Building Effective Programs

Oregon Deafblind Project
Building Effective Programs
Lyn Ayer, Project Director
•
Holidays December 2012
Dec 2012
Hello everyone!
I can’t believe that it’s almost the
end of the year already! Where
did 2012 go? As we all take time to
celebrate the holidays, rush to and
fro participating in holiday activities, rest and
relax, or just take time to regroup — enjoy the
brief respite before 2013 starts!
CONTENTS
The Project now has a Pinterest page:
www.pinterest.com/lynbayer — Please note
the “b” in my name. That way, you’ll get to the
Project’s Pinterest information. Hope you find
it as much fun as I have. It’s great to be able
to put things you like in one spot, organize
them as you do this, and allow others to capture what they like.
Director’s note
1
Inspirational
2
Equal to the Challenge
3
Literacy and the brain
4
Greetings
5
The Deafblind Working
Group
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I continue to post on our Facebook page whenever I get a chance . If anyone comes across
any cool new info that others might enjoy —
please send to me — and I’ll post it on FB —
and, if appropriate, also on Pinterest.
Project Information
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People really act weird at
Christmas time! What other
time of year do you sit in
front of a dead tree in the living
room and eat nuts and sweets out of
your socks? (Unknown author)
Happy 2013 everyone!
Lyn
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INSPIRATIONAL
“A snowflake is one of God’s most
fragile creations, but look what
they can do when they stick together.” (Author unknown)
As each of us takes time to participate this month in holiday celebrations, may we also think about what
it means, and how we can put the
holidays into the context of what
we do as families, as professionals…. And also
so we can put everything into today’s context
where we may have had some really traumatizing experiences to deal with.
Talk about “paying it forward” - here’s a
thought from Mohammed Ali: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on
earth.”
Talking about the future, and thinking about a
new year, it is good to think in these terms:
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” (Native
American Proverb)
For instance, I think these quotes on Hanukkah
are timeless and have so much from which we
can glean thoughts — to inspire and shine a
light on what we do. Take a look:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/08/
hanukkah-quotes-miracle-oflight_n_2260094.html#slide=1851289
Remember — as we listen to news that is devastating — and there has been much of that
lately, we need to still believe:
In the words of India’s bard, Rabindranath
Tagore,
“Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is
still dark.”
I love the introductory quote: “Never
fear shadows. They simply mean
there’s a light shining somewhere
nearby.” (Ruth E. Renkel)
And then there’s the saying ,
“May the lights of Hanukkah
usher in a better world for all
humankind.” (Author unknown)
Stick together.
Look for light,
Then there are Kwanzaa-related UNITY
quotes too — beautiful and meaningful:
even in dark
Places.
“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.” (Kenyan proverb)
Care!
“In all things that are purely social we
can be as separate as the fingers, yet
one as the hand in all things essential to
mutual progress.” (Booker T. Washington)
Believe…...
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EQUAL TO THE CHALLENGE…….
We all learn to cope with what life throws at us — in different ways. One of
these is, literally, writing your heart out. Poetry is a very apt way to express
one’s deepest feelings, stresses, and thoughts. Here is a touching website and
a selection of poems from there.
POEMS FROM THE HEART
• The Boy Was Seen, not his wheels: http://www.disabled-world.com/
communication/poetry/boy-who-was-seen.php
• I’ll try anything once: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/
anything-once.php
• My Father’s Blind Son: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/
fathers-blind-son.php
• Singing in the Shower: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/
poetry/singing-shower.php
• Please Don’t Stare: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/
stare.php
• It’s For My Own Good: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/
poetry/own-good.php
AND FINALLY — ONE THAT I REALLY LOVE by Sheila Radziewicz :
• I am NOT: http://www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/i-amnot.php
Hope you enjoy reading these, relating to the words, thoughts, emotions expressed!
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Now for the next passage! It is even
stranger than the last one. But go
ahead – give it a try!
LITERACY AND THE BRAIN
In our newsletters, we have often referred
to how wonderful the brain is, and how we need
to encourage activities to stimulate our brains
and those of our children who are deafblind —
or not deafblind. There are many researchers
who are looking at various aspects of the brain.
Here’s one activity used by researchers that
involves literacy.
Read the following two passages out loud — and
then share it with others. You will find it
weird, but amazing:
I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod
aulacity uesdnatnrd what I
was rdanieg. The
phaonmneal pweor of the
human mind, aoccdrnig to a
rseearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr
in what oerdr the ltteres in a
word are. The only iproamtnt
thing is that the frsit and last
ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses
and you can still raed it
whotuit a pboerlm. This is
bcusease the human mind
deos not raed ervey lteter by
istlef, but the word as a
wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh
and I awlyas tghuhot spleling
was ipmorantt!
7H15 M3554G3
53RV35 7O PO0V3
HOW 0UR M1ND5 C4N
D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5!
1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5!
1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG
17 WA5 H4RD BU7
N0W, 0N 7H1S LIN3
Y0UR M1ND 1S
R34D1NG 17
4U70M471C4LLY
W17H 0U7 3V3N
7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17.
B3 PROUD! 0NLY
C3R741N P30PL3 C4N
R3AD 7H15.
PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F
U C4N R34D 7H15.
So my message is not just about literacy —
but about the amazing POSSIBILITIES!
Checking in with NCDB’s news as they move
forward with major initiatives. This issue of
Deaf-Blind Perspectives also shares the sad
news of the passing of several of our small
community.
http://www.nationaldb.org/dbp/current.htm
Please read! This will give you an idea of the
direction the field of deafblindness is going!!
If we can read this — think about things that
our children who are deafblind may also be able
to do — that we didn’t think they could! All
children can learn. We may never know all that
is embedded in the brain — in memory — and so
we just have to look to enhance this the best
way we can.
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5
THE OREGON DEAFBLIND WORKING GROUP
Richard Smouse — Region one, Eastern Oregon
Colleen McLaughlin — Region two, Central Oregon
Lynette Kleespies— Region three, Southern Oregon
Terry Cadigan — Region four, Cascade Regional
Anne Olson-Murphy — Region five, Willamette Regional
Darlene Daniels — Region six, Columbia Regional
Trish Orr — Region seven, Lane Regional
Brenda Satter — Region eight, Northwest Regional
TBD – Oregon School for the Deaf
Dennis Crepeaux — Oregon Commission for the Blind
Kathy Eckert-Mason — Vocational Rehabilitation
Amy Parker — NCDB representative, The Teaching Research Institute, WOU
Sue Mathisen — Regional Management Team
Julie York — Oregon Department of Education
Laura Petschauer — Oregon Department of Education
Lyn Ayer — Oregon Deafblind Project, The Teaching Research Institute, WOU
The Oregon Deafblind Project Website: www.oregondb.org
The home page has information about upcoming events; and our newsletters, both current
and archived.
Also get information almost daily from our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oregon-Deafblind-Project/132672043449117
We also have our newsletters and other information on our web-page with our partner
organization, the Oregon Department of Education:
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=185
Contact the Oregon Deafblind Project!
Lyn Ayer, Project Director
Oregon Deafblind Project
Western Oregon University (TRI)
345 N. Monmouth Ave
Monmouth, OR 97361
ayerl@wou.edu
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(503) 838-8328
The Oregon Deafblind Project is funded
through grant award # H326C080036-09,
OSEP CFDA 84.326C
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Special Education
OSEP Project Officer: Glinda Hill
The opinions and policies expressed by this publication do not necessarily reflect those
of The Teaching Research Institute, or the U.S. Department of Education.
Lyn Ayer, Oregon Deafblind Project
Western Oregon University
The Teaching Research Institute
345 N. Monmouth Ave
Monmouth, OR 97361
TRD 424
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