Dr. DeFazio's Class Forms Service-Learning Project

About Walsh > Dr. DeFazio's Class Forms Service-Learning Project

Education students aid senior citizens in the use of assistive technology

North Canton, Ohio, February 4, 2005 - Walsh University Professor of Intervention Specialist Education, Dr. Jeannie DeFazio and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Coordinators at Mayfield Manor senior apartment complex, Linda Duckworth and Della Koester have recently begun a joint service-learning initiative between Walsh students and Mayfield Manor senior citizens. The project partners DeFazio's Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Intervention Specialist Education (ISE) students with seniors interested in the education and application of computer technology.

Walsh University's Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean and Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Larry Bove, first discussed the partnership with Duckworth, a former faculty secretary at Walsh University. The project is part of an initiative by Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation (EHDOC), a non-profit organization that works to provide quality, affordable HUD housing for senior citizens across the United States and links residents to educational services in their community.

"When I was hired in October, because I had worked at Walsh for seven years and knew most of the faculty and administration, I knew Walsh would be a great fit for this project," says Duckworth. "Dr. Bove was immediately enthusiastic for our project, and the warm willingness of Dr. DeFazio to fit our senior computer training into a portion of the field experience requirement of one of her education classes completed our collaboration. I presented to her class, and her students signed up based on their availability."

Helping more than 250 elderly and disabled residents at Mayfield Manor, 12 of DeFazio's initial students have begun scheduling sessions around their own class time to instruct those who want to learn how to use a computer, the Internet, E-MAIL and other word processing and computer-based software and hardware. The Walsh students are also undergoing training to adapt their instruction for children with special needs who may need technology to communicate, learn and work. They will spend half of their allotted 25 hours of field experience for the course helping disabled children at Eastgate School, an early childhood program of the Stark County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD).

"My students are developing a training packet in class and will use it with the individuals this semester at the Mayfield Center as well," says DeFazio.