Deaf Child Crossing for a Book Perhaps?

Note from Cris the Professor:

I think that working with 2 to 3 teens to read a book and discuss it in your Ning would be a great project. If you could get some teens from your church to participate then I think that would be ideal. Please don’t consider this “research” – it really isn’t research at all. You’re teaching reflectively, that’s all. You’re researching the literature to learn all you can, planning an Action Learning Project, and then reflecting on what you learned. You’re also checking with the teens to see what they thought of the project.

As for a permission form, if you work with a few teens from your church then I’d suggest that you simply write a brief letter that explains what you’re doing , that you’re doing this for a class, and that parents are welcome to join the Ning if they’d like. Be sure to explain that you have total control and that it is private, safe, and secure. Remember that your goal is not to discuss controversial issues about deafness and HI (that would turn some parents off) rather you are simply interested in using a new text-based tool to help student read and discuss a novel for young people their age that represents deaf and/or HI people in a non-stereotypical way. No need to have them sign – I just think they’d appreciate knowing what you’re doing.
Hope that helps.



Email from me to the teens participating:

I have considered a book. If you can I would love to get a third person especially someone you know. I have to write a letter to your parents so that they feel comfortable with it. We will be communicating via a blog called Ning and it's only for us four to see it. All you will be doing is reading a book called Deaf Child Crossing written by a deaf actress Marlee Matlin who was also on Dancing with the Stars. This is a possible book I have considered. What you will do is read it and post your responses to the book. I will have questions on Ning for you to answer and I am hoping to get to meet you all in a group. You attend East Wake right? I was a student there in the 90s. I have not gotten Ning set up yet but if you can, try to get that book from the library. If you are unable to get it, I might buy it from Barnes and Noble for you three. I could just use you two but we will get much more feedback with a third person.

I work at Combs Elementary in Raleigh in a special education program for children who have hearing loss. My students use sign language to communicate. Deaf Education is my career and am always wanted to expand my knowledge of it. The purpose of this book is to see your perspectives of the characters in the book as they are related to most of the students I work with. It's always good to know how people feel about specific disabilities.

Getting Help!

Hi Scott,

This is Crystal. I am a member at C3 and you probably remember me doing
observation for my leadership class for NCSU one Sunday night. I need your
help again if possible. I have to do a research project using four high
school students. It's mainly getting them to read a book and provide their
feedback on it. I work with elementary school kids so I don't have easy
access to high school kids and I thought of the C3 group. Would it be ok
if I came out on Sunday night and talk to a couple of kids to see if they
are interested? Also I would need their parent's permission because the
students will be posting feedback on a website I have created. Do their
parents come out there? If so, it would give me a chance to talk to them.
This project deal with their perspective on people with disabilities. The
books they will read have disabled characters and I wanted to see the
outcome of whether or not this book has changed their perspective on how
they view these people.

Would you be ok with this? It's pretty much my only option. Thanks!


Crystal Steiner

Getting It Started!

I am a little nervous about this project because I am not able to have access to high school kids as easy as most people in class. I thought about using the high school ministry at my church. Would I need parental permission if the students are to be engaged in this? Also I wanted to use a girl who has a cochlear implant but today I found out that even though she has a lot of hearing and functions as a hearing child, she considers herself "deaf" (because she is deaf without it) so I don't think it would be valid to have kids with hearing loss unless they consider themselves hearing because I am trying to change their perspective of deaf and hard of hearing people by reading these books that have a deaf character.

I thought about having them pick one of the five books I have to read. Then give them a pre and post reading questionnaire on their thoughts on people with deafness or any disability regarding socializing, their opinions on what they think of them, helping them (making them too dependent or giving them independence), and putting them in a perspective where they might have a deaf child and what accommodations would they use to help him or her. All this information can be done on Ning. I have created a Ning site called youngadultsrule.ning.com. I have also created a blog on blogspot for personal reflection" http://crystalsteiner.blogspot.com.

I thought it might be a good idea after they have read it to visit my classroom where I work with 1st and 3rd graders at Combs Elementary. They can see how different the world is for them regarding their education and socialization.

I have not researched many journals yet. I found two and this topic is very rare to find so I am hoping to have luck. I will contact a professor at Galluadet University, the only university for deaf and hard of hearing people in America to see if I can access their journals online.