<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Actually, I am not a teacher, except that I teach ASL to new staff coming into the school. I don't teach the kids. Usually. Only now I am teaching SW to the Elem. kids on Fridays. My official job is interpreter, and so I have free time in the evenings and weekends like you, but mine usually gets tied up with family stuff. I have been concentrating on stuff for the little kids, because, at the moment, that seems to be where we have a chance to get SW in the school. The upper grades we have a lot more Deaf teachers who are still very resistant to the idea ("You can't write my language") and a lot less 'flexible' schedules to fit something like this in. The teachers and administrators would see
this as taking time away from "important stuff" like teaching English (grrr). <br><br>cherie<br><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">----- Original Message ----<br>From: K.J. Boal <kjoanne403@HOTMAIL.COM><br>To: sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 5:56:50 PM<br>Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...<br><br><div><br>I definitely think that a full SW curriculum does need to be developed for <br>every subject . . . it is a daunting task! (I've translated a couple of <br>songs into SW and those songs seemed a lot longer while I was working on <br>them, too!) Some sort of curriculum will definitely be part of my Ph.D. <br>project. I think about it at nights while I'm trying to fall asleep and I <br>keep thinking about all the things that could be done and all the good SW <br>could do if only . . . From the beginning I've wanted
to be a part of <br>developing SW literature, but I don't know how much it would be accepted <br>because I'm hearing. But if I started with elementary school curriculum <br>materials . . . especially for subjects like Social Studies, which is pretty <br>much entirely language-based . . . that might be more accepted.<br><br>The project is daunting when you think about all the other things you have <br>to do . . . like (in your case Cherie) plan your lessons! I, on the other <br>hand, am not that intimidated because my job, even though it's full-time, <br>starts when I get to work and ends when I leave. I have lots of time in the <br>evenings and weekends to devote to SW . . . maybe you could send me some <br>materials you'd like to see translated and I could get a start on them? <br>Just a suggestion . . .<br><br>KJ<br><br>>From: CWren@doe.k12.ga.us<br>>Reply-To: sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>>To:
sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>>Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...<br>>Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:08:43 -0500<br>><br>>I've thought about that... trying to develop science materials (I have a<br>>strong science background) but looking at the size of even elementary<br>>science textbooks... the project becomes just too daunting. Even Cat in<br>>the Hat seems a lot longer now that I am translating it! ::smile::<br>><br>>cherie<br>><br>>---------------------------------<br>>Cherie Wren<br>>GSD Staff Interpreter<br>>232 Perry Farm Rd<br>>Cave Spring, GA 30124<br>>706-777-2328<br>>706-766-0766 Cell<br>><br>>This message and any included attachments are from the Georgia School for<br>>the Deaf and are intended only for the addressee(s). The information<br>>contained herein may include privileged or otherwise confidential<br>>information. If you have received this
message in error, please contact<br>>the sender immediately, and delete it from your system.<br>><br>><br>><br>>"Stuart Thiessen" <sw@passitonservices.org><br>>Sent by: owner-sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>>01/18/2007 12:48 AM<br>>Please respond to<br>>sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>><br>><br>>To<br>>sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>>cc<br>><br>>Subject<br>>Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...<br>><br>><br>><br>><br>><br>><br>>:) That's great!<br>><br>>I do think that there is a tangental approach that could be equally<br>>beneficial and worth considering. I think back to when I was in high<br>>school, I had a deaf friend who was in my 11th-12th grade history<br>>class. Because English is my first language, I had the regular<br>>textbook. But she had the 7th grade history book instead. Naturally,<br>>she did not get the same things out of the class that I
could even with<br>>an interpreter. I don't think it was her fault.<br>><br>>If curriculum for a specific course (history, math, etc.) can be<br>>developed in ASL at appropriate grade levels and Deaf children can be<br>>shown to learn equal or superior to their hearing peers using that<br>>curriculum, that might be equally helpful. Of course, we may have to<br>>settle for a comparison of traditional Deaf Ed approach versus using SW<br>>curriculum to show improved learning between the two Deaf test groups.<br>>I suppose it would depend on the project and how it is set up and the<br>>willingness of the school or parents.<br>><br>>That process may also help us understand presentation issues as well.<br>>Fact of the matter probably is that presentation will be equally<br>>important as content, and that will be something new that will need to<br>>be considered since we will have to consider how the presentation of<br>>written
material will intersect with the way sign languages naturally<br>>use directionality. For example, in English, we say, "See Figure 3 for<br>>a chart of English Kings." If I write it in ASL, should my Signwriting<br>>point to the physical location of Figure 3 or what? There may be other<br>>related issues that could come up. So, even those factors could impact<br>>the effectiveness of written materials.<br>><br>>Just some thoughts to throw out. :-)<br>><br>>Stuart<br>><br>>On Jan 17, 2007, at 22:57, K.J. Boal wrote:<br>><br>> > Actually, I'm hoping to do a Ph.D. research project in the near future<br>> > on exactly that, Cherie! But it will be a while before any results<br>> > are in . . . if the project even gets off the ground . . . I'm hoping<br>> > to get started on the program either this year or next but I don't<br>> > know when or where I'll be doing it . . . I'll keep you posted
on my<br>> > progress!<br>> ><br>> > KJ<br>> ><br>> ><br>> >> From: "Cherie Wren" <cwterp@YAHOO.COM><br>> >> Reply-To: sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>> >> To: sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>> >> Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...<br>> >> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:47:47 -0800 (PST)<br>> >><br>> >> But in order to get the schools to accept SW, you have to hit them on<br>> >> what THEY think is important: and that is English. Period. End of<br>> >> story. so although SW will have benefits far beyond its limited use<br>> >> in promoting English literacy, that HAS to be the sell point.<br>> >> Because that is all Deaf education is about right now. English<br>> >> Literacy. Oh, those other things get done, but English Literacy is<br>> >>
THE goal of Deaf education in the United States, sad to say. And<br>> >> although there is no proof, there is research that supports it. Read<br>> >> Cummins on bilingual education. He proposes a theory that In<br>> >> bilingual education (he is talking about Spanish/English) there are<br>> >> two ways to get to English Literacy for Spanish speaking students.<br>> >> One is via spoken English, the other is via Written Spanish. Apply<br>> >> that to Deaf kids. Teh 'via spoken English ' route is not<br>> >> applicable. So the route to English Literacy will only come via<br>> >> written ASL. There is also research that proves that ASL<br>> >> proficiency (Not only in Deaf of Deaf, but in Deaf of hearing with<br>> >> strong ASL skills)has a very high correlation with English
Literacy.<br>> >> That is to say, if the kid has a strong first language, he will be<br>> >> able to get the second language easier. So SW wins again, because<br>> >> while you teach written signing, you can teach ASL at the same time.<br>> >> Here at GSD, we hope to get some of that proof that everyone wants to<br>> >> see... but you can't get proof till someone does the research , and<br>> >> you can't do the research till you have proof, at least in our<br>> >> case...<br>> >><br>> >> cherie<br>> >><br>> >> ----- Original Message ----<br>> >> From: "James Shepard-Kegl, Esq." <kegl@MAINE.RR.COM><br>> >> To: sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu<br>> >> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 5:50:14 PM<br>> >> Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...<br>> >><br>> >> Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential
Schools in the US...<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> I respectfully submit that when you propose SW as a bridge to English<br>> >> literacy in the school system, you are missing the point.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> SW is a valuable tool for giving a Deaf signer metalinguistic skills<br>> >> in his or her native language (i.e., understanding labels like nouns,<br>> >> verbs, classifiers, role shifting, shared references, and so forth.)<br>> >> Having metalinguistic skills in your own language is critical to<br>> >> learning the grammar and syntax of a foreign (that is, non-native)<br>> >> language.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> But, if you are expecting miracle English literacy achievement<br>> >> through SW, think again. SW helps, to be sure, and a greater<br>> >> proponent
than I you will not find, but do not oversell the concept,<br>> >> as proof is scarce.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> Where SW is really, really beneficial is: MATH, SCIENCE, HISTORY.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> Math, to be of any real value in life, is all about applied math,<br>> >> which we learn through practicing those dreaded verbal problems. Use<br>> >> SW to teach them, so that the Deaf child knows what you are talking<br>> >> about. Otherwise, the math problem just becomes an English problem,<br>> >> and if you do not read English, you appear to be moronic. Try TWO<br>> >> PLUS TWO in Chinese and see how far you get.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> My daughter's teachers in Portland, Maine High School are encouraging<br>> >> her to answer her
science tests in SW -- because the goal is<br>> >> achievement in the material taught in that particular class, not rote<br>> >> memorization of English without any real comprehension.<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> -- James<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> __________________________________________________<br>> >> Do You Yahoo!?<br>> >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around<br>> >> <a target="_blank" href="http://mail.yahoo.com">http://mail.yahoo.com</a><br>> ><br>> > _________________________________________________________________<br>> > <a target="_blank" href="http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionid=b2456790-90e6-4d28">http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionid=b2456790-90e6-4d28</a><br>> >
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