Take The Next Step In Teaching Deaf/HH Learners

Our team recognizes the importance of role models for young deaf and hard of hearing learners. Research shows that role models increase learning motivation when applied to a given field. We’ve taken this to heart, by working with deaf role models in professional careers to create videos showcasing their life experience, the barriers they face, and journeys into their career – all laid out for your learners to absorb.

CSD Learns is committed to ensuring your thriving success as an educator of deaf and hard of hearing students. We’ve been busy creating Teacher’s Toolkits and eLearning courses. Here’s a rundown of what we offer.

Tools for Deaf Education

We have an expanding range of free K-12 STEM and Financial Education Teacher Toolkits featuring deaf role models ready for your instruction needs — online or in the classroom.

STEM Education

CSD Learns has created a series of STEM teacher’s toolkits bringing the everyday lives of intersectional deaf and hard of hearing STEM role models to deaf/hh learners at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Via the toolkits, STEM teachers will find ready-made and deaf-made instructional resources in ASL focused on a wide range of exciting STEM careers and STEM skills.  

Cover of All About Immunology with a Dr. Alicia Wooten, a deaf role model
"Day 1: Meet Dr. Alicia Wooten, an Immunologist" A cartoon version of Alicia in a lab coat and holding a beaker
Image of Dr. Alicia Wooten, a deaf educator with text reading "What is the immune system and how does it work?"
A cartoon of Dr. Alicia Wooten with her hands on her cheeks looking, shocked, in front of a photo of viruses and a second of bacteria on teeth

All About STEM

Level: Elementary
Duration: 4 Weeks
Deaf Role Models: Dr. Alicia Wooten, Kimberly Harvey, Adam Munder, and Song Hoa Choi

Topic Covers:

  • Immunology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Programming
  • Statistics
Download All About STEM Toolkits
Cover of the toolkit "Immersion in Programming" with Kimberly Harvey.
"Day 1: Meet Kimberly, A Programmer" On the right is a cartoon of Kimberly typing on a lap top.
Photo of Kimberly, with text reading "How did Kimberly become interested in programming?"
"To open a file... Writing in three different program languages:" with three screenshots of code in Java, Python, and C++
"Never stop learning - If you continue to learn different coding languages, you could become a jack-of-all-trades programmer. Companies love to see this when hiring employees!"

Immersion in STEM 

Level: High School
Duration: 4 Weeks
Deaf Role Models: Dr. Alicia Wooten, Kimberly Harvey, Adam Munder, and Song Hoa Choi

Topic Covers:

  • Immunology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Programming
  • Statistics
Download Immersion in STEM Toolkits
Cover of the Embrace the Earth STEM toolkit
"Understanding the Greenhouse Effect" over a video play screen of a male deaf educator with a caption reading "You should know about the "Greenhouse Effect." What is that?"
"What do STEMists do to learn more about a topic?" Over a cartoon of a male deaf role model in a sun hat with a walking stick leading two children with backpacks on a walk
"Activity, What is your Carbon Footprint? Once everyone has identified their carbon footprints, create a line graph to chart this data. Each point on the y-axis should be in increments of 250. Observe where your carbon footprint is. Median: This is the 'middle' value where an equal number of data points fall above and below. What isthe median value for your class? Does yours fall above or below it? As a class, discuss how you could reduce your carbon footprint at home and school."
Illustration of the suns rays traveling to Earth and through the atmosphere
Text reading "Amie Sankoh, Plant Biologist 1. Amie is working on her doctorate at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville 2. She also works at Gallaudet University as a tutor." Photo of Amie looking at plants.

Embrace the Earth

Level: Middle School
Duration: 1 Week
Deaf Role Models: Dr. Alicia Wooten, Amie Sankoh, Barbara Spiecker, and Song Hoa Choi

Topic Covers:

  • Earth Day History
Download Embrace the Earth Toolkits
Cover of the Developing your Cybersense Week Three Lesson
Text reading "Let's Meet Amanda Whyrick" above a photo of a video play screen and Amanda smiling
A cartoon of Amanda thinking, next to text reading "What are the differences between information technology and cybersecurity?"
A header reading "Which area does Amanda work in?" Below is a picture of Amanda pointing at an image labeled "Information Technology" - next to that image is a picture labeled Cybersecurity
A header reading "How did you get interested in STEM and your Career" Beneath are Images of four different video play screens, each featuring one role model - Mon Ching, Amanda, Kyle, and Pamela.
Six Cyber Concepts - 1. Defense in Depth, 2. Confidentiality, 3. Think like and Adversary, 4. Keep it Simple 5. [left blank], the number 6 is placed on a drawing of a hand.

Developing Your Cybersense

Level: Middle School
Duration: 4 Week
Deaf Role Models: Pamela Siebert, Kyle Murbach, Amanda Whyrick, Mon Ching Ng

Topic Covers:

  • Become Your Own Guardian
  • Strengthen Your Privacy
  • Cover Your Digital Footprint
  • Future-Proof Your Safety
Download Developing Your Cybersense Toolkits
Cover for The World of Conservation STEM toolkit
Snapshot of the overview page from a STEM toolkit with timestamps of topics discussed throughout the video
"Say hello to Sachiko Flores" overlayed a photo of Sachiko, a deaf role model
"How did Sachiko become interested in that field?" above a video play screen of Sachiko Flores
"What is air pollution? Pollution: something introduced to the environment that is unclean or has a harmful effect."
"Activity, Talk about exploring technology to help" With three screenshots. Two videos, one labeled "Recycling Robot" another "renewable energy" and a file labeled "Drones"

The World of STEM

Level: Middle School
Duration: 4 Week
Deaf Role Models: Sachiko Flores, Steven Forney, Johanna Lucht, and Jo Bempong

Topic Covers:

  • The World of Conservation
  • The World of Drones
  • The World of Electronics Engineering
  • The World of Software Engineering
Download the World of STEM Toolkits

STEM Explorers

Level: High School
Duration: 4 Week
Deaf Role Models: Mariam Paracha, Ebony Watson, Naomi Glenn, and Gina Sando

Topic Covers:

  • Deaf STEMists
  • Identity in STEM
  • Research and Academia
  • STEM Careers in Industry
Download the STEM Explorers Toolkits

Web Development Course

With Wix, students can skip the setup and go straight into development of web tools and applications — no HTML or CSS required. This course covers the basics of JavaScript and Velo – the Wix coding language and platform. Students will explore topics such as sequencing, user interactions, loops and variables and will practice them in project-based activities to take their projects to the next level with code.

Register on WIX Tomorrow

Financial Education

CSD Learns has crafted financial education courses and built teacher’s toolkits around them, ready for use in instruction of high school learners. Via the toolkits, deaf educators will discover rich resources to support instruction on a number of personal finance topics, from debt to setting up a business. The courses’ video modules, focusing on deaf adults using American Sign Language, show how they navigated the world of finances to reach security, and with them, you can show students pathways to financial wellness.    

Snapshot of the cover page for Dealing with Debt Teacher's Toolkit
Snapshot of "Week One" Dealing with Debt Page - showing learning objectives, a glossary, and links to resources
Snapshot from the Dealing With Debt Toolkit - showing a range of credit scores
Snapshot of a fill in the blank activity from the Declaring Bankruptcy lesson from Dealing with Debt

Dealing with Debt

Level: High School, Young Adult
Duration: 4 Week
Deaf Role Models: Dawn, a fictional deaf/hh woman

Topic Covers:

  • You’re In Debt
  • How Do I Get Out of Debt?
  • Understanding Credit and Debt
  • Declaring Bankruptcy
Download Dealing with Debt Toolkits
Snapshot of the front page of Beginning Your Business Toolkit
Snapshot of the introduction page of Beginning a Business Toolkit - This page shows a map of decisions and steps to take to start a business
Snapshot of "Week Two" Business Basics main page, with a glossary of terms, learning objectives, and links to resources
One Page Business Plan Visual Worksheet

Beginning your Business

Level: High School, Young Adult
Duration: 6 Week
Deaf Role Models: Brad, Thomas, and Lisa, three fictional DHH adults

Topic Covers:

  • What Does It Mean To Own A Business? 
  • Business Basics – Getting Started 
  • Introducing The New Entrepreneur Project 
  • Business Plan Week – Writing Your Plan 
  • Marketing Week – Preparing Your Pitch 
  • Pitch Week – Whose Business Will Win?
Download Beginning your Business Toolkits

Financial Explorers

Level: Middle School
Duration: 4 Week
Deaf Role Models: Chelsea Hilaire, Alex Jones, Andrew Cho, and Geneen Parker-Greenberg

Topic Covers:

  • You and Your Money
  • Budgeting
  • Savings and Checking Guide
  • Credit and You
Download Financial Explorers Toolkits

Financial Wizards

Level: High School
Duration: 1 Week

Topic Covers:

  • Investing Basics
  • Understanding Companies and Stocks
  • Building Your Portfolio and Conducting Research
  • Stock Trades and Assessing Risks
  • Diversification
Download Financial Wizards Toolkits

Interested in collaborating with us?

Want to keep up to date on the latest Toolkit or course offerings from us? Know a deaf role model who might be interested in working with us? Want to become a guest educator as part of our eLearning courses? Let us know!

Contact The CSD Learns Team

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