[Sw-l] The "Rand-Keyboard" How to start

Fri Jul 31 19:06:52 UTC 2015

SignWriting List
July 31, 2015

Hello Stefan!
This is indeed an exciting message.

I am so glad to see you typing SignWriting directly (with no translate feature - ha!) with the Rand-Keyboard…

Thank you for showing us that it is possible to type directly with SignWriting…

And this is good news because you are so skilled, Stefan, teaching Deaf students in other ways, so this is an expansion of your tools…do you think your students could learn someday? Maybe one or two of them might enjoy trying...

There is other great news regarding SignWriting in computers, all happening in the background. Over time, typing directly in sign languages, using the SignWriting script, will be as natural as any typing we do today with other spoken languages…

And the Rand-Keyboard is one of those milestones -

Thank you, Yair, for this development and thank you, Stefan, for showing us it is possible -

So much more to tell you -

This weekend I am preparing the Certificates for the presenters at the SignWriting Symposium 2015. Thank you presenters!

Val ;-)

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> On Jul 31, 2015, at 8:23 AM, Stefan Wöhrmann <stefanwoehrmann at GOOGLEMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Hi Valerie and friends on the sw-list, 
>  
> The Symposium 2015 is over and from my point of view  You Valerie and your team did an excellent job. 
>  
>  
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>  
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> I bet that all presenters agree that thanks to your way to support us in before and during our presentations it has been a very exciting, valuable and enriching experience without too much pressure. Your ability to set up the websites to allow anybody to find his way in order to find the materials, presentations, presenters, contact information deserves special respect! 
>  
> THANKS  for that. 
>  
> Well so good to know that since all presentations are saved at some place on the WEB it is so easy to have a second look at a presentation if you want to. 
>  
> I do that. And I started with presentation 
>  
> PRESENTATION 41
> “The Javascript-based SignWriting <http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0041.html> Keyboard for Use on Wikimedia <http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0041.html>
> and throughout the Web <http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0041.html>”  <http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0007.html>by Yair Rand, CANADA
>  
>  
>  
> hm ... 
>  
> <image001.gif>
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> Five minutes later ...
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> <image002.gif>
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>  
> Regarding this presentation about how to use this new technic ... oh – I am so sorry ..I feel completely overwhelmed from the very first beginning. Reason for that is perhaps that I myself have no confidence in my resources to learn anything about computersoftware, installing new programms, .... 
>  
> On the other hand ...there are other experiences as well ...smile ... I became one of the most experienced scribes with the good old SWDOS programm ..and I even travelled around and taught in workshops and at Universities about that so I had to learn and to understand that. And I did this 15 years ago!!
>  
>  
> I understand that your perfectly documented tutorial “SignWriter ...the world`s first sign Language processor...  ISBN: 0-914336-63-0    which I bought at that time has been the key to understand how to work with that...and the many wonderful graphics and screenshots allowed a quick orientation. 
>  
>  
> But now ... the imagination I should write / type  a single sentence with this new developed “Rand-Keyboard” ... no way...!  It is toooooooo complicated. I will never ever understand that!
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>  
>  
> But then I thought a second time ... Maybe teachers who are in contact with SignWriting the first time may feel almost the same. So I understand that there should be the chance to go a different path!
>  
> One of my students in my class reacts in a way that makes me nervous and impatient all the time. Just in the beginning of  new theme/subject/task ...he signs ..”Oh my God, this is much too difficult for me. I will never get that..” 
> Wow and I get furious, because I have an exact plan and step by step strategy to explain to the class what they are expected to learn within the next lessons. 
>  
> Well I try to motivate him to keep his spirits high. I encourage him not to feel weak or foolish but that it of course will afford him to pay close attention to what is going on. ..And I promise that once all the other students already start to do their jobs I will take my time to support him in a very special one to one contact...
>  
> This way I learn a lot myself ... for sure. One of the things people always forget ( and me too) is the fact that I understand new information because I can use what I already know. (See:  Ausubel whom I mentioned in my presentation).
>  
>  But what if the student has no idea about this or that while me as the teacher took that for granted? ....  kind of basic knowledge... This very moment he gets lost. And in case I give the impression that I really would be very disappointed and I really would jugde him as a fool if he admits that he hasn´t got any clue what I am talking about ... well of course he tries to hide this, he tries to keep this secret ..and me as the teacher have no chance to reach out to him. 
>  
> So I am obliged to allow him to lead me in my step by step tutorial. I need his questions in order to follow his way to be able to understand what he wants to learn. Well and if the student indicates that he is motivated to undrestand but somehow overwhelmed und and unable to overcome a given difficulty because there is nothing to connect to ... Well I feel so happy to try anything to find out together what might help. 
>  
>  
> What about this new “Rand-Keyboard” ???? 
>  
> <image004.gif>
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>  
>  
> . Does it make sense to learn to write with that. (I hesitate to write the word “write”... seems too difficult ..seems to last soooo long to just create one single sign. Cannot believe to type a sentence like “HELLO, MY NAME WHAT STEFAN SIGNNAME  (“DO YOU GET IT”)
>  
>  
> I understand that I need to switch in my head. I have to develop a positve attitude about this new development. I do not understand but can imagine that it would be of advantage if I would be able to type with that keyboard..just as I did with the SW-DOS keyboard in 1998.
>  
>  
>  
> There is a wonderful slide in the presentation 
>  
> PRESENTATION 42
> “Teacher's Attitudes About SignWriting” <http://www.signwriting.org/symposium/presentation0042.html>
> by Mohamed AbuShaira & Abd elraroof Mahfooz, SAUDIA ARABIA
>  
>  
> Go to slide number 9 ...   A positive (attitude) helps in ... 
>  
> So yes I want to develop a positive attitude towards the “Rand-Keyboard” ... 
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> <image006.gif>
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> So I want to understand more about the background and how to get started.
>  
> I wrote an  email to Yair Rand. I explained my ideas and asked for special support. 
>  
>  
> “Do you see a chance to offer some of your precious time for an online 1:1 tutorial? You can guide me ..while I demonstrate to you what a newcomer does not know...smile?” 
>  
> I felt so happy when I got the answer that he can offer this lesson and that he would set up a Google – Hangout   to meet. It has been a tremendous success! 
>  
>  
> Will report about that later ..;-)) 
>  
> Have a beautiful day
>  
> All best 
>  
> Stefan 
>  
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> ________________________________________________
> 
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