Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheri
If Total Communication program uses sign language, voice, fingerspelling and lipreading then how can that not be possible? Even if a child who cannot communicate orally gets additional support from signs and vice versa.
Humm..just spilting them in groups would just solve that problem? It's like putting all black in one group and all white in another group. I just don't see any equal access in that program.
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We don't split them up in groups..the kids have speech classes for spoken language instruction but all of them are together for the important subjects like math, LA, social studies, and science and ASL is the language used. I tested using spoken language and asl with my class just an hour ago...it was a mess and 2 of my students kept asking me to repeat myself so time was wasted. So I went back to ASL and the lesson was completed. If we r going to have our students be taught with the same curriulm as the public school kids are tuaght with, then we have to stick with one language while teaching otherwise, we wouldn't get anything taught. Then the students will fall further behind...I won't put their education at risk for the sake of being able to communicate with hearing people. Education comes first.
U can disagree with the BiBi program ..that's your right. As a teacher who has been in the field for 5 plus years, I have seen TC, BiBi and oral programs and I see that the BiBi approach is working the most effectively if the goal is to teach deaf children using the same curriculm as the public schhols use. It is all about giving our deaf students equal access to what hearing children learn. For me, their education comes first and I will use what works the best for ALL. Using both languages in my classroom won't work for 3 of my students but will work for one. It wouldn't be fair for my 3 who have no auditory nor speech skills. Heck, even me who has excellent oral skills wouldn't benefit either cuz I would miss out too much on what is being taught. I can't do that to my students' learning process...what happened an hour ago proved that it disrupted their learning process. Wish it wud work for all but it is not that simple.
If u really want to see how it works, then I suggest try working in a classroom in all kinds of programs. Being a teacher is not easy especially when using 2 languages.
I wud love to work in a CS program as a volunteer to see how it really works. Reading it on paper is not the same as actually seeing it in action.
Iam just giving u my experience as a teacher and what I have seen. U don't have to agree with me.