DIVERSASIA - Best practices

The Longwill School for Deaf Children is using mobile game devices to improve communication between learners and their families. This could be a model of practice for other learning institutions wishing to improve communication with underrepresented learners and their families. Context: Longwill caters for learners with severe and profound hearing loss. Because of the nature of learners’ special needs, attainment on entry is well below average. All learners have statements of special education need and several have additional special needs, including autism and behavioural difficulties. Learners come from the local area of Birmingham. Many are from socially deprived areas. Over half are eligible for free school meals and nearly three quarters come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The majority of learners have British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language. Method of inclusive practice: Learners record videos of themselves and their peers using gaming consoles (Sony PSPs which are handheld devices with a camera). Educators are also encouraging learners’ parents and siblings to record their own messages using this device. The idea is to improve the level of communication between young learners and everyone in their families. The technology is also useful when it comes to bedtime stories. For many parents, sign language is a second language, and this can be limiting when reading bedtime stories to their children. Teachers can now video themselves signing bedtime stories which can be downloaded onto the console. Although these can also be used on a computer, it is much nicer to have a handheld device in bed for night-time stories. Learners also use the device to record their thinking. This is easier for them than taking notes in English since their first and most developed language is sign language. Teachers have noticed an improvement in the quality of ideas and depths of thinking since taking this approach. Focus of inclusive practice: The aim is to improve home and school links between teachers, learners and their families. Teachers are able to show parents and siblings new sign vocabulary easily with this highly visual approach. It is also easier to involve families in school life by sharing a video of what their children have been learning. Level of success: The students are very excited about using the technology and have found it easy to master. Very soon teachers had the class recording videos of themselves and their classmates telling stories in British Sign Language. Overall, the feedback has been extremely positive. One student enthused, “I’m very interested in the handheld devices. Mrs Carter has been teaching us how to use them, and we have been taking photos and film with them. It is funny because you can see us smiling and laughing!” The school has described this method of engagement as “a very powerful tool to encourage better communication”.