Desiree's Journey

Asian Deaf woman, born, raised, and forever rooted in Los Angeles, California. Currently pursuing her dreams & goals. 

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While teaching ASL classes (and/or other jobs) and being a Grad student at the same time. During finals week be like:

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My Digital Presentation

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Interactive Activity

Kahoot (link)

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Teaching Strategy: Feedback

Feedback is one of the teaching strategies I apply to my ASL instruction. Providing & receiving feedback is a good opportunity to do well in class. Feedback can be applied such as during the interaction activities (without giving grades), homework assignments, and formative & summative exams.

My ASL learners would take my feedbacks and improve themselves with their signing skills and do well on their production exams. The results when I see their efforts and improvement are great! The only con/downside for feedback is when the ASL learners may ignore my feedbacks and continue making mistakes.

[livelylaughingjenna-blog]

#meme #ASL752Fall2019 

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(source: link)

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A Reminder:

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Teaching Method: Communicative Language Teaching

What is a teaching method? Each instructor has their preference with teaching methods. Some may be succeed or unfit in their instruction. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is one of my teaching methods. CLT defines “from grasping at a method here and there to a research-based, virtually universal understanding of basic tenets of effective communicative language pedagogy.“ (Brown & Lee, 2015, p. 30). . It focuses on students’ comprehension skills that apply to real world within the targeted language aka American Sign Language and especially practice and attend too ASL/Deaf events. 

The benefits of this method: be able to converse in ASL, including parameters, various WH- & YES/NO questions. The downslide of this method is that sometimes learners may feel overwhelmed or have anxiety when they attend to ASL/Deaf events or approaching to Deaf individuals other than me because the learners are so used to interact with me frequently. I encourage them to attend to the Deaf Studies club’s events on campus because half of individuals are hearing, and majoring in Deaf Studies. That way the ASL learners would feel more ease attending to campus’s ASL events before they go to Deaf events.

Reference   Brown, H. D. & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive         approach to language pedagogy. (4th ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson.

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Deaf/ASL teachers come home and be like:

(source: link)

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Classroom Management

(Gif: Possibly the best solution for no voice policy & ASL environment. Just kidding!!)

My eyes are always locked on my learners (not as in a creepy way) to ensure they’re doing well or confused, at the same time I could feel their vibe & sense too. It’s weird and complicated to explain. It’s like I have a secret special power. I think it’s important to check on your students if they are feeling overwhelmed, unsure-- go and support them. Some days they would have their “bad” days.

Last Thursday October 10th-- one of my usual routines: I would count my learners’ signatures from my roll call sheet and then I count their heads (to make sure no one try to fool me if they did not attend to my class session). Somewhat I felt like one of their heads was missing. I had a confused expression on my face while holding my roll call sheet. Two of my learners were able to read my face and they communicated with me in ASL-- one of their classmates was on the phone. About 10-15 minutes later, she came back into the classroom and I sensed something was not right coming from her. I signed to her if she was okay and she shook her face. I took her outside to have a private conversation while learners review vocabulary. She informed me her friend just passed from battling a cancer. I told her it was okay for her to dismiss from my class and she didn’t want to miss my class session. Again I encouraged her to take a day off to focus herself and provided her the sources if she needed to talk to someone. She thanked, gave me a hug, grabbed her backpack and departed. Few days later, she e-mailed me to thank me for understanding how she feels.

Communicate and understand your learners’ perspective do make a difference :)

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When a hearing folk approaches a Deaf folk and be like:

“OH!! You’re deaf?? CAN YOU READ MY LIP?” with a crazy slow mouth mouthment. Possibility a spit comes out of their mouth.

Why the society & hearing folks are still assuming we, the Deaf folks & community, would have the ability to lip read..? I am still seeing a common question on: social medias, forums, and etc.

This is a good example to show to these hearing individuals and ASL 1 courses to debunk the myth:

Share this if you feel this way! 🤗

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Assessment Tool

After the summer semester at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. I learnt an excellent formal assessment tool to create a comprehension exam. I thought it is great to use this tool because from there, I do not have to do all the work during exam while let my exam does the work for me! My assigned group and I created a comprehension exam. It was fun to create it but at the same time, it was a lot of time investment. However I will not share our example due to confidential reasons.

BUT! Here are two alternative examples:

(source: link and reference is from below)

(source: created by Desiree Duong [me!])

Before you want to create this type of comprehension exam as an assessment tool. Be mindful, it is a lot of work, time, tears and blood to create just ONE exam. But in the end, it is WORTH it! Because you can use your exams, forever. Besides changing different videos or new ideas come around!

My suggestions for you to create a comprehension exam. You must include this following:

Lighting - to be able to see you while you are signing.

Camera - find a good quality recording device. It could be a laptop, DSLR camera, webcam device, or even a smartphone!

Dress code - nothing distracting and unclear while you are signing

Sign clearly! Do not sign too fast. It is depending on the ASL courses’ speeding pace too. Avoid mouthing the words because that give out the answers.

Editing program skills - be comfortable learning how to use Final Cut Pro X (link) or use other editing programs (iMovie has a limited features. I would not suggest you to use it.)

Reference: Hauser, P., Paludneviciene, R., Riddle, W., Kurz, K., Emmorey, K., & Contreras,     J. (2016). American Sign Language Comprehension Test: A Tool for Sign       Language Researchers. Journal Of Deaf Studies And Deaf Education, 21(1),     64-69.

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Interactive Activity: Speed Dating

Including ‘Speed Dating’ as an interactive activity (also an ice breaker!) is beneficial to all ASL learners! Because each learner has an opportunity to converse with each other within the targeted language. They can challenge each other by using their receptive & expressive skills. Especially practicing with their fingerspelling skills. At the same time they can enjoy & laugh during the interactive time.

Each round I would wave at learners to look at me and then I would throw a random topic and from there they can strike the conversation. Sometimes they may have the similar or different interests. At the same time they can get to know each other more. OR maybe they may go further such as going out for a coffee or become best/close friends! Who knows?! 

(Source: link) Reference: Games and Activities. ASLFI. Retrieved from        http://aslfai.com/games-and-activities/

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When hearing folks be like “I want to learn ASL so I can help them”

My inner head’s response:

(source: link)

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We learn ASL. We learn through ASL. We learn about ASL.

Dr. Lawrence R. Fleischer (Established Deaf Studies program at Cal State University, Northridge)