[sw-l] Learn SignWriting by Videophone ;-)

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 8, 2005

Learn SignWriitng by Videophone continued...

7. The other problem, which is also solvable, had to do with my seeing
what the students were pointing to...I started teaching the class about
how I met their Deaf teacher, Kevin, and I explained the history of
SignWriting briefly, and then I asked if the students had questions.
And the moment the question and answer started, it was hard because the
interpreters were trying to voice the question so I could hear it and I
couldn't hear their questions! So kevin had to come to the videophone
and sign to me what the hearing people were saying...funny, huh?!! So
glad to have Kevin as my interperter - ha!

8. Then, they had other very fancy equipment, that took their computer
screen and made the screen very very large on a big screen...and I
couldn't see their big screen, so I didn't know where they were on the
computer! So I was continually asking...Did you click on that icon, and
what do you see now on your screen?...So in the future we need to
devise a way for me to be able to see everything they see...smile..

9. But having said all this...it was a wonderful experience anyway! We
all laughed together about the technology...and that helped us relax
and get to know each other...and the questions from the students were
great...they asked if we wrote ASL grammar or English grammar, and I
explained about how we encourage writing good ASL grammar because we
respect the language and feel it is time for a written form for ASL
that will preserve the language for future generations...and some of
the non-deaf students thanked me at the end of the session, saying that
their concept of the potential for ASL had been greatly enhanced...they
understood better that it is a real language and they were
amazed...this was a Deaf Studies class and all the students were new to
the class...some of the students were totally new to Deafness-related
topics...so they were learning something very new and I think Kevin is
an excellent teacher for them...

10. And SignPuddle was fun! I showed them how to send an email message
with SignWriting in SignPuddle, and how to search for signs with all 4
methods...by words, signs, symbols and symbol-frequency, and I taught
them how to drag and drop a sign from SignPuddle into a Microsoft Word
document...

11. One student wanted to know about linguistics and wanted to know
about details in linguistics and Kevin started teaching her facial
expressions on a chart, but I could not see the chart, so I suggested
that she contact me through email later and I would be happy to answer
her questions...

So that was the experience! When it was all over, I was amazed. It felt
like I had just taught at a local college for a one hour presentation,
and yet I had not left my home...so I took a walk and thought about it,
and I am really happy we have this opportunity for the future...

Any questions, class? smile...Val ;-)

--------------------------

Valerie Sutton wrote:
> Yesterday, May 7, 2005, was our first SignWriting presentation by
> videophone! There were good and bad points, and some of the bad can be
> fixed quite easily, now that I understand it better.
>
> How did it work?
>
> 1. The technicians at the school gave me their IP address (broadband
> internet connection address). I then programmed that IP address into
> my videophone, so I could call them.
> 2. We did a quick test run together about an hour before the class
> started, and I thought all was in order, because at the time of the
> test, the interpreters could hear my voice, and they could see me
> signing, and I could see their computer screen and I could see where
> they were on the computer....
> 3. So we hung up and then I called them exactly at 1:10pm in the
> afternoon.
> 4. I sat in front of my TV set. I had to made sure that I was not on a
> chair with wheels, because if I moved, by accident, they would not be
> able to see me, so I had to position my chair just right.
> 5. Kevin, the Deaf teacher, started by introducing me, and I could see
> him clearly because he was standing in front of their camera lens.
> Then he panned the room for me, so I could see 30 students sitting at
> their desks!!! Everyone waved hello! That was really amazing!
> 6. But after that it started to get complicated, because there were 2
> interpreters. We decided they would sign while I voiced, but then
> suddenly the audio became jumpy...the picture was PERFECT...but I did
> not have a good audio....I needed a better microphone and they could
> not always hear my voice clearly...So I ran and found a normal voice
> telephone and hooked it to the videophone and held the receiver to my
> ear and spoke into the phone and suddenly the interpreters could hear
> me fine...so the telephone acted as a microphone...but then it was
> hard for me to sign when I wanted to, because I had to hold the phone
> to my ear...
>
> But now I see that the D-Link videophone company has microphones and
> other equipment that I could purchase to make this experience
> better...so I will not let the audio be a problem again...
>
> Normally, with my Deaf friends, I use no audio at all...This is only a
> problem when we are trying to teach a group of people with
> interpreters...
>
> More next message...
>
> Val ;-)
>