aslasl.com Blog

Opportunity for teens, adults, and educators:

Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will be offering a 4-day workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. geared toward beginning sign and signing with children.  2.0 CEUs are available for this class.  You may walk in knowing nothing but will leave knowing how to carry a signed conversation to discuss academics, family, daily activities, etc…  You will be AMAZED at how much you will pick up.  Cost is $120 and registration is taken at:  pwooten@northwestms.edu or phone:  (662)562-3349.

First opportunity is for children:

JCIL Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, located at 1981 Hollywood Drive, is offering sign language camp for hearing children in grades K-5. The children will learn signs for colors, animals, letters, numbers, and more, through fun and exciting activities, music, games, and crafts. Lunch will be provided every day.   Great opportunity for young children who have family members who use sign.

Drop-off your children between 8:30am to 9:00am and then pick them up from 2:00pm to 2:30pm. The cost of this camp is $125 per child with discounts given for additional children in the family.  Camp capacity is 40 campers so it is first come first serve. For more information contact us at 731-664-3986. Deadline to register is Friday, May 25th.

Second opportunity is for teens and adults:

Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia will be offering a 4-day workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. geared toward beginning sign and signing with children.  2.0 CEUs are available for this class.  You may walk in knowing nothing but will leave knowing how to have a signed conversation to discuss academics, family, daily activities, etc…  You will be AMAZED at how much you will pick up.  Cost is $120 and registration is taken at:  pwooten@northwestms.edu or phone:  (662)562-3349.

Kirby Woods Baptist Church will host a camp for Deaf and hard of hearing children in 2012.

When?  June 25-28; 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

Where?  At the Kirby Woods Baptist Church,   6325  Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119

Who?  For children in kindergarten to 8th grade

What?  Field Trips, Drama, Bible Stories, Games

How?  To register  phone (901)682-2220; Video phone (901)620-6053; or visit www.kwbc.org/deaf

There are two upcoming opportunities to watch, use, and learn American Sign Language in the mid-south area.  Actress Marlee Matlin is coming to town April 19th and the Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, MS will be offering a 4-day intense workshop.  Details of each are below:

Marlee Matlin Fundraiser: will benefit the neonatal intensive care unit at Baptist Memorial.  Thursday, April 19.  Silent action begins at 11:00 a.m. while lunch begins at noon – 1:15 p.m.  It will be held at the Memphis Hilton at 939 Ridge Lake Blvd.  Tickets are $100 and tables are $1000.  Replies are requested by April 9th to (901)227-7123.

ASL for Beginners: a beginning class that assumes you know nothing about signing.  This is a 4-day class worth 2.0 CEUs should you need them.  It will be held at the Northwest Mississippi Community College campus in Senatobia from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. June 4th- June 7th (Monday – Thursday).  You may enter the class not knowing a single sign.  However, come Thursday afternoon, you will be able to have a simple signed conversation (good enough to be understand by someone in the Deaf community) with your d/hh family member, student, co-worker, parishioner, or friend.  Cost is $120.  Phone (662) 562-3349.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at instructor@ASLasl.com

There are 4 different American Sign Language offerings starting this week!  ASL 101 class starts tonight, Monday, January 23rd  ($140 +$25 registration).  Sign with Your Baby class has CHANGED to Thursdays (not Fridays) from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m ($45/baby).   The Manual Alphabet and Fingerspelling workshop will be held Saturday, January 28th from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m ($7/person).  The Numbering in ASL workshop will be held Saturday, January 28th from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m ($7/person).

What is ASL 101?

This is a hybrid class that is perfect for those wanting to learn beginning sign but can’t find the time to make it to a weekly class for two months.  For 4 Mondays you will be able to squeeze in 8 lessons.  One in-class meeting and one lesson will be emailed to you each week.  You will be tested over each lesson and a certificate of completion can be offered if you employer requires it. Cost is $140 +$25 registration fee.  Installments can be made.  Just email me at instructor@ASLasl.com

What is Sign with Your Baby?

Why wait to communicate?  Regardless of whether your child has special needs, signing helps to improve cognition, motor skills, communication, and hence bonding.  It is a great way to provide your child with a foundation in language literacy.  You need not be able to voice to learn about language and ASL can teach your child language skills so that English and reading become that much easier later on.  Cost is $45/baby (or childcare worker) for a six week session.

What about the two workshops?

Saturday’s workshops are IDEAL for those who work with children.  Adding a tactile means to learning the ABC’s or multiplication chart can really make the difference when it comes to rote memory tasks.  You will learn how to teach yourself the manual alphabet, what fingerspelling is used for and how it helps children who have trouble with their spelling words, how to improve your expressive and receptive fingerspelling, how to count in ASL and number related signs such as math functions, time, tense, etc…  Cost for each workshop is $7/person.

For more information you can visit the online registration page at www.ASLasl.com or simply email instructor@ASLasl.com!

Hurry to enroll for ASLasl’s 2 workshop to be held this Saturday, January 21 at 12:30 and at 2:30 as well as the ASL 101 that begins this Monday, January 23rd at 5:40 p.m.

Essential ASL – you will learn what you need to get through a rudimentary conversation.  You will be amazed at your ability to sign after just one hour of instruction!  You will be able to ask/answer questions such as:  “Where do you live ?”; “Where do you work?”; “What is your name?”; “How many children do you have?”  etc….  This is an excellent workshop for those who are losing their hearing, those who encounter the deaf on the job or at church/school, and those interested in a quick introduction to signing.

Visual Acuity, Manual Dexterity, and an Intro to ASL workshop will provide you with a brief overview of America’s third most commonly used language as well as exercises on how to improve your visual acuity and manual dexterity.  Get essential information that most ASL curricula leave out!  This is a good workshop for those attending the Essential ASL class, those who wonder why they are unable to understand a signed conversation, and those who would like to learn sign but feel their arthritis would prevent them from doing so.

ASL 101 (part 1) is a new hybrid class and an excellent choice for those who want to take a sign course but can’t find the time.  Covering one in-class lesson and one-out of class lesson per week, you will squeeze in 8 lessons in just four Mondays!  The class uses the same curriculum used at California State University but with ASLasl’s special approach to learning vocabulary and culture.

Workshops and classes are held at 9045 Forest Centre Drive in Germantown, TN (corner of Poplar Ave and Forest Hill-Irene Rd)

To enroll do one of 2 things:

1. Visit the online registration page at www.ASLasl.com
2. Send me an email at instructor@ASLasl.com and let me know you are coming.

Costs:

• $7/person for workshops
• ASL 101 (part 1) class:  $140 +$25 registration fee (or if you are a former ASLasl student, you pay $70 + $25 registration fee!)

These ASL offerings are right around the corner so enroll quickly!

For questions

The next American Sign Language workshop will be Saturday, January 21, at 12:30 p.m.  Cost is $7/person.

In the Essential ASL workshop, learn the basics that you need to know to have a rudimentary signed conversation.  You will be able to ask and answer questions like:

• Where do you live?
• How are you?
• How many children do you have?
• Who is your teacher?
• Sign slowly please.

You will also be able to introduce yourself, learn 3 ways to teach yourself the manual alphabet, and learn how to increase your signing vocabulary immensely simply by knowing how to fingerspell and sign numbers.

At 2:30 p.m. there will be a second workshop.  Learn why visual acuity is important to signing.

• How to improve your visual acuity
• How to increase your manual dexterity
• An introduction to ASL history

We will play visual games, do hand exercises, and learn background information about ASL such as:

• What does Abraham Lincoln have to do with ASL?
• What does Jimmy Carter have to do with ASL?
• Why you stand a better chance of understanding a signed coversation from the French than the British.

Cost is $7/person per workshop.

To register, visit the online registration page of the website at:  http://www.aslasl.com/online_registration

As always, feel free to email instructor@ASLasl.com with your questions!

The first ASL offering is January 7th!  The class schedule for American Sign Language classes and workshops has now been posted to www.ASLasl.com.  Please click on the “Online Registration” page to see:

• what is being offered
• when/where classes & workshops will take place
• cost of the workshop/class
• payment information

ASLasl is excited to announce a series workshops that will be offered January – March.  The workshops cover a variety of topics and the first offered is ONLY DAYS AWAY (January 7th).

ALL GERMANTOWN CLASSES/WORKSHOPS  this semester are  limited to an enrollment of 16 so be sure to enroll quickly before they fill up.  You may enroll online via PayPal or simply email instructor@ASLasl.com to reserve a seat.

Classes offered this winter/spring are:

• ASL for Educators (class is held at the community college in Senatobia, MS)
• Sign with Your Baby class in Germantown, TN
• ASL 101 part 1 class in Germantown, TN
• ASL 101 part 2 class in Germantown, TN

The Workshop Series held in Germantown includes:

• Benefits of Early ASL
• Essential ASL
• Visual Acuity, Manual Dexterity, and an Intro to ASL
• The Manual Alphabet & Fingerspelling
• Numbers in ASL
• Deaf Culture
• ASL Phonology
• Pronouns & Signing Space
• Intro to Classifiers
• Sentences in ASL
• ASL Syntax

All workshops are on Saturdays and cost is a mere $7/person or $55/person if you choose to attend your choice of 10 of them.  Visit the “Online Registration” page at www.ASLasl.com for more information about who would benefit from each workshop as well as what each covers.

For any questions or need for further information, please email instructor@ASLasl.com

And as always, thank you for your support in the deaf community and your interest in America’s third most commonly used language!

A Happy New Year to you and yours!

ASLasl is pleased to announce the NEW hybrid format of its ASL 101 series of classes.  This means you need only attend class HALF THE TIME!  One on-line class and one in-class meeting per week for one month.

This is a GREAT way to squeeze in a session of beginning American Sign Language in just one month!

Like all distant learning classes, there are some requirements that must be met in order for you to enroll.  They are:

1.  Online registration at www.ASLasl.com is required.  Payment goes through PayPal.  You need not have a PayPal account.  But you do need either a credit card or a bank account to make payment.  (no cash).

2.  A Facebook account.  You will post your answers on ASLasl’s wall for class discussion.  These are not right/wrong answers necessarily.  Many are “what do you think” answers.

3.  The ability to read pdf and PowerPoint files, or the willingness to download free software so that you can read pdf and PowerPoint files.

Visit http://www.aslasl.com/online_registration to see:

• which ASL 101 class is right for you  (Part 1 or Part 2)
• Dates & times
• Costs
• How to enroll

Any questions?  Just email instructor@ASLasl.com.