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This is a course for trained teachers, so if trained teachers want to be able to make
a real differenced to an individual child and family Deaf Educatgion is one course that
can do that. I trained as a history teacher and qualified as a Secondary School history
teacher. So the main reason for coming on this course was to qualify as a teacher of
the deaf. I came on the course because it was a requirement of my job. I work with multi-complex
needs students and a number of which are deaf or have undisclosed hearing difficulties,
so it was a really really good opportunity to come and explore how we can support them
really. The course will undoubtedly benefit my career in terms of getting this professional
qualification. The way that the current economic climate is and jobs - teaching jobs - are
precarious at the moment, and this qualification will open up other avenues of employment.
My key motivations for taking the course were that I wanted to get involved in deaf education,
I wanted to become a teacher of the deaf. The main challenge with taing this course
has been to really understand in depth how to teach children and young people who have
got language delay, communicatin difficulties, social and emotional difficulties and other
communication challenges so that they can access the curriculum and develop in the same
way as their peers. The reason people choose Manchester is that we're the only university
where we have deaf education sited with audiology and speech and language therapy. We've also
got a very long history - we were the first course - so that we've got a fantastic university
library system, we've got the ability to have audiology teaching on the course, to have
joint workshops on the course, with audiologists, we also have a speech and language therapist
who teaches on the course, and a social worker for the deaf who teaches on the course. They're
all based at the University of Manchester, we don't have to buy them in, so there's a
very rich research background and evidence base on which we can base all our teaching.
When I looked at the other courses, what I really liked about Manchester's course is
that it really looks at the research, so it takes up-to-date research and practice from
developments in medicine and it tries to bring that onto the course to directly influence
our practice. I'd recommend the University of Manchester because of its reputation, because
you know the teachers and the tutors who are running these courses are the best. Professor
McCracken is undoubtedly a big draw. What she doesn't know about deaf education isn't
worth mentioning. Prior to coming to the university I've been very fortunate to work with... the
youngest was two weeks and the oldest was ninety-one, I've worked in oral settings,
in signed bilingual settings and I've been able to work all over the world. I think that's
important for the students on the course because I can give a very broad perspective for what
deaf education is about. The course is not biased towards one particular area. I felt
some other courses were more biased towards sign language development, but what I liked
about Manchester was it looks at the big picture. In the 21st century we're a couse which is
technology-based and most young people are very interested in technology. It makes a
fantastic diffrence to deaf children. if you train to teach the deaf it menas you can work
with any age group - nought to twenty-five - something you can never do in a traditional
school setting. it also means that you may cover any area of the curriculum, so its really
good if you are creativ, out-of-the-box thinker, and it really builds on the experience you
have as a teacher, so it uses your skills and develops those into a specialised area.
The main challenges on the course have been balancing work, life and uni. It has been
a real challenge. I think I was unprepared for how heavy the workload would be, however
the staff, the tutors at uni have been really supportive. They appreciate that we haev different
backgrounds, different personal circumstances, and they're prepared to accommodate that and
work with us and give us the support that we need, if its in terms of timetabling study
or how to handle an assignment they have been really supportive. If you are contemplating
applying for the course definitely apply for it. It's a brilliant learning experience apart
from anything else, so if you've got a background in education and you're intersted in deaf
education I would say definitely go for it.