Professional Development is an important aspect of the services that the Centre of Excellence has to offer. The Centre provides PD to all staff within VET who have contact, or may have contact, with deaf students including:
- Teachers
- Program Coordinators
- Disability Support Staff (e.g. DLOs, managers, admin support, etc.)
- Support Staff (e.g. library, front-of-office, cafeteria, etc.)
- Interpreters
- Notetakers
Teachers
The Centre of Excellence is able to offer VET teachers individual support and advice over the phone. As well, we are able to provide face-to-face PD for teachers and provide information about deafness and its implications as well as solutions to learning and assessment barriers. This includes inclusive teaching practices and assistance in adapting assessment so that educational standards are maintained whilst complying with disability legislation.
Program Co-ordinators
The Centre of Excellence is able to offer coordinators and their staff, support and advice over the phone as well as providing face-to-face PD. This can be tailored to a particular area of delivery and is frequently incorporated into a staff meeting. We are able to provide information about deafness and its implications as well as identification of practical solutions to learning and assessment barriers including inclusive teaching practices and assistance in adapting assessment so that it maintains educational standards whilst complying with disability legislation.
Disability Support Staff
The Centre of Excellence is able to offer Disability Support Staff advice and information as well as assisting DLOs in their support of teaching staff by providing advice and information to teachers. As with the support offered to teachers, Centre staff are happy to assist either by the provision of support over the telephone or by email as well as through the provision of face-to-face professional development that can be tailored to individual needs.
Support Staff
The Centre of Excellence is able to offer institute support staff professional development that will assist them in their incidental contact with students who are deaf and hard of hearing. This can include information about deafness, how to approach a person who has a hearing loss, how to communicate with deaf students in the most effective way and so forth. In terms of content and length, the professional development session can be tailored to best suit the needs of the particular staff area.
Interpreters
Professional Development is offered to interpreters through the Centre’s interpreter booking service, CABS. For the most current information about the PD that the Centre offers to interpreters please click here to visit the Professional Development page on the CABS website.
Notetakers
The Centre of Excellence is investigating an online professional development program for notetakers. In addition, some introductory information about notetaking for students who are deaf and hard of hearing is available on our website, click here to navigate to a nine minute, downloadable video.
Click here to download a flyer for Professional Development being offered in October 2009.
