This learning journey has been quite the experience, although it has been an exhausting semester and felt a bit overwhelming at times, as I reflect on everything I learned and the hard work that went in, it all feels worth it.
For my learning project I decided to learn ASL. I have wanted to learn ASL for a few years now and I believe in creating an environment that is inclusive to everyone. Since American Sign Language is a language form, I thought this was a perfect time to learn the skill.
So how did this journey go? Well I am definitely not fluent in ASL, but who would be in 3 short months? Why don’t we go back on my journey together.
Week 1: My Journey of Learning ASL
I knew right away that I wanted to learn ASL as part of my learning project. I would say I am relatively new to blogging. I had to do some blog-like posts in one of the early ECS classes quite a few year back, but that was the last of it. I used this week’s post to explain:
- An Introduce of my learning project
- ASL signs that I knew going into my learning journey
- My rough outline of what I would learn each week.
This is where the learning process began.
- I learned the alphabet
- How to finger spell my name, my husbands, and my pups!
- Used the app Pocket Sign
Week 3: Whats next on the Learning Journey
I used instagram as my main learning resource this week. Learning from an account I follow Mckinnon Galloway. With this I learned:
- Her personal story of a DHH individual
- Learning which hands to use while signing
- when to use both hands
- Learned “hello”, “what’s up” and some other greetings.
This was the week we combined our learning project with our weekly blog post. We were to use a new form of technology to demonstrate part of our learning.
- I made a video using TikTok
- Demonstrated having a conversation… with myself
Week 5: This is your sign to learn about family
As you could maybe guess, this week I learned the different signs for family and some more!
- Learning important aspects when signing to consider
- masculine vs feminine signs (Dad vs Mom)
On my journey into week 6 I decided it was time to learn how to count… sounds like an easy task but after 5 things get tricky… after 10… Whew the struggle was real.
- learned to sign number using this youtube video
- Laughed at some of the relatable youtube comments
Week 7: Eliminating Distractions one sign at a time
I wanted to learn signs that could be helpful in the classroom. I recognize that there are dozens that could be helpful, there were a few that were common questions students ask, and others that can be used as directives to refocus a student or the class.
- Learning signs for “water” or “bathroom”
- responses to simple questions “yes” or “no”
Week 8: Lingvano…Duolingo but for sign language
I tried out a new app this week. While it was great to start, it required a subscription and it was relatively costly. So I took what I could from this resource and made the most of it!
- wish the app gave you the option to take a test to see where you’re at in your ASL learning
- liked that it gave options for different types of ASL
- There was no owl threatening you to practice!
Week 9: ASL recognized as an official language
I found myself to be in over my head with work, assignments, and balancing home life. So this week I decided to do some research about ASL in Saskatchewan.
- ASL and Indigenous Sign Language is recognized as an official language in Sask.
- What is Indigenous sign language and the variations there are.
- ASL programs in Regina schools.
Finally to wrap things up I decided to go back to the basics. I decided to challenge myself on everything I learned leading up to this week.
- Basic communication
- the alphabet
- numbers 1-10
My Takeaways from this Journey:
After a long but also short semester I came to terms with a few different things and I also had the opportunity to learn about myself.
- ASL is not easy! I mean let’s be real, learning a new language of any sorts is not really easy. I did find learning sign more relaxing that trying to learn french for instance. I also recognize that without practice it is hard to keep up with what you know.
- There are a lot of resources that can help in one’s learning. Personal accounts on instagram, trying out different apps, and one I used most often youtube! The digital world has so much to offer, and it offers a platform for people to share their knowledge to the rest of the world. How lucky are we to be able to experience something like this!
- I am still terrified of blogging. I am not really one to post on social media, rather I am a an observer from the distance. So having to blog my experiences and opinions is an overwhelming process for me. I do feel that at the end of this semester I am slightly more confident in the process but also still figuring out a lot about the creation of a blog portfolio.
Overall, this has been quite the journey but I am excited to see what the future holds! Cheers to all my fellow bloggers and their journeys ahead!
