Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Something Different!

Okay, this is work related but also very interesting (to me at least) and thought maybe some would be interested in it too. See our office has undergone a 12-week "on the job" ASL signing course geared to day-to-day communications with our deaf co-worker John G! At first I was very hesitant as I've heard it is very hard to learn and at this point in my life I was not sure if I wanted that challenge. BUT once in the class and seeing how it was set up I found it interesting and much easier to have a bit of conversation with John instead of writing things down or emailing for any chat or questions to be answered.

Anyways, for our last class we have to prepare our "Tree of Life" on a flip chart page and then "sign" it to the class and there will be graduation ceremonies too!!! WOW! So I've been working hard for a couple of weeks now planning, drafting, redrafting and then revising after my friend Susan (an interpreter) had noted changes and then finally gone over with John. Then tonight (or guess it was last night) I finally put together my flip chart using fabrics and actually printed off onto cardstock some of my pictures. It was fun but gosh talk about time consuming. Here it is!



Now I sure hope I don't mess up in my signing presentation!!! Mike even said he expected me to prepare a "quilted" Tree of Life - I doubt it!!!

NOW I'm not saying I know what, how or why pertaining to ASL but I do know enough to get by and I can fingerspell slowly and hope that John is willing to continue the 2X/week practice sessions indefinitely - I certainly will attend!!!

2 comments:

Judy said...

That sounds so cool!! Does that mean you can now understand on NCIS when they do a bit of ASL?

Rose Anne B said...

LOL! Well if it's more day-to-day type words I can catch them but it is the speed of signing that gets to me. Actually there was a program where the deaf girls were together and I did catch some of their conversation - felt GREAT!!! The bosses did say if anyone wanted to continue training they would look into what our options would be. Who knows!