HOW DOES SIGNING WORK?

When signing, people communicate by using their hands to represent what others say with their mouths and hear through their ears. However, one cannot assume that because a person is deaf, hearing impaired or hard-of-hearing, that he/she knows sign language or is skilled at lip-reading. In recent years a growing number of men, women and children have joined together to bridge the gap between the hearing and non-hearing world by learning to communicate through sign.

Storytelling

In every culture all over the world, people have always told stories. Throughout history, the forum for telling stories with our families and friends has existed, and through it we have preserved our heritage, passed on traditions, learned skills, and developed our limitless imaginations.

Language

... is an expression of culture. Whether a language is based on SOUND or SIGN, it varies from nation to nation and from region to region. Within a particular spoken language these variations are often called accents or dialects, i.e., people in the northeastern U.S. speak different from people in the southeastern part. They may also SIGN differently too.

"Just as there is no universal language in SOUND, there is no universal language based on SIGN; there is American, Greek, Danish, Japanese Sign Language, etc. However, because SIGNS are based on GESTURE, it is easier for a deaf and/or hearing-impaired person in a foreign country to communicate by SIGNS, than it is for a hearing person to communicate by speech. In recent years SIGN SYSTEMS throughout the U.S. and the world have gained great acceptance as effective methods of communication. Sign systems are, in fact, some of the fastest growing communication tools in the United States."

Source Unknown

Multiple Intelligences

For the past 20 years I have been a storyteller in the field of the education of the Deaf. During this time I've been telling stories using voice, visuals, props, music, movement, mime, dance and various sign language modalities (depending on the needs of my audience). Almost from day one, I was struck with the multilingual, multi-modal and multicultural challenges faced by my students, their families and teachers.

For the past few years I have been immersed in understanding and applying Dr. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory in the context of my work as a professional storyteller, workshop facilitator, and deaf advocate. Dr. Gardner, a researcher in cognitive development at Harvard, believes that individuals (excepting those who are brain-damaged or otherwise severely impaired) are intelligent to some degree in each of the following areas: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal and intra-personal. He believes that with good teaching, individuals can develop - can actually get smarter - in each of these eight intelligences. For those of us who have worked in the field of the education of the deaf for many years as teachers, sign language interpreters, and as in my case, storytellers and teaching artists, we understand there is much work to be done.

"...most children can master the same content: HOW they master it is determined by their individual learning style."

Dr. Rita Dunn, Educator/Author

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Barbara Aliprantis, Storyteller
43-77 169 Street Flushing NY 11358
718-461-1355 phone

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