4/20/99

Harold Johnson

The success of our grant effort is dependent upon the extent to which it represents a "comprehensive" and "innovative" effort to substantially enhance the preparation of teachers of the deaf. As you know, our grant effort has been divided into four major components, i.e.,:

    1. Faculty Development - (Lead - Alan Marvelli, 413 585-3050, amarvelli@smith.smith.edu):

      2. Task = enhance Deaf Education faculty's use of technology w/in their course work.

    2. Syllabi Development - (Lead - Bill Brelje, 503 768-7781, brelje@clark.edu):

      3. Task = develop syllabi that can be used within our major method courses.

    3. Resource Development - (Lead - Barbara Schirmer, 330 672-2294, bschirmer@educ.kent.edu):

      4. Task = develop multimedia case studies that can be used within our method courses.

    4. Support Development - David Mercaldo, 208 236-3809, mercdavi@isu.edu):

Task = identify possible support sources (e.g., federal, state, foundations, etc.) for our ongoing work

Karen Dilka (606 622-1043, seddilka@acs.eku.edu) and I (330 672-2294, hjohnson@kent.edu) will serve as the Co-Directors of the grant and an outside evaluator will be identified to determine the effectiveness of our efforts. If funded, at the completion of our one year of work, we will have: a) an increased our understanding and use of technology to enhance teaching and learning; b) developed "best practices" syllabi for each of the major method courses we teach; c) piloted the development of multimedia case studies that capture the effective instruction of K-12 d/hh students; and d) identified an array of funding sources that we can "tap" for future efforts. In addition, we will have developed an "implementation plan" that could be used to support the systematic use of the enhanced technology skills, syllabi, case studies and funding sources in Deaf Education Teacher Preparation programs throughout the country. However, if our goals are to be achieved, we must accomplish one critical task, i.e., the vast majority of us must actively and significantly participate in the proposed grant activities. Within our grant proposal, such participation is to be noted on the "Partner Identification From and Cost Share Worksheet." I have posted this from to our ACE-D/HH Web site (www.educ.kent.edu/deafed/961209a.htm) under the title of "Partner ID Form" (www.educ.kent.edu/deafed/990420a.htm).

In light of all this information, I would ask the following:

    1. Please identify one of the grant's four component (i.e., "Faculty Development", "Syllabi Development", "Resource Development" & "Support Development") in which you are particularly interested.
    2. Contact the "Lead" individual for that component to express your interest and to discuss how you might best support the work of that component.
    3. Go to the ACE-D/HH Web site and print off the "Partner ID Form"
    4. With the help of the "Lead" individual for your component and the support of your Chair and Dean, complete the form and fax it to Karen Dilka (606 622-4443). Note: I have written directions regarding how to complete this form on the identified Web site.

I hope that the preceding has given you a clear idea of "what-to-do-next", I also hope that many of you make the decision to get involved with this grant effort and that you do so within the next few days. This grant effort will proceed if at least 20-30 Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs commit to the effort by the completion of the "Partner ID Forms" (Note: one per program). The more that commit, the more likely we will get the grant. So please decide to get involved now! Two weeks from now we will decide if we have sufficient support to continue the grant effort.

Take Care & Please Get Involved

Harold