batod_cover.qxp 9/2/13 19:55 Page 1 British Association of Teachers of the Deaf MAGAZINE • March 2013 • ISSN 1336-0799 • www.batod.org.uk Extra-curricular activities Learning about cytomegalovirus Support for further and higher education A BSL glossary for science terms Join BATOD to get THE Magazine for professionals working with deaf children batod_ifc.qxp 11/2/13 10:04 Page 12 batod_contents.qxp 9/2/13 09:19 Page 1 Contents From your editor Extra-curricular activities All teachers are aware of the Scaling the heights 4 contribution of participation in How we do it at Longwill 6 extra-curricular activities to the A visit to the theatre 7 overall development of children Enabling through the creative arts 8 and young people. It has always been crucial to remember that It’s Deaftastics! 10 children’s development is not The beautiful game 12 limited to the classroom. Where deaf children are Life & Deaf – livelier still! 14 concerned this is even more the case and the Simple chatting 15 values of extra-curricular activity can be enormous Cinemas need to hear us 16 and can contribute to positive development in so Bygone days 17 many areas – social, emotional, linguistic, cognitive The magic of theatre 18 and indeed academic. This edition of the Magazine An outdoor education 20 explores many different types of extra-curricular activity and also includes consideration of the value On the YAB 22 of outdoor education, residential education and the Enhancing lives with music 23 24-hour curriculum. I hope there is something of Welcome – any age or ability 24 interest for everyone here. Residential education: a first resort 26 Jordan’s Jamaica 28 It is always difficult to select articles and items Joining forces 31 20 about current issues when preparing a magazine which will not appear for another couple of months. However, some things should stand the test of General features time as being of interest and informative over a Achieving change 2013–17 32 longer period. I hope the articles about funding, Spotlight on social care 34 consultations and the draft provisions for the Bilateral implantation – safe and effective? 35 special educational needs clauses in the Children An exam system for everyone 37 and Families Bill fall into that category. A blogging strategy 38 What do you know about cytomegalovirus? 40 We are always on the look out for suggestions of themes for forthcoming editions of the Magazine. Audiology update 42 If you have any ideas please let me have them at Addressing concerns 43 [email protected]. Making further and higher education meaningful 44 Signs for science 46 35 Forthcoming topics for 2013 May Conference 2013 – Regulars Achieving Potential with ICT news 50 Technology This and that 53 September Acoustics November How do Teachers of the Reviews 56 Deaf make a difference? Abbreviations and acronyms 58 53 Calendar – meetings and training 60 Association business Achieving potential 3 Magazine Editor Been there... done that? 47 Representing you – The Communication Trust 48 Representing you – FLSE 49 BATOD was there representing you… 57 Subscription rates 2012/13 59 Change of address notification form 60 Officers of Nations and Regions inside back cover 3 Need to contact BATOD Cover about other matters? Conor Slack, a young boy with bilateral cochlear implants, taking part in a taster climbing session at the Hotrock Climbing Wall in Talk to Executive Officer Paul Simpson Tollymore Mountain Centre, Newcastle, Northern Ireland. email: [email protected] answerphone/fax: 0845 6435181 For information on advertising rates see www.batod.org.uk batod_2.qxp 11/2/13 10:02 Page 12 batod_3.qxp 8/2/13 13:15 Page 13 Association business Achieving potential With the launch of its new website and the next Conference on the horizon, BATOD is going from strength to strength in 2013, as Karen Taylor reports cannot express how privileged BATOD has been to be shared at the BATOD Conference and members work with Kath Mackrill over the last few years on will have time to discuss how things are coming along Ithe production of the BATOD Magazine. She has in their areas. worked closely with the Magazine Editors and the Publications Manager to produce a consistently high As I write this a debate is developing around the quality Magazine for members and I know both Paul inspection of services for deaf children and young Simpson and Ann Underwood have always been people. Many members contribute to the inspection impressed with both the quality of her work and her of schools and deaf resource bases as well as local professionalism. I am sure all members will join me authority inspections. We are also very heavily in thanking Kath for her immense contribution to the involved in the Newborn Hearing Screening BATOD Magazine and wish her well in any future Programme ‘inspections’ that take place. As local projects. authorities reduce the services they directly provide, the ones that remain will often be those that are A warm welcome to Rosi Hearnshaw who will statutory and ‘inspected’. We could argue whether be working with BATOD on the production of the this is the right focus for authorities, but the reality is Magazine from March onwards. evident. Will statutory inspection of our services raise our game further and focus on the attainment and I hope by now you have visited the new website. My achievement of deaf children and young people? huge thanks to the website ‘team’ who have put in I would very much like to hear what members feel a tremendous amount of work to develop this. This about this. has been led by Ann Underwood, who has kept the momentum going to ensure that the new website BATOD facilitates a number of special interest groups could go live in January 2013 and be launched (SIGs). SIGs are set up to meet specific needs, for officially at the BATOD Conference in March. She example pre-school issues and deaf ToDs, which has been very ably supported by Andrea Baker, Carol are often better dealt with at a more local level or by Thomson, Sue Denny and Maureen Jefferson. They linking small numbers across the UK. In the BATOD have produced a more user-friendly website and one South region a pre-school SIG has been operating that will have a wider range of resources for members. for several years. BATOD will enable the setting up We must also thank Matt Underwood for all his hard of a SIG and facilitate its work, providing guidance work to put their ideas into practice, especially the and information and taking advice and action when easier access to update membership details, which pertinent. However, the demands on BATOD already will benefit us all. If you have not seen the website yet, stretch resources to the maximum and a SIG must you are missing out – get logged on. be both self-organising and self-financing (and of neutral cost to BATOD). The work of the SIG must be I have been watching with interest the development consistent with the aims of BATOD and may be either of the use of iPads and apps with deaf children and national or local. The Deafness and Autism Special young people. I have been increasingly impressed Interest Group had its first meeting on 13 February. with the range of apps available (we are developing My thanks to Joyce Sewell-Rutter for organising this a long list in Norfolk!) and how quickly deaf children, event, which had an excellent programme. even in the early years, adapt to using them. Used appropriately we have found they have real benefits: BATOD members who are interested in joining these • Introducting new concepts, which the children are groups or setting up a SIG should contact Paul able to pick up surprisingly quickly. Simpson for further details. • Encouraging and motivating participation in games. • Assessing and reinforcing a child’s understanding effectively. • Increasing attention and concentration. I know some areas are being very enterprising and developing their own apps. I hope this expertise will ©BATOD Magazine • March 2013 • 3 batod_4_5.qxp 8/2/13 13:15 Page 12 Extra-curricular activities Scaling the heights In setting up climbing taster sessions as a way of engaging deaf children in her local area, Antonette Burns encountered a very positive response recent Sunday Times (4.11.12) article ‘Give us grit two hearing aids. All used speech as their main form not grades’ states that schools should be educating of communication. Six had statements of special Athe whole child, not instructing them for tests. educational needs as a result of their deafness. All Character is far more important than exam results in used FM systems in school. Most attended their local determining a child’s later success. mainstream schools; two attended a unit for hearing- impaired children. None had significant additional needs. This is especially true for deaf children who may not reach their potential academically because of their Taster session deafness. This can result in low self-esteem and does We met at the BAC and the coaches took everyone into little to help prepare them for life after school. Extra- an acoustically friendly room and explained what the curricular activities should be encouraged for all our deaf session would entail. Pictures of climbers were shown pupils. With this in mind I was keen to introduce the deaf and the children were encouraged to ask questions. children in my area to something a little bit different…. They were very quickly put at ease by the coaches. Helmets were put on and harnesses demonstrated. Following a taster session through his youth club, my son became a climbing addict.