Deaf Ed. PT3 Catalyst Grant:

"Crossing the 'Realities Divide': Preservice Teachers as

'Change Agents' For the Field of Deaf Education"

Problem: Zero appropriations have been allocated to the PT3 Program. A zero appropriation means that the Deaf Ed. PT3 Catalyst grant will lose its funding after June 1, 2002. This loss will mean that the grant will have insufficient time to insure that:

· graduates from the nation’s Deaf Ed. Teacher Prep. Programs are proficient in the use of computer based, Internet linked technologies to enhance teaching and learning with deaf/hard-of-hearing (d/hh) students;

· Web based resources for the field of Deaf Ed., e.g., professional positions and instructional resources, can be maintained after June 1, 2002; and

· K-12 teachers of d/hh students, parents d/hh children and d/Deaf adults are effectively incorporated into, and supported by, the nation’s Deaf Ed. Teacher Prep. Program.

Solution: Representative Wu (D-OR) has submitted HR 1703 “Teaching Technology for the Future.” If accepted, this bill will insure funding for the PT3 Program and its grantees. Additional Democratic and Republican “Co-Sponsors” are needed for the bill.

· You are asked to contact your congressman (see listing below) and urge them to “co-sponsor” HR 1703.

Suggested Message: “Representative _________________, I urge you to become a “Co-Sponsor” of HR 1703, “Teaching Technology for the Future.” This “co-sponsorship” will insure that the PT3 Program in general, and the Deaf Ed. Catalyst grant in particular, will receive sufficient funds to complete the task of preparing technology proficient teachers of deaf/hard-of-hearing (d/hh) students. This preparation is essential for the nation’s d/hh students to attain their full potential as economically viable members of society.”

Additional information that you may want to include in your message:

· The purpose of the Deaf Ed. Catalyst grant is to restructure deaf ed teacher preparation from an isolated, competitive model to one based upon a networked community using computer-based, internet linked technologies and resources.

· d/hh students have been consistently and historically undereducated.

· The majority of d/hh students, in spite of the presence of normal intelligence, graduate from school after fifteen years of education, functionally illiterate. The acceptance of this sad fact has meant that the field of deaf education both needs and has been looking for the computer-based, internet linked learning opportunities and technology proficient teachers that this grant has been designed to provide.

· 70% of the nation’s Deaf Ed. Teacher Prep. Programs are now participating in this grant.

· To date, after four months of operation, the grant’s website has registered 794 individuals, uploaded 61 professional development calendar events, posted 156 jobs, provided 214 instructional resources links, and published 1140 instructional resource documents.

Contact Information:

· Representatives listed by state: http://www.house.gov/house/MemStateSearch.htm

· Representatives listed by name: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html

Additional Informational Resources:

PT3 Web site: http://www.pt3.org

Deaf Ed. Catalyst Web site: http://www.deafed.net

Deaf Ed. Catalyst initial summary report: http://www.deafed.net/activities/InitialReport.htm