids is to amplify speech, and evidence suggests that many hearing aid users experience problems when listening to music, such as acoustic feedback, distortion and reduced tone quality.

For more information, see this article or go here to read the entire article.

Sites and Apps!

Zoombinis - They're back! Many of you may remember the old Zoombinis computer game. It's finally available for iPad (2 and up) and Android devices, and will soon be available for Kindle Fire, Mac, and Win. The game teaches deductive reasoning, pattern recognition, problem solving, etc. And it's fun!

Padlet - Padlet has been available as an online tool for many years. People use it for file sharing, collaboration, brainstorming, bookmarking, websites, student portfolios, lessons, class assignments, creative writing, journals, and more. Add images, videos, and documents to create your own padlet. Share the file to have others add, edit, or just enjoy. You can make it public, or just share with specific people. Don't forget to visit RMTC's Technology Wall on Padlet -- either online or on the app.