For several years, school personnel in the Blind/Visually Impaired (BVI) field have hosted regional “swap meets” throughout Michigan. During these meetings, attendees share, or swap, tips and ideas, as well as what they are currently working on.
MDE-LIO’s Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) team liked this idea and started hosting swap meets virtually during the 2020 – 2021 school year. Due to the pandemic, these meetings were held virtually, which allowed more professionals to participate without having to drive to an in-person meeting.
The virtual DHH swap events kicked off with meetings in three regions of Michigan: north, west, and east. MDE-LIO DHH Education Consultants John Kirsh and Beth Rice recruited a DHH teacher consultant from each region to take the lead on their swap meet. Potential presenters were discussed with initial support from MDE-LIO. Dr. Tina Childress, a nationally known educational audiologist, was chosen as one of the first presenters; her presentation covered hearing assistive technology (HAT) resources.
Since then, other presenters from the DHH field have presented on important topics, as well as members of the MDE-LIO DHH team. This past year, MDE-LIO staff shared an overview of the Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Educational Service Guidelines [PDF] document. Several chapters from the document were also discussed in depth, with topics ranging from specially designed instruction to transition.
Participants have shared that attending these swap meets help them feel less isolated, especially if they are the only teacher consultant working in their ISD. If you would like more information on a regional swap meet near you, please reach out to [email protected].
Future plans include expanding the “swap meet” concept to classroom teachers and offering these meetings in the Mid-Michigan region. If you are interested, please email John Kirsh ([email protected]) for classroom teachers or Kelly Dunham ([email protected]) for the Mid-Michigan region.