Newsletter
On this page, you will find an HTML version of the latest DCMP newsletter, as well as links to archived versions. We are always looking for new ideas from our members and plan to feature articles and content that you submit. Please feel free to e-mail us with any suggestions/comments you might have regarding the newsletter.
You may also subscribe to the DCMP Newsletter or unsubscribe from the DCMP Newsletter from the DCMP website.
A wonderful time to celebrate the new year, DCMP, and January'os American heroes. Read about the top five reasons to use DCMP in your classroom,
and then pass it on. Use accessible media as you celebrate this month’s birthdays of these
great achievers: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Louis Braille, and Paul Revere, to name a few. Also, DCMP presents the fifth in a series of articles on audio description--read what
Joel Snyder has to say about how audio description aids literacy.
Archived Newsletters
December 2011–
Combine learning with fun by using DCMP accessible educational resources. This month offers great opportunities for teaching about our multicultural world. Our Winter Holidays and December Holidays and Observances You May Never Have Heard Of flyers also provide information on some of DCMP's free-loan holiday media. And there may be December Holidays and Observances You May Never Have Heard Of . This issue also highlights Rick Boggs, the first blind engineer to produce video description, In an important article he has written for the DCMP, Mr. Boggs relates his own person career journey through what he describes as a pattern of exclusion in the news and entertainment media. Finally, this December newsletter highlights two important DCMP innovations. First, the DCMP will begin providing 25% of its new captioned and described educational media in Spanish. To expedite and ensure quality in this process, the DCMP has formed a partnership with Dicapta, the first company to provide Spanish-language video description in the United States. Second, in collaboration with the Video Description Research and Development Center (VDRDC), the DCMP will offer a free webinar on January 24,2012 to teachers, family members, and others who are interested in learning more about video description. Register now to learn how innovative technologies can be used in the classroom.
November 2011–
This is a great month to celebrate our history, our heroes, and our diversity. November 11th is Veterans Day, November 24th is Thanksgiving Day, and all month we honor Native Americans by commemorating National American Indian Heritage Month. In addition, Kelly Warren of Mind's Eye Audio Productions has written an article "A
Day in the Life of an Audio Describer," the third article in a series to help readers better understand what description of media is, how it is created, and why it is important to viewers who are blind or visually impaired. Also,
read about the new partnership between the DCMP and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the exciting project to develop lists of grade-level appropriate vocabulary to be used in description. Finally, learn that November is Child
Safety Protection month and also National Adoption Awareness month, and how DCMP resources can be used to support these important activities.
October 2011–
Thanks to the Texas Education of Blind and Visually Impaired Students Advisory Committee, you may watch 5 teacher-produced video lessons that teach social skills.
Also, DCMP has partnered with Jacksonville State University to create a series of FAQs to help anyone make their media accessible through captioning and to achieve necessary high captioning quality. This eight-part series can be viewed on DCMP's YouTube channel. The videos are also available on JSU's iTunes U site.
In addition, Alice Austin discusses in her article, Perspective: Examining the Process of Audio Description, the process of creating description to help students who are blind or visually impaired.
Finally, don't forget to check out the treasure of new titles recently added to the DCMP collection!
September 2011–
DCMP has joined with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center to help promote ways to combat this huge national problem. Visit the special DCMP Web page, Bullying: An Increased Risk for Children With a Disability, to learn more about resources for children who are deaf, blind, and deaf-blind. Also, captioned media is an excellent example of Universal Design for Learning, or UDL. Virginia State Department of Education's Dr. Debbie Pfeiffer has written an article in which she discusses the challenges that teachers face today (more than ever) in meeting the varied needs of their students. Additionally, the DCMP begins presenting a series of articles by representatives of vendors who provide description services. This month features an article, Describing Description, written by Debbie Risk of DP Captioning & Multimedia Solutions. Finally, don't forget to check out the listing of new titles recently added to the DCMP collection!
August 2011–
It's school time again! Students are probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Check out a list of 44 new titles in topic areas such as: Careers, Computers and Technology, Social Science, and Language Arts. And don't forget to watch out for more new titles to come in our next newsletter. Also, read information and an article on how PEPNet and DCMP collaborate to stakeholders such as teachers, parents, vocational rehabilitation counselors, or administrators. In addition, DCMP is gearing up for Deaf Awareness Week, held the last week of September.
Discover media titles on our Deaf History flyer [PDF], and you can learn more about the unique culture on our Deaf Culture flyer [PDF]. Finally, the DCMP is thrilled to be a part of the recently announced Video Description Research and Development Center (VDRDC). This grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was awarded to Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Center. DCMP is proud to be a member of the VDRDC's Description Leadership Network.
May 2011–Types of bullying can be verbal, social, or physical. And now, we also have to worry about cyberbullying!
See the DCMP flyer on bullying for accessible video titles like:
Bullying: What Every Adult Needs to Know;
Defending Yourself: Bullying, Teasing, and Put-Downs;
and more! Also, it is not always easy to find the appropriate tools to prepare students with disabilities for
life after high school. The DCMP accessible resources collection includes media on the
transition process,
preparing for college,
how to succeed in college,
job hunting techniques,
interview skills, and much more.
Check out the DCMP Helping Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in Transition
article written by Cindy Camp from Jacksonville State University (http://www.jsu.edu/ready/) for more information. In addition, this newsletter announces an
exciting new contest: Social Skills Cinema Contest. The Texas Education of Blind and Visually Impaired Students
Advisory Committee is challenging teachers, parents, and students with visual impairments to submit a short video
on the theme, "Social Skills: Putting the C in Cool." This contest is a perfect opportunity to show your
colleagues a favorite lesson that you use to teach social skills at home, school, or in the community. The video
lesson, 3-4 minutes in length, must be submitted by May 27, 2011. The top video selected in each category
(birth to 5, elementary, middle school, and high school) will be premiered online at TSBVI. You will receive
special recognition in a number of ways for your ingenuity and creative look at how to teach a social skills
lesson. Go to www.tsbvi.edu
for the all the details! Read more about the importance of social skills in this article by Mary Ann Siller.
April 2011–Summer is a time for fun, but don't forget all the opportunities there are for learning.
Stimulating activities to keep your students' skills at their highest level over the "lazy" summer can be found
in this new article: Summertime Cool: Ideas to Enrich and Teach.
It contains a "Summertime Cool Lesson Calendar" for ideas.
Also April is Stress Awareness Month. Check out this DCMP article related to stress in children,
review the associated flyer for DCMP media related to coping
with stress. Read more about prevention of child abuse in a new article,
and learn about the "Bright Spot Project"
(a series of video segments to share information regarding frequently encountered problems and solutions in working
with children with disabilities who are suspected/confirmed victims of maltreatment). Finally, there is something
for everyone from the DCMP to help celebrate National Poetry Month. DCMP can help with media related to famous poets
such as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes,
and William Wordsworth. We also have poetry in
ASL by deaf poet Peter Cook
March 2011–The DCMP announces the availability of a documentary short, Blindspot,
on the DCMP Web site and on
YouTube. The DCMP is using this film to kick off
March's Listening Awareness Month and our Listening is Learning campaign.
This campaign seeks to raise awareness about the learning benefits of listening to the description of video-based
media. Also, the DCMP's deaf history-related resources provide huge support for your celebration and study
during Deaf History Month. Discover video titles on our deaf history flyer [PDF],
and you can learn more about the unique culture on our deaf culture flyer [PDF].
Finally, March is Women's History Month. As we celebrate all the women in American and world history whose influence
has shaped our lives, we should not forget the influences of women who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or low
vision, and deaf-blind. Read this article to discover who they
are and additional information about them.
February 2011–Everyone is invited to join DCMP in the nation's largest reading event by taking part in Read Captions
Across America (RCAA)! This is the only national reading event to put emphasis on the importance of captioned
media (e.g., broadcast, internet, DVD, CD-ROM) as a reading tool for all children, not just those who are deaf
or hard of hearing. Also, storytelling for children with visual impairments
can delight these children's imaginations, and DCMP provides an annotated bibliography of Children's Books with Characters
Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision. Finally, transition from high school to postsecondary education or to work is not a new
concept. But you can read about how to improve the transition process in an article by Theresa
Johnson, an educator and transition specialist at Texas School for the Deaf (TSD), and read about student led
IEPs from a student's perspective in an article by Amy Johnson,
a TSD high school student. DCMP has materials on the IEP process, career planning,
resume skills,
choosing the right college,
and much, much more.
January 2011–A new year has arrived, and many teachers are looking for fresh ideas for their classrooms.
Also, celebrate Louis Braille's birthday and Braille Literacy month with media items from the DCMP collection:
Young Heroes: Louis Braille,
Study Guide: Young Heroes: Louis Braille
and Building Literacy Competencies in Early Childhood.
Finally, why not start 2011 with a resolution to show only accessible media?
DCMP is here to help you keep this resolution, and media titles suggested in this issue will encourage
experimentation with science and the celebration of January's unique holidays.
December 2010–December, a month full of holiday traditions from around the world, can be an opportunity for students to learn about other cultures, history, and folklore with media items from the DCMP. In addition to the well-known December holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, DCMP invites you to learn about other unique holidays in the month. The newsletter also includes a listing of DCMP titles which can be used to help promote parent and family learning time. Finally, the availability of several classic literature titles is announced: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jane Eyre, Little Men, and Pygmalion.
November 2010–The DCMP has many media items to help celebrate Thanksgiving and to remember this important time in American History. Also, did you know that November is National Peanut Butter Lover's month? Find out about unique holidays within the month of November and related DCMP titles. Next, DCMP thanks those who support children and their equal access to the high-tech, twenty-first century classroom and provides a listing of technology-related media titles. Finally, Including Samuel, the documentary by Dan Habib which chronicles the Habib family's efforts to include their loved one, Samuel, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, is highlighted.
October 2010–DCMP reminds families of the importance of health and wellness, especially as students return to school. Also, October 31 is just around the corner and DCMP has some great titles to help with your Halloween or Fall Festival celebrations. Finally, readers are encouraged to use titles such as Science on the NewsHour: Space Exploration,The Upper Mississippi River or Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? in order to celebrate the spirit of exploration in conjunction with Columbus Day.
September 2010–DCMP highlights the "Vocabulary Builders" sign language training series produced in conjunction with Jacksonville State University. These unique videos are intended to introduce sign language that is specific to a particular class or subject matter, utilizing deaf professionals signing vocabulary related to their field of expertise. Also, twenty years with The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is celebrated with attention focused on such DCMP titles as The Americans with Disabilities Act: Is it Working? and A New IDEA for Special Education. Finally, readers are encouraged to share their vision with Wikiscribe IT!. This online community offers teachers, parents, and students a fun and educational opportunity to promote personal insights, writing skills, and community service.
May 2010–Helen Keller is profiled on a new DCMP webpage featuring information about and previews of Helen Keller–related media in the DCMP collection, as well as links to many resources available elsewhere on the internet. Since May is Family Wellness Month, the newsletter also contains a feature on DCMP resources for parents, which includes a link to a new Parenting and Family flyer [PDF] as well as several profiles of support groups for parents of children with hearing or vision loss. Also included is a brief synopsis of the DCMP’s experience attending a local presentation of Marlee Matlin’s Nobody’s Perfect by the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour. The newsletter is rounded out with suggestions for summer reading/watching, information about the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness’ 2009 child count data, links to new DCMP and WGBH resources for locating accessibile movies, and a mention of a graduate-level course available focusing on preventing child abuse/neglect of kids with disabilities.
April 2010–The new-look April 2010 DCMP Newsletter highlights child abuse/neglect prevention and awareness resources and articles (including a new article by Harold Johnson [PDF] of Michigan State University) to correspond with National Child Abuse Prevention Month. April is also Stress Awareness Month, and DCMP resources related to stress management (including a new article by the DCMP’s Jennifer DeGeorge [PDF]) are included in this edition. Other content includes Read Captions Across America photos and recaps, reminders about Earth Day and National Autism Awareness Month, and a link to a survey about TV news captioning.
March 2010–In celebration of deaf history month, the March newsletter highlights the DCMP’s deaf history-related resources, including new-for-2010 materials such as Robert Panara: A Profile and Rockets: How They Work (the first-ever video captioned for educational use in 1962). A new captioning history quiz is also featured, along with a new deaf history flyer [PDF]. Also included: a reminder about Listening Awareness Month, information about an upcoming WGBH survey about synthesized speech and description, an update from COAT about FCC captioning complaint rules, and a spotlight on the three pieces of legislation being considered in Maryland to expand access to captioning.
February 2010–Introduces the DCMP’s celebration of Listening Awareness Month and new partnership with the International Listening Association to promote the DCMP’s Listening is Learning campaign. Features Black History Month and Women’s History Month information and flyers promoting media and Clearinghouse articles available from the DCMP. Includes a reminder about 2010’s Read Captions Across America celebration, a flyer [PDF] promoting new Emerging Technologies titles, a mention of the DCMP’s Presidents’ Day-related media, and a blurb about the launch of the Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning.
January 2010–Includes information about the launch of the new Read Captions Across America website in advance of March 2, 2010, when RCAA and NEA’s Read Across America are officially celebrated. Also includes an announcement about the availability of Young Heroes: Louis Braille, in celebration of Braille’s birthday, which falls on January 4. Along with the video, the DCMP also prepared a brief Louis Braille resource guide for teachers. Also includes a promotional flyer [PDF] about DCMP and CaptionMax’s Emerging Technologies project, new additions to DCMP’s YouTube channel, a reminder about the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and a write-up about the Kennedy Center’s accessibility initiatives.
December 2009–Includes links to a new “Winter Holidays” flyer [PDF] and several previews of available holiday-themed titles on the DCMP YouTube Channel, as well as another flyer featuring “December Holidays You May Have Never Heard Of” [PDF]. Also features information on child abuse and neglect prevention and awareness resources, including a new flyer [PDF] listing DCMP media items and articles, links to the captioned and the described version of the Childhelp-sponsored “The Eleventh Commandmant” music video by Collin Raye, and information about a new Deafed.net child abuse education Wiki. This edition is rounded out by mentions of Google’s recent launch of automated accessibility features for YouTube, a short piece about products and services offered by Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) and the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI), and a guest contribution about the Blindskills organization.
October/November 2009–Includes information about the release of two described and captioned archive clips featuring Helen Keller, several flyers with recommended DCMP media featuring themes related to “giving thanks,” a review of educational captioning laws, and wrap-up report from this year’s National Media Market. Also, announces the launch of the Listening is Learning website (and the accompanying LIL print materials available for order). Several non-DCMPnews items are also included, such as Universal’s committment to releasing DVDs with WGBH-produced description tracks, Deaf-Blind 101, and the Big Deal Book of Technology.
September 2009–Includes information on Deaf Awareness Week-related titles available from the DCMP, a feature on two animated series recently added to the DCMP collection (Shakespeare: The Animated Tales [PDF] and Johan, the Young Scientist [PDF]), and information about how to order the new DCMP posters. Also features a reminder to DCMP members to continue to recommend media, a feature on a ground-breaking partnership between WGBH and Sony Home Entertainment, and several accessibility “odds and ends” from around the Net.
August 2009–Includes a back-to-school update highlighting new DCMP titles released since the end of the 2008-2009 school year (and a new flyer promoting the job skills series Real Life 101 [PDF]). Announces the DCMP’s participation at this year’s National Media Market. Lists the winners of the first-ever Young Described Film Critic contest, provides an update on the DCMP collection’s conversion to Flash video format, and provides links to results of recent surveys about description [PDF] and captioning.
June 2009–Includes recommendations from the DCMP collection for summer viewing [PDF] and provides an overview of the DCMP’s ASL resources [PDF], including a large collection of Signs of Development training materials for interpreters. Announces the launch of the DCMP’s Facebook page and the DCMP’s partnership with FamilyConnect. (This newsletter was supplemented to announce the availability of the “Silent Darkness” Dr. Phil show episode about the world’s only deaf-blind triplets.)
May 2009–Presents the results of a survey of teachers of students with visual impairments concerning classroom media usage, and includes information about Deaf-Blind Awareness Week and Helen Keller as well as the passage of Hawaiian Senate and House resolutions supporting captioning. Introduces new flyers (Infectious Diseases [PDF] and Captioned Media for Memorial Day [PDF]) to promote DCMP titles, Kelly Gorski’s article [PDF] for teens about preventing abuse, and information about Better Hearing and Speech Month.