Chapter 22 -  Bad Manners watching people Signing without their knowing I Sign also??

            Have to keep in mind that ASL is open for everyone to see. There really is not any privacy when Signing. When joining the conversation, you must not make it an intrusion. I could enter conversation if I feel it is a light conversation. I should tell them that I am taking an ASL class and would like to talk. I do run the risk that I may not be welcomed to all conversations. I don’t have to join but I could be present and use it as a learning experience by seeing how much I understand. At the events with others than ASL this was a concern….as I watched the deaf talk, was I being rude watching. Mom always told me not to stare, I felt like that is what I was doing. Since they know I am a student and learning, I won’t feel uncomfortable.

Chapter 23 – Where I learned sign language?

            As I wonder about the deaf and their language and history, I never realized they could be wondering the same of me. Why am I signing and where did I learn it. I wonder with the deaf if they were born this way, parents deaf, and the like. Never considered I could be asked the same question! This is their language, for them to communicate with each other and I am hearing and in a sense entering their world. Depending on how well I sign, they may be able to tell if I have deaf family members, in that I sign very well or learned in a college setting. The deaf could even rate my teacher. I would benefit from learning someone good to learn ASL from. There are always good and bad teachers and you always want to know the good ones.

Chapter 24 – Are the Deaf really delighted when “the Hearing” learn Signing?

            Some Deaf are very protective of their language and don’t want intruders. They want to keep it pure. There is concern of the Hearing changing it like Americans Americanize some other languages. It wasn’t that long ago that Deaf were not allowed to Sign in public and now people who can hear and learning, using, and possibly changing their language. I think I would be protective as well. There is the concern that once learning ASL, the jobs Deaf hold could be in jeopardy and thus increasing their power in the Deaf community. I never even considered this as a possibility. I had in mind to learn so I could help someone, not take or take over. I would love to Sign for Deaf athletes. To help them past the barrier and be a better athlete, not take from them. I see how this could be a scary thing for the Deaf.

Chapter 25 – Deaf people having trouble with English?

            A hearing person hears their language from day one. They learn to imitate, listen, and put words together as their vocabulary increases, but not the same for the deaf. Hearing learns spoken English then signs the English. Deaf have to in a sense learn both at the same time. ASL does not really compare to the spoken English. The way a sentence is in spoken is not as in ASL. I never knew this until this class. I thought there was a sign for each word and then the sentence order was the same. Guess it is why I had so much trouble in Spanish….sentence order and plurals and such are not the same when translated. Reading, writing, and careers are difficult as they are in English which is not the same as ASL. Never thought of this.

Chapter 26 – Why some Deaf people don’t like to read?

            When I saw this I was stumped. I know why I don’t like to read, but never thought it would effect Deaf. It comes back that ASL has no written form. Hearing learn to read by sounding out words, Deaf cannot! I thought “The Silent Bookworm”, that books would be something Deaf would enjoy since they can’t listen to music, conversation or radio. I never thought they are less intelligent! There is a huge amount of pressure on teachers working with deaf when they are hearing themselves. Hearing teachers can’t understand totally what it is like to be deaf and how hard it is to survive in the Hearing world especially if they are looked done upon. I seem to have had some of these misconceptions myself. I just assumed Deaf enjoyed or dislike reading for the same reason as everyone else, not that they couldn’t understand the written English.

Chapter 27 – Close-captioning help improve English?

            The Deaf who enjoy the captioning are the ones who have a good fluency in written English. Most Deaf would prefer interpreters. I can’t speak for others, but the times I have seen the captioning, I spend my time trying to read and then I don’t watch the movie or show. So for me the captions are a distraction and I don’t like them. After Hurricane Sandy, I would watch the interpreter for the governor of New York sign on tv. I was hypnotized watching her. I don’t know what the answer is for movies and the captions. It would really bother me as I would read and not watch. But should be something that can be done for the Deaf to enjoy the theatre as well.

Chapter 28 – Deaf Schools or not??

            I know education for the deaf has come a long way. At one time the deaf were given away as they were broken, when in reality, the parents had no clue their child was just deaf and could learn. I think the first deaf person I heard of was Helen Keller. It still amazes me how she learned. If I had a deaf child, I am not sure what I would do. I know I would do a lot of research as to my options and what is available in my area. I learned about in Warren County how there are interpreters in at least one elementary school. I would want the mainstreamed as much as possible yet I would have tutors to work with my child and me as a parent. Things have come a long way in educating children. I can only hope I make the right decision if and when the time comes.

Chapter 29 – Movement to close residential schools for the deaf???

            I wondered about the overall education in a residential school? Yes the teaching of ASL but the teaching of all the other subjects is a concern. It is difficult to get good teachers in many public schools due to pay and I’m sure the pay in residential isn’t much better. I have concern of not being with hearing children. This is not the real world. At some point the Deaf children in residential with be with the hearing. They will need a job, buy car, a house, and it goes on. They will be doing this in the hearing world. Is it good to be away from what they will be living in the rest of their lives. I am not in favor of residential because it is not a real world experience. Schools need to hire more interpreters as needed for the deaf students in their school.

Chapter 30 – Best place to find information about deafness?

            The first place I would go to in the internet and Google  it. I have looked some things up from time to time. In my area I have no clue where there are agencies that support the deaf. I think I thought that it was common and could be found. I do notice that on the McDonald drive thru you are asked to pull forward if you are hearing impaired. I see a lot of things for the blind but just assumed there were things for the deaf. I am learning I was terribly wrong.

Deaf Quiz – I am glad I read these chapters before I took the quiz! I did well since I read the chapters and have learned I didn’t know much about the deaf!

Chapter 31 – Learning problems and recognizing hearing disabled children??

            There seem to be many books available that can assist teachers who work with disabled children and hearing problems. I do know that in some instances autistic children are taught some signs to assist the communication between the teachers and children. Some behavioral children are also taught some basic command signs to keep them focused. The is much information out there. Just taking the time to research.