Kathleens visit to Dublin

Tue Nov 8 15:56:23 UTC 2005

SignWriting List
November 8, 2005

My dear friends, and Shane!

Everyone in the world who chooses to learn to use SignWriting, are  
welcome in my world, with open arms...including those who choose to  
use it in research, and are not necessarily salesmen or able to be  
public about their usage...Everyone is very different and I accept  
those differences with open arms...

Patrick Mathews is a researcher, and is not a person who necessarily  
wants to teach. But I am very grateful to Patrick for being so kind  
to me, and for being so hard-working. He asked me to edit three of  
his books that use SignWriting, and I am happy to see that he wants  
to write SignWriting well...He learns slowly and carefully. That fits  
the university kind of world he lives in...the world of research. In  
the world of research they oftentimes do not share their dissertation  
until it is completed...that is just the way it is...and I accept  
that with respect. Lots of researchers do that in the US too...in all  
countries of the world, researchers do not discuss their  
dissertations..that is normal!

I am well aware that a decade ago, in Ireland, there were people who  
fought over SignWriting. Believe me, I was amazed and saddened,  
sitting half way around the world, knowing that such arguments had  
happened in Dublin. I had not planned on that for SignWriting, which  
is my gift to the world...to anyone rich or poor...to all groups  
equally...all are equal in my mind...The only thing I ask, is that  
people want to learn to write signs properly, and that SignWriting  
remains a positive, uplifting and warm experience for everyone...

So Shane, please listen to me as your friend, and as the person who  
started all this...I am asking that you do not feel any anger towards  
anyone using SignWriting...be happy they are using it, and leave it  
at that...and go on with your own work...YOU learn SignWriting...that  
is what matters...

SignWriting is a big family and I want it to remain a wonderful  
loving family...

I am now going to call Ingvild to congratulate her on her new  
chapters of her book, that are really beautiful and then I have  
guests coming, but then Theirry and everyone, at the end of the day,  
and Anny in French-Switzerland, I will try to get to your private  
requests...your work is wonderful!

And Shane - I have not forgotten teaching you the numbers and I look  
forward to getting back to that too! I hope you can go ahead and try  
to write the numbers from 20 to 50? Thanks for all you are doing in  
Northern Ireland... I bet you will have your own books someday too...  
and it will spread to the schools...but you need literature for the  
teachers, so that is why it is important that you learn SignWriting  
well first...

Val ;-)

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

On Nov 8, 2005, at 1:21 AM, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:

> Kathleen,
>
> too bad we didnt meet up - i had the date put down in my diary -  
> but I was busy chasing after my 30 teachers (FOUR SICK TEACHERS ON  
> MY HANDS AND SEVERAL ANNOYING SCHOOLS!!!)
>
> i ll reply to Val's piece of history - theres alot of controversy  
> down South.
>
> Patrick Matthews - I am disappointed that he didnt choose to teach  
> SignWriting to the students at the CDS - it would make a big impact  
> - but I will meet up with Pat McDowell the new CDS Director and  
> talk to him about that - I ll want to talk to him about having the  
> CDS students learning NISL (we will expect our own interpreters up  
> North to learn ISL & NISL - its natural that terps down South would  
> do the same)
>
> Even so, he isnt very good at marketing the SignWriting in Ireland.
>
> I hope with your visit to him, Kathleen, it will make him think -  
> but hes one of the people who think its okay for them to keep  
> things to themselves - thats from the general deaf population  
> (thats the general attitude among the deaf academics in the UK and  
> Ireland) - for instance I am very impressed by the deaf academics  
> in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany etc - they DO get involved in  
> deaf politics, trying to change deaf education - for instance  
> Thierry on the LSFB Commission, his hard works with the deaf  
> schools in South Belgium - and for instance Kristof and his gang in  
> North Belgium so on - if it wasnt for universities etc, SignWriting  
> wont be introduced to Kasterlinden - and theres a good chance  
> Kasterlinden might not even go bilingual if it wasn't for the  
> universities.
>
> With attitudes like that in Dublin, I dont think we ll see  
> SignWriting being introduced to the 3 deaf schools at Cabra :-(
>
> Shane
>
> On 07/11/05, Kasterlinden Bilinguaal <katjesaar at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hello Val and list,
>
>
> I just got back from one week in Dublin. It was grand. I visited  
> the CDS (Centre for Deaf studies) and met Patrick Matthew - he told  
> me he visited you once in San Diego :)
> They were all such sweet and friendly people. I discussed  
> SignWriting with him because he's working on his Phd about writing  
> systems for Sign Language. - I was so happy ;) -
> We exchanged email and he wants to ask questions about how we use  
> it in our daily education with Deaf children.
>
> I also made a report - that's almost finished - I'll post it on the  
> list ;) It was soooo interessting!
>
>
>
> Evolution in SignSpelling?
>
> Yes, it's possible... look here ;)
>
>
>
> This is my name 'Kathleen', you can see how I made the first sign  
> in September 2004, the middle one I made june 2005 and the last one  
> I made november 2005.
>
> You see the difference?
>
>  smile ;)
>
> Greetings Kathleen
> Have a nice day!
>
>
>
> Gratis bloggen op MSN Spaces
>

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