Chapter 7 Cognition, Perception, and Learning Strategies

* The authors conclude: “… deaf and hard of hearing learners may bring to the educational setting needs for training in problem-solving and cognitively oriented learning strategies that differ in degree and perhaps in type from modal behaviors and needs of hearing students. Teachers therefore require specialized training if they are to optimally meet the academic needs of students with hearing loss. Ultimately, curriculum and classroom design, as well as approaches to presentation and guidance in teaching and learning activities, should be based on recognition of these differences rather than assuming that when communication barriers are removed, deaf and hearing students have the same knowledge and approach learning in the same way” (p. 134). What is your understanding of the statement? Give a concrete example of how you will differentiate your instruction in an inclusive classroom where there is a student who is DHH. 

I believe that each student learns differently.  Yes, some students may lean towards having the same learning styles, but no two students can learn the same thing.  So, yes I think that teachers need to be trained in these differentiating their teaching to help reach out to all the students in the class.  I believe that in order to work with students who are deaf or hard of hearing you should have special training.  However, that is not always the case.  Sometimes that student may be left with the interpreter all day and that interpreter may have to step up to the plate and help that student out if they need more than just an interpretation.

In my classroom...

I work with a fourth grader who has a very mild hearing loss.  The student does not use amplification and does not sign.  I also work with another fourth grader who has a profound hearing loss and uses a cochlear implant and a hearing aid.  I don't work with these students at the same, but I do work with them on a lot of the same activities that are provided by their regular education teachers.  I think that a lot of the time these two students are pulled out of their class when their regular education teacher cannot teach how they need the information to be presented to them.  With the student who does not have amplification I really have to make things concrete and real life situations for him/her to understand.  This student's learning style is very, very different from the student with amplification.  When I work with the student with amplification I have to spend more time explaining vocabulary and not tie the information back to real life experiences.  With both of these students the communication barrier is dropped when they walk into the deaf education classroom (office).  This shows that even though both of these students have a hearing loss they still need differentiated instruction. 

Chapter 7:

I really enjoyed reading this chapter.  It really sparked a lot of conversation between me and my cooperating teacher.  We were able to discuss the learning needs of our students and compare to what the book said with what she has seen in her 20 years of teaching.   In the section where it talks about visual attention I was amazed with myself that I had not thought about students who are deaf or hard of hearing being more visibly distractible than hearing students.  After, reading the section I thought it made sense.  Then, I got to thinking about all the visual distractions that are in the classroom that I am in.  I also started thinking about how difficult it would be to have to deal with both the auditory distractions and increased visual distractions.  This all goes back to when we did the acoustic testing of the preschool.