Instagram for ASL?!?

Hello again, EDTC! I’m back with another blog post and app review. As some of you might know, I’ve experimented with using TikTok to learn ASL. Since TikTok is usually my go-to for mindless scrolling, I challenged myself to turn it into a learning tool. While I succeeded, I definitely still felt the temptation to get distracted (but hey, I’m only human).

So this week, I decided to take it a step further. I picked another app I tend to waste time on and tried to make it both useful and educational. If you guessed Instagram, based on the title and the image at the start…you’re absolutely right!

Below, I’ve included a video showcasing the ASL account I explored. I’ll also link the account so you can check it out for yourself. The video gives you a look at the teaching style we’ll be discussing, so when we get into the pros and cons, you’ll have a better idea of what I mean. Let’s dive in!

Pros and Things I Liked

Thumbnail Navigation: As you can see in my YouTube video, the Instagram account I explored does something really helpful… you guessed it…it shows you exactly what signs you’ll be learning right on the thumbnail. I really appreciated this feature because (not to sound like a broken record) I’ve mentioned before how much I value having autonomy in my learning.

Explained Hand Placement: Another thing I really liked about this account was how well J.P. explained hand and finger placement. This is something many ASL learning apps struggle to do in depth, so it was really cool (and appreciated of course) to see someone take the time to be clear.

Enthusiasm Keeping the Interest: I also found the enthusiasm in these videos super helpful. Learning ASL on your own can be challenging, and his positive energy made it more engaging. It’s always easier to learn from someone who seems excited about what they’re teaching! (this goes for classroom teachers too, showing/modeling something is fun creates excitement).

Accessibility: was another huge plus. Everything was easy to access, and best of all, it was completely free! The variety of content was great too..I felt like I was learning a little bit of everything. One of my favorite parts was the “sign spelling” game, which let me pause and rewind whenever I needed to. Since I’ve mentioned before that being able to control the pace of my learning is important to me, this was a big win (and very very fun).

Cons and Dislikes

Distracting: Now, onto a few things I didn’t love. First, Instagram itself can be pretty distracting. If I was already on the app and a friend tagged me in something or sent me a video, I felt the urge to check it right away, which sometimes pulled me away from learning.

Hunt Down the Content: Another downside was that, while the account had a good variety of content, I had to dig quite a bit to find specific words or phrases. Even though the thumbnails clearly stated what was in each video, scrolling to find exactly what I needed took some time…and there was no guarantee that the word or phrase I was looking for would be there.

No Slowing: Lastly, I really wish Instagram had a feature to slow down videos. While I could replay and rewind, there was no way to actually slow them down, which is something I personally find helpful when learning new signs.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed using Instagram for ASL learning, and I think this particular account was a great resource. While there were a few drawbacks, like distractions and the lack of a slow-motion feature, the accessibility, enthusiasm, and detailed explanations made it a worthwhile learning tool. Would I use it again? Absolutely, but maybe with some extra self-discipline to avoid the endless scrolling trap (again..I am only human…let’s see how many times I can say that in this post alone… lol)!