SPH 172.03 American Sign Language I Fall 2011 Instructor: Shelia Dyer Course Time and Location: M/W 1:00-2:15, HMTC 319 Office: Human Services Bldg. Rm 308 Office Hours: M/W 9:30-10:30, & T 12:30-4:00 & 6:00-7, Office Phone: (936)468-1140 Credits: 3 Th 9:30-11 or Friday by appt. Other Contact Information: 468-2906 Email: sdyer@sfasu.edu I. Course Description: This class is an introduction to American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. All of the following are included but not limited to the principles, methods and techniques for communicating with deaf individuals who use ASL. An emphasis will be placed on the development of basic expressive and receptive skills for simple conversation with deaf individuals using ASL. Also a brief history of signs will be included. The class will be conducted in ASL, no voice. II. Intended Learning Outcomes/Goals/Objectives: Through the activities and objectives in SPH 172 students will become prepared, informed, successful and enthusiastic novice sign language communicators. They will develop cultural respect, a sense of deaf community and a willingness to support the deaf through the use of sign language. Through regular class attendance, expressive sign language work samples and practice, exams, cultural involvement and observation student s will gain academic excellence in the subject area with an emphasis that signing proficiency is a quest to share knowledge. Ethics, professionalism and service within interpreting, rehabilitation, and education professions along with certification requirements from the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Division for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services/Texas Education Agency will be covered. As described in this syllabus, SPH 172 follows the mission, vision and core values of the college of education and Stephen F. Austin State University. Students will demonstrate basic proficiency when using receptive and expressive American Sign Language adequate for basic/simple conversations with the deaf. Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of Deaf culture and the Deaf community. Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the Ethics related to the Interpreting profession. Students will demonstrate basic knowledge of English grammatical sign order while maintaining signs that are based on the meaning and intent of the original message. Students will demonstrate proficiency in the vocabulary and grammar introduced in at least 6 units from Signing Naturally Level 1 including: Recognition of words, sentences, numbers, fingerspelling and short narratives. Students will properly fingerspell their own names Students will communicate with each other given a context provided by the instructor. Students will expand vocabulary and fluency beyond the classroom through practice and projects. III. Course Assignments, Activities, Instructional Strategies, use of Technology: You will be expected to participate in class activities, perform on group exercises, and practice individually in ASL communication techniques and in Deaf culture. The units are designed so that students learn language in context, retain language by activities that are meaningful and therefore necessary in order to develop these skills. Students are required to sign all communication that happens in the classroom. Students may not use their voices while in the classroom. Those students exhibiting bad manners will be asked to leave the classroom for the duration of the class. EXAMS: (100 pts. each = 300) There will be three major exams. Each exam will contain old and new material. Tests will include sign language and Deaf culture. All tests will be signed and students are expected to write the intent and meaning using good English grammar. If you do not show up to an exam, a grade of 0 will be recorded, except for a documented emergency. EXAM 1: Fingerspelling, Unit 1 vocabulary, signed sentences incorporating vocabulary in ASL syntax, and vocabulary covered on the Signing Naturally DVD.
EXAM 2: Units 1&2 signed sentences presented by instructor in ASL using vocabulary, numbers, fingerspelling and vocabulary from the Signing Naturally DVD. EXAM 3: Units 1-3 signed sentences presented by the instructor in ASL, using vocabulary, numbers, finger-spelling, and additional vocabulary from the DVD. TEST FOR HEARING PEOPLE ONLY (50 pts. each = 150 points) There will be three Multiple Choice tests covering the first 24 chapters from For Hearing People Only. Students will need to read and study the assigned chapters before the tests since the information is not covered in class, students will need to be prepared to ask questions for clarification before the test date. Test 1: Chapter 1-8 Test 2: Chapter 9-16 Test 3: Chapter 17-24 DEAF CULTURE ARTICLES & REFLECTION PAPERS: (50 pts each = 150) Students will find current events/articles (2009 Current) related to Deaf Culture and write a reflection paper which will be discussed in groups during class. Students are responsible to describe their article and prepare 2 or 3 questions to lead their group discussion. After group discussion students will evaluate each person in their group based on article appropriateness, knowledge, and ability to discuss the topic. Afterward students will turn in a copy of their article including the information where found and the date published attached to the reflection paper and evaluations. UNIT REVIEW VIDEO: (Total pts. 60) Students are expected to watch the Signing Naturally Video and practice the information for each unit review before video production, you may use your book. Assignment is due on or before the due date in this syllabus. Listed below is the point break-down for each video. Incorrect information or information signed incorrectly will result in a deduction of points. Ch 1 pg. 34-35 (Questions to Ask 1-9, Mini-dialogues 1-3) 25 pts Ch 2 pg. 88-90 (Questions to Ask 1-10, Autobiographies 1, 2, 3, and Your own autobiography) 35 pts. Ch 3 pg. 153 154 (Questions to Ask 1 10, Autobiographies 1-3) 25 pts Ch 4 pg. 212 214 (Questions to Ask 1 10, Autobiographies 1 3) 40 pts COMP FINAL EXAM: (150 points) Students are required to score an 80% or better to enroll in SPH 272 (ASLII) The comprehensive final exam is divided into two parts. The first part is the video based vocabulary portion in which students will see 50 different vocabulary signs, one after the other, with a limited amount of time between the signs to see and write down the meaning. The vocabulary will be shown twice with a warning beep to prepare students to look up. The second half of the test will follow the same format ten sentences are signed in ASL. Students will write the meaning in proper English. The instructor will provide the exam response sheet. Students are encouraged to use the following website for test preparation, web page- http://mycourses.sfasu.edu VIDEO PROJECT: The Three Pigs (140 points) Students will sign onto tape the story The Three Little Pigs and turn in a DVD video of their story. Student s grades are assigned by two techniques to reduce bias. The projects are ranked in order of quality. The instructor then evaluates facial expression, fluency, articulation/clarity, and use of body classifiers. Performing a story is not unlike an artistic dance performance or gymnastics performance. The scoring necessarily is subjective. If you feel the score you receive is not accurate, you may watch your project with the instructor. If still not satisfied, you may request that another instructor evaluate your project. Your grade is based on how much work the instructor must invest in order to understand your story and how closely you follow the model. Deviations are allowed only if they do not sacrifice the quality of the modeled story. A Ease of comprehension: High Errors: Very few B Ease of comprehension: Medium to High Medium to few C Ease of comprehension: Medium Medium D Ease of comprehension: Low Many F Ease of comprehension: Extremely Low Excessive
Practice 1- Rough walk through of the whole story. http://www.faculty.sfasu.edu/whitneyscott/asl1.htm Click on the ASL link to access the videos. Practice 2 Focus on improving vocabulary production, facial expression. Students will work in small groups. Practice 3 Mandatory attendance (40pts) Peer Evaluations, Students will sign the Three Pigs in front of the class in small groups. Students will evaluate each others performance based on vocabulary, facial expression, fluency, and overall sign production. REACTION PAPER: (10 points) Mandatory attendance is required the day we have a Deaf presenter come to our class. Students are required to turn in a 1/2 page paper, typed, (1 inch margins and 12 pt font, dbl spaced) describing their own thoughts, feelings, insights, and additional information that was learned from the presenter. VI. Readings: Textbook: Lentz, E., Mikos, K., & Smith, C. (1992). Signing naturally: student workbook units 1-6. San Diego, CA: Dawn Sign Press. Moore, M. S., & Levitan., L. (2003). For hearing people only. New York: Deaf Life Press VII. Course Evaluations: Near the conclusion of each semester, students electronically evaluate courses taken within the College of Education. Evaluation data is used for a variety of important purposes including; 91) Course and program improvement, planning, and accreditation; (2) Instruction evaluation purposes; (3) Making decisions on faulty tenure, promotion, pay and retention. As you evaluate this course, please be thoughtful, thorough, and accurate in completing the evaluation. Please know that the College of Education faculty is committed to excellence in teaching and continued improvement. Therefore, your response is critical. In the College of Education, the course evaluation process has been simplified and is completed electronically through MySFA. Although the instructor will be able to view the names of students who complete the survey, all ratings and comments are confidential and anonymous, and will not be available to the instructor until after final grades are posted. VIII. Student Ethics and Other Policy Information: Attendance: Since this class is a performance based class attendance is vital for the achievement of competency. Therefore, an excused absence will be given only with a doctor excuse of illness, injury or death. Students will be allowed 2 absences without any penalty but each absence after two will result in a deduction of 10 points from the final grade. Five absences excused or non-excused will require a student to drop and register for the class another semester. People with an excused absence on test day will be given one week to make up the exam after the time has expired the student looses his/her opportunity to take the test. Those receiving an unexcused absence will receive a 0. Students with Disabilities To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004/468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/. Location: Human Services Building, room 325. Phone: (936) 468-3004. Academic Integrity- Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism.
Definition of Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise: and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting and assignment as if it were one s own work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one s paper without giving the author due credit. Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academicintegriety.asp Acceptable Student Behavior Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct Code, policy D-34.1). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial, academic or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full discretion over what behavior is appropriate/inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed. Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54) Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average. IV. Evaluation and Assessments: GRADES WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING: 3 Unit Exams 100 pts each 300 1 Comp Final Exam 300 pts 300 3 For Hearing People Only 50 pts each 150 1 DVD Video Project (Three Pigs) 100 100 3 Deaf Culture Reflection papers 50 pts each 150 4 Unit Reviews 125 125 Peer Evaluation of Pigs 40 40 1 Reaction Paper 10 10 1 Quiz 10 10 Total 1035 SCALE: A = 1185-1068 B = 1067-950 C = 949-830 D = 831 714 F = 713 and below ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN TO RECEIVE ANY GRADE BUT AN F. V. Tentative Course Outline/Calendar: M 8/29 Syllabus, Schedule and Introduction to Deaf Culture, Manual Alphabet pg. 19-20 HW: Read Signing Naturally Introduction pages v-xiv & pg. 4-5 Watch and practice with Signing Naturally DVD Unit 1, follow along in your workbook and fill in the appropriate responses for pg. 6-7, and 8-13.
W 8/31 M 9/5 W 9/7 M 9/12 W 9/14 F 9/16 M 9/19 W 9/21 M 9/26 W 9/28 F 9/30 M 10/3 W 10/5 Practice; Manual Alphabet, numbers, making introductions, Wh questions, categories, same and different, HW: SN pgs. 14-15, watch and practice with the SN DVD Unit 1, fill in workbook pg. 16-20 Labor Day Holiday Signing Naturally pg. 4-5, identify and explain, Numbers 11-15, Asking who, more same and different, identify gender, colors, description, pointing HW: SN pg. 21-29 practice with DVD while following along in your workbook and fill in the appropriate responses when required. Review, giving commands, practice with sentences, following instructions, getting attention HW: pg. 30-35 Deaf Culture Current Event Report #1, Vocabulary and DVD Review DUE: Unit 1 Review pg. 34 Questions to Ask and pg. 35 Mini-dialogues 1-3, Video your responses in the Sign Lang. Lab EXAM 1, Units 1 (100 pts) and For Hearing People Only Ch 1-8 (50pts.) Introduction Unit 2: Telling about yourself, numbers, HW: SN DVD and Workbook pg. 48-57, fill in appropriate information when required. Telling about yourself, Identifying location/where, Narrating about experiences with language. HW: 48-57, 60-64, Due: Deaf Culture Current Event Report #2, Language background, HW: SN pg. 65-68 fill in the appropriate responses in your book. Signing Naturally Workbook pg. 88 Questions to Ask and pg. 90 Your autobiography Video your Responses in the Sign Lang. lab Talking about leisure activities, numbers, Identifying people HW: 69-76, fill in the appropriate responses in your book Identifying people HM: 77-80 Due: Unit 2 Review pg 88 & 89, Video your responses in the Sign Lab F 10/07 M 10/10 EXAM #2 (Unit 1 2) and For Hearing People Only Ch 9-16 W 10/12 The Three Pigs Introduction M 10/17 The Three Pigs Introduction cont. Due: Deaf Culture Current Event #3 W 10/19 Introduction Unit 3: Giving Directions, Real World Orientation 3.2 Commands Involving a Location HW: 3:3 Douglas Tilden, 3:4 pg 115-117 Write the Word 3:5 Conversation 2, & Minidialogues M 10/24 W 10/26 M 10/31 W 11/2 Wh questions, Ordinal Numbers, Giving Directions, Spatial Agreement HW: 3:8 practice and pg. 129, 3:9 Mini-dialogues fill in the appropriate responses, 3:10 Expressing Needs, & Story Corner The Elevator Incident Making Reference, Time, Length of time HW: 3:11Practice letters pg. 138 140, 3:12 Lengths of time pg. 141 145, 3:13 Living Arrangements, Pets, Possessions, Signs for the classroom HW: 3:13 Conversation 4, Information about another person, 3:14 Read pg 150, 3:15 Practice with mini-dialogues, 3:16 Read Culture Information pg. 152 Review for Unit 3 test Unit 3 Review DUE: Follow the directions in the book, sign your answers on video in the Sign lab M 11/7 EXAM #3 (Units 1-3), For Hearing People Only Ch 17-24, W 11/9 Introduction Unit 4: Family Relationships, Review 3 Pigs HW: 4:1Practice Conversation 1, 4:2 Negative Responses, 4:3 Practice Rocking Numbers M 11/14 Review Family signs, Stages of Relationships, Future Desires HW: 4: 4 Read Deaf Profile, 4:5 Practice Conversation 2, 4:6 Practice Finger-spelling 4:7 Telling Ages, W 11/16 M 11/21 Three Pigs Front of Class In Groups (Mandatory Attendance) HW: 4:8 Practice Conversation 3, 4:9 Answer What is the Relationship, 4:10 Questions After a Negative Statement, 4:11 Ten Years Later Negative Responses, Aging, Family Variations, Sexual Orientation,
W 11/23 M 11/28 W 11/30 M 12/5 W 12/7 Sat. 12/17 HW: 4:12 Review numbers 1 100, 4:13 David s Keys, 4:14 Commenting on Family Members, 4:15 Maintaining a Clear Sightline 3 Pigs DUE Thanksgiving Holiday Review Unit 4, Changes in Relationship, Occasions, Making Comments Unit 4 Review Due: follow the directions in the book, sign your answers on video in the Sign Lab Review for Final Exam Special Speaker (Mandatory Attendance, 10 pts deducted for not attending) FINAL EXAM (INFO Lab 1, in the Library) Graduation