Utilizing signs in hearing schools

Journey

Journey

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
989
Reaction score
0
What do you think of hearing teachers/principals using a few select signs in their hearing schools (ie: quiet, sit down, pay attention, look-at-me)?
 
I think it would be fantastic! I would also like to see some kids cartoons that use sign, they already have many that use Spanish.
 
I'm wondering - why would they be used?
my immediate thought - lots of pitfalls there - and then I did ponder my question
 
dogmom, visual cues are used in hearing schools quite often. For example, when a class is working on group projects and the teacher wants to get their attention without shouting across all the noise, they flick the lights on and off ... or when in an assembly and the teacher or principal needs everyone to settle down and be quiet, they will hold up their hand and using their fingers count to five. Children respond very well to these visual cues as they are a change from their norm (voice).
 
mbrek said:
I think it would be fantastic! I would also like to see some kids cartoons that use sign, they already have many that use Spanish.
Click to expand...

English cartoons that integrate spanish or strictly spanish cartoons?
 
Journey said:
Can you expand on your feelings a little - perhaps your gut pro/con reaction? Thanks :).
Click to expand...

Well, I find it a bit disturbing that we have to fight to get ASL terps in the hearing schools for deaf students, but that the staff would use it when it is convenient for them with hearing students. That's a start. I think it also serves to misrepresent ASL as something less than a full communication choice.
 
:ty: Journey...yeah I know about the visual cues but signs are much much more than visual cues.

My concern is the mixing and potential to actually further de-value the true language of ASL.

and the lack of equity/foresight involving the use ASL with deaf<all deaf> kids vs. hearing kids....
 
:Dhey Jillio, we doubled - I think literally and figuratively:wave:
 
On the Spanish channel there is a Spanish version of Dora that tries to teach English.

As for visual cues, I loved it when the teacher would use these. Downside is, it would be limited given that hearing schools are also generally mainstream public education schools.

I have one question though - are there private deaf schools around? I am sure there are, just curious as I am already aware of the state run public deaf schools such as ASD in Little Rock.
 
jillio said:
Well, I find it a bit disturbing that we have to fight to get ASL terps in the hearing schools for deaf students, but that the staff would use it when it is convenient for them with hearing students. That's a start. I think it also serves to misrepresent ASL as something less than a full communication choice.
Click to expand...

I support ASL as a full communication choice. My time spent as a student in public schools would have been much easier! But phooey on that audiologist from when I was still in pre-school that told my parents that I didn't need to learn ASL because 'I still have some hearing left'.:eek3:
 
Thanks jillio and dogmom. I have a thought your responses triggered but work calls at the moment (dang work that interrupt more interesting things haha) so I will come back later ... and hopefully I will remember my thought :giggle:.
 
I was thinking of the children's programming like Dora the Explorer, or the basic Spanish words and counting that is shown on Sesame Street. It might help with barriers between hearing and deaf. Start with the children, make ASL more mainstream.
 
Here in WPB, FL, all of the teachers in public, private and charter schools were required to take some sort of ASL class since the special school in town with multi-needs students was closing and all those students would be going to the other schools. It did not go over well at all. They did not learn enough to be a benefit and students still could not communicate their needs.

I do not think it is a good idea for it to be this way.
 
mbrek said:
I was thinking of the children's programming like Dora the Explorer, or the basic Spanish words and counting that is shown on Sesame Street. It might help with barriers between hearing and deaf. Start with the children, make ASL more mainstream.
Click to expand...

I believe there is a program called 'Signing Time' that comes on PBS on either Saturday or Sunday evenings around 6:00. I've not been able to watch it myself as I'm usually busy doing something else during this time or I don't think of it.
 
KristinaB said:
Here in WPB, FL, all of the teachers in public, private and charter schools were required to take some sort of ASL class since the special school in town with multi-needs students was closing and all those students would be going to the other schools. It did not go over well at all. They did not learn enough to be a benefit and students still could not communicate their needs.

I do not think it is a good idea for it to be this way.
Click to expand...

Why not place those displaced special education teachers with fluency in ASL to the public schools? Each school would have a special classroom set up specifically for these students that could get to attend for x amount of time each day with student support specialists that is assigned a student to be with all year long as an interpreter for the courses outside the special needs classrooms? That might have solved part of the problem, but then again, it might not have.
 
Dixie said:
I believe there is a program called 'Signing Time' that comes on PBS on either Saturday or Sunday evenings around 6:00.
Click to expand...

I've never heard of it. The shows on Nick and Disney channels seem to dominate everything.
 
mbrek said:
I've never heard of it. The shows on Nick and Disney channels seem to dominate everything.
Click to expand...

That's the problem. The really beneficial shows are not deemed entertaining enough for children so they are shipped to networks such as PBS and smaller local stations that have a limited broadcast area such as KNWA in Fayetteville and that obscure Jonesboro station.

Maybe we should write to Nickelodeon and Disney Channel and ask if they would be interested in producing a cartoon with a target audience of pre-shool to 3rd grade age children that would teach ASL as a language? It would be great if it could air between episodes of Dora and Diego. :lol:
 
Dixie said:
Why not place those displaced special education teachers with fluency in ASL to the public schools? Each school would have a special classroom set up specifically for these students that could get to attend for x amount of time each day with student support specialists that is assigned a student to be with all year long as an interpreter for the courses outside the special needs classrooms? That might have solved part of the problem, but then again, it might not have.
Click to expand...

You would think they would do that, but they were all laid off due to budget cuts. That was why the school shut down. Most of the deaf and deaf/blind students were transferred to FSDB. Just a few remained.
 
Back
Top