Handwriting

Mon Dec 8 17:05:31 UTC 2008

Valerie, I understand your point about learning to handprint before  
doing cursive, etc.

But I still believe that one of the barriers to acceptance of  
SignWriting by some people is the fact that it appears to be slow to  
write by hand. I know that there is a long history of writing by hand  
before the various programs that we have today. My point simply is  
that the information that people have now is focused on the computer  
program which is a very important element. But also there is a very  
important element of having a handwritten form that is simpler than  
the printed form and more easily written.

When people can see both styles of writing (printed and written), then  
that will open up new arguments for the usefulness of SignWriting in  
everyday life.

So, I know the ISWA has been your priority for now, and it is an  
important priority. And more is still going on that. This is just  
something that will need to be resolved at some point.

One suggestion I have is that maybe at some point you introduce  
handwritten forms for each of the ISWA symbols. So a person can look  
up an ISWA symbol and see both the printed form and the handwritten  
form. So as they practice on the computer or on a piece of paper, they  
can learn to use and read the system both ways.

Hebrew, for example, has the same alphabet, but the exact form of the  
letter varies depending on which written form of Hebrew you use  
(Cursive, Rashi, or the printed form). (See the chart at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_alphabet) 
.

Like you've said before, it may be that we will have different "fonts"  
or writing styles for SignWriting, but I think it will encourage  
people to also write by hand if there is a way to write it simply.  
Then they start doing grocery lists and quick notes to family and  
class notes and eventually it becomes a part of their everyday  
handwriting strategies.

I admit for myself that I rarely handwrite SignWriting because the  
printed symbols just take longer to handwrite. When I do SignWriting,  
it is usually only when I use SignPuddle. I would prefer to handwrite  
more, but I find my motivation is lower when I have to invent my own  
ways of writing the printed forms faster. So when the time comes to  
show handwriting, I'm less likely to convince them on that front.

Just my thoughts.

Stuart

On Dec 8, 2008, at 10:35 , Valerie Sutton wrote:

> SignWriting List
> December 8, 2008
>
> Hello Andre -
> In a SignWriting curriculum, for children, I would put learning SW  
> Handwriting in the third year...
>
> Just as it explains on these web pages:
>
> http://www.signwriting.org/lessons/cursive/curs003.html
>
> and
>
> http://www.signwriting.org/lessons/cursive/curs004.html
>
> In any written form, writing in a "faster cursive style" takes  
> skill. Plus SignWriting does not have the documentation ready for  
> teaching formal SW Handwriting...
>
> Therefore, when we were young children learning to write English  
> characters, we did not start by learning English cursive- 
> handwriting...we started with hand-printing each English character  
> carefully, writing them in rows and rows until we became skilled...
>
> Then, after learning how to write in this perfect hand-printing  
> style, after around the second grade...for me it was in the third  
> grade...I started to learn to write real handwriting in school (for  
> English)...so based on that experience, I suggest that SW  
> handprinting should be taught the first two years of a SignWriting  
> curriculum, and the SW handwriting starts around the third year in  
> school...
>
> Stefan has some experience with this...His student, Eduard, who is  
> writing in the picture on the front page of our web site, is a  
> skilled SignWriting student, having been in Stefan's classroom for  
> several years...so he started the handwriting later, after getting  
> familiar with SW in general...
>
> So that is my advice...Your students and teachers are beginners or  
> at least, in their first year of learning and using SW, so maybe the  
> handwriting should wait until next year?
>
> But they could try some of these Handprinting techniques right now:
>
> http://www.signwriting.org/lessons/cursive/curs011.html
>
> Val ;-)
>
> ----------
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 8, 2008, at 8:05 AM, Gagnon et Thibeault wrote:
>
>> Hi Val, Anne-Claude and everyone,
>>
>>  Anny,  I don't ask that you translate a SW handwriting's web  
>> pages.   You translate only two words : handprinting and handwriting.
>>
>>         I mean that I need only a section "Quick dailly writing". I  
>> am writing a LSQ curriculum for a SW writing.  I understand that  
>> you need to write new books.  No problem.  I am trying  better to  
>> describe a SW handwriting (quick daily writing).
>>
>>     I believe that Deaf students write a SW handprinting because  
>> teachers don't know about SW handwriting norms (Quick daily writing).
>>
>>     Hand waving
>>
>>     André
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Valerie Sutton
>> To: SignWriting List
>> Cc: Gagnon et Thibeault
>> Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 10:12 AM
>> Subject: Re: [sw-l] Handwriting
>>
>> SignWriting List
>> December 8, 2008
>>
>> Hello Andre and Anny -
>> There is no document to translate...smile...but there are web pages.
>>
>> If you follow all the links on this web page:
>>
>> SignWriting Handwriting
>> http://www.signwriting.org/lessons/cursive/
>>
>> There are six sections and each section has several web pages...I  
>> do not know if Andre really needs a translation of those web pages  
>> into French?
>>
>> I have nothing else to give you right now, Andre...More books on  
>> Handwriting will have to wait for awhile, since I am so behind on  
>> other books that need to be updated...
>>
>> Have you seen the front page of our web site? Stefan's Deaf student  
>> Eduard is quite an artist with SW calligraphy, don't you think?
>>
>> SignWriting HomePage
>> http://www.SignWriting.org
>>
>> Stefan will be sending us more photos of the finished art later...i  
>> look forward to seeing them!
>>
>> And I believe that Kim from Boston has also done some SW  
>> calligraphy...
>>
>> Kim's work
>> http://www.signwriting.org/usa/massachusetts/
>>
>> Val ;-)
>>
>> -----------
>>
>>
>> On Dec 8, 2008, at 6:55 AM, Anne-Claude Prélaz Girod wrote:
>>
>>> andré
>>>
>>> what kind of document do you need to get translated from english  
>>> into french ?!?!?!
>>>
>>> let me know
>>>
>>> Anny
>>>
>>> Le 8 déc. 08 à 15:43, Gagnon et Thibeault a écrit :
>>>
>>>> Hi Anne-Claude, Val and everyone,
>>>>
>>>>     Anny, I would like you to translate a handprinting and a  
>>>> handwriting        from English to French?
>>>>
>>>>     Val, I am writing a LSQ curriculum from grade 7th to 8th   
>>>> including SW reading and SW writing now.  But, I don't know about  
>>>> handwriting        norms.  I would like you to explain me  
>>>> handwriting norms in general.  You remember that you gave a  
>>>> handwriting course to some participants one year ago.  I love  
>>>> learning it.   I don't mean that participants do their homework  
>>>> but they read only instructions.  Would you give us general  
>>>> explanations or instructions  of handwriting norms which help me  
>>>> write and explain a LSQ curriculum including SW writing ? You  
>>>> don't need an explanation of the handprinting.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     Best regards,
>>>>
>>>>     André
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>
>
> =
>
>
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