Handwriting

Thu Dec 11 11:47:56 UTC 2008

Hello all. It's so nice to see stories about SignWriting in the classroom!

In reply to Kim from Boston,

I'm not teaching adults, but I am developing and using a SignWriting curriculum with my high school ASL students.  I use mostly computer generated worksheets myself, and the students are as of yet, only at the recognition of handshape level.  Students do some handwritten work when they are completing worksheets.  Next semester I plan to add lessons on movement and touch symbols.  I will also seriously start teaching handwriting and expecting full written signs by the end of next semster.

As a study guide, I believe including whole signs in SW is helpful when I present vocabulary, and I include SW in my power point presentations when I teach vocabulary.  Follow the link below and go to ASL 1-2> lessons to view some of my lessons on video.Natasha Escalada-Westland, M.Ed. (D/HH), Macromedia Cert.www.westlandasl.com 

From: atg at videotron.caTo: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.eduSubject: Re: [sw-l] HandwritingDate: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:15:54 -0500

Hi Cherie and everyone,

    Cherie,  I would like to share with you.   One Deaf student lived in Africa.  She didn't have her family.  Canadian parents were happy to adopt her.  She moved to Canada one year ago.  Deaf student who is 10 years old has no language (spoken language and sign language).  She has been learning a SW course.  It seems that she understands some different symbols.  It is interesting that she looks at one SW sign and tries to produce it.  Deaf teacher answers her: you are right.  She asks her what does one sign mean?  Deaf student doesn't know it.  You mentioned that students could recognize signs from the printed form.  Deaf teacher told me that Deaf students produce inappropriately their sig language.  For example, students produce a sign for CAT and their hand moves 3 or 4 times.  Deaf teacher asks them to look at the SW movement parameter for CAT.  They analyse it. they reproduce it perfectly.  Parameters help them improve their sign language.

    Hand waving

    André 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Cherie Wren 
To: SignWriting List 
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: [sw-l] Handwriting

I used it with an ASL class...  Some loved it, some hated it. The visual learners and creative folks tended to do better with it/ like it better than the logical / non-visual learners.  I gave them a printed handout, and taught them some basics.  Some of them did use it somewhat to take notes, but for a beginning ASL class, I think its a bit overwhelming.  They don't know enough language yet to be able to make sense of the symbols, or recognize parameters of the signs to include in the writing.  Most of mine could recognize signs from the printed handout, and correspond that with a sign, although they still would make parameter errors, but they could not accurately write a sign...  like what Andre and Stefan have been saying---  you need a solid language base to be able to write this stuff.cherie

From: Kimberley Shaw <skifoot at gmail.com>To: SignWriting List <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>Sent: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 4:09:07 PMSubject: Re: [sw-l] HandwritingHello all:but what about using handwritten SW with *adult* students of ASL? I amabout (for the first time ever!) to teach a short class ofintro-to-ASL on a college campus. Since SW has helped me enormouslywith retaining new vocabulary, I hope it will help my students as well... I'm imagining a set of "your 1st 50 ASL signs" in flashcardformat, and maybe they can transcribe from blackboard onto their owncards (reinforce the new signs!). Or would it be more confusing thanhelpful?Have any of you attempted to use SW with adult beginners of signed languages?Best,Kim from BostonOn 12/8/08, Stefan Wöhrmann <stefanwoehrmann at gebaerdenschrift.de> wrote:> Hi Stuart,>> thank you very much for your comment.  I would like to afform that I go> along with your thoughts. One problem – I see – we would not be good> teachers if we think to write by hand is an easy to accomplish task for> children. No it is not true.  SignWriting by hand is difficult and it takes> many many hours of practice and a teacher who enables them to keep> motivated. It is a time consuming and slow – and in a surrounding where> everything and all is oriented towards spoken languge you would not expect a> child to develop higher skills in an area if there are no adults who really> understand ...>>>> And what  you suggest is a brilliant idea – we need to compare the symbols> as they are printed with noble software – and what they look like if written> by hand. That is the reason Valerie that I am so interested in the  first> handwritten documents – .. smile ... just to compare the way other> handwriters tried to find their way to write double circular movements,> hands parallel to the floor, .... smile>>>> Attached another handwritten document of a SignWriting enthusiast – smile –> next to a railway-track>>>> All the best>>>> Stefan ;-)>>>>  _____>> Von: sw-l-bounces at majordomo.valenciacc.edu> [mailto:sw-l-bounces at majordomo.valenciacc.edu] Im Auftrag von Stuart> Thiessen> Gesendet: Montag, 8. Dezember 2008 18:06> An: SignWriting List> Betreff: Re: [sw-l] Handwriting>>>> 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:  <mailto:signwriting at mac.com> Valerie Sutton>> To:  <mailto:sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu> SignWriting List>> Cc:  <mailto:atg at videotron.ca> 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/>> 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> 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/>> 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>>>>>>>>>>>> ____________________________________________>>>> SW-L SignWriting List>>>> Post Message>>  <mailto:SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu> SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>>>> List Archives and Help>>  <http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/>> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/>>>> Change Email Settings>>  <http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l>> http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l>>>>>>> ____________________________________________>> SW-L SignWriting List>> Post Message>  <mailto:SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu> SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>> List Archives and Help>  <http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/>> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/>> Change Email Settings>  <http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l>> http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l>>>>>>>> =>>> ____________________________________________>> SW-L SignWriting List>> Post Message> SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>> List Archives and Help> http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/>> Change Email Settings> http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l>>>>>  _____>> Ich verwende die kostenlose Version von SPAMfighter> <http://www.spamfighter.com/lde> , die bisher> 492 Spammails entfernt und mir so eine Menge Zeit gespart hat.> Rund 5,6 Millionen Leute nutzen SPAMfighter schon> =>____________________________________________SW-L SignWriting ListPost MessageSW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.eduList Archives and Helphttp://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/Change Email Settingshttp://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l

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