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Seattle Central Community College                                       
ASL 121 - American Sign Language Level 1                                       
Barb Bernstein Fant, Instructor    
                                                                     

NEWS & UPDATES
Updated September 27, 2010

Reminder:  Check the Schedule page for frequent updates or changes to your assignments or what has been taught in class that day and secondly, the News and Updates page constantly for any announcements during and outside of class time! 
 

September 27th-28th:

1) Seating arrangements in the classroom - is always a semi-circular pattern.  This is due to the visual requirements of ASL. Be sure that you can see all of your classmates clearly which means moving your desk forward to adjust your visual line or telling your classmate to move back.  This is one essential Deaf Culture behavior that you will use all quarter especially when you need to watch me dialogue with any student during an activity in class.  

2) The NO-voicing policy must be adhered to when you arrive to class. American Sign language is a visual and gestural language therefore you must learn to rely on your eyes and hands accordingly.  It is difficult for some students to let go of their linear, spoken language habits.  To help reduce confusion and to minimize the interference of spoken languages,  I will ask that all students comply with our "voices off" philosophy in the classroom at all times.    Even if you don't follow what is going on in class right away, please be patient, sit back and learn to use your eyes and hands. It may take a while to "get it" for some students than others.   If you still don't understand, feel free to ask your classmate or me in writing or raise your hand and then come to the board to write your question.  Don't be shy!  Your classmates will benefit from your questions as well.  It is important to stick to the no-voicing rule throughout the quarter. What if you don't understand what's happening in class and want to ask your classmate a course-related question? Again by writing notes back and forth. Think about how Deaf people communicate with the public in general who don't know sign language. Keep in mind that it is culturally rude to talk in front of a Deaf instructor at any time and secondly, talking interferes with other students' attempts to learn a non-spoken language.  Refer to item #3 of the "Instructor Expectations of Students" section in my Syllabus. If it is just a personal question, then come up during break and inquire or see me during office hours. There are times in the past when I've had to ask a student to leave the classroom for the evening for being disruptive and breaking the no-voicing rule.

3) My ASL classes (M/W) and (T/TH) are nearly full.  I will be keeping track of registered students who are absent for both classes this week before I add any students by this Wednesday and Thursday. For students who want to add the class, please see me during break so that I can take down your names.  Be patient and attend both classes this week to keep up with the lectures.

4) ASL Lab: Beginning the second week of the quarter, go directly to lab in Room 1129 on Monday or Tuesday (depending on which section you are in) at 6:30 p.m.  Instructions on how to use the lab equipment will be given then. 

5) Be sure to purchase your student ID cards this week. They can be obtained in room 1141.  You will need these ID cards to access the ASL lab in Room 1129 when we start to use the lab next week on Monday or Tuesday.  You cannot access the ASL Lab at any time without these student ID cards - it is a requirement.  If you wish to take out a book from our ASL/ITP library within our lab; you must leave your student ID card with the lab assistant. Also bring a videotape for the lab for next Monday or Tuesday - you will have an opportunity to use the camera equipment in the lab and to practice recording an exercise onto your videotape.  Do not bring DVDs at all.

6) Instructor information adhesive labels are ready.  It has my office room number, office hours, work email and website address.  Please do not lose that information especially the  web address - you will need the address to access my ASL 121 home page and other corresponding web pages constantly during the entire quarter. Be sure to look at my web schedule for homework assignments frequently. Navigate the other ASL 121 web pages and familiarize yourself with them this week particularly the Vocabulary and Assignments page.  Click on the various links on each page and see what they bring up. Reminder: Not all links will be active at the same time - some will be activated later in the quarter.

7) Do not get up to leave the classroom in the middle of a lecture.   This is visually disruptive.  Again, another Deaf Culture rule: If you need to use the restroom or exit the classroom for an emergency and it's not break time yet; raise your hand and inform me either in sign or writing.   Deaf people have a high-information context culture and they share more information than do Hearing people due to their hearing loss relying more on visual input.

8)  Please read my web syllabus thoroughly.  I will be asking you questions regarding the syllabus during the syllabus discussion next week.  Pay particular attention to the course requirements and grade percentages breakdown and what these percentages pertain to.  Come ready with questions also.

9)  Breaks are given half-way through the class for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Please return from breaks on time so that we can get started quickly. 

10)  Cell phones and pagers are to be turned off before you enter the classroom and needs to remain off for the entire class period.  It is rude and disruptive when you should be paying attention to the lecture or participating in an activity.
 
11)  Some of you may be attending University of Washington; other universities or high schools concurrently.  Your final exams at these places may be given earlier than the finals given at Seattle Central Community College. If so, please do not request permission to take the Seattle Central exams earlier.  You are expected to follow the SCCC schedule.

12) Very important announcement!! Please be aware that the link to my web Syllabus has problems. When you enter my Index page, click on ASL 121 in the left margin and once you enter my ASL 121 Home page, then click on any page such as News and Updates, Lecture Notes, Vocabulary and Assignments except the Syllabus page to navigate my ASL 1 web pages. Once you click on the Syllabus page, then you would need to click on ASL 121-123 Home page link (in the left margin of the page) to exit the ASL 1 web pages and then re-enter to access the other 121 web pages. I will try and fix this link asap. This has been a very problematic link for me and I have yet to figure this out! Thank you for your patience!

September 29th -30th:

1. It has come to my attention that the SCCC bookstore is out of the Signing Naturally Units 1 - 6 workbooks and it's being backordered. The Deaf Again books seem to be in supply. How many of you have NOT gotten your workbooks?? Have you been to the bookstore yet? As an option; you could also order the workbook through Dawn Sign Press (google it!) or perhaps through Amazon. You already have enough homework to do this weekend and if you wish, you can get started on the Deaf Again text homework. Check my web schedule for this weekend and 2nd week of class.

October 6-7th:

1. When you come to class each time; I would encourage you not to sit with the same classmates all the time.   Move around and sit with different people and get to know them.  When you practice dialogues; everyone has a different signing style thus the more exposure, the better. For students sitting on the sides who have trouble seeing the projector screen; then move your seat inwards closer to the middle of the classroom. Please try to maintain a circle regardless of the size of the class. Please be assertive.

2. For those who are interested in setting up a study group; I will give you some time towards the end of class to get together and decide on how often, how long and where to meet during the week. Most study groups are usually no larger than 5 or 6 at most. Students can join several groups if they wish! Use the groups to practice what you have learned in class; get together for receptive and expressive practice and to attend community contact events together. Remember these groups are not required but strongly recommended. I will distribute the student contact sheet that was passed around during course discussion last Monday or Tuesday. Remember use this contact list for in-class purposes only to protect the privacy of your classmates.

3. If you haven't gotten your workbooks yet; then you need to meet with a classmate and make copies of the homework pages. Your first workbook assignment is due next Tuesday. Also make arrangements to borrow the DVD that comes with the workbook or meet up with the classmate and work on the assignment together.

4. Mac users! The following website has software for Mac users to download that should allow you to watch the ASL streamed vidoes in the format that they are provided in:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-player/wmcomponents

Hopefully this link will help. Joshua (one of my T/TH students) - thank you for providing this information!

October 11 - 12th:

1. Reminder - sit with different classmates each time you come to class.

2. Be sure to check the Homework Due section of my schedule page in advance. You have two assignments coming due this Wed or Thurs. You have the Deaf Culture video report and Homework Sentences #1. Are you checking frequently?

3. Reminder - tutoring hours with Andrea weekly is on Mondays from 4 - 6:30 pm and from 4:45 - 6:30 pm on Tuesdays in Room 1128. Take advantage of this - I will accept up to 3 hours of tutoring time towards your community contact hours. Also dont forget Deaf Expo at Seattle Center this Saturday from 9 - 8 pm - free admission. Great Community contact event for you!

October 13 - 14th:

1. Five minute check-in: We are already approaching the end of week 3 of the fall quarter. Take 5 minutes, get out some paper and respond to the following questions and turn in immediately. Names are optional.

--a. How do you think you are doing in class compared to the first week?
--b. Are you keeping up with the homework? Do you know where to look for your homework assignments on my web?
--c. Have you gotten all your required books?
--d. Are you putting in adequate time to study your ASL class?
--e. Any questions or concerns? Suggestions?

2. Some of you have still not gotten your workbooks this past Monday or Tuesday. For this one time only, I will allow these students to make copies of the homework pages and turn them in to me asap for homework points by Mon/Tues of week 4. From then on, please keep up with the workbook homework. This is not really fair to the other students who have done their assignments on time.

3. Be sure to check the "Homework Due" section of my Schedule page constantly. You should be checking my Schedule page for homework due next week. If I have not set up a link for that particular assignment, then you are to click on my Vocabulary and Assignments page, scroll down and find the link for that specific homework. This will be the last reminder. It is extremely important that you all have internet access.

4. ASL is a skills course - you are developing your receptive and expressive skills simultaneously. I can tell very easily which student is practicing and who is not. It behooves all of you to practice, practice, practice outside of class time. Take advantage of your study groups to do so. You already have some receptive assignments coming due and pretty soon, you will have a spontaneous dialogue assignment coming due.

October 18th - 21st:
1. Please hold on to all your homework and any quizzes returned to you for the whole quarter. I will be setting up a website where you can check your homework points and grades privately as soon as possible. This way you can check your progress in the class and turn in any late assignments if you haven't done so. Sometimes I may have overlooked an assignment that should have been recorded. In that case, please return the homework to me. Even if you don't turn in an assignment on time, it is best to complete it regardless so that you can get credit for it. Turn in any late assignment in as quickly as possible rather than delaying too long.




October 25 - 28th:

1) Potential Community Contact event at:

Deaf Mall at Everett Mall
Friday, November 12th, 5 - 8 pm at food court
Good gathering for Deaf people and ASL students!
Interpreters and non-signers are welcome
Smile, chat and relax!

Peggy Lee Lefors and Linda Bontrager, organizers.

2. For the spontaneous dialogue, students will be paired up and will converse with each other using Traditional Dialogues, Parts 2 - 4. I will be watching at least 5 - 6 pairs of students at a time.

For the rest of you that are awaiting your turn, please go ahead and work on:

a) Shapes Activity - work on filling out the bottom part of your handout and when you are done;

b) Review your Core vocabulary by taking turns fingerspelling a word and then signing the ASL concept for that word. Do this until you are summoned to do your spontaneous dialogue.

November 8th - 10th:
1. Please remember that you can still turn in homework even after the due date. I will deduct a few points if it's late. The only assignment that can't be turned in is the second Signing Naturally workbook homework as I used transparencies to show the answers. There are assignments that are high in points like Receptive Narrative #1 (40 points) - if you haven't turned it in, please do so as soon as possible. Please resist the temptation to copy other classmates' completed and graded homework - you will lose out on the receptive practice.

2. I am almost done with setting up your grades online for each of you to view individually. I just need to iron out a few kinks before I make it public for you to access.

3. This has been an interesting quarter in terms of attempting to merge the old and new Signing Naturally curriculum. It has proven very challenging and frustrating for both me and the other daytime instructor. I have decided that I will not cover Units 5 and 6 in the workbook and put it off until the Winter Quarter. There is simply too much information to cover and I don't want to skip too many sections in each unit to try to touch on all 6 units. I am going to backtrack a little tonight and get you caught up a bit.

November 15th - 18th:

1. Both classes: I will be teaching 2 sections of ASL 122 next winter quarter in the evenings. Registration has already started for next quarter - remember that you can pay your tuition fees monthly - a new payment plan offered by the college so please go ahead and register as soon as you can. Hold on to your SN Units 1-6 workbooks for next quarter. We will still be using them. You will also have to purchase the old SN workbooks (Units 1 - 12) but they will be much cheaper!

2. Monday/Wednesday class only: Next Wednesday evening, you will be watching a 2-hour Deaf Culture video "Through Deaf Eyes" in the SCCC Library in Room S from 6 - 8 pm. Yes, note the start time and remember the location - it's at 6 instead of 6:30 because the library closes at 8 instead. We will not be using classroom 1114 during this time but instead another location. Be sure to go to my Vocabulary and Assignments web page and click on the Deaf Culture Videos link and print a copy of the questions before you come to the library. Take rough notes as you watch the film. Please let me know if the start time is a problem for you.

3. Both classes: In regard to the Expressive Narrative " My Daily Grind", this is 10% of your course grade so prepare well. Do not try to incorporate vocabulary that you don't know the signs for - stick with the signs that you have learned in class and look at both Receptive Narratives #1 and #2 - "Two New Friends" and " Jack's Daily Grind" for some ideas. Check out your Signing Naturally DVD and review the minidialogues from the beginning of this quarter - they will be helpful as well. Please don't overwhelm yourself - keep your story simple...go easy - this is your first narrative you are creating on your own. Also keep in mind your prosody - include emotions and facial grammar like negation and confirmation. Remember to use your Topic facial grammar for the beginning of each chunk on your mental map. Remember to use spatial referents (pronouns) to point to yourself or to locations or other people you want to talk about throughout your story. After you have recorded your first sign draft and have received feedback from your partner, then you can finetune your story and then record it again on your own time to turn in for a grade. You will also have your Spontaneous Dialogue final at the end of the quarter - you will have an opportunity to practice in class before that final. Again, when you do your final version of the Daily Grind story, be sure to turn in a DVD-RW or a flash drive to me. I will not be setting up Facebook this quarter.

4. Both classes: The last Deaf Culture video " The Mind Traveler" - you will need to watch on your own time and turn in for homework credit. The due date is during the first week of December. Go to the lab to watch this - it's 1 hour long - go with classmates so several of you can watch this at one time. Be sure to print out your questions before viewing this film.

5. Both classes: I have given a deadline for any late homework to be turned in. Check my web schedule for this.

November 22nd:

1. Monday/Wednesday class: There will be no class tonight due to snow. Your vocabulary quiz and your Daily Grind final sign story will be postponed to next Monday. You are still expected to watch the "Through Deaf Eyes" film this Wednesday in the SCCC libarary, Room S at 6 pm. Be sure to print out the question to take rough notes while watching this film.

November 23rd:

1. Tuesday/Thursday class: There will be no class tonight due to snow. Your vocabulary quiz and your Daily Grind first sign draft will be postponed to next Tuesday. Please check SCCC website for news on inclement weather. 

November 24th:

1. Monday/Wednesday class: There will be no class tonight due to inclement weather again! The campus is closing at 3 pm! Please check my web Schedule page re: the Deaf Culture videos (Through Deaf Eyes and The Mind Traveler) - some changes in schedule have been made. Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend!

November 29th:
1. The Receptive Narrative Midterm will be this Wednesday or Thursday depending on which class section you are in. This will be a timed test given in class - you will be given a handout with questions to answer while the video is played repetitively non-stop. The midterm should not take more than 45 minutes to complete. There will be no talking allowed as this is a test - you must work alone. You should be familiar with your School, Transportation and Cities vocabulary so it would be wise to review Core Vocabulary Units 1-2, 4 as well as "Places" vocabulary. Review the first two Receptive Narratives that you have done for homework also.

2. Both classes: Your grades are ready up to this point in the quarter. Your printed handout will show you all the assignments that you have turned in as well as those that are missing.

3. Due to the inclement weather last week, we only have two weeks of classes before finals. So you will need to turn in more than one homework assignment on some dates in order to play catchup. So expect some pressure due to time constraints.

4. I had planned to have a discussion on the Deaf Again text and to bring in a couple of people to speak about their experiences very similar to what Mark the author had gone through. Again on account of the weather and the schedule screwup; this will not happen this quarter. I need to cover some topics in SN Unit 4 in the next two weeks. I hope to have speakers come in at the beginning of ASL 122 instead.

December 6 - 9th:

1. If you are planning to register for ASL 122 for the evening sections next quarter, please register as soon as possible! The dean of my division will be making a decision as which classes will be cancelled which could be as early as this Friday! So far my M/W section has 16 enrolled and my T/TH class has 10. Please do not delay. I will keep you posted re: any news on these classes.

2. Your receptive midterms are ready. I cannot give them back to you as we use the same midterm for future classes. You are welcome to look at them during break. Please come up and see me.

3. Spontaneous dialogue final - will be individual appointments for approx 10 - 15 minutes long. You will be paired up with a partner for this dialogue and graded separately and live on the spot. No recording will be involved. I need to find out how early can students come to take the dialogue final. Can anyone start as early as 5 or 5:30 pm? I will take a tally this week.

4. Keep in mind that there is approximately 50% of your course grade i.e. 20% for Receptive Narrative Final; 15% for Spontaneous Dialogue Final; 10% for your Daily Grind Expressive Assigment (which I am still working on) and the Cumulative Vocabulary Quiz (vocabulary quizzes are 20% of course grade) yet to be completed. I will throw out one of your first two vocabulary quizzes (the lowest one) and average it out with the cumulative vocabulary quiz. Remember your homework portion is 30 percent of your total grade so it does not accurately reflect how you are doing in the class at this time. If you are not doing well right now; do not be discouraged. You have ample opportunity to pull up your grade next week. Therefore it behooves you to study and prepare well for the tests next week.

December 9th:

5.Your updated grade sheet printouts are ready. Please keep in mind that this does not include the My Daily Grind Expressive assignment which I am still grading.

6. Both classes: Spontaneous Dialogue Final - can any of you come as early as 4:30?? I already have a list of students who can come as early as 5 pm but how about 4:30?? I will give you more details on the spontaneous dialogue final next Monday and Tuesday.

7. In my Lectures and Notes webpage, I will be posting a link on Units 1 - 5 (based on core vocabulary) cumulative dialogues for you to practice at home. Be thinking about how you would sign these questions. Expect that some of the same questions will appear on your spontaneous dialogue final. Get together with a classmate or your study group to practice these questions on your own time.

8. Registration for T/TH class for ASL 122 is still low! Please register asap. If you are a student who work for an agency and cannot register until the 2nd week of the quarter, please let me know.

December 13th - 14th:

1. Registration for T/TH class for ASL 122 is still low! There are 12 students plus 1 student who will register 2nd week of Winter quarter. Please register this week! If you are a student who work for an agency and cannot register until the 2nd week of the quarter, please let me know.

2. a)Spontaneous Dialogue handouts for Student A (Group A) and Student B (Group B) will be handed out tonight. I will divide you into Group A and B tonight so that you can practice your questions for some time. Please keep in mind that if you get Student A handout; you can practice with other classmates having the same Student A paper. Do not talk to or work with students with Group B handouts! That kills the spontaneity of the dialogue for your upcoming appt on either Wednesday or Thursday.

b) Spontaneous dialogue appointment sheet - for students who can come between 4:30 to 6:30; I will be assigning specific times for those slots and inform you. For students who come after 6:30 on; go ahead and sign up - check with me at break time to make certain that time slot is okay. If you have no partner with the opposite paper during your time slot, then I will have to assign you a classmate. Do not leave class until I have confirmed your appointment time!

c) Your appointment will take place in the lab. Student A group can come in and use the front part of the lab. Student B group must wait outside the lab until you are summoned.

d) Your Student A and B handouts states "Please familiarize yourself..." with the background information for your dialogue with your partner. Better yet; memorize your information - that way your conversation will go more smoothly. Looking at your handout (A/B) constantly is not allowed - it tells me that you are not prepared. You can glance at your handout on occasion just to refresh your memory momentarily during the conversation.

3. Updated grade printouts: Am still working on typing up evaluation sheets for your Daily Grind assignments. You will get your DVD and paperwork on Wed/Thurs. There is some homework I have yet to grade. Your "Jessica's Family" and Community Contact homework are been graded.

I