The foundational legacy of ASL

Abstract. We recall the kernel algebraic specification language ASL and outline its main features in the context of the state of research on algebraic specification at the time it was conceived in the early 1980s. We discuss the most significant new ideas in ASL and the influence they had on subsequent developments in the field and on our own work in particular.

Embracing the Next Generation of Interpreters: A Call to Action for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

The founding members of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) felt strongly about recruiting, training, and confirming the competence of interpreters. As a result, for over 50 years RID has been the national leader for the profession of ASL-English interpreting. At the same time, the next generation of American Sign Language (ASL)-English interpreters continue to face challenges pertaining to pre-service education, practicum experiences, and professional support after graduation as they enter the field. This article describes these challenges and offers suggested recommendations toward proactive organizational investment in this next generation of interpreters that will improve the quality of services provided to stakeholders and empower a stronger network of new professionals connected to and engaged in the preservation and furtherance of RID’s vital legacy

Focusing the gap: Productive post-IEP development

For signed language interpreters there are a limited number of formal transition programs to aid the development from completion of an interpreter education program (IEP) to competent professional. This period of time is an important time for building a professional foundation. Research in other practice professions has shown that gradual transitions towards autonomy under adequate supervision and coaching provide a forum for practitioners to grow in their professional abilities with the support needed to guide them. The type of program used as a model in this study is the medical residency program where underclassmen learn a new skill from an upperclassman, practice this skill, and finally teach the skill to the next cohort. All phases are done under a competent professional’s observation. By conducting an action research project on my practice, benefits of this progression during an interpreter\u27s formative years were delineated. The study was conducted to assess the benefits of cycling through learning, practicing and teaching phases with the oversight of a competent practitioner. The action research findings support the recommended progression of learn, practice, teach

Mathematics and language

This essay considers the special character of mathematical reasoning, and draws on observations from interactive theorem proving and the history of mathematics to clarify the nature of formal and informal mathematical language. It proposes that we view mathematics as a system of conventions and norms that is designed to help us make sense of the world and reason efficiently. Like any designed system, it can perform well or poorly, and the philosophy of mathematics has a role to play in helping us understand the general principles by which it serves its purposes well

Inspiring and Aspiring Educators: An Intersection of Historic and Current Education Landscapes

The book Inspiring and Aspiring Educators: An Intersection of Historic and Current Education Landscapes is a collection of graduate student writings from the 2021 summer Education Doctorate Residency at Winona State University.https://openriver.winona.edu/educationeddbooks/1002/thumbnail.jp

THEORY AND PRACTICE: PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS USED IN DEAF EDUCATION

An inequality in literacy rates exists between deaf children and their hearing peers. Research indicates that visual phonic interventions such as Visual Phonics used alongside a phonics program enhances grapheme-phoneme correspondence. That practice in turn improves overall literacy achievement. However, as rates deaf literacy continue to lag ongoing research indicates that teachers may be ill prepared to use research-based interventions. This study seeks to identify the frequency of teacher implementation of Visual Phonics interventions as well as their exposure to these interventions via teacher education and professional development. This study will investigate if the presence of these elements by using data collected through online surveys of educators of the deaf who have received Visual Phonics training

Mississippi ASL Project

American Sign Language (ASL) is a manual language used by many deaf people in the United States and Canada. For much of its existence, ASL was believed to be a system of rudimentary gestures and signs based on the English language. However, studies that analyzed the linguistic properties of this signed ‘mode’ (Stokoe, 1960) legitimized that it was a language independent of spoken language, with its own system of principles and elements to construct meaningful utterances. Like any language, ASL is influenced by the social demographics of its users. Social demographics such as ethnicity, geographic location, age, gender, and socioeconomic status are elements that cause variation in both spoken and signed languages. ASL is a young language created by a historically marginalized group of individuals as a way to communicate thoughts and ideas in a society designed on the ability to hear. As such, ASL was recognized as an autonomous language and has been the subject of sociolinguistic research since the 1960s. Most sociolinguistic research in ASL consists of large-scale studies has been conducted in the past 15 to 20 years. No research up to date has been conducted within the geographic boundaries of a state. This pilot study examines phonological and lexical variation of ASL in Mississippi through a series of Atlas-style interviews, and identities age and geographic location as the two most significant social influences that cause variation in Mississippi