I'm sure there were quite a few people who saw my notes and concluded one of the three:
A. I am a horrible notetaker
B. I'm deaf therefore I cannot write well
C. I must have a learning disability
I knew I would need a follow-up to my note post. If you look at the notes more carefully, you will see that there's a method that only make sense in my mind. As you saw on the video of my interpreter, I glanced down once to take notes and took my eyes off her. I missed something in that minute I looked down. How can I take notes without taking my eyes off the interpreter? The answer, I abbreviate and write in shorthand.
For many of you who have studied cognitive learning and psychology, you are familiar with recall and coding. Recall and coding is a pivotal part of my note-taking, I only need to write down one word and my brain can recall everything the speaker said for the next five minutes and then I write down another word and so on. While some people can type up 5 pages of notes in one lecture, I only need ten words but they have to be my own words.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
T-560 Notes
Barry Fishman-
Understimulates senses
J.K. Rowling
Soc’ly isol.
Passivity
Following vs. Leading
Know
Dig natives
Atrib
Inf Patience
Learning >>> when fun!
Warcraft- U’r hired (Wired Mag)
VG
Teach
Mot.v./Engage
Henry Jenkins- Ice cream spinach
“edutainment”
Exp Val Theory
Attrib Theo
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Text 4 Deaf
Three hearing friends and I designed a text messaging website called www.text4deaf.com, the aim of the website was to bridge the communication gap between the deaf and the hearing communities. Anyone can send a text message from this website (your computer) to any cell phone regardless of service provider. 10% of the proceeds goes towards a deaf charity. I did a vlog that introduces this website and in order to reach both communities at the same time, I incorporated sim-com which is simultaneously communications. Also note something, the first time I did the vlog I realized that you couldn't see my hands as I was signing that's because the wall was originally pale and did not provide a contrast with my own skin color. So we posted a navy sheet on the wall and you could see it so much better. Just an FYI to all that if you ever do a video of someone signing make sure you have contrasting background. :D
Monday, March 3, 2008
Left and Right!
My mother always told me that I was smart. Now I can tell her that I am twice as smart! Why? I use my left and my right brain when I communicate. According to the Week 3 & 4 link, regarding language, deafness, and sign language, understanding spoken language is based on the left hemisphere of the brain whereas the processing of non-language perception (sign language) is based on the right hemisphere. Since I use both languages (sometimes simultaneously), I must be using both sides at once.
Now here's my question- where does the brain process lip reading? The right side of the brain is concerned with spatial processing which is why sign language is organized on this side. But if lip reading is not concerned with utilizing space is it still clustered under the right side as a visual component?
Now here's my question- where does the brain process lip reading? The right side of the brain is concerned with spatial processing which is why sign language is organized on this side. But if lip reading is not concerned with utilizing space is it still clustered under the right side as a visual component?
How do you "affect" the deaf?
David Rose asked me in class, "can you hear the music?" For a second, I was trying to clarify the question. Did he mean could I hear the music? Or did he mean, did I know there was music playing? Or did he mean, was I affected at all by the music?
Maybe he meant to ask all three questions. I answered, "No, but I can feel the music." But wait! Feeling the vibration does not affect me the same way people hear the music. I don't know if the vibration is a happy, scary, or romantic vibration. The interpreters told me what kind of music was playing but it had no emotional affect on me.
I've seen the "Wizard of Oz" so many times and I know the song, "Over the Rainbow" is a wistful song about dreaming of some far off place and it does affect me. Why? Judy Garland's facial expression and the longing look as she gazes out into the horizon. Facial expressions does to me what music does to my hearing peers. (Thanks to David's illustrations of AABA helped me understand the musical interpretation of it).
Maybe he meant to ask all three questions. I answered, "No, but I can feel the music." But wait! Feeling the vibration does not affect me the same way people hear the music. I don't know if the vibration is a happy, scary, or romantic vibration. The interpreters told me what kind of music was playing but it had no emotional affect on me.
I've seen the "Wizard of Oz" so many times and I know the song, "Over the Rainbow" is a wistful song about dreaming of some far off place and it does affect me. Why? Judy Garland's facial expression and the longing look as she gazes out into the horizon. Facial expressions does to me what music does to my hearing peers. (Thanks to David's illustrations of AABA helped me understand the musical interpretation of it).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Next Stop: Arlington
Next stop: Arlington. Next Stop: Arlington. The words flashed onto the electronic sign on the Green Line. Next stop: Arlington. Next stop: Arlington. The only problem? I saw that sign for thirty minutes yesterday while the train was stuck between Boylston and Arlington.
"Little sign, I wish you would tell me why the train isn't moving?" I stared at the sign, willing it to life to tell me what was the delay?
Do you know Boston has the worst transit system for those who are deaf? There's absolutely no system to let deaf individuals know what's going on. But what's perplexing is that about two or three years ago, the MBTA implemented the electronic signs on the train. But it only tell you the next stop (and even then sometimes it doesn't tell you the right stop). At Park St station, there's an electronic sign that says Welcome to MBTA over and over again. Why doesn't any of these signs tell me when the train is coming, why it's not coming, delays I should know about?
I once got on the D-line, double-checking that all the signs said D-line. I rode it from Park St to Kenmore. But something happened at Kenmore. The train announced that it was now the C-line not the D-line. Of course, I couldn't hear the announcement so I stayed on the train, when I got pass Kenmore and came out at ST. Mary's. When I realized what happened it was too late, it was a blizzard and that was the last train running. So I had to walk two miles through a blizzard to get to my house. I didn't know.
Another time, I had to take the train to Malden Center on Saturday. This time I was taking the Orange Line. It stopped at Sullivan Square but instead of continuing towards Oak Grove, the train reversed directions and headed back to Park St. I got off at Community College, flagged down an MBTA employee who looked at me with disdain then walked away. Apparently, the train was going through construction at Wellington. I didn't know.
On my way to see a Broadway show, I got on the Red Line at Central Square. The train moved perhaps one inch then stayed for an hour. Apparently, there was a fire at Park St station so all trains were on standby. I didn't know.
I'm a little tired of not knowing. I'd love it if our class banded together and got the MBTA to incorporate a universal design that included the deaf!
"Little sign, I wish you would tell me why the train isn't moving?" I stared at the sign, willing it to life to tell me what was the delay?
Do you know Boston has the worst transit system for those who are deaf? There's absolutely no system to let deaf individuals know what's going on. But what's perplexing is that about two or three years ago, the MBTA implemented the electronic signs on the train. But it only tell you the next stop (and even then sometimes it doesn't tell you the right stop). At Park St station, there's an electronic sign that says Welcome to MBTA over and over again. Why doesn't any of these signs tell me when the train is coming, why it's not coming, delays I should know about?
I once got on the D-line, double-checking that all the signs said D-line. I rode it from Park St to Kenmore. But something happened at Kenmore. The train announced that it was now the C-line not the D-line. Of course, I couldn't hear the announcement so I stayed on the train, when I got pass Kenmore and came out at ST. Mary's. When I realized what happened it was too late, it was a blizzard and that was the last train running. So I had to walk two miles through a blizzard to get to my house. I didn't know.
Another time, I had to take the train to Malden Center on Saturday. This time I was taking the Orange Line. It stopped at Sullivan Square but instead of continuing towards Oak Grove, the train reversed directions and headed back to Park St. I got off at Community College, flagged down an MBTA employee who looked at me with disdain then walked away. Apparently, the train was going through construction at Wellington. I didn't know.
On my way to see a Broadway show, I got on the Red Line at Central Square. The train moved perhaps one inch then stayed for an hour. Apparently, there was a fire at Park St station so all trains were on standby. I didn't know.
I'm a little tired of not knowing. I'd love it if our class banded together and got the MBTA to incorporate a universal design that included the deaf!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Universal Design, a life experience
Hi everyone!
I'm quite thrilled to be in T-560 and to work amongst brilliant minds. Universal Design has been an integral part of my life as an individual with deafness. While it's not necessarily a universal design concept, my mother made me a special vest that had characters like the smurfs, carebears, strawberry shortcake on them. I had these enormous hearing aids that I call the original Ipods, huge earpieces with wires dangling precariously to a box that had to be strapped into a black vest. My mom thought it might be easier for me to wear if she made me a special vest. Of course, now all the kids asked their moms for a special vest.
A little bit about me: I'm from Louisiana (yes, got hit by Katrina), was born and raised there. I majored in microbiology at LSU but my premed advisor told me that I would not pass the hearing test administered at medical schools and that I choose a different major (I know, it's an outrage). I shouldn't have listened but I did and switched my major to English and Psychology. After graduation, no one would hire me because I couldn't hear (it's illegal, I know, but when it's subtle you can't really do much about it). So I told myself I worked far too hard to just settle so I decided to go where the opportunities were. I flipped a coin- heads Boston, tails NYC. Boston it was. So I packed two luggages and finally ventured for the first time in my life, north of Shreveport. My family all thought I was crazy to go so far where I knew no one and where it was cold. ("Honey, it snows there don't you know?" said my mom.) Sometimes you can't wait for opportunities to find you, you must find them yourself.
Well, I have tons more to tell you about myself but I was taught that a good Southern storyteller leaves them wanting more. Til the next post and I'll tell you about dancing at the Moulin Rouge, my life as a professional salsa dancer, running a marathon, jumping off a train in Italy.
All the best,
Kerry
PS it's my first time doing a blog, I hope I did okay!
I'm quite thrilled to be in T-560 and to work amongst brilliant minds. Universal Design has been an integral part of my life as an individual with deafness. While it's not necessarily a universal design concept, my mother made me a special vest that had characters like the smurfs, carebears, strawberry shortcake on them. I had these enormous hearing aids that I call the original Ipods, huge earpieces with wires dangling precariously to a box that had to be strapped into a black vest. My mom thought it might be easier for me to wear if she made me a special vest. Of course, now all the kids asked their moms for a special vest.
A little bit about me: I'm from Louisiana (yes, got hit by Katrina), was born and raised there. I majored in microbiology at LSU but my premed advisor told me that I would not pass the hearing test administered at medical schools and that I choose a different major (I know, it's an outrage). I shouldn't have listened but I did and switched my major to English and Psychology. After graduation, no one would hire me because I couldn't hear (it's illegal, I know, but when it's subtle you can't really do much about it). So I told myself I worked far too hard to just settle so I decided to go where the opportunities were. I flipped a coin- heads Boston, tails NYC. Boston it was. So I packed two luggages and finally ventured for the first time in my life, north of Shreveport. My family all thought I was crazy to go so far where I knew no one and where it was cold. ("Honey, it snows there don't you know?" said my mom.) Sometimes you can't wait for opportunities to find you, you must find them yourself.
Well, I have tons more to tell you about myself but I was taught that a good Southern storyteller leaves them wanting more. Til the next post and I'll tell you about dancing at the Moulin Rouge, my life as a professional salsa dancer, running a marathon, jumping off a train in Italy.
All the best,
Kerry
PS it's my first time doing a blog, I hope I did okay!
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