[Sw-l] My Teaching Experience in UAE

Thu Jun 18 15:54:41 UTC 2015

Very cool! Thanks for sharing this interesting report!

On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 3:07 PM, Valerie Sutton <signwriting at mac.com> wrote:

> SignWriting List
> June 17, 2015
>
> Hello Denny and everyone on the SignWriting List -
>
> Thank you, Denny, for posting this great report about teaching American
> Sign Language in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)!
>
> It is quite amazing to read about the details - What a great lifetime
> experience for you… Living two months in the UAE must have been fascinating
> and very rewarding.
>
> And I am sure the participants from the UAE learned much as well and
> enjoyed learning ASL.
>
> The American School for the Deaf should be commended for arranging this -
> quite an undertaking.
>
> So welcome home and I hope you enjoy your summer!
>
> Val ;-)
>
> -----------------------------
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 16, 2015, at 6:00 AM, Denny C Voreck <dvoreck at AOL.COM> wrote:
>
> MY TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN UAE BY DENNY VORECK
>
> The American School for the Deaf (ASD) collaborated with the Zayed Higher
> Organization (ZHO) to provide educational services for deaf pupils in the
> United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ZHO requested two teachers from the US to
> teach American Sign Language (ASL) and English to deaf children and
> teachers of deaf children for eight weeks in February and March. ASD posted
> the advertisement regarding the request by the ZHO on Deaf Digest. After I
> read it, I applied for this lifetime opportunity without any hesitation
> because I always wanted to teach deaf children in a foreign country since I
> was 13 years old when I visited a Deaf school in Graz, Austria where my
> parents had graduated.
>
> I was eventually selected as one of two teachers out of 30 applicants by
> the ZHO, which runs the children with disabilities programs in the state of
> Abu Dhabi in the UAE. The other teacher is Patricia Pangborn, a teacher at
> American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, CT. We agreed that I would
> teach deaf classes in Abu Dhabi, a capital of the country and she would
> teach in Al-Ain, 100 miles east of Abu Dhabi. After the ZHO learned that I
> am Deaf, they had some reservations because they never had a deaf teacher
> before and thought that they would have some communication difficulties
> with me.  Jeff Bravin, Executive Director of ASD, assured them that they
> would be fine with me.
>
> On Saturday evening, January 30th I departed from Phoenix, Arizona, my
> residence for three years, and took a flight to John F Kennedy Airport. I
> arrived in the airport next morning. Andy Berke, Director of
> Transportation, greeted me at the airport and drove me to ASD. I discovered
> that the school campus had several feet of snow and since I did not have
> experience with snow walked awkwardly to my temporary residence.
>
> From Monday, February 2nd to Wednesday, February 4th, Ms. Pangborn and I
> reviewed curriculum materials and developed the lesson plans for UAE
> students and teachers. We departed from ASD campus in the very early
> morning on Thursday, February 5th We took Etihad Airlines, which is owned
> by UAE entrepreneurs and flew for 13 and half hours.
>
> On Friday, February 6th we arrived in Abu Dhabi. The ZHO driver greeted
> us at the airport and drove us to Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel. We
> were overwhelmed by this elegant five-star hotel. We stayed at the hotel
> for a couple of days to acclimate to the Arabian Peninsula climate and time
> difference.
>
> On Sunday afternoon, February 8th, Patty and I met with Nahyan, ASD
> student's parents at the hotel lobby. We had very productive two hour
> conversation covering various topics including education of deaf in the UAE.
>
> On Tuesday, February 9th, I was so excited for my first day of work with
> Deaf UAE students and teachers today. A personal school driver picked me up
> at the hotel and drove me to the ZHO, a school site for special education
> students. Someone escorted me to the department of Hearing Impaired. Some
> minutes later, several male and female deaf students greeted me and asked
> if I am deaf. I replied that I am deaf, the same as them. We chatted to
> break the ice. We walked to the lecture room where I would be teaching.
> Approximately 16 deaf pupils and 10 staff were in the class. Male pupils
> and staff were sitting separately from their female counterpart. Most
> female students and staff wore headscarves. Male are forbidden to touch a
> female unless the male is a relative or married to her. I was caught off
> guard when a female administrator learned of my marital status; she
> announced in the class that she was going to look for Arab woman for me so
> I could live here. I smirked awkwardly and have to be open-minded to their
> different culture. I was pleased that I had a great start at the school.
>
> (UAE deaf students saying "Hello to the America")
>
>
> On Friday, February 13, I left for Dubai, a popular tourist destination
> in the UAE and met a longtime friend, Helene and her little daughter there
> and visited a desert.
>
> (My long-time Austrian family friend, Helene, her daughter, and myself
> riding on the camel)
>
>
> On Friday, February 20th, the father of Nahyan, the UAE student attending
> ASD, picked me up at the hotel. We went to Qasr Al Hosn Festival in
> downtown Abu Dhabi. It displayed the culture and history of Abu Dhabi. The
> city used to be a desert town. After the discovery of oil, the city became
> a booming metropolis including a lot of skyscrapers. We toured different
> booths, dancing performance, and the fort. It was a first government
> building and palace during the birth of a nation - the United Arab
> Emirates. I learned about different parts of date plants, palm trees, dying
> the stuff, knitting with palm leaves, and history of the palace.
>
> (Nahyan's dad and I toured at Qasr Al Hosn festival)
>
>
> On Thursday, March 12th, Jeff Bravin, ASD Director paid a visit to my
> class with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. He talked about the ASD
> program and had a discussion with Dr. Mariam, Director of the ZHO to allow
> female students to attend ASD. All female students in my class wanted to go
> to the US. Jeff also had a meeting with my Deaf and Hard of Hearing
> teachers in next class session. He gave a presentation about the ASD
> program and how did the UAE students fare at ASD. Some teachers asked about
> an oral program, and if it benefits Deaf and Hard of Hearing children's
> education. Jeff replied that it depends on an individual. They were
> impressed that Jeff and I are so well educated despite the fact that we
> could not speak. They asked us if there are deaf people in America like us.
> He replied again that it depends on individual and everyone is different.
>
> (Jeff giving ASD picture to Amoon, the principal of Deaf Section in Zayed
> Higher Organization)
>
> On Friday, March 13th, Jeff Bravin invited ASD alumni and Nayhan's family
> for dinner buffet at the hotel. We had grand time and were chatting about
> different subjects. I realized that ASD makes a big impact on deaf
> community in the UAE because many deaf people know ASL. Some of them are
> ASD alumni.
>
> (ASD alumni, two fathers, Jeff, Janice Knauth, and myself at the hotel
> buffet gathering)
>
>
> On Wednesday, March 25th, I felt sad because it was my last day with Deaf
> and Hard of Hearing students. Two months flew quickly. The students kept
> asking me if I would return, and I  replied that I didn't know. I told them
> that I promise that I would advocate on behalf of female students so that
> they would be allowed to attend  ASD one day. ZHO and ASD might make a
> compromise to send a female teacher with a group of female students to ASD.
>
>
> On Thursday, March 26th,   I provided final ASL exams to the Deaf and
> Hard of Hearing teachers. Two teachers asked me to meet them at the mall
> after the exam and gave me a bag with a card and a small box. It was "Thank
> You" with signatures by teachers. I opened the box and was utterly shocked
> to find new Calvin Klein watch! I will never forget their generosity.
>
> I am currently teaching PE class at ASD until the end of this school year.
>
>
>
> (Receving a nice Calvin Klein watch by UAE Deaf and Hard of Hearing
> teachers)
>  ________________________________________________
>
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>
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> ________________________________________________
>
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>
> Valerie Sutton SignWriting List moderator sutton at signwriting.org
>
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-- 
Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway
Associate Professor and Chair
Oberlin College

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