I'm teaching ASL and need some good test questions

[emmybug]

Hi everyone! So I just started some ASL classes in my neighborhood to help make ends meet. While trying to write a test I found I'm terrible at coming up with good questions. I can teach the language great but I guess I still can't write tests. I'm in school for my teaching degree so this will get better lol. Hoping some of y'all can give me some great ideas.

I'm trying to think of the worst addresses to have to see fingerspelled. Something with probably 6 W. or something I'd think. I don't experience fingerspelling addresses much so while trying to come up with some I find I'm blanking. I just really want to challenge my students when it comes to some questions.

I'm also trying to come up with good sentences for them to practice. When I took ASL in high school (just for language credit) my teacher had a book with a ton of sentences in it that she'd have us practice. I just am stuck after writing about 10.

Thanks for all the help y'all can give!!

 

[x1heavy]

Finger spelling is a higher form of ASL so to speak. My Ex if I tried to finger spell to her at normal speed she cannot get it because she has to take a little time look at the hand letter I am making, remember what it means and then assemble a word one letter at a time.

We will be here a while.

What I like to do is if I am talking with someone deaf about a subject or something involving a address in particular, I like to go over the address with that person with finger spelling first and then we both come up with a temporary "Slang" type sign to indicate "That address" so we dont have to tediously go through all the finger spelling all over again repeating whats now known to both. Usually a point towards a palm off to one side after the address sign which for me is two a's up the front of the chest. I'll refer back to that particular address in converstation with one hand doing the address word and point to the palm right after to show that it is the same address as we are discussing right that moment. (Usually writtten down etc)

IF you had a whole series of addresses or particular information not covered by overall signing you will be in for some finger spelling. For example I want to take my cat to the vet at such a such a street anytime usa zipcode whatever and phone this. If the other person had more vet doctors able to see my cat and suggested even more addresses, then both of us will settle in and get out the pen and paper because we will be there a while.

That is one of the joys of being deaf in a way, you set down with someone and take the time you need to communicate. Just the communicating back and forth is the fun. Hearing people sometimes are rushed and rude refusing to get into the nitty picky details of anything as if you were in the way or wasting their time and so on. And people wonder sometimes why there is no fun in life =)

When both parties are satisfied with the exchange of information and spelling etc and both are accurate on paper then you can go ahead and subsitute a sign for say cat doctor instead of going through all the addressing fingerspelling all over again. Thats one of the reasons for ASL, cuts out the tedium that exists in Signed English under Galludet system where you had to include all of the punctuation and so on. Painful stuff. But we did not know any better before ASL time.

I would not worry too much about tests. If you gave 50 people a general question in sign language in whatever form that is understood by the class, be prepared to be BURIED in finger spelling as all of them answers your question with information too speciifc to contain a general sign word.

 

[Rollover]

When I was teaching my son young age), I had to use something that would hold his attention and not drift away. I used songs. Classic
old songs. I thought later in life, anytime he would hear these songs, he would remember us together as well as ASL. Every once in a while the song comes on the radio and I think of my son. No personal questions, just good old rock, and roll! Try a chorus or phase maybe? I saw this video last night - I loved it! Pledge of Allegiance

 

[Old Analog]

What is the goal of the test? There's difference between exercise and test, familiar local ... Streets, stores, names - famely, frends, local servers, historical - events and dates, math - items and prices, services and prices, with add-ons and or subtractiones. Teach what you want to learn

 

[Frances Bentley]

I had an acquaintance with a memorization problem, and from that, problems with math.
We used drawings to develop his imagination. It would be more comfortable.