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<TITLE>Re: [sw-l] Re: integrating SW in school curriculum???</TITLE>
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It is too early for anything besides anecdotal, I suppose. I dunno ...just musing at a possible opportunity.<BR>
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-- James<BR>
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on 10/21/06 11:13 AM, Valerie Sutton at sutton@signwriting.org wrote:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>SignWriting List<BR>
October 21, 2006<BR>
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Hello James!<BR>
Thank you for this phenomenal story! Your dedication as a parent is impressive, besides your skill with Nicaraguan Sign Language and SignWriting!<BR>
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What kind of serious follow-up do you want from us? Do you want us to write to the interpreter and teacher, to ask them for their anecdotal experiences on how SignWriting has helped their student?<BR>
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or are you asking for someone to research this specifically, with the goal to show that SignWriting helps Deaf students learn more?<BR>
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What next step do you suggest? Val ;-)<BR>
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On Oct 21, 2006, at 6:45 AM, James Shepard-Kegl, Esq. wrote:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>As some of you may be aware, earlier this year my wife and I adopted a<BR>
Nicaraguan Deaf teenager (now age 16) and enrolled her in the mainstream<BR>
program for Deaf students at Portland (Maine) high school. Our daughter,<BR>
Yuri, is not the only Deaf student in the class, but she is the only one who<BR>
can read SW. This means, at least to a small degree, one may compare and<BR>
contrast the achievement level of a SW reader who is Deaf versus none SW<BR>
readers who are Deaf in a high school program of this nature. (The class is<BR>
intended for immigrants from many nations and speaking many languages. Most<BR>
of the students are hearing. Deaf students are included because they also<BR>
are lacking in English abilities.)<BR>
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The teachers, of course, do not understand SW, or, for that matter, ASL.<BR>
The school accommodates Yuri with an ESL (English as a second language)<BR>
teacher who signs (somewhat) and an ASL interpreter who signs natively.<BR>
Neither read SW, but they wish they could.<BR>
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Why? Because I spend a lot of time translating Yuri's school assignments<BR>
(all in English) into Nicaraguan Sign Language using SW, she has an<BR>
opportunity to learn that others are denied. Her teachers and interpreters<BR>
have noted it.<BR>
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Do they think this helps a little, or a lot; are they thoroughly impressed<BR>
or only half-convinced? I don't know. Someone ought to ask them. In fact,<BR>
someone ought to do some serious follow-up.<BR>
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The ASL interpreter is Regan Thibodeau: eitar@tmail.com<BR>
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The teacher/interpreter is Tracey Frederick: traceyf@tmail.com<BR>
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I will let them know I authorize their responses.<BR>
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-- James<BR>
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<FONT FACE="Arial">Val ;-)<BR>
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<FONT FACE="Arial">Valerie Sutton<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">Sutton@SignWriting.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">1. SignWriting<BR>
Read & Write Sign Languages<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.SignWriting.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">2. SignBank<BR>
Create Sign Language Databases<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.SignBank.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">3. SignPuddle<BR>
Create Sign Language Dictionaries<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.SignPuddle.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">4. SignText<BR>
Create Sign Language Documents<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle/signtext<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">5. SignWriting List<BR>
Technical Support: Ask questions to the List <BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#1909EE"><FONT FACE="Geneva">http://www.SignWriting.org/forums/swlist<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">6. DanceWriting<BR>
Read & Write Dance Movement<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.DanceWriting.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">7. MovementWriting<BR>
Read & Write All Body Movement<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.MovementWriting.org<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">8. SymbolBank<BR>
International Movement Writing Alphabet<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.MovementWriting.org/symbolbank<BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR="#1909EE"><BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">9. Non-profit Organization<BR>
Center for Sutton Movement Writing<BR>
<FONT COLOR="#1909EE">http://www.SignWriting.org/forums/sponsors<BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT FACE="Arial">SignWriting Literacy Project<BR>
The DAC, Deaf Action Committee<BR>
Center For Sutton Movement Writing<BR>
an educational nonprofit organization<BR>
P.O. Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038, USA<BR>
tel 858-456-0098 fax 858-456-0020<BR>
D-Link Videophone: 66.27.57.178<BR>
Skype Name: valeriesutton<BR>
</FONT><BR>
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