VTRID E-Letter Archive: January 2004
Issue 3, January 2004
THE VERMONT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Are you looking for ways to:
Then, join us for the Vermont Mentorship Program!
The VTRID mentorship program is a professional development program created to serve ASL/English interpreters in the state of Vermont.
The program provides an organized structure for colleagues to work together to enhance their skills. Participants can expect to expand their professional network and to receive challenging and supportive opportunities for professional growth.
Program activities include group learning events, workdays with pre/post dialogue sessions, and one-to-one mentoring opportunities.
Our 2004 session will kick-off in January and complete in June. All group meetings will be held at Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin, Vermont.
Schedule of Events: January 17 10am - 1pm Program & Approach Overview: A Discussion of the Interpreting Process
February 21 10am - 1pm
Videotape Workday: Focusing on Voicing Skills with Deaf Models
March 20 10am - 1pm
Videotape Workday: Feedback and Skill-Building Techniques
April 17 10am - 1pm Presentation: Use of Discretion - How Did I Get Myself into This? Presenter: Lynnette Reep, CI/CT
May 15 10am - 1pm Presentation: Successful Teaming Strategies
Presenter: Stephanie Cramer, CI
June 19 10am - 1pm Presentation: Interpreting Technology: What Do I Do with It? Presenter: Joan Pellerin, CI/CT
All meetings will be presented in spoken English. ASL interpretation will be provided upon request. Meetings include light lunch fare.
In addition, Those desiring an one-to-one mentoring relationship may apply to be matched with a seasoned interpreter for 10 contact hours. These hours will be scheduled between the mentor and participant. This is an opportunity to discuss ethical decision making, have your work evaluated via videotape, and pick up new vocabulary.
Program fees:
Six group meetings, as outlined above: $100 (18 hours)
One-to-one mentoring: $150 (10 hours)
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BOTH: $200
Participants will be able to earn CEUs for both group meetings and one-to-one mentoring!
Minutes of December, 2003 General Membership Meeting
VTRID Fall Meeting and Potluck Dinner
December 13, 2003
Montpelier VT
Present: Amy Williamson-Loga, Kristal Hier, Lisa Bixler, Nora Kennedy, Joan Pellerin, Lianne Mochia, Michelle Cornett, Linda St. Cyr, Janice Wightman, Donna Panko, Joe Panko
Meeting Started at 5:50 pm
Reports:
President(Amy):
Treasurer(Amy for David):
Mentorship(Lisa):
Scholarship(Amy for Elizabeth):
Library(Amy for Janet):
Old Business
Workshops(Amy):
Educational Interpreter Guidelines(Amy):
New Business
New Committees(Amy):
Region I conf(Lisa):
ELetter Feedback(Amy):
VTRID Yahoo Group(Amy): Not a lot of support for this but perhaps for a Educational Interpreter "Support Group" on email.
Meetings:
Membership:
Other New Business:
-Janice is newly appointed to the DVAS Board. DVAS is looking for volunteers to man hotline and fundraise. If anyone is interested or would like more info please contact
Keri Darling at kdarling@dvas.org.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Meeting Adjourned 6:50 pm
Betty Colonomos will be back!
Been there, Done that? Well, do it again!
The Foundations Series is not designed such that you achieve mastery after one round. Come back, grow more. There are some participants who have done the series 4 times and are still wanting more.
Do not miss this opportunity! It is NOT too late to register.
Foundations of Interpreting, Part 2
When: April 2-4, 2004
Where: Brattleboro, VT
For registration information, contact Terry Keegan at the Vermont Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (802) 254 3929(v/tty) or email terry@austine.pvt.k12.vt.us
Austine Basketball teams to be in Williston!
Austine school boys and girls basketball teams will travel to Williston to play against Pine Ridge school on January 8th Thursday.
Girls game starts 4:00 pm, boys game follows shortly after.
We would love to see the Austine Alumni and other supporters in the deaf community to attend the games and enjoy. Let's show support and give a rousing cheer for the players!
FYI: The girls have a very good team this year, one of their best teams in years....their center is 5'10" and averages double figures in rebounding....their star guard is lightening fast and averages double figures in scoring.... The boys are improving from last year's team.
VTRID Response to Proposed Educational Interpreter Guidelines
*Vermont RID (VTRID) is in support of a reasonable phase in period of registration requirements and the establishment of a minimum standard for interpreters working in educational settings in the state of Vermont.*
We do believe the national tests offered by the RID and the NAD to be entry level certifications and function as a minimum standard of competency. These national tests are currently in transition. The NAD test is no longer being offered and the RID Generalist test, in its current forms of Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration, will be discontinued as of December of this year (unless the written portion has already been taken). A new joint NAD/RID test is expected to `roll out' during the summer of 2004. These changes need to be reflected in the Educational Interpreter Guidelines as it is currently written.
We, the VTRID, do have questions regarding the phase in of these requirements. Foremost, we are concerned with whom, how, and when support will be provided for interpreters currently working in educational settings. We will not tolerate the burden of upholding these guidelines falling completely on the shoulders of our members or our mentorship program. The effort (time and finance) of registering and certifying interpreters needs to be shared by all stakeholders, including the LEA, DOE, and VCDHH. We would also like to see this phase in happen over a reasonable length of time, especially considering the status of the current national testing system.
Our other questions regarding the guidelines revolve around who will be responsible for and how will these requirements happen:
o VCDHH determining who is qualified to be an educational interpreter
(eg. if the person is not already certified, will another evaluation tool like the EIPA be used? Will there be a person employed by VCDHH who is experienced enough to determine qualifications?)
VTRID looks forward to having a continued role in the development and subsequent implementation of these guidelines. We look forward to the benefits in the interpreting profession, the deaf community, and, of course, the education of deaf, deaf/blind, and hard of hearing children in Vermont.
Respectfully,
Vermont RID Membership
Vermont RID Scholarship Guidelines & Application
In this issue:
*Mentorship Program *
*Minutes from December General Membership Meeting*
*Upcoming Foundations of Interpreting Series, April*
*Austine Basketball team playing in Williston*
*Library Holdings List*
*Response to Educational Interpreter Guidelines*
*Membership Form*
*Scholarship Application*
> Improve your interpreting skills?
> Develop your ASL fluency?
> Enhance your professional network?
-VTRID rep requested for participation with Agency of Human Services Task Force and Deaf Coalition. Next AHS TF meeting is Jan 9. Amy can't go so if anyone can rep VTRID let Amy know at williamson_loga@hotmail.com
-RID Region I retreat in Nov. Amy, Kristal and Lisa attended and learned a lot about how to be more involved and boost membership etc.
-RID wants feedback for Code of Ethics. You can provide feedback with an online form found at www.rid.org
-RID Region I Rep, Joanne will hopefully be coming for the March meeting
-VIEWS VTRID had a blurb in VIEWS so please check it out and if anyone has something they want to include in the next Views get it to Amy to include in her write up to Joanne.
-Money difference between Sept to now is 3 or 4 new members.
Six VTers are going to ASL immersion Series and VTRID donated money to defray the cost of the workshop (all states donated some)
-David has a lot of interesting fundraising ideas so if anyone would be willing to be involved in fundraising...Nora Kennedy volunteered.
-David is looking into getting 501-C3 status for VTRID, currently the tax id we are using is a SS number.
-Lisa reported that the mentorship program will run Jan thru June for 6 concurrent months. Opening in Jan, Feb. will be a work day, March will be analyzing that work, April will be a "Decision Making for Interpreters" workshop with Lynette Reep, May will be "Teaming Skills" workshop with Stephanie Cramer, and June will be "Technology Signs" with Joan Pellerin.
Cost is $100 and we ask for a 6 month commitment, we will offer no partial registrations.
Participants can register regardless of experience level.
All events will be at Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin on the third sat of each month 10 am til 1 pm.
Look for registration information coming soon!
-NU needs a blurb from the mentorship committee to be in their New England wide newsletter.
-Going well 3 requests 2 cancelled 1 given $200. Left $300. Requests should go to Elizabeth at apuddlejumper@yahoo.com
VIRS: No report
-Received some materials and we can order more between now and new years but may take longer.
-List of current library holdings is attached at the end of these minutes
-At the Sept meeting we brainstormed many workshops and the board has decided that the ASL immersion is happening, CDI workshop should be rescheduled for spring.
-Lynette has been in touch with MJ Bienvenu for a possible fall workshop.
-ASL to English workshop has 2 possible presenters: Carole Fay and Pam Whitney. We need someone to take on the coordinating this event. Pam can do it all inclusive but can't do it until end of June. Janice is thinking about taking on this project and will let us know in a month if it is something she will be able to do.
-No other workshops on the horizon so if there are any ideas let any board member know.
-NHRID newsletter is advertising a number of workshops including a legal workshop with Theresa Smith so maybe VTRID could co-sponsor with NHRID or we could host something else with her.
-VTRID has made an official response to these guidelines, thanks to all those who send in feedback in response to Amy`s emails. This response is attached to these minutes.
-We need to have a education/professional development committee and a bylaws committee.
-Educational/professional development committee: Primary responsibilities would be find someone to be the chairperson for the proposed workshop and work with that chair to coordinate the workshop. The Committee could tap into the source of VIRS for workshop planning needs.
-Prof Dev Committee: Nora Kennedy. More volunteers needed
-By laws Committee: Primary responsibilities would be to revise bylaws and keep them up to date. Anyone interested in being involved with bylaws contact a board member.
-Region I retreat. discussed the planning for the 2006 Region I conference in Providence RI. SPECIFIC DATE TBA. Each state Chapter gives $500. VTRID volunteered to coordinate awards.
-YIPPEE!! keep `em coming!!
-Discussion on changing meeting dates to satisfy more people and get far north and far south people involved.
Email:
-VTRID new email address is: vermontrid@yahoo.com This email goes to the secretary and all correspondence should go to this e mail address.
-Discussion on membership cycle and how we can we get info out to all the members and reminders that people need to renew their memberships.
-Educational Interpreter position available at MMUHS in Jericho. If you are interested contact VT Center for Deaf and Hard of hearing.
-Interested in Joining VTAD?? contact René Pellerin
-DEAF VT Yahoo Groups, interested in being involved send email to deafvermont- subscribe@yahoogroups.com
This is Vermont Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's response to the Vermont Association of the Deaf's efforts to establish Educational Interpreter Guidelines within the Vermont Department of Education and its Local Education Agencies. We have shared a copy of the draft Guidelines with our members and have gathered comment on these guidelines.
We appreciate the efforts of VTAD on behalf of the interpreting profession and the deaf, deaf/blind, and hard of hearing children of Vermont. We are in agreement that there is a need for change.
o Registration
o Monitoring
o Interpreter Evaluations
o Writing Job Descriptions
o VCDHH & VTDOE communicating with each other re: Educational Interpreters
There are areas in the Guidelines that are questionable in regards to use of grammar, structure and inconsistent use of language. This feedback is difficult to share in an emailed format. I have made these changes/suggestions on a clean copy of the guidelines and mail them to you, Mike. I will be putting this hard copy in the mail to you today.
Amy Williamson-Loga
VTRID President
(802)229-9876
williamson_loga@hotmail.com
