Teachers for the deaf to train online as UA program changes

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Teachers for the deaf to train online as UA program changes

The state's only program to train teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing children is shifting to online-only instruction.

The program director at the U-of-A says the changes allow the program to focus more on training teachers in different locations to better meet the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

The program has a 100 percent placement rate, and students are typically recruited while still in school, receiving multiple job offers.

The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind currently have 22 unfilled positions, and there are openings in other school districts statewide as well.

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UA goes online to train teachers of deaf

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The UA's program for teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, the only one in the state, is shifting to online-only instruction and adding a certification program to meet growing demand statewide.

The program, with five core courses, has been at the UA since 1980 as one concentration in a special-education master's degree. The reconfiguration will allow the college to focus more on training teachers in different locations to better meet the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, said Shirin Antia, professor of special education.

"The teachers we trained here were not really reaching them because they didn't always want to take jobs in those communities," said Antia, director of the teacher preparation program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. "This is one of our strategies to make sure the teachers are where the kids are."
With a $50,000 grant from the Arizona Board of Regents, all five core courses will move to online instruction. Students can take just those courses for a certificate or continue with the rest of the master's degree requirements in on-campus courses.

The program has about 20 students, and the teachers are in high demand, Antia said. There are currently 22 unfilled positions at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, as well as openings in other school districts statewide. The program has a 100 percent placement rate, and students are typically recruited while still in school, receiving multiple job offers.

Antia said the challenge in moving to online instruction will be preserving the practical experience in the time-intensive program. Each semester, the students have internship experience, which is crucial for their education.
"The challenge for us is going to be continuing that same idea for this long-distance program," she said. "We've been slowly transforming. All our courses now are part Web-based, but we meet all our students every week. It's not an easy transition, but the benefits are there."