National Anthem

IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT BRENT BILLINGS OR MYSELF!


Mr. Brent Billings is an ASL student and works for the Lexington Legends. He has so kindly asked myself to see if anyone would be interested in signing the National Anthem prior to the game. This is a great community based deed for confident sign language users to get their hands wet in! All of the home games are able to be interpreted/signed, I have a schedule that has been going around so some have been taken.

We will be representing ourselves and also EKU along with the Deaf community. The legends are provided a total of four tickets, one is your own so if you'd like to have a friend or family member to attend, ENJOY!


If anyone is interested and needs any help with translating or interpreting please let me know, I would love to help.

Also here is a link of the National Anthem signed by my past teacher/mentor. Yes it is extremely old but he is such a great interpreter. His name is Dave Coyne, insanely knowledgeable... Pretty much pertaining to everything!!

LOFT program

I don't know if anyone is amiliar with the LOFT program that is offered at St. Rita school for the Dwaf but it's great! The LOFT program is designed for an early intervention education for young children. This is a great program that provides structures activities and lessons to provide each child socialization time with peers who have similar disabilities. Also exposure to other language role models.

When children are surrounded by instruction and discipline early they are more likely to be merged into later education classes better. They may previously have met staff and students around the,. They will be familiar with their surroundings.


If  ANYONE has an opprotunity to visit St. Rita please do and ask more about the LOFT program! It can be a huge impact on youngings! Also can be a huge help for parents, who are thankful for the program as well!!


http://www.srsdeaf.org/LOFT.aspx

enjoy

Involvement over the summer

Hey guys I know we all understand the necessity of getting involved in the Deaf community to really enhance our sign skills so here is a great website that shows some events around Kentucky and other states. This way we can stay up on our skills while still enjoying our break!
http://www.kcdhh.ky.gov/bulletin/events.html

Parents Decisions

With Mothers Day approaching, Teacher Appreciation week and completing this course, I have really made acknowledging our previous role models a top priority.

I looks back at the Ericksons Eight stages of adolescence and really think about all of the options parents of areas children have to make. They go through so much and sacrifice everything they have just to please their child. Wanting the best that they can give them at any stage of education, socialization and medical advice etc. parents go through so much for us students hearing or Deaf.

I can not emphasize enough how thankful I am to have taken this course and learned more insight to Deaf education. This is going to be apart of my life in the future, there are so many decisions that I will be making that will effect a Deaf child. I want to satisfy every parent and child's wants and needs to the best of my ability. I want to be a positive influence upon a child in education. This course has imprinted me and shown me that I can be a role model just as I can reflect upon past role models in my life.

Final thoughts

Thank you to everyone that shared their opinions and thoughts. I think that is one of the best ways to learn is to hear other people's experiences and to help bolster learning. The amount of respect that every student in this class showed to one another was truly amazing and I for one appreciated it. Have a great summer everyone!

Last few remarks

This semester has been so great and a benefitting course. I feel like we will all now carry a little part of Cathy in our future experiences with Education and the Deaf/HOH. Personally, I feel that I've always been awareness of Educating the Deaf but I have not studied this far. From all of the in depth analysis and relative components of Laws and Amendments to the skills to consider when reading to Deaf children. Next time I encounter a Deaf or HOH student I will take steps to success. Accommodating each child to the best of our abilities is key and I hope we all help future student together!

Last Post

Since this is my last post, I wanted to end with a good quote...I loved this one and I feel like everyone can relate to it. :) "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."-Mark Twain

Good song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypCU6hd0-U4

case study presentations

I really enjoyed the case studies both nights. It was amazing to hear all the different stories and all about the different experiences. I thought it was a great experience for me since I went to a school and didn't do something like the deaf blind retreat. It was so neat getting to hear all the stories about that.

end of the year

As happy I am that the semester is over I'm going to miss everyone. It was really great getting to know so many people and getting to learn so much about each and every one of you. I hope that life treats you well and you all succeed in everything you do! I will miss seeing your faces every Monday night!

End of the Semester!!

I hope everyone has an awesome summer!! This semester has been tough, but worth it. I have enjoyed this class and listening to everyone's viewpoints and experiences because I know that help's shape who you are!! Have a happy and safe summer!! :)

Baby Sign Language!

This is a chart for baby sign language! My daughter is 4 months old (hearing), but I think teaching her these signs would be SO beneficial. Its an awesome way to communicate before they can actually say words! Thought I would share for anyone else who has or will have a little one someday =) 

IT IS FINALLY OVER!

The semester has finally finished! Congrats to everyone for completing one more long semester of college classes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmKnQjBf8wM

I thought this was a fun song signed!

Another video about early intervention, very insightful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghuuQ6hOB1U

Early Intervention video, great information
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ZqKMgXciU

Positive vibes

Hello class! It's been one long and stressful semester! I thought that I could easily go into cardiac arrest until my roommate sat me down and told me 3 nice things to get me through till summer! So here are yours! I hope this may lift your spirits!

1. You just did a fantastic job and completed one more semester of your college experience.
2. You are the future of your major and people need you ( it's good to feel wanted)!
3. You get a 3 month break with no homework...unless you have summer classes.....but that's still awesome!

I hope you all have a great a blessed summer! Thanks MRs. White for being a wonderful teacher!

Emily Bashford

Interesting video, Watch Bad English= Dumb? on this page
https://www.facebook.com/deafnesspride?ref=stream&hc_location=stream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09-dAVA-48o HERE IS A VIDEO I BELIEVE MOST OF YOU WILL ENJOY, SOME OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN IT BUT IF YOU HAVNT IT'S VERY ENTERTAINING AND CREATIVE. THIS IS A MUCH DIFFERENT ACCENT OF ASL BUT STILL UNDERSTANDABLE. ENJOY!

SWITCHED AT BIRTH RETURNS ON ABC FAMILY JUNE 10, GREAT WAY LEARN AND CONTINUE DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF DEAF CULTURE BY WATCHING TV!

This Summer

This summer on May 18th there is going to be a Deaf community garage sale. This would be a great experience for those who want to be interacting with deaf culture even when school is out. You'll probably experience different accents and forms of signing as we talked about in class. this would be a great way to develop your signing skills and your knowledge of Deaf culture.

Summer Nights

Grease is probably one of my favorite movies. This is a performance of Summer Nights by the Texas School for the Deaf. It was really great to see how the performed a duet in ASL!

Hope y'all have a great Summer!!

Summer Nights-Texas School for the Deaf (ASL)

http://movie.gallaudet.edu/

A *beautiful* film about Deaf Space. One of the scrip writers gave a Ted Talk about using ASL for script writing and film, which is a great example of the many uses of ASL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocbyS9-3jjM

Deaf role models! Woohoo! =)

Deaf blind therapy

http://youtu.be/C4ktJ3BnD4c?t=4m1s

This link is to a video on YouTube that explains work an Occupational Therapist has done involving deaf and blind children. The entire video is about her work with children in general but I though her take on therapy for deaf blind children was really interesting.

Be the change you want to see :)

http://www.streetleverage.com/2013/05/sign-language-interpreters-embody-the-change-you-want-to-see/

Austin Unbound

I can't remember if I've shared this yet or not.. But seeing the post about the movement to change some of the signs and their placement regarding the LGBTQ community made me think of it.. One of the many people I became friends with out west is Austin. Austin grew up at Washington School for the Deaf, after graduation Austin decided to go through a sex change.. For all the Terps - I suggest checking it out.. Austin had his now produced into a film, and is shown during ASL film events around the USA.

http://austinunbound.org/trailer/

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed hearing about everyone's case studies. It was so amazing to hear everyone talk about their experiences and what they took away from them.

MTV's True Life: I'm Deaf

I had never seen this episode before so when I came across it I was super excited to watch it! I think it's interesting how Chris had decided to get another implant even though the one before didn't work the way he had wanted it to. It's awesome to see people over coming obstacles in their life to achieve greatness, so in the heat of finals week remember these exams are just an obstacle for you to reach your greatness and to achieve your goal of getting what you want out of life and becoming the best that you can be! So if something doesn't go as planned like in Amanda's story dust yourself off and pick yourself up because in the end, these exams won't define you- you define you. Good luck!

Here's the show:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-im-deaf/1590956/playlist.jhtml

Some words of encouragement

I wish everyone luck on their finals this week! Stay positive and keep your head up, don't give up! Strive for greatness! :)

Awareness is the point

I love this not only because i learned spanish but also because being Deaf and the struggle with educating parents is a global awareness issue. What i really love is that this is in spanish! this reaches out a whole lot further. The point is awareness. What about communities that awareness may not be reaching?

Building Literacy with ASL

Check it out, this 3 yr old boy his helping his 17 month old brother learn to read by signing and reading with him.  Very cute and the mom is actively engaging them as well, asking questions.  Cool video.  Especially since we were talking about ASL and the 15 principles to help improve reading skill via ASL.

For ASL Users - New Signs!

This video gives a variety of LGBTQ signs and why they're used or what they actually mean.  Pretty interesting stuff.  His sign for "transgender" is a little different but I have heard of the change made to lesbian and gay as well.  How they moved the L over to the side, it's more polite that way I think.  Anyway, if you were interested in learning some new signs, here's a few really cool ones.

Austin Unbound

A documentary was done on a young deaf transgender man named Austin and his surgery.  Binding is the act of strapping down one's top half to appear flat and being "unbound" is having surgery and not having to be bound anymore.  The documentary follows this deaf young man's struggle and I think it's pretty interesting.

I actually got to interview Austin's best friend for a project I did a couple of semesters ago.  His friend was in this video with him and is also deaf and transgender.  I was informed that both gentlemen had no interpreter when they went to therapy and wound up having to write notes back and forth for an entire years.  How tedious!

Deaf Facundo Element

I really like not only what this organization is doing, but what they stand for. Take a look at their website if you get a chance.

http://www.facundoelement.com/gallaudet/Gallaudet_Film__What_People_Are_Saying.html

Here's a video that share's some of their thoughts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv8Vwsx8-WA

Finals Today

So I was able to knock out 3 finals as of today. Don't get me wrong, it was tough, but I am so glad to be finished with them. One of the finals I had today was for my ASL linguistics class. This was the final I was most nervous about. Due to such a stressful week, I was unable to study for that final until last night (the night before). Thanks to some of my friends, I was able to get the basic concepts down before taking it this morning. Last night was actually the first real study party I've had since starting college in 2011. I truly benefited from the people that studied with me. My grade on the final is still up in the air but I know that without my friend's help last night, I would not have been as successful on the final as I was today.

"If you want to run fast, run alone; if you want to run far, run together." -An African Proverb

Tips for the Summer

Hey everyone,
I'm not sure if you all have heard the rumors yet about bugs this upcoming summer. I know it's all my grandmother can talk about, haha. But supposably due to the winter not being as harsh as usual, there are suppose to be a lot more bugs this summer than usual. So as you all prepare to go enjoy your break, here are some tips to help you avoid these insects as best you can. This information was found on http://www.aap.org

BUG SAFETY 

• Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays 
• Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom. 
• Avoid dressing in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints. 
• To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail. 
• Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile Virus and other viruses.
• The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.
• The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. 
• As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5% to10%.

summer break

During the summer we tend to go off and work or rest, sometimes a little of both. For those of you that have taken ASL though and plan to continue to take it it is a great idea to continue signing on a regular basis. The saying if you don't use it you loose it is very true when it comes to languages of any kind. For those of you who don't know this summer there are a few opportunities to continue in your studies of ASL. There are: The mini Deaf Olympics, RID national conference in Illinois, The lions Camp Crescendo (Deaf and Hard of hearing week is June 30-July 5) http://www.lions-campcrescendo.org/deaf_camps.html, as well as several RID workshops. If you are a Deaf/Hard of hearing education major I would really encourage you to go to the Lions camp. I have been in previous years and it is a wonderful immersion experience. There are kids ages 6-15 of all different hearing levels and methods of communication.

Reflection

As I finished and turned in my Final Exam it made me realize all that I had learned in this course.
It has been an amazing experience meeting and see the ITP majors interacting with each other. I have a feeling that I will be interacting with interpreters throughout my career as a special education teacher and loved having the ability to start working with them through this class.
Also Cathy I loved your passion and enthusiasm in this course, and i've learned a lot from you this past semester. (Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!) I hope I will be able to inspire my students as much as you have inspired us!
I wish everyone well as people graduate and as others continue with their education!
Have a great summer!!

http://deafpah.blogspot.com/2012/08/george-w-veditz-deaf-history.html?m=1

This is a cool link about George Veditz who my group discussed earlier in the semester.

I am sorry that I missed our last class but here is what I had wanted to present about my case study. 

Joe

Part 1- The individual I interviewed for my case study is a family friend who is 72 years old. I choose him because I knew him but I did not know a lot about his background at KSD.

There were two parts that were of most interest to me: what was his experience like at KSD and what has his experience been with interpreters.

This man's greatest strength is his loving personality. He has had several difficult times in his life but he is also happy and makes the best out of any situation.

There was one particular experience he told me about from the Deaf club he attended in Dayton, Ohio. This experience happened 25+ years ago. One night at his Deaf club a hearing man showed up whom known of the Deaf members knew. Every week for the next three years this hearing man came to the Deaf club religiously. The Deaf members grew to like him because he seemed to be so interested in them and their culture. After three years of associating with the club, he became quite proficient at ASL. They never saw him again. He became an interpreter and never associated with the Deaf outside of professional assignments. The Deaf were incensed because they felt they had been taken advantage of by this man. The man did not want to learn ASL to become a friend and ally of Deaf people; he wanted to learn ASL to have a good paying job. My case study emphasized that no matter what Deaf-related field one goes into (e.g., interpreting, education, CD, SP, or something else), this is a real commitment and should be viewed as such. If the only reason a person goes into the classroom is for a steady job and summers off, that person has the wrong attitude. If a person goes into interpreting only for a steady job where he can charge 2 hour minimum's and nit-pick about assignments, that person has the wrong attitude. This really emphasized to me that this is not about the teacher or interpreter! It is about the deaf student or deaf client. I saw the face of someone who had been taken advantage of instead of reading it in a book.

I will list the questions I asked this man during my interview via FaceTime:

- What do you remember of KSD?
- What year did you graduate?
- What experiences have you had with interpreters?
- What qualities do you like to see in interpreters?
- What qualities have you seen in interpreters that bothers you?
- What advice would you give to new interpreters from your perspective as a Deaf consumer? (this is the question in which he told me the story I retold above).

This was a great assignment and my favorite that we have had this semester.

BIg Bible Stories in ASL

Take a look at these cool videos of translation and animations of Big Bible stories and how to share these types of stories with Deaf children. :)

As a parent of a deaf child, I ask all of you who plan to work with deaf children to keep an open mind and find what works for each individual child.  There is no cookie cutter answer to teaching a deaf child and it is important to work as a team with the parents and other professionals to benefit each individual child.
I found this link to a youtube video from a deaf adult talking about educating deaf children.  I cannot say it any better myself.  If you ever feel like working with deaf children is a job, and not a passion anymore.  Please find a new profession.

http://youtu.be/L0rFDEOS1CM

End of the Semester Thanks

As this semester ends I think about the beginning and how excited i was about taking this class, because I knew I wanted to work with deaf children after college. I am pleased to say it excited me even more now to finish my deaf studies/special education major and start working with these kids. I have learned not only from Cathy but from every student in all the different majors. Particular I would like to thank the interpreting majors for this semester, I know a lot of what we talked about goes against what you have been learning through that program, however in most cases you all were able to share your experiences and tie them together with every one else's majors. I never once felt offended and I'm thankful for that. I also think this semester exceeded over my expectations of how much I would be interested in teaching the Deaf. I have learned the most, that not every student is the same and with that being said I have learn to take the interest in the child and doing what is best for them! Thank you all for a great semester and Good LUCK in finishing school & finals!!

Class reflection

Tonight is the final SED 337 class. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that it was a pleasure getting to know a little more about the other majors and the other people in this class. I hope our paths will meet again in the future. Good luck with all of your finals this week and God Bless you.

Final Exam

I actually enjoyed this final more than other tests.  I felt that it was more specific than the other tests and it really made you infer and draw in from both the text and the class.  See everyone tonight for the last time! I'm graduating!

Karen Dilka - Audiology

Anyone who is in Karen Dilka's Audiology class, does anyone know if we are supposed to meet in the room or at Combs? Thank you!

Daily Dozen

The past few weeks I've felt incredibly overwhelmed by a variety of "life matters."  As is the case with many of you life brings tremendous joys as well as incredibly interesting challenges.  Because each and every part of our life does matter it is essential that we learn how to deal with each of those matters.

As we approach Finals Week I want to share this Daily Dozen with you.

1. Take one day at a time.
2. Pray.
3. Eat right.
4. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
5. Talk less; listen more.
6. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
7. Find time to be alone, jot down thoughts and inspirations.
8. Spend time with someone you love.
9. Laugh, find at least a few minutes to relax and have fun.
10. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
11. Go to bed on time and get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
12. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

Tonight as I am headed to bed...I am grateful for the opportunity I've had to interact this day with a few of you who demonstrate a willingness to ask questions, seek clarity and LEARN.  Lives of those with whom you work in the future, I am confident, will be better for the focus you are placing on your own learning and preparation now.

Good Night,
Mrs. White

The End of the Semester is Drawing Near

I dont know about you all but I'm feeling extremely overwhelmed at the moment with one week left to go. It seems like this past week and upcoming week are just taking everything I have to get by. I feel like I've been so busy with homework that I haven't had time to fully prepare for my finals. If it's of any consolation to those of you feeling the same way, this was just to inform you that you are not alone. With that said, good luck on finals everyone :s

Final Exam

Your Final Exam is now available.  It parallels all of our previous tests.  I had thought to include some multiple choice but did not.  I have linked the questions to the outcomes on the syllabus.  Please do not let this confuse you.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to post your questions here on the blog, FB message me, text, email or call me.

I will be available after class on Monday night if anyone is struggling with any of the questions and wishes to talk with me or go over questions together.

Note, this is the FINAL and I will be grading per what the questions ask.  We have gone over this in class and I am confident I have clearly stated the expectations, modeled how to do this and provided the support.  I am also fully confident you are capable of answering the questions as they are stated.  I look forward to reading what you have learned.

Mrs. White
(By the way, just curious - have any of you ever heard Steve Harvey talk about those people who address him as Steve and those who address him as Mr. Harvey? - just wondering)

Why did Bush sign the ADA?

I thought I would just take a look at why he put this act in force.....

Here's the link:
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/history/35th/videos/ada_signing_text.html

The comment I appreciated most:

"Together, we must remove the physical barriers we have created and the social barriers that we have accepted. For ours will never be a truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper. For inspiration, we need look no further than our own neighbors."

"The social barriers we have accepted".....there is no need for us to continue to allow such social barriers to exist between hearing and deaf....we can be the generation to lead following generations to place more importance on deaf education and socialization and involvement of the deaf community especially in decisions that impact them the greatest!!! We can be the leaders for that change.....

Looking Back

Looking back, this class has become one of my favorites.  I feel like I have learned a lot and I have learned the material in fun ways.  Some of the activities we have completed in this class will stay with me for a lifetime.  I'll definitely miss this class and classroom dynamic!

Final

When will the final be put up on Blackboard?

SED 337... One more to go

I look back on this semester and have found some very good viewpoints to take home with me, even if they are different than my own. I really appreciated some of the experiences shared this past Monday because it really shows you that Deaf people are not the same across the board. Although I love the ASLIE Dept and the Deaf people there, it is such a small number of exposure to what exactly it means to be Deaf. I enjoyed hearing the different experiences because I have not met someone who prefers a different signing style other than ASL, however now I look forward to the differences that I will meet in my interpreting career. These site visits have been my most favorite thing from this class and I am actually looking forward to hearing everyone else and the different Deaf clients they met with.

Anyway, everyone enjoy the upcoming summer.
Its been a pleasure.

stand up!

so many experiences today. i cannot wait to hear everyone elses experiences. i can not wait to experience part of what everyone else has!