ASL Mosaic: 5 workshops on Language and Culture
Presented by Brianna Butler
This year’s presenter will be teaching not one, not two, but five different workshops throughout the Weekend! This variety will certainly wet your appetite to learn more as you jump into some interesting topics – all of which contain information that every student, interpreter and person in this field might want to know! Brianna’s workshop titles are:
The History of American Deaf Culture (3 hour workshop) goes into how ASL came to be what it was today, the history of Gallaudet University, the history of the National Association of the Deaf, as well as some other historical aspects of American Deaf Culture that impacts today’s Deaf Community and in some cases, today’s hearing community!
Me pee AF-OO! (2 hour workshop) is a workshop that has to do with cultural differences between Deaf people and hearing people, such as why Deaf people often announce that they are going to pee instead of saying that they have to use the restroom. This workshop will be 98% interactive. Everyone gets to write down one or two questions that they have about Deaf people or Deaf Culture and it’s 100% confidential. I collect the questions and we discuss them from a psycho-social point of view. This is your chance to find out what you’ve always wanted to know! A very open mind is required for this workshop!!
Why is ASL Not Like What I Learned In Class? (3 hours) is a workshop that focuses on why “real” ASL is different than what is taught in classes. We will also look at changes in American Sign Language to fit ever-growing vocabulary and how it impacts your preferred signing method. This is also a very interactive class where we look at how our signs are different from person to person and how dialects are formed. Wear your sneakers! We’ll be getting up and moving quite a bit!
Improving Fingerspelling Reception (2 hours) is a workshop that will be computer interactive. The presenter will be using technology as well as good old-fashioned face-to-face techniques to help participants improve their receptive fingerspelling (and possibly expressive) skills.
Confessions of a Beauty Queen (2 hours) is a workshop that provides participants with an insider’s view of the Miss Deaf America pageant from the local level to national level. The Miss Deaf America pageant is a little-known event, especially outside the Deaf Community but a lot of culture is ingrained in the pageant from the preparations that contestants do to the actual showcase at the National Association of the Deaf conference. Presenter will also explore parallels between the Miss Deaf America and Miss America pageants as well as their differences. This is a fun and very informative workshop using a unique platform to share and discuss Deaf Culture.