1 Author: Galarno, Barbara, L. Title: Increasing Public Awareness of a Recession-Proof Career, Community Action Grant Proposal, American Association of University Women Graduate Degree/ Major: Master’s of Education Research Adviser: James Lehmann, Ed. D. Month/Year: November, 2012 Number of Pages: 53 Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th Edition X I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the Graduate School and that an electronic copy of the approved version will be made available through the University Library website X I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S. Copyright Office. STUDENT’S NAME: Barbara Galarno STUDENT’S SIGNATURE: ________ ________________________________________ DATE: ADVISER’S NAME (Committee Chair if MS Plan A or EdS Thesis or Field Project/Problem): James Lehmann ADVISER’S SIGNATURE: ________________________DATE: This section for MS Plan A Thesis or EdS Thesis/Field Project papers only Committee members (other than your adviser who is listed in the section above) 1. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________ DATE: 2. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________ DATE: 3. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________ DATE: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section to be completed by the Graduate School This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School. _________________________________________ ___________________________ (Director, Office of Graduate Studies) (Date) 2 Galarno, Barbara, L. Increasing Public Awareness of a Recession-Proof Career, Community Action Grant Proposal, American Association of University Women Abstract The fields of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime have long been misunderstood by the general public, so that an intensive marketing plan must be developed to recruit individuals to enter the profession and end the shortage that has developed. Learning the skill of realtime writing is very rigorous, which also contributes to the shortage of qualified professionals who can perform closed captioning or communication-access realtime services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Along with creating marketing materials and incorporating a marketing implementation plan to provide awareness of these careers, new methods of instruction helping students to learn how to be self-directed learners in a skills-based program will also ensure successful completion of the program by students, providing them with a well-paying professional career, as well as providing equal access to all communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Once these two needs have been met, the current shortage of skilled professionals will cease to exist, and the deaf and hard-of-hearing community will be able to rely on quality services in communication-access that current technology can provide. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… 2 Chapter I: Introduction……………………………………………………….. 6 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………… 6 Purpose of the Project/Grant Proposal……………………………….. 7 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………….. 7 Methodology…………………………………………………………… 8 Chapter II: Literature Review…………………………………………………. 9 Background…………………………………………………………….. 9 Problem: Shortage of Skilled Professionals…………………………… 10 Proposed Solution………………………………………………………. 11 Educational Theory…………………………………………………….. 12 Teaching Myth: Repetition and Drill Dull Creativity…………………. 12 Repetition and Learning………………………………………………… 13 Teaching Plan…………………………………………………………… 16 The Challenge of Individual Students…………………………………… 20 Summary………………………………………………………………… 22 Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives……………………………………… 23 Goal 1/Objectives………………………………………………………….. 23 Goal 2/Objectives…………………………………………………………. 24 Chapter IV: Project Methodology……………………………………………… 26 Action Plan……………………………………………………………… 26 Project Management Team……………………………………………… 26 Justification for Chosen Methodology………………………………….. 27 4 Methodology…………………………………………………………….. 28 Evaluation Plan and Tools…………………………………………….. 32 Dissemination Plan……………………………………………………. 35 Budget…………………………………………………………………. 38 References……………………………………………………………………... 40 Appendix A: Cover Letter…………………………………………………….. 43 Appendix B: Grand Foundation Proposal Request……………………………. 44 Appendix C: Student Survey for Marketing Material Information……………. 50 Appendix D: Student Survey for Satisfaction of Facilities and Equipment……. 51 Appendix E: Survey of Graduates……………………………………………… 52 Appendix F: Instructor Survey…………………………………………………. 53 5 List of Tables Table 4-1: Attendance of Information Sessions for the Past Five Years…… 27 Table 4-2: Time and Task Chart for January 15, 2013 through August 15, 2016………………………………………. 31 Table 4-3: Project Dissemination Strategies……………………………….. 37 Table 4-4: Budget Outline………………………………………………….. 39 6 Chapter I: Introduction This grant proposal’s purpose is to enlighten the public regarding the careers of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime. With the advancement of technology, realtime translation has become state-of-the-art in this profession. Professionals use computer-aided translation software to instantaneously provide voice-to-text conversion of television programming. There are also many other applications for this service, including things like public meetings, classroom lectures, movies, any environment in which voice-to-text conversion would be useful for its audience. These careers are a good fit for the Community Action Grants provided by the American Association for University Women because the services provided by these careers give the deaf and hearing-impaired communities equal access to communications of the hearing world. Statement of the Problem A problem exists because closed captioning and communication-access realtime (CART) have become essential tools for the deaf and hearing-impaired communities to be able to have equal access to the hearing world, and there is a severe shortage of individuals trained to perform this service. Although the technology is available to provide these services to the deaf and hard- of-hearing communities, there is a severe shortage of skilled professionals to perform these services. The skilled professionals that perform the services for those communities are trained, first, as court reporters. This profession has long been misunderstood, while, at the same time, expanding into more complex areas because of the technology of realtime writing, instantaneous translation of the spoken word to text. Training for the various careers encompassed by this skill is very rigorous, yet very rewarding both financially and emotionally. This nationwide shortage is occurring because of 7 the low exposure to this career, and there is an increasing demand for professionals to perform the essential roles this career encompasses. There needs to be a comprehensive marketing program developed to recruit individuals to enter this career, and a support system set up to encourage those individuals to successfully complete the rigorous training. Purpose of the Grant Proposal The goal of this grant proposal is to increase the awareness of the general public about the career of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime (CART), the shortage that has been created and the opportunities that are available. There will be two important outcomes that will result by developing a comprehensive marketing plan that will recruit students to enroll in the programs for these careers. Those outcomes include, one, by providing the skill and education to those students, they will embark on a high-paying professional career; and, two, the current shortage of skilled individuals to provide these much- needed services to the deaf and hearing-impaired communities will close the gap that shortage has created. Definition of Terms Captioning. A display of words as the textual equivalent of spoken dialogue or narration, but they also include speaker identification, sound effects, and music description. Captions must have sufficient size and contrast to ensure readability, and be timely, accurate, complete, and efficient. Communication-access realtime (CART). A professional service which provides the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and realtime software. The text produced by the CART service can be displayed on an 8 individual’s computer monitor, projected onto a screen, combined with a video presentation to appear as captions, or otherwise made available using other transmission and display systems. Realtime writing. This is a method which provides the instantaneous translation of the spoken word into the written word. National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). The professional association that provides certification and guidelines required of professional court reporters. The NCRA also monitors issues affecting members of the organization through lobbying efforts and publications keeping members abreast of those issues. Methodology Following will be a comprehensive grant proposal to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), outlining all