Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!olivea!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!275!429!Robin.Chronister
From: Robin.Chronister@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org (Robin Chronister)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Total Communication
Message-ID: <18146@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 15 Mar 91 05:30:27 GMT
Sender: news@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: Robin.Chronister@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org
Distribution: misc
Organization: FidoNet node 1:275/429 - HandiNet BBS, Virginia Beach VA
Lines: 42
Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP

Index Number: 13986

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

I have been quietly reading the messages here for a couple of weeks now,
and have been very interested in the debate over ASL, SEE, etc.  I would
just like to take a moment and describe the methods used in the
classroom where I work, and hear what the rest of you think about it.
   To give you a little background, I am an educational interpreter,
currently working in the elementary school setting.  I work in the
self-contained setting for part of each day, then travel to another
school to interpret first grade math for several students.
   In my home school, I am fortunate to be working with a teacher who
believes that our students are capable of high-level thinking skills,
and she pulls the best from these kids every day.  We use ASL as the
primary means of communication in our classroom, believing that the
children are better able to grasp concepts through this medium, rather
than just isolated words.  Exact English is used for language and
spelling lessons, where it is critical to make the distinctions between
synonyms, tenses, etc.  Our philosophy though, is to do whatever it
takes to get the message across.  That includes mime, lipreading,
drawing pictures, enlisting another person's help in acting something
out, finding pictures in books and magazines, demonstrating a concept,
or whatever we can think of to make an idea clear.
   Many of our students come to us with minimal language skills.  Often,
their parents do not sign, or have used another method, such as Cued
Speech, in the home.  This makes it difficult sometimes to explain
abstract concepts, so we do whatever we think will work.
   I feel that we truly do use "Total Communication" in our classroom,
and I see the benefits to our students.  On the average, they increase
two or three grade levels on test scores for each year that they stay
with us.
   This turned out to be a longer message than I intended, but I really
would like to hear some other opinions about this.   We are all hearing
adults there, and have little opportunity to get feedback from deaf
adults.  Please put in your two cents!

                                    Thanks - Robin

--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!275!429!Robin.Chronister
Internet: Robin.Chronister@f429.n275.z1.fidonet.org