[sw-l] Re: SW in Latin American & Spain

[Stuart Thiessen]

The translate feature may be nice, but I think a better approach (which
I am sure that Steve has on his list) is to find a way to load signs
from the dictionary into SignText so that it can be modified for any
facial expressions or changes in movement to match the grammar of the
writing before including in the document.  We will increase our
credibility to the community if we can show how the grammatical and
linguistic elements of the language are preserved in the way we write.
Of course, I still go back to wondering if there is any way to allow
the typing features of SignWriter for SignText.  Maybe that requires a
java applet, but the ability to load signs from the dictionary and/or
typing in the sign without having to drag/drop are valuable features to
make SignText even more versatile.  I am not complaining. Steve has
done a lot of good work. I am just looking at my own workflow and
noticing what would make me more efficient in how I produce SW
documents.  Also, as long as Steve has a way that we can convert his
XML documents into well-formed HTML, we shouldn't need to post things
as one big graphic (which is harder to edit when you need to.) Just my
2 cents worth.

Thanks,

Stuart

On May 23, 2005, at 15:39, Valerie Sutton wrote:

> SignWriting List
> May 23, 2005
>
> Steve-
> Thanks for this message below...A little frustrating, isn't it? smile
>
> James has volumes of SignWriting, and has taught Deaf children in
> Nicaragua in SignWriting and Sign Language since 1995, with documented
> success. So James has worked an entire decade and has lots to show for
> it. He has dedicated his life to the Deaf children he teaches. But an
> administrator can, with the touch of his or her pen to a piece of
> paper, wipe away decades of work, without understanding what he or she
> is doing...
>
> But on the positive side to this scenario, the SignWriting literature
> which James typed in SignWriter DOS, still exists, and administrators
> can change their minds if we can show them his work.
>
> James is skilled with SignWriter DOS, and he also is using a Macintosh
> for other projects. On James' Mac, he has entered all the 876 signs
> into the Nicaraguan SignPuddle...
>
> Nicaraguan SignPuddle
> http://www.SignBank.org/signpuddle/sgn-NI
>
> Great job, James!
>
> Now James needs to get his SignWriter DOS documents into the world of
> the web...I know you are working on SignText, Steve...How soon could
> we start to try to create a document with SignText?...
>
> Or...we could open a Microsoft Word document and drag and drop sign by
> sign from SignPuddle to Word....Would that make more sense right now?
>
> We need a way to get documents posted on the web quickly...Another
> idea I had last night...Could we use the Translate Tool on SignPuddle,
> create the sentences we need, and then can you build in an export
> feature just in the Translate Tool that would create the sentences as
> one great big PNG file, for posting on the web? So the vertical
> columns would be captured in a graphic that can then be posted
> easily?...
>
> One more thing on your long to-do list....I realize this may not be
> possible and that is ok...smile
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>
>
> On May 23, 2005, at 3:20 PM, Steve Slevinski wrote:
>
>> James Shepard-Kegl,
>>
>> It seems to me... (as a hearing man raised with English as my first
>> langauge)
>>
>> Administrators have a problem of ignorance and misunderstanding.  I
>> think talking about SignWriting only makes the problem worse.  To me,
>> SignWriting is like grammar. It has rules and lessons.  It is made up
>> of best practices.  It can be boring to talk about unless you're
>> directly involved.
>> Sign langauge can be written,  just as any other langauge.  However,
>> sign langauges use a movement alphabet, rather than a phonetic
>> alphabet, because sign langauge moves.
>>
>> Only ignorance and misunderstanding makes it possible for someone to
>> say that using SignWriting violates standard teaching procedures.
>> You use written langauge with SignWriting.  Written langauge is the
>> basis of any modern education.  An education system that rejects
>> reading and writing would violate standard teaching procedures.
>> Helping people understand the importance of sign language is the real
>> problem.  But before we can discuss sign langauge, we have to get to
>> the heart of the matter.  Langauge is the true foundation of a modern
>> education.
>>
>> The earlier children are exposed to langauge, the better.  Children
>> absorb and create langauge naturally.  Humans are linguistic
>> creatures.
>> While Oralists admit that early exposure to langauge is important, I
>> am not sure if they accept sign langauges as true languages.
>> Oralists choose to ignore that the children's attitude and
>> experiences are important.  A child's involvement, interest and
>> enjoyment in education makes all of the difference in their
>> development as human beings.
>> Deaf history is filled with stories of children who were robbed of
>> their childhoods because they were mainstreamed.  Their early years
>> were filled with confusion because they were forced to use a language
>> they could not fully experience.  Their time was consumed with
>> constant drills so that they could lip-read and voice.
>> A basic education is no different for a hearing child or a deaf child:
>> 1) Early exposure to language
>> 2) A love of learning
>> 3) The ability to read and write their primary language
>>
>> Once a child has been equiped with these 3 steps of a basic
>> education, there is no stopping the child from becoming a successful
>> individual.  Oralism fails starting with step 1.  Oralism continues
>> to fail with step 2.
>>
>> -Steve
>>
>>
>> James Shepard-Kegl, Esq. wrote:
>>
>>
>>> To educators using SW in Spanish speaking countries:
>>>
>>> As I guess all of your are aware, we use SW a very great deal in
>>> Bluefields,
>>> Nicaragua, and we have developed a good deal of reading material:
>>> three
>>> volumes of reading lessons in SW, applied math workbooks in SW,
>>> Spanish
>>> texts and workbooks incorporating SW.
>>>
>>> Our Deaf teachers and students, of course, appreciate the value of
>>> SW in a
>>> teaching curriculum.  Why?  because for them there are practical
>>> applications on a daily basis.
>>>
>>> However, for government administrators in the Ministry of Education,
>>> SW is
>>> much more of an abstract.  Yes, if they had to think about it, the
>>> concept
>>> would seem like a good idea.  However, use of SW in a teaching
>>> curriculum is
>>> not a traditional approach in Deaf education.  Everyone knows that I
>>> espouse
>>> it, but what do I say when some foreign consultant comes in and
>>> says, "This
>>> is not accepted practice anywhere else.  Using SW violates standard
>>> teaching
>>> procedures."
>>>
>>> So, immediately we have the battle of the foreign consultants.  This
>>> is in
>>> part what occurred in Condega, Nicaragua.  And the Columbian oralist
>>> had an
>>> advantage in this debate:  He is a Latin American and he speaks
>>> Spanish.
>>>
>>> At some point (possibly June), I am planning to hold a teaching
>>> seminar for
>>> the hearing staff at the Bluefields Deaf School.  This program would
>>> be not
>>> merely for government teachers, but also for the supervisors the
>>> government
>>> sends to the school from time to time.  These individuals are not
>>> particularly well trained, if at all, in new approaches to Deaf
>>> education --
>>> which makes them very vulnerable to oralism or so-called "total
>>> communication" advocates.
>>>
>>> I can say that SW is being used at varying levels (pilot programs,
>>> developing curricula, etc.) in other Spanish speaking countries.
>>> But, it
>>> would be much better if a description of the varying programs came
>>> from the
>>> sources -- and written in Spanish.  I would be happy to share your
>>> one - two
>>> page reports with our own staff and with the participants in this
>>> teaching
>>> seminar.
>>>
>>> Please address any documents to:  El proyecto de idioma de senas de
>>> Nicaragua
>>> at kegl at maine.rr.com
>>>
>>> Thank you for your help.
>>>
>>> -- James Shepard-Kegl
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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