A Sign of Respect Strategies for Effective Deaf/Hearing Interac

A Sign of Respect
Strategies for Effective Deaf/Hearing Interactions
by Thomas K. Holcomb and Anna Mindess
http://www.treehousevideo.com/store/?main_page=page&id=12

What is unique about this educational product?

Thank you for your interest in this DVD/workbook set. A Sign of Respect focuses on
how deaf and hearing people can interact effectively. You may think it is easy to use this
product by playing the DVD in class, having students sit back and watch the show for an
hour to learn all about Deaf Culture. While this may be the case for most educational
DVDs, this product is different -- we designed it to be taken home and used for
homework, but not by just passively watching it. With this interactive DVD, students are
expected to participate in the learning process by picking correct solutions to various
choice points throughout the program. Answers and explanations are provided to help
students clearly understand expectations in the Deaf community. In addition, a 92-page
workbook is included, which contains reading and writing assignments associated with
the scenes shown in the DVD. The DVD/workbook set is a comprehensive curriculum
with readings, activities, homework assignments, journal questions, and will eliminate the
need for you to do as much planning and preparation, as it is all there and easy for you to
use.

What\'s the purpose of this DVD/Workbook?

Many ASL and Deaf culture courses require students to attend Deaf community events.
Students often report feelings of intimidation regarding such requirements, especially if
they have never met other Deaf people or have limited knowledge of the Deaf
community. Furthermore, it is often difficult for instructors to provide support for due to
their students’ limited fluency in ASL. To address this challenge, this DVD/workbook
set is designed to provide in-depth information on Deaf culture and the Deaf community
in an accessible format (ASL, spoken English, and English captions). It is hoped that
students will become more comfortable and confident in attending Deaf community
events as well as meeting and interacting with Deaf people. In the end, this should help
make their experiences with both Deaf people and the Deaf community more positive.

Which class is this DVD/workbook appropriate for?

This DVD/workbook set can be used with students at all levels, from Level 1 ASL
classes to advanced interpreting classes. It is ideal for beginning ASL students as the
entire content is accessible with information presented in both ASL and spoken English
along with English captions, reducing the need for awkward and superficial discussions
in class due to limited fluency in ASL. For advanced students, in-depth discussions can
be held on various relevant topics such as the places and roles hearing people can have in
the Deaf community, and the delicate nature of Deaf/hearing relationships. In some
locations, Deaf community events are plentiful, affording students with many
opportunities to experience Deaf culture up-close and process these experiences in class.
In other areas, where the Deaf community is small with fewer opportunities for attending
events, this DVD can actually provide an alternative avenue to experience Deaf Culture.
So, in this way, this DVD/workbook set is versatile enough to be used with all levels of
classes, depending on your goals and needs.

What is in the DVD?

This set contains a DVD and a workbook. The storyline of the DVD follows an ASL
student from her first day of class, where she learns of the requirement to attend Deaf
community events through her first participation in a Deaf community event, her first
Deaf acquaintance and eventually her first Deaf friendship. The journey is not entirely
problem-free for this student who repeatedly encounters cultural challenges. We
accompany her as she faces 18 awkward situations, each followed by three possible
solutions, two of which are not considered as appropriate responses. Your students select
what they believe to be the best solution for each situation and explanations are then
provided for each possible choice and as to reasons why this is or is not an accepted way
to deal with things in the Deaf community.

What is in the Workbook?

Because A Sign of Respect DVD/workbook set is designed to function as supplementary
learning tool, each student needs to have his or her own DVD/workbook set to use at
home. The numerous homework assignments contained in the set allow students to
explore and learn more about the Deaf community and Deaf culture. The workbook
contains three sections. In the first section, students are given opportunities to investigate
the history of Deaf community events, discover what Deaf community events are
available in their area, identify appropriate events to attend, and process feelings about
attending a Deaf community function and meeting Deaf people. The second section
provides information on how to use the DVD and allows students view it at home. The
third section encourages students to develop relationships with Deaf people, become
involved in the Deaf community and demonstrate respect to Deaf people and Deaf
culture.