Six Committees at Gallaudet, Representatively Assembled?

Alas, regardless of their doom

The little victims play!

--Thomas Gray,

"Ode on a Distant Prospect

of Eton College"

They're extraordinarily foolish, for a start.

Not all of them, of course. But as I listened to Bob's Vlog: A Conversation with Dr. Stephen Weiner, Part II, I can't avoid the curious feeling that I've stumbled into a sort of inside rally for human hot-air balloons. An alarming proportion of committees wobble and waddle through the Kendall Green campus with diverse modes of communication, minimal skills in American Sign Language (ASL)....

I don't want to be mean, of course, But I can't help thinking: What sort of role model for university students can these committee members be?

Perhaps these committees really are representative. Although they come as news to many of us who are isolated on accreditation issues. But it's somehow surprising, given committee meetings during summer when elite students are gone home, deeply irritating to me, of demanding student involvement.

Moral of this story: these six committees are human. Without student participation, they are fallible.

But still, it's also, well, too much. I wouldn't want them sitting on me--the way they are sitting on the lack of university student participation.

A Poem for Ekolu...A Deaf Friend of Lisa's and Mine

Sticking to the script,
Ekolu means three
In the sacred Hawai'ian
Language and number.

Is American Sign Language
The opposite of ignorance?
Using it as we do and ask:
Is it the heart of our knowledge?

Is ASL not a matter
Of belief or disbelief;
It is in our bones and blood
Without beginning or end.

Whipped by a wind
That howled and threatened
The neighing of horses
Ekolu hears them not, not, not

The sweetness of smile
The harpstrings of his heart
Whispering to the wind
In ASL he knows best.

And no mistake...no more!

A Final Thought about SLCC at Gallaudet University

The Sorenson Language and Communication Center (SLCC) fundraising effort is the gentle art of getting dollars from the Deaf and funds from the rich hearing people by promising to protect the English language from American Sign Language (ASL).

I've learned that comparing ASL with a mode of communication, no matter how erratic, is always appreciated by hearing people, not Deaf people.

I've learned that signing "Hi" with voice to somebody who is hearing can result in a new job placement.

I've learned that of all the bad signs in ASL, voicing is the worst.

I've learned that no situation is so bad that signing with voicing won't make it worse.

I've learned that most hearing people don't look for the truths of the SLCC project; they only search for someone to agree with them.

I've learned that benevolence is a natural instinct of the human mind; when a hearing person sees ASL users, his/her conscience always urges him/her to come up a mode of communication to herd them far away from ASL.

SLCC at Gallaudet and NAD: Bully Tactics

My intellectual job is to validate what my mind thinks. I am still not comfortable with the Sorensons Language and Communication Center (SLCC) project and the distribution of the Signing Exact English (SEE) books. The purpose of this blog is to inform people about language bigotry and bastardization.

Keep in mind that "language and communication sciences vs. American Sign Language and its embedded culture" is yet to be autheticated and pursued.

Ever since the $28 plus million SLCC project was proposed to sit on Kendall Green, native American Sign Language (ASL) users have raised voices against yet another structure amidst the cultural site, insisting they will do whatever it takes to preserve ASL and its embedded culture.

While for some, especially the university administration, the issue is the seeming location of the structure, others are just sick and tired of ASL being equated with another mode of communication. SLCC was just using bully tactics. Professor MJ Beinvenu, for example, thought it's questionable that Deaf people haven't been to an audiologist in their lifetime in Bob's Vlog.

I am for science and knowledge, but not at Gallaudet University. Go somewhere else.

Kendall Green was chosen as the best site for language and communication sciences for its visibility and Deaf people, among other aspects. SLCC would be a microcism for language and communication spectacles. We need not to be looked at, but to be "heard" per se.

There is a 90 percent chance of major language and communication clashes in our lifetime that could have a cultural effect on Deaf schoolchildren. Understanding the language oppression is a major priority if we are to protect ASL and take actions that will ensure its survival.

I recently received a rather grim email from a friend:


Date: Sun 27 May 2007 06:09:24 PM EDT
From: Vxxx Gxxx xxx@yahoo.com
To: Kal1952@myway.com
Subject: Latest dismal news from an informer.

My hearing informer is a free-lance schoolteacher with MHC deaf. She told me a few days ago, that the pendulum is swinging to the extreme. She explained about the fact that New York state is unwilling to hire ANY teacher who advocates sign-lang. If one applies AND if one wants to keep his/her job with the deaf, MUST use oral-method. Never mind, Total Communication. She said she is lucky to keep the jobshe has because nobody else wants it---so far. She,in fact, refuses to use oral-method because it just does not work; SEE did not work either and she gagged over Cued Speech. I am wondering about where the pendulum is swinging, probably crazily as dept. of education mandates oralism while the deaf mandates ASL. What do you think?

It's very sad to realize that neither Gallaudet University nor the National Association of the Deaf could honestly address the language and culture of the Deaf. But many are neither impressed nor quieted by Gallaudet University's bullies in response to questions of cultural values and ASL. The NAD ran to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to proclaim that Deaf children have right to ASL, dodging the question whether it has a watch group whose purpose is to inform people about ASL in education. No matter what we say, they just have an answer. In my opinion, their answers are not good enough. How dare they go and do this.

Bob's Vlog on SLCC seemed more appealing to the alumni than not, many misconceptions surfaced, including a recent statement that English is a cued language (they used uppercases: Cued Language), and cued speech is not a language. The NAD statement to the Canadian government seemed more attractive to the members than not, many questions went unanswered, including reasons why it first became the chief distributor of the SEE books. There is a educational leadership vacuum.

I am completely aware that many comments against the SLCC project and the distribution of the SEE books will be ignored. The love of money supercedes ethical behavior, I agreed, but I'm not going to hide a cultural impact. Ever.

Sign Languages and Galaxies

On a Clear Night
A Sense of Awe
At Countless Stars
In the Dark Skies

On a Clear Day

A Sense of Wow

At Numerous Signs

In the Sign Languages

Wonder Whether
Natural Curiousities
In Human Minds
Can Count and Name

Question Whether

Natural Acquisitions

Of Sign Languages

Can Name and Mean

Ancient Cultures
Most of the Stars
Visible to the Naked Eyes
High Degree of Accuracy

Ancient Greeks

Most of the Gestures

Visible to Socrates

In Plato's Cratylus

Shapes and Names
Of the Constellations
Cosmic Events
Galaxies Collide

Hand Configurations

Of the Sign Languages

Communicative Events

Sign Languages Clash

Universe Vastness
Effect of Confusing
Even More So Than Ever
Evolving and Expanding

Sign Language Unlimited

Babel Confusion

In World Federation

Changing and Growing

From Hawai'ian Myths: Bowl of Light

In this vlog, Carl Schroeder tells about a story from Hawai'iam myths. Bowl of Light is a popular story for children.

Is Visual Phonics Better Than Cued Speech?

Last year February I had an opportunity to attend a workshop on visual phonics presented by people from Gallaudet University. It was fascinating and the presenters, Bettie Waddy-Smith (a former colleague of mine) and Genie Chisholm, were fluent users of ASL. It was also an eye-opening experience for me as a Deaf professional.

Cued Speech is different. It is not language. It is a communication system. With Deaf adult cuers around the corner who suggested that we be open-minded, I would assume that we will need to wait for some 20-30 years till these "visual phonics" children become respectable adult professionals to tell whether it's better than cued speech. Or different from it.

I will remain open-minded. 20-30 years are a long wait! Deaf children (and their families) need ASL now!

A friend of mine wrote me an email questioning Cues Speech/Cued Language:

They are attempting to use "Language" with an upper-case L, like linguists do, to refer to the concept of language in general. "Written language" refers to all forms of written language as a broad abstraction. "Spoken language" is a broad abstraction referring to all spoken languages.

Does cueing really deserve this upper-case-L label? What about shorthand writing that secretaries use? Is that "Shorthand Language" with a capital L? What about Morse code? People use Morse code on shortwave radio to hold conversations. Is that "Morse Language" with a capital L? Some people who use Morse code have their own "style," which includes the speed that they tap out the code and the rhythm. Should we then say that English is a "Morse-coded language" and focus on the linguistic aspects of Morse code?

We could use Morse code with deaf children and raise our righthand for a "dot" and our left hand for a "dash" and then quickly throw our hands up and down beside our face to show the dots and dashes as we speak each English word. Should that be considered one of many alternative ways to raise deaf children? Should it be compared to ASL and language with a capital L?

Never Poke a Big Cat

This is what you'll get when you poke a big cat - the leopard. Ranger gets attacked by a leopard.

Dress Rehearsal for ASL Festival in San Francisco

In his vlog, Carl Schroeder explains about Iolani Palace built by King Kalakaua. A short story.

Cued Language at Gallaudet: A Brand New Hoax?

An informant friend of mine wrote me an email pointing me to this Web page on Gallaudet.edu, and I went to check it. Oh my dear, Cued Speech has been deliberately interpreted and translated as Cued Language. I was pretty shocked in realizing how we the Deaf have been fooled into thinking that Cued Speech is a language.

Here's a copy of email from my informant who alerted me about Gallaudet University's ongoing effort to equate American Sign Language (ASL) with Cued Language, now a brand new hoax:

Carl,

Here is the text displayed with the vlog on Gallaudet.edu. The woman is an excellent ASL signer.

By the way, is Cued speech still alive? Why do they plan on researching it??? What's this all about? Why do they give it the dignified name "Cued Language"? Why upper case letters? Where's the language?

Something fishy is going on here...

Xxxx

QUOTE

Welcome to the VL2 website. VL2 is a Science of Learning Center (SLC) on Visual Language and Visual Learning, one of six SLCs funded by the National Science Foundation. The purpose of VL2 is to gain a greater understanding of the biological, cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and pedagogical conditions that influence the acquisition of language and knowledge through the visual modality.

Gallaudet University houses VL2, and brings together deaf and hearing researchers and educators from a variety of disciplines and institutions to study how language and literacy develop in deaf individuals. The knowledge gained will help improve education for deaf students and will contribute to the understanding of how learning occurs through the visual pathway for all individuals, deaf and hearing.

Current theories of literacy development have emphasized the role of speech and audition for extracting meaning from printed text. The role of vision in this learning process has been neglected. Yet some individuals who rely primarily on vision (deaf individuals) effortlessly acquire naturally occurring visual languages (signed language) and are able to learn how to read and write fluently. The multiple pathways used to derive meaning from visual symbols and print have yet to be fully understood. Hence, a better understanding ofvisual language and visual learning is essential for enhancing educational, socio-cultural and vocational outcomes.

VL2 will pioneer a number of exciting technological approaches to the study of visual language and learning, including a video-based technology for exploring and analyzing complex classroom events, and computer recognition of American Sign Language (ASL) and Cued Language.

Our website will include ASL translations of much of its content, and eventually, we will publish scholarly articles in both English and ASL.

The VL2 Center is dedicated to the integration of research into classroom practice. These research to practice initiatives ensure that the work of VL2 is brought to life in classrooms and institutions of higher education.

The VL2 website contains descriptions of ongoing projects, an ovverview of our strategic initiatives,center news, biographical sketches of VL2 staff, links to the other NSF-funded SLCs, and other documents and links that might be of interest.

Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in our work.

UNQUOTE

Future looks bright for Gallaudet University. It was a tale of two languages--ASL and English--for the Deaf, but it was also so much more than just that. It's not exactly English. It's Cued Language that is a brand new hoax to be disseminated to schools and programs where Deaf children remain linguistically vulnerable. Or should we compromise ASL with this brand new language, namely Cued Language?

San Francisco ASL Festival Storytelling Artist: An Introduction

Aloha!

My name is Carl Schroeder. Three years ago I received my Hawai'ian name Kalalau from an Hawai'ian aunt in Hana on the island of Maui. Kalalau is in Hawai'ian meaning wanderer. I love to go on wandering--there are many things to see, places to visit, people to meet, and cool history to learn.

If I seem a bit excited, no worries. I come here from Hawai'i. It is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and it has many volcanoes. Hot spots. Yes, Hawai'i is hot, but I am not talking about weather there.

Hawai'i has hot spots in the earth's crust beneath the sea. The lava continues to explode through them and flows onto the sea floor. Yes, I could still feel earth breathe and move. On the Big Island, I could see the lava flow out into the Pacific. Our earth is changing. The volcano Kilauea is still active today--for the past nine years.

Hawai'i has eight main islands: Hawai'i (the Big Island), Kaho'olawe, Maui, Lana'i, Moloka'i, O'ahu, Kaua'i, and Ni'ihau. I live on the beautiful, rural island of Maui. I live in an ohana on the largest dormant volcano Haleakala (the House of the Sun) on earth.

I will bring many stories from Hawai'i to ASL Festival in San Francisco, California on June 9th. See you there!

San Francisco and ASL Festival

Defending Aidan...and Gary: The case of E.T.

In this vlog, Carl Schroeder discusses whether the movie E.T. was an imitation. We do not exist in a vaccuum, and we are always influenced or inspired by earlier work.

ASL Dragon, Gisbatzed and Sooket: Why We Need Them?

For forty-five years of my residence in the United States, I've thought about the dragon. I've trekked to Kendall Green, climbed up the Tower Clock, and seen the hill where Gallaudet University students were recently bulldozed out of their skulls. But something more mystical, the need for cross-language transformation, keeps pulling me back to ASL dragonology. Each time I've felt that our times need this knowledge more than ever. Now that I've grown wise, I spend my leisure time talking and writing about how to achieve complete language freedom. Only recently did I realize that what and who I'm taling about are ASL Dragon, Gisbatzed and Sooket.

Finally I decided that an exciting way to approach ASL Dragon, Gisbatzed and Sooket would be through one of the most wondrous experience every vlogged, that some people on the boat do see ASL Dragon, some don't, and some are vague about what they see. As this blog presents it, the boat is a privileged vehicle inside the human heart, the refuge of safety where wisdom knows no fear, where the turmoil of the outside cannot enter. Under the bridge where the boat sails there has always been ASL Dragon and always will be--you only have to imagine.

Deaf people today do live in ASL Dragon's world as much as past generations did. Plato, the great teacher of philosophy, posed the question, "What then is life?" and his reply was, "Life should be lived as play." We need to see our chance to play with our thoughts and ideas. Play with ASL Dragon.

Gisbatzed is a happy wanderer, proclaiming that ASL Dragon exists in all of us. ASL Dragon sees and knows everything. Gisbatzed believes that once you find ASL Dragon within, the teaching goes by itself. I agree with Gisbatzed because for many years of my life here, this kind of self-teaching is as American as the boyhood of the 16th United States President Abraham Lincoln. My Hawai'ian name Kalalau means a happy wanderer because, like Gisbatzed, I am intrigued by Dr. Seuss's poetic lines in his book, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! It reads:

The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more place you'll go.

Sooket, on the other hand, loves Deaf children. Through her relationship with ASL Dragon, she knows why these children feel so bottled up inside, as if they want to scream. All of us want to expand in love and creative, to explore our own nature, to examine our life. ASL Dragon does not accept that we are limited in time and space. Sooket teaches that the purpose of learning from ASL Dragon is finding the dragon within. Having found the inner dragon, you've found yourself. The self is better than the ever-shining sun that is without eclipse and shadows.

To loosely paraphrase Dr. Seuss, I can see ASL Dragon with my eyes shut! That is fun to do!

Always Be Polite Even If ...

We may be very polite at these interpreters who wonder which mode of communication is our preference. Yet the joke is also on us because--like the interpreters--we might often find ourselves more engaged, more entertained, and even more stimulated by how something is said in this mode to tentatively represent English than by how accurate it may be in American Sign Language (ASL).

Some critics even assume that Deaf people are thoroughly educated and trained regarding which mode of communication is more or better equivalent English than it can be ASL and thus virtually narrow them to the English language. Paradoxically, the greatest opposition of our benefit of this mode of communication is its potential to broaden our misunderstandings, to bring us to sounds we could never understand, to sound-based jokes we could never translate, and to a range of ideas otherwise available only to English-speaking people. We just remain stuck in social grace and be always polite.

This complex relationship between ASL and English as languages and as a society leads people to examine closely the way a mode of communication compromises ASL from what is in English; the way it informs us through cross-language and cross-culture experiences; the way it shapes our perceptions of both languages. It's a double work so it's best to be polite.

The answer to an interpreter about which mode of communication addresses some of the important questions raised in regard to this language hegemony. Why do we spend so much time guessing which mode of communication seems English-like? How accurately does it represent in ASL? How strongly do its distortions of ASL or English affect our cognition and behavior? To what extent does a mode of communication intervene in ASL or English, influencing individuals and communities, leisure space and time? Why must we the Deaf be polite?

We will continue to be polite toward this communication choice joke. However, we are still funnier and more natural in our own language mode. However, for interpreters, we will just be polite and tell them they're good.

Signs Replacing Words Still

The gentle wind sweeps
Across the valley island,
Coming inland from the sea,
Herding a flock of clouds,
Releasing them at last
In the forest on high mountains.

Long before history was written,
Descendants of Plato's Cratylus--
Signs replacing words still
True in human blood, stirring up
The defense of every gossip and lie,
Every sneak and fear of ASL Dragon.

The fawn does not tell the stag
Where to graze;
The cub does not dictate policy
To the wolf pack;
The child does not hear the way
the parents normally do.

The visions in my human mind
Can cross space and time
To appear in the mind of yours,
Colored by my own experience
And emotion, gently expressed in
The power of ASL Dragon coming awake.

He Did Not Sign the Word Mansion, I Was Scolded

In this vlog, Carl Schroeder recalls translating a student's signs for the word mansion at Gallaudet University. He got shot for it because the student did not sign the word MANSION.

Commandment #11: Thou Shalt Not Forsake Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) culture--in the form of hand shapes, palm orientations, facial and torso expressions, fingerspelled loan signs, manual number use, interpreting, and on and on--is no longer merely an emerging phenomenon; it has become driving force in our society and the world. In fact, ASL has become so much a part of our lives that the social conventions surrounding it have taken on the importance of Biblical commandments, as suggested by the above title.

Furthermore, the bewildered attitude of this author-blogger that ASL evolves with rapidity that most people find themselves confused, awash in a sea of four nagging questions:

(1) What is the meaning of those weird signs in Signing Exact English really going to replace ASL in education?

(2) Will the average Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individual need to be fully literate to survive and even prosper in the economy of the next millenium?

(3) How will ASL redefine their notions of life, language and leisure?

(4) Will "visual language" save them in succeeding decades?

Given that ASL will certainly become prevalent and influential in the years ahead, we might take the leadership as an opportunity to reflect on our attitude about and level of involvement in ASL culture. In what ways has ASL culture influenced our life already, and how do we imagine ASL will affect us personally and professionally in the beginning of this 21st century?

ASL as Visual Language: A Pack of Lies?

Though American Sign Language (ASL) is increasingly accepted as a legitimate language of academic inquiry, people still debate whether is should be taught to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children. Some critics contend that it would be more valuable for those children to learn the language of high culture--Shakespeare's plays rather than Schroeder's tales of ASL Dragon. Their arguments often center on the issue of quality, as they assert that ASL lacks the lasting value and strong artistic merit of high culture.

We know exactly why Plato takes sign language so seriously he writes about it in his language book Cratylus. We know ASL affects life very profoundly and are indignant because Plato seems to want to empower us. We are drawn into argument with Plato about Socrates' experience with sign language, and the dispute centers on how to translate it and deal with it. This Socratic encounter of sign language not only helps to illuminate the phenomenon of ASL, but also provides a model of how we can profitably engage with a cross-lingual and cross-cultural interpretation. The very fact of our fury shows how much Plato understands what is dear and intimate to us. Yet we are little able to defend our experience with ASL, which has seemed "unquestionable until questioned."

If we can draw back, get a critical distance on ASL, come to doubt the ultimate value of ASL, we have taken the first and most difficult step toward the philosophic conversion. ASL is indignant because it is our soul's defense against the wound of language oppression by demanding for the social justice. Indignation is what justifies sentencing Socrates to death. Recognizing indignation for what it constitutes knowledge encompasses all that is today the Socratic formula, the lyrics--speech and, hence, reason--can be replaced by ASL, not any other so called "visual language."

Is the "visual language" term in the NAD position and Gallaudet Unversity mission statements the art of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get profit from it? Should we scruntize the ASL-as-a-visual-language phrase? Is it "manipulation"? It might be possible that we would not be conscious of replacing ASL with a visual language, but our "inconscious" would see it--and obey it. Am I subliminal in my thinking about this visual language assertion? I think not.

Hold your horses--I almost forgot. Do you really think the claim that ASL is a visual language gives you enough information about its embedded culture--Deaf people? I don't. It simply reminds me of the television commercials for candidates in Presidential elections. Lies.

Hence, for those who are into psychological well-being, ASL is at the center of our life, both for giving the passions our due and for preparing us for the use of reason. This ASL philosophy doesn't censor the English language. It promotes the bilingualism of ASL and English. Visual language is like telling us philosophy on exactly who UPS is hiring.

My Experience with SEE

In this vlog, Carl Schroeder discusses his former student using SEE at Gallaudet University.

Why Politically Correcting ASL?

Visual language.

Does this above phrase sound familiar--and it would be a great surprise if it didn't--it's because we spend our lives immersed in language oppression. There's no escaping it. Like hydrogen atoms and common-cold viruses, language oppression is everywhere in the Deaf world. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) position statement regarding "visual language" reads:

Cochlear implant surgery is a beginning, not an end. The surgery decision represents the beginning of a process that involves a long-term, and likely, life-long commitment to auditory training, rehabilitation, acquisition of spoken and visual language skills, follow-up, and possibly additional surgeries. Whatever choices parents make, the primary goal should be to focus on the "whole child" and early language development/literacy and cognitive development. The absence of visual language opportunities can result in developmental delays that can be extremely difficult to reverse. Since the first six years are critical for language acquisition and usage, concurrent acquisition of visual and written language skills should be stressed.

I can no longer keep silent about the policial correctness of visual language. I find it to be totally absurd. American Sign Language (ASL) is never compromised as visual language. The NAD use of the phrase "visual language" is irresponsible and ridiculous. Where is the study to back it up? What then is visual language? What does NAD mean by visual language? At first, the term seems contradictory. Visual language, in its broadest sense, is not the same as George Veditz's sign language.

When we use a noun as an adjective to modify another noun, we are speaking of its specialty. Just like a mountain bike is a bike designed specifically for riding up mountains, sign language is a language designed for signing with hand configurations, palm positions, initial and ending locations, non-manual expression, and modifier movements.

NAD has marginalized ASL by invoking visual language in its position statement. Today more and more Deaf people with cochlear implants (CI) came out to claim ASL as their primary language for information, knowledge and communication. More and more ASL users came out to claim that visual language is but an euphemism for Signing Exact English (SEE).

NAD needs to show us a study that proves ASL is a serious or even measurable cause of information, knowledge and communication of Deaf people of all ages. When it comes to think about last year's protests, "visual language" was an irony worth noting. The former provost of Gallaudet University, Dr. Jane K. Fernandes, thought there were researches that supported her ability to take core vocabulary from ASL in combination with signs representing the grammatical features of English visually. It was how she promoted visual language in the university mission statement.

Analyzing the meaning of "visual language" in both NAD and Gallaudet University mission statements with a critical eye would allow you to begin to free ASL from the manipulation of the oppression; it is an important stop toward living an examined life.

ASL With English or Without ... A Language Hypocrisy

The claim that the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has stopped distributing the Signing Exact English (SEE) book does not necessarily excuse the fact that it had launched the worst language damage ever seen in the Deaf world. This language bigotry is still in the orbit and it is still being monitored by staunch supporters, Deaf and hearing alike, of SEE.

The arguments being advanced to support using SEE are eerily reminiscent of the ripple effect theory used to justify the 1970s Total Communication philosophy as a compromise away from powerful oral education to implicitly embrace American Sign Language (ASL). That prophecy didn't actually work, and Gallaudet University's would-be president Jane K. Fernandes, for example, argued that she is capable of matching signs from ASL with English words she speaks. SEE is not dead; it's compromised.

Language hypocrisy is a common habit in the art of Deaf education: we forgot to use SEE when we are supposed to use it, broke our own rules by making up signs to make them look like something that is SEE. I was once caught using ASL by my supervisor in the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf (AASD) in 1974 where SEE was being spearheaded by Dick Dirst and Nancy Kelly-Jones (a presently new member of Gallaudet Board of Trustees and the SEE queen), and I had paper trial to make sure that I avoid ASL at all the time on the school premise. If there was an antidote to my AASD experience, it was shame.

SEE is about 35 years in the making. It is clear in the minds of many that something was going awe. Take Gallaudet University for example. The Middle States Association for Accreditation (MSA) has recently suggested that Gallaudet University be improved, the academic standards be upgraded, and the students be catered to in their language. The true tradegy of Gallaudet University is that it didn't have to be this way.

We need to develop capacities for a Goethean approach to ASL. If I want to have one succinct motto to hang in my office, I'd have a hard time finding a better one than "Characterize. Don't define."

Characterization of ASL imbues us with life. To define ASL may make something clear, but such clarity is often void of life. Through characterization of ASL, we form concepts that can transform. A definition of ASL is fixed.

Unfortunately, in most Deaf education it is often within mandatories, with all the rote learning and memorization of definitions in SEE, Deaf education ranging from preschool programs to universities reaches its unhappy epitome. Charles Dickens gives a lovely caricature of this way of educating in his novel Hard Times:

"In this life, we want nothing but Facts, sir; nothing but Facts!"....

"Bitzer," said Thomas Gradgrind. "Your definition of a horse."

"Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs too. Hoofs hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth." ....

"Now girl number twenty," said Mr. Gradgrind. "You know what a horse is."

Of course we all need to learn facts, but we really need to take hold of the Goethean approach: through language immersion in the phenomena themselves and through self-aware thinking. We need to experience ASL as a truly human endeavor that leads us to an understanding and recognition of the English language. SEE doesn't address it that way.

A major language debate is far from over. NAD must now emphasize that as part of the cultural sphere, ASL should be as free from political interest as its language counterpart English.

Today's Thought: Language Borrowing in ASL

The power of ASL lies in its ability of language borrowing. I sign English words with an understanding of its equivalent in ASL.

As a former professor of college composition, I could easily vouch for the fact that I did sign in the English word order when I tried to point out what makes a good thesis statement or topic sentence. I still do today. However, I'm always concious that I do not SOUND English in my so-called signed English because it lacks intonation to emphasize sound flow and coherence in the English language.

Manual alphabet. In fingerspelling the word reflection, for example, I use every letter as it appears in writing, not speaking. Otherwise, if I were to follow how it sounds, I would need to come up with a fingerspelled loan sign of -shun for the -tion suffix. It won't happen in ASL because ASL is not sound-based, sound-centered and sound-oriented. I simply spell what I see in the written English. Seeing or lipreading spoken English is a complete fabrication.

I write in English because ASL has no written counterpart. ASL can be glossed with English words for equivalence in meaning, but the glosses do not constitute ASL or the English language.

NAD, SEE and YAWN: A Quick Quiz

1. What is the title of Gerilee Gustason's book?

2. If the ISBN's (International Standard Book Numbers) are permanent, can any information be removed from these books?

3. Who are the "Publisher" and the "Chief Distributor" of the yellow book?

4. Is the yellow book still in the Library of Congress?

5. Who sits on the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University?

6. Have you yawned yet?

7. Are you amused?

An Open Letter: NAD Is the Chief Distributor of Signing Exact English

Aloha Friends,

This is an open letter about National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and American Sign Language (ASL). I believe rather firmly that NAD divorced from ASL many years ago. We must stop fooling ourselves into thinking it did not happen.

I had recently discovered that NAD is STILL the Chief Distributor of the book Signing Exact English by Gerilee Gustason, et al. NAD is therefore responsible for (1) corrupting ASL, the gift that is, according to George Veditz, bestowed upon us, (2) promoting language hegemony that signing exact English is better than ASL, and (3) dividing Deaf people so that ASL and its embedded culture remain vulnerable.

In her book Signing Exact English, Gerilee Gustason writes:

"Signing Exact English, (SEE 2), is NOT a replacement for ASL and is meant for use by parents of young children and by teachers of English. Persons working with deaf adults should understand that SEE 2 is not widely used among adults, although "new" signs crop up in common usage. The study of ASL is important not only for those desiring to work with adult deaf persons, but for parents and teachers. ASL is a rich and expressive language worth studying for its own sake, and many of its principles should be put to good use in using Signing Exact English (Gustason, 1980)."

I copied Gustason's statement and sent it to fellow bloggers, soliciting their reactions. There's one response I thought is accurate and to the point:

"Let's rape ASL and force feed our bastardized SEE system to defenseless deaf children, so that we can continue to draw our paychecks."

This is very frightening because NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins has asked us to get together with NAD and move forward. To distribute SEE? See, please do not let yourselves get raped by NAD's ongoing deception about ASL, our language and culture. NAD is, and will always be, KNOWN as the chief distributor of SEE.

Why? Money? Prestige? Unless, we read an official resolution from NAD that apologizes for the distribution of SEE and the language corruption, then we can rebuild our trust for NAD, which is highly unlikely.

Mahalo,

Carl Schroeder, ex-NAD member and the 1972 and 1978 NAD conventioneer

Philosophy Statement: Teaching American Sign Language

College teaching of American Sign Language (ASL) has been my vocation for so many years I have taken many forms, from rote teaching of grammar rules to free-form, relatively haphazard encouragement of free signing.

Looking back on my own experience of language change, from Gebarentaal (Dutch Sign Language) to ASL, I have a view of my friends at Maryland School for the Deaf as either potential or amateur linguists. They saw it as their responsibility to eradicate all errors in my signs, and to show me how to do ASL grammatically.

Now I have a different view of myself as ASL professor. I am more likely to see myself as an artisan, practitioner who understands ASL, helping students refine their acquisition of ASL. I'm giving my students more of a stake in their own cross-language and cross-culture learning, having them create more signs. I'm finding out what they are doing, and helping them do ASL better.

Most of my ASL teaching techniques I have learned through on-the-job training; probably that's the only way they can be learned. It is only by working with students, and talking to more and more students about ASL, that I can develop effective ways to listen to them, talk to them, and to help them become better users of ASL. I learn in the same way my students do--by trying out new signs and techniques, seeing how fluent they become, reflecting on the feedback/reaction I get from them, and modifying as I go along. My first job is to create situations in which using ASL (without voice, of course) is a natural part of the daily activities of my classroom. My secondary job is to create a classroom as a safe place to learn.

Academic freedom informs me that there are no rules about how teaching ASL should be done, no rules about how it should be done. Teaching ASL is as individual as the students I teach.

Here are some recent reactions to my class at Maui Community College:

Student 1: Wow! There are so many things I don't know about ASL. These are subtle things which are not found in books. I like the review of the parameters and the articulatory bundles--the reminder that signs do have different parts--not only hand shapes. I also realize that I need to unlearn a lot of "stuff"--signs which have changed...

Student 2: I enjoy class and am learning a lot. I have problems reading signs. At home I study books which are outdated but oh man! We are limited on our choices. It would be great to have one book that we could all study from. Most of us only sign with other in class so need more practice communicating.

Student 3: I enjoyed learning about the different parts of the words. It seems technical, but I remember being in grade scool learning about the different parts of speech. So at lease I have something to relate it to. Watching you sign your stories and examples also helped me remember signs and put them togehter to understand what you're signing. Looking forward to the rest of the classes.

Student 4 and 5 (husband and wife): We enjoyed class. It seems like we'll have a lot to learn! ASL seems complex, but like all languages, we're sure with lots of practice it will get easier. It is a bit overwhelming but we are anxious to learn and thoroughly enjoying this class.

Student 6: Very informative. You make it fun to learn. I am enjoying this class and feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from you.

Teaching ASL through LEGO Stories!

As ASL professors we sometimes wonder what long-term impact, if any, we have on our students. One day in the supermarket I was approached by a young woman carrying a baby. After answering her first question ("Are you professor Schroeder?") in the affirmative, she asked, "Do you remember when I was in your first class?" she went on to recall LEGO people: Deb, Mike, Greg, Bob and Nancy. I am sure she learned many things that semester. I know we talked about how these LEGO people met at LEGO College and Duplo University...however, for that first semester student, talking about LEGO folks was the highlight to be remembered forever.

Storytelling in ASL courses provides learnings and satisfactions that are provided by no other experience. Students are learning phonology, semantics, syntax, discourse and pragmatics simultaneously. They practiced academic skills from subjects across the curriculum using many learning modalities. In addition, developing and telling their own stories using LEGO figurines provides many opportunities for ASL acquisition.

This blog contains directions on classroom learning activities and how to include LEGO figurines. The tips and techniques will help with the "what to do."

Rule 1: Keep it Simple

First of all, remember that not every student needs to be a fluent user of ASL. Do frequent short storytelling in small group activities for fun and practice. Begin simple. Get two or three LEGO figurines, give them names and name signs, explain how they meet and what the do for fun.

Rule 2: Perfection in ASL Isn't the Goal!

Always keep this in mind. I have seen many students become miserable because an impossible level of perfection was being expected. They want it to be well-done, but not at a loss of the element of joy in the acquisition of ASL.

Rule 3: Help Students Develop their Own LEGO Stories!

Students don't have it all themselves. Involve yourself in developing their stories. Draw on their talents. You may be surprised at what turns up.

There is a point in preparing for ASL acquisition before everything begins to come together. I believe rather firmly that learning ASL through LEGO stories empowers students to replace the unrealistic folk tales with simple realistic stories taken from the world of reality and from nature. I've listened to many funny stories my students came up with their LEGO folks. Keep on with LEGO storytelling practices, and soon it will all begin to come together.

The Magic of ASL Dragon for Teaching ASL and Culture

It all started with ASL Dragon. ASL Dragon lives in the magical forest where two rivers meet. Gisbatzed and Sooket inform us about how ASL Dragon loves us.

A few years ago, I was experimenting with new ways to teach American Sign Language. Traditionally, Fridays were laboratory days, but I was frustrated with the same-old stuff. On a whim, I tried something new. My use of fantasy. After surprisingly great success with "imaginary creatures", I introduced ASL Dragon. The students loved the stories: they loved the idea of a cultural riddle in each ASL Dragon story. I realized that even my most advanced ASL students would have completely missed the sense of ASL Dragon unless they knew the language and culture of the Deaf, the culture hook so necessary to complete the schemata for comprehension.

I was timid at first. How would any Deaf people accept ASL Dragon? Would they be offended that I am suggesting ASL Dragon stories for ASL vocabulary development? Would they be too old? As Carl Johnson has put it: "The problem...is that whereas adilts are readily aware of myths they have outgrown, they are blind to ones that they currently hold to be real." ASL Dragon is not enduring and timeless without reason. It is universal in our delight and appeals to our mind and heart. The stories captivate us, and we get so involved in ASL Dragon that we stop translating, learning how to discover ASL vocabulary through the context clues. Our knowledge is constantly reinforced by our finding allusions to the tales and vocaubulary outside ASL Dragon stories.

Andre Favat identifies three top preferences for fantasy: "an animal who could talk," "a prince and a princess," and "a magic ring." I would propose that the fantasy of ASL Dragon just comes along with ASL. That is, ASL Dragon is primarily a product of the ASL mind, and so we might look at ASL for clures as to where fantasy originates. ASL Dragon is magical; it is a creature that could communicate with Gisbatzed and Sooket about a magic forest.

Yes, I am living happily ever after using ASL Dragon to teach the language and culture of the Deaf. It is a magic.

Palindrome in ASL: Another Game in ASL

1. OPEN COOKING SCHOOL COOKBOOK
2. THINK I KNOW I THINK

Palindrome in ASL is a line that is signed the same backward and forward.