MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Miller
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Company Seeks to Fill Gap in Teaching Academic ASL to Deaf People
Austin, TX [August 15, 2007] – In time for the new school year,
educational consulting company Academic ASL Approach, LLC (A3) is
gearing up to assist K-12 and post-secondary schools in establishing
effective academic ASL-driven bilingual Deaf education programs
through workshops, assessments and programming development.
“Historically, Deaf students have been required to master English
before they achieve a metalinguistic understanding of their natural,
first language – which is American Sign Language (ASL),” said Erika
Domatti-Thomas, A3 co-owner. “As a result, Deaf students miss an
essential component in language learning when faced with the
challenging task of learning a second, auditory-based language.”
She added, “Having ASL as a first language is crucial to the
acquisition of English as a second language. Yet Deaf ASL users do
not receive this training. Rather, they are expected to learn
academic English without academic ASL training.”
Don Miller, A3 co-owner, agrees. “We Deaf signers need to take
ownership of ASL by having an in-depth, full understanding of its
grammar. After all, Deaf people have the right to be literate in
ASL.”
A3 is one of the ways Domatti-Thomas and Miller hope to work with
schools to add academic ASL to their current language program through
curriculum and trainings at schools. Both Domatti-Thomas and Miller
are college instructors who have been instrumental in developing
curriculum for and teaching academic ASL to Deaf students for several
years. Both also bring K-12 teaching and curriculum development
experience to A3.
A3’s workshops, based on three years of empirical data and many years
of experience, include a brief review of language theory, formalized
academic ASL training for the classroom, academic ASL grammar and
curriculum development, and academic ASL within the English
classroom. A3 also offers other types of services, including
assessments and consulting, ideal for K-12 teachers and
administrators, along with Deaf education instructors and/or
students. “Through trial and error, and curriculum planning and
teaching, we’ve developed skill frameworks, assessments, teaching
techniques, and technology tools that really work,” Domatti-Thomas
said.
“A3 was formed after we both realized that there was very little
training available to school administrators, teachers, and even
interpreters on establishing and implementing formal academic ASL in
schools,” Miller said. “A3 fills this gap through various services
and trainings that have been carefully crafted and researched. As a
result, we’ve had a tremendous response, and are looking forward to
working with even more schools and universities across the nation.”
For more information, visit http://www.academicaslapproach.com
.
ABOUT THE A3 OWNERS
Erika Domatti-Thomas, an assistant professor of Deaf ESOL at Austin
Community College, teaches reading and writing. Erika earned her
bachelor’s degree in Deaf education from the University of Texas and
her master’s degree from Gallaudet University. She began her career
as a high school English teacher and then later as an English
curriculum specialist at the California School for the Deaf, Fremont,
before working with Austin Community College to develop a program that
now serves close to 200 Deaf students. She also co-owns the
educational consulting company Academic ASL Approach, LLC.
Don Miller, an adjunct professor of Deaf ESOL at Austin Community
College, teaches reading, writing, L1 ASL Grammar and L1 ASL
Literature. Don earned his bachelor’s degree in American Sign
Language from Gallaudet University and his master’s degree from
McDaniel College. After a few years of teaching elementary school,
Don joined the Austin Community College team where he developed the
college’s current L1 ASL Grammar curriculum. In addition, Don co-owns
Academic ASL Approach, LLC.
# # #
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NOTE: DeafNetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com