Report on SW workshop in Prague by Lucy

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
September 28, 2006

Hello Lucy, Honza and Everyone!

THANK YOU for this excellent report. And congratulations on a  
successful workshop!

I am busy creating a web page for this report, and also Honza's  
report, so that we have an historic record of the event. As soon as  
the web page is ready, I will share it with you...I will place the  
photos on the web page too...is that ok with you?

Have a great day!

Val ;-)

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


On Sep 27, 2006, at 10:25 AM, Lucy wrote:


----- Original Message -----
From: Lucy
To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:56 PM
Subject: report on SW workshop in Prague by Lucy

Hi List,
I am finally able to write the report.
Well, as Honza wrote, we had 24 participants on the first day and 18  
on the second day. It was a very Slavic/Slavonic workshop and I find  
it very important. Brussels or London are too far or too expensive  
for many of people of the Eastern part of Europe. Some of the  
participants had come for the EFSLI conference first and availed  
themselves of the opportunity to take part also in our workshop. One  
of the participants was even from outside the EU and had to get a  
visa to come to Prague! So, in my opinion, we have done really a good  
work, familiarizing the Eastern part of Europe with SignWriting.
On the first day we started with a multimedial presentation on the  
genesis and development in SignWriting. It was to be displayed in  
English but due to technical problems it was impossible (but later  
the problems were solved, after all). I had sent the presentation to  
Honza prior to my arrival to Prague, so he translated it into written  
Czech and printed it out, so participants could have the SW history  
in English or Czech (and this language is relatively easy to  
understand also by other Slavs).
I was signing in International Sign that I had learned in Brussels  
and, above all, in Nijmegen, Holland this year. But most of the  
participants had come across IS for the first time, so they could  
hardly understand me. However, Honza helped me a lot here,  
interpreting into Czech Sign Language (CZJ). I appreciate it all the  
more that he had worked hard at the EFSLI conference and we began  
with the workshop directly after that conference.
The materials Honza had received from Val were displayed on a table,  
the participants could view them during breaks, and and the end of  
the Monday workshop Honza distributed them among the participants. I  
can't say anything more about this issue as this was Honza's task.
After the theoretical introduction we started with basic symbols,  
writing them on the white board and comparing with our handshapes. I  
had two pairs of white and black gloves and they were very helpful  
although Honza's palms appeared to be too big :-)
We told the participants about those many computer programs for SW  
but as we mostly use SignPuddle, Honza introduced this program to the  
partipants. In the end of the Sunday workshop the participants were  
able to write their sign names down on paper. But they had still a  
problem to understand the operation of SignPuddle, so we focused on  
this issue on Monday. I worked at the computer individually with each  
participants, and Honza helped the others to write signs on papers. I  
had also translated the Goldilocks Level 1 book and a part of  
Goldilocks level 3 book into Polish and PJM, and the participants  
view it, compared to the ASL versions and tried to read it. I showed  
the participants SW materials in Polish that I use to teach PJM to  
hearing students, as well as websites of Kasterlinden and Osnabrueck  
schools for the deaf and I talked about how deaf childred are taught  
there.
I had a camcorder but was too embarased to take any recording, all  
the more than there was a Deaf man of Slovenia who had a professional  
tv camera. That's why Honza took photos on Monday only.
The atmosphere at the workshop was very good and the participants  
were really interested, especially those who were teachers of the Deaf.
We told the participants also about ESWO and the London workshop.
I was very glad to be able to teach SW in workshop and I would like  
to thank Honza for good cooperation, and ESWO and Valerie for their  
support and materials :-)
I wanted to send Goldilocks level 1 in Polish and PJM to the List but  
it appeared to be too large :-). So I'll send it to Val. Val, you can  
make a screet shot a page and that will do :-)
Lucy


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