UK Deaf leader argues for video technology

[Stuart Thiessen]

We are working on it! :)  We have talked with the Superintendent. We 
also had the President-to-be from Gally come for the Iowa Association 
of the Deaf's 125th Anniversary Banquet. We also talked with her about 
SignWriting. So we are pushing it everywhere we can. :) We also tried 
to convince our local public school Deaf Program to consider it.

The challenge is that it is "one more program" in the midst of many 
programs that are competing for their attention. I would like to team 
up with the Alberquerque people and Cheri and others who I may not know 
about to see if together we can create a presentation that can be used 
by SW advocates to help convince public school administrators, 
educators, etc. to be aware of SW and its benefits. But like many 
ideas, we just need to achieve some critical mass before it can happen. 
But I'm offering the idea :).

Thanks,

Stuart

On Oct 20, 2006, at 2:06, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:

> u got ruby slippers on?
>
> ;-)
>
> Can u check with Iowa School for the Deaf - to see if they use SW?
>
> Shane
>
> On 20/10/06, Stuart Thiessen <sw at passitonservices.org> wrote:
>> I am in Des Moines, Iowa, right in the middle of the US. ;-)  When I
>> moved from Virginia to Kansas, they told me to say hi to Dorothy. 
>> Funny
>> thing .... my neighbor was Dorothy. So, I said hi!  ( ;-D )  Then I
>> lived in Nebraska. Now in Iowa. So, I'm more of a Midwesterner. :)
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>> On Oct 19, 2006, at 14:33, Shane Gilchrist O hEorpa wrote:
>>
>> > Stuart is right - Gallaudet is loyal to Stokoe, thinking that SW is
>> > another notation system (which it ISN'T!)
>> >
>> > once we slip SW into Gallaudet, it will change - unfair i know...but
>> > we will get there eventually.
>> >
>> > Where are you based, Stuart?
>> >
>> > Shane
>> >
>> > On 19/10/06, Stuart Thiessen <sw at passitonservices.org> wrote:
>> >> Here, the local teacher (hearing) said that he would not even 
>> consider
>> >> use of SignWriting until Deaf people use it. I told him, "2 Deaf
>> >> people
>> >> are right now telling you it is a good idea!!!  ;-)"  Really, what 
>> he
>> >> means is until NAD or Gallaudet or some formal group adopts
>> >> SignWriting
>> >> as a writing system for ASL, he won't consider it.
>> >>
>> >> But I agree with Valerie. First time, they may be resistant or
>> >> hesitant, but if we are patient, they will realize the benefits of 
>> the
>> >> system.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >>
>> >> Stuart Thiessen
>> >>
>> >> On Oct 19, 2006, at 13:15, Bill Reese wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > 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 ;-)
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>