About the Program
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech has been preparing teachers in the field of auditory and oral education for over a hundred years. In 1962, Clarke partnered with Smith College to establish an advanced academic degree, the master of education of the deaf. Nearly 1,500 teachers have graduated from the program, today serving children who are deaf and hard of hearing in 50 states and 34 foreign countries.
Graduate students are brought right into an intimate Clarke community and have an academic experience like no other. Graduate students work with children who are deaf and hard of hearing at several academic levels, from preschool through middle school, both in the classroom and in the communication lab. They also have unique opportunities to develop personal relationships with children by chaperoning ski trips and assisting with drama productions. Graduate students complete two three-week practicums at other schools or programs to broaden their experience.
The program provides students with the opportunity to participate in a work-study program through the Clarke Schools. Work-study experiences provide graduate students with the experience of working with professionals in the Clarke Schools community and to earn money.
Certification
The M.E.D. program is fully approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education under the NASDTEC/ICC agreement. States participating in this compact offer reciprocity for certification of this degree.
Program of Study
Emphasis is on a listening and spoken language approach to development and education with attention to early childhood education and the education of diverse learners and cochlear implant technology. Fieldwork or practicum experiences provide student teachers with experiences at all academic levels from early intervention through high school in independent and mainstream public programs.
Courses of study include:
- language development and literacy
- anatomy and physiology of hearing and speech mechanisms
- communication sciences and skill development
- educational and assistive technology professional ethics
- early development and family-centered practice
- planning and implementation of educational programming for children with hearing loss
