06.04.01 – Arriving at Anglais Plaza
The 64th clip of the DC Mythology is FINALLY posted with congratulatory thanks to DCARA for hosting a vblog symposium on June 27th, 2009 and their excellent vlog on the speakers. As days pass, I see more and more of the “ramifications” of the internet in making changes in humanity. One world-wide example is the “green” Iranian protesters and politicians using Facebook and Twitter to communicate with the outside world from inside their own country besieged by theocracy. The vblog conference at DCARA also showed the progress of the improving technology. Most of the conference went live in the internet, this time longer than the second DeafRead conference in San Francisco, however not complete from opening and closing of the symposium. Another example is the first conference on blogging at Gallaudet now is preserved and viewable 24/7 in the internet at the excellent video catalog at Gallaudet website. And with the new search for president of Gallaudet, few important events, such as the speeches by the 4 finalists for the Gallaudet president position on campus and the announcement, were recorded and accessible 24/7 free, not anticipated 20 or even less years ago in the deaf community. It has been anticipated that the “unwritten” “oral” sign languages could now somehow be preserved permanently in the cyberspace. Soon somehow sign languages will finally be preserved as written text on parchment. Come on, Bob Arnold and anyone laboring on creating a written “system” of ASL, with great hopes that it might be clicked with everyone and accepted and used in schools and universities everywhere. It is this critical test that might indicate a written system of a sign language is feasible. It is a wonderful feeling that we are on the verge of something – seeing new ways we, the (deaf) humans do . . .
This 6.4 clip also represent a return to posting the clips of this myth after another long hiatus of un-posting over the past summer and fall focusing on other projects and keeping “alive”. The past summer was productive because the myth is now completely signed out for the first time (in 12+ hours format). I finally recorded the last unsigned chapter 11 last month in August. Now I have 137 .mov clips of the Deaf Child Mythology in the external hard drive, the second half all waiting for its’ slow-posting creator to put together them and post them one by one. I have one aim – to post the myth in entirety (with the last 12.07 clip) by December 31, 2010. I pray the vicissitudes in my life permit me to post one clip per 2 weeks as possible throughout 2010. “SeeSee”.
Now click away and join Siepee and the Young Deaf Adult as they travel to the Northern Island . . .
Myth Commentary: Siepee and the Deaf Young Adult went over to a new place to explain their way of teaching the deaf using a young deaf adult by using sign language. They did not know what will befall on them. “Foreboding sense of anticipation before the big event” was behind on how we now view the meeting of Gallaudet and Clerc for the first time. This story still stands centrally (and almost singularly) in American (and maybe world) deaf history.
Deaf History Commentary: This clip (along with other clips in the sixth chapter, Anglais Plaza) is an artistic/scholastic reflection of the situation before, during, and after the summer of 1815 when Gallaudet first met Clerc, Massieu, and Sicard in England. The personal views of those people were mostly not recorded yet the incidents surrounding Gallaudet’s visit to Europe were mentioned many times over the years in the annals of deaf history. I found numerous sources when I dig in newspapers and books in the public domain when using the Google book and scholar features. We now know that before he left, Gallaudet was aware of the the French manual school at St. Jacques because Alice Cogswell back in the USA with her “teacher”, Mrs. Signourney had Sicard’s and other books printed in Europe. We do not know why Thomas Gallaudet decided to go to England first. There is no written evidence that Thomas knew he will meet Clerc, Massieu and Sicard in England. If they had never met in London, Gallaudet would have went to Paris anyway because he had planned to visit there. It was fortitude or providence that they met in England before Gallaudet began his time in Paris. I see very little current historical analysis of this important and critical time with a series of events leading ultimately not only bringing the deaf education method, bringing the standardized sign language (in LSF, French Sign Language), but also bringing an excellent role model in Laurent Clerc – a living example of how other deaf people can achieve. Laurent Clerc impressed well enough for Gallaudet to achieve success. We still need to analyze the roles Thomas and Clerc (and anything else) played in their successes. Rightly so, Gallaudet (and his two sons) are heaped with praise and gratitude from the deaf community. How does a community uses its history do change over time. Our current historical understanding of the times in England when Gallaudet was there is still, I think, under-researched. (To be continued with the next few Anglais Plaza clips.)
Deaf Studies Commentary: Psychology of the Deaf and Deafhood Development- For eons of time, hearing people have looked at deaf people as something they can not do – pathologically, biologically, and audiological. Important events in deaf history have contributed to the change of how the world understand deaf people and sign language. One example of an excellent work by Harlan Lane in his article, “Is there a Psychology of the Deaf?” – compiling all the adjectives from literature on describing deaf people over the years past. Now psychologists, educators, and theorists have new words, such as deafhood and audism, to use in their popping up in their articles and books. Those words will soon appear in dictionaries and encyclopedias all over the world. We will look at the positive manifestations of both happy orals and signers. We should study successful deaf signers and speakers. Can those deaf people who do not sign have healthy deafhood development? Can a deaf signers have unhealthy and deficient deafhood development? Those questions should be posed more and studied. (To be continued in the clips of 6.5 – The Anglais Presentation and 6.6 – The Confrontation)
Deafhood Questions: Have you ever collaborated with a hearing adult in any endeavors related with deaf people and/or sign language? Deaf-Hearing and Sign-Speak? Similiar to the historical pair of Sicard-Massieu, Gallaudet-Clerc, and more in deaf history? If so, what were the difficulties or obstacles you faced before you reached successful collaboration?
Deaf Quote: “Go Forth in the Hearing World”