This post will be a reflection from the three sessions of the Fundamentals of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student Success Professional Development sessions. They took place over three weeks (Oct 21, Oct 28, & Nov 4).

It was good to get a look at hearing differences and how they can be managed. (You’ll note I say “managed” not “fixed” because, as they talked about in the sessions, hearing devices help but are not a perfect solution.) It was very interesting to learn about the different types of technologies which can assist with hearing, specifically in loud environments such as the classroom.

It was interesting to learn about American Sign Language (ASL) from Darren Holst, who is, himself, deaf. He began with the differences between hearing and listening, and went over listening strategies. He showed a video about how educators can help students improve their listening skills. He also covered incidental learning and how it is harder for students who are deaf/hard of hearing to learn this way. This session was particularly interesting as I believe ASL (or other sign languages) should be taught in schools. It would not have to be the whole language as this would take as much time as learning any other language, however at least having the basic down would be beneficial for every student.