Systems & Collaboration
Sample Scholar capstone project.
Shared with permission.
This Systems & Collaboration webpage demonstrates my knowledge of education as a complex system (C1). The system of education is made up of interconnected parts influenced by historical, legal, and social influences across time and proximity to people within the system. As a member working in this complex system, this page also demonstrates my knowledge of and ability to respectfully collaborate with the educational team (C4), using my knowledge of educational theories and practices to work effectively within the school system.
School Interpreting Series (SIS) Standards
SIS Competency 1
Analyze educational laws, state regulations, and school protocols that influence U.S. public educational systems and structures, ultimately impacting deaf and hard of hearing students and the support provided by educational professionals. (Knowledge)
SIS Competency 4
Collaborate with educational professionals, respecting the collective contribution of the different roles and responsibilities in schools, serving the unique educational needs of each deaf and hard of hearing student. (Knowledge & Skill)
This page includes a demonstration of Systems & Collaboration for:
This page also includes an overarching reflection and references.
This webpage includes a demonstration of my competence within Systems & Collaboration through an exploration of a d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) student’s experience displayed as a Bronfenbrenner diagram, an instructional assessment, and an example of applying my decision-making process to a classroom scenario. I also reflect on the goals of education, special education, and Deaf education, state standards for grades K-12 in Idaho, and three major US laws that have an impact on Deaf education: The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004.
Ecological System of a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Student
The ecological system for a DHH student is based on the work of psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory proposes individuals are affected by five ecological forces: a microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem (Sprouts, 2021). The microsystem consists of the social and familial relationships closest to the student. The mesosystem contains relationships between people who influence the student, such as teachers and educational interpreters. The exosystem reflects larger societal influences that do not directly influence the student, but which have an effect on their life. The macrosystem is the broadest and includes factors on the largest scale: laws, geography, culture, etc. The chronosystem reflects time and how the student’s life is impacted and changed by different factors over the course of their life. All five systems are connected and ultimately have influence on the student’s life. This is a visual representation of the factors that affect a DHH student’s mainstream education, public school grades K-12. A DHH student attending a school for the deaf would have slightly different influences between the systems. The goal of this diagram is to show a generalized view of some of the major influences a typical DHH student may encounter.
This infographic addresses key components of SIS Competency 1 by examining educational laws relevant to DHH students and educational interpreters, individual state standards for education, and engaging a larger systems view of a DHH student’s mainstream educational experience. This ecological system allows me to see beyond the individual student to how their needs are affected on many different levels: the big picture. As an educational interpreter, having a systems view will be a valuable perspective. Thinking on a systemic level broadens the focus, allowing interpreters to see beyond the current situation into what may be causing certain behaviors or outcomes in a given situation (Brown, 2017).
Prior to building this infographic, I had heard of Bronfenbrenner but was unfamiliar with the details of his work. Accessing the course materials as well as engaging in my own supplemental research helped me to gain a deeper understanding of each of the systems that influence a DHH student’s experience as related to a K-12 public education. I appreciate the opportunity to engage and dialogue with peers on what factors could be considered most relevant and which system they might fit into. I also appreciate the opportunity to review and revise this diagram over several weeks as that supported and deepened my learning and understanding of each level.
Instructional Assessment
This instructional assessment is grounded in the ecological systems theory of DHH students and employs a systems approach to analyze an observed classroom interaction. DHH students are provided full access to their education through the use of educational interpreters. For interpreters to effectively support students, they must understand the content of the teacher’s lesson, the teacher's goals, and how the lesson aligns with broader state curriculum standards. The instructional assessment project entailed observing a K-12 classroom teacher, with particular attention to their lesson plan, the structuring of the lesson for students, and the instructional strategies employed. The findings from this observation were synthesized into a PowerPoint presentation.
Video Language: ASL
I chose to observe a middle school teacher. She teaches a college and career readiness elective class for 6th-8th graders. The class is run through a national program called AVID: Advancement via Individual Determination. The lesson was a "living wax museum" where students selected a famous person to learn about and present to the class.
The instructional assessment meets the objectives of SIS Competencies 1 and 4. I utilized my interpreting network connections to collaborate with the classroom teacher. She and I met to discuss the assignment, and she provided her lesson plan and state curriculum objectives, teaching strategies she planned to implement, and how she and the interpreter work together to prep for the complexities of interpreting the student presentations. I recognized teaching methods such as direct and indirect structure, Initiate Response Evaluate (IRE), dialogic discourse, and Costa's Levels of Thinking and Questioning. The teacher also used opportunities to connect questions from the students to other world knowledge and reinforce building relationships with and between the students. The DHH student's needs were supported through pre-conferencing: the teacher and interpreter reviewed the assignment objectives together, then the interpreter worked with the student to determine where she should sit or stand for his presentation, if he wanted to voice or sign, and how she could best support him.
The teacher and interpreter have a good working relationship and collaborate well together, which directly benefits the DHH student because there is a consistent flow of information. I learned a lot by observing the teacher's class as the students prepared for and then presented their projects. The teacher and interpreter supported the DHH student's acommodation needs and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals while encouraging his autonomy. They are an excellent example of how partnership between educational team members meets everyone's needs. I recognize the importance of team collaboration and understanding the goals of the lesson. In the future as an educational interpreter, I know what questions to ask the classroom teacher to learn their goals and objectives so we can work together to support the DHH student.
Scenario: Decision-Making in Action
For the instructional assessment, I observed a series of live classes where an educational interpreter and classroom teacher worked together as the class prepared an intensive project. In this next example, I analyzed a fictional scenario involving a DHH student and her classroom teacher, imagining myself in the role of the interpreter. The two examples are similar in that they both involve supporting a DHH student presentation.
The scenario involves interpreting (transliterating) for a 6th grade student, Maliyah. She uses both spoken English and signing modes to communicate. One of Maliyah's IEP goals is to practice her English voicing skills in one-on-one or small group sessions that include adults as language role models. She feels self-conscious about speaking because of her "Deaf accent." Maliyah comes from a Deaf/hearing family and has strong language skills using sign language. She is hard of hearing and uses hearing aids.
The class is preparing for a poetry slam where they will present an original poem at an evening event for their family and friends. Maliyah has invited her family and a Deaf mentor to attend. When explaining the assignment to the class, the teacher, Mr. Jones, states, "You must speak clearly and effectively in the presentation of your poem." Maliyah appears uncomfortable about the requirement to "speak". The following interaction is an example of how I would approach Maliyah during class when I notice her reaction to what Mr. Jones has said.
Video Language: ASL
In my response, I encouraged Maliyah to raise her hand to ask Mr. Jones if she wanted to clarify his expectation for "speaking." I also noted she could ask during class or we could meet with Mr. Jones briefly after class one-on-one. As a sixth grader, Maliyah is starting to reach the point in her development where she's growing in independence (see Child and Language Development). The interpreter needs to have the ability to assess the student's current level of development and challenge their growth. For DHH students, working on skills in autonomy is important so they don't grow too attached to relying on the interpreter.
I also chose to have a meeting with Mr. Jones. This is his first year teaching a DHH student and he's unfamiliar with Deaf culture. The next video is an example of how I would approach speaking to Mr. Jones about Maliyah's reaction during class.
Video Language: English
Because of Maliyah's strengths in sign language, the nature of the poetry slam assignment, and her intended audience, I encouraged Mr. Jones to allow Maliyah to present her poem in ASL. I reminded him her IEP goals stress working on English speaking skills in small group settings and that the large-group aspect of the poetry slam would not be best suited for her to work on that goal. I encouraged Mr. Jones to sit down with Maliyah to work out a solution together that would fulfill the goals of the assignment while boosting Maliyah's self-confidence.
This scenario challenged me to consider many different variables before putting a decision into action. Maliyah's core identity and microsystem reflect Deaf culture, language, and heritage. Mr. Jones and me as the interpreter also fall under her microsystem. Her mesosystem includes her IEP goals, the Deaf mentor she's working with and has invited to the poetry slam, and the influences of the school's policies. Moving outward through her ecological system, her local Deaf community plays a part in her continued identity and social development. I also thought about Maliyah's inital reaction to Mr. Jones' requirement to "speak clearly," and considered why it made her nervous. A direct interpretation of the word "speak" could have contributed to her anxiety. Knowing that Mr. Jones puts emphasis on Maliyah's IEP goal of practicing English voicing, I felt the direct interpretation was appropriate. Additionally, that provided an opportunity for Maliyah to assert herself and her needs, and for Mr. Jones to learn more about Deaf culture and why sign language was so important to Maliyah. Facilitating communication is highly nuanced. As an educational interpreter, I will face many similar situations where a specific word or sign choice will lead to different outcomes. Remembering to think of the big picture as well as the details will lead to better outcomes for the DHH students and the educational team members.
Overarching Reflection
In creating the content for this page, I learned how to broaden my perspective to consider the larger systems at play. Each student is influenced by many factors out of their control. Part of the role of an educational interpreter is to understand where the DHH student fits into a larger system of influence. I also learned how to examine my own systems and influences and acknowledge that what I bring with me will impact the students I work with. My strengths include a willingness to collaborate with educational team members to meet the student's educational needs. I can see beyond the day-to-day to the overaching goals of the environment. As a new interpreter, establishing relationships with teachers is vital. When teachers understand the role of the interpreter and how we can work together, the DHH student's access is increased.
Producing this page also brought me a clearer understanding of education law and the impacts on both DHH students and interpreters. I know how key terms such as FAPE, IEP, and related service providers fit into the legal landscape of educational interpreting. I know what the state standards for education in Idaho are and about the requirements for working as an educational interpreter in this state. I also recognize the importance of knowing state core curriculum standards and teaching methods. These are examples of larger system considerations which also influence teaching and interpreting on a daily basis. In the near future, understanding these concepts will help me when I take the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) in spring of 2025 (both written and performance). Systems-based thinking also has a direct impact on how interpreting happens in the classroom, which I'm looking forward to exploring during my upcoming internship. While the opportunities to prepare are different between preparing for the EIPA and real-world interpreting, similar concepts can be applied to each scenario. In the long-term, I know I will work with classroom teachers to clarify the role of the interpreter and promote ways that we can work together to give DHH students the best access we can to their education.
References
Brown, J. (2017, August 24). Systems thinking: An introduction [PowerPoint slides]. Louisiana State University Health
Sciences. https://www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu/docs/20170824%20Introduction%20to%20systems%20thinking%20for%20interpreters.pptx
Sprouts. (2021, Dec. 1). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems: 5 forces impacting our lives [Video]. YouTube.