Full Transcript for Hands That Speak: Bringing ASL to Our Classrooms

helpful in communication and for anyone. And then you have like the eyebrow stuff too. [00:05:59] So, like your eyebrows go up when you answer questions in a certain way. And they go down when you're asking, we call them WH questions. Like what, why? [00:06:08] Katie: This is one of my podcasts, we're seeing each other recorded right now, but listeners only hear audio, but I wish they could see because it's very evident that you're, you know, very expressive. So, going back, is ASL the same all over the world? [00:06:22] Melissa: It is not. It is actually different regions, too. and not by a lot. So we have American Sign Language. But then, in different regions or places where there are generations and generations of deaf people, you may have home signs. My home, even, we have home signs because of kind of adapting to what my son can do gross motor-wise. [00:06:44] And so we have a certain sign for chips that isn't the real sign for chips, but in our home, it is. And we tell our family and friends and anyone that's around him how to sign that. But yes, I think, like, a lot of people don't realize that if you go to a foreign country, like, it's not the same. A totally different language. [00:07:02]I have heard rumors, I'm not sure, but I will give this to you all. That American Sign Language is, more desired as the basis of universal sign language because we've, really just like condensed so much in America that it just makes sense it could be a future like universal language which means that these children to some point in their lives they might be able to travel and go just talk to anyone that knows sign language that's just like really exciting to me. [00:07:33] Katie: That is really interesting too, because you hear sometimes that the English language is pretty complicated. So to know that American Sign Language is actually more condensed, that's cool. So Tammy, and why is elementary school such a good time to introduce ASL? [00:07:48] Tammy: I would've never thought about it, but Melissa reached out to me. I've known Melissa for many years. I actually, when I was assistant principal at John C. Meyers, I had a couple of her babies there as my students, and I've known her in the community for a long time. And when she reached out, at first, I thought, How can this benefit my students? And of course, this is preschool, kindergarten, and first grade, where we are planning on having these opportunities. I just thought. Is this a possibility? And then I got to thinking about it. After Melissa emailed, I thought, well, how often do I see my teachers in the hallway pointing to things and saying, " Oh look at that. [00:08:31] I see an apple. What's that to start with? Ah, apple. Ah, ah, well, why not bring that extra layer? A, I think I'm doing that right, Ms. Sign Language Queen. Is that right? A, B, C. And I've already seen the teachers do some form of it too, just simple versions of it in their classrooms. So it wasn't that I said, Hey, you're gonna do this. [00:08:55] I reached out and said, Hey. Anyone interested? The interest was overwhelming. All of my teachers, pre-K, K, and one, have jumped on board and are eager to have their students come in and do some special projects and activities to bolster what they know and hopefully help to make it stick. 'Cause the more you practice with any type of skill, the more you practice, the more it sticks. [00:09:22] And this is just another way to help learning stick. [00:09:25] Katie: And I know that, you know, baby signs have been kind of more popular over the past few years. So I'd be curious how many of your students already have a little bit of base knowledge from, you know, signing, when they're. Infants of, you know, that, early communication. [00:09:40] So, you know, Tim, I know that inclusion and kindness are important in your school. How do you anticipate that ASL is gonna help build this kindness and inclusion at Lacey Spring? [00:09:51] Tammy: I don't think that anything can change the fact that we are a very diverse culture here at Lacey. We are very welcoming, loving, and caring towards anyone and everyone who comes into our building. I think it'll be an awareness-raising tool. At present, we do not have anyone who's deaf or hard of hearing. [00:10:11] However, it's gonna raise our awareness. It's gonna give us opportunities to potentially communicate with other students in the event that they do come. But I also think that our students need opportunities to learn about the world around them. We're not just in this little box. We're a cross-section of the world. [00:10:30] And the bigger world will have people that they will come into contact with that we'll need to use sign language. So what better way than to get these little impressionable minds rolling? [00:10:43] Katie: Yeah. So, you know, I'll go back to you, Melissa. From your perspective, what are the big benefits of learning ASL at a young age? [00:10:52] Melissa: Well, besides communication skills, actually, I want to mention something really quick. So I taught a very simple class yesterday, for my colleagues and students to celebrate Disability Awareness Week here at JMU. And one of the questions I got from a student was, do you think that Deaf Students would come to JMU knowing now that American Sign Language is offered, because they would actually have classmates that could be friends. [00:11:19] And I sat there for a minute, and I thought, Oh my gosh, this opens like so many doors here at JMU, where a deaf student might not choose a university that doesn't have sign language. And so I just think like communication-wise, it's so cool that eventually at Lacey, if there is a deaf child in the community that ends up going there, the teachers are going to be able to do some things that your interpreter is coming or, you know, just to give them a little bit of something so that they can connect. Reading and writing-wise, ASL omits like, but because, and it gets straight

to the point. And so I think, kind of like we're going to be learning animals. [00:11:59] And my students are reading the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and they're making a video with it. I'm just like, these students are going to probably remember brown and bear. And then what do you see? We don't say, what do you see? We say, what see? And that's it. And so these like keywords, I think, knowing them in sign language and in English can probably really help with reading and writing. [00:12:24] And then socially, they can talk to each other through a window, down the hall, across the lunchroom. I mean, little friends that are in different classrooms. I think that's so sweet. They'll be able to just sign across the room. [00:12:38] Katie: You just actually answered my next question 'cause I was just gonna ask how the ASL helps them become better communicators and how it helps support their reading and writing skills. So Tammy, why is it important for your students to learn how to communicate in different ways? [00:12:53] Tammy: Well, something that Melissa just said that is a little bit comical, maybe the cafeteria will be quieter. Maybe one day,y after students learn a little bit more, we can say, let's call this the ASL lunch day. And the only way you can communicate is you can communicate with a sign because that might just quiet that noise down just a little. [00:13:14] Melissa: Tammy, I used to have my kids have silent Wednesdays just so I could have a break as a mom. I'd be like, all right, we're just signing today. [00:13:23] Tammy: I'm a lifelong learner. I'm constantly trying to figure out some new things, anything that will benefit the kiddos. [00:13:29] At Lacey, our lines of communication are language-based. We have students who are Kurdish or Russian, Hispanic, and we see how those communication tools all work together. 'Cause sometimes if a student doesn't know the English word for something, the other students chime in and help them. [00:13:47] This is just the, again, as I've said, it's another layer of knowing how we can receive everyone. And as Melissa's already said, connect connections. You can't deny connections at the elementary level. 'Cause if we start young, it works its way up all the way through the grade level. So you can't go wrong with more connections. [00:14:09] Katie: Yeah, I agree. So, you know, we're talking about learning in the classroom, but you know, this is gonna go far beyond the classroom. So, Melissa, can ASL help students in future careers like teaching healthcare or therapy? You kind of touched on that in the beginning, but I'd love to hear you expand on it a little bit more. [00:14:27] Melissa: So, at JMU especially, I have education and nursing students that have asked me, this is so new, like, right, like, I just started here in the fall, it's just become a world language here at JMU, and these education and nursing students keep telling me that, one day, I'm definitely going to come in contact with a

Deaf person, or hard of hearing. [00:14:47] They might not know sign language, but they might. And so, how cool would it be to learn more of the signs that go into those career fields? So, one of my other projects that is a dream is that we offer, like, specific sign language classes for students so they don't have to take 101. They don't have to take the series, but tf they have a major like nursing, they can just take the medical part of it and know how to say, Hi, what's your name? [00:15:12] Can I help you? You're getting your blood drawn. Definitely education and nursing, and then things like speech pathology, occupational therapy, and any of the behavioral sciences. I know that my nonverbal son has OT, PT, and speech through Rockingham County Public Schools. But none of the people who work with him know sign language. [00:15:33] And so, he's teaching them right now. But I think that it should be a thing. I've always felt that way. And it was very validating to not only have Tammy go, Yes, but my boss here at JMU t, too; my department head has been so supportive. And just, she's just like, these ideas are wonderful. [00:15:51] So I think this is the beginning of something really cool for just Rockingham County, Harrisonburg in general. [00:15:57] Katie: I agree. And so, but now we're gonna try to see what we can do through audio, 'cause I think that might be hard. But I was gonna ask you, Melissa, what is your favorite sign to teach students? [00:16:06] Melissa: Fascinated. And it is, your two hands and your fingers wiggle, and they go in to like, catch something. [00:16:16] Katie: Ohh, that's, oh, I love that. That, yep. [00:16:18] Melissa: Also repeat. They need to do that a lot, especially when I turn my voice off. So, repeat, repeat. And I think that's going to be really helpful for little kids, too, so they don't have to raise their hand or go, I don't understand. They just, silently. [00:16:33] Katie: Right. [00:16:35] and it's also kind of interesting too if a student sees that other people are needing to repeat, like maybe that would be validating that they were not the only one that didn't quite understand or quite get it too. But, so I know that Tammy, we haven't started this yet, but, um, are looking forward to it. [00:16:50] You know, maybe how quickly they might learn, and maybe there's some evidence behind it. I mean, their brains are like sponges and, you know, being able to see how quickly they'll learn. So. [00:16:59] Tammy: So I'm out and about all day long. I'm not in my office during the day because I'm with students, and I'm constantly trying to have them share with me things that they've learned. I'll stop them in the hall, and I'll say, What's something new you learned today? So it's not gonna be an uncommon thing for me to stop one of the kids and say, oh. [00:17:15] What have you learned today from the JMU students? And I can't wait 'cause I'm gonna let them think that they're teaching me, which they probably will be, but I want them to show me what they know. I think, if I'm not mistaken, that this more, does this mean more Melissa with my fingers like this together? So when a student comes to me, and they say," Oh my gosh, Mrs. [00:17:38] May, guess what? Look what I learned today. And as they start talking, I'm gonna go. I want, and I won't say a word, I'll just go, meaning I want them to tell me more. I wanna know everything that kids are learning, and this is very important. When Melissa reached out to me at Lacey, I was jumping for joy, and even more so now as I know that it's gonna be happening here very soon with your student. [00:18:05] Melissa: I want to add that. The entire American Sign Language is based on hand shapes. And the way that you move them or locate them, that creates words. And expressions and stuff like that. So I'm really excited because the first lesson, which is the alphabet and the numbers, those shapes make signs. [00:18:24] And so I'm really interested to see what clicks because I know some kids will like the first letter of their name. If it's a B, they might really like words that start with brown. Hello? Now, they might remember the words that have that hand shape because it means something to them. It is the first letter of their name. [00:18:42] So, I just wanted to add that in. [00:18:46] Katie: You know, I'm just unlocking a core memory of like, when I was in music class, I learned a song that had the additional that when you said that, it was like Black Brother, you know, like I still remember it like years later. So I guess that it, you know, really did have an impact on me. So let's talk about how families can be part of this learning. [00:19:03] So Melissa, what are some fun ASL activities families can try together at home? [00:19:08] Melissa: There's this game called Headbands. I don't know if you all are familiar with it. But you have a headband that's like a crown. You put a card in it, and the card has a word on it. There's an adult version, and there's a version for children. We do this on the first day of classes. I've taught six classes now. [00:19:23] And it is by far the thing that sticks the most, because they don't know any sign language yet, but it starts to get them to act things out. And so, even for little ones who might not read, you could put an apple. But the sign for Apple is here. So what we do is you make the game gesture, try to figure out what it is, and then teach the sign afterwards. [00:19:46] And somehow it just clicks. They get it. riding a bike, this is a bicycle and sign language. I know that not everybody can see me, but this is a bicycle and sign language. But like, how do you get on a bike? It's got wheels, you know, like acting things out. [00:20:00] and then also just posting the alphabet like a poster, or I'll be giving all the teachers handouts for the kids to go home with. But putting it somewhere that you walk by every day. So you just catch a letter that gets you remembering

those hand shapes that are the basis of the language. [00:20:15] So I think the handouts and games are great. absolutely something that families can do to keep up with it. [00:20:21] Katie: Perfect. Yeah, and so that kind of leads me into you for Tammy, like how can a family support ASL learning outside of school? You know, if I guess that they have these handouts, you'll be communicating that out. [00:20:33] Tammy: Well, I will also put that outta my video newsletter to parents. I send video newsletters. I don't send typed newsletters. I think it's easier for parents. To listen to what I have to say versus taking time to read it,' cause people are busy. I get that, but how cool is that gonna be when in one of my video newsletters, 'cause my little kids are gonna teach me and the little kids, believe it or not, to build their confidence, they're gonna teach the big kids. [00:20:58] So I might start one of my newsletters. I usually start it in a really quirky way to get their attention. I might start a newsletter with something, whatever that might be [00:21:08] Melissa: Sign of the day! [00:21:09] Tammy: Sign of the day, oh my golly, we've got so many things to talk about [00:21:13] about. But anyway, to capture their attention and then say, " You may have noticed that I just said to you in some language. [00:21:22] Thank you for whatever that may be. I don't even know what it'll be. But the point is, parents, my parent population is wonderful. I hope my parents' population is listening because I am so blessed. They're very supportive, they're eager to help their kids. They're eager to learn some new things, so I think it's a win across the board. [00:21:45] And also posting things in the hallway, you know, whatever we send home to parents, we'll have that same information in the hallway so the little kids can walk by. We'll have it in the cafeteria. Little kids can walk by and look at some of the big kids and say, Hey, I'm signing. I know you can't hear that, but that builds confidence. [00:22:04] 'cause they're learning a new skill that they can share with some of the big kids that should already know it, but they don't. [00:22:09] Katie: Oh, that's great. I love that model. So, as we wrap up and look into the future, Melissa, what are your hopes for the future of ASL in our schools? [00:22:18] Melissa: I hope that we can just add more RCPS schools to this program. At Lacey, I will be there this year. And so, I'm excited to see how to coordinate this, how this will work for students. We have an American Sign Language Club at JMU, so I'm hoping those students will also be able to come into the classroom and give, just connecting with other people who are passionate about sign language. [00:22:41] And then we've got Tammy and her wonderful school. And just for all of us to be in the same place, doing something that is on the same track feels like there is a future full of opportunity for other schools, too. But hopefully I'll see forever. [00:22:57] Katie: Yes. [00:22:58] Tammy: Thank you. Thank you for choosing me. I am glad you chose me, Melissa. [00:23:02] Melissa: My gosh, I thought of you. [00:23:04] John C's a little too far, but like, you are so, you're close to JMU. The school is just so adorable, too. Like, I just always drive by Lacey Springs. I'm like, there are good vibes in this area. Like, I could do this. [00:23:18] Katie: Yes. [00:23:19] Tammy: Nobody can see this, but the double thumbs up is my sign language for saying agreed, and thank you. [00:23:24] Katie: Yes. And Tammy, I know we're just getting started here, but if you could think about growing this program, what would it look like in five years? [00:23:34] Tammy: All grade levels. All grade levels will be a part of it. We're just wetting our feet to see how it will work in the lower grades, because again, it's alphabet, as Melissa's already said, it's alphabet, recognizing alphabet, how that transitions into knowing animals or items similar to how she learned with the gentleman from Massanutten. [00:23:56] So I'd like to see it grow and build again. I always check with my stakeholders. It's not that I come in and say, Hey, you're gonna do this. I need to ascertain the interest. I need to build on that and go from there. [00:24:11] Katie: You know what's going to be really amazing is seeing these, let's say, the kindergartners from next year, and then in fifth grade. What they've learned is, I mean, these kids could be fluent with that many years of sign language. Also, opportunities in high school. I know Harrisonburg High School is the only one in the area right now with ASL. [00:24:32] Melissa: But like, if Rockingham County, if there's interest, like maybe that becomes a foreign language in Rockingham County. Maybe these kids go to college in the future, and they're able to take a world language very, like, smoothly because they already have a foundation. So, a forever thing. It's very cool to think about. [00:24:48] Katie: And that actually leads me into the, what I was gonna ask you, Melissa, is like, what would you say to a student who's thinking about learning ASL? I'm thinking about some of you, I mean,you started getting interested in high school, like, you know, do you have anything you'd like to advise you'd like to give? [00:25:02] Melissa: Well, 4 percent of our population is deaf in the United States. 75 percent of deaf children have hearing parents who do not sign. So, when you start looking at things like that, it just makes sense to have this bridge to communication. [00:25:22] It is an American language, like, just for me, just like clicks. I don't know. Are you all familiar with Nyle DiMarco, the deaf gentleman that was on Dancing with the Stars and he was on. Okay. So, he does a TED talk,k and I have my students watch it. And in the TED talk, he talks about traveling the world and how he's in a butcher shop 00:25:41] an American guy and a Sicilian guy are trying to communicate about meat. And Nyle's sitting there watching, and they're gesturing and like, you know, in their two languages. And he's deaf. I know exactly what they're saying. So he gets a pen and paper, he writes it all down, and he translates for these hearing people. [00:26:03] And he said something that I thought was really interesting. He says, at that moment, the hearing people were the ones with the disability. I was the one who could connect them. And so I just think that that is such a crazy thing to think about for the future is that all of us can connect in this way. [00:26:20] It's just such a beautiful language, and it's here, and it's available. [00:26:23] Katie: I love all of that, so I just, you know, in closing, I just wanna thank both of you for being here and sharing how ASL can help our students learn, connect, and grow. Are there any final notes or final things that I didn't touch on that you'd like to cover? [00:26:38] Tammy: Well, the audience can't see us, but I can't think of any moment in this conversation that we all haven't done something with our hands, our facial expressions, and it might not even be the accurate signs, but. In the world that we live in, we're always using our hands to talk. We're always using facial expressions, whether to show anger, sadness, or frustration. [00:26:59] So this next piece just seems natural. [00:27:04] Katie: Absolutely. And that's why, you know, when I do these recordings, I always think it is really important to, we're talking, but I'd love to be able to see people so that it has the natural progression of the communication. and outside of, you know, if you have low vision or you know, there are other ways [00:27:19] to communicate, in other environments, it gets you thinking. I think especially now, in the age of digital accessibility, as we're thinking about, you know, having our digital presence be available to anybody. Whether you are deaf, hard of hearing, have low vision, you colorblind about how we are providing these. [00:27:39] Things that are accessible to our entire community. So I just wanna thank you both and thank our listeners for joining us today, and we hope you learn something new and maybe even feel inspired to learn some new signs at home. So, all right, we'll see you next time. [00:27:53] Tammy: Thank you so much. Bye everybody. [00:27:56] Katie: Thank you for listening to the RCPS Community Partner Cafe. If you would like to learn more about the information discussed on this podcast, visit us at www.rcps.net. If you have questions related to your own child, please contact their school directly. The information shared on this podcast does not substitute for advice directly related to your child. [00:28:23] If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, be sure to share.