MAGAZINEMAGAZINE DecemberDecember 20022002

ISSN 1366-0799

FocusFocus onon technologytechnology

availableavailable toto membersmembers onlyonly From your editor Two years ago the Magazine looked at ICT and since then everything has moved rapidly forward. Some of us have been carried along on the wave, whilst others prefer the safer shoreline! The articles in this issue offer possibilities of reducing the feelings of isolation created by supporting deaf pupils across the UK, look at some software that is available for classroom use and provide internet links and resources for those who care to follow the trails. Have you any questions that you would like BATOD to try and answer in the April Magazine which will look at issues such as pay and conditions, CPD, delegation, inclusion, NHSP, Regionalisation, speech therapy, working with doctors, Careers - Connexions and Social Services? BATOD is about you - Teachers of the Deaf - and issues that concern you... Please share your experiences and ask those questions that you need answers to.... either by phone, email or letter as soon as possible but definitely by the end of this term. The work connected with each issue of the Magazine includes sourcing articles - examples of good practice, projects and pilots that are going on both in the UK and beyond. If you are interested in helping to collect this material perhaps you would consider being a ‘section editor’ or maybe you would be interested in developing the design and layout of an issue or possibly you enjoy spotting errors and would enjoy being a proof reader? Please contact me if this appeals to you.... CONTENTS Ann Articles Magazine editor The information society ...... 4 Deaf@x research ...... 6 web site: www.BATOD.org.uk Deaf@x projects ...... 8 Our e-mail addresses are easy to remember. Soundfield Systems ...... 10 They all end @BATOD.org.uk So the Magazine will be: NDCS Blue Peter Service ...... 11 Creation of a web site for teenagers...... 13 [email protected] NOF ICT training - experiences of a non-maintained school.. 15 (check your spelling so you don’t fall into the black hole!) New technologies increase access to cultural attractions ... 16 VCam: a promise for better e-learning tools ...... 17 Phoning 01964 544243 Cross-over technology for deaf learners ...... 18 BATOD Magazine, Publications & Advertising? Sherston Software ...... 20 ....PLEASE SPEAK My eyes make pictures: computer animation in education ... 22 (don’t sigh and hang up!) National subtitling library for deaf people (NLSDP) ...... 24 if no-one makes it to the phone to respond Update on De@fchild India ...... 25 LEAVE A MESSAGE Becta update - useful Becta web sites...... 26 or send a fax Working in partnership ...... 28 or even e-mail Digital Photography ...... 32 [email protected] Speech to text - thing of the present or the future? ...... 35 Visit our web pages www.BATOD.org.uk Inclusive Science ...... 42 Need to contact BATOD? New ‘Technology Directory’ ...... 43 talk to Interpreting and note-taking options ...... 48 BATOD Secretary Paul Simpson International e-mail: [email protected] What a different world!...... 29 answerphone/fax 01494 464190 Deafway provides support ...... 32 Centre d’Esprit pour les sourds ...... 33 Regulars and general items Association Business: Noticeboard ...... 27 Minutes of NEC Meeting 15 June 2002 centre pages Spot the difference competition ...... 33 Presidential View from the front ...... 1 DCCAP - becoming a CAP Contact...... 34 What went on at NEC 21 September 2002 ...... 2 ICT Newspage ...... 37 Representing you ...... 3 Abbreviations in this issue ...... 40 NEC committees working for you ...... 44 Tips for Teachers - the Disability Act ...... 40 Midland region conference ...... 49 BBC resources for deaf children ...... 41 Subscription rates 2002-3 ...... 51 FEAPDA - First UK Congress ...... 42 I’ve moved... notification form ...... 51 Joyce Sutton puts away her pencil sharpener ...... 44 Deafness@birth gains a DfES dimension ...... 45 Advertising rates ...... 50 This and That ...... 46 Calendar - Meetings to know about ...... 52 DEI - seeking editorial staff...... 47 Music and the deaf ...... 47 Just to remind you - the term ‘deaf’ is used throughout this NATED open meeting ...... 49 Magazine to cover the full range of hearing loss. Jacqueline Edwards (obituary)...... 50

Cover picture from Antenna Audio - Touring the Tate Antenna Audio is the leading audio tour provider in the international museum market and has been active world-wide for more than 15 years. Antenna Audio clients include The National Gallery in London and more than 200 of the most visited tourist destinations around the world. For more information, visit www.antennaaudio.com View from the front.... As I write, the Party placements, where these are most appropriate), political conferences through units and resource bases to support for have recently finished in individual children in their local mainstream schools. Blackpool, Brighton and There needs to be some coherence in the way that Harrogate. Media the services are delivered. There must be a coverage depicts the strategic overview of needs, a plan to meet those Parties trying to rally needs and the resources to deliver that plan. The opinion and support for a debate about delegation of budgets, the provision of common cause, often training for Teachers of the Deaf, pay and conditions trying to bring together for teachers as well as Heads of Service are all disparate views on the current issues. same topic. Methodologies and BATOD is working hard to ensure that our voice is ideologies vying with heard and that we talk to the people who make the each other to establish their point of view. People decisions. Please let us know your views. You can with vested interests, clashing with people driven by contact us through your regional officers, (details at altruism. Maybe there is some sort of parallel here the back of the Magazine), through your Head of for the world of deaf education. The great and the Service or directly to [email protected] good in this specialist area are shortly due to meet You will see from Alison's notes of 'What went on at at the Heads of Schools and Services conference at NEC' that we continue to discuss a wide range of Gatwick. The two days will serve for mutual issues. support, exchanges of ideas, dealing with hot issues and exploring the future to achieve some sort of We are grateful to Trevor Harrison for his advice consensus on the way forward. There will about the direction our funding might take and we undoubtedly be fringe meetings, there are certainly look forward to working with him to re-shape our militant groups waiting in the wings and whets who financial affairs. One opportunity that is under will want to maintain a status quo. Afterwards the discussion is the reorganisation of the BSA. BATOD majority of delegates will go back to the country to has been involved in discussions to bring together go on with the task of supporting deaf children in the various professional bodies that currently the education system. Their task will be influenced represent those people working in the field of not only by the needs of the client group, the audiology. There may be benefits for us to be in children and their parents but by politicians at both some way part of a restructured British Audiological national and local level, appointed officers et al who Society (BAS). Further meetings are planned. make decisions. These decisions affect the way Many of the issues that concern Teachers of the funding is distributed and staffing is provided and Deaf are also pertinent for Teachers of Visually will be based on their knowledge and understanding Impaired Children and we are to explore how we of actual and perceived need. These perceptions can work more closely together. An example of this can be influenced. was the recent meeting at the Audit Commission BATOD represents the views of a large number of where we met together to make our case for the practitioners working day by day to deliver a quality support and teaching of children with a sensory service. We liaise and consult with a wide range of impairment. groups to influence change. BATOD works almost entirely because an army of It seems to me that since we are dealing with dedicated and committed people give freely of their comparatively small numbers of children within the time and skills. National and regional committees whole education service and yet require a relatively working to plan and deliver conferences and large slice of the financial cake we have to make a workshops, special interest groups and individuals strong case. The Government has conceded that attending meetings and producing materials etc. the provision of additionally qualified teachers is The list is almost endless and I thank them all on required to teach both deaf and visually impaired your behalf. There is, of course some benefit. children and that this qualification should be Working for BATOD is an ideal way of 'keeping in mandatory. We believe that we are now well on the know' and therefore being able to use up to date course to have the argument accepted that there information to inform your current situation. Why should be a system in place to oversee the delivery not go along to a regional meeting? Help from of services. I firmly believe that delegating the volunteers is always appreciated. Joining NEC, money to schools is not in the best long term either as a regional representative or in an elected interest of our population of children who are not post, is a steep learning curve - but can be fun as evenly distributed and require a flexible approach to well as informative. We would appreciate sharing address their changing need. We need a well your knowledge and skills. funded continuum of provision from special schools, (including out-of-county and independent David ©BATOD Magazine December 02 1 What went on at NEC on 21 September 2002 report by Alison Weaver In a departure from normal proceedings, September the organisers of the current Heads of Schools and NEC began by welcoming Trevor Harrison to the Services conference to consider how future meeting. Trevor, a chartered accountant conferences can meet the diverse needs of the with a wealth of experience including working at ICI participants. and with a number of charities has been invited to advise BATOD about financial planning. Much of A request has been made to the Mary Grace Wilkins the morning session was dedicated to discussion Travelling Scholarship to provide funding for the about the formulation of a business plan before development, piloting and publication of materials to continuing with usual committee business. support deaf children in drama (see page 27). NEC agreed that this was an appropriate use of the For some time BATOD has been discussing the scholarship funds. development of a formal business plan, in order to help the association run more efficiently and put it Planning continues for the FEAPDA Conference, on more of a business footing, rather than which will take place in Cardiff, in Autumn 2003. depending on so much voluntary support. Also, if The main theme of the conference will be behaviour BATOD is to look for funding from other - an area that is a high priority across Europe. organisations, the association must be able to Once a year, the steering group meets with Colin communicate clear aims and objectives. Whurr, the publisher of Deafness and Education Trevor will work with the Steering Group to put International, to review the current arrangements. together a business plan and advise NEC on steps Once again the meeting discussed the possibility of that the association needs to take to keep up with publishing four rather than the current three issues the increasing workload. per year. The number of good quality submissions that the journal has received suggests that this After a preliminary introduction to the process of would be feasible. In addition, to be included in business planning and consideration of the internet citation indices the Journal should have four framework for the plan, NEC members worked in issues per year. However, BATOD will have to look committees to discuss: the current work of carefully at the financial implications before agreeing committees; what progress we would like to see in such a change. the next three years; what would move BATOD forward as an association. The next BATOD Survey will not be issued to Scotland, as there is now a survey under the aegis Feedback from the committee meetings will be used of the Scottish Executive, which duplicates much of as the basis of the plan that Trevor and the Steering the information concerning deaf pupils. The Scottish Group will develop. Survey in future will also take into consideration teacher information, in line with that collated by the In his President’s report, David Hartley summarised BATOD survey. The sharing of information between the outcomes of the Heads of Service conference BATOD and the Scottish Survey will continue. that took place in Birmingham at the end of June. Evaluations from the conference indicated that there Wales has recently announced a survey of services is a clear need for Heads of Service to be able to for 0-2 year olds and concurrently of deaf 2-19 year link together to address issues, such as the olds. It may be possible to combine the Welsh delegation of funding, which specifically affect survey and the BATOD survey in Wales so that the services. information required is obtained with no duplication of effort. BATOD will contact those conducting the As a result of the conference, an e-mail forum has survey in Wales to discuss this. been established for Heads of Services for the deaf and for the visually impaired. This has already The BATOD Survey in England and Northern Ireland become established as a valuable forum for will go ahead as planned in the new year. information exchange. Furthermore, BATOD has direct input into this forum so that information can BATOD is currently meeting with a range of bodies be shared directly and speedily between BATOD and organisations including the Audit Commission to and services. talk about issues relating to delegation and NDCS. BATOD has also been asked to take part in A second conference will be arranged in 2003. an education debate at UKCoD at which Malcolm David Hartley and Paul Simpson will also meet with Garner will represent the Association. All Heads of

2 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Schools for the deaf have been invited to this the relevant executives not to bid into the CAP special event. The subject of the meeting is ‘raising project. Funding could be available across the UK if standards’. Later in the year BATOD will be meeting the demand was made to the governing bodies in at Becta with other e-mail forum ‘owners’. these countries.

A document from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office In an attempt to encourage successful bids for ICT discussed funding of LEAs and seemed to items for deaf youngsters the DCCAP team has recognise the need for LEAs to fund out of LEA published an article providing helpful hints for placements. This may lead the government to making a successful application to the project. This consider other ways of supporting LEAs in this. We appeared in the Sept/Oct Magazine on the pages will watch this with interest. reserved for DCCAP information. Team members are also willing to speak to schools and services In August David Hartley and Sue Archbold about the project and technology involved. represented BATOD at a meeting of the BSA. The BSA is looking to reform itself into an over-arching The next meeting of NEC will take place in London body for all those working in the field of audiology. on Saturday 7 December. The aim would be to provide a common forum for those working in this field to respond to challenges and lobby government. When more information is Not a BATOD member? available about the proposals, BATOD will consider Membership fees help to provide this Magazine affiliation to the organisation. and support the work carried out on your behalf as a ToD. Concern was expressed that the funding for the If you value this provision then join BATOD and Deaf Children’s Communication Aids Project (DCCAP), ensure the work continues. available in England, is not available in Scotland, Don't delay - join BATOD today Northern Ireland and Wales. It was the choice of

BATOD was there representing you... Between the NEC meetings, members of BATOD attend various meetings that are of particular interest to Teachers of the Deaf. This list is not exhaustive as some reports have not yet been received or meetings reported on. Your representatives at the meetings listed include: Peter Annear, Sue Archbold, Mary Fortune, Malcolm Garner, David Hartley, Bev McCracken, Ted Moore, Peter Preston, Amanda Robbie, Paul Simpson, Sheila Smith, Carole Torrance, Ann Underwood. date venue external participants purpose of meeting 05 September Reading Deaf@x DCCAP management meeting 06 September Reading Becta, Chris Stevens DCCAP 12 September London UKCoD Trustees Trustees 26 September London UKCoD council Afternoon session on education 27 September London Audit Commission Discussion of recent report on statements 27 September London NDCS Discussion about delegation 08 October High Wycombe Trevor Harrison BATOD development 12 October Stone, Staffs Delta Annual conference 18/19 October Islington Breaking the Sound Barrier RNID annual exhibition 25/26 October Luxembourg Council members of FEAPDA Council meeting 31 October NDCS, London NDCS, RNID, Deaf@x Steering Group DCCAP 07 November London ERC, Ann Gross Data Collection 07 November London NDCS/RNID Termly contact meeting 11 November Coventry Becta DCCAP 12 November London UKCoD Trustees Trustees meeting 21 November Gatwick Heads of Schools and Services Annual Conference 22 November Coventry Becta (email) List Holders 05 December London DfES Training issues Please inform the Secretary, Paul Simpson, if you know of any meetings where you feel representation on behalf of Teachers of the Deaf would be of benefit. Although there is no guarantee that BATOD would be able to attend every meeting, situations could be monitored and the interests of ToDs represented.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 3 The information society: not just opportunities but also a threat? Guido Gybels, Head of ICT, RNID Over the last decades our Western civilisation has excluding millions of people for whom these become a truly Information-based society. Access services are not accessible. Whilst most people are to information and communication and to the able to go to the cinema or the theatre, millions of channels and devices that deliver these, have them have no access to these experiences because become a necessity for any individual who wants to they don't match their abilities and preferences. fully participate in this Information Society. We have These are just some examples. Although seen a proliferation of devices, services and technology has the potential to overcome many of applications and modern technology has completely the difficulties that these individuals face, designers, transformed the way we live, work and entertain architects and manufacturers need to be aware of ourselves. All of this is now so embedded in our the specific needs and requirements of this group if culture that most of us could not possibly imagine a the services and products they will deliver are going world without it anymore. to be really inclusive.

However, at the same time that the world was The ICT group at RNID, the largest charity transformed into this global village, where the world representing over 8.7 million wide web, e-mail, instant deaf and hard of hearing messaging, mobile people in the UK, aims at telephony, digital pursuing the benefits television and all kinds of technology can bring for this electronic entertainment user group and raising shape our daily lives, an awareness within the important group of citizens technological was left disadvantaged by community about the some of these developments. issues described above. Although the prime mission of RNID is to Indeed, many people with achieve a radically better life for deaf and hard of disabilities find themselves hearing people, the principles used by the ICT team unable to take advantage of the benefits of new are generic and of benefit to all people, whatever technologies. For instance, people with a visual their preferences and abilities. impairment might be unable to use screen readers on certain web sites because they are inaccessible The ICT group has been built as a centre of to screen reading software. Many deaf people are excellence that will play an active rôle in all relevant unable to enjoy the same freedom of groups: technology communities, including communication as hearing people. Millions of standards bodies (including IETF-Internet people cannot use a phone booth. Millions of Engineering Task Force) and interest groups like people cannot communicate interactively while on 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) but the move. Millions of people have difficulties also legislative bodies, regulators, user groups, etc. accessing the Internet because of accessibility Most importantly, the group seeks to engage in issues. strategic partnerships with all kinds of organisations. The ultimate goal is a world where all individuals are So, effectively, large portions of the population in able to fully participate in every domain of life, be it Europe are unable to take advantage of modern work, entertainment, social activities, etc, regardless technology, often raising new barriers to opportunity of their abilities and preferences. The group and fulfilment. Most contemporary jobs require therefore engages in a variety of activities: research, people to be able to use one or more of our modern development, information and motivation, whatever communication and information facilities, thereby

4 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 is required to level the playing field so that all The ICT Group has many more projects and citizens have equal opportunities. strategies, including fundamental research within, for example, the Internet Engineering Task Force. An example of one of our key activities is given These activities are absolutely vital because, unless below, illustrating the varied ways by which the ICT the requirements of all people, regardless of their group aims to achieve its objectives. A very high- abilities and preferences, are taken into account profile project that recently came to fruition is the from the very first stages of design and RNID textphone software for the Nokia 9210 implementation of products and services, there is a Communicator. Deaf and hard of hearing people danger that we will end up with technology that is who can not use voice as a medium for unusable by a large number of citizens. Precisely communication have been used to textphones for because their requirements were often overlooked in some time. These devices have a screen and a existing technology, much of it has proven keyboard instead of a microphone and a inaccessible to specific user groups, thereby loudspeaker and can use a normal phone line to talk creating an unfair disadvantage for these individuals. to another textphone. Every character that is typed appears immediately on the screen at the other end. Mankind has come a long way since the first And by using RNID TypeTalk, the UK's relay service, humans started walking around on our Blue Planet. funded by BT, textphone users can not just talk to Let's make sure that the future of our race is other textphone users but to hearing people using a coloured by our concern to provide every single phone as well. individual with the same opportunities in employment, daily life and personal fulfilment. I can However, until recently, there was no real textphone only hope that the ICT Group can play a rôle in solution available on the mobile network, and the achieving that goal. Technology offers us the tool to few mobile work-arounds that did exist were only do just that - it is now up to us to realise this dream - very partial and often awkward alternatives. In other to prove that we really are a civilised world. words: while the rest of Society had accepted For more information about RNID and the ICT mobile communications as an essential commodity - Group, you can visit the following sites: indeed an indispensable tool for most of us, deaf http://www.ictrnid.org.uk and hard of hearing people where unable to http://www.rnid.org.uk communicate whilst on the move. Although SMS has proven to be very popular amongst deaf people, it is no alternative to interactive communications: SMS messages are very limited in size, are not interactive and above all, they don't allow people with a textphone on the landline network.

At RNID the ICT Group has identified this problem and subsequently developed a solution in the form of the RNID Textphone software for the Nokia 9210 Communicator. This software turns the 9210 into a mobile textphone, providing a similar experience as its landline counterparts and finally allowing deaf people to communicate interactively whilst on the move. To bring this project to a successful conclusion, we had to perform research and development but we also had to work closely together with key players in the world of Introducing telecommunications, like Nokia and T-Mobile. textphones during a Partnership has proven to be, as always, one of the training session with Deaf@x. pillars of success.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 5 Deaf@x research Ken Carter Director of ICT Research & Development Unit, Deaf@x

The Deaf@x Trust, in partnership with the University computers as a teaching resource, multimedia of Reading, is engaged in Research programmes authoring, video conferencing and speech focused on ICT (Information & Communications recognition. There was no research on the Technology) and Deafness. relationship between ICT and standards in deaf education. There are 3 phases to our major programme which is considers ‘ICT, Achievement and the Education of A national survey of 191 Institutions and Deaf Children’ and is funded by the DfES. This representing ICT environments of 3,000 deaf pupils research is highly relevant as there is mounting revealed interesting information about the staff, pressure from the Government to increase ICT communication, ICT background, ICT facilities, use provision in schools. of packages and achievements. Whilst there seems The overall aims of the research are: to be a range of ICT equipment available, there are to assess the effectiveness of existing practice, in problems using it; the majority of deaf pupils do not relation to the use of ICT in the education of use ICT equipment at home; the amount of use deaf children focusing, in particular, on literacy made of ICT resources by teachers and pupils and social inclusion; would suggest that it plays a minor rôle at this point to establish how to implement the best use of in time. The levels of ICT skills and knowledge are ICT in the education of deaf children; difficult to gauge from the survey returns however, to monitor and evaluate Teachers of the Deaf, advice support and specific training appeared to be deaf practitioners and parents in their application required by the majority. of ICT as an educational tool; There was a realisation on the part of all the to produce a representative range of ICT teachers that ICT was going to play a greater rôle in teaching resources for use in the education of the future education of deaf children. More training deaf children for teachers, other practitioners and is required to improve teacher skills and knowledge. parents; to promote ICT in schools with deaf children. The environments in which ICT was used was generally good. There were clear conflicts occurring Phase 1 - Targets & Objectives of the Research: in providing a regime which met the needs of both to survey research publications on ICT and the the pupils and the teachers. The De@fchild UK ICT education of deaf children. Teacher Training (NOF/TTA) programme is fulfilling a to undertake national surveys (Schools for the need to provide specialist training for Teachers of Deaf and Hearing Support Units) to assess the the Deaf in ICT skills. ICT has, through this perceived effectiveness of current ICT provisions programme, been identified as a significant influence and future need. in the future development of deaf education. to carry out case studies of a small number of schools with deaf children, in order to identify Phase 2 - Targets and Objectives of the Research: examples of suitable physical, social and to disseminate the findings of Phase 1 of the technical environments for the teaching of ICT to DfES/Special Educational Needs Small Grants deaf children. (2000-2001) to introduce Phase 2 of the Research Project by Between 1988-2001 Deaf@x Trust’s ICT projects carrying out: have been responsible for ensuring that many deaf a National Survey on the Peripatetic Services: children, their parents and teachers have been interviews with a group of deaf children about introduced to ICT for educational and social their use of ICT and its effectiveness as a purposes. Deaf@x has acted as a catalyst for social and educational tool: change by using ICT to improve literacy and interviews with ICT Deaf Mentors: communication skills. Innovative work has made a interviews with parents of deaf children: significant difference to the quality of life of many evaluate the findings of Phase 2 of the deaf children. Research Project in relation to those The De@fchild UK Millennium Conference - established in Phase 1 and other research on Improving literacy skills of deaf children through ICT ICT and children. - concluded that teachers, parents, deaf adults and Some brief comparisons between the findings of others need to embrace ICT as an educational tool Phases 1 and 2 to ensure that an interactive environment is created In Phase 1 the national survey revealed that there at both home and at school. The ICT literature was a wide range of ICT equipment available. In review revealed some significant studies in the areas Phase 2, the National Survey of 43 respondents of word processing, electronic communication, from peripatetic services recorded 10 different types

6 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 of equipment as being available but there was a availability is likely to increase significantly. slightly lower use of every other category apart from Although there is much to be gained from ICT, it is interactive white boards. not a solution to all problems. There is a need for more research and development to turn potential In relation to software used by pupils at home, this into reality and also to ensure that new problems do seemed similar in the respective National Surveys; not replace old ones. Anecdotal evidence suggests however, equipment used by pupils at home varied a that many teachers do not have a good little with fewer using computers. As with Phase 1 understanding or awareness of technical solutions. survey, most respondents in the Phase 2 Survey This is the key limitation to realising current encountered difficulties when trying to use the ICT possibilities. This is perhaps not surprising with facilities. Technical difficulties, lack of software and many Teachers of the Deaf still developing their own insufficient training headed the list. ICT skills. An overview of Phase 2 For deaf children to make effective use of The use of ICT at school and at home is still communication technologies requires at least good relatively new with research and other evidence only written communication skills. The power of the partially available. Internet as a source of information is indisputable We do know that for deaf children to use ICT but pupils need to become skilled at locating, requires both physical access to technology and the selecting and assessing information to maximise its skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them usefulness. There are no widespread quality to be effective users of it. Access to the Internet is standards for web sites and other on-line increasing with about 32% of households in England information, so the individual must be able to judge using an Internet link. Households with Internet what they are reading and viewing to avoid being connections varied according to geographical misled. Searching for and judging information locations (eg 25% in London but only 11% in represent advanced skills, which require time to Northern Ireland), income (eg 48% of highest develop. Nevertheless, these skills are transferable earners but only 6% of lowest) and family to other aspects of life so they are, in themselves, structures. Fundamentally, if you are socially useful to learn. disadvantaged, then you are less likely to have Phase 3 - ICT, Achievement and the Education of access or to have the opportunity to become a Deaf Children competent user of ICT at home. The project aim is to develop materials for training It is crucial for teaching involving the use of ICT to deaf children and parents on the use of be combined with encouragement and support, so communication aids technologies. that it augments learning and is not a barrier. The three priorities of this Project will be: Specific teaching of ICT tends to concentrate on to help children and parents of deaf children to particular applications rather than developing and use communication aids technologies such as underpinning transferable skills and knowledge. those available through the DfES/Becta A key factor is the high rate of change with constant Communication Aids Project (CAP): emergence of new products and upgrading old to develop a strategic approach to inclusion and versions. It has been estimated that 60% of meeting the needs of deaf children through software is less than two years old and that the shelf working in close collaboration with Becta, LEAs, life of technical skills is only two years (consultancy Schools, NDCS, RNID, BATOD and the Deaf reports from OECD, 1996; GHK Economics & Children's Communication Aids Project (DCCAP): Management, 1998). to promote a ‘one sector’ approach through working with children who are at mainstream It is widely accepted that one of the few schools/Hearing Support Units and their parents characteristics of ICT that is predictable is its as well as those at deaf schools. unpredictability! The rate of change and the unpredictable nature of ICT means that to remain a Five or six modules will be delivered following on competent ICT user requires continuous effort to from the professional assessment and identification maintain skills and knowledge. The scale and of assistive technologies. The programme will balance of the use of technology in learning is cover: skewed with straightforward use of computer how the children convey information by words, application probably the most significant, although signs, or writing with their peers, teachers and the use of communication technology (eg e-mail) to parents: assist pupils and staff and the development of how to improve access to the curriculum and school web sites has increased considerably. incorporate understanding language, communicating verbally and through signs, The use of interactive learning material is still developing reading and recording skills. relatively limited, perhaps due to the availability of suitable products for deaf children. There is Research report from Room BG04 c/o Deaf@x Trust, Bulmershe Court, University of Reading, Reading Berkshire, RG6 1HY [email protected] considerable interest in the development of [email protected] 0870 770 0317, Text: 0870 770 0319 interactive learning materials and therefore their Fax:0870 770 0318 e-mail: ken@[email protected] videophone/ISDN: 01189 353 574

©BATOD Magazine December 02 7 Deaf@x projects Helen Lansdown Programmes Director, De@fchild UK

Deaf@x uses Information and Communications increased independence, confidence, Technology (ICT) to: communication and social contact. provide support for the acquisition of literacy, The programme is currently under review whilst numeracy and communication skills by deaf further funding is being sought. children and adults; promote inclusion, deaf/hearing partnerships, The aim of the De@fYouth Residential Camps is networking and positive rôle models; to use ICT to develop a young deaf person's self- facilitate lifelong distance learning through esteem and personal capacity to integrate with technology; others. conduct research on issues concerned with This is achieved through recruiting, training and then deafness and ICT; using Peer Mentors to support experienced trainers - improve the quality of life for children and adults on a week-long residential camp for Deaf Youth affected by deafness. students, aged 13 to 18 - training in 'Skills for Life'. An exciting range of projects Who will benefit? Through the De@fAdults Training Programme The participants (aged 13-18 years), all of whom will over 400 deaf unemployed people have trained in be deaf, will be helped to understand more fully how ICT and job seeking skills. The programme has their own social and personal development can be been expanded to include all deaf adults from the enhanced through the concepts underlying effective age of 15 to 85! Since October 2000, a further 350 communication (both face-to-face and through ICT). have been trained. The training activities are specifically designed to be interactive and fun and will be led by deaf ‘Peer The 'Assessing ICT & Lifelong Learning' Mentors’ who have themselves received training programme is funded by the DfES/NOF ICT under this programme. Learning Centres initiative. Training includes: Skills for Life (numeracy/literacy), CV writing, job De@fchild International is a catalyst for the searches, Internet and e-mail and mobile phones. creation of personal and educational opportunities for deaf and hearing children to communicate with De@fchild UK - Training in ICT for deaf children each other around the world, face-to-face and by and their teachers in UK Schools and Hearing using ICT. Support Units. The De@fchild International web site is a safe, New Opportunities Fund (NOF)/Teacher Training highly educative and fun forum in which deaf Agency (TTA) initiative. children, their teachers, parents and others We have trained almost 600 teachers throughout interested in deaf education can discuss ideas, England as part of this project, supporting teachers learn from deaf rôle models, share the benefits of in developing their understanding and knowledge of good practice and make contact. ICT as an educational tool and its effective implementation to enhance both teaching and Why not register as a partner for FREE!! You would learning. The training offered is unique in that it be joining others from over 60 different countries. consists of three face-to-face days, practical training Currently, registrations include 886 children, 650 for clients plus ongoing support in developing adults, 257 Teachers of the Deaf and 254 schools. individual competencies. Deaf@x is working in partnership with BATOD to Telecommunications and Literacy Programme manage the Deaf Children's Communication Aids This project has been developed in sixteen Project (DCCAP). This project seeks to solve De@fchild franchised centres throughout the UK communication challenges for deaf children using and has involved over 6,000 deaf children over ICT to enhance the audiological and educational eleven years. provision already in place. It forms part of the wider The programme has made some positive differences Communication Aids Project, funded by the DfES to those involved: and managed by Becta, which aims to enable improved English literacy levels through the use school-age children to access the curriculum and of telecommunications; interact with others and smooth their transition from raised awareness of ICT and motivation to phase to phase. communicate; heightened expectations by children through positive deaf and hearing rôle models; improved computer literacy skills;

8 ©BATOD Magazine December 02

Soundfield systems Jeremy Hine, NDCS Technician, with thanks to contributors, Peter Preston, Judith Laughton and Margery Forsyth

The introduction of soundfield systems into school younger children who have not yet developed their classrooms is on the increase and is beginning to language skills to enable them to fill in gaps in generate much interest. Many school classrooms speech (auditory closure). have poor acoustic conditions caused by high ceilings and large areas of hard surfaces: this leads to We approached several schools using soundfield high reverberation times (echo) and has a negative systems to tell us about their experiences. The impact on speech perception. Another problem is the following observations are typical. distance between the teacher and the children: pupils Teachers: sitting near to the teacher may be able to hear them at 'The system definitely made a difference for the a comfortable level above the background noise but whole class, including a pupil with hearing as the distance between the pupil and the teacher impairment.' increases the level of the teacher’s voice will 'The system has reduced the general level of noise decrease, sometimes to the extent that the in the classroom and improved pupil background noise level is louder than the teacher’s attentiveness.' voice. To overcome this the teacher will usually raise 'The children are more responsive to teacher his/her voice but this only distorts speech and lip direction without the need for a raised voice.' patterns (for those who rely on lip reading) and 'It is particularly useful during 'carpet time' and causes vocal strain for the teacher. whole class teaching sessions when the deaf child benefits most.' The problem can be partially addressed by treating 'It has raised awareness in the class and in the the room acoustically, such as adding carpets, soft whole school about the particular needs of deaf coverings on the walls and cushioning the feet of children and the difficulties they face.' tables and chairs. However, that still leaves the 'It seemed to offer the deaf child more choice in problem of the distance between the teacher and the terms of seating position.' pupils. Many deaf children use personal FM systems 'It makes a big difference in assemblies, everyone (radio aids). A soundfield system works in a similar can hear.' way but can benefit the whole class. Children: What is a soundfield system? 'We like using the system, it makes it easier to A soundfield system is basically a low powered public listen.' address (PA) system. The speaker's voice, usually 'Everyone listens and we are much quieter when the teacher's, is relayed to the soundfield receiver via the teacher is talking.' a wireless microphone/transmitter. The signal is then 'We ask the teacher to use the microphone if she amplified and fed to at least one loudspeaker forgets.' strategically placed within the classroom. This 'I like to use it when I have to read out loud in the enables all children to hear the teacher at a constant classroom, it's easier if everyone can hear me.' level wherever they are sitting. The number and 'It doesn't matter where you sit, you can still hear.' position of loudspeakers depends on the size, shape and acoustics of the room. The soundfield system is There have been a few reported problems but most of not a replacement for a personal FM system despite these have been as a result of inexperienced use of addressing similar issues (noise, distance and the system, for example, the incorrect use of the reverberation) - a personal FM system can achieve the microphones or forgetting to charge the batteries. higher signal to noise ratio (S/N) that deaf children Almost all users tell of much less strain on their need. voices and improved responses and participation from all the children. In one school the head teacher Who benefits from a soundfield system? covered a lesson for the teacher trialling the system Basically everyone but especially children in the and was so impressed that she immediately placed an following categories: order for seven classroom systems and a hall system. children with a temporary hearing loss (such as Parents of deaf and hearing children have reported glue ear) very positive feedback. Children already using radio children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity aids are able to link into the soundfield system and Disorder (ADHD) the reduction of general background noise within the children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder classroom considerably enhances the listening (CAPD) experience. children who have English as a second language

10 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Many schools have applied for funding for soundfield systems through the Schools Access Initiative. The NDCS Blue Peter service majority of schools who had a system for appraisal The start of school after the summer break is always a have gone on to install one or more systems busy time of year for the NDCS Blue Peter service and permanently. (Schools can contact Sarah Potter at this year has been no exception. Many children will the DfES for more details on: 020 7925 6148.) be using radio aids for the first time at school and using the Blue Peter service is an ideal way to try the For further information about soundfield systems systems. On average we loan 100 radio aids a year please contact the following suppliers: AVT Communication Systems Ltd, FREEPOST 1980, Rugeley throughout the UK. Using the evidence gained of the WS15 1BR benefit to the child, the majority of these loans lead to 01889 583158; Fax: 01889 583158 the long-term provision of a radio aid by the Local e-mail: [email protected]. Education Authorities.

BioAcoustics Ltd, 26 Guildford Street, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 2NR Over the summer we have introduced some new items 01582 431000; Text: 01582 481411; to the loan service. The new items are: Fax: 01582 488227 e-mail: [email protected] www.bioacoustics.com. Phonak Campus S radio aid transmitter additional Phonic Ear portable soundfield systems Connevans Ltd 54 Albert Road North, Reigate RH2 9YR Crescendo personal listener 01737 247571; Text: 01737 243134; Bellman Visit personal pager system Fax: 01737 223475; Simple Signs CD-ROM e-mail: [email protected] www.connevans.com Geemarc CL100 amplified telephone with inductive coupler PC Werth Ltd, Audiology House, 45 Nightingale Lane, London SW12 8SP 020 8772 2778; Fax: 020 8772 2701; If you would like more details about these items or e-mail: [email protected] www.pcwerth.co.uk other items available for loan, please contact Jeremy Hine via the Freephone helpline on: Synergy Learning Ltd, Saltham Barn, Saltham Lane, Chichester PO20 6PU 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) 01243 779967; Fax: 01243 532471; You can also view items available for loan on our web e-mail: [email protected] site: www.ndcs.org.uk/bluepeter www.synergy-group.co.uk

New Soundfield in a Box from Connevans...... coming soon to a classroom near you!

Interested? Email [email protected]

CONNEVANS LIMITED 54 Albert Road North, Reigate, Surrey RH2 9YR Customer Services: Tel: 01 737 247571 Text: 01 737 243134 Fax: 01 737 223475 www.connevans.com

The creation of a web site for teenagers www.ci-4teenz.com Booth,C.L.i, England,R.ii, Horler,W.iii, Sedgwick,P.iv and Evans,S.J.B.i

There are increasing numbers of teenagers who need information about cochlear implants, and about their peers who wear them but most materials have been prepared either for adults or for small children. Teenagers therefore face a dearth of appropriate materials. They may also be geographically isolated, with little opportunity to meet other implant users their age. The ci-4teenz web site was designed to tackle some of these issues. A key element of the web site has been contributions from teenagers themselves, with cochlear implant users from Nottingham, Oxford, UCL and St Thomas’ Cochlear Implant Programmes being involved from the initial stages of discussing ideas and content, through to the later stages of assessing and amending materials. The web site has sections on how a cochlear implant works, what an implant offers and the route to have an implant. Interview style pages focus on different teenagers and reveal a range of benefit. The web site is designed to resemble a teenage magazine, is brightly coloured and interactive, and has a strong emphasis on visual explanation. The text was written to be accessible to the majority of deaf teenagers. Objectives The initial goal was to prepare materials for teenagers and older children considering having a cochlear implant. As teenagers are interested in what other teenagers have to say, focus groups of teenagers who already have cochlear implants were established. It was quickly apparent that even long-term cochlear implant users wanted teenage-friendly information both about their implants and how they work and about the experiences of other teenagers with implants. A web site seemed the most flexible and appropriate means of meeting these needs.

The teenagers The focus groups were intended to reflect the wider teenage cochlear implant community, and involved cochlear implant users aged from 11 to 20, including those who received their cochlear implants as infants/young children hearing aid users who had switched over to cochlear implants those progressively and post-linguistically deafened those implanted late when additional visual problems became apparent. Whilst the teenagers clearly enjoyed meeting and sharing information, recognising common experiences, they were not a homogenous group, having different educational and social backgrounds and a range of communication ability. (Educational placements included schools for the deaf, units and mainstream schools or colleges. Some teenagers rely on sign, some on speech and some on both. Some can follow speech through listening alone.) Similarly, reading skills vary from well below chronological age to significantly advanced. The range of benefit from the implant was marked but all appeared glad to have an implant. It was noticeable that those who feel most passionately about their implant are not necessarily those who would do ‘best’ on standard tests.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 13 Who wears a cochlear implant? The section on ‘who wears a cochlear implant’ is intended to introduce teenagers with cochlear implants, show the range of background and experience and also, indirectly, the range of potential benefit. A magazine style, interview format is used. Video material of teens talking about their experiences, which is too time-consuming to download from the web, will be available on a free CD. The challenge The main challenge was to present information in a manner that would be accessible and fun, recognising the needs of those who find the written word a barrier as well as those who enjoy reading. The web site was therefore designed to present key information visually, using intelligent graphics and animation, with text available to those who want it. Alongside material on what cochlear implants are, how they work and what they look like, there is material on the process of having a cochlear implant, from assessment through operation and programming to everyday life with one. Tips on topics such as sport, travel and background noise are presented as Fact Files. Early drafts of the web site were proof-read by clinicians and vetted by teenagers. Comments were fed back and adjustments made. The latest version went live in September 2002, like all web sites, this is a ‘work in progress’. Feedback from teenagers, their families and clinicians would be appreciated. The project would not have been possible without the enthusiastic participation of the teenagers, their families and cochlear implant clinicians. Our thanks to them and also to colleagues at Nottingham and Advanced Bionics for painstaking proof-reading. Team members from: i Advanced Bionics UK Ltd, Grain House, Mill Court, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB2 5LD, UK +44 (0)1223 847888; Fax +44 (0)1223 847898; e-mail [email protected] ii Nottingham Paediatric Cochlear Implant Programme, University Hospital NHS Trust, Ropewalk House, 113 the Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 6HA iii St Thomas’ Hospital Cochlear Implant Programme, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EH iv Evans Sedgwick Partnership Ltd, 8 Freemantle Business Centre, Millbrook Rd East, Southampton SO15 1JR

Birmingham City Council

SHENLEY COURT SPECIALIST ARTS COLLEGE AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE Shenley Lane, Birmingham, B29 4HE Tel 0121 464 5191 Fax 0121 464 3711 Mixed 11-18 Comprehensive, 1700 on roll. (200 in Sixth Form) ‘The big school with the individual touch’

HEAD OF HEARING-IMPAIRED RESOURCE BASE (MPS+4)

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Teacher of the Deaf to lead a large committed team of specialist staff in effectively including children with hearing impairment into the full life of the school. The successful candidate will be encouraged and given the opportunity to contribute to the further development of the school as an inclusive learning environment.

Closing date for receipt of applications: Wednesday 8th January 2003. Details and an application form available from Carole Gumbley, Headteacher at the school. Informal enquiries and visits from intending applicants are welcomed.

14 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 NOF ICT training – experiences of a non-maintained special school Peter Orford ICT Co-ordinator Doncaster School for the Deaf

After its ‘whirlwind’ introduction for non- maintained special schools back in Autumn of 2000 there was been much heart-searching that accompanied the government’s New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training. From the start, and with many training providers touting for business, it was clear that engaging with the The materials provided by SEMERC were wide- most appropriate one would not be a ranging in both type and application. Besides a straightforward affair. However, an opportunity printed ‘Guide Book’, an interactive Skill CD to obtain free ICT training was most welcome enabled skills to be targeted in a highly focused and, it would seem, school after school went way. Another CD provided a large range of ICT down the ‘NOF’ road with high expectations. application case studies as examples of good practice as well as giving ideas for tasks related At Doncaster School for the Deaf we chose to to ‘real’ classroom contexts. A collection of CD- undertake training through Granada Learning based software for mentees to trial during the using SEMERC’s Special Needs Learning training period enabled some highly useful Network (SNLN). The mode of delivery was, packages to be explored. Although ‘timed-out’ essentially, distance learning with on-line at the end of the training period, software could mentor support. be adopted for permanent use with some The strength of SNLN and one which our staff discount being offered. appreciated, was the ability to tailor the training At the start of training, staff at Doncaster School to the needs of the individual teacher. Rather for the Deaf ranged from the technophobe to the than plough through dissociated tasks to technophile but all expressed their gratitude at acquire skills, all teachers undertook activities having been able to take part in the NOF ICT related to their classroom situation. The mentor training. Certainly the confidence levels of all monitored the work, advised and logged increased during the training period and the progress against the eighteen main ‘Expected wide application of ICT across the curriculum Outcome’ headings. This meant that everything shows the progress that has been made. From related to the NOF training period was relevant non-computer users who now word-process and usable within real teaching and learning effectively to ICT-aware staff who can now set situations. up a web site, everyone did indeed ‘move on’ The training took into account the ICT level of with all staff being certificated at the end of the competence (and confidence) of the individuals training. concerned. The essential aim was to ‘move on’ Although it appears our positive experience with in ability and awareness without losing the ICT NOF has not always been echoed by colleagues beginner and without boring the experienced. in other schools we feel that the training Everyone who took part (which included all provided by Granada Learning/SEMERC’s teaching staff, the librarian and a number of Special Needs Learning Network was entirely Learning Support Assistants) expressed the appropriate and extremely valuable. value that this approach had.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 15 New technologies increase access to cultural attractions Nancy Proctor, Antenna Audio Caro Howell, Tate Modern As many will recall from Deaf People's Question Time on 13 March 2002, Minister for Arts Baroness Blackstone and Mayor of London Ken Livingstone have called on the operators of London's cultural attractions to meet the needs of the capital's one million deaf and hard of hearing residents. In particular, Mayor Livingstone has tasked London's visitor attractions with deploying new technologies that will increase access for the deaf and hard of hearing people.

The recent pilot Multimedia Tour at Tate Modern, which won a BAFTA for Technical Innovation, prompted Tate curator Caro Howell to open discussions with the tour's developers, Antenna Audio, and RNID concerning how wireless technologies could be deployed to make audio tour equipment accessible for deaf people. Handheld, screen-based devices mean that deaf visitors could have portable BSL interpretation at museums and cultural sites available on demand. Not only will video-based information provide more user-friendly even send one another messages about their access to the works on display but it could also experience. They can personalise their experiences support current attempts to give BSL users greater by specifying what kind of information they want to access to the language of art and design. Wireless receive through the network, and in what format, eg networks can also offer visitors a fully interactive BSL, text, or audio. Using proprietary location- experience, including a choice of large text sensing technology, the network is also able to information on exhibits, as well as audio locate visitors in the museum in order to provide interpretation tailored to the special needs of the wayfinding facilities, location-specific information, hard of hearing. and greater security.

Until recently, it was nearly impossible to provide Thanks to organisations such as Tate Modern, video and audio-based information to visitors in a Antenna Audio, and the RNID pushing the portable format, because affordable handheld development of these new technologies to increase devices were not available with adequate memory access in the cultural sphere, visitor attractions have for such media-rich content. Developments in an ever-widening range of tools at their disposal wireless communications technology now mean that with which to reach their audiences. There has the handheld computers no longer have to store the never been a better time for cultural institutions to tour content at all. Instead, much like a television test these new tools to learn how best to integrate broadcast, the 'content' of the audio-visual tour - the each into a complete visitor services and images, audio, text graphics and video - is relayed to interpretation programme. the visitor's handheld computer 'wirelessly' from a central computer server, via radio signals on a a growing European organisation wireless local area network (WLAN). for Teachers of the Deaf Often called 'WiFi', Wireless LAN, or 802.11 (b), the BATOD’s rôle: network is in effect a series of radio transponders, biggest member of the federation which are installed in the museum's walls and other BATOD Secretary Paul Simpson now Vice discrete or out-of-sight locations. These 'beam' the President tour from the central server to the visitor, and can BATOD to host 2003 Congress - prestige for also relay responses and other interaction from the BATOD and UK visitor back to a central management station, all members of BATOD may attend allowing a high degree of interactivity and feedback both among the visitors and with the museum. Will you be at FEAPDA Congress 2003? Visitors can use the handheld computer's touch 30 October: delegates arrive sensitive screen to select information, respond to 31 Oct - 1 Nov: congress questions and vote on their favourite exhibits, or 02 November: cultural activities

16 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 VCam: a promise for better e-learning tools? Guido Gybels, Head of ICT, RNID

Since the arrival of the Internet, we have been Although VCam was set up to be a meeting place on discovering new and exciting ways to communicate. the web for deaf and hard of hearing people, the Text based communications have clearly proliferated technology used in this project could easily be and in particular a large group of deaf and hard of applied to build e-Mentoring and e-Tutoring sites. hearing people took advantage of this. Since Think of any e-Learning situation where pupil and technologies like chat and Instant Messaging are teacher or mentor are using the Internet to converse. being used by deaf and hard of hearing people as Sure, being able to chat in real-time is great but text well as hearing individuals, they are widely available by itself is often not enough. facilities, while bearing no stigma, as everybody uses them alike. The VCam technology allows them to see each other, already a big improvement because many of However, purely text-based communications have the subtleties of face-to-face conversation get lost in their limitations as well. The World Wide Web a purely text-based dialogue. Also, the whiteboard added pictures and animations to the text. Still, proves a valuable asset in e-Learning situations. there is room for improvement. Apart from the fact Imagine trying to explain to a pupil what rectangle, that many web sites lack accessibility for people with square and circle are. If you can only use words, disabilities (especially if they use accessibility tools), that would prove quite a difficult task. But with the bandwidth in private homes is often still limited, whiteboard, the teacher could just pop up a window configuration for specialised tools can be difficult on the pupil's screen and draw these three and help is not always available. geometric forms while explaining what they are. Nevertheless, it is possible to exploit the tools that That would say more than a thousand words! we have readily available to maximise opportunities Currently, bandwidth limitations mean that, for for communication. One example of such an effort instance, signing over this kind of connection is is the VCam (www.vcam.org.uk) project of the ICT difficult or even impossible. But even then, being Group at RNID (www.ictrnid.org.uk). It uses able to see the other party while having a chat NetMeeting, a standard part of the Windows conversation will make the dialogue richer, more operating system to provide a multi-modal efficient and less prone to misunderstandings. communication platform for deaf and hard of The most exciting part of all this is perhaps the fact hearing people. that we are only starting to realise the full potential It is built around NetMeeting's chat facility, so two or of the Internet for multi-modal communications and more people can engage in a text conversation. e-Learning. Technology is evolving so fast these What makes VCam special is that it adds different days that what looked like far-fetched ideas only a new facets to the dialogue: by using a Web-cam, the couple of years ago, has now become reality. One participants can see each other. They can look at can only dream about the future… facial expressions, gestures, etc. This enhances the Editor’s Note conversation significantly. But that is not all: a Accessibility tools include readers, magnifiers, colour changes. and other options. Go and look at the Access tools on your whiteboard allows them to share pictures, drawings, computer (in accessories in your programme list) and experiment! and sketches. This results in a true multi-modal communication. The communication has been improved by pictures and live images.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 17 Cross-over technology for deaf learners Abi James, Product Manager at Iansyst Ltd

Numerous software packages have been designed such as Microsoft Word. The latest version for and used successfully by dyslexic students to incorporates a new post-it note function for adding overcome their literacy difficulties. However this is notes to a map whilst a large library of templates not the case in the deaf community where little give examples of how maps can be used throughout software development has taken place. Here we are the curriculum. going to look at software and technology used by dyslexic learners which can also be used to support Spelling and teach deaf learners. Many software packages for helping dyslexic students with spelling use a multi-sensory approach Similarities between deaf and dyslexic learners with both sound and pictures but a few programmes There is a cross-over of difficulties in acquiring also work without sound. literacy skills for dyslexic and deaf children. Many children with dyslexia have problems with GAMZ player contains SWAP/FIX card games which processing information given orally and rely on are similar to snap but use word groups. Players visual patterns of words to read and spell. A similar must identify cards with words from the same word technique is taught to those deaf children who must group, an excellent way of improving visual word rely on word recognition instead of phonetic recognition. Also included in the GAMZ player are understanding to spell words. Because of the highly games for improving visual memory, using both visual environment provided by computers, software pictures and words and a word search programme. packages are an ideal method of reinforcing a visual Teachers can also create their own card games and approach to learning to read, spell and write. Here word searches which can either be played on the we’re going to introduce some technology which computer or printed off. could also be used with deaf children.

Mind Mapping Mind Mapping is a method of visually representing information. Traditionally it has been used as a drafting or revising tool but it can also be used for teaching. Inspiration and Kidspiration can be used both in the classroom and at home. These programmes let you build colourful and interesting maps which can be converted into a text outline or writing view. Kidspiration, for children aged 5-11, (reviewed in Magazine Sept/Oct 02) has many built- in curriculum activities as well. Alternatively SWAP/FIX games in GAMZ player teachers can develop their own activities. Soapbox from Xavier enables children to identify the Inspiration, for secondary aged children, provides a correct shape of a word and then spell it out. Words more sophisticated drafting tool with the ability to can also be read out by letter sound or name, which export map or text outlines to other applications is useful for those with useful residual hearing, whilst teachers can add their own word lists.

Wordshark 3 is a popular game for reinforcing reading and spelling. This new version, released last year, contains more than 30 games. These games use either the built-in word lists (covering the National Literacy Scheme and the Alpha to Omega word lists) or your own lists. Many of the games can have signs and pictures accompanying words which make Wordshark suitable for those with hearing difficulties. Map and Outline view in Inspiration 7.

18 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Test punctuation skills in Punctuate Plus information on Franklin spell-checkers and Punctuate Plus, also from Xavier, teaches dictionaries have a look at punctuation through example sentences. It includes www.dyslexic.com/dictionary. practice games and a quiz to improve and test punctuation skills. Typing Tutors Touch typing can be a great skill for deaf children and adults to acquire. With touch typing skills they can take down information whilst teachers, lecturers or colleagues are speaking. There is a huge number of touch typing tutors available. However, many rely on auditory instructions or use the home row approach which, with its nonsense typing passages, does not help those who have difficulties with spelling. The Kaz typing tutor is an easy to use typing tutor which is great for those users who have hearing or spelling difficulties. Instructions can be written on the screen or given orally while it only Hardware A number of small hardware tools can be used in the classroom to help improve reading and spelling. The Quicktionary Reading Pen II is a small, hand- held scanner, shaped like a pen. Although designed to help people with dyslexia it can also be used by those with hearing difficulties to improve pronunciation. Once a printed word has been scanned it reads it aloud through the integral speaker or external earphone. It can also read out uses real word or phrases in typing exercises. each letter of the word or Even with good spelling skills deaf people/students show the syllable breakdown of the will encounter words that they do not know whilst word. A dictionary definition of the scanned word typing. They may then rely on their knowledge of can then be shown and read aloud. The pitch, phonetics to guess the word. In such cases, where volume and speed of the electronic voice can all be words have been spelt as they sound, not as they altered. are spelt, many standard spell-checkers will not be able to suggest the correct word. However, spell- The Franklin electronic dictionaries offer phonetic checkers have been developed to pick up such spell-checking and definitions independent of a errors for dyslexic computer users and can be used computer. As all entries are spell-checked it in a similar way for those with hearing impairment. removes many of the difficulties encountered with Spell Catcher is an integrated spell-checker, dictionaries by those with spelling problems. dictionary and thesaurus, which can identify phonetic errors. It can interact with most Franklin dictionaries range from Literacy Word Bank, applications and can be used to correct mistakes designed specifically for primary-aged children and while typing or once completed. containing the National Literacy scheme vocabulary, to those designed specifically for those with special Further details and prices for all these products are educational needs, such as the LM6000B. This available at www.dyslexic.com includes speech feedback and a pronunciation This article was written by Abi James, Product guide for those with useful residual hearing. Manager at Iansyst Ltd. Iansyst Ltd specialises in However the LM6000B contains a US dictionary and providing software and technology solution for does not recognise UK-specific spelling so may not people with dyslexia and other disabilities. be suitable for use with young children. For

©BATOD Magazine December 02 19 Jen Phillips Education Editor Sherston Software Started in a Wiltshire village attic nearly 20 years with more immediate access than was ago, Sherston Software has grown steadily over previously possible. Software also has a the years and is now established as a leading positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem as the publisher of high-quality educational software. pupils themselves control the pace of learning With strong partnerships with both the Oxford and support they receive. University Press and BBC Worldwide, and development offices around the world, Sherston The Oxford Reading Tree Talking Stories series has become one of the UK’s most significant promotes and encourages pupils’ independent educational publishers. use of the computer and aims to develop early reading skills. Containing fully narrated books So what’s behind Sherston Software’s success? with accompanying Word, Sentence and Text Well, we think our strength mainly lies in the fact level activities, each CD uses the same simple that experienced and qualified teachers design interface, with highlighting text, lively narration all our software. The members of our Education and fun animations used to bring the stories to Department have lots of first-hand experience of life. the difficulties of finding high-quality software that can not only be integrated easily into the Using these Talking Stories allows children to busy curriculum but will also meet the needs of hear good stories, read in natural language. The a wide range of abilities. sentences are read with appropriate intonation to support understanding and each word is As educators, we know what children like but we highlighted to help children make the links also know what teachers want - it is design for between the written and spoken word. In the classroom that is at the heart of everything addition to normal speech sound, the child can we do. choose to go through the text slowly, selecting each word and listening as it is spoken neutrally, And teachers certainly let us know when we get in isolation. Currently there are CDs for Stages it right! Crystal Rain Forest (an exciting 1 to 5 with more on the way! adventure that develops and teaches Logo in conjunction with mathematical problem solving A very different program that has been skills) and Tizzy’s Toybox (a lively set of welcomed by teachers and pupils alike is The activities to help young children grasp basic Model Shop. Designed to introduce many skills) have both sold over 24,000 copies! aspects of computer modelling and encourage junior pupils to test and formulate their ideas, its Sherston products are designed with a wide extremely visual nature makes it ideal for deaf range of needs in mind and many of our pupils. It contains eight interactive models that products are suitable for use with children who develop both ICT capabilities and critical are deaf. The three CDs in our Oxford Literacy thinking skills, whilst encouraging group Web series (Big ABC, Sound Stories and Sound collaboration and quality discussion. Activities), for example, contain rhymes, stories and interactive activities, all designed to develop The Model Shop allows users to make key phonological skills. Like all our software, predictions, put ideas into action, observe the these products are intuitive to use and consequences, and then adapt their ideas in the configurable to meet a variety of needs. light of any observations. What makes it even more appealing is that the models can be used Because of their language delay, literacy is a countless times without creating a mess or prime concern for deaf learners. Software is of causing damage! particular value in developing literacy skills because it is such a visual medium – pictures, At Sherston, we are keen to keep up with the animations and text all provide the deaf children latest developments in education. In recent months, the interactive whiteboard has proved

20 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 itself to be an excellent demonstration tool as pupils can see what is happening without having to listen and interpret instructions. Sherston’s DIY Numeracy CDs are ideal for whiteboard use when exploring a wide range of mathematical concepts with the class.

We are constantly working to develop new programs that both teachers and pupils will want to use and that meet the demands of the classroom. Look out for an exciting range of new products in the next few months, in particular three CDs to support the BBC’s Words and Pictures series (out in January 2003).

Sherston Software recognises that ICT has a positive rôle to play in the education of deaf children. We’re happy to give advice on which of our products are suitable for particular needs. We also offer all our software on 28 days’ free approval, allowing teachers to try out products in the classroom before buying. If we can be of Looking for interesting content? Try these: any help, please do give us a call on Fun-filled, educational activities to help young children - http://www.tizzystoybox.co.uk 01666 843200 Explore mathematical problem solving and Logo - www.sherston.com http://www.crystalrainforest.co.uk

©BATOD Magazine December 02 21 My eyes make pictures: computer animation in education John W Kranz Vice President, Software Engineering for Global Matrix

Demosthenes overcame and rendered more distinct his inarticulate and stammering pronunciation by speaking with pebbles in his mouth. Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes

It is good to take account that we've made some displayed. Baldi has been featured on national progress since the First Century. Pebbles may be television in the United States to highlight some high in mineral content but recent advances in 3-D encouraging educational results. computer animation promise superior results and Global Matrix Ltd, a UK firm with an American reduced discomfort. Over the past decade, several software development division, has licensed this prestigious research firms have devoted substantive software for commercial purposes. Global Matrix is resources to create and assess technological adding Natural Language Processing (NLP) and enhancements to education. One development that Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to the has shown promise for deaf students is computer characters for corporate training, elementary animation. education, on-line computer training and web help Once the exclusive systems. The firm was founded by William Plant, purview of the motion whose CV includes producing more than 20 motion picture industry, pictures, including The Flintstones, Blade, Babe and reasonable 3D graphics Rush Hour. Plant was also Head of Production of performance is now Jim Henson's Creature Shop in London. Company attainable on most any Chief Technical Officer Michael Mendoza graduated computer purchased in from the University of Colorado and worked with the last five years. several researchers at CSLR. Eve, Global Matrix's avatar Driven by the electronic appeared on the BBC during this As Global Matrix seeks to bring its ‘Intelligent Avatar’ demonstration of public Internet gaming industry, video technology to the corporate world, the educational kiosks for the City of Nottingham. memory and processor sector is never out of mind. More than a million power has grown at the same rate as other students can access the first phase of its technology computer components. The challenge is now to through the London Grid for Learning (LGfL). Global utilise this technology beyond entertainment, without Matrix is working with USA non-profits to provide losing the immersion and appeal that video games diversity training and is a consulting partner to the provide, especially to young people. Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID) to The Center for Spoken Language Research (CSLR) provide web services and to help with the RNID's at the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado development of a web-portal. USA) has devoted extensive research in this area. So get those pebbles out of your mouth, Integrating and expanding products from the Demosthenes, there are now better methods. University of California, Santa Cruz and the Oregon Coleridge said "My eyes make pictures when they Graduate Institute, CSLR has developed Interactive are shut." These people make pictures that move Books and Vocabulary Tutors based on computer and speak and teach. animation. Global Matrix can be reached [email protected] or [email protected] More information on the Center for Spoken Language Research is on-line at http://cslr.colorado.edu

Teachers in the London Grid For Learning program will be able to record and edit avatar performances for inclusion on their students' web pages. LGfL teachers can choose between a male and female avatar, select the camera position and background colour.

The CLSR character ‘Baldi’ may not displace Ben Affleck or Brad Pitt but he will patiently repeat speech patterns to teach lip-reading, and allow students to make his skin transparent so they may see the movements of his jaw, teeth, and tongue, that create speech. The head can be rotated to change the viewing angle, and the effect of emotive An avatar teacher guides a student through a simple Math expressions (smiles, frowns, etc) can also be lesson in this demonstration for a large American school district.

22 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Introducing the latest technology for DPOAE and TEOAE tests with the MAICO ERO SCAN OAE-Screener

Probe for testing babies available Fast automatic OAE evaluation . Measurement of otoacoustic emissions by DPOAE and TEOAE tests The MAICO ERO SCAN system . Light (300g), ergonomically designed handheld instrument has been designed for the fast, . Easy to use with PASS / REFER and graphical test result display automatic testing of newborn . Fast automatic test (typ. 7 seconds) with accurate, reliable results babies, children and adults. It can be used in . Automatic short-form printout in 3 seconds hospitals, clinics and medical offices in the . Optional external mini probe operates in addition to built-in probe community. Testing for each ear takes only . Test results can be downloaded to a PC via serial RS 232 cable seconds. A PASS / REFER result and frequency (DPOAE in the range of 1.5 to 6 kHz: TEOAE 0.7 For further information please contact: Iraya Guerere on Tel: 01293 423739 to 4 kHz) is shown on the built-in graphical LCD- display. A printout is generated automatically A&M Hearing are the sole UK distributors of MAICO products A&M Hearing Limited, Alexandra House, when the probe is replaced in the cradle. Data Newton Road, Manor Royal Crawley, can also be stored on your PC and downloaded West Sussex RH10 9TT at a more convenient time. The National Subtitling Library for Deaf People (NLSDP) contract subtitling service Bob Acrey An increasing number of organisations, businesses VideoWord titles are also available through the and public bodies have come to appreciate the NSLDP's ‘Post Script’ postal hire service. importance of video. Video can be used Membership is open to organisations that help the successfully to educate and train new employees Deaf or any person with hearing difficulties for a and to inform customers and the public of the one-off subscription of £5. It costs £3.50 to hire a organisation's services, facilities and products. tape for a period of 12 days, including postage both ways. Special termly rates can be arranged if 8.7 million people in the UK (one in seven of the required. population) have some form of deafness, ranging from mild to profound (deaf and hard of hearing). The NSLDP now has a selection of subtitled If a video is subtitled its potential audience is educational programmes from the BBC Learning substantially increased. Zone, aimed at providing support for those who are involved with further and higher education. A range The National Subtitling Library for Deaf People of Science, History and Religious tapes are (NSLDP) can provide a professional subtitling available to buy at £12.00 each (including postage service for businesses, public bodies and any other and packaging) plus VAT. organisations which require subtitled copies of educational, information, training or promotional For more details and prices of the NSLDP's Contract videos. Subtitling services and any other facilities please get in touch via e-mail at: Having added subtitles to a video, they can be [email protected] or viewed on any standard VHS video recorder. The subtitles added are 'Open' subtitles. Therefore no 0161 449 9650 (Telephone/Fax/Minicom 5) decoding or additional equipment is needed to view or write to the subtitles - they stay on the screen at all times. National Subtitling Library for Deaf People 3rd Floor Victoria Mill, Andrew Street, Compstall, NSLDP subtitles can be added to material supplied Stockport, Cheshire SK6 5HN. on either Betacam or High Band Umatic format only. Subtitles cannot be added to any videos that have already been produced on VHS.

Customers have included the Open University, Leeds Animation Workshop and National Museums The Forest Bookshop of Scotland. For a huge selection of books, videos The NSLDP can also create subtitled versions of and CD-ROMs on programmes recorded from broadcast material as allowed by Statutory Instrument 1013, 1989 under Deafness, Deaf Education and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Section 74. Text that corresponds to the spoken Deaf Issues words and sounds on the soundtrack of the Send now for our free information programme is generated on computer software and packed 64-page colour catalogue high quality copies are then made of the subtitles and programme recorded simultaneously. The Forest Bookshop, Warehouse, Unit 2, The New Building, Ellwood Road, Milkwall, Coleford Schools and FE Colleges have previously used Gloucestershire GL16 7LE NSLDP videos to assist deaf students. There are over 500 NSLDP ‘VideoWord’ titles for sale to non- Telephone 01594 833858 (voice/minicom) profit-making organisations or deaf individuals Fax 01594 833446 throughout the UK. Included in the range are many Videophone 01594 810637 titles used on the school and FE syllabus. The e-mail:[email protected] NSLDP continually add subtitled literature tapes to their range that are of use to educational establishments. Recent new releases have included www.ForestBooks.com Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Prices range from £20-50 per title but many are £30 or less.

24 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Update on De@fchild India Matthew James, De@fchild International Programmes Director De@fchild India is one of the Deaf@x Trust’s Mrs Jessie Edwards and Mrs Jayanthi overseas flagship projects and began in 1998 Gunasekaran. During their visit, these with a grant from the Community Fund. It is part colleagues visited schools for the deaf and deaf of the De@fchild International programme, which organisations, gathering information about the aims to promote better communication, UK’s special educational needs curriculum. language and literacy using ICT for deaf children They returned to De@fchild India with a greater throughout the world. De@fchild India was understanding of how ICT can act as a catalyst awarded its second grant from the Community for learning by deaf pupils. Fund in 2001, for three years. Teachers of the Deaf from CSI High School (in By end of April 2002, De@fchild India had held the city) and Rangammal Memorial School (rural, the first ever ‘All India Conference on ICT and four hours drive south-east) have started Deafness’ (attended by representatives from 13 developing experimental lesson plans with the states) and launched the first ever survey into curriculum team, led by Professor Hopper. the status of deaf education (by surveying 44 Rangammal, one of the largest schools in India, schools for the deaf in Tamil Nadu state). has 24 Teachers of the Deaf in training and would like De@fchild India to provide workshops Six schools were provided with equipment kits on using ICT as a tool to developing lessons. If and 27 Teachers of the Deaf and 970 deaf any BATOD member wishes to act as a volunteer, children at the schools trained in the use of it. please contact me on matthew@[email protected] There were holiday ICT camps using De@fchild The challenge of having reliable Internet access UK’s ‘I Can’ programme on Telecommunications at schools, especially those situated rurally, and Literacy. One hundred and fifty parents also must be addressed urgently. Some schools participated in the training activities. have to wait for one year to have a telephone De@fchild India worked with the Tamil Nadu line installed, although it is never guaranteed to State Commissioner for the Disabled, who work! issued a government directive to all schools to Troppur village (near Trichy, south-east of experiment with deaf-friendly curriculum Chennai) was also visited as part of the activities. De@fchild India monitoring visit. It has a Deaf In August 2002, the De@fchild team - who are Centre that supports young deaf children, with based in Chennai (formerly Madras) - had a the help of volunteers trained by the Holy Cross monitoring visit from which the following Services Society. IT is non-existent and the outcomes were reported: main language is Tamil. There is a need for equipment to be used to design & produce more Palavakkam House, on the outskirts of the creative resources. We plan to introduce basic city, has been established as the project’s computer-training sessions for children’s taster second office. During the week, it provides sessions. Hands-on workshops encourage both residential courses for older, deaf girls in parents and teachers to recognise the learning ICT, creativity and communication. usefulness of learning ICT and of allowing At weekends, young deaf & hearing girls take children to visit the De@fchild India Centre part in an experimental project - led by Mrs based at the Holy Cross Services Society, where Sue Stillman - on integration through better facilities are available for residential communication activities. As this allows their training. daughters to be taught by female trainers in Ian Stillman’s wife is the Acting Project Director single-sex groups, parents now feel of De@fchild India. Her husband, Ian Stillman, comfortable about their children attending. was instrumental in the development of the original office in the centre of Chennai De@fchild India. Please visit his web site remains active and is the base for the www.ianstillman.fsnet.co.uk to support the curriculum team and acts as a drop-in centre campaign for his release from prison.

for deaf girls and boys to learn ICT skills. All De@fchild India schools would benefit enormously from any educational CD ROMs. I will visit Chennai again in January/February In June 2002, Deaf@x hosted a month-long visit 2003. Do contact me with any questions or queries or proposals for to England from two De@fchild India teachers - support. matthew@[email protected]

©BATOD Magazine December 02 25 Becta update - useful Becta web sites Terry Waller Education Officer: Inclusion & Special Needs Becta

ICT Advice site http://www.ictadvice.org.uk The forums link provides an overview of on-line This Becta managed site is designed to provide a educational conferences and discussion groups that source of information and advice on all matters ICT are currently available. related. Much of the information is of a practical CAP site http://www.becta.org.uk/CAP nature with the 'how to' section providing short and The Communication Aids Project site is the source helpful information. It is still developing, in terms of of the referral form if you have a school-aged pupil content but already provides valuable resources as who needs that extra ICT help to be able to access well as some interactive services which may be of the curriculum and communication both expressively interest to Teachers of the Deaf. and receptively with those around them. Download In particular there are monthly 'Ask an Expert' the form, complete it and then return it to Becta sessions on different aspects of ICT usage as well electronically. After the form is processed you and as termly on-line conferences. Both of these your pupils could be extending your communications provide a real opportunity to access experts and skills using ICT! There is also a catalogue of discuss issues of importance with other colleagues. equipment that could be available within the context of CAP. For those still daunted by ICT there is a ‘New to Computers’ area which offers support. The Terry Waller Education Officer: Inclusion & Special extending range of e-mail lists and on-line forums Needs Becta, Millburn Hill Road, Science Park, available can also be found under the Coventry CV4 7JJ 'Communicate' heading on this site. The site will 02476 416 994 Fax: 02476 411 418 develop to include materials of specific interest to e-mail: [email protected] specialist teachers over time. If you have any comments on what you would like to see on the site ToD e-mail list please let Terry Waller know. This mailing list is hosted and supported by Becta for the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf. Becta web site http://www.becta.org.uk The Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) list is monitored by Becta has just re-launched it's corporate web site. three BATOD NEC members, the administration is You may like to see what this site now has to offer. managed by Becta. Jason Douglas occasionally Of particular interest is the work Becta has sends out messages reminding everyone about undertaken with schools recently on the use of protocols and he looks after the programming side digital video. This exciting new technology is of things. offering all pupils a new tool for creativity and The list allows interested parties to ask questions, involvement. There is a competition currently share expertise and answers about Teacher of the running but also results of the initial pilot study and Deaf issues. You are invited to subscribe to ToD. the opportunity to request a CD-ROM which Equally it is possible to ‘Unsubcribe’ if you find the illustrates with useful video clips and practical list is not for you! information how digital video can enhance teaching and learning. I would be particularly interested to To join ToD send hear from people who are using this technology with an e-mail to [email protected] their students. With this subject (leave blank) Teachers On-line - TOP site message: subscribe ToD http://top.ngfl.gov.uk/ More details are available on the Becta Web site This Becta managed site is aimed squarely at all http://www.becta.org.uk teachers who are have access to the Internet and are keen to know what is available on-line to support A reminder.... their teaching. A free monthly newsletter is Advertising job vacancies is not permitted on the e- available as well as access to mail list. All advertising should go through the case studies of practice, help normal channel - advertising@ BATOD.org.uk sheets and details of projects that you might wish to get involved in. The library section provides a vast array of useful publications which are available to download - just a single click away.

26 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Minutes of a meeting of the National Executive Council of the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf, held in Birmingham on 15 June 2002

Present 4.5 Select Education are now offering courses to schools, in D Hartley (President); P Simpson (Secretary); B McCracken addition to those organised for supply teachers. However, (Treasurer); J Baxter (Asst Secretary); E Moore (Consultant); F they are still not contacting BATOD for recommendations Atkins; R Brett; C Carnelley; P Cobbold; M Denholm; H Griffith: J for presenters. The first course will take place in Hurley; L Leith; J McIlroy; M Nelson; P Preston; A Robbie; J Colchester and the Secretary has asked the HoS to Shaw; A Underwood (Magazine Editor); A Weaver; nominate someone to deliver it. Observers: S Frazer (BATOD North); A Burns (BATOD Northern Decision: Helen Griffith to deliver the course. Ireland); M Philip (BATOD Scotland) 5 President’s report NB: i Standing Committees are referred to by the following 5.1A Inclusion and delegation remain high on the agenda. A abbreviations: meeting has taken place at the DfES but there has been Audiology & ICT Committee - A&ICTC; no reply as yet to the letter to Ann Gross (SEN Division) Educational Management Committee - EMC; setting out the basis of BATOD’s argument: that Membership, Administration & Publicity Committee - delegation of budgets to schools is in conflict with MAPC; inclusion for deaf children because of the difficulties in Professional Development Committee - PDC; maintaining Service provision to support their inclusion. ii Reports from meetings are listed but only key items The DfES document due to be published in July is likely or discussion points arising during the NEC meeting to suggest that funding for pupils with LISEN should be are minuted. Copies of reports are available from the held centrally. BATOD Secretary on request. 5.1B A recent meeting with Phil Willis (Liberal Democratic 1 Apologies for absence: spokesperson on education) was very positive. Mr Willis S Archbold; J Nicholson; C Owen; S Pointeer; L Poyser; has a good grasp of the issues concerning inclusion & C Sturt; C Wakefield; M Williams. delegation and appeared to appreciate BATOD’s 2 Minutes of the meeting of 17 March 2002: arguments. amended and approved. 5.1C The Secretary has contacted the Audit Commission to 3 Matters arising from the meeting of 17 March say that increased delegation to schools, as they are (Figures in brackets are for cross-referencing with the recommending, should not be applied to LISEN. Minutes of 17 March.) 5.1D A meeting of HoS (BATOD/VIEW) has been called to 3.1 Regions/Countries have identified a person to follow up consider issues of inclusion & delegation. non-respondents to the Survey as follows: BATOD Wales, 5.2A The Survey Co-ordinator has submitted the NE Regional M Williams; BATOD N Ireland, Mrs M Gordon. report to the DfES and the other Regional reports are Decision: Steering Group to put together a job description to near completion. She is to be asked to publish a national encourage volunteers in the other picture in the Association Magazine. A good deal of the Regions/Countries. Co-ordinator’s rôle has been taken on by her clerical assistant who will attend the July meeting of the Survey 3.2 Sub-committee to discuss ways of formalising and Decision: MAPC to consider the viability of buying a supporting her rôle. The next Survey is due to be sent . Directory of Grants at a cost of £80 out in January 2003. Although a 100% return is 3.3 Obituaries for Con Powell and Janine Grainger have been desirable, a 70-75% return would be a realistic target. published in the Association Magazine. 5.2B It would not be cost effective (£18,000) to set up a new 3.4 (8Aii) A virtual school is a Service which has ascribed to it Survey database. Technology in this area is moving very the characteristics of a school and is funded in a similar fast but if funding becomes available it would be possible way to a school. The concept of ‘virtuality’ is well known to consider changing the database in the future. in hospital teaching services. Decision: to seek advice from Trevor Harrison. 4 Correspondence 5.2C The Survey Sub-committee is currently very active and 4.1 Ann Gross, Head of SEN Division, has defended the will continue to have a major rôle in the near future. unrealistic example of inclusion for a deaf child in the However, once any changes to the Survey have been DfES publication ‘Inclusive Schooling’. Her response, implemented it will disband and the brief will pass back to however, fails to satisfy BATOD’s criticisms and does little the MAPC. to reassure the Association that its offer to provide advice and support to the Department will be taken up when Decision: someone from MAPC to be co-opted onto the sub- specialist examples are drawn up. committee. 4.2 Jean Gross, Regional Director for SEN (National Literacy 5.3 The next FEAPDA conference will take place in Cardiff in & Numeracy Strategies) has offered to meet with BATOD Oct/Nov 2003. to discuss additional guidance for deaf pupils. 5.4 The British Society of Audiology (BSA) is seeking the Decision: Secretary to ask Joy Jarvis, Sue Lewis and Ruth views of associated organisations on joining together Swanwick to attend the meeting. (Members of under a single umbrella. NEC to pass on advice to inform the meeting.) Decision: President and Past President to attend the meeting 4.3 CACDP has asked for a BATOD nominee to be put called by the BSA. forward for election to its Board of Trustees. 5.5 Sue Archbold and Debra York are organising a meeting of Decision: a) Secretary to reply saying that BATOD welcomes the educators involved with the Newborn Hearing the invitation; Screening Programme (NHSP) pilot sites at which b) Secretary to ask David Bond if he would agree information collated from the recent BATOD questionnaire to be the BATOD nominee. on issues such as 52 week cover and ear-mould impression taking will be made available. 4.4 The Disability Rights Commission is organising a series of focus groups for parents, teachers and young disabled 5.6 MAPC is considering how they can assist the BATOD people to discuss awareness of the new rights and Treasurer with some of his responsibilities, particularly responses to the Commission’s campaign messages. with regard to membership. Fiona Atkins has offered to maintain the membership database in an accessible Decision: Secretary to e-mail details to Region/Country format so that computer contact will eventually be representatives so that they can encourage possible between Fiona’s database and the Treasurer’s. individuals to attend. Issues of confidentiality have been considered and

Minutes of NEC Meeting 15 June 2002 1 information will be passed on via disk or CD rather than e- 8A Meeting of National Committee of Professionals in mail. Audiology (NCPA) attended by Russell Brett. 6 Secretary’s report 8Ai The DfES have commissioned a set of case studies on 6.1 deaf children and will ask specific questions of BATOD Decision: letters to HoSS asking them to remind staff to regarding the acoustic treatment of classrooms. The return CPD logs are to be sent under separate NCPA document on acoustic standards is to go out for mailing. wider consultation, as a consequence of which its 6.2 The Secretary received almost all reports in time to be publication will be delayed. sent out with the NEC pack. Colleagues were reminded Decision: Secretary to circulate the DfES questions to NEC that they should inform the Secretary if a report will be members. late. The deadline for reports for the September NEC 8Aii Lost hearing aid replacement is a complicated and meeting is 10 September. complex issue. 6.3 BATOD received a mention in the House of Commons on 8B Meeting of the Deaf Children’s Communication Aids 21 May during an SEN debate with reference to useful Project Management Group (DCCAP) attended by Peter information from the 1993 survey. BATOD is also asked Preston, Paul Simpson & Bev McCracken. to supply information to MPs to enable them to answer questions on specialist issues. 8Bi Funding via a service level agreement with Becta has been confirmed for the first year of the project and the 6.4 The UK Council on Deafness (UKCoD) is hoping to Project Development Officers are active in the field. A organise a group parachute jump to raise funds. number of assessments have been completed and Decision: Secretary to find out more information without equipment has been issued for evaluation. revealing the name of a potential participant. 8Bii Ann Underwood has produced a paper on marketing and 6.5 The STRB had promised to consider the position of publicity for discussion by the project management group ‘unattached teachers’ in their current report. Several and has developed a DCCAP web site. An official launch references are made to issues raised by BATOD, without event (September) is in the planning stage. necessarily supporting them and it recommends the DfES 8Biii Surprisingly BATOD’s bid to the DfES Small Projects to initiate a consultation of interested parties regarding Fund was not successful considering that Deaf@x was the pay & conditions of service of ‘unattached teachers’ awarded funding for a similar project which was intended with a view to informing the next review. to complement BATOD’s. Clarification of the DfES’ 6.6 Elizabeth Andrews (RNID) and several ToDs have decision-making is unsatisfactory. BATOD will still be able contributed to two consultation documents for the DfES: to offer some training for ToDs and LSAs but not at the ‘Developing Early Intervention/Support Services for Deaf enhanced level hoped for. Children & their Families’ and ‘Together from the Start - 8Biv Innovative users of ICT in the classroom are invited to Practical Guidance for Professionals Working with come forward as advisers/assessors (CAP Contacts) for Disabled Children (birth to 2) and their Families’. BATOD the DCCAP network. welcomes both documents. 8C Meeting of the Children’s Hearing Aid Services Decision: a) Corinda Carnelley to contribute to the Working Group (CHSWG) attended by David Hartley. Association response; b) Secretary to put the documents on the ToD list 8Ci The NDCS survey of 40 Health Authorities has revealed and encourage individual members to respond. patchy provision, with many different models of CHSWG, only 33% having a written rôle and function, 2% having a 7 Treasurer’s report budget allocation and few having an understanding of 7.1 Regions & Countries of BATOD were reminded that they how services can be integrated. are required by the Constitution to hold an AGM even if numbers attending are low; and that they should maintain 8Cii Groups see their rôle as working as a multi-sector, multi- a balance of about £1,000 in their bank accounts. agency group; an information exchange; improving Service quality; and as overseeing the introduction of Decision: BATOD Midland, North and South West must send NHSP. Key issues are: NHSP; digital hearing aids; their audited accounts to the National Treasurer as funding, staffing & equipment; offering family friendly soon as possible and any Region/Country which has services; and influencing change. not put in a bid for the precept for the following twelve months should do so. 8Ciii The Modernising Hearing Aid Services Group (MHASG) are aiming to redesign service delivery to digital hearing 7.2 National BATOD will subsidise payments for speakers at aid users and are due to publish a full set of results by conferences, on request, if conferences are too poorly mid July. attended for the charges to cover costs. 8Civ There have been a large number of false positives under 7.3 In 1,018 days the Treasurer has made 1,128 amendments NHSP. Approximately 10,000 babies have been screened to the membership database. There have been 453 new in England, with ‘several’ being further assessed for members since September 1999 and 323 changes of deafness. The start date in Scotland keeps being address. Membership figures currently stand at 1,768. postponed; there is one site in Belfast, serving the whole 7.4 Financial predictions show that the Association should of N.Ireland; and implementation will begin in Wales in have a small excess of income over expenditure for the 2003/4. current financial year. 8Cv Decision: Treasurer to prepare projected financial figures for Decision: A&ICT to look at the draft guidelines for insurance the September NEC meeting. of hearing aids, cochlear implants and radio aids. 7.5 The renovation of the Ibis hotel in London is now 8Cvi A number of quality standards documents are being complete. developed and the NDCS policy on genetic counselling Decision: to hold the September NEC meeting in and screening is to be updated. Birmingham, as agreed and the December 8D ‘Together from the Start - guidance for practitioners meeting in London. working with children from birth to two’ attended by 7.6 Corinda Carnelley. Decision: a) MAPC to design a label containing new 8Di The meeting was a consultation exercise on behalf of the subscription rate details to stick over outdated National Children’s Bureau to ensure that their guidance information; reflects the Government’s commitment to developing b) to redesign the layout of the membership form practical guidance for services involved in the for downloading in portrait rather than identification of and support for very young children with landscape. disabilities or SEN. 8 Reports from meetings 8Dii Key points emerging from the meeting were: a strong

2 Minutes of NEC Meeting 15 June 2002 recommendation for the writing of a family plan; factors purpose of receiving information and booking places at which help or hinder joint agency working; information events on-line. exchange re joint assessments; and key workers - 9D BATOD North understanding of the term, personnel, barriers to key 9Di Members were shocked and deeply saddened to hear of working and different models of key working. the death of committee member Janine Grainger. 9 Reports from Regions and Countries Condolences have been sent to her husband and her 9A BATOD Midland family. She will be missed by all who knew her. 9Ai At a recent twilight meeting, ‘ Supporting Listening in the 9Dii The July AGM and conference is entitled ‘Beyond the Classroom’, members enjoyed a presentation on FM Classroom - Support and Consultation Issues for ToDs’. advantage and had opportunity to ask questions of a 9E BATOD Northern Ireland panel comprised of John Popplestone (Connevans) and 9Ei The topic of the May conference was ‘Primary educational audiologists, Robert Miller and Alison Movement’, an innovation in teaching reading and writing Holmans. The AGM and conference (12 October) on to children, particularly those with specific learning ‘Meeting the Needs of the 40%’ will address issues for difficulties, developed by Martin McPhillips (Queen’s ToDs working with deaf children with a range of additional University). A training day on the modification of the needs. A new Treasurer and Secretary will be elected at language of examinations, texts and assessments is the AGM. Nominations for the vacant Vice-Chair are planned for 28 September. urgently needed. 9Eii 9B BATOD Wales Decision: 9Bia In April, BATOD Wales had a fruitful meeting with Jane the BATOD stand will be available for the NDCS Davidson, Minister for Education & Lifelong Learning. Technology Exhibition, although staffing it is There were four main agenda items: grant funding; proving difficult as all ToDs in N Ireland will be training; regionalisation and delegation. working on the day. 9F BATOD South West 9Bib Grant funding 9Fi The May AGM and conference has had to be postponed Spending per pupil is comparable with England; grant to 16 November. Harriet Nott, Treasurer, is due to step funding is not available and the Minister does not favour down at the AGM and Sue Barnsley will become Chair. ‘empty bidding’ (LEA bids for funding from centrally Nominations for Treasurer and Vice Chair are needed. devolved grants), instead, money is allocated to Authorities to administer; GEST funding is available for 9G BATOD Scotland training; the Wales Advisory Group on SEN (WAGSEN) 9Gi Representatives from the Scottish Executive and key and the All Wales Steering Group (AWSG) will identify organisations attended the May meeting at which funding needs; improved statementing resulting from the Chartered Teacher Status was discussed. All teachers Welsh SEN Tribunal should lead to improved provision; wishing to gain Chartered Status would have to complete LEAs will be obliged to publish financial details in the the new module 1, with prior learning, if practised in day- interests of transparency; and the Minister instructed her to-day teaching, being credited. All costs must be borne civil servant to investigate Access Funding (Disability by teachers. Notes were circulated after the meeting: Rights Act). those not attending should be able to get a view of the notes since most Authorities were represented. The AGM 9Bic Training issues and conference (2 November) will have an audiological £5,000 is available for LEAs involved in collaborative theme. working regarding training; WAGSEN will look at training opportunities nationally; the AWSG will look at validated 10 Reports from Standing Committees training and training for LSAs; and the Minister, 10A Audiology & ICT Committee appreciating the difficulties of recruitment, suggested that 10Ai Committee rôles have been redistributed as follows: training mainstream teachers who have deaf pupils in P Preston, DCCAP: J Nicholson, trialling educational their schools might be a way forward. software; R Brett, educational audiology and NCPA; S Pointeer, ICT newspage and classroom experiences; 9Bid Regionalisation S Archbold, cochlear implants and NHSP; M Denholm, WAGSEN will feed back information on regionalisation to reports, minutes and any new business. The Committee BATOD Wales; the AWSG will audit HI Services by Spring is to have a rotating Chair. 2003; and the Minister is looking at regional models whereby a lead Authority provides goods and services. 10Aii The UNHS update had been given under the President’s All LEAs will be obliged to collaborate with the system. report (5.5). 9Bie Delegation 10Aiii RNID are in the process of producing educational All money is delegated to LEAs, none is held centrally by guidelines for children with cochlear implants. The the National Assembly. The Minister has no plans to implant centres’ ToD guidelines are currently being reverse delegation of funding. revised. Decision: to monitor Survey responses for evidence of 10Aiv increased delegation of units. Decision: to advertise in the Association Magazine for a 9Bii Jane Davidson has agreed to speak at the FEAPDA panel of ToDs to review educational software. conference 2003. (J Nicholson to co-ordinate.) 10B Educational Management Committee 9C BATOD South 10Bia SQA has set up Special Assessment Needs Advisory 9Ci The AGM and conference will be held on 29 June, with a Groups (SANAGs) to look at the accessibility of statutory theme of ‘Successful Multi-agency Working’. Tony Best tests. There is representation on these groups from (SENSE) will be the keynote speaker and there will be BATOD, the Sign Bilingual Consortium and people workshops on working with Social Services / BSL working in the fields of SLT, Dyslexia, Autism, EBD and interpreters / Mental Health Professionals / Audiology Physical & Learning Disabilities. These groups are seen Professionals / SEN Partnerships. The Autumn workshop to have an important rôle for the future and it is gratifying will have an audiological theme. that BATOD has been involved with developments from 9Cii The Region registered its concern that the planned HoSS the beginning. (BATOD/VIEW) conference had been scheduled to take 10Bib Discussions at the inaugural meeting of the groups place on the same day as the Region’s AGM/conference, included possible changes to special arrangements as the conflict of dates would lead to difficult decisions (keeping a general approach or considering specialist being made about which event to attend. provision for different forms of SEN); the value and equity 9Ciii The proposal to set up a regional database had been of ‘extra time’; the possibility that certain children can be discussed in the previous evening’s meeting between the advantaged if their parents are able to obtain independent Steering Group and Regional Committee Representatives. psychologists’ reports; the inaccessibility of the language Members will be invited to give e-mail addresses for the

Minutes of NEC Meeting 15 June 2002 3 of the tests for certain pupils, such as BSL users; and the 11A Three Committees reported difficulties in conducting types of changes which could be made whilst maintaining business and allocating tasks with a number of members the credibility and management of the tests. absent. 10Biia The work of the GCSE sub-committee will continue under 11B A&ICT had had further thoughts on the practicalities of the aegis of the EMC. Although this will inevitably mean organising a review of educational software and had that BATOD cannot be so proactive regarding special decided that an assessment of demand should be examination arrangements, ToDs’ concerns will still be undertaken before asking for nominees for a review addressed. ToDs should channel all general issues panel. The NCPA meetings cover a good deal of through the BATOD Secretary and those relating to a business. It was agreed that in future the full report specific Examining Group through the relevant co- should be submitted to the Secretary and that members ordinator. The work of BATOD with the Examining of NEC should receive a summary of the main action Groups was praised at a recent meeting attended by S points. Archbold. 11C MAPC is to consult Trevor Harrison about potential 10Biib The BATOD/NATED group have delivered two further projects for funding and to seek sponsorship for the back weekend workshops on the modification of the language page of the Association Magazine. Chairs of Committees of examinations in London (April) and Scotland (May). were asked to send the MAPC a list of press contacts for A one-day, more generalised workshop will take place in the database and Regions and Countries were asked to N Ireland (September) list the contents of their archives. The next Magazine is 10Biic The Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) are currently to be a focused issue on working with families and the having discussions about the signing of questions and subsequent one will focus on technology. Five more responses, hopefully leading to further provisions being topics were sought: possible areas include multi- introduced in the future. BATOD Scotland is involved in disciplinary working (February), Teacher of the Deaf the process. issues (April), Curriculum Access (June). 10Biid NEC members were urged to encourage colleagues 11D The PDC continued planning for the March conference currently working with the Examination Groups to request and considered the NERF questionnaire. The evaluation the assessment item if they wish to have their names sheets of the CPD log reveal many different types of included on the register of accredited modifiers. training and lengths of courses. 10C Membership, Administration and Publicity Committee 11E The EMC is to meet for a weekend in October. They 10Ci The future rôle of the MAPC within BATOD has been at began to consider responses to the two early years the forefront of recent agendas. Discussions have documents (refer to 6.6). They prepared a notice for the included its rôle with the Survey (refer to 5.2c); its Magazine canvassing views and case studies of the involvement with the membership and the possible workload involved for deaf students taking the new style assistance it could offer to the Treasurer (refer to 5.6); the post 16 examinations, with a view to monitoring the issue increasing costs of publicity and the need to budget for and informing debate with the relevant bodies. such costs as the Association continues to move forward; 12 Date & place of next meeting: 21 September, and thinking around the Steering Group’s suggestion that Birmingham. the Committee should take on the new rôle of Members of NEC were asked to inform the Treasurer of development. their requirements as they would not be booked in unless 10Cii Ann Underwood has linked with the BATOD/NATED group attendance was confirmed. Anyone cancelling after to produce a certificate of accreditation for those whose confirmation should inform the hotel directly in addition to names are to be put on the register of BATOD modifiers. notifying the Treasurer. 10Ciii The Committee is considering issues relating to the 13 AOB mentoring of ToDs in the year post-qualification; whilst 13A Consultation on the proposal to make the National work continues on the BATOD archives. Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) mandatory in England by April 2004 closes on 28 June. 10Civ MIND has proposed a quid pro quo arrangement whereby Special schools are referred to in the consultation and so BATOD will be advertised at their forthcoming conference a BATOD response is urgently required. NPQH will in return for the BATOD Magazine carrying free become mandatory in Scotland in 2005 and there are advertising for it. The MIND conference offers a golden plans to make it mandatory in Wales and N.Ireland too. opportunity for promoting the Association but can BATOD The dichotomy for the Profession is that newly appointed afford to lose the revenue generated by advertising it? HoSS after 2004 will be required to have the qualification Decision: to advertise the conference at the normal rate. but whilst there is a requirement on current HoSS to have 10D Professional Development Committee the same skills, attributes and competencies there is no 10Di Over 120 delegates attended the March conference which funding for training anyone already in post. Items for was very well received, both in terms of structure and including in a response could be a suggestion that content. Summaries of the workshop presentations are because of the large numbers of Heads of Special, published in the June Magazine. The theme of the next Primary and Secondary Schools it would seem sensible annual conference to be held in Scotland is ‘Curriculum to phase in the qualification; ToDs involved in mentoring Access’. rôles should have this seen as part of their CPD. 10Dii The BDA have requested assistance with their conference Decision: Consultant, L Leith and H Griffith to liaise over the but have not specified the form the assistance might take. BATOD response. Whilst it would not be appropriate for BATOD to become Meeting finished at 3.45pm involved in the organisation of another Association’s conference it would wish to be supportive. Decision: to offer the BDA the address labels for HoSS to help with publicity. 10Diii Ongoing Committee business includes the development of a mentoring scheme for newly qualified ToDs; Elections to NEC 2003-2005 developing a more proactive rôle for BATOD within the Nominations to NEC closed on Friday 8 November. Although TTA; and evaluating the success of the CPD log. several people have been nominated there will be no election Decision: Regions/Countries to discuss how and if they this year. There remains a vacancy on the Educational might be involved in operating the mentoring Management Committee. Details of nominated candidates who scheme once the framework has been agreed. will join NEC will be published in the February 2003 Magazine. 11 Plenary session after Committee meeting time

4 Minutes of NEC Meeting 15 June 2002 NOTICEBOARD NOTICEBOARD

BATOD National Conference The Ear Foundation in conjunction with Nottingham Paediatric Cochlear Implant Programme and AGM Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 6HA Saturday 15th March 2003 Crowne Plaza Hotel Advanced Cochlear Implant Workshop Royal Mile, Edinburgh Thursday to Saturday 27-29 March 2003 University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus Commitment to the Curriculum near Loughborough, Leicestershire Our Advanced Workshop gives opportunity for those involved Keynote speakers in cochlear implantation to bring themselves up to date with workshops/seminars the latest trends and techniques, to develop new skills and to have the opportunity to hold discussions with Literacy Numeracy Support strategies professionals working in the field. The Workshop will cover: Modifying Language DCCAP-ICT Assessment of very young, borderline and complex cases; PSE/Citizenship Trouble-shooting the system; 10.30 registration - 16.45 close Educational issues, and the rôle of the Teacher of the Conference - AGM - Coffee - Lunch Deaf in rehabilitation; Language and speech assessment of pre-school and Exhibition - Networking deaf children with additional needs; Members £60 - member LSAs £50 Video analysis techniques; Quality of life assessment. Non members £65 - There will be plenary and workshop sessions, and numbers Your opportunity to have a wonderful weekend in will be restricted to allow full participation. the beautiful city of Edinburgh Early booking advised - International guest speakers invited. Day rates and weekend rates available. ESTIMATED COST (To be confirmed): Registration forms with more details of the Residential: £295 including full board at University Hall of workshops/seminars with this Magazine Residence (Student Rooms) Non-Residential: £245 (including all meals throughout the course) Cued Speech CONFERENCE DINNER on Friday evening of 28 March is included in the cost for all delegates. Complete spoken language through vision REGISTRATION FORM available from: Free information pack Brian Archbold, The Ear Foundation, Marjorie Sherman Low-cost or free training House, 83 Sherwin Road, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 2FB +44 (0) 115 942 1985. Fax: +44 (0) 115 924 9054 Research shows that profoundly deaf pupils e-mail: [email protected] who have had consistent exposure to Cued Registered Charity No: 1068077. Speech have reading levels which equal those Registered Company No: 3482779 of matched hearing children. ANDALUCIA , Southern Spain. especially effective when used by hearing Orgiva is a small rural town hiding in the parents in the home from diagnosis. Alpujarras mountains. Our comfortable cottages, can be learnt in 5 days. with pools, are 2km away situated amidst fruit and compatible with both oral/aural approaches olive trees. Sleeping 2/4 from £210 per week. and with the use of sign. Sun, mountains, tranquillity; Granada 1hour; For an information pack with international beaches 40minutes. research, parents’ stories, and training details Book a winter or spring holiday now. contact: /fax: Mrs Bromley 0034958785657; Cued Speech Association UK e-mail: [email protected]; /Text: 01803 83 2784 www.elrosalholidays.com e-mail: [email protected] web: www.cuedspeech.co.uk Charity number 279523 Interested in taking part in a Limited Company number 1477997 'Charity providing information about and training in Cued Speech' drama research

ATTENTION Course Organisers project? Bring your course to the notice of all our readers via this page. An entry on this page costs £33-£55 per entry, plus an entry We are looking for schools for the deaf and onto the Calendar. Copy must be available 5 weeks preceding publication. Space should be reserved as soon as possible, designated provisions to trial and feedback on details to: draft materials for use with deaf children. We will Mrs Ann Underwood, Magazine Editor supply drama lesson plans, expert tuition and 41 The Orchard, Leven, Beverley, HU17 5QA fax 01964 544243 e-mail: [email protected] guidance. Job Vacancies advertised in this section also appear on the BATOD Web pages (Teaching Section Situations Vacant For more details please contact Angie Boulton at www.BATOD.org.uk) e-mail:[email protected] : 0121 711 8697

©BATOD Magazine December 02 27 Working in partnership Lynda Holland Birmingham Visiting Teacher Service

Following an INSET in a local school which has Performing Arts status, discussions with the Head of Music and Performing Arts led to two initiatives being developed.

A CD consisting of nineteen audio examples for the team to use in INSET to schools, peer sessions, voluntary agencies, early years settings, health providers, and in-house courses for teachers and LSAs. Modern audio editing techniques enabled us to produce a high quality resource for teachers. This resource allows immediate access to appropriate audio files without the previous inconvenience of using an assortment of audio tapes.

A Powerpoint display enabling teachers to download a team presentation which can be An International Symposium - Instructional adapted for individual INSET sessions. This Technology and the Education of the Deaf again is a move towards the organisation and 25 - 27 June 2003 Sponsored by: modernisation of presentations. National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology The most exciting was the production of a CD for The Nippon Foundation of Japan use in peer sessions, schools INSET and deaf PEN International awareness assemblies. This was created by eight Deaf@x and the University of Reading have been selected as a Symposium Remote Site in conjunction with other sites in Beijing, pupils with hearing impairments. We had access to Moscow, Tokyo and four USA sites. a modern recording studio with audio editing On-line technologies will be used to offer Symposium sessions as well facilities. Taking recording studio techniques to their as our own ICT Conference. limits and creating altered sound bites, we worked to BATOD members wishing to attend this event, please contact illustrate what it would be like to have a specific the co-ordinator (ken@[email protected]). hearing loss. We created a resource using a Find out more from our web sites! modern CD format. The software used included [email protected] Sound Forge, Wavelab and Cooledit Pio – all audio [email protected] editing programmes. The pupils had the chance to Contact Details: explore high level audio editors and see via the Deaf@x Trust graphical interface how sound alters when filters are Technology Centre, Textphone: +44 (0)870 770 0319 Bulmershe Court Fax: +44 (0)870 770 0318 added to mimic specified hearing losses. The pupils The University, Reading, +44 (0)870 770 0317 selected up to date materials for the project, they Berks RG6 1HY e-mail: team@[email protected] recorded their own text to introduce the examples on the CD. The whole day was a fantastic experience. How was it for you? The team would like to thank Bishop Walsh School, BATOD needs information about workload on and especially Tim Chamberlin for the opportunity to post-16 students arising from the changes to work collaboratively to develop these excellent post-16 examinations. resources. They are valued and will enhance our ESSAYS NOT REQUIRED! support for children with hearing impairments in Birmingham. Please e-mail brief details to the Secretary at [email protected] FunFun papaggeses Have you visited the Connevans web site lately? Marvellous Rosie has been at work with her graphics tablet and made some of her wonderful cartoons into pictures to colour in and use in teaching situations. David Evans has made these available as a free download - so go and look! wwwwww.conne.connevvansans.com.com 28 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 'What a different world!' Ian McDonald

Ian McDonald is a 22 year old deaf student from Leicestershire studying BA [Hons] Town and Country Planning at the University of the West of England in Bristol. He was awarded a Jack Ashley Millennium Award of £4,790 to work in a school for deaf children in West Africa for two months. Ian was a teacher at State School for the Deaf, Accra in Ghana teaching English and Maths. He has now returned and written this report for us.

The school I was working in is a different picture to the ones we have in the UK. There were no carpets on the floor of the classrooms, there were no soft ground for the children to play on; many boys would play football with bare feet on rocky hard dusty ground, there were no swings or proper playground; the children had to put up with the hard ground full of dust and rocks; in each of the classrooms were a desk and chair for each pupil; there was a blackboard and cupboard for each class, each pupil would have only one book per subject for the whole of the school year only, the water they had was from the big tank donated to them from foreign organisation; there was no running water, the teacher would decide what to teach on the day; they can teach whatever they wish to teach and sometimes they may decide not to teach anything and go to sleep at their desk for a bit!

At the school were about 14 classrooms and few offices. In the secretary’s office was a desk with an old typewriter on it and a big filing cabinet. There was no computer at the school that could have saved the secretary the trouble and time to do all the hard work. Only the headmaster has a telephone line connected to his office to make contacts outside the school. Outside was a ‘large shed’; the kitchen and there was no oven, no dishwasher and no machinery at all to help the cook. The cook would sit outside with a little fire in front of her cooking their dinner in the large bowl and the children would have to wash their plates and cutlery afterwards.

I was teaching in class of 11 to 15 years old and they use Ghanaian Sign Language [GSL] and my class were learning English, Maths, General Science, Religious and Moral Education. The older pupils up to the age of 20 were learning the same in addition Agriculture Science, Vocation Skills, Life Skills, Technical Skills, Technical Drawing, and Social Studies. There was no television or a video recorder at the school enabling the children to understand and nor were there calculators for them to use in Maths; only a pen and paper were used for calculations. On my first teaching day, I was asked to help them with their Maths and I was put in a spot when the teacher told me to go through the answers with them on the blackboard. I had to relearn myself because I was used to having a calculator to help me and at the school I had to do the calculation inside my head! I had to act quickly while they were thinking and writing

©BATOD Magazine December 02 29 answers on the blackboard – a few times they had to watch me standing there scratching my head trying to figure out if the pupil’s answer was correct or incorrect! Things we rely on in the UK to help us were not available in Ghana and I was struggling!

The children at the school wear no hearing aids as it is too expensive to buy one in Ghana. There were no microphones or hearing aid systems like hearing-impaired children wear at school in the UK enabling them to hear. The children in Ghana were living in a silent world although some could hear a little as not all pupils are profoundly deaf as I am. A pupil would be walking around the school with a bell in his or her hand ringing it loudly announcing that it is lunchtime. Why ringing the bell in a deaf school I thought? And I was amazed when I saw a few students turned round to look behind them at the bell-ringer! They could obviously hear it!

The headmaster would stop the whole school to get the pupils to do hard work - weeding. The pupils would have to clear the schoolground and it would take them about two days to complete the task. There was no machinery to cut the overgrown ground and the children would only have a tool in their hand to do the job. Every morning I have to shake the boys’ hand which I didn’t like doing so because their hands were as rough as farmers’ hand! This is one of their traditions; giving a Ghanaian handshake.

The children in Ghana are doing hard work throughout their childhood and therefore they are not learning as much as their counterparts would do in the UK. During my time at the school, a boy whom I have been having a pen and paper communication with wrote this: “About this school, the teachers does not teach or help the deaf student like England. Early in the morning we run quickly to take the bus to school. After that we then clean the school before assemble. We later come to the class for studies in a while we are then going out for break time. We then do that again for the last break then we are going home. But through all this hard work the student are not better in education, they couldn’t even write a letter. We also find it difficult to cope. Nobody get a quality job in Ghana. But actually we all get food from the school. And the teachers like the food very much.” Ian McDonald wants to raise some funds to donate money to both the school and deaf establishments encouraging hearing-impaired adults into employment. If you wish to make donation, please contact him on [email protected] The Millennium Awards Scheme was set up in 1996 and was the first scheme to give lottery grants to individuals. The Millennium Awards are distributed by the Millennium Awards Partners, established charities and other organisations with a community network and a history of grant making. The Millennium Commission web sites can be accessed http://www.millennium.gov.uk and http://www.starpeople.org.uk Jack Ashley Millennium Awards is run by the National Deaf Children’s Society [NDCS] with the grant from the Millennium Commission [funded by the National Lottery]. The aims of the Jack Ashley Millennium Awards are: Teaching and Projects Abroad have organised 7,000 to help young people to take part in a project or challenge to volunteer projects since it started in 1992. Volunteers improve their self-confidence and personal development to put something back into the hearing- can take part in variety of projects such as teaching, impaired and hearing community by medicine, journalism, conservation, and archaeology. promoting positive images of deafness Teaching and Projects Abroad site can be accessed to encourage a greater understanding of www.teaching-abroad.co.uk deafness amongst hearing people The NDCS site can be accessed http://www.ndcs.org.uk

30 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Campus S™ Top marks in FM communication.

Unmatched frequency flexibility for use in schools and universities. The Campus S transmitter from Phonak represents a new milestone in FM development. Its features include optimised design, superior flexibility thanks to latest generation synthesizer technology and compatibility with all Phonak FM receivers and most hearing instruments on the market today.

Frequency selection flexibility Freedom to select the appropriate frequency makes Campus S extremely flexible when it comes to multi-classroom applications.

Multifunctional mini microphone The Campus S mini microphone offers you three settings. Choose from on/off, omnidirectional or directional to address the specific learning situation.

For further details about the new Campus S transmitter, call Phonak for a brochure on freephone 0800 9800747 Deafway provides support David Hynes

(Summary of a paper given by David Hynes, Director of Deafway at the EENET/DAF seminar, 7/8 June 2002)

Deafway provides assistance for the development of There are plans to develop new teaching and educational services for deaf children in Nepal. interpreting posts in the local colleges and the Deafway’s involvement with deaf activities in Nepal development of a work-training programme. arose out of a fund raising trek they held in the Deafway has been instrumental in helping deaf country. The fund raising proved to be successful people provide education for local deaf children and they felt it right to put half of the money raised within their locality, which is environmentally and back into the country. They realised that deaf culturally appropriate. This service has changed Nepalese children living in the mountainous villages and indeed transformed the present and future of needed schooling. Nepalese deaf children. Deafway made contact with two existing organisations run for and by the Deaf within Nepal. Note from the International Editor: The first was The National Federation of the Deaf This article has been submitted by Doreen and Hard of Hearing (NFDH) based at Kathmandu Woodford. If you require further details about with branches in 15 of the 75 districts of Nepal. All Deafway, please contact David Hynes the Director at branches are run by deaf people. NFDH is seven Deafway, Brockholes, Brow, Preston, Lancashire, years old and is a member of The World Federation PR2 5AL. of the Deaf. NFDH identified seven isolated regions This is surely a fine example of what can be where no educational services for deaf children achieved to assist organisations provide for the existed and proposed a project which would employ development of culturally appropriate educational seven deaf teachers of Nepali Sign Language, services. It is also a wonderful example of how together with arranging an awareness raising Deaf people play a vital rôle in the development and programme for hearing people and local provision of educational services. organisations. Please note that we are always looking for stories Having identified one main area to focus on, the like this and more. Please send articles to seven teachers moved to live there for 10 months. Siân Tesni, International Editor BATOD Magazine, Whilst there they taught Nepali Sign Language and The Old Vicarage, Church Lane, Llantwit Major, basic numeracy and literacy to deaf children and CF61 1FB alternatively, by e-mail to adults who had hitherto received no education or [email protected] been exposed to any deaf rôle models. The results were life changing and attitude changing amongst the communities in which deaf children and adults Digital photography lived. Deafway has continued its effort to raise Often it takes time for education to see the potential funds for the expansion of the project. In addition, it of new technologies. However, some aspects of has assisted to run a further course for deaf adults technology are so immediate in their educational within the capital and has a particular plan to link appeal that they capture the imagination of older and younger deaf people. teachers. A digital camera is a wonderful device to The other organisation Deafway made contact with provide opportunities to capture real-life images for was The Gandaki Association of the Deaf (GAD), easy transfer (via USB or disk) to the computer or which is affiliated to the NFDH but based in television screen. From there the pictures can be Pokhara. Here there was a poorly housed, small inserted into most software and text added - at the school, run by a local non-deaf NGO. This school level of the child concerned! was always full. GAD had some land, a little money Digital cameras offer a host of uses within education and a big desire to build a school for the deaf including: children. With Deafway’s money, they were able to • enhancing newsletters put up a one-storey building. Deafway monitored, • getting images for Web pages not the planning but the way in which monies were • recording student progress utilised, in order that the plans of the deaf people • photographing bulky work samples involved were achieved. • adding images on cards which are then laminated (eg library) The number of children seeking enrolment at the • learning about photography school came from a wide area and the school grew • up-to-the-minute public relations brochures rapidly in population. Deafway successfully sought • recording information on excursions further funding for a second storey on the existing • clothing or food preparation activities building in order to have a residential wing to the • e-mail attachments for global projects school. There are currently 86 pupils at the school. • sample business card activities

32 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Centre d'espoir pour les sourds - Peoples' Republic of Congo

Pastor Kamonyo Botanyi has sent this account of The New School recent developments in Kisangani, a place still in the Over the past few years the school has been slowly news for fighting and other difficulties. Kamonyo is building new accommodation on land granted by deaf, as is Beatrice his wife. He has been faithfully local authorities. The plan is for ten primary and six working for opportunities for deaf children and secondary classrooms for about 125 children. adults for nearly 20 years. A determined man, he There is to be space for vocational training in has not let a multitude of problems defeat him. He carpentry and needlework. The older pupils of the has fluent written French and English, and is school cleared the ground and they have also been proficient in several sign languages, particularly the making the bricks for building. The building is now well-developed Congolese. This is used, together up, the windows are in and the classrooms will soon with French in the school. be ready for furnishing. The Old School was established in February 1987 Teacher Training with 14 deaf students gathered together after For some years now training has been offered to Kamonyo completed his own education in Ibadan both the staff at the Centre and to staff for the other (Nigeria). The school moved several times into and schools trying to provide educational and vocational from rented premises. Since 1993, the school has services to deaf children in the surrounding areas. been held in very old warehouses, which are far Four such teachers who were trained in 'pedagogy from ideal and rapidly deteriorating. Rainfalls and adapted to the deaf, methodology and bombs have added to this deterioration. Pupils communication' have completed their training and come from both sides of the River Congo and range have now moved to establish a school where there in age from about 7 to 19 years. The teaching staff was no service previously but many deaf children. is made of deaf and hearing people. All the deaf Many more teachers continue to apply for training, teachers are ex-pupils of the school. Most of the including those from Rwanda but it is not possible to children are in residential accommodation at the offer more places at present. school. The opening of the school is planned for June 2002. CAP Contacts

In a rapidly developing area of communication How much time will this take??? technology it is difficult to keep up with the changes. How long is a piece of string? ‘Units’ (morning As educators we are challenged enough even within /afternoon session) are allocated to referrals our own field, without keeping up with developments allowing for time to watch the pupil, talk to those in parallel areas. The positive influences of ICT around, carry out any necessary tests, possibly try (Information Communication Technology) do out equipment and then - yes - write it up into the impinge on our work though. Preparation, delivery assessment format. Probably the most and general good practice have made the straightforward assessment will take two units in all - presentation of learning environments more exciting but it may take six and not all consecutive! It may and, definitely, even more time-consuming then they be necessary to leave equipment to try out and this were! will need monitoring. The most important thing is that the timing itself is flexible (within the normal So the challenge is to disseminate the new parameters of response times etc) so that your developments and enhance the skills that teachers commitment could be fitted into the demands of and parents have to facilitate improved regular teaching commitments or personal plans. communication from everyone but especially for those children with special needs. Part of the What will I be expected to know? agenda behind the Communication Aids Project We are looking for regular confident users of ICT (CAP) is to develop a network of expertise across who have a working expertise with deaf children. If England that provides a source of readily available you enjoy experimenting and adapting the use of information from regular users of the technology. software and hardware for classroom use then you are probably the sort of person that we wish to CAP has six main partner centres providing specific meet. expertise with ICT, education and the needs of the young people no matter what their additional needs. Innovative and enquiring The staffing resources of the Centres are finite and Is your bag packed with gizmos and electronic the demands of covering the whole of England gadgets? More importantly, do you use them? Can would require that Centre staff had their own you see ways of using them with deaf children to personal teleportation systems to get around to assist expressive and receptive communication? every referral that Becta passes on. The Centres DCCAP has a library of technology to put to good are meeting the assessment challenge in various use and is able to gather other items to evaluate. ways. One Partner Centre has developed multi- Divergent thinking is a positive advantage as is the disciplinary teams in LEAs, another already has a will to try out cutting-edge technology! network in place - whilst others working from a What are the benefits of taking part in this single base meet the need in an urban situation. project as an assessor? If you are already involved in one of these teams Being part of CAP is a good way to find out about please confirm that we know about you - we may be new developments. DCCAP PDOs will endeavour to able to share the additional ‘deaf related’ aspects of search out the new developments and will ‘cascade’ CAP with you. to assessors. There will be opportunities to share Your enthusiasm for ICT and your knowledge of ideas and information as well as seeing what is deafness could make you a potential DCCAP happening in other locations. Services will be contact... and the DCCAP team will be there to remunerated… or retired teachers paid! provide additional training, updates and experiences How to become a CAP Contact for DCCAP at appropriate points. visit the Becta CAP web site DCCAP is a national centre reaching from the tip of www.becta.org.uk/cap Cornwall up to the Scottish borders, covering the complete the ‘expression of interest’ form whole of England. Already the time spent in then travelling is disproportionate to the number of your form will be referred from Becta to DCCAP referrals needing assessment. Our team must a PDO will contact you and tell you more about expand. So the search begins… perhaps you are being a DCCAP contact. the person we are looking for? contact DCCAP: 0870 770 6161 Project Development Officers: fax: 0870 770 6162 e-mail: Mary-Fortune@DCCAP org.uk e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: Marian-Nash@DCCAP org.uk e-mail: Ann-Underwood@DCCAP org.uk

The Communication Aids Project is funded by DfES and managed by Becta. DCCAP is a joint project for BATOD and Deaf@x Trust

34 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Speech to Text - a thing of the present or the future? DCCAP team There are several computer programmes, such as • In some circumstances the system is not Dragon Naturally Speaking and ViaVoice, which, accurate. In dictation the speaker can correct when used with a microphone, turn the spoken word how the computer interprets their speech every into written text on the screen. The original purpose paragraph or so when writing letters. When was in the business world to dictate letters used in a lesson, the teacher is unlikely to stop independently of a secretary. It is now perceived as and correct the mistakes. If the computer an excellent way of helping those suffering from interprets the key word wrongly it can make dyslexia or physical disabilities to cope with written nonsense of what follows, as well as giving work, especially in the education system. Some gibberish on screen at the time. Given ideal schools for the deaf are working hard to get the circumstances and fine-tuning the system can be computer to recognise deaf speech (BATOD about 90% accurate. Magazine September 2000). • We have been using a Connevans fm Genie radio aid to improve the quality of the input signal Another way of using this equipment has been and enable the teacher to have freedom of trialled in America. The ViaVoice software has been movement. This needs to be adjusted to work used at the Halifax University, which is right next to with the system. This has both reduced the the manufacturer, IBM, so they have the experts on length of 'training time' and increased the their doorstep! A large screen is set up near the accuracy of the output text. lecturer. The text appears a few seconds after the • The pupil needs to be able to read the language words are spoken, so that deaf students can read used by the teacher well and quickly. They also the lecture at the same time as the hearing students need to be able to decide which words are can listen to it. They have also found that students nonsense and discount them. with English as a Second Language have benefited • Throughout a dialogue the teacher must ensure from being able to read the words. This that both sides of the conversation - question experimental pilot has been going on for about three and answer are repeated back, as it is the years and it has still not perfected the system. teacher who has the microphone and whose Looking at the subject from both angles it appears voice is recognised. that speech to text would be useful for deaf pupils in • If the teacher talks for half an hour, then the pupil schools to facilitate watching the lesson and must read through a long document and be able recording the work simultaneously. There have been to identify the relevant facts if they want to make several older pupils preparing for A-levels and notes later. The text will contain all the teacher university life who feel this system will be of help to asides and all the "ums" and "ahs" of regular them…. Partly because they believe that the speech that the teacher makes during a lesson. system magically works without a lot of effort (on • The teacher may object to evidence of their anyone's part!). lesson being kept on record in such minute detail. In our experience in CAP so far, we have identified • At the university the lecture theatre can be set up the following:- permanently. In school, the child has to carry the • Most speech to text systems use an enrolment laptop around with their books and cases. text before dictation can start. Some of the texts Setting up must be managed and takes time! are long and require a reasonable reading fluency. Each person using speech to text has You can see from this that it is not straightforward. to train the computer to recognise their voice for For certain pupils it may prove to be the answer now. at least an hour. Each teacher in a secondary With advances to improve equipment and facilities, it school, therefore, who came in contact with the may well be more widely used and commonplace in pupil would need to train the programme so that the future. it recognised individual voices - including supply teachers. Some people need more training than DCCAP is a joint project for others, depending on their clarity of speech and BATOD and Deaf@x Trust sentence construction. The programme will only recognise the one voice that is set up at the start of the session.

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Welcome to this edition of the ICT Newspage. If you would like to contribute anything to this page, please contact Sharon Pointeer, the ICT Newspage Editor [email protected]

Better late than never? especially as some of the later units, if they remain The roll out for the ICT Strategy has been taking true to the QCA scheme of work, contain materials place this term, somewhat late, bearing in mind that which are likely to be outside the experience of it was due for implementation in secondary schools many children, deaf or otherwise. in September! Following in the footsteps of English, Most of the lessons require the school to have a Maths and Science subject leaders, ICT system that enables all pupils to see presentation co-ordinators and other staff have attended training materials and demonstrations at the same time. In for this part of the National Strategy aimed at many schools this is likely to be a projector and improving teaching and learning at Key Stage 3. large screen or whiteboard, as long as the ICT room The ICT Strategy closely follows the format of the is designed to accommodate this. However some other core subjects with its emphasis on auditing mainstream schools are moving to systems which standards, supporting transition from Key Stage 2 allow the teacher to take over the pupils' computer and promoting effective teaching including the ‘three screens. For deaf pupils this can be a nightmare, as part lesson’. The government has set ambitious the teacher is unlikely to be visible at the same time national targets for pupils' achievement in ICT at the as the screen, making the presentation or end of Key Stage 3. By 2004, 75% of pupils are demonstration hard for the pupil to follow. expected to reach level 5 or above with this figure Although the framework guidance document rising to 85% by 2007. includes a section on inclusion and differentiation The framework is based on the QCA scheme of and there are ideas for differentiation within the work for ICT, with the first units for Year 7 and Year 8 lesson plans, the units are definitely aimed at pupils being given out at the training sessions. Also working at level 4 and beyond, on entry to Year 7. included in the resource pack are a CD-ROM Ideas for differentiation mainly relate to pupils containing the presentations from the training, a working at levels 3 to 4, so teachers working with video of the strategy in action in the pilot schools pupils below these levels are going to need to make and CD-ROMs containing files related to the significant modifications to the materials if they wish teaching units. Further units will be released at to use them. The section in the guidance document intervals over the coming year with associated relating to special needs has specific reference to training. ‘pupils who need help with English’. This contains ideas relating to teaching vocabulary such as using Also included in the pack is a document ‘Auditing a word lists etc but some of the other ideas may make subject at Key Stage 3’. This has been used for all Teachers of the Deaf shudder. These include the subject strategies, however colleagues may not speaking more slowly and stressing key words. To be aware that there is version of the document for be fair, this advice is aimed mainly at EAL learners special schools and units available from the DfES but this is the type of advice that an inexperienced Standards web site. teacher may latch on to. The section relating to (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/publications) special schools tells teachers nothing they did not As a self auditing tool, this is very good and can be already know and colleagues will be interested to applied to any subject or adapted to audit the work learn that "pupils with hearing impairments may be of a unit or resource base. helped by visual demonstrations."! There is a clear requirement for schools to teach One of the most interesting parts of this strategy for ICT as a discrete subject, as the cross-curricular Teachers of the Deaf appears in Appendix 2 of the delivery which was so strongly advocated by guidance. Here teachers will find a list of the ICT government not so many years ago has proved to key vocabulary. There is a section showing the be a less effective approach!! The individual units contain detailed, timed lesson plans, which will undoubtedly be of great value to schools where a variety of non-specialists are teaching Key Stage 3 ICT. However teachers will need to be well prepared if they are to make the lessons interesting and relevant for the pupils, www.BATOD.org.uk

©BATOD Magazine December 02 37 vocabulary Year 6 should have used and also makes learning about verbs and their actions easy vocabulary for Year 7, 8 and 9. This could be used and fun. In five engaging activities, children can see very effectively in supporting deaf pupils learning. Scally acting out more than 400 verbs and their Each lesson plan also contains key vocabulary, so synonyms. Any number of verbs can be chosen for would make well-targeted pre-teaching a possibility. specific verb tasks while the pack also allows pre- set verb groups to be selected. For more You can request a free copy of the framework from information and to hear Scally’s Song go to: DfES publications on 0845 60 222 60 or by www.topologika.co.uk/catalogue/scally.htm e-mailing [email protected] with reference Sherston Software DfES 0321/2002. The E-mail Detectives Free Resources A stimulating and entertaining resource that Digital Video introduces young pupils to electronic mail. The If you are interested in using digital video with your program uses an innovative and extremely realistic deaf pupils you might want to get a copy of simulated environment, designed to help teachers Becta’s free guide to using digital video in teaching overcome some of the organisational and and learning. The guide, which comes on CD-ROM, technological difficulties, as well as safety issues, contains all you need to know in order to get started, associated with using ‘real’ e-mail. The E-mail including choosing the hardware and software. In Detectives contains interactive tutorials covering key addition there are hints and tips, as well as other e-mail skills, has fully narrated text, and a carefully advice and resources. Also included is material designed interface. As well as the tutorials, pupils from the Becta digital video pilot such as clips of take part in an exciting adventure, in which their task teachers using the technology and examples of is to solve the mystery of Webble Valley where a pupils’ work. To get your copy e-mail: series of dangerous gas explosions has been [email protected] threatening the normally peaceful community. Teacher Options and simple record-keeping allow Video Conferencing the software to be configured specifically to the What about video conferencing? Devon Curriculum needs of the class or individual pupils. The User Services have produced a book which will help to Guide includes lots of ideas to help teachers get the get you started. ‘Video-conferencing in the most out of the software, including suggestions for Classroom’ is available for the cost of post and follow-up work. There is also a link to a special E- packing only. Send a cheque for £5 payable to mail Detectives mini-web site that contains more Devon County Council to Devon Curriculum stimulating on-line activities designed to consolidate Services Publications, Great Moor House, Bittern pupils’ understanding. Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon, EX2 7NL. Teddy Bears’ Picnic A unique infant classroom resource combining Changes structured literacy and numeracy content with the Becta has a new logo which is progressive introduction and consolidation of ICT to be gradually introduced during skills. All activities are fully narrated and can be the Autumn term. This can be accessed individually or as part of an entertaining, viewed on the working documents section of the linear adventure based on the ever-popular theme of web site at www.becta.org.uk/ictsn/documents.cfm a teddy bears’ picnic. Contents include data E-mail Addresses handling, reading and using high frequency words, As of the 1st September 2002 all Becta staff e-mail recognising coins and solving simple money addresses have changed from problems, understanding and applying language of [email protected] sequence, separating/blending phonemes and to [email protected] understanding directional language. The Pupils’ E-mails sent to the old style addresses will still be Records section provides valuable information on received but update your address books now. the number of times that each pupil has completed an activity (at each level) and the Press Release percentage of first time correct answers. The CD- We have received the following press releases about ROM includes printable resource sheets to support software which may be suitable for use with deaf related work away from the computer, and the children. educational notes in the User Guide give constructive ideas on how these may be used. Topologika Scally’s World of Verbs, is the first in a new primary Sherston Software and Softease, two of the UK’s learning series that features a friendly alien called leading publishers of educational software, have Scally, who has come to Earth to learn our announced a strategic development partnership language. Developed for both whole-class which will see a range of new titles being developed interactivity and individuals in Key Stages 1 and 2, in the future. This agreement brings together two and for all abilities including those with Special companies which have become market leaders in Educational Needs (SEN), Scally’s World of Verbs their respective specialist areas.

38 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Web Sites worth a visit Five Finger Magic www.5fingermagic.com Skill: National Bureau for Students with Like everyone else, deaf children love sleight-of- Disabilities www.skill.org.uk hand magic tricks and this site shows you 20 of the Promotes opportunities for young people and adults best. Just click on the name of the illusion and see with any kind of disability in post-16 education, it performed for free. If you’d like to learn how to training and employment across the UK. Their web make a little magic yourself, the site offers several site provides a range of advice and guidance solutions free of charge. To learn how to perform including FAQs and a series of information sheets, the others, they’ll teach you how to become the life as well as a searchable database of higher and of the party for a small membership fee. (Warning : further education institutions with details of the Flash and Quicktime plug-ins are essential if you support offered for disabled students. There are want to use this site) always a number of articles of interest to deaf Red, Yellow, Blue from AccessArt students. www.accessart.org.uk/colour/ The Cumberland Toy and Model Museum - The latest resource to be added to the AccessArt www.toymuseum.co.uk web site is an on-line workshop that enables young The Cumberland Toy and Model Museum in the children and children with special needs to explore Lake District has a collection of mainly British toys colour. Red, Yellow, Blue features interactive dating from the 1900s to the present. The web site animations to help children recognise colours and includes photographs of many toys and information understand simple colour mixing. The workshop is about visiting the museum. There are also printable also accompanied by notes for teachers and worksheets for parents and teachers, based on parents, introducing some practical methods for National Curriculum topics, for use by children at the learning about colour in the home, school or museum or at home. The entire web site is also community. available on CD-ROM for offline browsing. (Warning : A Flash plug-in is essential if you want to use this site)

©BATOD Magazine December 02 39 3-D three dimensional MatD Music and the Deaf 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project MHASG Modernising Hearing Aid Services Group A&ICT(C) Audiology and ICT Committee MIND National Association for Mental Health ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder MP Member of Parliament ADPS Achievements of Deaf people in Scotland N/A not applicable AI Artificial Intelligence NASEN National Association for Special Educational Needs ASE Association for Science Education NATED National Association for Tertiary Education with Deaf people AGM Annual General Meeting NC National Curriculum / Noise Criterion(acoustics) AWSG All Wales Steering Group NCPA National Committee for Professionals in Audiology BA Bachelor of Arts NDCS National Deaf Children's Society BACDA British Association of Community Doctors in Audiology NE North East BAEA British Association of Educational Audiologists NEC National Executive Council (of BATOD) BAFTA British Academy of Film and Television Arts NERF National Education Research Foundation BAS British Audiological Society NFDH The National Federation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing BATOD British Association of Teachers of the Deaf NFER National Foundation for Education Research BBC British Broadcasting Corporation NGO National Government Organisation BDA British DeafAssociation NHSP Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (internationally UNHS) Becta British Educational Communications Technology agency NI Northern Ireland BSA British Society of Audiology NLP Natural Language Processing BSL British Sign Language NOF New Opportunities Fund BT British Telecom NPQH National Professional Qualification for Headship CACDP Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People NSLDP National Subtitling Library for Deaf People CAP Communication Aids Project NVQ National Vocational Qualification CAPD Central Auditory Processing Disorder OECD Organisation for Economic and Community Development CD ROM Compact Disk Read Only Memory (also CD) p&p postage & packing CHSWG Children’s Hearing Services Working Groups PA Public Address system CI Cochlear Implant PC Personal Computer CPD Continuing Professional Development PD(C) Professional Development (committee) CSLR Centre for Spoken Language Research PDO Project Development Officer CSW Communication Support Worker PEN International Post Secondary Education Network (Rochester) CTO Chief Technology Officer PSE Personal and Social Education CV Curriculum Vitae RNID Royal National Institute for Deaf people DAF Deaf Africa Fund SANAG Special Assessment Needs Advisory Groups DCCAP Deaf Children’s Communication Aids Project SE South East DDA Disability Discrimination Act SEAG South East Audiology Group DEI Deafness and Education International SEMERCSpecial Education Micro Electronics Research Consortium DfES Department for Education and Skills SEN Special Educational Needs Dr Doctor SENSE formerly National Association for Deafblind & Rubella Damaged people DSP Designated Special Provision SLT Speech and Language Therapy DVD Digital Versatile Disk SMS Short Message Service EAL English as an Additional Language S/N signal to noise ratio EBD Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties SNLN Special Needs Learning Network ed editor SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority EENET Enabling Education Network TBA To Be Announced / Arranged EM(C) Educational Management (committee) ToD Teacher of the Deaf ERC Education Research Council UCL University College London ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages UK United Kingdom ESPP Early Support Pilot Programme USA United States of America FAQ Frequently Asked Question UKCoD UK Council of Deaf people FE Further Education UNHS Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (previously Neonatal) FEAPDA European Federation of Associations of Teachers of the Deaf VAT Value Added Tax fm frequency modulation (also FM) VHS Video Home System GAD Gandaki Association of the Deaf VIEW Visually Impaired Education Welfare GCSE General certificate of Secondary Education WAGSEN Welsh Advisory Group for Special Educational Needs GHK Gilmour, Hankey and Kirk consultancy WAP Wireless Application Protocol GSL Ghanaian Sign Language WLAN Wireless Local Area Network (also WiFi) HI Hearing-Impaired www world wide web HOSS Heads of Schools and Services HOSSHISE Heads of Schools and Services for HI in the South East HSSDC Heads of Schools and Services for Deaf Children http HyperText Transfer Protocol ICI Imperial Chemical Industry Tips for teachers ICT Information Communications Technology - the new Disability Discrimination Act IETF Internet Engineering Task force ILP Individual Learning Programme From 2 September, including deaf children in all school activities ISBN International Standard Book Number will be a legal requirement. The NDCS is advising teachers to: ISSN International Standard Serial Number make sure all staff know about the changes - including office ISSEN Inclusive Science and Special Educational Needs and administrative staff, caretakers and dinner ladies IT Information Technology carry out an audit of the school's current policies and KS Key Stage practices, for example on after school activities, to ensure all LAN Local Area Network children have equal access LEA Local Education Authority develop good home/school liaison so parents of deaf children LGfL London Grid for Learning know they can raise problems and issues easily LISEN Low Incidence Special Educational Needs ensure suitable training and resources are available. LSA Learning Support Assistant Ltd Limited The NDCS publication 'Deaf Friendly Schools' provides some MAP(C) Membership, Administration and Publicity (committee) handy hints to help prepare for the new DDA. Abbreviations and Acronyms used in this Magazine 40 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Resources for deaf children - 2002/3

BBC Resources for Deaf Children - Autumn 2002- Summer 2003 Daytime Broadcasts New Series - Hands Up! The Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew BBC2 Broadcast BBC2 Fridays 10.50-11.05 Autumn 2002 10 January - 4 April 2003 Double bill Monday 9th December 11.05-11.35 Hands Up! is CBBC's long running series for 09 Dec Hat Trick/Sport Reporter Deaf children who need BSL to access Friday 11.35-11.50 (3x15mins - Parts 1-3) popular literacy hour texts. For January 2003 29 Nov Fantastic Mr Fox the series features a ten-part adaptation of C 06 Dec Fantastic Mr Fox S Lewis' first book in the Narnia Chronicles, 13 Dec Fantastic Mr Fox The Magician's Nephew. The story is told by Spring 2003 Deaf actress Jean St Clair and read by Jane Lapotaire. Throughout the series Jean St NEW SERIES Clair enters the different worlds of C S Lewis Fridays 10.50-11.05 (10x15mins) 17 Jan - 14 Feb becoming the characters in the story showing Hands Up! The Chronicles of Narnia - what a great and versatile actress and story The Magician's Nephew (parts 1-5) teller she is. The story is skilfully read, in a 07 March - 4 April voice-over by Jane Lapotaire, that is easily accessible for deaf children Hands Up! The Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew (parts 6 -10) using listening equipment. Translating the story was a Summer 2003 challenge as it was written Hands Up! Signed Words and Pictures in an Edwardian dialogue Tuesday 12.15-12.30 (8x15mins) 29 April Ridiculous and rich with the philosophy 06 May Who's In the Shed? of CS Lewis. It was 13 May Goodnight Owl important to retain the 20 May The Train Ride feeling of the narrative and 03 June Dave and the Tooth Fairy 10 June This is the Bear and the Scary at the same time ensure Night that the signing was clear 17 June Poetry Workshop for deaf children all over the 24 June The Dancing Hen country. Night time broadcasts The Magician's nephew is an exciting story about magic. Two children Resources for Deaf Children called Digory and Polly are transported by Digory's uncle's magic into Special Season different worlds. Pursued by a witch they finally enter the world of Summer 2004 02.00-04.00 Narnia and meet Aslan, the lion, the creator of the world. There they Number following the title is the order number for video join forces with Aslan to save the land of Narnia from the witch's evil. Hands Up! Reception 202203 03 May Saturday Hands Up! Signed Storytime 202204 10 May Saturday Hands Up! - Signed Words and Pictures 202205 17 May Saturday Hands Up! KS2a 2002206 BBCi at 24 May Saturday http://www.bbc.co.uk/ Hands Up! KS2b 202207 31 May Saturday Signed Landmarks - The Caribbean 202209 14 June Saturday Signed Miscellany (aged 9-12) 202210 04 Nov Monday 07 June Saturday How to order catalogues and videos Hands Up! Miscellany (aged 3-11) 202211 To order tapes of Night time broadcasts contact Customer Services 28 Oct Monday Educational Publishing 0870 830 8000 fax 0870 830 8002. 07 June Saturday Details of this and other SEN provision can be found in the Primary Annual Details of this and other SEN provision can Programme Guide and the BBC Special Needs Catalogue, to order call be found in the Primary Annual Programme 08700 100 222 textphone 0208 576 8168. Guide and the BBC Special Needs To obtain a copy of the BBC Special Needs Catalogue 2002-2003 please Catalogue to order call 08700 100 222 (textphone 0208 576 8168) contact: BBC Information 08700 100 222 textphone 0208 576 8168.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 41 Publications This project supported the June 2002 Social Inclusion themed edition of the School Science Review (including an article from the Mary Hare School for the Deaf). Extra copies were produced and are available (see details below). The November 2002 edition of NASEN’s Journal - Support for Learning also has a Science and Inclusive science Inclusion theme, resulting from the project. The Association for Science Education (ASE) has been working with the National Association for Good Practice The ISSEN project has also Special Educational Needs (NASEN) on a project highlighted good practice in schools, such as the supporting inclusive science for students with Doncaster school for the Deaf and their successful special needs. With support from the DfES SEN ‘Cloning Around’ drama production in the Science small programmes fund, the project has encouraged Centrestage event. Visit the SEN section of the networking and the sharing of good practice Science Year web site between teachers, organisations, advisers and other http://www.scienceyear.com/sciteach/index.html individuals interested in this area. Here I would like to briefly mention some of the project’s activities that Resource Development A CD ROM of resources is may be of interest. being produced for students between 9 and 14 years old, containing investigation activities, interactive Web site and e-mail group materials and supportive resources resulting from The ISSEN (Inclusive Science and Special the project’s work. To obtain your copy use the Educational Needs) web site contact details below. http://www.issen.org.uk provides information, articles, a resource database and web links A session on this project and its resources will providing a focus for the project’s activity. You may feature at the ASE Annual Meeting, Birmingham be interested to join the ISSEN e-mail discussion 2003. If the ISSEN project’s publications, resources group, which was established to enable discussions and activities are of interest to you, then please and the sharing of expertise between all those contact the Project Officer Adrian Fenton working in special needs and science. [email protected] 01707 283000 E-mail [email protected] for details.

European Federation of Associations of Teachers of the Deaf Peter Annear and Paul Simpson

First ever UK Congress of FEAPDA with regard to behaviour management issues; Cardiff October 31st and November 1st 2003 medical vs therapeutic management of behaviour management; family issues, counselling and Congress theme: guidance; conflict management; de-escalation. Behaviour Problems? Whose problem? Assessment, Diagnosis and Strategies In addition to the keynote speeches there will be individual contributions from different countries in This congress will look at issues of challenging Europe describing how they deal with this issue in behaviours from deaf children and young people. their country. The second day of the Congress will How and why do these behaviours arise? What are be particularly devoted to strategies to use when the triggers and how do we best identify and working with deaf children with behavioural manage these behaviours? Are they always difficulties. exclusive to the child - do we ever consider that we are part of the problem rather than the solution? We hope that this will be a stimulating two days and we would like to encourage as many UK delegates a Our keynote speakers - from several European possible to attend this first ever UK congress of countries - will deal with these and other aspects of FEAPDA. More details will be available soon. This this subject. is a delegate conference - places are limited for These issues may include: self-esteem; identity and every country except the host country so we very role conflict; mental health issues; ethnic minorities; much hope that BATOD members will take collaboration with other agencies and with parents advantage of this.

42 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 New Technology Directory will help teachers support deaf students Christina Watson, Publications Marketing Assistant, Omnidirectory

the user, how it works, who can use it and also how to maintain the product. The contacts section has been arranged geographically so users can easily find nearby services. The directory is comprehensively indexed, making it quick and easy to find the information you need. A brand new directory will provide Teachers of the Deaf with the only independent and unbiased guide Omnidirectory is a fully comprehensive and up-to- to technology available in the UK. date publication which has been designed to simplify the process of finding relevant information. Its user- Omnidirectory aims to make things as friendly design and quality production, ensure that straightforward as possible in an age of ‘information Omnidirectory is a resource which will prove overload’. That’s why Omnidirectory is a ‘one-stop- invaluable time after time. shop’ to helping users find the information they need, quickly and easily. Hundreds of products are listed, each with individual product features and a guide to prices. Products include textphones, infra- red listening aids, radio aids and loop systems. All product details have been independently verified so that teachers and pupils can choose equipment based upon unbiased information. In addition to the extensive products section, Omnidirectory also includes contact details for hundreds of organisations offering advice, information and help. Listings which may be of particular interest include schools for deaf children and schools with units/bases for deaf children.

Omnidirectory is impartial and up-to-date, helping the user to make decisions based on fact. The first issue is free to all educational professionals who work with members of the deaf community, or who have an active interest in deafness. Future developments planned for the directory include a hearing aid product section, audiology contacts and an on-line version. To discover more and receive a FREE copy of the Omnidirectory, contact The Directory Publishing Team, NDCS, 15 Dufferin Street, London, EC1Y 8UR. Alternatively, register at [email protected] Omnidirectory has been created with an emphasis upon both efficiency and ease of use. The format of the products section is intended to help users make comparisons between products and to aid the decision making process. Products are classified into sections such as Loop Systems, Infra-Red For any enquiries Listening Aids and Radio Aids. Each product National Deaf Children's Society section begins with a detailed introduction 15 Dufferin Street, London EC1Y 8UR documenting how the technology will be of benefit to Information & Helpline: (020) 7250 0123

©BATOD Magazine December 02 43 Once this has been established, Fiona will collect any further items, as they become available to have NEC committees them archived. working for you Audiology & ICT Committee Lost hearing aids - NCPA is to send out a summary document included with the original Educational Management Committee guidance (1995) and regulation (1974) to clarify the The committee has been gathering strength during position on lost hearing aids. This will be sent to all the summer before the autumn onslaught of Heads of Audiology Services (numbering around legislation. 250). Attached to this will be concerns identified by the NCPA. The NCPA are in negotiations to effect We have a working weekend booked for the 11/12 changes through the DoH. October to deal with outstanding business. Classroom acoustics document - a request has Responses are about to be sent to two DfES been made of all NCPA members for a response to consultation papers relating to working with children Dave Canning's letter requesting specific information under the age of two - a generic document and a for the case studies, to be included with the specific one concerning deaf children. acoustics document. Russell Brett has responded We have also placed an advertisement in the on behalf of BATOD / A&ICT. Magazine asking for practitioners’ impressions of Careers in Audiology (1998) - a booklet produced by the last round of external testing to hit schools. We BSA is about to be updated. A&ICT are involved in are particularly interested in responses to GCSE consultation. and A/S level papers. Membership, Administration and Publicity Joyce Sutton puts away MAP welcomed Trevor Harrison to the pre-NEC MAP Meeting. Trevor was asked to offer advice on her pencil sharpener fundraising issues. Survey The Survey Sub-Committee has requested that MAP Joyce has written to BATOD to announce her look at fundraising to secure the future of the decision to retire from examination modification. Survey from the 2004 edition. Joyce has been involved with examinations for Database almost thirty years: setting in place special Examination is taking place to identify modifications arrangements for City & Guilds Examinations in the to the system and content. early years, becoming a driving force on the original Treasurer GCSE Sub-committee (with which she remained A list of ‘Treasurer’s Duties’ has been drawn up. involved for many years), sitting on the Advisory New hardware and software programmes to support Committee for Students with Disabilities and the work of the Treasurer are estimated to cost modifying assessments across a range of subjects £5000 + training costs on the use of the and entry levels. programmes. Funding for this is being explored. During the years of her involvement with the GCSE Magazine Sub-committee Joyce maintained a high standard of Estimated production cost of the Magazine is professionalism herself and demanded no less from £6,500 x 5 per year. The average income from others. Therefore, it was gratifying to learn that she advertising in each issue is £4,100. The Magazine endorses the recent changes in the recruitment of Editor is to draw up a list of duties (as the Treasurer modifiers to work with the Assessment Groups as has done) to inform succession planning. 'eminently sensible'. It is not because of any Web site development meeting changes to practices or to the examination system Although the new web site is close to being that Joyce has resigned but rather to enjoy her completed it will not actually be available during commitment to her extended family, which includes September as Matthew Underwood is heavily 23 grandchildren. Of course she is still finding time committed to a new project at work. However there to teach French to a Y6 group and to be an active is a lot of work that could be completed checking member of a local group for fluent French speakers, the documents on the site and preparing those as well as sitting on the governing body of her local which we think should be included on the upgraded primary school. site. Archives It was very tempting to write back and encourage Fiona Atkins is making contact with Birmingham Joyce to drop one of these time-consuming University and the regions to discuss the required commitments and continue to pour her energy into contents for the Archive and to establish what is exam work but on reflection, BATOD should being held in the regions. We believe that minutes, acknowledge its indebtedness to Joyce's dedication items of interest, old badges of office etc are over many years and accept her decision with good archived either annually or every five years. grace. 44 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Deafness@birth gains a DfES dimension Hilary Todd, Project Manager The Deafness @ birth web site babies, where practice is developing rapidly and (www.deafnessatbirth.org.uk) for professionals examples of existing and emerging 'good practice' working with deaf babies under two and their can be difficult to track down. The new ESPP area families appears to be carving out a valued niche for of the site will be up and running in late itself. Since its launch as a training and information October/early November and progress reports on resource in January this year, it has attracted over the projects will start appearing in late November. 2,700 sessions per month - not a bad average when To see this part of the site, visit the deafnessatbirth there are relatively few professionals in this field. home page and click on the 'Government initiatives' Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive - button. Links are also being put in place to and though of course we would welcome more from the Department for Education and Skills, comments from users, especially about what you Department of Health, National Children's Bureau would like to see on the site. and Newborn Hearing Screening web sites. Now the site is about to gain a new dimension, The deafnessatbirth web site is managed by RNID which should make it all the more useful. The on behalf of a consortium of bodies, including deafnessatbirth site will host on-line support for the BATOD, NDCS, the Royal College of Speech and DfES Early Support Pilot Programme (ESPP). Language Therapists, BAEA and others. Its content Basic information about the programme will be covers key areas for professionals such as available, together with regular progress reports on supporting deaf babies and their families, language all 20 pilot projects which have been funded to and communication, audiological management, support the development of services for disabled professional practice and assessment and children under two as part of the first wave of ESPP monitoring. It now comprises over 70 items, many activity. The ESPP pilot projects cover a wide range of them specially commissioned for the web site of practice and several of them are focused on from leading authors in the field, and new material is services for deaf babies and their families in the added regularly. context of the introduction of newborn hearing You can e-mail comments about the site to the screening. Project Manager, Hilary Todd We see this as a really exciting add-on to the site for [email protected] professionals working with newly identified deaf "Hello Mum. I'm fine but I'll be half an hour late." For most parents, those few words are a part of every day life. For parents of children who are deaf, it hasn't always been so easy. Now, with the help of hundreds of hearing aid wearers and the advice of specialists, the PicoLoop may make it easier. Using a revolutionary new induction loop, the PicoLoop connects to the phone with a single wire and can be held open - like a ‘clam shell’- or clipped to clothing as a hands free system, for clear conversations without interference.

As the first mobile communications company dedicated to deaf and deafened people, we have gone several steps further. The PicoLoop is available to buy or rent on its own, or as part of an all inclusive package. Because we understand that hearing loss is very individual, we have introduced a 14 day trial period, with a complete, no quibbles, refund guarantee. As a special Christmas offer, we'll fix the rental for the PicoLoop at just £7.50 a month excluding VAT - and we'll reclaim the VAT for the user.

If you know a parent who might like to try the PicoLoop for their child we have full information sheets available that you can give to them first.

Copies are available by calling 0845 671 7888 or e-mailing [email protected] or via our web site at www.hearingenhancement .co.uk

©BATOD Magazine December 02 45 De@fchild International promotes Childnet International Awards De@fchild International is promoting the Childnet This and that... Awards programme, run by the children’s internet charity: Childnet International. Deaf@x won this Talk by Text award back in 1998 and since then we have worked Vodafone, part of the world's largest mobile closely with Childnet. The great thing about the community, has introduced Vodafone Talk by Text, a awards is that there is a special category for new new pay monthly price plan, to add to its ever ideas. If your school has developed a web site or growing products and services for deaf and hard of has an exciting idea for an ongoing ICT project you hearing people. should consider entering - see Vodafone have also entered into a partnership with www.childnetawards.org. Cash prizes are awarded. the UK Council on Deafness whose member The deadline for submission is 6 December 2002. organisations will directly benefit from every sale of Entries to the Childnet award programme can be the Talk by Text tariff. made directly from the web site, which includes links to previous award-winning projects, giving an idea of Talk by Text price plan includes a number of the wide variety of successful project ideas. These services which improve communications for may inspire you to enter a project by your class or customers who have problems hearing a 'phone or school in the competition. who prefer silent communication. These include Peter Wendes, Schools Liaison Officer, * 300 text messages - a great form of British Go Association, thought ToDs communication for everyone, especially deaf and GO might like to hear about the hard of hearing people, enabling them to GO Association’s project, which introduces communicate on a par with their hearing peers the oriental strategy game of ‘Go’ to schools. It was without drawing attention to their disability. recently suggested to him that the game would be a * 100 minutes of WAP access, enabling customers good bridge between deaf and hearing pupils. to have conversation via texting using WAP Chat via Vizzavi, and offering the latest mobile Go claims to be the most challenging game in the information and entertainment services. world, and can be played on the Internet, as well as * No inclusive voice calls - ensuring deaf and hard in school or home. Schools interested receive a free of hearing customers are not penalised by paying visit, help with setting up a club, and a Go textbook for something they use rarely if ever. for the library. An outreach service is currently * Attractive Respond Plus rates - enabling deaf under preparation. The first step is to contact him: and hard of hearing customers to receive voice e-mail [email protected], or on messages which are answered by a professional 02392 267648. The web site is worth a visit: operator and sent - as a standard text message www.britgo.org to a customer's phone. Talk by Text subscribers will only pay for the delivery Survey Collaboration in Scotland of the text message whilst the inbound call will be The Achievements of Deaf People in Scotland free of charge, effectively cutting in half the cost of (ADPS) project is funded by the Scottish Executive the Respond Plus voice to text answering service. to collect and disseminate information about deaf Once again this is intended to put the cost of mobile children in Scotland. communications for deaf customers on a par with A major development has been the establishment of that of their hearing peers. For more details contact a national database, which is updated annually. [email protected] There is clearly some overlap with the BATOD Another assessment??? Survey, which is undertaken every two years. The In yet another e-mail came the suggestion that we ADPS team and BATOD have discussed trying to should add to the list of assessments ‘Social Use of minimise the demands made on teachers whilst Language Programme’. It measures self ensuring that the information required by BATOD is awareness, awareness of others and still available. An agreement has now been reached communication skills ie reasons for talking, listening which will mean that ADPS will collect all of the skills. Written by Wendy Rinaldi, Published by relevant data: this means that Scotland can still be NFER-Nelson. included in the UK BATOD Survey statistics, while Scottish teachers need not be confronted with two www.artsigns.ac.uk lots of survey requests in one year. There is a new online British Sign Language/English It is intended that a report on some key findings glossary for art and design education. It contains from the ADPS 2000/01 survey will be published in 1260 terms and 1150 signs. One of the largest the next edition of the BATOD magazine, so watch collections of sign language on the internet. Freely this space. available to everyone.

46 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Deafness and Education: Music and the deaf Music and the Deaf (MatD), a charity based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, helps people of all seeking editorial staff ages and all degrees of hearing loss enjoy music Clare Gallaway, Editor DEI and the performing arts, building on the fact that deaf people can pick up music through vibrations. Just to remind readers what is involved, I will outline Through a national programme of workshops, the way the journal is run. Whurr Publishers schools projects, talks and signed theatre (www.whurr.co.uk) are responsible for all aspects of performances by Music and the Deaf's team of production, including advertising, copy-editing and dedicated and enthusiastic communicators, layout. This leaves the teams named on the front thousands of deaf young people and adults have page of DEI (the three 'Eds' and the 'Ed Board') free discovered the potential that music has to enrich to work on the copy for each issue. their lives, as well as building confidence and self- The 'Editorial Board' consists of a wide range of esteem. academics and professionals who referee articles Paul Whittaker, Artistic Director of MatD, who and review books and are also charged with the himself is profoundly deaf, and who is an Oxford responsibility of offering some of their own research Graduate in Music and an Associate of the Royal and generally behaving in the interests of DEI, for College of Organists and the London College of instance, by encouraging colleagues to submit Music, founded the charity in 1988 and is still the papers to DEI and by representing DEI at driving force behind its unique work. conferences. The members don't meet and business is conducted mainly by e-mail. Music and the Deaf works with leading arts organisations and practitioners, including Opera 'Editors', by contrast, do meet and are the executive North, Northern Ballet Theatre, Bolton Chamber team which prepares each issue. All papers are Orchestra and the Huddersfield Contemporary initially read by one of the team: we also review Music Festival, and with such theatre promoters as books and referee papers, and review and edit re- Cameron Mackintosh, the Really Useful Group and submitted versions of papers. The Reviews Editor Disney. maintains a watch on all recent publications and corresponds with publishers and reviewers. Even For more information about Music and the Deaf, with the work divided between the three of us, there including details of helpful publications and the wide is a great deal to do. It goes on throughout the year range of inspirational signed theatre performances in an unpredictable fashion: like buses, papers and of such hits as 'Joseph' and 'Miss Saigon' around review books seem to arrive after a long wait and the country, please contact three at a time. With 'day-jobs' becoming ever 01484 483115 (phone and text), busier, this can cause difficulties when it hits a work e-mail [email protected] or visit the web site - 'hot-spot' for the 'Ed' concerned, and it would help www.matd.org.uk greatly to have a fourth person working alongside us. Also, the current team will not go on for ever Spatial memory study and we very much need reinforcements who join HEARING SIGNER VOLUNTEERS are required!! with a willingness to take over a post some time in I'll make any effort to reach you as close as possible!! the future. There is a small expense allowance The University of Plymouth is completing research on attached to the major jobs. visual memory in deaf and hearing people. The project If anybody has an interest in becoming a Reviews is about the way we memorise the position of everyday things. Editor or an Associate Editor, please contact me by e-mail: [email protected] We are looking for hearing native signers, in particular I will ring back with more explanation if necessary. children of one or two deaf BSL parent/s and/or siblings, living in South, Central England and Wales. Reviewers and referees are always needed too. Aged between 17-45 you must also be right-handed BSL/Deaf Awareness posters The study will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Travel costs + £15 are included. Cath Smith emailed to announce that Deafsign have published BSL/Deaf Awareness posters. If you wish to participate please do not hesitate to contact Dr Allegra Cattani to arrange a meeting. You They are bright, cheerful and eye-catching and can also contact me to ask more information about the suitable for all BSLers and sign users such as study. Makaton and Signalong that are based on British 01752-233814 (office) or 01752-791214 (home) fax Sign Language. 01752-233176, or e-mail [email protected] You can see them on Department of Psychology, University of Plymouth www.deafsign.com/DS/index.cfm?scn=booknews Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA The web site www.deafsign.com a useful resource too, if you don't already use it.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 47 Interpreting and note-taking options Tessa One of the recent developments that RNID has been working on is with the Post Office - TESSA. She is an avatar that is structured on a ‘real’ person signing set phrases in BSL. Tessa can be found in several ‘pilot’ post offices where staff can respond - with a signed response - to questions such as “Where can I get a driving licence application form?” and other standard questions. The correct response is identified and the on-screen During the RNID conference ‘Breaking the Sound avatar signs to the Barrier’ held during October the ICT department customer. The avatar provided a series of short talks about some of the cannot yet provide a projects that are on-going. All of the talks were, of ‘free’ response but with course, interpreted and voiced-over appropriately but the speed of current there was also a typed version appearing on a large developments this could screen behind the speaker. In this instance a be in the not-so-distant palantypist was used. future! A palantypist uses a special keyboard - sort of a shorthand type-writer to create the text. This is used regularly in Court reporting and recording. Stereotype RNID also have an electronic notetaking system - This is an electronic note-taking system developed to ’Speedtext’ - that can be purchased for use by support deaf students at Sheffield Hallam University. trained operators who have experience with It is similar to, though not exactly the same as, electronic notetaking. Speedtext. It would be useful for year 10-13 pupils if For those occasions when an interpreter could be a notetaker is available. needed for a short periods - maybe a Doctor’s If a student is planning to continue in further or higher appointment or short meeting - RNID now have a education then getting familiar with the system would videophone interpreting service. This is similar to be very useful. The notetaker need not be seated typetalk but is ‘sign-talk’ and voice-over. Find out very close to the student as the wireless connection more by visiting the RNID web site www.rnid.org.uk allows the screen content to be beamed to the Another developing project is the lipspeaking avatar. student. A hardwire system is also possible - this is Presuming that your telephone is close to a an in-house arrangement and not part of the computer (at the moment... a dedicated screen stereotype programme. There is a split screen that could be a future development) the voice over the allows the student to make additional notes and telephone can be used to generate lip patterns. comments whilst the notetaker continues making This means that it is possible for the deaf person notes. The programme allows for abbreviations, short who relies on lip reading to actually see a face cuts etc to be able to identify speakers, key vocabulary speaking the words. etc without actually typing the word in full. More about Stereotype can be found on the web site Haven't got or can't afford an interactive www.stereotypenotetaking.com whiteboard? Low tech - high tech??? You could consider purchasing the Mimio Bar with If you are working alongside a deaf person who the Mimio mouse extension (price approx £350). It needs to concentrate on the equipment or item in attaches to a laptop (or a desktop) via a USB or front of them, for instance whilst supporting in ICT serial connection and using an existing data lessons, hairdressing or floristry (which is where we projector it can transform any solid whiteboard into picked up the tip from!!!) put a mirror behind the an interactive board. Simply attach the bar to the equipment. The deaf person only needs to look up, whiteboard and follow the simple calibration not swivel around, to watch your face and follow procedure and it's done. The Mimio bar is available your lip patterns. Amazingly deaf people are adept from most audio visual suppliers (we got ours from at lipreading from all sorts on angles and easily Bullet Point Presentations). cope with the back-to-front world of mirrors! Simon Whitlow - Sandwell Service for HI Children

48 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 NATED Open Meeting and AGM 11 July 2002 Angela Ellis

The meeting was about the new Government basic NATED activities this year have included the skills strategy for adult learners - 'Skills for Life'. language modification weekends in association with The main speakers were Sue Henderson from the BATOD, a response to the LSC on new funding for Strategy Unit of the DfES and Pat Neville from City additional support, the launch of the RNID guide for Lit (author of the section on deafness in 'Access for deaf students in FE and the CACDP Code of All'). Practice for CSWs. Summary of the main points of the meeting NATED assessment pack The National Strategy - 'Skills for Life' The new NATED assessment pack is now available. This aims to motivate people to improve their Existing users must re-apply. The cost is £100 for basic skills and to keep them on effective NATED members + £5 p&p. programmes. BATOD members working in FE need to be aware of There is a curriculum with a framework for the new curriculum. Many people at the meeting teaching at different levels. (myself included) were on a fairly steep learning New assessment and diagnostic materials and curve as the relevant information has passed us by! free training are available from September. These qualifications will be on a ladder leading to key Skills. Contacting NATED Chairperson Secretary Funding will be available for non-qualification Margaret Miller Carrie McHattie based teaching but ILPs will be needed to show The Sheffield College 161 Mount Pleasant evidence of progression. Castle Centre Southcrest Organisations should register with the Basic Skills Granville Road Redditch Agency (who arrange the training) and with the Sheffield S2 2RL Worcs B97 4JJ / Text / Fax: 0114 260 3650 / Fax: 01527 545688 DfES Strategy Unit in order to receive further e-mail: Mobile / SMS: 07768 865137 information. [email protected] Minicom: 0115 9146457 The web sites are e-mail: [email protected]

www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus Membership Secretary www.basic-skills.co.uk Linda Jackson South Nottingham College Basic Skills for Deaf Learners Greythorn Drive The curriculum assumes spoken English fluency West Bridgford and doesn't take the needs of deaf learners into Notts NG2 7GA account. There are three core curriculum documents: literacy, numeracy and 'Access for All' which gives ‘Meeting the needs of the 40%’ information about working with learners with a range of disabilities (including deafness). The Midland region conference and AGM was held The ESOL curriculum is more suitable for deaf in Solihull on 12 October. Entitled ‘Meeting the learners because it has more emphasis on needs of the 40%’, the conference addressed issues teaching grammar and vocabulary and more for Teachers of the Deaf when working with deaf examples. children with additional needs. Wendy McCracken ILPs should include assessment results, targets provided the keynote speech. Delegates had a (with dates) set termly and curriculum references choice of workshops considering a range of needs, Important for suitably qualified staff eg ToDs to such as autism, language disorders and multi- be involved in the assessment of Basic Skills for sensory impairment. The conference also provided deaf learners. the opportunity for delegates to hear more about the Communication Aids Project, how to access the BACDA Study Day funding and what equipment may be available. Care pathways and current projects At the final committee meeting last term Pauline London meeting Cobbold expressed her thanks and wished Ted Friday 31 January 2003 Moore well before he retired in July. Ted has been a Brunei Gallery valued member of the committee for many years, Thornhaugh Street contributing a wealth of knowledge and experience Russell Square, London to the meetings. £70.00 members / £80.00 non-members Although sorry to see Ted go, the committee was CPD approved - 5 units pleased to welcome Nicky Ereaut, who will be BACDA is a registered charity no 1019567 representing Oxfordshire in Ted's place.

©BATOD Magazine December 02 49 Jacqueline Edwards (nee Evers) 1961-2002 Teacher of the Deaf Boothville Middle School, Northampton

A committed Christian, Jackie saw life as a gift to be appreciated and enjoyed. Empathy towards others, a sense of each person's self-worth and an unfailing positive outlook were fundamental to Jackie and shone through in all aspects of her life but perhaps particularly in her teaching. She worked tirelessly to ensure that her deaf pupils would not only become effective communicators but would Jackie passed away in June after a ten-month battle enjoy making the most of all their opportunities, with cancer that she fought so courageously. She becoming confident, independent life-long learners. leaves her loving husband Meurig with whom she Her catch phrase was always "Go for it". would have celebrated her second anniversary in Jackie enjoyed life and made the most of all of her July. opportunities too. She loved the cinema, walking, Born in Canada, Jackie moved to England with her dancing and above all to travel. She achieved one mother and father before her sister Victoria was of her lifetime's ambitions some years ago when she born. Sadly she lost her mother when she was took a year-long teaching exchange and was able to thirteen, a tragedy that perhaps shaped her into the return to Canada, the place of her birth. Typically caring, loving person that she was as she supported Jackie made many friends there and had returned her younger sister through her young life and to as often as she could. whom she became so close. Victoria says of her Those of us who knew Jackie will never forget her that she had an inner strength borne from adversity. or what she gave to us. We will remember her Jackie trained as a teacher at Worcester College of ability to see the bright side of life; her strong Higher Education and as a Teacher of the Deaf at Christian faith that steered her through the darker the Lady Spencer-Churchill in Oxford. She took up days of her illness; her joy at being with friends and her first teaching position at the Designated Special family; and above all her winning ever-present smile. Provision (DSP) for Deaf children at St George's Many of us will remember Jackie dancing, especially Middle School where she worked for many years when we hear Van Morrison's 'Bright side of the before the school's closure in 2001. Though road': disappointed at the closure Jackie has worked 'Let's enjoy it while we can enthusiastically to ensure the DSP's transferal to Won't you help me sing my song Boothville went as smoothly as possible with From the dark end of the street minimal impact on the deaf children for whom she To the bright side of the road.' felt such responsibility. Our sympathies and thoughts are with all of her family, friends and particularly with Meurig and Victoria.

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50 ©BATOD Magazine December 02 Membership subscription rates 2002 - 2003

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Full and associate members who are entitled to a reduced subscription should notify the National Treasurer of the circumstances by 30 June for the following year’s membership, to enable the necessary paperwork to be completed. Anyone with a change in circumstances (eg changing to retired status) should inform the National Treasurer as soon as they are able. Cheque payers will be sent a reminder about payment in June. Direct Debits will be altered automatically for payments in August and beyond. Members are reminded that membership of the Association is only open to individuals. There is no category for Service or School membership. We are aware that some members have their subscription paid for them and that some have their mailing to their work address. Only the named individual is the member and no other person at that address can claim any benefits of membership.

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©BATOD Magazine December 02 51 Meetings to know about Calendar Date Organisation Meeting Topic Venue 2002 Dec 4 Healthy Deaf Minds TBA Euston, London 5 Ear Foundation Supporting the effective use of a Cochlear Implant system with children aged under 5 The Ear Foundation Centre 7 BATOD NEC Association Business London 2003 Jan 8-11 EMAP BETT - the educational technology show Olympia 8-10 Inclusive Technology Special Needs Fringe Kensington Olympia Hilton 10-11 BATOD Steering group Birmingham 13-17 Cued Speech Association UK Foundation Level course Birmingham (no accom on site) 31 BACDA Care pathways and current projects - study day (5 units) Brunei Gallery, London Feb 7 HOSSHISE Regular meeting Chertsey 8 City Lit Deaf Day Westminster Central Hall

necessarily the organising body. necessarily the organising 10-14 Cued Speech Association UK Foundation Level course London (no accom on site) 19 Royal Academy of Arts ‘Aztecs’ Adventure Trails for deaf children (family event) Piccadilly, London 20 Burwood Centre Practical ideas and ways of working with deaf children in the early years Berkshire 28 - Mar 1 BATOD Steering group TBA March 13-15 EMAP The Education Show NEC Birmingham 15 BATOD AGM and Conference - Curriculum Issues Edinburgh 16 BATOD NEC Association Business Edinburgh 22 SEAG Conference TBA 27-28 Ear Foundation Advanced Cochlear Implant Workshop Sutton Bonington April 7-11 Cued Speech Association UK Foundation Level course Exeter (accom + creche on site) 7-11 Cued Speech Association UK Intermediate Level course Exeter (accom + creche on site) 8 Ear Foundation Cochlear Implants and ICT Ear Foundation Centre 10 Burwood Centre Implications of HI for children in mainstream nursery and primary schools - Introduction and language issues Berkshire May 5-11 UKCoD Deaf Awareness Week national events 21 BATOD Midland Assessment (Twilight Meeting) TBA 16-17 BATOD Steering group TBA June 5 Burwood Centre Hearing aid fittings for children Berkshire 13 HOSSHISE Regular meeting Chertsey 14 BATOD NEC Association business + regions TBA 28 BATOD South AGM and Conference TBA July 4-5 BATOD Steering group TBA 24 Burwood Centre Autism and Deafness Berkshire Aug 4-8 Cued Speech Association UK Foundation Level course Exeter (accom + creche on site) 4-8 Cued Speech Association UK Intermediate Level course Exeter (accom + creche on site) Sept 5-6 BATOD Steering group TBA 11 Burwood Centre Implications of HI for children in the mainstream school environment - behavioural, social and emotional issues Berkshire 20 BATOD NEC Association Business TBA 25-27 EMAP Education Educaion Show London National Hall, Olympia Oct 3 HOSSHISE Regular meeting Chertsey 11 BATOD Midland AGM TBA 31- 2 Nov FEAPDA / BATOD European Congress Cardiff Nov 21-22 BATOD Steering group Dec 6 BATOD NEC Association Business TBA 2004 March BATOD AGM and Conference TBA Your own diary dates: Please contact the Organising body (column 2) for details of conferences, NOT Editor this Magazine. Items noted on this Calendar may have been advertised within the Magazine or the information within the Magazine been advertised reported have telephone.Items noted on this Calendar may by is not BATOD

52 © BATOD Magazine December 02 Region Officers BATOD contacts and Magazine Distribution

Northern Ireland Chairperson: Mrs Margaret Nelson, 35 Tweskard Park, Belfast BT4 2JZ Secretary: Mr Alan Offord, 41 Station Road, Portstewart, Co Londonderry BT55 7HH Treasurer: Mrs Paula McCaughey, 23 Manse Park, Belfast BT8 8RX Scotland Chairperson: Mrs Isobel Aitken, 1 High Street, Old Aberdeen AB24 3EE Secretary: Miss Margaret Highet, 26 Sinclair Drive, Largs, Ayrshire KA30 9BL Treasurer: Mrs Ann Dykes, 4 Grieve Croft, Silverwood, Bothwell, Glasgow G71 8LU Wales Chairperson: Mr Stan Cornelius, 20 Cae Du Road, Ogmore Vale, Bridgend CF32 7DR Secretary: Mrs Marian Williams, ‘Ty’r Grofften’, 19 Pen y Graig, Alltwen, Pontardwe SA8 3BS Treasurer: Mrs Norma Moses, 28 Pen y Groes, Groesfaen, Pont y Clun, Mid Glamorgan CF7 8PA Midland Chairperson: Ms Pauline Cobbold, Hearing-Impaired Service, Sanford House, Sanford , Swindon, Wilts SN1 1QH Secretary: Mrs Janet Guest, The Glebe Centre, Glebe Street, Wellington, Telford TF1 1JP Treasurer: Mr Robert Miller, 13 Derby Close, The Meadows, Broughton Astley, Leics LE9 6BE North Chairperson: Ms Patricia Gibbons, 7 Gaddum Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6SY. Secretary: Mr Chris Payton, 19 Lawnswood Park Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5NJ Treasurer: Aftab-i-Haque, 67 Belgrave Road, Oldham OL8 1LU South Chairperson: Ms Lynne Williams, Physical and Sensory Services, Invicta House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XX Secretary: Mrs Angie Reese, 9 Wychwood Close, Canons Park, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 6TE Treasurer Ms Cindy Paulding, Primary Hearing Centre, Kingsley Primary School, Chapman Road, Croydon CR0 3NX South West Chairperson: Mr John Shaw, School House, Weirfield Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4DN Secretary: Mrs Fiona Elsworth, Sunspot, Liftondown, Lifton, Devon PL16 0DB Treasurer: Miss Harriet Nott, ‘Ygorow Dew’, 75 Stannary Road, Stenalees, St Austell, Cornwall PL25 8SW

Articles, information, contributions and Submissions to the Journal advertisements for the Association Magazine ‘Deafness and Education International’ should be should be sent to: sent to: Mrs Ann Underwood Dr Clare Gallaway BATOD Magazine Editor 21 Mauldeth Road West 41 The Orchard Withington Leven, Beverley Manchester East Yorkshire M20 3EQ HU17 5QA /fax 0161 445 6650 /fax 01964 544243 e-mail [email protected] e-mail [email protected] Association information, general queries and all matters not connected with the Magazine or the DISCLAIMER Journal should be addressed to: The Editors and the Association do not necessarily BATOD Secretary Mr Paul Simpson endorse items or the contents of advertisements 21 The Haystacks published in the Magazine and cannot accept High Wycombe responsibility for any inaccuracies. Buckinghamshire Please note that items from this Magazine may not HP13 6PY be reproduced without the consent of BATOD. /fax 01494 464190 Photocopying items breaches copyright. e-mail [email protected]

BATOD Magazine distribution from: Royal Schools for the Deaf, Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 6 RQ Association Magazine ISSN 1366-0799 Published by The British Association of Teachers of the Deaf, 41 The Orchard, Leven, Beverley HU17 5QA Printed by White Horse Press, 1 Hambridge Lane, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5TU Celebrate Halloween with our exclusive new earmould range . . .

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