Deaf Residential Schools in the US...

[K.J. Boal]

Actually, I'm hoping to do a Ph.D. research project in the near future on 
exactly that, Cherie!  But it will be a while before any results are in . . 
. if the project even gets off the ground . . . I'm hoping to get started on 
the program either this year or next but I don't know when or where I'll be 
doing it . . . I'll keep you posted on my progress!

KJ


>From: "Cherie Wren" <cwterp at YAHOO.COM>
>Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
>Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:47:47 -0800 (PST)
>
>But in order to get the schools to accept SW, you have to hit them on what 
>THEY think is important:  and that is English.  Period.  End of story.  so 
>although SW will have benefits far beyond its limited use in promoting 
>English literacy, that HAS to be the sell point.  Because that is all Deaf 
>education is about right now.  English Literacy.  Oh, those other things 
>get done, but English Literacy is THE goal of Deaf education in the United 
>States, sad to say.  And although there is no proof, there is research that 
>supports it.  Read Cummins on bilingual education.  He proposes a theory 
>that In bilingual education (he is talking about Spanish/English) there are 
>two ways to get to English Literacy for Spanish speaking students.  One is 
>via spoken English, the other is via Written Spanish.  Apply that to Deaf 
>kids.  Teh 'via spoken English ' route is not applicable.  So the route to 
>English Literacy will only come via written ASL.  There is also research 
>that proves that ASL
>  proficiency  (Not only in Deaf of Deaf, but in Deaf of hearing with 
>strong ASL skills)has a very high correlation with English Literacy.  That 
>is to say, if the kid has a strong first language, he will be able to get 
>the second language easier.  So SW wins again, because while you teach 
>written signing, you can teach ASL at the same time.  Here at GSD, we hope 
>to get some of that proof that everyone wants to see...  but you can't get 
>proof till someone does the research , and you can't do the research till 
>you have proof, at least in our case...
>
>cherie
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: "James Shepard-Kegl, Esq." <kegl at MAINE.RR.COM>
>To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 5:50:14 PM
>Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
>
>Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
>
>
>
>I respectfully submit that when you propose SW as a bridge to English 
>literacy in the school system, you are missing the point.
>
>
>
>SW is a valuable tool for giving a Deaf signer metalinguistic skills in his 
>or her native language (i.e., understanding labels like nouns, verbs, 
>classifiers, role shifting, shared references, and so forth.)  Having 
>metalinguistic skills in your own language is critical to learning the 
>grammar and syntax of a foreign (that is, non-native) language.
>
>
>
>But, if you are expecting miracle English literacy achievement through SW, 
>think again.  SW helps, to be sure, and a greater proponent than I you will 
>not find, but do not oversell the concept, as proof is scarce.
>
>
>
>Where SW is really, really beneficial is:  MATH, SCIENCE, HISTORY.
>
>
>
>Math, to be of any real value in life, is all about applied math, which we 
>learn through practicing those dreaded verbal problems.  Use SW to teach 
>them, so that the Deaf child knows what you are talking about.  Otherwise, 
>the math problem just becomes an English problem, and if you do not read 
>English, you appear to be moronic.  Try TWO PLUS TWO in Chinese and see how 
>far you get.
>
>
>
>My daughter's teachers in Portland, Maine High School are encouraging her 
>to answer her science tests in SW -- because the goal is achievement in the 
>material taught in that particular class, not rote memorization of English 
>without any real comprehension.
>
>
>
>-- James
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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