Deaf Residential Schools in the US...

Sat Jan 20 01:13:03 UTC 2007

Actually, I am not a teacher, except that I teach ASL to new staff coming into the school.  I don't teach the kids.  Usually.  Only now I am teaching SW to the Elem. kids on Fridays.  My official job is interpreter, and so I have free time in the evenings and weekends like you, but mine usually gets tied up with family stuff.  I have been concentrating on stuff for the little kids, because, at the moment, that seems to be where we have a chance to get SW in the school.  The upper grades we have a lot more Deaf teachers who are still very resistant to the idea ("You can't write my language") and a lot less 'flexible' schedules to fit something like this in.  The teachers and administrators would see this as taking time away from "important stuff" like teaching English (grrr).  

cherie

----- Original Message ----
From: K.J. Boal <kjoanne403 at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 5:56:50 PM
Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...

I definitely think that a full SW curriculum does need to be developed for 
every subject . . . it is a daunting task!  (I've translated a couple of 
songs into SW and those songs seemed a lot longer while I was working on 
them, too!)  Some sort of curriculum will definitely be part of my Ph.D. 
project.  I think about it at nights while I'm trying to fall asleep and I 
keep thinking about all the things that could be done and all the good SW 
could do if only . . .  From the beginning I've wanted to be a part of 
developing SW literature, but I don't know how much it would be accepted 
because I'm hearing.  But if I started with elementary school curriculum 
materials . . . especially for subjects like Social Studies, which is pretty 
much entirely language-based . . . that might be more accepted.

The project is daunting when you think about all the other things you have 
to do . . . like (in your case Cherie) plan your lessons!  I, on the other 
hand, am not that intimidated because my job, even though it's full-time, 
starts when I get to work and ends when I leave.  I have lots of time in the 
evenings and weekends to devote to SW . . . maybe you could send me some 
materials you'd like to see translated and I could get a start on them?  
Just a suggestion . . .

KJ

>From: CWren at doe.k12.ga.us
>Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
>Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:08:43 -0500
>
>I've thought about that... trying to develop science materials (I have a
>strong science background) but looking at the size of even elementary
>science textbooks... the project becomes just too daunting.  Even Cat in
>the Hat seems a lot longer now that I am translating it!  ::smile::
>
>cherie
>
>---------------------------------
>Cherie Wren
>GSD Staff Interpreter
>232 Perry Farm Rd
>Cave Spring, GA 30124
>706-777-2328
>706-766-0766 Cell
>
>This message and any included attachments are from the Georgia School for
>the Deaf and are intended only for the addressee(s). The information
>contained herein may include privileged or otherwise confidential
>information. If you have received this message in error, please contact
>the sender immediately, and delete it from your system.
>
>
>
>"Stuart Thiessen" <sw at passitonservices.org>
>Sent by: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>01/18/2007 12:48 AM
>Please respond to
>sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>
>
>To
>sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>cc
>
>Subject
>Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>:) That's great!
>
>I do think that there is a tangental approach that could be equally
>beneficial and worth considering. I think back to when I was in high
>school, I had a deaf friend who was in my 11th-12th grade history
>class. Because English is my first language, I had the regular
>textbook. But she had the 7th grade history book instead. Naturally,
>she did not get the same things out of the class that I could even with
>an interpreter. I don't think it was her fault.
>
>If curriculum for a specific course (history, math, etc.) can be
>developed in ASL at appropriate grade levels and Deaf children can be
>shown to learn equal or superior to their hearing peers using that
>curriculum, that might be equally helpful. Of course, we may have to
>settle for a comparison of traditional Deaf Ed approach versus using SW
>curriculum to show improved learning between the two Deaf test groups.
>I suppose it would depend on the project and how it is set up and the
>willingness of the school or parents.
>
>That process may also help us understand presentation issues as well.
>Fact of the matter probably is that presentation will be equally
>important as content, and that will be something new that will need to
>be considered since we will have to consider how the presentation of
>written material will intersect with the way sign languages naturally
>use directionality. For example, in English, we say, "See Figure 3 for
>a chart of English Kings."  If I write it in ASL, should my Signwriting
>point to the physical location of Figure 3 or what? There may be other
>related issues that could come up. So, even those factors could impact
>the effectiveness of written materials.
>
>Just some thoughts to throw out. :-)
>
>Stuart
>
>On Jan 17, 2007, at 22:57, K.J. Boal wrote:
>
> > Actually, I'm hoping to do a Ph.D. research project in the near future
> > on exactly that, Cherie!  But it will be a while before any results
> > are in . . . if the project even gets off the ground . . . I'm hoping
> > to get started on the program either this year or next but I don't
> > know when or where I'll be doing it . . . I'll keep you posted on my
> > progress!
> >
> > KJ
> >
> >
> >> From: "Cherie Wren" <cwterp at YAHOO.COM>
> >> Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> >> To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> >> Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
> >> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:47:47 -0800 (PST)
> >>
> >> But in order to get the schools to accept SW, you have to hit them on
> >> what THEY think is important:  and that is English.  Period.  End of
> >> story.  so although SW will have benefits far beyond its limited use
> >> in promoting English literacy, that HAS to be the sell point.
> >> Because that is all Deaf education is about right now.  English
> >> Literacy.  Oh, those other things get done, but English Literacy is
> >> THE goal of Deaf education in the United States, sad to say.  And
> >> although there is no proof, there is research that supports it.  Read
> >> Cummins on bilingual education.  He proposes a theory that In
> >> bilingual education (he is talking about Spanish/English) there are
> >> two ways to get to English Literacy for Spanish speaking students.
> >> One is via spoken English, the other is via Written Spanish.  Apply
> >> that to Deaf kids.  Teh 'via spoken English ' route is not
> >> applicable.  So the route to English Literacy will only come via
> >> written ASL.  There is also research that proves that ASL
> >>  proficiency  (Not only in Deaf of Deaf, but in Deaf of hearing with
> >> strong ASL skills)has a very high correlation with English Literacy.
> >> That is to say, if the kid has a strong first language, he will be
> >> able to get the second language easier.  So SW wins again, because
> >> while you teach written signing, you can teach ASL at the same time.
> >> Here at GSD, we hope to get some of that proof that everyone wants to
> >> see...  but you can't get proof till someone does the research , and
> >> you can't do the research till you have proof, at least in our
> >> case...
> >>
> >> cherie
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----
> >> From: "James Shepard-Kegl, Esq." <kegl at MAINE.RR.COM>
> >> To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> >> Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 5:50:14 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
> >>
> >> Re: [sw-l] Deaf Residential Schools in the US...
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> I respectfully submit that when you propose SW as a bridge to English
> >> literacy in the school system, you are missing the point.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> SW is a valuable tool for giving a Deaf signer metalinguistic skills
> >> in his or her native language (i.e., understanding labels like nouns,
> >> verbs, classifiers, role shifting, shared references, and so forth.)
> >> Having metalinguistic skills in your own language is critical to
> >> learning the grammar and syntax of a foreign (that is, non-native)
> >> language.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> But, if you are expecting miracle English literacy achievement
> >> through SW, think again.  SW helps, to be sure, and a greater
> >> proponent than I you will not find, but do not oversell the concept,
> >> as proof is scarce.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Where SW is really, really beneficial is:  MATH, SCIENCE, HISTORY.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Math, to be of any real value in life, is all about applied math,
> >> which we learn through practicing those dreaded verbal problems.  Use
> >> SW to teach them, so that the Deaf child knows what you are talking
> >> about.  Otherwise, the math problem just becomes an English problem,
> >> and if you do not read English, you appear to be moronic.  Try TWO
> >> PLUS TWO in Chinese and see how far you get.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> My daughter's teachers in Portland, Maine High School are encouraging
> >> her to answer her science tests in SW -- because the goal is
> >> achievement in the material taught in that particular class, not rote
> >> memorization of English without any real comprehension.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -- James
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
>
>
>
>

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