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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Fri Apr 30, 1999 5:08 pm Subject: Re: introduction | |
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On Thu, 29 Apr 1999 Deborah Holden wrote: >Hello SignWriting list, > I would like to introduce myself. My name is Deborah Holden. I am >a Teacher of the Deaf in a school district in New York State. I read >the Silent News article over breakfast on April 7 and since then my >world has been spinning with SignWriting and the possibilities for some >of my Deaf students. >I have a some questions and would like your input. How much time will I >need to prepare myself in order to teach SignWriting? ________________________ April 30, 1999 Hello Deborah and all.... Thank you for your excellent introduction, and welcome to the SignWriting List! It sounds like you had some positive experiences with your students very quickly....that is encouraging :-) When you mentioned reading Silent News over breakfast, I immediately thought of this...that someday you may be reading SignWriting literature over breakfast. People who are fluent in SignWriting, read a SW document like reading the newspaper, and I am hoping that someday you too will become that fluent. For the past two days I have been working on the web design for a new lesson online, which I call the "Advanced Lesson". Everyone on the SW List has heard about this...it was supposed to be posted long ago. It is now 90% completed, which means it will be our next Special Feature for sure. That may help you learn SignWriting...and I would suggest taking all the other lessons online too: SignWritng Lessons Online Directory https://www.SignWriting.org/sw130.html You asked how much time you will need to prepare to teach SignWriting?..... (smile) Years ago, in the mid-1980's, we had a "Teacher Certification Program". Around 40 teachers received their "SW diploma". In fact, several members of the SignWriting List participated and are "qualified" teachers. But we no longer have that program available. Anyone is welcome to teach SignWriting. I know that in time, as more and more people teach SignWriting, standards of good teaching will develop automatically, through experience. So Deborah, if you and the school district in New York State choose to participate in the SignWriting Literacy Project, then I will be sending you the Lessons In SignWriting Video Series and the Lessons In SignWriting Textbook around mid-summer. And with those materials, plus the lessons that are posted on the web, it will be up to you to choose to sit down and learn on your own. You will be able to judge your own skills, when you receive the children's booklets written in SignWriting. If you can read them and understand them, then you are ready to teach! I am sorry I cannot give you an exact amount of time - I don't know myself since you will be learning on your own. I think you should just "dive in" with the web lessons immediately, and if you have a question, just write to us, and we can answer them. Learning SignWriting is a process, just like learning ASL is. I will answer your other questions later this evening - Thanks once again for the great information about your student's reactions to SignWriting - Have a wonderful Friday! Valerie :-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Valerie Sutton SignWriting https://www.SignWriting.org The DAC, Deaf Action Committee for SW Center For Sutton Movement Writing an educational nonprofit organization Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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