Multi-lingual multi-cultural schools

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rockdrummer

Guest
I saw on the news last night where a new school was opened which serves the Arabic community. New York's first Arabic school opens under police guard - Yahoo! News

There are also many schools across the nation that cater to other cultures and languages. They basically follow the curriculum of public schools but add language and culture for the given audience (i.e. Russian, Chineese etc). The language and culture classes are mandatory.

This seems like a good idea and allows for the kids to learn about their heritage, culture and language.

My question is; are there schools out there doing this for the Deaf community that includes culture and language? Is it safe to say that all of the "Schools for the Deaf" are doing this. Meaning they teach following the public school curriculum in addition to teaching sign language and deaf culture. I believe this is also referred to as the Bi-Bi approach.

Please share your experience and/or knowledge on this and if you think the schools are doing a good job at it.

Thanks
 
rockdrummer said:
I saw on the news last night where a new school was opened which serves the Arabic community. New York's first Arabic school opens under police guard - Yahoo! News

There are also many schools across the nation that cater to other cultures and languages. They basically follow the curriculum of public schools but add language and culture for the given audience (i.e. Russian, Chineese etc). The language and culture classes are mandatory.

This seems like a good idea and allows for the kids to learn about their heritage, culture and language.

My question is; are there schools out there doing this for the Deaf community that includes culture and language? Is it safe to say that all of the "Schools for the Deaf" are doing this. Meaning they teach following the public school curriculum in addition to teaching sign language and deaf culture. I believe this is also referred to as the Bi-Bi approach.

Please share your experience and/or knowledge on this and if you think the schools are doing a good job at it.

Thanks
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The Deaf schools have traditionally been a place for culture and language transmission....until of course, they philosophy of oralism took over, and Deaf/dea teachers were replaced with hearing professionalized teachers, and sign language was forbidden. Most have abandoned that philosophy at this point.

It is unfortunate though,that schools for the deaf are now so busy trying to bring kids up to grade level functioning because they are getting those kids who have been mainstreamed and have fallen so far behind that the public school system no longer knows what to do with them so they sent them to the schools for the deaf as a last resort. Rather than being allowed to function as an instituion that can provide a complete educational environment from the very beginning and graduate well educated students, they are being put in the position as functioning on a remedial basis due to the push for mainstreaming of the deaf student. There is notime in the day to teach culture and language when you are trying to bring the literacy of a 15 year old student up to grade level because they have been woefully underserved inthe mainstream. I find that very sad, indeed.

The Hebrew schools have been using a Bi-Bi approach for centuries. Children attend from pre-school often through high school. These schools turn out some of the top scholars in the country. I think the result speak for themselves.
 
My daughter just moved back with her dad cuz the school in his area is an international school which uses the BiBi approach. Since my daughter is half Mexican, she will have the opportunity to learn Spanish and about the Latino culture. The school in my area is more traditional so I made the sacrifice to give up full custody so she can have a better education as it has been proved that children raised in a BiBi appraoch achieve higher literacy skills.

The middle school that she will go next year may start offering ASL classes so I am hoping she will take that too.

I agree with Jillo that deaf schools are so busy trying to get the delayed children up to par but we still expose them to Deaf culture no matter how delayed they r.
 
shel90 said:
My daughter just moved back with her dad cuz the school in his area is an international school which uses the BiBi approach. Since my daughter is half Mexican, she will have the opportunity to learn Spanish and about the Latino culture. The school in my area is more traditional so I made the sacrifice to give up full custody so she can have a better education as it has been proved that children raised in a BiBi appraoch achieve higher literacy skills.

The middle school that she will go next year may start offering ASL classes so I am hoping she will take that too.

I agree with Jillo that deaf schools are so busy trying to get the delayed children up to par but we still expose them to Deaf culture no matter how delayed they r.
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Wow, shel....that is one of the most unselfish theings I have ever heard. You are a remarkable mom!:hug:

Yeah, I didn't mean to say that no Deaf culture was taught...I jsut meant there wasn't as much time available to devote to it as there would be if the kids had been in that environment from the beginning, rather than being transferred in from the mainstream once the gaps have become obvious.
 
jillio said:
Wow, shel....that is one of the most unselfish theings I have ever heard. You are a remarkable mom!:hug:

Yeah, I didn't mean to say that no Deaf culture was taught...I jsut meant there wasn't as much time available to devote to it as there would be if the kids had been in that environment from the beginning, rather than being transferred in from the mainstream once the gaps have become obvious.
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Luckily my ex only lives 15 mins from me so it is not too bad. :giggle:
 
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