...SignWriting
in Nicaragua Directory...
SignWriting was the main focus in the Deaf school in
Bluefields this summer. It was a great experience for me teaching
the Deaf children the basic foundations of SignWriting. If we
compare the student's ability at the beginning, and then at the
end before I returned to the USA, I can see that the Deaf children
in Bluefields like Ancelmo, Zelideth, Eduardo, Javier, Dina and
Angela were learning SignWriting quickly and have the potential
of writing signs in the future. It is possible that one day they
will become SignWriting teachers themselves. They need to be
encouraged to upgrade their abilities and self-esteem.
The most unique one is Ancelmo, who is a brilliant student,
able to learn very quickly and to write stories in SignWriting,
which he had only learned in one month's instruction. I was very
impressed with his eagerness and desire to learn SignWriting.
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In the beginning, I introduced SignWriting hand symbols to the
Deaf children, then showed them signs that use these hand symbols.
Each student received a SignWriting Symbol Workbook. They treasured
their workbooks so much that they didn't want to write in them!
Instead they wrote the workbook assignments in their notebooks.
These workbooks are published by the DAC, but the Bluefields
school received these copies through funding from Salk Institute
in San Diego. The Salk Institute's Lab for Cognitive Neuroscience
is directed by Dr.Ursula Bellugi. Dr. Bellugi's Lab does extensive
research in sign language and language development. Both Dr.
Bellugi and Dr. Karen Emmorey arranged for this funding from
Salk, because they believe so strongly in the project in Bluefields.
The Salk Institute also funded one copy of the SignWriter computer
program for the school. So the school has the computer program,
but it did not have a computer at at the time I was there. Hopefully
the students will learn how to type SignWriting by computer later.
There are five SignWriting Workbooks. The first is the "Lessons
In SignWriting Symbol Workbook". Then there are four workbooks
in the "SignWriting Workbook Series". The Series includes:
Cinderella Workbook, Short Stories Workbook, Marine Workbook,
and Geography Workbook.
...two schools for the Deaf in Nicaragua...
Escuelita de Bluefields
Escuelita de Condega
...were founded by...
...and are coordinated by...
Nicaraguan Sign Language Projects, Inc.
James Shepard-Kegl, Coordinator
52 Whitney Farms Road
North Yarmouth, Maine, 04097, USA
(207) 846-8801 voice or tty
(207) 846-8688 fax
Email: kegl@maine.rr.com
...SignWriting
in Nicaragua Directory...
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