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http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2005/12/19/news/local/news03.txt
If writing a book weren't difficult enough, a group of eight Kansas City Kansas Community College students took it a step farther - they wrote a book for young deaf students and then read it in sign language.
The project comes from the KCKCC Honors Tutorials Program, taught by Stacy Tucker and Sandra Osburn. The students authored a children's book entitled "The Adventures of Joey and Joshua" and "signed" it in front of a large group of kindergartners through fifth graders, parents and teachers at the Kansas School for the Deaf.
"We were worried they were going to laugh at us," said Michael Maxwell, a sophomore from Bonner Springs, who presented the idea for a book for deaf children at the start of the fall semester.
"I have a deaf roommate and learned sign language through my friendship with him," said Maxwell. "I had learned the alphabet in sign language in the first grade, so I could spell and learned from him. They call it a pigeon."
His roommate, Kelly Birch, is currently a senior at KSD and like Maxwell, a native of Bonner Springs. The two first met in June and starting rooming together in July.
By the fall semester, Maxwell was fluent enough in sign language to instruct the other members of the project - Hope LaHue and Lisa Martinez of Sumner Academy; Jason Brammer, Tonganoxie; Danielle Bray, Basehor; Alicia Weedel and Justin Seeler of Leavenworth; and Lehua Pittman, a Washington graduate, who transferred her senior year from Leavenworth.
Each student was assigned to write two pages of the book, which told of a deaf rabbit named Joey who became friends with an octopus named Joshua, who, to satisfy a quest for knowledge had learned sign language, but who had problems signing because of having eight arms. A major undertaking, the students met anywhere from one to three hours after class each Wednesday to develop the story and illustrate it.
Measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, the book was placed on an easel for all the students to see as each of the students read their pages in sign language. The only laughs were for the experiences of Joey and Joshua.
"It was a very heartwarming experience," said Martinez. "It was so nice to see the kids open their arms to us and be so appreciative. We aren't the best (at sign language) but they were so appreciative."
"They were very excited and really paid attention," agreed Bray.
"It was fun to see the kids reaction," added Brammer.
"They thought the story was fun and really appreciated that there were those who could hear who wanted to communicate with them," said Maxwell.
For the KCKCC students, it was a life-learning experience.
"I don't remember all the sign language but it's made me more interested in learning it and perhaps taking a course," said LaHue.
Learning sign language, said Bray, was "a lot easier than expected."
"My advice to anyone doing sign language is that those who are deaf are used to people not being able to do it and they really appreciate the efforts who try," concluded Maxwell.
If writing a book weren't difficult enough, a group of eight Kansas City Kansas Community College students took it a step farther - they wrote a book for young deaf students and then read it in sign language.
The project comes from the KCKCC Honors Tutorials Program, taught by Stacy Tucker and Sandra Osburn. The students authored a children's book entitled "The Adventures of Joey and Joshua" and "signed" it in front of a large group of kindergartners through fifth graders, parents and teachers at the Kansas School for the Deaf.
"We were worried they were going to laugh at us," said Michael Maxwell, a sophomore from Bonner Springs, who presented the idea for a book for deaf children at the start of the fall semester.
"I have a deaf roommate and learned sign language through my friendship with him," said Maxwell. "I had learned the alphabet in sign language in the first grade, so I could spell and learned from him. They call it a pigeon."
His roommate, Kelly Birch, is currently a senior at KSD and like Maxwell, a native of Bonner Springs. The two first met in June and starting rooming together in July.
By the fall semester, Maxwell was fluent enough in sign language to instruct the other members of the project - Hope LaHue and Lisa Martinez of Sumner Academy; Jason Brammer, Tonganoxie; Danielle Bray, Basehor; Alicia Weedel and Justin Seeler of Leavenworth; and Lehua Pittman, a Washington graduate, who transferred her senior year from Leavenworth.
Each student was assigned to write two pages of the book, which told of a deaf rabbit named Joey who became friends with an octopus named Joshua, who, to satisfy a quest for knowledge had learned sign language, but who had problems signing because of having eight arms. A major undertaking, the students met anywhere from one to three hours after class each Wednesday to develop the story and illustrate it.
Measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, the book was placed on an easel for all the students to see as each of the students read their pages in sign language. The only laughs were for the experiences of Joey and Joshua.
"It was a very heartwarming experience," said Martinez. "It was so nice to see the kids open their arms to us and be so appreciative. We aren't the best (at sign language) but they were so appreciative."
"They were very excited and really paid attention," agreed Bray.
"It was fun to see the kids reaction," added Brammer.
"They thought the story was fun and really appreciated that there were those who could hear who wanted to communicate with them," said Maxwell.
For the KCKCC students, it was a life-learning experience.
"I don't remember all the sign language but it's made me more interested in learning it and perhaps taking a course," said LaHue.
Learning sign language, said Bray, was "a lot easier than expected."
"My advice to anyone doing sign language is that those who are deaf are used to people not being able to do it and they really appreciate the efforts who try," concluded Maxwell.