Deaf Culture Presentation Week 14 and Week 15

****Creating a presentation

PreparationThe content:
• Research your topic
• Prepare an outline of your presentation
o Write 3 or 4 main points which you want to develop
o Write 2 or 3 sub-headings for each main point
• Develop your information using these headings
• Transfer the headings to overhead transparencies (OHTs) or PowerPoint slides
• Mark on your notes when you intend to use an OHT or audio-visual aid, and write down any statistics or examples to support your points
• Prepare some open-ended questions to stimulate discussion after your presentation, if required
Audio-visual aids• Prepare visual aids e.g., OHTs, PowerPoint slides, pictures, videos, models
• Prepare any material for handouts (e.g., a summary of your presentation)
• Remember that visual aids are AIDS and should not distract the audience from the spoken delivery
• Use the 7 x 7 rule: no more than seven lines of seven words per slide or OHT
• Use a plain font like Arial and a large font size (e.g., 22 point) on your visual aids • Cue any tapes and videos so they are ready for immediate use
The room• Check the equipment is functioning properly and you can use it confidently
• Leave enough time to rearrange the furniture, if necessary
Your delivery• Practice using the equipment and your visual aids
• Practice making eye contact with people in different parts of the room
• Make a tape recording of your delivery to check how your voice sounds
• Time yourself to check your presentation is not too short or too long
• Practice in front of a mirror
StructureAn oral presentation is structured much the same way as an essay: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. You will be assessed on evidence of your preparation from academic sources, the relevance of your material to the topic, critical analysis of the topic and the logical structure of your presentation.
However, because your information/argument is spoken rather than written, there are some further considerations:
1. Introduction - tells your audience what you are going to tell them
o Provides some brief background information to show why your topic is important/relevant
o Outlines the structure of your presentation, the order in which you will present your information
o Attracts the audience's attention with, for example, a relevant quote, story, or question for the audience
10% of allotted time
2. Body - tells them
o Contains the main argument of the presentation
o Presents the issues relating to the main argument (thesis statement)
o Includes support/evidence for each of the main issues using:
- statistics
- diagrams
- reference to other research
- examples, reasons
o Is presented in a logical way, using explicit signalling phrases and connectives to signal a new point, an example, a contrast, etc.
70% of allotted time
3. Conclusion - tells them what you told them
o Summarizes the main points discussed in the body
o Evaluates the importance of the information
o Reviews any implications
o Brings the presentation to a smooth and natural close
o Leaves the audience with ideas to think about (e.g., a quote or question)
o If appropriate, gives the audience the chance to ask questions
20% of allotted time

Delivery• Introduce yourself to the audience
• Clearly outline the structure and content of your presentation
• Engage the audience using eye contact
• Use your notes, but look up frequently: NEVER read your information
• Speak clearly and try to look relaxed and confident
• Signal your points showing how ideas relate to each other
My next point is
In contrast
• Don't speak while giving handouts to the audience
• Look at the audience while referring to points on OHTs or slides
• Make sure you keep to the allotted time for your presentation

Audience participationIf your lecturer expects this to be included in your presentation, you can encourage the audience to participate in discussion by:
• asking open questions or personalising the issues
• beginning the presentation with a brief handout displaying interesting questions, key concepts or a diagram
• setting a problem-solving task for small groups to discuss
• using the PAIR discussion strategy near the beginning and again at various times during your presentation:
P repare by taking a minute to jot the answer to an interesting general question
A sk other people about their jottings for a minute or so
I nteract for further discussion in the same pairs, or threes or fours
R eflect on or Revise the initial jotting (a brief sentence only)



***Paper Requirements and Help

1. Review of Assignment/Paper Standards
a. Typed in Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
b. 1” margins
c. Printed and Stapled prior to class
d. Header (click ‘View’ on toolbar, then ‘Header and Footer’)
e. Page numbers (click ‘Insert on toolbar, then ‘Page Numbers’)
i. Lower right hand corner
f. Reference page when appropriate
i. APA format/MLA Format
ii. Unless an English/Business major you will need to learn APA format ASAP- this is what you will be expected to know and use throughout college!!! Invest in a good manual or use credible online search engines.
g. Title of project when appropriate (different from assignment name)

2. Writing Center
a. If you have problems, or if you simply would like another set of eyes to proof your paper… If you need help understanding format… Can’t seem to figure out what scholarly writing means… Come here!
b. Check it out http://www.css.edu/x1635.xml
c. For more information contact Steve Backus: sbackus@css.edu or writingcenter@css.edu.
d. T3111

***How Students are evaluated**

Introduction to Deaf Culture Presentations
Fall 2011

Speakers(s):___________________________________________________________________

Topic:________________________________________________________________________

5 = Excellent 4 = Good 3 = Average 2=Fair 1 = Poor 0 = Missing

INTRODUCTION
Gained attention and interest 5 4 3 2 1 0 Introduced topic early 5 4 3 2 1 0
Previewed body of speech 5 4 3 2 1 0
Related to audience 5 4 3 2 1 0

BODY
Main points clear 5 4 3 2 1 0 Comments:
Main points fully supported 5 4 3 2 1 0
Organization well planned 5 4 3 2 1 0
Clearly cited support materials(2+sources) 5 4 3 2 1 0
Language clear, concise, appropriate 5 4 3 2 1 0
Effective transition 5 4 3 2 1 0

CONCLUSION
Reviewed main points 5 4 3 2 1 0 Comments:
Reinforced central idea 5 4 3 2 1 0
Strong closing 5 4 3 2 1 0

DELIVERY
Maintained eye contact 5 4 3 2 1 0 Comments:
Used voice effectively 5 4 3 2 1 0
Presented 1 visual aid 5 4 3 2 1 0
Used nonverbal communication effectively5 4 3 2 1 0
Posture/ stance 5 4 3 2 1 0
Vocalized pauses 5 4 3 2 1 0

OVERALL EVALUATION
Speech was engaging/conveyed topic 5 4 3 2 1 0
Speech clearly stated goal 5 4 3 2 1 0
Speech completed in time limit 5 4 3 2 1 0 Time: ______:______

Comments / Grade:___________

***HOW TO CREATE A POWER POINT**
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CHYQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iasted.org%2Fconferences%2Fformatting%2FPresentations-Tips.ppt&ei=0SnVTuKeC4Ty2QXCwvhZ&usg=AFQjCNEIgqx6x4ULHFXzzYDzCITuUJOczA

Parallels

****There is no need to comment on each other's posts. The information that I want to see here is what you discovered in class while watching the film.******In class today we began to watch a film. I am sure several of you were very surprised that the film I picked to wrap up our semester lectures and discussion is "X-men III". However, the parallels to the Deaf community or any minority community are enormous. The message we are taught and are often raised to believe is that people most conform to the majority to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. What is often not realized is that this very conformity creates a life time of oppression and isolation.

What parallels do you see present in this film? Think about our lectures and discussions as you develop your responses. What is something you have taken from this class that you did not realize before? How will you take what you learned and apply it to your life?

Thank you for joining me on this journey so far. I look forward to your presentations very much.

Your partner in learning,
M

article to read

http://www.nomadit.net/ojs/index.php?journal=anth_matters&page=article&op=viewArticle&path%5B%5D=38&path%5B%5D=68

Blog: Sound and Fury

Here are some scenes from the documentary called, "Sound and Fury". This documentary was made in 2001. Comment on your thoughts and feeling in regards to what you see. I know that you do not get to see a lot but what you see in these scenes are powerful and will give you an overall idea of what this is about.


This is a very unique situation that left a family divided. Read on.


SOUND AND FURY documents one family's struggle over whether or not to provide two deaf children with cochlear implants, devices that can stimulate hearing. As the Artinians of Long Island, New York debate what is the right choice for the two deaf cousins, Heather, 6, and Peter, 1 1/2, viewers are introduced to one of the most controversial issues affecting the deaf community today. One brother is deaf and the other is hearing. Both brothers have deaf children. Heather is born into a strong deaf family (mom and dad are both Deaf). Peter is a twin, his brother is hearing. Although his father grew up with a Deaf brother and his mother grew up with Deaf parents, they have decided to get Peter a cochlear implant. The family is left confused, angry, and very divided. Heather wants an implant but her parents after looking into it, do not feel it is in the best interest of their family. The grandparents are very involved and the discussion becomes very heated, leaving the families torn apart.


Cochlear implants may provide easier access to the hearing world, but what do the devices mean for a person's sense of identity with deaf culture? Can durable bridges be built between the deaf and hearing worlds?








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s80N4o4ctxw&feature=related

Blog: Deaf Poltics

http://www.nad.org/news/2011/8/students-sue-college-failure-provide-access

Please watch this clip. (the transcipt is provided below) Is this discrimination? Why or why not? Find resources that support your claims.

Midterm Take Home Exam: Due October 24 before class

Name_____________________


Introduction to Deaf Culture Midterm Take Home Exam
Copy, print and type answers
Week 1-7
100 points


1. What is the difference between Capital ‘D’ Deaf and lower case ‘d’ deaf?


2. What is the percentage of deaf people born into hearing families? And what percentage of those deaf people belong to Deaf Culture?


3. Use #2 for this question. How does this affect how a deaf person learns about culture identity, and where do they learn it if not from their parents?


4. What is the difference between the pathological/medical and the cultural view of Deaf people? Why is your view point important when communicating with Deaf people?


5. What is audism? What can it be compared to?


6. How do Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community differ?


7. Why are Stateschools important to the Deaf Community/Culture?


8. What are the characteristics of a culture? What are three characteristics of Deaf culture that make it unique?

9. What do Deaf people value the most in their Culture?


10. What are some stereotypes vs. cultural values of Deaf and American Culture?Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.


11. List three culture differences between American Culture and Deaf Culture. Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.


12. What is the difference between a collectivist and individualist culture and where does Deaf culture fall? Give examples 2 examples that we have seen in class.

13. What does time orientation mean to Deaf people?Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.



14. When was the ‘Golden Age’ and the ‘Dark Age’ of Deaf Culture? Is Deaf Culture past, present or future oriented?Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.



15. How can hearing people be part of the Deaf Community? First and foremost, a hearing person must do what to be accepted as part of the community?


16. What is the difference between a ‘high context culture’ and a ‘low context culture,’ and where does ASL fall and why?Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.


17. What are the ‘four avenues’ of membership to Deaf Culture? Explain each.





18. What are the difference between the development of friendships within the Deaf Community vs. friendships between hearing people? Provide an example from class lectures, short video clips, or blog assignments.



19. Why is Alexander Graham Bell considered the “Boogie Man” in the Deaf community?

20. Create a question from you text that you feel is valuable for the hearing community to know and answer it.

Blog #3: Which World is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1_zuCOdfj4

Please watch this and discuss your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas. Please think about the TV program,"Switched at Birth" and chapter three from our required textbook and find information that supports your comments.

Have a great day!
~m

Article Corner

Hello Everyone,

Please post your article summary here as well as a link to your article. I will require that we do this from now on. Too many students did not have this assignment done, papers were not stapled to articles, and assignments were hand written. Further, I would like to engage in a more meaningful class discussion. I believe if we post our articles here to share it will give us more opportunities to take this assignment to the next level. Please post your article and your summary here from this week.


The second group will present their article and summary on Monday, Oct. 3, 2011.

Thank you,
~m

Important Reminder

From Syllabus...

Blog (30%) activities are a large component of this class. Students are expected to blog bi-weekly twice every other week (1,3,5,7,9,11,13). Dedicate time daily to keep up with these assignments to be prepared for class. Do not wait until the day before the due date to do them – you will not get instructor feedback on your work. Blogs will be posted every Monday and are due Tuesday at 12:00am and Thursday at 12:00am (I will allow you to complete these before Wednesday class meeting and Friday class meeting without pentalizing your grade. Students are required to comment on my post and then their second comment needs to be on another student’s comment. The next post will be posted next week Monday, Oct.3, 2011.

Blog #2: What is Deaf Culture?

Please read the variety of articles and respond to the questions below.

Information taken from:
http://library.thinkquest.org/11942/deafculture.html

Deaf Culture

When thinking about deaf culture, realize there is a barrier dividing people who are deaf from hearing people, and it is communication. A large portion of deaf culture revolves around this fact of life. Lack of communication inhibits the interaction between people. So, to overcome this, many people who are deaf key in on socialization. Deaf people are famous for "DST," Deaf Standard Time. That is, the Deaf have a tendency to be late because they like to chat for long periods of time.

However, not Deaf are involved with the Deaf Community. Not all people who are deaf, especially young deaf children of hearing parents, have access to -- or even know -- other people who are deaf. Nine out of every ten deaf children are born from hearing parents who have no experience or knowledge of the deaf community. There are deaf children whose parents do not know Sign Language. And, there are deaf children who do not know other deaf children. Many have a hard time making good friends because they either don't have the opportunity or they don't share the same language with other children. We feel it is important, like many other deaf sites on the Internet, to raise awareness about these issues.

Deaf Communities are extremely tight knit worlds that exist to preserve friendships and interaction. Deaf Communities also serve as a rallying point to create the political strength the Deaf need to lobby for the support they need from the larger community. Schools for the Deaf provide a center for the community, an emotional core, if you will. These schools are considered extremely important and essential to the well being of individuals as well as the group. Deaf Communities are quick to act if anything threatens their school funding. Also, religion often plays a large role in the lives of the deaf, because they provide opportunities for interaction. An announced sporting event for the Deaf can draw thousands from all over, not so much for the sport but for the socialization. Deaf people like to hang around a lot of the same places where they know that they would find other deaf people, such as coffeehouses and movie houses that play open-captioned movies.

Identity is another important issue with the Deaf Community and individuals who are deaf. They question the common notion: "Are deaf really handicapped?" They say "No!" It is important to all deaf that to remain strong and independent. They want to prove deafs can make it in the world, and they often give themselves and each other encouragement to develop the confidence to make it as whole and independent people in the world. The only thing they can't do is hear. If they have the benefit of a good education and develop their skills, the Deaf can function as well as anyone else.


The Deaf are very straightforward and uninhibited in the way they communicate with each other, and with all other people as well. They don't "pussy-foot" around. Sometimes this directness comes off as seeming rude. Hearing people tend to cover up their true meaning more than the Deaf do. This confuses communication. The Deaf read the body language before the words, so most of the time they know the real meaning even when the words don't match up. The words confuse the meaning, and makes it difficult to communicate.

Historically the Deaf have been one of the world's repressed minorities. In times past, the Deaf were often referred to in negative ways. Today sensitive and informed people use positive language that recognizes, and values, the differences. Deaf people are "people" first and "deaf" second. Being "deaf" does NOT make one "dumb". People who are deaf are very sensitive to any put down, and rightfully so.

Even though the Deaf in America all have regional, even school, differences or they were taught a variety of different language systems growing up, once people who are deaf get together they quickly find a common ground in language so they can communicate with each other. This is usually ASL. The Deaf all over the world are very flexible with each other because they value so much the chance to form real, meaningful relationships. The Deaf pick up what others are saying by starting with very gestural signs that look much like what they mean. Sometimes these signs are called "iconic" (like "icon" pictures used to represent actions on the computer). Sign language can be very efficient and the Deaf are able to learn variations in each other's systems quickly. Deafs tend to joke that it would be better for the world's sake if each country's diplomats were Deaf, because they can find ways to resolve their differences, come together, and be strong. The Deaf could do the world good!
LISTENING IN ON DEAF CULTURE



Information taken from:
http://www.colorado.edu/journals/standards/V5N2/AWARD/halpern2.html
Listening In On Deaf Culture



Ideally, this article would be written by a Deaf person. It seems only logical to me that a member of any culture is better than an outsider at understanding and explaining the complexities of that culture. So in a sense, I write this article for other outsiders--hearing people who may never have realized that there is such a thing as Deaf Culture. To keep this essay coherent, I have used "deaf" to refer to a physical characteristic and "Deaf" to refer to cultural identity.

STANDARDS Editorial Note: The section headings in this article link to related sites on Deaf culture.



by Carla A. Halpern




In mainstream American society, we tend to approach deafness as a defect. Helen Keller is alleged to have said, "Blindness cuts people off from things; deafness cuts people off from people." This seems a very accurate description of what Keller's world must have been. We as hearing people tend to pity deaf people, or, if they "succeed" in the hearing world, admire them for overcoming a severe handicap. We tend to look at signing as an inferior substitute for "real" communication (let alone language!). We assume that all deaf people will try to lip-read and we applaud deaf people, such as Marlee Matlin, who use their voices to show us how far they have come from the grips of their disability. Finally, when we hear about devices such as the cochlear implant, we joyously hail them as hopeful signs that we can some day eradicate deafness altogether.

Given this climate, many hearing people are surprised, as I was at first, to learn of the existence of Deaf culture. Imagine -- deafness not as a defect, but as a source of connection! Imagine yourself deaf, growing up with a beautiful language, visual literature, humor, and theater. Imagine taking pride in your identity without any desire to become a member of the majority culture. For many deaf people, their community is a comforting relief from the isolation and condescension of the hearing world. But the Deaf community is far more than a "support group" for people who share a physical characteristic.

Members of the Deaf community may have hearing levels that range from profoundly deaf to slightly hard-of-hearing. But no members of the Deaf community are "hearing impaired." Inside this community, deaf people become Deaf, proudly capitalizing their culture. Hearing people suddenly find that they are handicapped: "Deaf-impaired."

Quite a different perspective, isn't it?

My own introduction to Deaf culture grew out of graduate studies in linguistics. I had always been curious about sign language, but had no idea that it would lead me into a completely new world--into a culture which has survived profound oppression, discrimination, and tragedy. The language and history I learned were colorful but painful at times: I learned of the turn-of-the-century Milan conference, at which all kinds of sign language were targeted for annihilation--and the resulting case histories of deaf children denied education; growing up illiterate--or without any real language at all. In addition, I learned of the relentless efforts to make deaf children "normal", whatever the cost.

In other words, I learned of a culture which has survived through the mainstream world's complete denial of its existence.




Not a Disability

From a deafness-as-defect mindset, many well-meaning hearing doctors, audiologists, and teachers work passionately to make deaf children speak; to make these children "un-deaf." They try hearing aids, lip-reading, speech coaches, and surgical implants. In the meantime, many deaf children grow out of the crucial language acquisition phase. They become disabled by people who are anxious to make them "normal." Their lack of language, not of hearing, becomes their most severe handicap.

While I support any method that works to give a child a richer life, I think a system which focuses on abilities rather than deficiencies is far more valuable. Deaf people have taught me that a lack of hearing need not be disabling. In fact, it need not be considered a "lack" at all. As a hearing ally, therefore, I feel I have an obligation to follow the suggestions of deaf adults and work for both the use of American Sign Language and a positive portrayal of Deaf culture in the classroom. Deaf children are entitled to know that they are heirs to an amazing culture, not a pitiful defect.

In order to follow through on that obligation, one of the best things I feel I can do is try to educate other hearing people about the realities of American Sign Language and Deaf culture. Language is one of the most critical aspects of most cultures, and one which sets deafness aside from other "defects", such as blindness, physical disability, or illness. And no, sign language is not "universal." Nor does it always correspond to the spoken language in the same country. For example, American Sign Language (ASL) is native to the United States and Canada. Deaf Canadians might use English, French, or both as a written language. But deaf people in Great Britain, while they may write in English, use a completely different sign language.




American Sign Language

ASL is essentially the offspring of indigenous "new world" sign languages and French Sign Language (La Langue Signe Francaise, or LSF). LSF merged with the indigenous sign languages when it was brought to the United States in 1817 by Laurent Clerc, a Deaf Frenchman who opened the first American school for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. One of these native sign languages which fed into the development of ASL arose in Martha's Vineyard in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. The Vineyard had a large genetically deaf population but no Deaf culture as such--hearing and deaf people both used the sign language as a primary means of communication among themselves.

Grammatically, ASL is far removed from English or even British Sign Language (BSL). One common misconception is that ASL is simply "silent English"--a means of representing English with the hands. Codes such as this, (e.g., Signed English) do exist, but they are rough and unwieldy hybrids of English grammar and ASL hand positions (known as "handshapes"), rather than languages in their own right. ASL has a grammatical structure suited to a visual medium; there is no direct correlation between English words and ASL signs.

The one spoken language which has the closest grammatical similarity to ASL is Navaho, because both languages use a similar pronounciation system. Rather than the standard "he","she", "it", and "they" of English, Navaho and ASL use a much wider array of pronouns that match the person or object they refer back to. These are known as "classifiers." For example, ASL has no discrete sign for "it" but instead uses any of a series of classifier signs which vary with the category, size, and shape of the object referred to. In this way, ASL pronouns carry much more information than do English pronouns.

ASL also avoids one of the biggest scourges of English: the "pronoun problem"-- the tendency of English speakers to use "he" as a generic singular pronoun representing any unkown person, male or female. However, once a person is mentioned in an ASL conversation, she is given a location in space which represents her for the remainder of the conversation (As you can see, my attempt to describe this difference butts right up against the pronoun problem!). Different ways of pointing to this location can indicate the number of people who occupy it, and their role in the conversation (subject or object, for example) but not their sex.


Deaf Culture

Because about 90% of Deaf people are born to hearing parents, they absorb their culture from their peers, not their families. Most Deaf children who attend residential schools for the deaf pick up ASL from their classmates (usually from the few classmates who are born to Deaf parents). Because of this source of cultural identity, one of the first questions Deaf people ask upon meeting each other is where they went to school and who their teachers were. In this way, the Deaf community can become very close-knit, as each member becomes familiar with residential schools in various regions of the country.

Deaf culture also places a great deal of emphasis on physical contact. Hugging is far more common than shaking hands, especially when parting. Deaf good-byes are unusually drawn out and even in passing not taking time to chat for a few minutes is considered rude. The Deaf community easily becomes a second family to many people whose own families are hearing.

Deaf churches also play a similar extended family role in the community, even for non-religious or non-Christian people. Often, Sunday is the only time that a person might have to escape from the working world (perhaps in an office with hearing people, where the language barrier is severe) and have actual conversations and socialize.

Like many minority groups, the Deaf community has its own stereotypes of the dominant culture. Often in Deaf theater and "oral" tradition, hearing people are portrayed as rigid and unemotional. Much of this perception comes from our use of English. Information in English is conveyed almost completely orally; by contrast, ASL builds grammar into facial expressions and body movement. Hearing people certainly do use some visual cues when communicating, but these are known as "body language", as extra-linguistic nuances rather than as grammatical features. As a result, when compared to Deaf people, hearing people can come off as expressionless and unfeeling. Hearing people may find themselves the butt of Deaf wordplay; if they are a bit slow on the uptake, they may be described as "hearing-and-dumb."

Deaf culture is also harsh on "traitors"--those who are deaf, but not Deaf. The sign used to denote such a person is the sign for "hearing", only made in front of the forehead. This epithet is emphatically not a compliment. It indicates that the individual represented is "hearing-in-the-head"; that she thinks of herself as a hearing person. This Uncle Tom analog is exactly the same kind of person that mainstream culture tends to applaud for "getting beyond her disability." But in the Deaf community, someone who rejects her Deaf identity is leaving behind a rich culture, not a disability. For these reasons, many members of the Deaf community look with disfavor on deaf people who try to assimilate.

Another group of people who earn comment, both favorable and unfavorable, in the Deaf community, are alphabet card vendors. You've seen these people at airports and malls, handing out plastic cards printed with the manual alphabet, along with a note that says they are deaf, asking for a donation. In one sense, these vendors are seen as beggars--as people who discredit the Deaf community by making their deafness pitiful. But alphabet card vendors are also seen by some as crafty equalizers who play on the guilt of hearing people to bring their money into the Deaf community. For my part, I tend to view alphabet card vendors the first way and never give them money. Additionally, it is worth noting that some of these vendors are simply scheming hearing people--if you watch them carefully, you can see them responding to auditory cues. In the Deaf community, for a hearing person to intentionally try to "pass" is not only dishonest, it is phenomenally rude.




Deaf Rights
The Deaf civil rights movement is the political arm of the Deaf community. Throughout history American deaf people have been denied the right to vote, to marry, and to raise children. The Deaf civil rights movement is dedicated to fighting this kind of discrimination and raising awareness of Deaf history and Deaf culture within the Deaf community.

Although the denial of rights to deaf people smacks of discrimination, Deaf parents even today have their children taken away under the logic that a lack of hearing makes them "unfit" parents. Nothing backs up this "logic." Deaf parents of hearing children often raise kids who become sign language interpreters; whose bilingual background is a social and professional asset. And Deaf parents of deaf children tend to raise the leaders of the Deaf community, as "Deaf of Deaf" are often the first to learn language, the most adept at ASL and English, and the ones who teach ASL to their peers at residential schools.
These residential schools are often a social joy for the deaf children who experience their first introduction to ASL (and sometimes language itself) from their peers and form social networks that may last a lifetime. This is one of the major reasons that parents send their children to residential schools rather than "mainstreaming" them in hearing classrooms (where they are often directed to "special education" instead).

Unfortunately, residential schools for the deaf are often sorely deficient in actual education. The teachers rarely use ASL or teach Deaf history and in most places are not required to. The administrations are often made up of hearing people who are still bent on assimilating the students. The focus is on "word attack" and speech skills, rather than science, math, history, and literacy in English. As a result, many deaf students in this country graduate from both residential and mainstreamed programs with a third-grade reading level and little chance of going to college or ever holding more than a minimum-wage job. Therefore, another major goal of the Deaf civil rights movement is parity in education--development of an educational system where deaf children can become both Deaf and literate.

Hearing people can have a place in the Deaf community. Each minority group tends to welcome genuine allies and the Deaf community is no exception. But it is important for us "hearies" to remember our role as allies. We join the community to show our support, not to lead. We can help educate other hearing people, but we are not missionaries to bring Deaf people into the mainstream. Deaf people are the appropriate leaders of their own civil rights movement and teachers of their children. Our role is not to give Deaf people a voice; it is to make sure that the voice already present is heard. And we can do that. We can teach other hearing people to listen.


Please select three things from these articles that you would like to discuss with each other. Post insightful, thought provoking and meaningful discussions. Explain why you picked what you did and create a discussion that will enhance what the article is about.

Class Announcements #1

Hello Everyone! Welcome to our class blog! I am very excited to begin our journey together. Below you will see that I have posted the class syllabus. Please post any questions that you have here and I will address them in class on Monday and/or here.
This is the announcement section so be sure to read and respond to the post below.


Deaf Culture in the United States (2 credits)
MW 10:30-11:40 4414T
Instructor: Monica Marciniak
Email: mbutche@css.edu
Office: 3607 Tower Hall
Office hours: MWF 1:00-2:00, F 10:30-11:45, T 11:00-11:50 or by appointment

“Every one of us is different in some way, but for those of us who are more different, we have to put more effort into convincing the less different that we can do the same thing they can, just differently.”

“I’m a proud person who happens to be deaf. I don’t want to change it. I don’t want to wake up and suddenly say, ‘Oh my God, I can hear.’ That’s not my dream. It’s not my dream. I’ve been raised deaf. I’m used to the way I am. I don’t want to change it. Why would I ever want to change? Because I’m used to this, I’m happy.”
-Marlee Matlin Deaf Actress


General Education Pathway and College Outcomes

This course directly addresses the college outcome of Intellectual and Foundational Skills in that it helps students recognize the need and importance of living and working in a diverse community. It also examines the influence of personal, social and institutional factors on discrimination and prejudice. Additionally, it helps develop an understanding and appreciation of service in service learning activities. Students will engage in intercultural competence as well as responsibility to community by understanding the importance of advocating on issues of diversity and take responsibility for one’s personal actions and its impact on self and others. Students will contribute to their community by participating in activities that will promote a sense of community. Students will also engage in holistic growth by utilizing the process of problem solving and conflict resolution skills in decision-making.


Course Goals

This Course is an introduction to various aspects of the deaf community as a linguistic and cultural minority group. Designed for individuals who may or may not have had prior experience with Deaf people, course raises questions concerning the nature of sign language and its varieties, education of deaf people, historical treatment of deaf people, sociological and cultural issues important to the deaf community, and political activism.





Course Objectives cont:

A. Cultural
1. Students will begin to understand the American Deaf Culture and its dynamics (social, political, audiological, and linguistic).
2. Students will recognize the differences of being disabled and being Deaf
3. Students will identify similarities and differences between Deaf Culture and other world cultures
B. Functional
1. Students will compare and contrast American Deaf Culture to other world cultures.
2. Students will engage in online journaling concerning the social, political, audiological, and linguistic aspects of Deaf Culture.
3. Students will engage in directed group discussions regarding current issues and trends of the American Deaf people (new technology, education, families, politics, etc)
C. Linguistic
1. Students will recognize that American Sign Language is a natural language that was created for and used by Deaf people.
2. Students will recognize that American Sign Language is a visual gestural and true form of language used by American Deaf people with complex grammar, structure and rules just as other traditional spoken languages.
3. Students will comprehend ASL as the basis of Deaf Culture as a linguistic minority.



How to be Successful

Success in this course requires study outside of the classroom, including researching on your own time regarding information pertaining to Deaf Culture/Community and American Sign Language. Learning another Culture requires student to be receptive to ideas, concepts, values, traditions, language, and folklore that they may not be familiar with. It is best to keep an open mind and respect what you learn. Please do not plan to “coast” along and cram when exams and quizzes are given. Put your time and effort into the course. You will get more out of it if you put more into it. Be an active listener and create discussions that are insightful and thoughtful.



Required text

Mindness, Anna. Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication For Sign Language Interpreters. 1st. Yarmouth: Maine, 1999. Print.
Moore, Matthew, and Linda Levitan. For Hearing People Only: Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions About the Deaf Community, its Culture and the "Deaf Reality". 3rd. Rochester: New York, 2003. Print.

Course components and grading

Success in this course requires study outside of the classroom, including completing the blog assignments, engaging in class discussions, bringing articles to class, reading required texts before attending class and putting in your “two cents”. It is best to set aside some time each day to read over the required materials and write notes about areas your wish to address during class time Please do not plan to coast along. Be prepared to be challenged; a large part of the learning process in this class is to increase our open-mindedness and develop respect for cultures and minority groups.

Class participation, preparation, and attendance: 10%.

In-class contribution is a significant part of the grade, and an important part of our shared pedagogical experience. Your active participation helps me to evaluate your overall performance as a student (as well as making the class more interactive and engaging for all of us). The quality of your participation is more important than the quantity. Given our limited amount of time together, talking without positively contributing to the discussion will result in a lower grade for in-class contributions. However, I want to stress that positive contributions are not necessarily “right” answers. I encourage you to experiment and take risks. “Wrong” answers can also be instructive and debate is often a good way to learn. Positive contributions are those that advance the discussion by presenting new ideas or insights, or building on others’ comments, or presenting a counterpoint to others’ comments in a respectful way. Contributions that are not positive are those that simply repeat points already made or deride others’ contributions in a discourteous way.

Students are expected to attend each class and participate in a meaningful manner daily. Attendance and class participation are an important part of the final course grade. Every day I will assign each student a class participation grade. This is inherently a subjective evaluation that I will make based upon my observations of the behaviors noted below. I will qualify these grades with a “–” or a “+” as appropriate. Participation includes volunteering answers and comments as well as asking questions. It also includes sharing writings with the class, arrival on time and staying through the entire class.

A: participates readily, assignments completed, works diligently, does not stray from the task in group/partner work, uses time wisely if completes an in-class activity ahead of the rest of the class, contributes positively to the class. It is extremely obvious that the student has come to class prepared and is making every effort to participate.

B: participates often, assignments completed, works on the task in group/partner work without significant distraction, uses time wisely as much as possible, contributes positively to the class. It is apparent that the student has prepared for class. However, the level of participation is not as high as noted above.

C: makes a small effort to participate, assignments completed, distraction from the task in group/partner work is evident. The student appears to make little effort to contribute to full class or small group activities, but can respond when called upon.

Note that for the above grades the student is taking the initiative to participate in class.

D: no real effort to participate is noted. Incomplete assignments or working to complete them just before class begins. Student appears apathetic about learning and practicing; when called upon he or she does not know where we are. It is apparent that student spent little time preparing for class.

F: does not participate, assignments for class are not completed or is working on it while class is already in progress, student is unable to participate in class activities or declines to do so. No effort is apparent. Student is absent either physically or mentally. Student is attending to electronic communications during class.

Leaving class early or arriving late will always have a negative effect upon the daily grade.

Please turn off your cell phone or other electronic communications equipment during class. Checking messages or texting during class is highly disrespectful to the instructor and other students in the class and will result in a substantial class participation penalty (F for the day).

Attendance: A student will be granted one “free” absence without penalty. Otherwise, failure to attend a class will result in a grade of “0” for that day. A waiver of the “0” will be granted at the discretion of the instructor in emergency situations. The “0” will also be waived if the student must miss class due to an official CSS-sponsored activity, with advance warning. The “0” will not be waived if the student schedules an appointment (medical, job interview, leaving early for breaks, etc.) during class time. The average of the daily participation grade at the end of the semester will determine the student’s class participation portion of the grade.
Preparation/Written Assignments: Incomplete or extremely poorly done work will not receive any credit. I expect you to turn in assignments that show that you have taken the time to do them, and you have thought about what you are doing. Late assignments will not be accepted unless the student was absent (excused). It is up to the student to turn in the assignment at the beginning of the period the first day the student returns to class.

Blog (30%) activities are a large component of this class. Students are expected to blog bi-weekly twice every other week (1,3,5,7,9,11,13). Dedicate time daily to keep up with these assignments to be prepared for class. Do not wait until the day before the due date to do them – you will not get instructor feedback on your work. Blogs will be posted every Monday and are due Tuesday at 12:00am and Thursday at 12:00am. Students are required to comment on my post and then their second comment needs to be on another student’s comment.

Integrative Projects/article summaries: (5%). Several times throughout the semester students will make short small presentations. Students will collect 4 articles to share with the class. These articles should be valuable to you (explain why). Students will need to summarize the article and discuss if they believed their article was a good representation to the Deaf Culture/Community. The article as well as the summary needs to be handed in together. This must be typed and the article must be attached. Credit will be given for completing this assignment in a satisfactory and neat manner (free of grammatical errors and professional reflections). Incomplete or extremely poorly done work will not receive any credit. I expect that you show that you have taken the time to do them and that you have thought about what you are doing. If you turn in substandard work for a college student, do not expect to get credit for doing that work. Students will be told the week prior when to bring their article and summary. Reminders will not be given. Plan accordingly.

Additional information will be provided in a timely manner.

Chapter Tests: 20%: There will be two chapter tests, given upon the completion of lessons. Each test will cover the blogs, power points, readings, and class discussions. Students absent on a test day will receive a “0” unless previous arrangements have been made. Dates of these exams will be given in a timely fashion.

Oral Presentation 25 %: Students will give an oral presentation on a topic of their choice with approval of the instructor. These presentations require an oral report, research paper and power point presentation. Further information will be given in timely manner.

Community Event 10%: Students will create an event for the community to learn about Deaf people and their culture. Further information will be given in a timely manner.

Final Exam: 10%. The final exam is a presentation on a topic related to Deaf Culture. Further information will be given in a timely fashion.

95-100: A 76-79: C+ 65: D-
90-94: A- 74-75: C 0-64: F
86-89: B+ 70-73: C-
84-85: B 68-69: D+
80-83: B- 66-67: D















Tentative Course Schedule
Read each the assigned pages before Each Monday
(Use this schedule as a guide, changes may be made throughout the semester, these changes will be discussed in class)

WEEK OF:

Week 1 Wednesday: Introduction to the course & attendance
Lecture: Who are Deaf People? What is Deaf Culture?
Cultural Identity of Deaf People



Week 2 Monday: Mindness, pgs 1-15 Introduction
Wednesday: What is Culture
What is Deaf Culture?
Deaf Paradigm



Week 3 Monday: Mindness, PG 17-39 The Study of Culture
Wednesday: American Sign Language and its importance to Deaf people
Other signing systems
(1) First group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday
Blog Begins and will continue until week 13




Week 4 Monday: Mindness, pg. 39-69 Selected topics in Intercultural Communication
Wednesday: The differences between the Deaf Culture and the Deaf Community
Who belongs?
The importance of CODA
Film: The Deaf Community
(1) Second group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 5 Monday: Mindness, pg. 69-81 Do Americans Really Have a Culture?
Wednesday: Living in Other’s World
Learning to be Deaf
Our place within American Culture
(2) First group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 6 Monday: Mindness, PG 81-127 American Deaf Culture
Wednesday: Deaf Social Norms/Values/Beliefs
(2) Second group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 7 MIDTERM Monday
Film: TBA

Week 8 Monday: Mindness, pg. 127-153 The Impact of Cultural Differences
Wednesday: Education choices
(3) First group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 9 Monday: Mindness, pg. 153-185 the interpreters Roles
Wednesday: Oppression and politics
(3) Second group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 10 Monday: Mindness, pg. 185-207 Techniques for Cultural Adjustment
Wednesday: Deaf Cultural Arts, Humor, Media, and Folklore
(4) First group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday



Week 11 Monday: Mindness, pg. 207-229 Cultural Sensitivity
Wednesday: Pathological view- we must fix them
Cochlear Implants, hearing aids, FM systems
The meaning of Sound
Documentary: Sound and Fury

Week 12 Monday: Paden and Humphries, PG 1-56
Wednesday: The influence of new technology
“Technology of Deaf Culture”
(4) Second group of students bring an article to and summary to class on Monday


Week 13 Monday: Padden and Humphries, pg. 57-121
Wednesday: What is the Future of Deaf Culture?


Week 14 Oral Presentations
Week 15 Oral Presentations


Final Exam Monday, Dec. 19 at 10:00am







ANY QUESTIONS???
If you are not understanding or not able to follow at any time, it is your responsibility to make this known. Please raise your hand during class when you are not following, have questions, or would like to add your comments or concerns. I encourage this very strongly.

HOW TO CONTACT ME

If you need to contact me for any reason, please feel free to do so. My email address is: mbutche@css.edu I check my email on a daily basis and it is the best way to contact with me. Please allow 48 hours for me to return your email or phone call. I will also be available before or after class to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Please take advantage of this. If you need to set up an appointment with me, please email me or see me during class to arrange this

CLASS POLICIES
1. All papers must be typed and on time, no exceptions unless otherwise noted.
2. Late work will not be accepted.
3. If students need to make-up exams they must speak with the instructor before the exam is given.
4. If students need to receive an incomplete in the course they will abide with the College Policies.
5. Class participation is mandatory. Absences must be reported to the instructor before the missed class. Unexcused absences will result in a lower grade.
6. Students will not sleep during class meeting. If you are sleeping during class you will be asked to leave.
7. Students must make the instructor aware if they do not understand information covered in class. If I do not know you have a problem, I cannot help you.
8. Students must show up on time for exams. If you are late, you will not receive credit for any information you missed.
9. Students that are texting during class will be considered unexcused and their grade will be lowered for each time they are texting in class. Please see guide above for how points are deleted due to unexcused absences.
10. The College policies on plagiarism and cheating are strongly enforced in this class. Please see Student Handbook for further clarifications.

Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class, are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptation methods, materials, or testing methods may be made as required to provide for equitable participation.

Post #1: Why the Big Fuss About Culture?

"Someone told me that Deaf people and hearing people aren't that different; we all want the same thing, nice friendly service, just like you get at McDonald's. Others feel that Deaf people are lucky to be living in the enlightened 21st century, where the Americans with Disablilties Act (ADA) guarantees them the right to have an interpreter who will translate English into sign and vice versa." mindness pg 14

What do you think of this statement? Is this an appropriate perspective of recognizing cultural differences? How is this statement harmful? Support your responses.

I look forward to reading your comments!

What Would You Do?

Final Essay Question

Create a "What Would You Do" scenario in which a "sticky situation" involving Deaf culture is created. Recall the video we viewed about the Deaf woman who entered a coffee shop to get an application for employment and the misunderstandings and injustices that resulted due largely in part to the ignorance and stereotyping much of the general public has of Deaf people. As an individual, reflect on how you might respond to that situation using what you've learned over this past semester. Now, create your own scenario, but be creative and try to make it as applicable to your desired career field as you can. Be sure to describe the scenario with enough detail as the second part of this assignment I would like to challenge you to describe the appropriate way to respond using what you know. For example, a friend and I attended a film screening where the captions were not turned on (even though they were previously requested). Upon asking a manager if they could be turned on, we were told no because that would be too distracting. So, what would you do if you overheard that situation? Then continue on to describe what you would do.

Don't use the above examples, try to be creative and think of something applicable to your intended career/life. For the second portion, be sure to support your responses using evidence of learning from class. Be sure to include at least five aspects from class that show your understanding of Deaf culture and why your scenario is inappropriate, unfair, etc. Remember knowledge is power. Approaching these situations as educational opportunities and supporting your reactions and responses with factual information is the approach that best eliminates audism.

Requirements:

~2 pages double spaced
~cite your resources in text and include reference page in APA format
~Due Thursday at 12:00am (attach to an email, subject: Deaf Culture Final)


You may work on this after our last presentation in class during our final exam time. It has been a pleasure!

Good luck!

What would you do?

Presentation Requirements

Presentations: Deaf Related Topic of Choice
Requirement:

Amanda: CODA
Coyer:Deaflympics
Porsche: Deaf and Domestic Violence
Kara: Hearing Screening
Sarah and Natalie: Seeing things from a different point of view
Jordann and Megan: Alexander Grapham Bell/Thomas Gallaudet past and present
Halie: Audism Unveiled
Shawn: Sports and Accomendations


Introduction
1. Title of the TOPIC presented- Goal of presentation (explanation)-
2. Outline of individual presentation
3. Introduction: Interest arousal + thesis statement.
Body
4. Facts provided (Remember to PARAPHRASE) + sources/references
(A statement about where information used in the presentation was obtained from)"According to ......"
5. Personal Analysis, ideas, thoughts, opinions, beliefs (be sure we know these are YOURS)
6. Activities used to make sure the students have grasped the information
provided (ex: short quiz, questionnaire, item ranking...).
7. Presentation style + Enthusiasm.
8. Language & Mechanics. (use professional speech)ummm, ya know, like... should be avoided.
9. Visual aids used: PowerPoint slides 10 to visually present the major points.
Conclusion
10. Conclusion/brief review of all major points covered in the presentation.
11. Time for class questions.
Other information
12. A video clip may be used if it is incorporated into your power point and can be no longer than 2 minutes.
13. Presentation BEFORE questions needs to be 7 minutes this includes video clip.

.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to the Oral presentation, you must submit a Written Presentation that should include the following components:

1. Cover Page.(Title of THEME + Illustration, Team Name, Names of all team members,
Name of university/faculty, Name of teacher, Subject, Class, Date)

2. Detailed Outline of overall presentation of THEME including the TOPICS
with their subheadings. The outline should state when slides and activities are used during the presentation.

3. It should also provide an explanation for why each activity was chosen.
4. Purpose of Theme presentation.
5. Introduction of theme.

All Deaf Town?

An all Deaf town? Hmmmmm..... Just
Think of all the technology that will be used in their homes, buildings, schools, stores, restaurants, etc.
Everyone will sign. Complete accessibility at all times.
http://newurbannetwork.com/article/new-urbanists-design-town-deaf

Please read, comment and create a pros and cons list. Is this a good idea? Why or why not. Find information to support your responses. Please be open-minded with each others comments.

A personal note:

I can see that students are becoming increasingly uncomfortable voicing their comments during class. This is a tragedy and upsets me very much. Our classroom is meant to be a safe place to share our ideas, opinions, feelings, and thoughts. Mutual respect is expected at all times, even when you do not agree. You do not have to agree with each other to discuss topics, but you do need to treat each other with dignity and be open-minded. I do not always share the same ideas, opinions, values, beliefs, thoughts, feelings and norms with all of you, but I do not belittle what you voice. I listen to what you have to say and then respond. I may question you to explain further or ask you to clarify. I ask you to think critically and push yourself. I do not need to hear the comments that you are making to each other, I can see them. Please know this cannot continue. You may take offense to this, but if you do, I would like you to ask yourself why? If you are not participating in what I am describing, you should not feel upset by any of this. Instead you should be appreciative that I want a classroom that is respectful to everyone at all times.

I am very passionate about my students and teaching them to the best of my abilities. I appreciate that you are in this class so much. I am so grateful that you selected this course and are putting your time and efforts into learning about Deaf people, their language and their culture. Too often in my own life I have been treated poorly and cruelly, I have watched my daughter face these very same injustices. Sometimes these things have been done without intention or meaning. Please reflect on how you have communicated in this class and ask yourself if it is possible that you may have engaged in that behavior unintentionally. I am not asking you to comment on this, only think about it. I want this classroom to be a safe place for learning.

Your partner in learning always,
Monica

preparing for presentations

DISCLAIMER:

THIS IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Preparation
The content:
• Research your topic
• Prepare an outline of your presentation
o Write 3 or 4 main points which you want to develop
o Write 2 or 3 sub-headings for each main point
• Develop your information using these headings
• Transfer the headings to overhead transparencies (OHTs) or PowerPoint slides
• Mark on your notes when you intend to use an OHT or audio-visual aid, and write down any statistics or examples to support your points
• Prepare some open-ended questions to stimulate discussion after your presentation, if required
Audio-visual aids
• Prepare visual aids e.g., OHTs, PowerPoint slides, pictures, videos, models
• Prepare any material for handouts (e.g., a summary of your presentation)
• Remember that visual aids are AIDS and should not distract the audience from the spoken delivery
• Use the 7 x 7 rule: no more than seven lines of seven words per slide or OHT
• Use a plain font like Arial and a large font size (e.g., 22 point) on your visual aids
• Cue any tapes and videos so they are ready for immediate use
The room
• Check the equipment is functioning properly and you can use it confidently
• Leave enough time to rearrange the furniture, if necessary
Your delivery
• Practice using the equipment and your visual aids
• Practice making eye contact with people in different parts of the room
• Make a tape recording of your delivery to check how your voice sounds
• Time yourself to check your presentation is not too short or too long
• Practice in front of a mirror
Structure
An oral presentation is structured much the same way as an essay: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. You will be assessed on evidence of your preparation from academic sources, the relevance of your material to the topic, critical analysis of the topic and the logical structure of your presentation.
However, because your information/argument is spoken rather than written, there are some further considerations:
1. Introduction - tells your audience what you are going to tell them
o Provides some brief background information to show why your topic is important/relevant
o Outlines the structure of your presentation, the order in which you will present your information
o Attracts the audience's attention with, for example, a relevant quote, story, or question for the audience
10% of allotted time
2. Body - tells them
o Contains the main argument of the presentation
o Presents the issues relating to the main argument (thesis statement)
o Includes support/evidence for each of the main issues using:
- statistics
- diagrams
- reference to other research
- examples, reasons
o Is presented in a logical way, using explicit signalling phrases and connectives to signal a new point, an example, a contrast, etc.
70% of allotted time
3. Conclusion - tells them what you told them
o Summarizes the main points discussed in the body
o Evaluates the importance of the information
o Reviews any implications
o Brings the presentation to a smooth and natural close
o Leaves the audience with ideas to think about (e.g., a quote or question)
o If appropriate, gives the audience the chance to ask questions
20% of allotted time

Delivery
• Introduce yourself to the audience
• Clearly outline the structure and content of your presentation
• Engage the audience using eye contact
• Use your notes, but look up frequently: NEVER read your information
• Speak clearly and try to look relaxed and confident
• Signal your points showing how ideas relate to each other
My next point is
In contrast
• Don't speak while giving handouts to the audience
• Look at the audience while referring to points on OHTs or slides
• Make sure you keep to the allotted time for your presentation

Audience participation
If your lecturer expects this to be included in your presentation, you can encourage the audience to participate in discussion by:
• asking open questions or personalising the issues
• beginning the presentation with a brief handout displaying interesting questions, key concepts or a diagram
• setting a problem-solving task for small groups to discuss
• using the PAIR discussion strategy near the beginning and again at various times during your presentation:
P repare by taking a minute to jot the answer to an interesting general question
A sk other people about their jottings for a minute or so
I nteract for further discussion in the same pairs, or threes or fours
R eflect on or Revise the initial jotting (a brief sentence only)


Name: ....
Date: ....
(Sample used with permission)
Title: Voting: Our Legal Right


Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to vote in elections
Introduction:
I. Gain audience's attention by asking questions
II. Establish credibility - I vote
III. Explain what voting is
IV. Preview the body:
A. Why we vote
B. Why we don't vote
C. Why we should vote
Body:
I. Why we vote
A. To elect representatives
B. Constitutional right
1. Article 1
2. Amendment 15
3. Amendment 19
II. Why we don't vote
A. Figures on low voter turnout
B. Some don't care
C. Some are not educated about candidates
III. Why we should vote
A. To voice our opinions
B. To guarantee our freedom
Conclusion
I. Summarize main points
II. Explain how to register
III. End with Quotation

preparing for presentations

Preparation
The content:
• Research your topic
• Prepare an outline of your presentation
o Write 3 or 4 main points which you want to develop
o Write 2 or 3 sub-headings for each main point
• Develop your information using these headings
• Transfer the headings to overhead transparencies (OHTs) or PowerPoint slides
• Mark on your notes when you intend to use an OHT or audio-visual aid, and write down any statistics or examples to support your points
• Prepare some open-ended questions to stimulate discussion after your presentation, if required
Audio-visual aids
• Prepare visual aids e.g., OHTs, PowerPoint slides, pictures, videos, models
• Prepare any material for handouts (e.g., a summary of your presentation)
• Remember that visual aids are AIDS and should not distract the audience from the spoken delivery
• Use the 7 x 7 rule: no more than seven lines of seven words per slide or OHT
• Use a plain font like Arial and a large font size (e.g., 22 point) on your visual aids
• Cue any tapes and videos so they are ready for immediate use
The room
• Check the equipment is functioning properly and you can use it confidently
• Leave enough time to rearrange the furniture, if necessary
Your delivery
• Practice using the equipment and your visual aids
• Practice making eye contact with people in different parts of the room
• Make a tape recording of your delivery to check how your voice sounds
• Time yourself to check your presentation is not too short or too long
• Practice in front of a mirror
Structure
An oral presentation is structured much the same way as an essay: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. You will be assessed on evidence of your preparation from academic sources, the relevance of your material to the topic, critical analysis of the topic and the logical structure of your presentation.
However, because your information/argument is spoken rather than written, there are some further considerations:
1. Introduction - tells your audience what you are going to tell them
o Provides some brief background information to show why your topic is important/relevant
o Outlines the structure of your presentation, the order in which you will present your information
o Attracts the audience's attention with, for example, a relevant quote, story, or question for the audience
10% of allotted time
2. Body - tells them
o Contains the main argument of the presentation
o Presents the issues relating to the main argument (thesis statement)
o Includes support/evidence for each of the main issues using:
- statistics
- diagrams
- reference to other research
- examples, reasons
o Is presented in a logical way, using explicit signalling phrases and connectives to signal a new point, an example, a contrast, etc.
70% of allotted time
3. Conclusion - tells them what you told them
o Summarizes the main points discussed in the body
o Evaluates the importance of the information
o Reviews any implications
o Brings the presentation to a smooth and natural close
o Leaves the audience with ideas to think about (e.g., a quote or question)
o If appropriate, gives the audience the chance to ask questions
20% of allotted time

Delivery
• Introduce yourself to the audience
• Clearly outline the structure and content of your presentation
• Engage the audience using eye contact
• Use your notes, but look up frequently: NEVER read your information
• Speak clearly and try to look relaxed and confident
• Signal your points showing how ideas relate to each other
My next point is
In contrast
• Don't speak while giving handouts to the audience
• Look at the audience while referring to points on OHTs or slides
• Make sure you keep to the allotted time for your presentation

Audience participation
If your lecturer expects this to be included in your presentation, you can encourage the audience to participate in discussion by:
• asking open questions or personalising the issues
• beginning the presentation with a brief handout displaying interesting questions, key concepts or a diagram
• setting a problem-solving task for small groups to discuss
• using the PAIR discussion strategy near the beginning and again at various times during your presentation:
P repare by taking a minute to jot the answer to an interesting general question
A sk other people about their jottings for a minute or so
I nteract for further discussion in the same pairs, or threes or fours
R eflect on or Revise the initial jotting (a brief sentence only)

Hmmmm ...Culture Who Has One?

Whew... What a Class today.

Today was interesting to say the least. It is amazing how emotional people can get when discussing culture. I do not ask you to debate, I ask you to express what you believe and why you believe what you do. I ask you to discuss productively and in harmony with each other. Harmony does not necessarily mean agreeing but listening to each other. You may have special insight to take us to places we never imagined. I am not here to simply teach "at" you. I am here to challenge you to think critically, express you opinions, values and beliefs, help you develop tools and skills for your future, and to become active listeners by really hearing what each other has to say. Although our goal is to always be in peace with each other, that is not realistic. Coming forward with what you think, why you think what you do, and being able to support it gives you power. At the end of the day, you may not accept what each other has to say, but you have heard their message and at least entertained the idea that they have presented. Pondered over what others believe, feel and think and perhaps later in your life, it will be useful to you in ways you never imagined.

So many excellent points where brought up in class. I neither agreed nor disagreed, I only asked you to think about things, I brought up hard questions to answer and I pushed you to see them from all different angles. You may be wondering what I actually believe, because I did not state it in class. Do I believe that all cultures must have language? Yes, I do. But when I say this, I do not mean that they have an entirely different language with a complete set of rules, structure, and syntax. What I mean is that they use special language that is unique to them, that unless you socialize with them regularly you will not understand. For example in the LGBT community, Lesbians will comment, "Which color bandana?" This has a specific meanings to lesbians that other cultures may or may not be aware of. Deaf people sign, "Train go sorry,". If you are not a part of this culture, you will not be able to understand what this means. Teenagers use words today that I find completely foreign!

So what is culture? It depends. Some cultures are easier to define than others but that does not mean that they do not exist nor does it mean we should not accept them as cultures. I have included articles that I have found that have interesting messages. I do believe they will give you some closure to our discussion today. But I want you to push ahead and keep an open mind. I want to hear what you have to say and why you feel what you do. Your voice is important. All of you. To question is to be human. Embrace it. The ride is well worth it.



What is Culture?
http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm


Edward B. Tylor
(1832-1917)

The word culture has many different meanings. For some it refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, art, and food. For a biologist, it is likely to be a colony of bacteria or other microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in a laboratory Petri dish. However, for anthropologists and other behavioral scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns. The term was first used in this way by the pioneer English Anthropologist Edward B. Tylor in his book, Primitive Culture, published in 1871. Tylor said that culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Of course, it is not limited to men. Women possess and create it as well. Since Tylor's time, the concept of culture has become the central focus of anthropology.

Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made things are merely the products of culture. They are not culture in themselves. For this reason, archaeologists can not dig up culture directly in their excavations. The broken pots and other artifacts of ancient people that they uncover are only material remains that reflect cultural patterns--they are things that were made and used through cultural knowledge and skills.


Layers of Culture

There are very likely three layers or levels of culture that are part of your learned behavior patterns and perceptions. Most obviously is the body of cultural traditions that distinguish your specific society. When people speak of Italian, Samoan, or Japanese culture, they are referring to the shared language, traditions, and beliefs that set each of these peoples apart from others. In most cases, those who share your culture do so because they acquired it as they were raised by parents and other family members who have it.



The second layer of culture that may be part of your identity is a subculture . In complex, diverse societies in which people have come from many different parts of the world, they often retain much of their original cultural traditions. As a result, they are likely to be part of an identifiable subculture in their new society. The shared cultural traits of subcultures set them apart from the rest of their society. Examples of easily identifiable subcultures in the United States include ethnic groups such as Vietnamese Americans, African Americans, and Mexican Americans. Members of each of these subcultures share a common identity, food tradition, dialect or language, and other cultural traits that come from their common ancestral background and experience. As the cultural differences between members of a subculture and the dominant national culture blur and eventually disappear, the subculture ceases to exist except as a group of people who claim a common ancestry. That is generally the case with German Americans and Irish Americans in the United States today. Most of them identify themselves as Americans first. They also see themselves as being part of the cultural mainstream of the nation.These Cuban American women in Miami, Florida have a shared subculture identity that is reinforced
through their language food, and other traditions.


The third layer of culture consists of cultural universals. These are learned behavior patterns that are shared by all of humanity collectively. No matter where people live in the world, they share these universal traits. Examples of such "human cultural" traits include:

1.

communicating with a verbal language consisting of a limited set of sounds and grammatical rules for constructing sentences

2.

using age and gender to classify people (e.g., teenager, senior citizen, woman, man)

3.

classifying people based on marriage and descent relationships and having kinship terms to refer to
them (e.g., wife, mother, uncle, cousin)

4.

raising children in some sort of family setting

5.

having a sexual division of labor (e.g., men's work versus women's work)

6.

having a concept of privacy

7.

having rules to regulate sexual behavior

8.

distinguishing between good and bad behavior

9.

having some sort of body ornamentation

10.

making jokes and playing games

11.

having art

12.

having some sort of leadership roles for the implementation of community decisions

While all cultures have these and possibly many other universal traits, different cultures have developed their own specific ways of carrying out or expressing them. For instance, people in deaf subcultures frequently use their hands to communicate with sign language instead of verbal language. However, sign languages have grammatical rules just as verbal ones do.


Culture and Society

Culture and society are not the same thing. While cultures are complexes of learned behavior patterns and perceptions, societies are groups of interacting organisms. People are not the only animals that have societies. Schools of fish, flocks of birds, and hives of bees are societies. In the case of humans, however, societies are groups of people who directly or indirectly interact with each other. People in human societies also generally perceive that their society is distinct from other societies in terms of shared traditions and expectations.

While human societies and cultures are not the same thing, they are inextricably connected because culture is created and transmitted to others in a society. Cultures are not the product of lone individuals. They are the continuously evolving products of people interacting with each other. Cultural patterns such as language and politics make no sense except in terms of the interaction of people. If you were the only human on earth, there would be no need for language or government.


Is Culture Limited to Humans?

Non-human culture? This orangutan mother isusing a specially prepared
stick to "fish out" food from a crevice. She learned thisskill and is now teaching it to her child who is hanging
on her shoulder and intently watching.

There is a difference of opinion in the behavioral sciences about whether or not we are the only animal that creates and uses culture. The answer to this question depends on how narrow culture is defined. If it is used broadly to refer to a complex of learned behavior patterns, then it is clear that we are not alone in creating and using culture. Many other animal species teach their young what they themselves learned in order to survive. This is especially true of the chimpanzees and other relatively intelligent apes and monkeys. Wild chimpanzee mothers typically teach their children about several hundred food and medicinal plants. Their children also have to learn about the dominance hierarchy and the social rules within their communities. As males become teenagers, they acquire hunting skills from adults. Females have to learn how to nurse and care for their babies. Chimpanzees even have to learn such basic skills as how to perform sexual intercourse. This knowledge is not hardwired into their brains at birth. They are all learned patterns of behavior just as they are for humans.

Editorial: What is Disability Culture?
http://www.independentliving.org/newsletter/12-01.html

I cannot begin to count the number of times I've been asked this question in the past decade or so. Some people desired a one-sentence response, others a one-paragraph answer and still others just wanted to argue about or mull over the idea. In the past five years or so, there have been hundreds of documents discussing disability culture being distributed. Don't believe me? Well, for the first time in a year or so I just did a couple of searches. Entering the keywords, "disability culture," Yahoo returned 2020 web page matches; Google 2600 matches; and Alta Vista delivered 1272 matches.

Why such interest in the idea of a disability culture. From the international perspective the word "disability" has different connotations to diverse cultures, just as the word "culture" does. The definition of disability that may have become the most known is that of someone who has a major life impairment preventing them from participating easily in a major activity, such as walking, seeing, hearing, thinking. But that definition is one of only dozens in the United States alone. Worldwide there may be hundreds, if not thousands of definitions of disability and I would venture the same applies to the idea of culture. Any word that has such historical and contemporaneous significance will create controversy and interest. Put two such words together and the interest is magnified. This is what's happened with disability culture.

To return to a definition, here's my one paragraph definition, the shortest I can come up with, published in a 1996 issue of MAINSTREAM magazine that I still use:

People with disabilities have forged a group identity. We share a common history of oppression and a common bond of resilience. We generate art, music, literature, and other expressions of our lives and our culture, infused from our experience of disability. Most importantly, we are proud of ourselves as people with disabilities. We claim our disabilities with pride as part of our identity. We are who we are: we are people with disabilities.

Those of us working the field of disability culture probably all agree on several basic points. First, disability culture is not the same as how different cultures treat different disabilities. Instead disability culture is a set of artifacts, beliefs, expressions created by disabled people ourselves to describe our own life experiences. It is not primarily how we are treated, but what we have created. Second, we recognize that disability culture is not the only culture most of us belong to. We are also members of different nationalities, religions, colors, professional groups, and so on. Disability culture is no more exclusive than any other cultural tag. Third, no matter what the disability or location of the person with the disability we have all encountered oppression because of our disabilities. Fourth, disability culture in the southwest of the U.S. may be very different than in the northeast U.S. or Europe or Africa, but all of us have the similarities described in the first three points. Finally, we who have worked, researched, studied and written about disability culture have most often begun in the arena of cross-disability culture, meaning all disabilities and cultures. We're aware they're may be nuances, or even larger differences between some of us, but we've had to start somewhere. If we consider all the possibilities of all disabilities and all cultures it's probably more accurate to say that there are "cultures of disabilities."

Why is any of this important? I believe there are two significant factors. First, how will we or anyone else know how to relate to us if none of us are aware of our cultural background. For example, most disabilities come with some sort of pain and/or fatigue. How will mainstream society ever be able to incorporate us into itself if neither we nor it recognize pain and/or fatigue as part of who we are. Secondly, and maybe even more importantly, for years we have discussed integration like it was our business to fit in with mainstream society. As we become more aware of our own unique gifts some of us have also become more convinced that this is a backwards perspective. It is absolutely not our job it fit into mainstream society. Rather it is our destiny to demonstrate to mainstream society that it is to their benefit to figure out that we come attached to our wheelchairs; our ventilators; our canes; our hearing aids; etc. and to receive the benefit of our knowledge and experience mainstream society needs to figure not how we fit in, but how we can be of benefit exactly the way we are.

That's disability culture, at least from one person's perspective.

Steven E. Brown, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Institute on Disability Culture
http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

Breast Cancer Culture
http://cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-do-you-want.html

What Do You Want?
I feel like someone has removed my brain, stomped on it and reinserted it into my head. So might you if you've been following the debates raging on Facebook and the breast cancer blogosphere over the last week or so. From critically analyzing the societal worth of campaigns like "I <3 Boobies" and "Feel Your Boobies", to a blog post improbably titled, Breast Cancer: Let’s Fight The Disease – Not Each Other, which actually seemed to tacitly disparage the National Breast Cancer Coalition's mission to stop breast cancer by 2020, and then ironically erupted into a war of words in the comments section; I feel exhausted yet also emboldened and motivated.

On one hand it was disheartening to see the blatant ignorance that still exists in considering the breast cancer culture, and indeed the censorship that went on with one incident when confronted with breast cancer truth. But on the other hand, I saw spirited discussion, energy for new ideas and deep questioning of the breast cancer status quo which gives me hope that change might be coming to the breast cancer movement.

But there's one point on which I am still very confused.

CBS News recently ran a story called "Breast cancer mommy; Brave, beautiful.....and bald". Essentially it was a fluffy little piece about cancer patients losing their hair, and how they can "rock their baldness" and still be "brave" and "beautiful". Yep heard all this before. I get it. Hair doesn't define you. Hair loss shouldn't affect your self worth. Cancer can't take away the essence of you; yada, yada, yada.

Then I read the author's biography, and I felt my blood pressure beginning to rise to something past a slow simmer;
"Meredith Israel, 37, was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in June, 2009. She says she's in the fight of her life, determined to prevail for the sake of her family, including her 3-year-old daughter, Niomi, and her husband, Gary. Meredith found her breast cancer through self-examination and a mammogram. Since being diagnosed, she has raised more than $100,000 for breast cancer research and has been a vocal proponent of self-exams and early detection."
Now don't me wrong. My heart aches for this woman. I understand only too well the devastation of a Stage IV cancer diagnosis and to throw children into the mix as well? Well, it goes without saying that cancer is never a good news story.

According to the story, Ms Israel "has raised more than $100,000 for breast cancer research and has been a vocal proponent of self-exams and early detection." Now I really hope this story was reported correctly and the $100,000 really did go to research, and if that's the case then I applaud Ms Israel for her efforts. It's a wonderful achievement.

Then my mind started working overtime. I wanted to know what kind of research? The kind that could possibly result in treatments or yield findings that could potentially help Ms Israel with her prognosis? Or did the money go to research that, although might eventually be helpful to others, won't help further knowledge about metastatic breast cancer? Then I wondered why would someone with metastatic cancer openly advertise themselves as a proponent of breast self-exam and early detection? Neither causes are scientifically proven to offer any guarantees as either reliable methods of screening, nor indicators of whether a person will go on to develop metastatic disease. Further, neither of these causes have really been shown to impact mortality rates from breast cancer, which remain barely unchanged in decades.

It is at this point I should clarify where I'm going with all this.

Many of the breast cancer fundraising campaigns we see today are invariably founded, or have involvement at some level, by breast cancer survivors. The "I <3 Boobies" and "Feel Your Boobies" campaigns are good examples, and indeed Susan G. Komen for the Cure's founder, Nancy Brinker is a breast cancer survivor as I'm sure are many of the staff and volunteers.

But here's what I don't get. I have Stage IV breast cancer. It's a bad situation. Right now I'm focused o n trying to get the best treatments and give myself some sort of a fighting chance (whatever that means). I'm well aware that in order to truly survive this disease I need some sort of a miracle. One that might, just might, come out of a research laboratory. But it's going to take time, money and focus by all relevant stakeholders. I've also come to realize that getting research funding to focus on metastatic cancer is a pretty tall order. It's not a popular mission for myriad reasons, and it's a fight to steer money in this direction. So what can I do? I can donate. I can tell my friends and family to donate. And I can use this blog to speak out on the topic and try to get people to think more deeply about this issue.

It all comes down to the fact, that I want something better for myself. There I said it. Selfish me. Wanting to live a long life as well. Wanting to live the dream of the victorious cancer survivor.

And yet, still we throw money at fundraising campaigns whose main priorities are breast cancer education, awareness and so-called early detection programs. Research is treated like the ugly step-sister and invariably gets pushed down in the priority spectrum, or just not even funded at all, in favor of the glitz, sass, sexiness and glamor of more cutesy breast cancer "awareness". How much more awareness do we possibly need? We're stuck in a rut that's not moving the fight forward to end this disease. We're just screening and diagnosing and feeding the cancer machine, with not enough thought as to how we can stop the machine and how we can help the people stuck inside it.

Well, I'm sick of it. Where's the anger people? Why don't we want something better for ourselves? Why not be advocates for research that might actually help those of us currently dealing with this disease AND those still to be diagnosed? What's wrong with being selfish? It's our lives we're talking about here.

And for those selfless people who continue to work so tirelessly to fund raise for these awareness campaigns; I thank you for your efforts, but I implore you to ask yourselves who all this awareness is helping. Consider the questions raised by Gayle Sulik where she asks "What Good Is Awareness If...."

We're stuck in a dangerous rut that values breast cancer awareness and early detection as some kind of holy grail never to be criticized. Awareness and early detection will not make any difference to my life or my outcome, nor the thousands of others dealing with this disease and the 40,000 women or so statistically slated to die from breast cancer this year alone. Sure, awareness and early detection campaigns might help get someone diagnosed, but then what? Successful treatment? Maybe, maybe not. The bottom line is this. Science still can't tell us who's going to draw the short straw. It could happen to anyone at anytime. Regardless of early detection, breast-self exams and no matter how much more money we throw at breast cancer awareness.

We can and should be doing better.

Awareness DOES NOT EQUAL Breast Cancer Cure.

Ask yourself, if you were me, what would you want?



*****Discussion******

What did you hear today? Were you listening? What did your classmates say? What was their message? What article did you connect with best? Why? What inspired you? Is your mind open? Really? Prove it!