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The Sound of Silence: OTHS sign club visits school for the deaf - My Web Times
Imagine a classroom where the teacher and students are speaking another language — one the visiting students know only a little about.
Now imagine that communication is completely silent.
Members of the Ottawa Township High School Sign Club got a taste of what the world is like for the hearing impaired when they visited the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville earlier this month. Students observed elementary, middle school and high school classes, where teachers use sign language to communicate with their students. In the elementary levels, that is accompanied by some speech and sounds, but by high school the room is silent.
"They learn the same things and they learn them the same way, but they do it with sign instead," said OTHS sophomore Abby Ragsdale.
The field trip was first conceived by Sign Club adviser Wanda Conness.Sign language has been part of Conness' life since birth. Conness' sister, one year older than her, is deaf, and the entire family learned sign language to communicate with her. However, Conness said that's not the norm. Many families want the hearing-impaired child to learn to "listen" by reading lips.
Conness worked last year at OTHS as a sign interpreter. This year, she works there as an aide but her services signing were not needed. Instead, she decided to turn her attention to the Sign Club to share her skills.
The club did some fundraising to pay for the trip, as well as donating $100 to the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation since those diagnosed with this birth defect often are hearing-impaired. The club has about 15 regular members, though not all of them were able to make the trip.
Conness said the idea of the field trip appealed to her because she wanted students to see what it was like for a deaf student — in a silent classroom and only understanding part of what is being taught.
"They can see that there is talking and communicating," she said, "but they're lost."
In a traditional classroom, deaf students often have to make choices about what they hear. A teacher may put up an overhead, then ask students to take notes. While notes are being taken, the teacher may talk about what students are writing to reinforce the lesson. But for deaf students, they must make the choice whether to write down what is on the overhead or watch their interpreter to "hear" what the teacher is saying.
"They only end up getting half the lesson," Conness said.
Ragsdale said she realized how challenging it is to be a deaf student after sitting through some of the classes.
"It was really hard because you would follow the teacher and look at the paper to try to write at the same time. It must be tough," she said.
Ragsdale joined Sign Club because her mother taught her some signs as a child and she likes to learn new languages. Now, the trip has inspired her to seek a minor in sign language when she attends college.
"I really want to be a fourth-grade teacher," she said. "If I take sign as a minor, I could have a deaf student in my class or start an after-school program."
As for Sign Club, she said she'll be back next year.
"It's a really good experience to get to know other people and get to know what they go through."
Imagine a classroom where the teacher and students are speaking another language — one the visiting students know only a little about.
Now imagine that communication is completely silent.
Members of the Ottawa Township High School Sign Club got a taste of what the world is like for the hearing impaired when they visited the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville earlier this month. Students observed elementary, middle school and high school classes, where teachers use sign language to communicate with their students. In the elementary levels, that is accompanied by some speech and sounds, but by high school the room is silent.
"They learn the same things and they learn them the same way, but they do it with sign instead," said OTHS sophomore Abby Ragsdale.
The field trip was first conceived by Sign Club adviser Wanda Conness.Sign language has been part of Conness' life since birth. Conness' sister, one year older than her, is deaf, and the entire family learned sign language to communicate with her. However, Conness said that's not the norm. Many families want the hearing-impaired child to learn to "listen" by reading lips.
Conness worked last year at OTHS as a sign interpreter. This year, she works there as an aide but her services signing were not needed. Instead, she decided to turn her attention to the Sign Club to share her skills.
The club did some fundraising to pay for the trip, as well as donating $100 to the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation since those diagnosed with this birth defect often are hearing-impaired. The club has about 15 regular members, though not all of them were able to make the trip.
Conness said the idea of the field trip appealed to her because she wanted students to see what it was like for a deaf student — in a silent classroom and only understanding part of what is being taught.
"They can see that there is talking and communicating," she said, "but they're lost."
In a traditional classroom, deaf students often have to make choices about what they hear. A teacher may put up an overhead, then ask students to take notes. While notes are being taken, the teacher may talk about what students are writing to reinforce the lesson. But for deaf students, they must make the choice whether to write down what is on the overhead or watch their interpreter to "hear" what the teacher is saying.
"They only end up getting half the lesson," Conness said.
Ragsdale said she realized how challenging it is to be a deaf student after sitting through some of the classes.
"It was really hard because you would follow the teacher and look at the paper to try to write at the same time. It must be tough," she said.
Ragsdale joined Sign Club because her mother taught her some signs as a child and she likes to learn new languages. Now, the trip has inspired her to seek a minor in sign language when she attends college.
"I really want to be a fourth-grade teacher," she said. "If I take sign as a minor, I could have a deaf student in my class or start an after-school program."
As for Sign Club, she said she'll be back next year.
"It's a really good experience to get to know other people and get to know what they go through."