Seminar for teachers - a new step in bridging the digital divide for the deaf and hard hearing people

From 6th to 8th of November at the Moscow ORT Technology College (# 14) seminar for teachers of ORT’s partner educational institution on ICT using in teaching deaf and hard of hearing in schools and institutions of initial and secondary vocational training "Bridging Digital Divide" was held.

The seminar was organized as a joint project of ORT in Russia, the World ORT and British ORT "Bridging Digital Divide", which is funded by the St. James's Place Foundation (UK). The project is aimed to help the deaf and hard of hearing students to master the skills of information technology, and thus provide them with more opportunities for social integration, professional development and financial independence. For two years, the project has been successfully implemented in the Moscow special (correctional) secondary boarding school # 30 n.a. K.A.Mikaelyan and Vocational Boarding School # 2 in Tula.

ORT in cooperation with the Moscow ORT Technology College (# 14) implements projects to train deaf students since 2006, when courses were organized for students of Moscow boarding school # 52. In 2007, ORT Russia, and Hewlett-Packard Corporation opened training center at the Tula Vocational School Boarding School # 2 for children and young people with hearing impairment. Later there were also centers in Saransk Automotive Technical College and Tambov College of Industrial Technologies opened. Striving for expanding the project and to provide teachers, who train the deaf and hard hearing people, with the ability to acquire new knowledge and to share their experiences in ICT using in the educational process, the organizers invited to the seminar representatives of other Russian educational institutions.

As a result, 22 teachers from schools and institutions of primary and secondary education in Moscow, Tula, Tambov, Saransk listened lectures and attend master classes on how to use the latest advances in information technology in training deaf and hard hearing student, and became acquainted with the leading Russian experts in the field of education and special education.

Among the lecturers there were the experts of the Department of special education, special psychology of Sholokhov Moscow State University for the Humanities Professor Elena Malhasyan and   Associate Professor Irina Nikolskaya; Chief of the Laboratory of Head Center of Training and Research and Methodological for vocational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities of Moscow State Technical University n.a. N.E. Bauman Denis  Kuleshov; President of ORT Russia, the Director of the Federal Institute of Open Education, Member of the Russian Academy of Education, the Head of Department of Psychology of Personality of Psychology Faculty of Moscow State University n.a. M.V.Lomonosov Professor  Alexander Asmolov.

Their new products and solutions to assist in training and creating a barrier-free environment for the deaf provided development Director of one of the leading companies in the production of hearing aids and support systems "Aurica" Andrei  Yamschikov and employees of "Polymedia" - leader of Russian market of audiovisual information display devices: CEO Elena Novikova, Head on Development Anna Kirichenko and Development Center Analyst Evgeniya Horoshevskaya.
Project manager, Cisco Networking Academy, Russia Dmitriy Razumovsky acquainted the participants with a comprehensive e-learning program that provides students with knowledge in the field of Internet technology needed in a global economy.

Director of the Moscow ORT Technology College (# 14) Yu.D.Mironenko and College’s teaching staff - Deputy Director Igor Pavlov and Methodists Valentin Kots and Natalia Ilicheva - shared with the participants the experience gained during the implementation of projects to teach the deaf and hard hearing students, and conducted workshops on the use of various methods and techniques of distance education.

On the second day the teachers also made presentations of their educational institutions and their achievements in the field of information technology and socialization of students with hearing impairments.

Workshop participants appreciated experience and knowledge received during the seminar:

"The seminar turned out practice-oriented. The goal set at the beginning - to collect and summarize the experience of teaching deaf and hard hearing with ICT - has been achieved "- Anastasia Chetyrina, teacher  of Tambov College of Industrial Technologies.

"Very useful seminar - the colleagues’ experience is very valuable! It is well, that especial seminar on training students with disabilities by hearing was organized "- Natalia Kononenko, master of vocational training of Moscow Technology College # 21.

 "ORT will continue to provide support to its partners, schools for children with special educational needs. Integration of experience in the field of vocational education and expertise of specialists in the field of special education can provide hard hearing children with modern occupations and professions related to ICT using. I would like to mention especially the high level of technological equipment, vocational education and general culture of the Moscow ORT Technology College (# 14), which is an example for all participants "- Director of ORT in Russia Segey Gorinskiy.

Irina Silaeva, Program Manager, ANO "ORT"