Sep 30, 2020
[Subtitles available in English & Spanish | Subtítulos disponibles en español y inglés]Video Description Link: https://tinyurl.com/y6srw6gt
Video Description:
Text insert appears: Cindi Nagy, Language as Barrier to Test Access. A white woman signs.
Speech:
After graduating high school, I attended college and that was when I had my first sign language interpreter, which had a strong impact on my experience. Wow, I learned so much at my community college.
I got my Associates degree and then went to Gallaudet for my Bachelors degree, and Lamar University for my Masters.
I haven’t actually received my Masters degree because I was supposed to take my teacher certification test here, and that’s why I haven’t really received my Masters degree, but I completed everything except that test.
The teacher certification test is tough because of the focus on the English language and it’s not designed for Deaf students or Deaf Education overall. Instead it’s more for hearing public school teachers. I’m a little bit nervous about that test and that’s why I’ve delayed taking it.
In the past, deaf educators would be exempt from taking the test, but they are required to take the test now. Because of the position I’m in, I haven’t yet tried to take the test.
I have been working with deaf children for the past 39 years as a paraeducator, not as a teacher, but I’ve taken part in co-teaching and substitute teaching.
My experience teaching over the years made me feel confident as a teacher, but not about the test. I have a mental block due to its reliance on linear language and its rigorous focus on hearing general education educators.
Video Description:
NDC Logo appears above text, black lettering on a white background: nationaldeafcenter.org
“This video was developed under a jointly-funded grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) #HD326D160001. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the federal government.”
Next to it, three logos appear. The first reads “IDEAs that Work” with an arrow drawing a circle from “IDEAs” to “Work” and the words “U.S. Office of Special Education Programs”. The second logo shows a red-and-blue star with text next to it that reads “TA&D”. The third logo shows a blue circle around a tree. In the blue circle are the words “U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.”
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© National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
Video licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
