COVID 19 and Continuity of Learning

2020

December 1st Update - Guidelines for Sanitizing Equipment in Classrooms
October 20th Update - POPDHH presents: Lunch and Learn Thursdays

POPDHH is pleased to announce a series of  Lunch and Learn Webinars on select Thursdays once (or sometimes twice) a month, 12 pm to 1 pm. The TDHH Mentorship group will be in attendance, and we are extending the invite to the TDHH province-wide. Other Deaf education professionals and Community partners are also welcome to join.
See the dates, topics and registration link for 2020. More to come in the new year.

WHEN:                          Oct 29th, Nov 12th, Nov 26th, Dec 10th

WHERE:                       Online via Zoom – meeting link will be provided upon registration

TOPICS:

  • October 29th: Updates from Post Secondary Communications Access Services (PCAS)
  • November 12th: Minimizing the Effects of COVID-19 Safety Protocols on Visual and Auditory Access by Jessica Niemela, Audiologist, Interior Health
  • November 26th: Inclusive Literacy and Quality of Life, by Provincial Inclusion Outreach Program
  • December 10th: Overview of TDHH Induction and Retention Program (coming in January)

Register here  for any or all sessions. The webinar link will be provided with registration confirmation.

Please note: the webinars may be recorded. You will not be able to use a webcam or a microphone during the session. Q&A portion, will be available via Zoom chat.
An interpreter will be provided for all sessions.

September 11th Back to School Update - Accessibility, Face Masks and PPE in Classrooms

What to consider? Masks with the best visual access may not provide the best auditory access, so please choose carefully to meet each student’s individual needs. Evaluate access in different environments with different PPE, and work together with the audiologist to ensure that listening devices are being utilized effectively. 

Useful links:

May 27th Update - Coming into School Safely - in ASL!

Coming into School Safely in ASL

May 14th Update - Register for June Webinars

Coming soon: POPDHH presents Community Partners Updates – Tuesdays in June

The ProD Tuesdays Webinar series for TDHHs and other Deaf Education Professionals continues in the month of June! Our Community Partners have graciously agreed to share updates about their programs.

WHEN: Tuesday June 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd, 10 am to 11 am
WHERE: Online – meeting link will be provided upon registration

TOPICS:

June 2nd: Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

June 9th: DHH & DB Well-Being Program;
Post-Secondary Communication Access Services

June 16th: Deaf Youth Today;
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association – BC

June 23rd: British Columbia School for the Deaf

Register here for all sessions: https://forms.gle/g6PBMrpG17KbTRKD6. The webinar link will be provided with registration confirmation.

Please note: the webinars may be recorded. You will not be required to use a webcam or a microphone during the session. For Q&A portion, you will be able to submit your questions via chat box.
An interpreter will be provided for all sessions.

https://forms.gle/g6PBMrpG17KbTRKD6

May 7th Update - ProD Tuesdays in May - Recordings and Materials

You can find the recordings of all presentations, as well as materials for each webinar here

ProD Tuesdays in May

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April 24th Update - POPDHH e-learning Resources and more
 

POPDHH E-learning Workshops and Resources – We are pleased to share the presentations and  useful links from our April workshops. Click to visit the page,

 

EASE at Home Resources – In response to the pandemic and requests received from educators, some EASE classroom activities have been updated for use at home by parents and caregivers to support children’s mental health and continuous learning during this difficult time and beyond.

EASE ‘At Home’ K-3 and 4-7 activities are now available on  EASE website. Please feel free to share these resources amongst your various networks, educators and families. They will also be posted soon on the Keep Learning BC website  https://www.openschool.bc.ca/keeplearning/.

 
April 15th Update - Covid 19 - Integrated Planning Framework
 
All students require many opportunities for meaningful language exposure in their day, and we know this is especially true for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.  For school-aged children with hearing differences meaningful language happens in real time, with live people, using language that is accessible to them.  Educators can emphasize the critical importance of real-life interactions and assist families with balancing academic tasks and screen time, with activities that foster connection, hands-on learning and physical activity.  The tools at this website https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx#wizard may be helpful to families in planning how they can structure their days to best meet the many demands that they are encountering at this time.
 
 
Government of British Columbia – Covid 19 Integrated Planning Framework

Other resources

 
April 2nd Update - Covid 19 - How can we help?

Dear Deaf Education Professionals, District Partners, POPDHH Counterparts and Friends,

Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing may be experiencing additional levels of isolation or anxiety about the unknown due to language or communication barriers. Check out this COVID Book that uses visual and simple language to help children understand why they are experiencing so many changes in their day to day life. For children who rely on Visual Language to communicate, these resources – courtesy of FNDC may be of interest to them or the helpful adults in their life who may not yet have the ASL vocabulary required to explain what is happening.

POPDHH is continuing with ongoing programming involving technology, such as ASL online and ASL Office Hours. Our TDHH Mentorship program will also continue.

We understand students are disappointed that Deaf and Hard of Hearing Connections Week is cancelled. We are reaching out to district partners to develop some opportunities for students to connect online.

Other points to consider:

  • Please follow your district’s directives around contacting students individually.
  • When you speak to families, be sure to emphasize that everyone’s physical distancing efforts are important! Reiterate self-isolation, hand-washing, sanitizing high traffic areas like door knobs, etc.
  • Check-in with your district about community resources available to vulnerable families. If the families you work with need food or access to basic services, it may be helpful for you to know how to redirect those requests or make connections.
  • If your district is expecting you to provide face-to-face services using a web meeting platform, the following Tele-therapy and Behaviour guides may be helpful to you as you begin to think about how you will implement services:
    Behaviour Checklist
    Teletherapy for Therapists
    Teletherapy for Parents
  • Check out these videos about closed captioning for web meeting platforms. Closed captioning included!
  • Check out these Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines: http://csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_PAGuidelines_0-65plus_en.pdf. Encourage families to get outside in unpopulated areas and move around (school aged kids need at least an hour of moderate activity per day, plus at least 3 hours of vigorous activity per week). Teachers, make sure that you are also getting off screens and getting some fresh air, too!

And finally, we’d like to share this blog post with you that explicitly addresses the unique situation we find ourselves in as educators (and maybe parents). Read on to learn more about the difference between ‘home schooling’ and ‘crisis schooling’.: https://www.heatheranneworld.com/post/homeschooling-is-not-the-same-as-crisis-schooling-advice-during-coronavirus-covid-19-shut-downs.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time. You can contact your favourite POPDHH consultant directly, or email office@popdhh.ca for general inquiries.

We are here to support you!
POPDHH Team