
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
This month is a special month for me as it is my best friend, Vestie Mae Jennings’ birthday on Feb 14th. It also evokes sad feelings as she prematurely departed at the young age of 24 years old. It was a true honor to meet a beautiful Deaf soul like her who changed my life around. I dedicate tutoring, mentoring and evaluating ASL to her - she made me realize of how Deaf people (and their hearing families/friends) worldwide need sign language in order to live a fulfilling life.
This month's blog is dedicated to one of my favorite actor, Philiop Seymour Hoffman, who tragically died on Feb 02, 2014. May he rest in peace. He will be greatly missed.
This month’s new tidbits:
People often ask me which ASL dictionary to get - personally I prefer the NTID online dictionary as it shows a lot of accurate ASL conceptual sentences.
American Sign Language Video Dictionary & Inflection Guide CD-ROM For dictionaries you can hold in your hands - These are my favorites for north American sign language:
American Sign Language Dictionary, Third Edition
by Martin L. Sternberg
The Canadian Dictionary of ASL [Hardcover] Carole Sue Bailey (Editor), Kathy Dolby (Editor), Charmaine Letourneau C.M.
Now a days there’s ASL dictionaries you can quickly look up in your cellphone or iPad, etc. I haven’t checked those out because I do not own a cell phone. If I ever get around to borrowing a friend’s cell and checking out various ASL dictionaries, I’ll report later.
For those who tend to forget, mix up or are unfamiliar with handshapes - here’s a Hand Shape Dictionary - it’s like a reverse look up - you probably recognize the specific hand shape but don’t know what the sign is.
The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary 2nd Edition with DVD
I’m going to buy this book to see if this author succeeds in helping people understand ASL grammar in the user-friendly format. Look for my report of it in the future:
Don't Just Sign... Communicate!: A Student's Guide to Mastering American Sign Language Grammar
Michelle Jay
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Saw an inspirational video of a Deaf female policewoman training police dogs in Israel - check it out at:
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=15123
I recently watched an eye opening vlog of deaf individuals losing their home in a terrible flood in Texas - watch it at:
http://deafnation.com/joelbarish/people/austin-deaf-victims-of-flooding/
This year I plan to include more ASL games to add some spice in the curriculum - here’s a website that offers some ideas - some are old, some are new:
ASL game ideas:
http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/sign-language-game.html
Here’s a hilarious Keith Wann (CODA Stand Up Comedian):
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehQB5RM84OY
TEAMWORK - HERE IS A GREAT CHART OF BEHAVIORS THAT PULLS UP OR PUSH DOWN WORKERS -
Pulling Up Behavior
Welcoming, open and authentic sharing of knowledge, information, and resources
Open and authentic communication throughout the process. Co-creating and negotiating motivations and agendas.
Sincerity & involvement in all opportunities. Accountability to the agenda.
Direct, authentic, and transparent communication.
Team accountability and discussion.
Respecting relationships and boundaries established as a result.
Inclusive behaviors
Acceptance of a newer interpreter’s skill or knowledge deficits
Embracing
Supporting toward competence
Validating experiences that got us both to this place
Pushing Down Behaviors
Withholding access (assignment, or consumer-related info)
Non-verbal & verbal behaviors (facial expressions, audible displays of displeasure, use of sarcasm and teasing, aggressive statements, etc.)
Undermining & sabotaging activities that make oneself unavailable for team support or deliberately setting up negative situations
Posturing (infighting, deliberate betrayal, rumors, bickering, and unhealthy approaches to conflict management, not speaking directly to a person but speaking about them.)
Censuring (attributing the product of the teamed effort to the work of one person)
Boundary violations (disclosing private or confidential information)
Exclusive behaviors
Intolerance for a newer interpreter’s skill or knowledge deficits
Intimidation
Blaming for incompetence
Imposing one’s own experiences as the best or only route to competence
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An ASL Interpreter friend forwarded me an interesting Black and White ASL article - fun historical facts of how black Deaf Americans actually preserved and carried sign language from the beginning because they were not influenced from the oral schools. I hope to travel someday and meet native ASL signers from their regions just for fun in studying the difference of old (true) signs and modern signs.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sign-language-that-african-americans-use-is-different-from-that-of-whites/2012/09/17/2e897628-bbe2-11e1-8867-ecf6cb7935ef_story.html
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Lastly, here’s a possibly good financial tips for students going to college:
Going to School? Take Advantage of these Education Tax Credits & Deductions in 2013 & 2014
[Read the rest of the story at 20somethingfinance.com]
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ASL SCRABBLE CLUB
will meet on Feb 21, 2014
at TGIF Restaurant on 125 Kenn Pratt Blvd, Longmont CO 80501.
Starts at 7pm to 11pm (or later)
RSVP is required as there's limited seating.
Great for ASL student needing Deaf Culture Event credit.
This is a fun NO VOICING ASL social gathering.
If you need a copy of my 2014 schedule of different places we'll meet - please email me.