AUSLAN MENTOR IN EDUCATION One month before the end of 2014. Essential skills • Experience in working with Deaf and /Hard of hearing students and their teachers. • High level of fluency in Auslan essential. • Experience in skills involved in interpreting in a school setting. • High level of written and spoken English. • High level practical application and understanding of assistive technology including use of iPad, computers. Duties • To mentor teachers and assistants with deaf and hard of hearing students in Auslan skills • To promote advanced Auslan skills to teachers and assistants • To promote effective educational interpreting skills • To introduce the staff to technology that can assist Deaf students such s iPhone, and Ipads and appropriate applications • To run school community workshops on Introduction to Auslan to parents and the wider community. About the school. Kiribati school and centre for children with special needs is the only school of its type in Kiribati. It has approximately 145 enrolments. There are currently 10 classrooms. Students enrolled very from Physical, intellectual needs to those with sensory impairments. Please view the school you tube clip to find out about the school. youtu.be/hz2xFTzmvc4 Approximately 35 Deaf and hard of hearing students attend the school. These students are accommodated in new wing of the school with another cohort of Blind and vision impaired students. The deaf students are broken in to three classrooms according to ages, 6 years until 22 years. There are currently three teaching staff, four assistants and one volunteer. Auslan is used as the main form of communication with most of the students together with Ikiribati. English is also used. Apart from the Deaf signing staff other staff speak English. Many of the students are profoundly deaf and others have been identified as benefiting from hearing aids. These are being introduced. About the position. Airfares and accommodation are provided as well as assistance for a visa. Other expenses you will need to provide for yourself such as health checks, travel insurance, passport and inoculations. Internal transport and food will need to be self-funded but these costs are minimal. The position will be for 3 to 4 weeks between now and the end of November. This visit position would suit someone who has worked in Auslan education or interpreting and would like to share their skills and use their leave, (holidays, long service leave, leave with/without pay or retirement) in a positive way that will be of great benefit to Deaf children and Deaf people in Kiribati. This is a short working visit to assist the staff and students with their use of Auslan. Auslan is used extensively in the Deaf part of the school as the major communication together with verbal language of Ikiribati and some English. Help is needed to improve Auslan usage in the interpreting of the curriculum and associated school activities especially as more complex grammars and concepts are used. You would expected to be a role model in Auslan using it as often possible. At present communication via Kiribati internet is not consistent enough to run training and upskilling via skype or other visual technology means. The Volunteer would be required to know the latest technologies that in the future could be used to link Kiribati Deaf people with other Auslan users in the world. The teachers have Auslan training from a previous Australian volunteer and some have training from in Fiji. One or two have had training from Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. NSW (RIDBC). The Deaf assistants have attended Deaf school In Fiji and share their Auslan skills learnt there with family and colleagues. Auslan Videos and training DVD also assist. The school is the only situation in Kiribati where Auslan is used. There are no community interpreters. It is essential that the volunteer has English communication skills to be able to converse with the local community so everyday activities such as shopping, health care, transport etc can take place. Ikiribati is the language used by the majority of people in Kiribati. English is spoken for official commerce. About Kiribati Kiribati could be described as 3rd world country or an undeveloped country. The standard of living is poor throughout. Many people are sustenance living in traditional housing. There are few luxuries. Water and sanitation is poor. Food is basic but generally the health of volunteers is good when precautions taken. Personal safety is not an issue. Kiribati is a hard but highly rewarding place to visit and work in. It is not a Pacific paradise, there are no resorts, no 5 stars or even 2 stars, no idyllic swimming beaches close. However the people and culture are unique as it tries to come to terms with the western economies and its wide spread tradition culture. The people are accepting, inviting and polite. The school and teachers are extremely welcoming and willing to try out new ideas and are keenly looking forward to someone to help them. How to apply Please contact Erica Smith eandzsmith@gmail. Special Education Advisor Australian Volunteer International Kiribati School and centre of children with special needs Tarawa Kiribati
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:29:13 +0000
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