The VRS Interpreting Institute offers training that meets the continuing-education needs of recent interpreting graduates, seasoned interpreters and interpreter educators. Training is offered at the VRSII in Salt Lake City. For more information, see the descriptions below, or contact us at VRSII@sorenson.com.
VRSII classes are offered for graduate and undergraduate credit through the University of Arizona. Click here for more information.
Now Available
The VRS Interpreting Institute (VRSII) is pleased to announce that a Master of Science degree in ASL/English Interpreting with a concentration in Interpreter Education is now available through a partnership with the University of North Florida (UNF).
This will be the only degree of its kind offered in the United States and will be earned through a combination of on-line and on-campus courses held at the VRSII and UNF.
Click here to learn more and to apply for the master's program. Application deadline is April 1, 2012.
VRSII School-to-Work Program
The School-to-Work Program is designed to assist recent Interpreting Education Program graduates in obtaining necessary skills to pass the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) Interview and Performance test and gain successful employment in the field of interpreting.
The summer session of the VRSII School-to-Work Program will be in session June 20 to Sept.14, 2012. The VRSII is seeking highly-qualified applicants who will graduate with at least a bachelor’s degree between August 2009 and December 2012 and have completed an Interpreter Education Program from an accredited college or university.
Click here to learn more and to download the School-to-Work Program application documents.
VRSII Interpreter Educators Symposium
In March 2012, the VRSII will host its premiere session of the VRSII Interpreter Educators Symposium.
This four-and-a-half-day training for interpreter educators is based on the idea that interpreter educators have the desire and ability to improve their teaching expertise. The goal of the training is to create deep and lasting learning of effective teaching practices that will result in increased teacher satisfaction and enhanced student achievement. In 2012, the symposium keynote speaker will be Dr. Ken Bain, educator and author of "What the Best college Teachers Do." Click here to learn more about the VRSII Interpreter Educators Symposium.
Additional VRSII Class Descriptions
Interpreter Educators Symposium
This four-and-a-half-day training for interpreter educators is based on the idea that interpreter educators have the desire and ability to improve their teaching expertise. The goal of the training is to create deep and lasting learning of effective teaching practices that will result in increased teacher satisfaction and enhanced student achievement.
On March 10, the symposium's featured speaker will be Dr. Ken Bain, author of What the Best College Teachers Do. Acclaimed American Sign Language (ASL) educators Dr. Carol J. Patrie, Dr. Marty Taylor, and Sharon Neumann Solow will present and facilitate the symposium as well. Bain's research topics include what we know about learning, what to expect of students, how to best prepare to teach, how to treat students, how are students evaluated, and how college teachers evaluate themselves. A variety of activities including lecture, discussion, group work, reflection and experiential learning will be included in the symposium to convey content. In advance of the symposium, participants will be provided with a copy of What the Best College Teachers Do.
Teaching in Collaboration - Part II
This two-and-a-half-day training will bring American Sign Language instructors and interpreter educators together for an engaging experience. Participants will explore and define collaborative teaching relationships and learn strategies for working together to create a better journey into the ASL/English Interpreting field for students.
Collaborative Learning in the Classroom - Part I
The goal of this course is for interpreter educators to learn the benefits of incorporating collaborative learning in their classes. They will learn considerations and strategies for planning for and implementing collaborative learning throughout their curriculum. Activities and tips will be included so that faculty walks away with plenty of ideas to begin engaging students in a more active way.
Interpreter and Language Mentoring - Part II
This two-and-a-half-day training is a continuation of Interpreter and Language Mentoring - Part I. Participants will receive a review of the necessary dynamics of a successful mentor relationship and the logistics of mentoring as well as the challenges mentors may face. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to analyze a variety of interpreting work samples to appropriately identify patterns of strengths and weaknesses and determine which patterns to incorporate into feedback and skill enhancement activities. They will practice techniques on how to most effectively guide interpreters to identify patterns, determine the root causes of the patterns and successfully develop skill enhancement activities. The training will also provide ideas for skill enhancement activities that are directly related to common skill patterns identified by interpreters.
VRS Curriculum Infusion
This two-and-a-half-day training is an exploration of ways to infuse up-to-date VRS curricular content into existing interpreting programs. VRSII faculty will share recently-developed curricular resources that can be implemented and adapted to meet IEPs' current needs, including source material on DVDs and a thumb drive, with curricular content that can be implemented and evaluated for effectiveness. Networking with other interpreter educators to amplify and share teaching ideas and techniques related to infusing VRS instruction into the curriculum is an integral part of the training. In advance of the training, participants will receive readings, share recent resources (research or effective teaching strategies) and create networking opportunities.
VRS Curriculum Infusion - Part II
This course is a continuation of VRS Curriculum Infusion - Part I. Part II provides interpreter educators the opportunity to continue to develop curricular components, both foundational and advanced. Participants will report on VRS curriculum implementation, success stories and progress in an effort to set the stage for identification of additional curricular gaps. Participants will work to develop course and/or program components that will enhance student learning experiences and better prepare interpreters for professional practice. The VRSII will share additional and updated resources that have been developed by past participants to support this process and in an effort to encourage continued collaboration with educators.
Interpreter Educators Innovation Boot Camp
Class members will enjoy leveraging their creative ideas to generate and implement new techniques into their current teaching methods. New ideas will be tested and "put through the paces" to determine functionality. Participants will enjoy three days of collaborative thinking, idea and resource sharing and developing and incorporating ideas into courses to refresh and enhance curriculum. Participants will leave having made significant progress on projects with feedback and ideas from other class members.
How to Teach Educational Interpreting
Participants will discover the complex demands involved in educational interpreting as well as strategies interpreters use to respond to the needs of Deaf students for whom they facilitate education. Participants will begin lesson development for teaching educational interpreters based on research of effective practices in classrooms.
Assessment in Interpreter Education
Participants will learn a successful method for efficiently evaluating and grading the work of interpreting students. Participants will learn how to teach students to complete an in-depth analysis of their own work including the identification of successful and challenging patterns in their work, writing an ideal translation, proposing effective solutions to the challenges in their work, setting goals for themselves, and applying what they have learned by recording a new and informed interpretation. Participants will learn how to scaffold students to the next level of their abilities and have the opportunity to observe samples of meetings with students.
2012 Training Schedule
All courses meet:
Fridays, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. - noon
Interpreter Educator Classes (Educator Empowerment Series)
(Interpreter Educator Classes are offered to ASL interpreter educators, mentors or workshop providers)
- March 7 - 11
- VRSII Interpreter Educators Symposium
Instructors: Dr. Ken Bain, Dr. Carol Patrie, Dr. Marty Taylor, Sharon Neumann Solow
2.1 CEUs offered
- April 13 - 15
- Interpreter Language and Mentoring - Part II
Instructor: Cindy Farnham
1.5 CEUs offered
- May 11 - 13
- Interpreter and Language Mentoring - Part II
Instructor: Cindy Farnham
1.5 CEUs offered
- Aug. 3 - 5
- Assessment in Interpreter Education
Instructor - Dr. Melissa Smith
1.5 CEUs offered
- Sept. 21 - 23
- Collaborative Learning in the Classroom
Instructor: Charlotte Toothman
1.5 CEUs offered
- Oct. 5 - 7
- VRS Curriculum Infusion - Part II
Instructor: Dr. Lisa Godfrey, Jeni Rodrigues, Holly Nelson
1.5 CEUs offered
- Nov. 15 - 17
- Interpreter Educators Innovation Bootcamp
Instructor: Charlotte Toothman
1.5 CEUs offered
- Nov. 31 - Dec. 2
- How to Teach Educational Interpreting
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Smith
1.5 CEUs offered
Interpreter Education Classes
- Jan. 4 - March 30
- School-to-Work Program
Instructors: VRSII Faculty
College credit available through the University of Arizona. See below for details.
- June 20 - Sept. 14
- School-to-Work Program
Instructors: VRSII Faculty
College credit available through the University of Arizona. See below for details.
Testimonials
“ The faculty were AMAZING...enough said! ”
“ I felt as if I were in a safe environment with people who wanted me to do my best... ”
“ I was taught concepts I had never been taught before. I learned a lot and know it will improve my interpreting...”
“ I felt very fortunate to be learning from deaf instructors who were very knowledgeable. ”
“ ...I learned more in the last 3 days than I learned in a whole semester at school in the ITP... ”
“ ...a solid foundation has been established for me and I feel more confident now. ”
“ ...thank you for such a wonderful opportunity! ”
“ ...it was an excellent experience and I have benefitted greatly from it. THANK YOU SORENSON! ”
“ I now have a more advanced and clear understanding of how important classifier usage is... ”
“ I loved being able to take the lessons we learned in the classroom and apply them to mock calls. Then getting feedback from the callers was invaluable! ”
“ I passed my NIC and I attribute that to your training programs. Thanks! ”