Deaf Children Around The World - SignWriting · Children Around The World Correspond in Written...

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Deaf Children Around the World Express Their Grief Over The Terrorist Attack SignWriting provides an avenue of expression for Deaf children Irina, age 9, in Germany writes: “Ich habe einen Film im Fernsehen gesehen. Darüber war ich sehr erschrocken...” “I have seen a film on television. I was very frightened...” ...see page 4-5...

Transcript of Deaf Children Around The World - SignWriting · Children Around The World Correspond in Written...

Page 1: Deaf Children Around The World - SignWriting · Children Around The World Correspond in Written Sign Language SignWriting Pen Pal Letters Bring Deaf and Hearing Children Closer Together.

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Deaf Children Around the WorldExpress Their Grief Over The Terrorist Attack

SignWriting provides an avenue of expression for Deaf children

Irina, age 9, in Germany writes:

“Ich habe einen Film im Fernsehen gesehen. Darüber war ich sehr erschrocken...”“I have seen a film on television. I was very frightened...” ...see page 4-5...

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DeafChildreninAlbuquerque,New Mexico

A Message Posted onthe SignWriting ListSeptember 12, 2001

I thought it 'timely' to post oneof our primary Deaf student'swritten commentary on thisweek's tragic historic event.Kate, the classroom teacherstarted the day anticipatingthat the students' would be ar-riving at school with manyquestions and comments aboutthe horrific events that oc-curred on the east coast. Onestudent requested time to ex-press himself using one of thefour SignWriting computers setup within the classroom. He re-cruited another peer to joinhim at the computer to 'write'about what had happened theday before and how they werefeeling about it.The teacherreported that the two boyswere seated at the SignWritingcomputers for an hour 'co-writ-ing' the following commentary(see page 3). The teacheradded the English 'cues' for thestudent's parents so that theycould�read their son's 'reflec-tions'....

Cecilia Flood

[email protected]

School Counselor

Hodgin Elementary School

Albuquerque, New Mexico

SignWriting Literacy Project

Albuquerque, New Mexico

http://www.SignWriting.org

Albuquerque Deaf students also write SignWriting by hand. Writing directlyin Sign Language can be a source of personal expression for deaf children.

Above: Cecilia Flood teaches Deaf children in Albuquerque to typeSignWriting. Julio is typing on the computer. His SignWriting is on page 3.

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Reporter berichten vom Unglücksort;Brief von Irina an Valerie Sutton anlässlichder Terrorakte in Amerika.

Reporting about the sad events;Letter from Irina to Valerie Sutton

about the terrorist attack in America

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Die Übersetzung lautet:“Hallo Frau Valerie Sutton,Ich habe einen Film im Fernsehen gesehen. Darüber war ichsehr erschrocken. Danny hat mir Bescheid gesagt. Dann habeich den Film auch gesehen. Fürchterlich - das Flugzeug fliegtgegen das Hochhaus. Das Hochhaus stürzt ein. Da ist Schmutzund Qualm - da ist auch Feuer. Hallo Valerie, hast du gesehen,wie das Hochhaus eingestürzt ist ? Tschüss Irina”

Translation reads:"Hello Valerie Sutton,I saw a film on television. I was very frightened. Danny in-formed me. Then I also saw the film. The airplane flew intothe skyscraper. The skyscraper collapsed. There was dirt andsmoke. There was also fire. Did you see how the skyscrapercollapsed? Bye, Irina” ...continued next page...

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Brief von Irina an Valerie Sutton

anlässlich der Terrorakte in Amerika.

A letter from Irina for Valerie Suttonabout the terrorist attack in America.

September 14, 2001SignWriting List

Irina bittet mich, einen Brief inGebärdenSchrift an Valerie Sutton - dieErfinderin der GebärdenSchrift - zu schicken.Irina steht neben dem Computer, gebärdet,liest, korrigiert, formuliert neu - und liestabschließend ihren Brief . Sie freut sich aufValeries Antwort! Irina war erstaunt. Bereitsam nächsten Montag konnten wir ValerieSuttons Antwort im Internet anschauen. Eineinteressante Erfahrung für die Kinder. Es gibtGebärdensprachen, die sie nicht verstehenkönnen. So gebärdet man also in Amerika.Dank der GebärdenSchrift können wir dieGebärden ausführen. Die englischeÜbersetzung hilft uns, den Inhalt zu verstehen.

Irina asked me to give a letter written inSignWriting to Valerie Sutton - the inventorof SignWriting. Irina stood near the computerand signed, read, corrected and created newsentences, creating this letter in SignWriting.She waited for Valerie's answer! Irina was as-tonished. Promptly, on the next Monday, wecould read Valerie Sutton’s answer on theInternet. This was an interesting experiencefor the children. It was in a Sign Languagethey could not understand...Ah ha! So that ishow they sign in America!.. Thanks toSignWriting, we could produce the move-ments of the signs. The English translationalso helped us to understand the meaning.

Stefan Woehrmann

[email protected]

Teacher of Deaf Children

Osnabruck, Germany

http://www.gebaerdenschrift.de

Stefan Woehrmann in class with his Deaf students.

Valerie Sutton’s answer toIrina in American Sign Language.

Translation:"Hello Irina. Thank you for your letter. I was happy to read it.The world is sad, but now people help each other, and givesupport and love. We are becoming a world family."

Valerie SuttonInventor, SignWriting

[email protected]

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This student dates her comments two days after the event. Her very first comment, written byherself in SignWriting, was one of ‘shock’. The simplicity of her statements is profound. The juxta-position of the aircraft approaching the building not yet destroyed and the prominence of the flag’sposition may be significant for us all. Cecilia Flood

School Counselor

Hodgin Elementary School

Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Gore Bay,Ontario, Canada

SignWriting ListSeptember 28, 2001

Well, here are somedrawings and writingsfrom our children inCanada, all hearing,to our ch i ldrenfriends in Germanyand New Mexico.

As you can see fromthe p ictures wetalked about “HOPE”.

We had a good con-versation together,the children and I,about the terroristattack.

The result you seefrom the pictures....

Tini Pel, Teacher

[email protected]

Children Around The World

Correspond in Written Sign Language

SignWriting Pen Pal Letters Bring

Deaf and Hearing Children Closer Together

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Center For Sutton Movement Writing Inc • a tax-exempt, 501c3 educational nonprofitDeaf Action Committee For SignWriting • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • [email protected] • www.SignWriting.org • voice: 858-456-0098 • fax: 858-456-0020

Darin, right, worked at the computer withJulio. (Julio is in the photo on page 2, typingat the computer). Their teacher, Kate Lee,pictured below, reported that the two boyswere 'writing' at the computer for almost anhour, expressing their reflections about theterrorist attack on New York. Darin’s writing(above) is similar to Julio’s (page 3) but withsignificant differences. Darin attempted toexpress a feeling of overwhelming silence...