Blog Post #2: Where I am and where I'm going...
Since all of my DHH students use hearing technology and assistive listening devices, I decided to do a science-based inquiry blog on how this technology works. As I work with my students on their self-advocacy skills, it is so important for them to understand how their devices work to help them hear. It will help them learn to troubleshoot the technology when they get older, help other people understand their hearing loss and listening devices, and maybe it will foster in them an interest in a career in improving hearing technology. Since most of my students use cochlear implants, so I decided to do this inquiry specifically about them.
My first impression of cochlear implants when I first heard about them was actually negative. I took a Deaf Culture class where we discussed whether it is ethical to give young children cochlear implants without allowing them to choose weather they want to be Deaf, with a Deaf identity, or to have a cochlear implant and assimilate in the hearing world. I love ASL and Deaf culture, so I understood cochlear implants as something that takes away from that. But I realized that cochlear implants themselves can't take away from that: people with implants are still considered deaf, and they can always choose to identify as Deaf as long as they are allowed to experience ASL and deaf culture. Cochlear implants are an amazing technology that is proven to help students in mainstream schools acquire the english language and achieve more in school than they otherwise would have. Here is my favorite video on this tension between technology and deafness:
I actually don't know too much about cochlear implants beyond the basics. I know that part of the device is implanted in the person's cochlea, or inner ear, and the outer part goes behind the ear and the magnet attaches to the head. I'm really excited to dive into exactly how they work. I want to know how the surgery is performed and what exactly gets implanted inside the inner ear. I want to know what people with cochlear implants hear and why some people can hear better with them than others. Here are some resources I have found so far:
Hi Maddie,
ReplyDeleteI love that your inquiry topic encourages acts of reciprocity. I see how this topic benefits both your understanding and appreciation of ASL & deaf culture, as well as benefitting your students' understanding/use of cochlear implants to impact the ways they advocate for themselves and their needs.
I appreciate diving into this with a scientific-based approach/evaluation for its relatively new invention & use (I found that it was introduced around 1972 and don't know much about it myself). I'm sure there have been incredible strides in the technology and areas that still need improvement. I'm excited to read more about your findings!
Carolyn
Hi Maddie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your opening paragraph talking about how you are preparing your students to self advocate. I think this is an important lesson for young people to gain independence. Great work.
I am excited to see what more you find about cochlear implants. I have heard about them before but I feel like you have given more in-depth knowledge and I am excited to see where this blog goes from here.
Meghan
The topic of cochlear implants and how they intersect with Deaf culture is very interesting, especially in terms of how the devices may position individuals. It raises many questions of identify and perhaps even border crossing in terms of cultural practices. I look forward to seeing what texts you gather on this topic and how you plan to frame them for student reading/viewing.
ReplyDelete