Deaf Residential Schools in the US...

K.J. Boal kjoanne403 at HOTMAIL.COM
Sat Jan 20 01:24:04 UTC 2007 

Oh, I see . . . I misunderstood, sorry!  I agree, our best chance to get SW 
going is to start with the little kids and let their success prove to the 
older people that SW is worthwhile . . . but that's going to take some time, 
and a LOT of convincing!!!  I haven't approached any schools for the Deaf 
around here yet, but I suspect I'll run into the same attitude from Deaf 
teachers.  Too bad . . .

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: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:13:03 -0800 (PST)
>
>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
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> __________________________________________________
> > >> Do You Yahoo!?
> > >> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> > >> http://mail.yahoo.com
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionid=b2456790-90e6-4d28
> > > -9219-5d7207d94d45&mkt=en-ca
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Buy what you want when you want it on Sympatico / MSN Shopping
>http://shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/content/shp/?ctId=2,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=081805
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>http://mail.yahoo.com

_________________________________________________________________
Buy what you want when you want it on Sympatico / MSN Shopping  
http://shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/content/shp/?ctId=2,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=081805

More information about the Sw-l mailing list