[Sw-l] My Teaching Experience in UAE
Stefan Wöhrmann
stefanwoehrmann at GOOGLEMAIL.COM
Thu Jun 18 16:44:09 UTC 2015
Hi Denny,
thank you, for posting this great report about teaching American Sign
Language in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)!
I read it with great interest!
All best
Stefan
_____
Von: SignWriting List: Read and Write Sign Languages
[mailto:SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU] Im Auftrag von Erika
Hoffmann-Dilloway
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 18. Juni 2015 17:55
An: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU
Betreff: Re: My Teaching Experience in UAE
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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/883ada1f-1945-4b88-95a2-3ea1b8bc6bd5.j
pg>
(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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/6b9a5aec-ca8f-49c0-8d19-4bae12c548be.j
pg>
(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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/c45d9d33-4164-4902-9f18-51c3385b2c15.j
pg>
(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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/c2257541-2ff4-4b1e-925c-b838b738faaa.j
pg>
(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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/282c6b27-31c6-4cf6-a558-d56f034733a1.j
pg>
(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.
<http://files.ctctcdn.com/665a6088001/dbc60528-ca5a-4ffa-945f-6046a70ccdd3.j
pg>
(Receving a nice Calvin Klein watch by UAE Deaf and Hard of Hearing
teachers)
________________________________________________
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--
Erika Hoffmann-Dilloway
Associate Professor and Chair
Oberlin College
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