ASL
This page is a discussion of ways to use the ASL support in the DEAF CS lessons for Deaf educators, Deaf students, Interpreters and ASL students.
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Deaf Educators
The scientific concepts presented in these lessons are both complex and subtle. Communicating these concepts to Deaf students can be challenging to non-native ASL teachers. The ASL clips in these lessons provide a large sampling of how to express scientific concepts in ASL.
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Deaf Students
The DEAF SUCCEED lessons were written to include all of the information and direction needed for the student to complete the lessons independently. Depending on the students' ability and the class' objectives, the lessons can be either an independent or group activity with or without teacher/aide assistance.
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Our goal is to have Deaf students feel confident enough to read the text independently to get information. However, technical scientific text is especially challenging because of the density of the information and the technical vocabulary. We have provided sign support to help the students if they decide is is needed.
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As the student reads each paragraph, selected vocabulary words are linked to their definitions. These vocabulary words are both technical terms and more challenging general vocabulary. Students who have difficulty with the paragraph because of these vocabulary words can click on the word and have its definition displayed. If the student doesn't understand the text of the definition there is an ASL link which will sign the definition in ASL.
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For some students, this vocabulary support will be sufficient to allow them to understand many of the passages.
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When a student encounters a passage that isn't understandable even with vocabulary support, the entire passage can be signed in ASL. After viewing the ASL version of the passage, encourage the student to reread the passage and compare the English text with the ASL. This comparison encourages a discussion of the ASL grammar used and the corresponding English grammar.
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Some Deaf students exhibit a degree of text phobia. Students who refuse and/or profess an inability to comprehend the text can start by viewing the ASL translation of the passage. Next have the student dissect the text matching the ASL and English parts. As the topic is explored in the lesson, vocabulary, phrases and grammatical constructions are often repeated. As the student's confidence increases, encourage him/her to identify these familiar English parts before viewing the ASL.
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Interpreters and ASL students
In signing the lessons, our team members use conceptual signs in order to clarify the meaning of the English text. This is because technical English text tends to be dense and may cause difficulty for Deaf students trying to visualize the concepts. The signs that we use are intended to help students understand the important and subtle meanings of these technical concepts.
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You might notice that we sometimes use a string of signs for one English word or vice-versa. Our goal here is to be true to the lesson's concepts.
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When we prepared to sign a concept, we often discussed several different approaches. Eventually, we chose our best or most useful sign. This is by no means the final or only sign for these concepts. Instead, we hope this work will be a contribution to ASL by adding online examples of conceptual/ contextual vocabulary, phrases and passages.
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Here are a few examples of ASL concepts. If you want to learn more about how the lessons are being presented in ASL, click the ASL icon found at the side of each paragraph in the lessons.
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Examples of ASL Concepts
1) "First we could start by drawing two bars of equal length, but breaking one bar into four equal sections, and the other into five equal sections". (Comparing Fractions Discussion)
Instead of signing each English word, we use these ASL classifiers: CL: 1 describes the shape of the bar and CL:G shows where the four or five sections are in each bar.
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2) 3 Times Table
Don't sign TIME as clock and TABLE as an object that you put things on. Think about the application of the concepts. How will the student use the times table? ASL is a visual and active language. We create a times table in the air as it appears on paper.
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3) Modular Clock
Use the ASL classifier: CL:C (2H) to show a visual of clock and then sign the numbers in a circular motion. After you set up the visual image of the modular clock, you can change the mod to mod 4 or 5 using the same classifier. When you work through the problems, use the classifier as a calculating device to demonstrate the process.
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4) Patterns
According to its meaning, repeat the sign, SAME since it is a repeating principle. Sign the word SAME in the direction that the repeating principle occurs.
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5) Division & Remainder
Instead of writing the division problem on the paper, you use CL: L as the division and sign the numbers where they belong in a division. You also sign LEFTOVER at the bottom of CL:L as the remainder.
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6) Math Problem
You don't want to say that Math is a problem. Instead, you sign question mark as it matches the meaning of the word, PROBLEM.
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7) Angle
Use CL:5 (2h) to show a visual picture of a vertex before using CL:1 to draw the angle's arc.
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8) Regular polygon
The general the word, REGULAR means normal. For math, it means all of the angles and sides of the shape are equal so you sign SAME repeatedly in the shape of the polygon.
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9) Irregular polygon
In math, the term irregular means the angles and sides are not equal. Use the same sign, SAME like we did for regular polygon but you add the negative head movements.
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10) How many hairs next to each other would you need to equal one millimeter?
Flat 0s palm down extend to b's index palm down indicating several hair next to each other.(hair science1)
