The Ear: Parts and How We Hear
It’s always important for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students to understand how the ear works, how we hear, and why they have difficulty hearing. As such, the students are required to know and be able to label all the parts of the ear. They also need to be able to identify which areas they have trouble with – outer, middle, inner – and which specific parts within the section ear. By knowing which area they have difficulty with, they will also be able to describe what type of hearing loss they have. This is a lot of technical information the students are required to know.
As such, I believe it’s very important to use multiple modalities – visual, auditory, manipulative, etc – to teach the concepts. I enjoy using YouTube videos to describe how we hear. It gives it more depth to the diagram instead of the paper format. I also have students fill in a ear worksheet, labeling the sections and parts. Some students will also use play-dough and create their own ear. When testing the student’s knowledge, I try to make it as fun as possible. One way I do this is by using a PowerPoint game.
Making a Self-Advocacy PPT
Part of being a teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students mean building their self-advocacy skills. This includes being able to tell about their hearing loss, about their hearing devices, and how to solve difficult listening situations.
The following lesson plan focuses on teaching students how to be the “Boss of Their Hearing Loss”. The idea is based off of Amy Kroll’s I’m the Boss of My Hearing Loss. Students create a PowerPoint about their own hearing situation. The PPT will then be printed out and students will be able to have their own book.
For older students, the PPT is created with the intention of using it for in-servicing teachers at the beginning of the year. Students can use this to explain why they need Specially Designed Instructions (SDIs) or accommodations in the class. While the format changes for the older students, the information provided remains the same only with more details.
Playing Self-Advocacy Games: PPT / Board
As stated before, it is necessary that students know about their hearing loss, devices, and improving difficult listening situations. Many of my students have a pool of questions or concepts that they must work towards mastering as part of their Individual Education Plan (IEP). Flipping through flashcards is boring and repetitive – which causes students to lose interest easily. To combat this, I have created multiple formats to quiz a student’s understanding of self-advocacy. These games make it competitive and engages the students more effectively.
One game I use is the Board Game. Students are shown the board game. Players take turns answering a question from the student’s self-advocacy pool of questions. If they answer correctly, they are allowed to roll the die and move forward on the board. There are a few places that force the player to “go to start”, “go ahead”, or “go back”.
Another game I use is with PowerPoint. I have multiple versions of this game including – Mario, Zootopia, Madagascar, Disney, SpongeBob, Avengers, Batman, and Black Panther. The student’s self-advocacy questions are built into the game. Players take turns choosing a question and answering it correctly. If answered correctly, they are awarded points. There are a few selections that involve “lose points”, “switch points”, “steal points”, or “bonus points”.