Dr. Bill's notes on the teaching of Lesson 1:
Title: Introduction to the course
After this lesson, students will:
1. Have a copy the syllabus
2. Know their instructor's name, credentials, office hours, and
3. Be familiar with the grading policies, testing procedures,
holidays, course assignments and due dates.
4. Know how to spell their name and have introduced themselves to their classmates
5. Know what course materials will be used and what the course will
6. Have been briefly introduced to the following information (much
of which will be covered more in-depth later):
- What ASL is: Definition of ASL
- What ASL is not: Signed English, Pidgin, Cued Speech, or the Rochester
- Suggestions regarding how to learn and practice fingerspelling and numbers
- The relationship between ASL and the Deaf Community
- The existence of other signed languages (for example, BSL)
- Brief history of ASL
- The existence of Deaf Culture
- The need for practice and suggested methods
Materials: One copy of the syllabus for each student. Overheads or
1. Welcome to class
2. Instructor introduction
- Name, credentials/experience, office hours, contact information,
love of teaching, excitement for topic, something interesting about
3. Class communication policy, break schedule, and today's ending
4. Syllabus: If teaching the course no-voice, create PowerPoints (or
overheads) of the syllabus or use presentation software. Font-size
should be large for overhead use. Do NOT just transfer 12-point
type to an overhead and expect students to be able to read it.
Many students do not see well.
5. Question and answers: if teaching the course no-voice you might
want to use one or more of the following methods:
- use an extensive syllabus that clearly explains your expectations
- use an interpreter the first day
- use a computer projection system and allow students to type their
- use a whiteboard (or smartboard or blackboard) and write out
answers to many of the most common questions students are likely to
have on their first day of class.
- Be able to fingerspell first and last name easily by the next
- Review each of the letters in the alphabet. Be able to recognize
them out of order if spelled slowly.
- Access the course materials
- Read through lesson 1 online, learn the vocabulary, watch the
sentence clips and any available videos.
Evaluation of student performance:
- None for this lesson
Evaluation of teaching performance:
Consider passing out a sheet of paper requesting the students email addresses
(if allowed by your school) and then type up a short email expressing your enjoyment of having met the
students and your enthusiasm for the rest of the semester. Invite
student comments, questions, and suggestions.
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