UK Deaf leader argues for video technology

[Bill Reese]

Val,

Last night my late-deaf group had one of it's regular coffee socials and 
a sign teacher from a local college showed up with her class of about 10 
hearing students.  I showed her www.signwriting.org on my sidekick and 
she admitted that she had looked at it a couple months ago.  Her 
students are just beginners and most are taking sign as their required 
foreign language.  As such, most won't be going far with it.  The 
teacher suggested that signwriting would most likely fit in with the 
sign language structure class, which is normally a fourth semester class 
in sign instruction.  I asked her to pass the word along to the teacher 
of that class.  Not sure where it will get but a couple of her beginning 
students snuck a look at what I was showing her and expressed curiousity. 

This was probably the first time I had received constructive dialogue 
instead of skepticism from a local teacher.

Bill


If it's anything like the UK, it will be a long ways to go

Valerie Sutton wrote:
> SignWriting List
> October 19, 2006
>
> Ha! Well...my experience is that it takes around three times, before 
> people become convinced to look at it...
>
> The first time they are against it, the second time they discuss it 
> more, and the third time they decide to look at it...
>
> So maybe in time he will come around, as others write BSL around him...
>
> reading and writing English took centuries to become established...so 
> there is hope!
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>
> On Oct 19, 2006, at 9:46 AM, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:
>
>> I did invite him :-)
>>
>> He said he have better things to do...
>>
>> (!)
>>
>> :-)
>>
>> Shane
>>
>> On 19/10/06, Valerie Sutton <signwriting at mac.com> wrote:
>>> SignWriting List
>>> October 19, 2006
>>>
>>> Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa in Belfast wrote:
>>> > Was talking to a deaf leader in England about that system - he said
>>> > that its no good - what with the development in video technology i.e.
>>> > video messages etc - so why the signwriting etc?
>>> >
>>> > I said having videomessages etc will not improve kids' literacy in
>>> > BSL/NISL but having SW will do.
>>> >
>>> > beside, technology isnt good at keeping stuff - SW can be printed on
>>> > any paper and that they ll be still there 500 years away :-)
>>>
>>>
>>> Hello Shane and Everyone!
>>>
>>> Those are good points, Shane...
>>>
>>> So did you invite the Deaf leader to the SignWriting Workshop on Oct
>>> 27th at DCAL? ;-))
>>>
>>> Double-dare him to come to the workshop to see if he has the courage
>>> to look at it...
>>>
>>> When people give me the video argument, I say:
>>>
>>> "People did not stop writing English when audio recording equipment
>>> was invented!"
>>>
>>> Written English transcripts are very helpful combined with audio
>>> CDs ;-))
>>>
>>> No different with written Sign Language and videos...they help each
>>> other....
>>>
>>> I know you know this, Shane...I am just spouting off right now - ha!
>>>
>>> Val ;-)
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>