AW: [sw-l] Handwriting Course New Schedule ;-)

[Stefan Wöhrmann]

Hello Valerie and Handwriting course participants - 

I apology in advance if anybody feels uncomfortable with my message - just
my idea about how to handle and what to expect ... 

Valerie - you know that I am a teacher of a group of 9 - 10 deaf students. I
had to smile when I saw coming more and more students to your classroom - it
happened at our class all the time - that during the brakes between two
lessons - deaf students from other classes of the school drop in to ask this
and that, to look at our materials, to have a small talk -- 

There is no way to give a detailed feedback on the homework of every student
- no the chance at all. What I do is - I try to understand a general
problem, kind of typical misunderstanding, ... or mistake that happens again
and again - 

Now I try to teach this aspect. First of all it seem to me more important to
give them a chance to see the solutions as it is thought by the teacher. So
writing the sentence at the blackboard or with computer and shown with the
beamer would be a good method to allow anybody to reflect his own outcome
with what I would expect. 

Only very few students miss the point to see the difference between what
they have performed and what they should do differently. 

Looking all the different pages you got I would feel overwhelmed and
confused if I should comment on every homework, if I should propose a
different variation ... no that would tear me apart - and time goes by - and
students are waiting for me to teach the second lesson .... 

So what do you think about my suggestion - just to accept that many people
show interest - in this case too many in order to run the course in a way at
it has peen set up in before - (Next time it would make sense to set a limit
- like you do in any class or workshop depending on the need of personal
feedback) 


2) What if the participants accept that they will learn during coming
lessons - just as you point out with this wondeful chart of 4 columns
(printing, handwriting printing .... ) and that there first homework is just
kind of contribution - and if there signs involved which are difficult to
read - well lateron this will / should be no problem. Compared with so many
misspellings in the SignPuddle dictionaries ist should be no problem to
accept these first writing attemps as what they are : first attempts - smile



3) If you happen to find a typical or critical "misunderstanding" you may
want to focus on this during a following teaching sequence but there is no
need to change your "curriculum". 


4) What if you could just give a short statement about the different sign-
names. You know - names are important to people and if they develop a habit
- a routine how to spell and how to "design" their namesign it will become
pretty much difficult to change that after some time. 

But since all of us are interesting in Handwriting it would be a good start
for any student to know that the way he/she is writing his/her namesign is
well accepted from the teachers point of view - smile 

This should be enough for lesson one and should allow anybody to leave the
classroom with a feeling of hope and acceptance in order to begin with the
homework for lesson two - writing columns of his sign name or writing a list
of the sign names of all participants or .... well you are the teacher -
smile. 

I am looking forward to see more of your own Handwriting! (especially
Handwriting Priting SW)  To compare your way of writing the arrows, the
circles, the handshapes,..with my own exercises so far is most interesting
to me. 

So please think about this and if possible think about your coming procedure
a second time. 

Feedback to this posting is most welcome! 

Stefan ;-)  




 










-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
[mailto:owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu] Im Auftrag von Valerie Sutton
Gesendet: Dienstag, 16. Januar 2007 10:39
An: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
Betreff: [sw-l] Handwriting Course New Schedule ;-)

SignWriting List
January 16, 2007

Dear Handwriting Course Participants!

We now have 18 people who have submitted their homework, with several  
more promising to send theirs. Just creating the web pages for each  
student is a job for me, besides so many private messages being sent  
to me daily...It is quite overwhelming for me to handle so much, plus  
my other duties required of me. We have our Annual Board meeting on  
January 27, and I am still doing the Treasurer's Report and Year-End  
Report for that meeting.

It is wonderful to think that so many people are interested in the  
Handwriting course. I didn't realize there would be so many!

Since this is a free course, the teacher has the right to cut the  
schedule in half...and I do not have much choice, since I too have  
been ill in bed with a sinus infection the past few days...

So no matter what, I will create a web page for each student, and  
give you all feedback on what you have written so far...

There will, most likely, not be another assignment after I give you  
feedback on this one...

What does feedback mean? it means I am going to read each sign and  
discuss how to read it, with all 18 to 20 students...on the SW List,  
so you all can learn as I go...

and I then hope that you all will continue to work together to write  
together -

So that is the ew plan!

So feedback will start with Student number 1 in the next day or so....

Val ;-)