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Inquiry Project- Week 2

This week I focused on learning and memorizing the American Sign Language alphabet! I chose to start with this because I think it is important to be able to finger spell your name and be able to read other’s! I started by following this video on YouTube (it was the first one I watched and it ended up working very well for me). The young girl from the channel, Our Berg Life, does a great job of visually and audibly explaining each letter. The repetition made if very easy for me to remember. I learned half of the alphabet one night and the other half the next night so it was less overwhelming, but I am sure it would be easy enough to learn in one go. Once I had a grasp on all 26 letters, I referenced some different alphabet charts to confirm I was doing it properly and I was correctly taught. I might still be making some mistakes so please inform me if I am incorrect!

I have caught myself constantly practicing and going over the alphabet. Hopefully this practice with improve the smoothness of my transitions. Some of the letters are a bit tricky to sign, which was something I did not expect! I am super excited to continue with ASL over the coming weeks!

EASIEST way to learn your ASL ABCs | Slowest alphabet lesson. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved September 25, 2023, from https://youtu.be/a5BD8SjhPSg?si=TmrQYLxd9SeVxd-E. 

Class Reflection- Week 3

This week, we had the pleasure of hearing from Jesse Miller. He spoke about a variety of things surrounding technology, including meme culture, generational divide, privacy, and phone management. This topic of conversation tends to stress me out a little bit because of the lack of clarity on rules for teachers on social media. Jesse touched on this subject and his reasoning was to do with the wiggle room and grey-area between district, school, and classroom rules. As technology is ever changing, the rules will never be crystal clear. I think the biggest take away is just use common sense and separate your personal and professional life as much as possible.

Something that resonated with me was the conversation around managing cellphones in the classroom. The battle between when to engage and embrace technology or when to police the phone use in a classroom is a fine line that likely depends on age, class, and specific groups of students. Especially since we are going to be teachers who grew up with technology, it is important for us to continue to understand and learn about what kids are doing on the internet. This can open the doors for communication if a student needs help or needs to disclose something regarding internet safety. We have a job to inform kids about being safe online!

As I look into the future, I wonder how much communication and technology will change from the beginning of my career to the end? I wonder what problems will arise in the classroom as things change? Will younger students have phones? These are just some of the questions that arose from Jesse’s presentation!

Class Reflection- Week 2

This week we learned about the importance of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). I had briefly heard of FIPPA, but it was very helpful to review it, especially as we start entering classrooms. With social media being so prevalent in my generation, as well as the current generations, it is so important to learn the rules to protect student’s privacy. I learned that you cannot request a student to sign up for a social media account (like Instagram or Facebook), even if it is for the purpose of an assignment. I had never thought about it, but it is good to know their are rules surrounding it!

Photo by Thomas Lefebvre on Unsplash

We also learned about different copyright free resources. These resources make is very easy to not have to worry about violating copyright protocol. My favourite resource was Unsplash. This site has thousands of copyright free photos, accessed through a simple search bar. It will make it very easy to add visuals to any slide deck you may make for your class!

Inquiry Project- Week 1

An inquiry project allows for so much freedom. There are so many directions I could take this project and the possibilities are endless. With that said, I have decided to take on the task of expanding my American Sign Language (ASL) knowledge. I have learned a few basic signs from coworkers, but not nearly as much as I would like.

Here is a list of what I currently know in ASL:

  • Bathroom
  • Water
  • Eat
  • Help
  • Want 
  • More
  • All done
  • Mom
  • Dad
  • Grandma
  • Grandpa
  • Play
  • Toys
  • Stop
  • Go
  • Wait 

I have started incorporating these signs into my work as a coach and support worker at Canucks Autism Network. It expands my communication skills and helps me connect with more individuals. Even if the individuals do not know sign language, adding a visual motion to my verbal communication can help participants understand. 

To hopefully help with retention and fluidity, I will be breaking my lessons into categories such as family members, toys, school related, personal phrases, and the alphabet. I hopefully will be able to find some online resources in the coming weeks to start practicing and learning! On top of expanding my ASL repertoire, I hope to learn the history of sign language and where it came from!

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