ASL

 In  the Experimental Term, I learned American Sign Language. I have to admit I was quite nervous coming into this term. I have heard of other high schools teaching many other languages but I have never heard of high schools teaching American Sign Language, which is why I think GCE is very unique. This term definitely opened my eyes to many interesting things. I have always loved the idea of being able to learn and speak a different language, but American Sign Language(ASL) was something different for me. Before this term, I did not know much about the  Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community. For example, I did not  know DHH people  had their own culture. After  this term, I have finally realized the importance of knowing ASL: many people use it to live their lives. My DHH instructor, along with GCE classes,  gave me the chance to explore a whole different language that I never would have experienced otherwise. 

After this term my worldview on ASL and the DHH community defiantly changed a lot. I never saw ASL as important as other languages, but I now know that it is the 3rd most used Language in the United States. 

GCE. Student. Photography. 2014

 Along with the many other FEs that I went on, I went on a individual  FE without teacher supervision. I went to a local Starbucks in Evanston, which I thought was pretty cool.  The coffee chat at Starbucks was a very different kind of meetup organized by The Chicago American Sign Language Meetup. At first, I was very nervous to go up to the group, but as I saw more students from my school  showing up I felt more confident. Eventually, we all gathered around a table and introduced ourselves using ASL. It was nice interacting with the signers and with my classmates. I appreciate that the signers were open to meeting us all, and patient with us, since we’re all beginners in ASL. Out of all the FEs that I have been on, this one has to the one that really inspired me. I even want to be caught up on more events like this one and I certainly will by keeping in touch with that organization. I would also hope to see many other of my classmates engaged in many other opportunities like this . 

I would like to thank The Chicago American Sign Language Meetup for being open to a bunch of strangers. They were all very nice and very interested in GCE, since they have never heard of a high school offering ASL classes. They felt appreciative that teenagers were taking the time to lean a Language that not many adults take the time to lean. 

   

In order to know what another person is going through or “step into their shoes,” you have to experience what he or she  goes through, or at least try to understand. I believe many of the Field Experiences (FEs)that I went on tried to show us what the DHH community goes through, especially my own individual FE at Starbucks. I was able to have a conversation with many deaf people for a few minutes and I was already frustrated. I can only imagine what the deaf have to go though since they use ASL as a way of life. 

My role in my group micromentary was to write out the script and research information about my topic. I was pretty overwhelmed with both roles because our topic was pretty difficult and I did not know where to start with the research, and without the research I would not be able to write out a script. My group members helped me out a lot by helping me get a clarification about our topic. I also worked with someone else in my group on the script. I leaned a lot by just working with my group. You have to be responsible for the role that you committed to, or else everything else will be slowed down.

 I would like to thank Lexicon Handmade for all the effort they put into teaching GCE students.