Notes for stuff I don’t know how to do:

Need to change Headers  Change order (and add “Ss” for plural)

Change to:

Home   About   Events   Books   Films   Resources   Press

AND:  Yes, I would like to go with a small orange, if that still is good after your consultation last night.  Let me know what the schedule is for moving and getting up and running, and what is best for you, given your schedule.  I will work on pages today and see how much I can finish.  Yes, Sunday would be good; what time is best for you?

Welcome to a web site dedicated to language, sharing, learning, connecting and storytelling.  Making and strengthening connections is community building.  Let me know any of your ideas, resources and stories that can improve this site, its content, friendliness and helpfulness.  We are the community, the village, for mutual support for teaching our children, each other and building stronger ties.

Contact me, if I can help you with your specific education project related to language, reading, multilingual/multicultural connections or social service / advocacy work.

Tell me what you need, related to A Man Without Words – the book or film – or workshops on Teaching with ASL Tales, a multilingual fairy tale using the power of visual language or Vital-Signs, an introduction to ASL and non-verbal communication or however I may be of service.

Thank you, Saki, for all your hard work, professionalism and great drawings.  Yes, I will have to think of some more for other pages.

I’m dumping whatever relevant material we have into the pages right now. The information is not at all organized yet so don’t be alarmed at the disheveled state of the content!

SAKI

When we fear someone’s difference, we cheat ourselves. When we open ourselves to learning from all people, we grow. Each of us are mirrors of each other. Therefore when I learn more from you, I learn more about myself. This is obvious when we travel to another culture. We would never see what we assume, until we leave our culture and language and bump up against a completely different set of assumptions. I never knew I was an American, until I left the United States.

I never knew I was hearing, until I met a Deaf person. I never knew how blind I was until I met the superior visual brains of people born deaf. They use much more of the brain’s cortex for processing visual information than we, hearing people, do. My wish, before I die, is that people will talk more about that than about how to make deaf babies speak and hear.

Happy Old Year. Enjoy every moment of 2011, before rushing into that which is not.

Happy Day.

I need to meet a writing deadline, so see you next year.

signing off,

susan schaller

Journal entry:

Spent the week in Sacramento with California Association of Bilingual Educators

inspiring – many teachers and administrators working 50+ hours/week for children

Note: Educators, social workers, psychologists, cognitive scientists – ALL agree on a few basic necessities for all human children: Language, relationship to parents, ability to express themselves, respect and encouragement to continue learning – using the curiosity and abilities we are all born with – meaning, allowing children to be themselves – the need for self esteem,…..

Very little of this is seen or heard in “Deaf Ed.” Deaf children are considered DEAF and all of the attention is on speech and hearing, not language (except through almost inaccessible speech and hearing). Deaf children are not considered human or children first, but DEAF and needing fixing.

Reminder – Tell people about this human rights violation…. how?… where?… to whom??? what exactly would I say???

Dear K.,

Deafness does not isolate or “disable” people. Hearing people not allowing these visual beings to be visual disables them. Their beautiful visual language can teach us, hearing people, how to see better. Instead, almost all the attention is on ears and mouths.

Many deaf babies grow up without language or little language because over 90% of doctors in the US and Canada (ENT surgeons who are the ear specialists) say, “don’t sign to your deaf baby.” They say this because they are excited about fixing the ear. [Cochlear implants, invasive brain surgery, does help with speech and is a kind of hearing, but does not make a deaf baby hearing; he or she is still deaf, but has a tool]

They or the parents who follow them are not evil, but don’t see that any time there is objectification (ears instead of a human baby), it is an act of violence.

We all need to include all people as equal in order to encourage OUR full human potential. If you look me up, you’ll find my address. Write me if you want my book, A Man Without Words, and I will send you one. The best thing you can do to help Deaf people is learn ASL. You’ll be treating yourself to a great feast for the eyes. Yours for language for all babies, Susan Schaller, soon to be author of an English/ASL version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, ASLTales.net

The year of the DRAGON is certainly not dragging. A Man Without Words – new edition – with Ildefonso’s story in the new last chapter: Ildefonso’s Chapter is about to be launched.

A Man Without Words, a short documentary, is being made; and a play is in the idea/musing stage.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, retold by me for little, little kids will also be making an appearance soon, with a DVD ASL storytelling version, translated into 15 different languages.

Stay tuned and help me announce all the good news of July, August and September, 2012.

The new edition of A Man Without Words has an additional, new last chapter:

Ildefonso’s Chapter

He continues to astound me.

Write me if you would like a copy – soon to be public e-mail or

1442A Walnut St. #139 Berkeley, CA 94709