Anecdotal evidence of progress - February 2004

More anecdotal evidence

• One deaf student used to feel anger and didn't have a feeling of success in his life. Now that he knows how to use two way mobile text messaging well, it is his main link to his friends. This is especially important as he goes out of the school on co-op work projects. He has become an expert and is now helping to run further workshops for both students and parents. He has also become the troubleshooter for broken pagers that are sent my (vice principal) way and has been able to identify problems and correct them so they don't need to be sent away. He is also changing the software to update them for the next workshop. As a result of his successful leadership in this area his self esteem has increased remarkably. So much so that he has been assigned as a mentor and role model for an elementary school deaf student. This has been extremely successful for both students.
• The students in grade 8 are also using their pagers as alarm clocks (with the vibrator function), and as a result are now responsible to get themselves up and going and not rely on their parents. Learning responsibility.
• The students in grade 8 are now allowed to take the subway to school in the morning, again, great for learning independence. They also page the vice principal if they are going to be late or absent ..learning accountability, commitment, and communication.
• The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is now investigating purchasing two way text messaging devices for all staff working with the deaf and hard of hearing in the entire TDSB, as a result of seeing the safety benefits to our students.