1 Syllabus Beginning– ASL Level 3 Instructor: Deanne Bray-Kotsur [email protected]818-483-0411 (Video Relay Service) Class Meets: In Room I-7 August 10, 2016 to May 26, 2017 Course Description Signing Naturally, Units 18-24 is one of the book in the series of curricular materials for the instruction of American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language. The goal is to provide students with the skills to communicate in a wider array of situations, to further develop their language fluency and to advance their level of comprehension of ASL in culturally appropriate ways.
Signing Naturally, Units 18-24 is one of the book in the series of curricular materials for the instruction of American Sign Language (ASL) as a
second language. The goal is to provide students with the skills to communicate in a wider array of situations, to further develop their language
fluency and to advance their level of comprehension of ASL in culturally appropriate ways.
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Course Outline
Pre-Unit: (Units 1-6, 7-12) Review
Unit 12-Storytelling 12:1 to 12:7 and 12:9 to 12:10
Units 18-24 (Cover some)
ASL Storytime
ASL Club
Approach
According to the Standards for Foreign Language Learning provided by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), “all the linguistic and social knowledge required for effective human-to-human interaction is encompassed in those ten words ‘Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom.’ So, while grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, it is the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with users of other languages that is the ultimate goal of today’s foreign language classroom.”
Meaningful and appropriate communications is reflected in the design of the Signing Naturally curriculum. The variety of lessons and activities in Signing Naturally Units 13-24 are designed to help the language classroom and the language program meet the five areas of Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities recommended by ACTFL.
(Smith, C., Miko, K., and Lentz, E. Teacher’s Curriculum Signing Naturally Units 1-6. DawnSignPress. 2008. p. ix)
English in the ASL Classroom
The curriculum and workbook are designed with the assumption that the students in the classroom can read English. We take the position that ASL, the target language, should be used exclusively in the classroom.
There are two reasons:
First reason is that it is culturally inappropriate to use voice in an ASL environment. Speaking eliminates the Deaf person, whether intentionally or not, from the communication around them. In the classroom, it is critical that the teacher (whether hearing or Deaf) maintain the culturally appropriate environment so that students develop the habit of signing, and not speaking, in Deaf-hearing situations.
The second reason is we believe that students can only become fluent by constantly using the target language. The more the students relies on English to understand ASL, the longer they will remain in the limbo of being unable to communicate in ASL. You cannot learn a language by speaking or listening to another language. No language is a direct translation of another, and concept formation is enhanced by
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full immersion (signing at all times). Students will not maximize learning ASL until they actually commit to using it as a living language. The only way to spur this on is to make the classroom a microcosm of the living world where all meaning is negotiated in the target language.
At this moment, we do not have a standardize writing system for ASL, so written English is used to give instructions. However, it is not used to give English equivalents to ASL signs. For example, ASL vocabulary are introduced or reviewed with other signs, with pictures or English definitions rather than single word equivalents.
While students still do not know all the signs, we still continue to use different strategies of communication that we have learned in ASL Level 1 and Level 2 classes.
In other words, if a fellow student asks you for help, feel free to help by using signs you have learned, give clues or by writing back and forth. In this way, I can see what is being said and can join in to help, if needed be.
Issue with Sign Variation
One thing I want to add is that there will be an issue sign variation in this class. You might learn a sign that is different from what you see in the real world. There are local signs or regional signs. There are initialized signs that directly represents an English Word and is formed with hand shape of the first letter. For example, the word “very” or “is”. However, there are some concepts with initialized signs that you will see in the book which means they are ingrained in the community and do not conflict with ASL linguistic or semantic rules. For example, “people” and “blue.”
Cell phones
All cell phones must be turned off during class unless instructed to use it for an activity. As I have done so in the past, if I see it, I will gently take the phone away, write your name on a post-it paper and turn it in at the office for student to pick it up after school.
Required Materials:
• Signing Naturally 18-23 • Three-ring binder (2-inches ring) • 10 Dividers to separate units. Each Unit has divider “Homework” • Paper • Pencils • Highlighters
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• Attendance
Participation in class activities is crucial to your success in this class. The class forms a small community and your effort or lack of impacts the success of the group. Please make every effort to come to every class with homework done and ready to learn and participate. If you come late (after 15 minutes), this will be considered a missed class. If you have excessive absences, your grade may be affected with lack of language learning development and missing opportunities to rehearse with peers. If you know you will be absent from class, make arrangements for a classmate to take notes and collect handouts for you. I do not always have extra copies with me for the next class. You may check in Google Classroom of assignments and activities from classes you missed.
Grades are based on the following:
Cultural Participation points-(20% of quarter grade)
Refer to rubric handed out on first day and should be in your notebook!
For each class session, students can earn a maximum of 30 points to meet the standards of showing
Cultural behavior during class instruction.
Homework (15% of quarter grade)
You will have homework after every class, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours of work. It is important that you do the homework because the next class builds on the material covered. Some of the assigned work will be submitted in Google Classroom when you need to attach files of videos you take of yourselves.
Need help? I am here for you during 7 th period support, just sign up on board so I can remember to stay here for you. I love it when students come after school.
Notebook check/quizzes (15% of overall quarter grade)
Notebook will be checked on the following:
• Neatness and organization with dividers (25 points) • Syllabus and Cultural Participation Rubric need to be placed as front page of notebook
(25 points) • Completed assignments and in order (50 points) • Classnotes and developmental notes when creating your signs for video (15 points)
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• Handouts that was given in class. (10 points)
Come to next class prepared, and you shall do fine on quizzes.
Midterm Exam 50% (around October and December 2016)
• Narrative Exam: You will videotape yourself telling either the “The Tailor” or “One Fine Day,” or other assigned story from Unit 12. You will get more information on which stories later in the semester.
• Comprehensive Exam: This is a comprehension exam covering Units 18-24 (only even numbered Units). The exam tests your ability to understand what is being signed to you.
• Expressive Exam: You will prepare your own assigned work using the vocabulary and grammar structures learned in class. More instruction will be given in class.
Final Exam 50% (in second and third week of May 2017)
• Comprehension Exam: This comprehension exam covers Units 18, 20, 22, and 24. The exam tests your ability to understand what is being signed to you.
• Narrative Exam: You will narrate about one of the Fables (from Unit 12). The story will be told in front of a group rather than a camera. More specific guidelines will be given later in the course.
• Expressive Exam: It is a 20-30 minutes signed conversation you have with your assigned partner. The topics covered during the interview are outlined for you in advance and covers everything you learned during the Spring semester (January to May 2016). (Subject to change).
Schedule
Session 1 - with sign language interpreter present to cover what is expected
Syllabus/Cultural Participation Rubric
Review American Deaf Culture Awareness
Session 2 – no sign language interpreter for the rest of the year for lessons.
Pre Unit—Review Units 1-12
Session 3
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Pre Unit—Review Units 1-12
ASL Club formed with new officers.
President - Sarah Glassman and Sophie Einbund
Vice President - Sarah Salzman
Secretary - Carol Roundy
Treasurer – Garrett Olsen
Historian - Mallory McCormick, Lizzi Riker, and Dylan Pfening
Community-at-Large- Evan Schneider, Hannah Wolfson, and Max Bulko
Session 4
Pre Unit—Review Units 1-12
Session 5
Pre Unit—Review Units 1-12
Session 6 (tentative)
Pre Unit—Review Units 1-12
Session 7
Unit 18 – Narrating Unforgettable Moments
Session 8
Session 9
Session 10
Session 11
Session 12
Session 13
Session 14
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Session 15
Session 16
Session 17
Session 18
Session 19
Session 20
Unit 20 – Explaining Rules
Session 21
Session 22
Session 23
Session 24
Session 25
Session 26
Unit 22- Talking About Money
Session 27
Session 28
Session 29
Session 30
Session 31
Session 32
Session 33
Session 34
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Session 36
Unit 24- Discussing Health Conditions
Session 37
Session 38
Session 39
Session 40
Session 41
Session 42
Session 43
Production Exam: Exit Interview
Session 44
Production Exam: Exit Interview
*Please note:
Unit 12 lessons-Storytelling
I will teach Lessons 12:1 through 12:7 and 12:9 and 12:10
Desks
Please keep the desk arranged like an Amphitheatre before leaving the classroom before leaving class.
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Textbook Policy
I, _____________________________________, understand and have read the
textbook/DVDs policy. I will leave the textbook and DVD covering Units 18 to 24 (even
number only) at home throughout the year and I will be able to return the Student
Workbook and DVDs in good condition when I return them. The Student workbook are
not to have any writing in it. I understand that the assignments are to be written on
paper and placed in a notebook in the Homework section. I understand that the DVDs
are specifically for me to be able to complete my homework.
I understand that if my Student Workbook and DVDS are not in good condition, I
will need to replace the books by paying $84.95 for the Student Workbook and DVDs.
But if the Workbook is in good condition but the DVDs are lost or damaged, I will need
to replace them for $46.
Bray will work on submitting homework videos from the DVDs through Google
Classroom so there are other access to complete homework.
