Wednesday, February 23, 2011

WOW!

Grammar Rules started off the class with a nice refresher in proper rules of conversation in ASL. WE each took turns explaining & reviewing concepts, including superlatives, comparatives, proflexible, pronouns, etc. It is always nice to go back to the basics. Usually this sparks new questions of clarity.

Grammar FISH, or 'finished' for all my non-signing readers.
A big tall tv screen captured our attention with the VHS (yes, they still exist) of "Deaf Tend Your." Trust me, it makes more sense in ASL. What was this film about? All the non-manual parts of the language. Things like
Facial expressions
Eyebrows
Eye gaze & blinking
Cheeks
And moat importantly.... The MOUTH.

The presenter gave us about 25 morphemes to learn. But there are many many more. I finally learned what lexical means! I didn't understand that concept in the English language, but now I do in ASL.

Film FISH
We reviewed one more classmate's children's story in ASL. "Corduroy," one of my favorites. She is a very good signer. I can't remember her name. But her hand shapes are clear and she is good with establishing characters. More face, though!

Finally, my instructor stayed to give me much appreciated feedback on my signed application. Afterwards, I felt so confident and proud of my skill improvement. Support from teachers really does help!!

Once my final draft is complete, I will post here for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks for reading!


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Interview: Done!

Well, well, well....

It has been quite some time since a post. Tsk, tsk. I am still working on the application, ordering more transcripts, working on my skills for my signed application to be send on DVD, and have just today.... had my video chat interview with Gallaudet!

I was so nervous!
I took my nail polish off.
My rings off.
My hair back.
My shirt, dark.
The wall, blank and well lit.
Borrow internet and a machine.
Scheduled time off and left plenty of time in the window.

Alas, a mere 9 minutes later, we were done! At first I was so nervous, I couldn't understand what she was saying. Three time I asked her to repeat herself. ....jeez Shauna... But once I got going, I felt much more comfortable and remembered to be:
Clear.
Comfortable.
Honest.
Sincere.
Myself.

and to take my time. :-)

Onebigfatexhalelater... Now I have the confidence to finish my signed application, take the ASLPI on March 9, and sign up for the Praxis!

A big shout out to the folks who helped me arrange the interview and to all of those who have been supporting me! Thanks for the love, guys.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

I'm Deaf and It's Okay, A Book Review


I'm Deaf and It's Okay
Written by: Lorraine Aselitine, Evelyn Mueller, & Nancy Tait
Illustrated by Helen Cogancherry

Published in 1986 this children’s tale of a young deaf (or hard-of-hearing, it is hard to tell) boy exploring the world with and without his hearing aides, mentions social and cultural anecdotes which are now relatively taboo. It is most clearly illustrated on the pages discussing story time in the library. (I would cite page numbers except it hasn’t any.) The  very talented illustrator shows a smiling friendly teacher sitting on a chair in front of a handful of deaf/hoh children, most of which with that cringe-inducing vest of a hearing aide. She smiles big and signs ‘big’ while a picture of an elephant and the letters ‘B-I-G’ sit besides her. She, too, wears a device across her chest, except hers is a microphone. The little boy’s hearing aid fails and he is sent to the office to get a new cable. 
The author continues to tell the story from the young boy’s perspective, a perspective of isolation with the yearn to hear. The boy has hearing parents, a sister, and a grandmother who all sign. His school friends ‘know to look at him’ while they talk so he can read their lips. Waitresses over enunciate and yell while taking his order, which obviously aggravate and annoy him. He becomes frustrated with life and wishes he could hear. 
Immediately after he pushes his sister and throws his hearing aids on the the floor at school, a 17-year-old deaf man enters the scene, depicting how cool it is to be deaf. After exclaiming his college plans, he says, “Deaf people can do most things hearing people can do.” Smiling, the young boy soon realizes that it is okay to grow up and be a deaf man. Maybe some day he can help a little deaf boy, too.
Well.
First of all, I hate that he had to miss story time and go get a new cable. Why couldn’t he just stay and see the story in ASL? 
Second, they mentioned that Mom spoke while she signed and he placed his hand over her throat to feel the vibrations of her voice, which comforted him. How is that comforting him? 
Next, I agree it is important to have good deaf role models for young deaf children. I like that she incorporated a cool teenager who is college bound. But I dislike the fact that she chose the word most in the quote above. I thought Deaf people could do everything hearing people can except... hear. 
Finally, I am pleased the boy become happy with himself and looks forward to his future, embracing his culture. But this short story is clearly showcasing the norms of an outdated theory of how to raise deaf children.
Suppose this story was published today in 2011:
  1. No vest hearing aids. 
  2. Mom would not be speaking while she signed. In fact, the young boy might not even wear hearing aids. 
  3. Perhaps the deaf child would have a deaf neighbor or grandparent.
  4. The Story Time illustration would show a teacher expressively using ASL to explain and paint the picture of the big elephant, while deaf and hard-of-hearing children watch in anticipation. 
Would I share this story with deaf children now? 
Would I show the pictures as I tell/sign the story? 
My immediate response is: NO! There are too many labels, stereotypes, and signs of constraint in this short story. However, perhaps to older children who are more comfortable with themselves, have created their own self-identity and are now developing a cultural identity, whose minds are now developing thoughts about the world and how people interact within it; perhaps these children could look at this story and compare/contrast what the differences were of growing up deaf in 1986, than it was/is presently. (Just like how I was asked in school to think back to “pioneer days” and develop critical thinking skills by imagining how my experiences relates and differs from my ancestors’ experiences.)


Oh jeez...

Wow.

Have I been busy, lost, confused, tardy, and tired. Turns out the transcripts I thought I ordered were either NOT ordered after all or sent to a miss-spelled university.

Transcripts re-ordered: Check.
Universities informed: Check.
Wait-wait-waiting.

I also have to schedule a bunch of last minute ASL interviews and conversations. Yikes! Of course the gracious folks who have offered to help have their own REAL lives, too, and are less available that I had hoped. Fear not, small graduate-applicant! For there is more help right around the corner in your instructor and yourself.

Left to do?
Too much for this blog.

I DID, however, discover that Hunter College (part of the CUNY system) has a decent Deaf Ed. program. I've heard mixed reviews, siting their lack of emphasis on ASL, but want to go attend the Open House to see for myself. Most of my role models have recommended Gallaudet, and one new school: McDaniel College. This college is a small school in Maryland with a department who has impacted how Gallaudet's education programs are designed.

Hmmmmm......

Decisions. Decisions.

Still in Adv. ASL II.
Still enrolled in ASL Intensive Level 4.
Still signing.

BTW, David Rivera at the ASL Slam was absolutely amazing!!!!!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Another great blog.

But not mine.

I have been following this woman, E, and her blogs "Eh? What? Hunh." I found her from a twitter post by deafread . She writes about controversial topics, Deaf education, deaf rights, communication, her hard of hearing experience and encourages her readers to discuss and post their thoughts, sparking more conversation in the community.

You can read it here. This post discusses early childhood education and I recommend it to anyone interested in becoming an educator of the deaf...and everyone else, too!

Enjoy.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Advanced ASL for Professionals

Wow.

So in Carole's workshop, I learned.
I learned over.
I learned a lot.
I relearned.
I clarifyingly learned.

Four other young ASL professionals and I sat and soaked up everything she had to share. A social worker, a therapist, interpreter, a teacher and me; another teacher. I keep forgetting that's what I'm doing. yes, I am a teacher. I teach computer skills now. And will educate elementary children, eventually.

We revisited handshapes. Curling our fingers in and sticking our thumbs out, we wiggled and waved across and in front of our bodies. Phonology was a big one. Placement and direction are so simple, yet so easily mispronounced.
OSVOSVOSVOSVOSV

Time frame. Time line. Chronological events. Story line. Story board. Story time. We covered it all. Verb. Noun-noun. Helped. It help-helped me a lot to review things I 'thought' I already knew. Alas, I incorrectly knew. There's only so much you can get from a book.
OSVOSVOSVOSV
Classifiers!!!!!!! My favorite thing to practice. So descriptive. So creative. So specific. How many, what's it look like, where is it, size? All said in one shape+movement. Language in use?? Formal. Informal. Conversational. Informative. Counsel. Technical. Frozen. Slang. Intimate. Who said what to who about what, how & why?
OSVOSVOSV

Interpreters mess up? People go to jail. Prison. Die.
Get it right.
Be clear.

Help each other. Meet other deaf, coda, interpreters, teachers, HoH, signers. Sign! Study group. Practice. Tape yourself. Critique yourself.

I need to workshop myself continually.
Everyday.
Practice everyday.
OSVOSVOSVOSVOSV

everyday ASL me-practice

Thank you, Carole.


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