Here it goes, I'm learning American Sign Language (ASL). I once had the pleasure of working with a deaf licensed veterinary technician. I've forgotten much of what she taught me (except for a few words) so I can't wait to jump back in!
For now I'll be learning 20-30 words and phrases that are commonly used in a small animal clinic. Some include dog, cat, owner, veterinarian, nurse, emergency, surgery, physical exam, payment, estimate, medication/medicine, vomiting, euthanasia, diet, and vaccines/injections. Phrases include do you want/don't want, and what's wrong?
Why learn this specific material? I teach future veterinary technicians (nurses), and learning words and phrases used in this context could benefit both my students and their future clients. A topic I teach in my course is diversity and inclusion. I'd love to incorporate what I learn into this topic.
Two requirements of my journey: I have only a few weeks to complete my task (yikes!), and I can only use technology as my source of knowledge. Referred to as networked learning, this learning is "mediated by digital networks, including some social media networking and other Web 2/3 virtual spaces that support user interaction and content generation" (Dirckinck-Holmfeld, 2016, p. 194). I've realized finding this specific information might be tough, and learning the "basics" of ASL could have been easier. But I'm up for the challenge. I've downloaded the ASL App where I'm learning some basic phrases that can be utilized. This app is helpful because it provides conversational knowledge. ASLU has it's pros and cons. I love the abundance of information, but I'm finding I learn best with videos, not just images. Many words on this site are illustrated with a series of only images.
So here's some progress. My next move is to learn how to edit videos! Stay tuned!
For an update on my progress visit my blogs ASL Update and ASL Journey.
References:
Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L. (2016). Networked learning and problem based learning- how they complement each other. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Networked Learning. 193-199. Retrieved from https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/abstracts/pdf/P13.pdf .
Virin. (n.d.). American Sign Language classes now enrolling [ASL signed with the alphabet]. Retrieved May 31, 2019, from https://www.jber.jb.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2001040468/.
Comentários