Report from Val's Desk - May 16 2012

Wed May 16 15:32:40 UTC 2012

SignWriting List
May 16, 2012

Good Morning SignWriting List!

Here in La Jolla, California, where I live, we have a sunny morning that brings smiles to everyone…and I am writing to share our smiles with all of you…smile…;-))

Adam Frost, a member of our DAC (Deaf Action Committee), has just graduated from Gallaudet University, with a Master's Degree in Linguistics (congrats, Adam!). 

Last Friday, my parents and I watched Adam receive his diploma in the Gallaudet graduation ceremonies, on the web with live video streaming from the event at Gallaudet. It was a beautiful ceremony….The lead speakers at the graduation ceremony were amazing - One of the presentations was from the Finnish president of the World Federation of the Deaf, and I believe he was signing in a blend of Finnish and International signs, and then other Deaf interpreters were interpreting in ASL, and then others were voicing in English with simultaneous captioning on the live video streaming. It was beautiful technology and beautiful signing!

Here in my home we have several laptops and a wireless connection, so I was able to place a laptop on my elderly mother's lap and she was able to watch the whole ceremony, reading the English captions, and she watched Adam walk to the podium to accept his diploma…we were in tears it was so exciting...

Then Sunday evening, Adam arrived here in San Diego, to live with me and my family, for the next year. Then Adam hopes to return to Gallaudet in September, 2013, to start his Ph.D in Linguistics.

So for the next year I am blessed with Adam's assistance on several SignWriting projects. Here are our general plans, although things can change as needed:

1. Video instruction, in ASL, with English voice and captions, for 4 computer programs:

SignPuddle 2

Delegs Editor

SignWriter Studio

SignWriting Media Wiki Plugin
(for creating Wiki-style encyclopedia articles in SignWriting)

(if there are other new computer programs for SignWriting, which need instruction, please tell us)

2. Lessons in SignWriting, Video Series, Video 3: SignWriting Movement Symbols
This video was already filmed in 2008 with Lucinda O'Grady Batch and Adam Frost teaching Movement Symbols in ASL, but the video footage was never edited and completed as a movie…so Adam will be doing the video editing to put the movie together. It will be great to have a third video in the Lessons in SignWriting Video Series.

3. SignWriting Movement Symbols Reference Manual
Using excerpts from the above video, Adam and I will create a Reference Manual that will show each Movement Symbol in the International SignWriting Alphabet 2010, and explain them in ASL, with examples of how to write with them…

If we can get this much done in the next year we will be lucky!!

Meanwhile, our organization, the Center for Sutton Movement Writing, will also be focusing on other projects too…Steve Slevinski's new software developments expand further than just SignPuddle 2 and the SignWriting Media Wiki Plugin…and Steve's new developments will be highlighted as they are completed.

I am also looking forward to working on a new project that has just received funding, but I cannot discuss it until we have permission to announce it - But it is coming in 2012-2013 as well - It is a database project using SignWriting...

I want to thank everyone for your ongoing support for SignWriting…Thank you to those who are creating new software…Thank you to those who teach SignWriting around the world… and ...Thank you to all the researchers who write theses and dissertations and do research...

I hope you will feel free to post your reports about your work too...

Have a splendid day - 

Val ;-)

Valerie Sutton
Sutton at SignWriting.org

SignWriting
Read & Write Sign Languages
http://www.SignWriting.org

SignPuddle Online
Write SignWriting in the Clouds!
Documents, Dictionaries, SignMail
http://www.signbank.org/signpuddle

SignWriting Wiki
Wiki-style Articles in Sign Languages
http://www.signbank.org/wiki

SignWriting List
Technical Support: Ask questions...
http://www.SignWriting.org/forums/swlist

SignWriting Literature Project
Writing Literature in Sign Languages
http://www.SignWriting.org/literature

SignWriting Encyclopedia Projects
Writing Encyclopedias in Sign Languages
http://www.SignWriting.org/encyclopedia

SignWriting Sponsors Forum
Help Educational Non-Profit Organization
http://www.SignWriting.org/forums/sponsors

SignWriting Shop
Books, DVDs, Lessons, Services
http://www.SignWriting.org/shop

Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting
Center For Sutton Movement Writing
a US educational nonprofit organization
PO Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038, USA
Tel: 858-456-0098  Skype: valeriesutton

SignWriting on Twitter
http://twitter.com/signwriting

SignWriting on YouTube
http://youtube.com/signwriting

SignWriting on Facebook
http://facebook.com/SignWriting

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