Gallaudet & TISLR

Sat Oct 9 21:12:05 UTC 2010

SignWriting List
October 9, 2010

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Val ;-)

---------

On Oct 9, 2010, at 2:02 PM, Adam Frost wrote:

> It was a nice surprise to see you too, Shane. Hmm, I wouldn't mind seeing if we could get something going. I have gotten some positive responses about SignWriting in my department, so it might be possible. ;-)
> 
> Adam
> 
> On Oct 8, 2010, at 8:28 AM, "Shane K. Gilchrist" <shane.gilchrist at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
>> Hi everyone,
>> 
>> sorry for the silence here - im on the plane to London after my 3 weeks stay in the States. I have enjoyed myself very much there.
>> 
>> Want to talk about two things here:
>> 
>> 1. Adam Frost at Gallaudet
>> To my surprise, I found myself sitting beside Adam Frost in one of the linguistics classes at Gallaudet - I didnt expect him to be there (I didnt know he was doing his MA at Gallaudet - maybe he did say something abt it on SW-L but I didnt follow SW-L until a few weeks ago :-( I have really enjoyed getting to know him and hes a cool guy - quite smart for sure :-)
>> 
>> I was wondering maybe Adam can set up an informal class after Xmas at Gally to teach signwriting and I could talk to Gaurav one of the assistant professors in the Linguistics department to see if they can set up a course module (creditable) next year to teach SW there - but they might not buy the idea.
>> 
>> 2. TISLR Conference
>> As many of you know, TISLR is THE conference for sign linguists and researchers so it was natural that I had to be there - 400 were registered to attend but most did come - got to meet many big names and made new friends etc. There were a lot of SW supporters, especially the Belgians but unfortunately there were no talks on signwriting - it has to be addressed (no I didnt submit in time!) but hopefully that ll change at the next TISLR conference - it ll be in London - 2013 - maybe Adam and I can submit a paper together there :-)
>> 
>> I got to meet Charles Butler - it was really nice seeing him - I introduced him to a few SignWriters there.
>> 
>> More signwriters there:
>> 
>> Isabella Heyrecik (sp?)
>> Thierry Haesanne
>> Danny de Woordt
>> Mim Veer-something ;-)
>> 
>> some more but I forgot their name - either way, we can get a special session on signwriting at TISLR11 as it will be hosted by Bencie Woll who is a supporter of SignWriting :-)
>> 
>> Shane
>> 
>> 
>> On 3 October 2010 18:17:37 UTC+1, Erika Hoffmann <erhoffma at oberlin.edu> wrote:
>> > Wow! I really regret that I was unable to get funding to attend TISLR
>> > this year - not only could I have me you and the SignWriting people
>> > you mentioned, but I just learned that a Deaf Nepali friend was there!
>> > Best,
>> > Erika
>> >
>> > On Sun, Oct 3, 2010 at 12:33 PM, Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org>
>> > wrote:
>> >> SignWriting List
>> >> October 3, 2010
>> >>
>> >> Hello Charles and everyone!
>> >>
>> >> I am sooo glad you enjoyed the TISLR! And that you saw so many people -
>> >> terrific! And I am really impressed and happy with the poster presentation
>> >> on SignTyp and SignWriting that was presented at TISLR by you and Rachel
>> >> Channon from the University of Connecticut. Thank you to you both for your
>> >> hard work on that project.
>> >>
>> >> Yes, typing fingerspelling in vertical columns would be a wonderful
>> >> feature in any computer program. The old SignWriter DOS program can only
>> >> type fingerspelling from left to right like English...
>> >>
>> >> Regarding the older program....Anyone is welcome to use SignWriter DOS
>> >> right now...just use DOS BOX on either Mac or Windows, and SignWriter DOS
>> >> works on modern computers...You can download it for free on the internet.
>> >>
>> >> Richard Gleaves and I worked hard on the development of SignWriter and
>> >> certainly loved the keyboarding we developed together, but there was never
>> >> any mouse action in SignWriter - there is literally NO capability to use a
>> >> mouse in any SignWriter program, whether it was SignWriter DOS, SignWriter
>> >> Java or the old SignWriter for the Apple //e and //c.
>> >>
>> >> When we switch countries in SignWriter DOS, it is always done through the
>> >> keyboard...the entire thing is keyboarded, with NO mouse.
>> >>
>> >> The reason I do not personally use SignWriter DOS any longer? Because
>> >> Lucinda O'Grady Batch and other Deaf people who are members of our Deaf
>> >> Action Committee (DAC) requested that we write down in vertical columns, and
>> >> that is what we have with SignPuddle software by Steve Slevinski, and with
>> >> other programs such as the new SignWriter Studio by Jonathan Duncan, that is
>> >> not ready yet but is coming...I know Steve would love to add keyboarding to
>> >> SignPuddle someday...it is just a big job to program that, and meanwhile
>> >> some people love using a mouse to drag and drop - not everyone loved
>> >> keyboarding, by the way...only some people do - I used to get complaints
>> >> from some people that they didn't want to learn to type and preferred a
>> >> mouse, back before SignPuddle was developed...so since people think and work
>> >> differently it would be nice to have BOTH options...
>> >>
>> >> So what we really need is to combine the old with the new...we need the
>> >> keyboarding of SignWriter DOS and Java, with the vertical columns of
>> >> SignPuddle - and then we are set - ha!
>> >>
>> >> Meanwhile, if you want to use SignWriter DOS or Java right now, I can help
>> >> you set it up on your computer so you can keyboard again if you prefer...it
>> >> doesn't use the up-to-date symbols of course - that is another drawback,
>> >> darn it...
>> >>
>> >> Welcome home, Charles - smile -
>> >>
>> >> Val ;-)
>> >>
>> >> ----------
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On Oct 3, 2010, at 9:10 AM, Charles Butler wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> TISLR was fantastic, I just wish I had not been so antsy and having to
>> >>> get back so early.
>> >>>
>> >>> Shane Gilchrist
>> >>> Ronice Quadros
>> >>> Lucinda Batch O-Grady
>> >>> Charles Butler
>> >>> Eyasu Tamene
>> >>>
>> >>> These were the people I recognized immediately by face from on line. It
>> >>> was so good to be among so many people that are using sign writing even in
>> >>> the face of opposition.  I met one professor (name gone) whose doctoral
>> >>> student is doing a project on keyboarding SignWriting, which I really
>> >>> believe would be a good thing.  I used the SignWriter program in Brazil.
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> There were so many things that one could do on the old SignWriter program
>> >>> that are awkward to do at best.
>> >>>
>> >>> Fingerspelling is one, you can't simply TYPE and get fingerspelling, you
>> >>> have to look up each sign individually.  The old interface was better as you
>> >>> could learn to type a sign in at speed without thinking.  A mouse you have
>> >>> to look for everything all the time.
>> >>>
>> >>> We need to really look at all the developments that are happening in
>> >>> processing and find our way back in new computer languages to our old
>> >>> capabilities.
>> >>>
>> >>> Before, with a swipe of a mouse I could change from English to ASL (or
>> >>> other language) fingerspelling, substitute vocabulary in English sentence
>> >>> phrase by phrase and eventually end with an ASL sentence in proper
>> >>> grammatical order.
>> >>>
>> >>> Can't do that on the computer anymore, everything is mouse-mouse-mouse,
>> >>> and no interaction between two writing systems.  We do it in space, and on
>> >>> paper, we need to be able to do the same thing on computer.
>> >>>
>> >>> Charles
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> From: Shane K. Gilchrist <shane.gilchrist at GMAIL.COM>
>> >>> To: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU
>> >>> Sent: Mon, September 27, 2010 1:40:16 AM
>> >>> Subject: Re: SignWorkshop OASLTA
>> >>>
>> >>> Don't worry Charles
>> >>>
>> >>> I used to be one of the skeptics until Belgium's Kathleen & Sara
>> >>> discreetly introduced me to SW.
>> >>>
>> >>> The rest is history.
>> >>>
>> >>> Sent from my iPad
>> >>>
>> >>> On 26 Sep 2010, at 20:45, "Valerie Sutton" <sutton at SIGNWRITING.ORG>
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> > SignWriting List
>> >>> > September 26, 2010
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Hello Charles!
>> >>> >
>> >>> > First of all, a big hug from me, and a big THANK YOU for being so brave
>> >>> > to present at any conference - It takes courage to present in front of a
>> >>> > skeptical audience (if that was what they were...they may not have been)...
>> >>> >
>> >>> > I am sure you did an excellent job and please do not be hard on
>> >>> > yourself...
>> >>> >
>> >>> > All presentations help SignWriting, no matter what the reaction,
>> >>> > because people become interested later. Even if they express some doubts
>> >>> > right now, it is because it is the first time they have heard of it and we
>> >>> > all are skeptical about new ideas - but then later, they hear about it a
>> >>> > second time from someone else, and they remember the discussions with you
>> >>> > the first time they heard about it, and they decide to look into it because
>> >>> > now their interest has been stimulated a second time -
>> >>> >
>> >>> > So you have really helped SignWriting no matter what -
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Thank you for telling us about the presentation so quickly after it
>> >>> > happened -
>> >>> >
>> >>> > And Kelly Jo was there? Wow - that is so great!
>> >>> >
>> >>> > So is there more time at the conference now? It will give you a chance
>> >>> > to talk to some of the people with questions - don't worry, Charles, this
>> >>> > was a real blessing -
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Val ;-)
>> >>> >
>> >>> > -----
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> > On Sep 26, 2010, at 5:33 PM, Charles Butler wrote:
>> >>> >
>> >>> >> Well, I presented the workshop but I felt that I fell on my face for
>> >>> >> the following reasons:
>> >>> >>
>> >>> >> 1) Too much information, too little time.
>> >>> >> 2) Lack of vocabulary, all of the attendees were interpreters AND
>> >>> >> teachers of the deaf, and my vocabulary was inadequate to the task.  I
>> >>> >> should have asked for help from KJ or another interpreter at the beginning.
>> >>> >> 3) I got positive responses from a couple of people, but the most
>> >>> >> common one was "how many people IN OHIO are using this system", "why should
>> >>> >> MY students have to learn anything else?"  Half of them maybe "got it" but
>> >>> >> the others just kept with questions.
>> >>> >> 4) I should have simply linked to the website and gone from there as
>> >>> >> the website is informative, answers most of the common questions, and I
>> >>> >> could have had a Deaf Advocate actually talking to the group.
>> >>> >>
>> >>> >> Lessons learned, but I feel very small and inadequate right now.
>> >>> >>
>> >>> >> Charles Butler
>> >>> >>
>> >>> >>
>> >>> >
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway
>> > Assistant Professor of Anthropology
>> > Oberlin College
>> >
>> >
>> 