Syllabus: EHS ASL 4215 [American Sign Language Level 1]
Course Info
Instructor Info
EHS ASL 4215
American Sign Language Level 1
Login: http://ehs.uen.org/
William G. Vicars, Ed.D. (Dr. Vicars or Bill)
Email:
Web: http://www.Lifeprint.com/ehs
Course description:
An introduction to American Sign Language. Topics include: basic vocabulary, grammar, history, fingerspelling, numbers, terminology, and Deaf culture.
Special note: This course will require 45 to 60 online contact-hours, plus an equivalent amount of practice.
Instructor:
Dr. William G. Vicars
Ed.D.in Deaf Education, ASLTA certified
email: BillVicars@aol.com
homepage: www.lifeprint.com
Course Format:
This course is a proctored online course. The learning and activities will take place on the web and/or digital media (CDs). You will complete 20 quiz assignments. You will do a 500 word research paper. At the end of the course you will be take a proctored receptive final exam and you will submit a video-recorded signed presentation. You are expected to have a valid email address during this course and check it at least once a week. Any changes to your email account should be forwarded to your instructor.
Course Materials: ORDER: http://lifeprint.com/ehs/coursematerials.htm
The materials for this course consist of five CDs. Four of the CDs contain video files demonstrating ASL vocabulary and sentences. These CDs are available from the instructor and may be purchased as a package for $50.00. Note: This price is only available to registered EHS students. Others pay the full retail price from the Lifeprint bookstore.
The course also makes extensive use of lessons 1-20 of the ASL University website at http://www.lifeprint.com/ehs/index.htm
Assignments and examinations:
20 Quiz Assignments at 20 points each = 400 points
Research Paper = 100 points
Expressive Final (Video Project) = 250 points (Must pass at 70% or retake. $20 retake fee each time).
Receptive Final = 250 points (Must pass at 70% or retake. $20 retake fee each time).
Total points: 1000Grading System: Grades will be based on performance on the quiz assignments, tests, and your research paper according to the following criteria: 100-90% = A, 89 to 80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, below 60% = F (fail)
Note: just paste or type your paper into the body of the email, do you can, but do not need to include as an attached document (this costs your instructor extra time downloading and opening your attachment). A good approach is to do your work in a normal word processor document and save your work frequently. Then when your work is ready to submit copy and paste it into an email and send to your instructor.
Quiz assignments:
Your quiz assignments are based on the ASL Unit 1 through ASL Unit 4 Student CDs.
See the schedule below. The schedule below has active hyperlinks. By clicking on the quiz links you will be taken to the "end of lesson" quiz. You may need to scroll down to see the blank answer sheet. These blank answer sheets for the quizzes can also be accessed from a link at the end of each lesson.
You should go through the lessons sequentially starting with lesson one. Go to the website www.lifeprint.com and enter the main campus. Find the "Lessons" link and click on it. Then open up lesson 1. Click on the links to the vocabulary. For each vocabulary link you should read the whole page and do the sign until you have it memorized. Then sign all of the practice sentences and read any of the other material in the lesson.Next you need to take the lesson quiz. You may see "practice quizzes" at the website, but you don't need to do them. Your assignment is to do the quiz based on the video on the disk (not the "practice" quizzes).
To help you do that I've created "answer sheets" with the numbers already typed up for you. You can find these numbered sheets on the disk.
At or near the bottom of the each lesson you can find a "quiz" link which will take you to that lessons' quiz page. Below the practice quiz you will see a numbered list of answer blanks for you to copy and paste into your word processor. For example, on quiz #1 if you scroll down you will see:
Lesson 1: Receptive ASL Quiz #1: ASL Unit 1 CD Numbers 1-48. Followed by some instructions and the numbers 1-48.
You can also access the blank numbered answer sheets by right clicking on your CD, choosing explore, then looking around for the sheet.
You can copy and paste those numbers into your word processor program and save it as "lesson1yourfirstandlastname." It is a good idea to use these answer sheets because they sometimes have clues or "giveaway" answers.
When you first put in the ASL Unit 1 CD it should open a video player program and start playing a video clip (within a few minutes). If it doesn't, go ahead and browse to the CD by clicking and open up the video file by double clicking on it. If it doesn't open on your machine or gives you an error, contact me and I'll send you more info on how to upgrade your system. (Download the latest version of Windows Media Player).
You should see a videofile of me. Not pretty--but functional. The file might jump from sign to sign as I press stop and record on my video camera in-between each question. In the first five or so quizzes I show the sign about 3 times, but in later quizzes I just show the signs once. Feel free to pause and rewind.
You can adjust the size of the file via your media player's configuration settings. You can also pause the file by pressing pause. In the video file I show a number and then show a sign or a sentence. You type the answer onto your answer sheet. Make sure to save your answers periodically so as to avoid losing your work in the event of a crash or power outage.
Only do the number of questions that correspond to that lesson. For example the ASL Unit 1 CD has 321 questions numbered 1 to 321. You only do the first 48 questions for lesson one. Then for lesson 2 you do questions 49 through 113.
Save your document in your word processor. Then go to: http://Lifeprint.com/asluquizzes/ to submit your answers.
Expressive Final (Video Project)
There are two parts to this video. The first part is to introduce yourself, tell me about your family, where you are from, where you live, and what you do.For the second part, pick one sentence from each of lessons 1 through 20. You should end up with 20 sentences.
Copy the sentences to a new document and number them 1-20. Then sit down in-front of a camcorder and videotape yourself signing the sentences the same way I videotaped mine. For example, sign the number and then the sentence. You only need show me the sentence one time. Pay particular attention to your "yes/no" and "WH-question" expressions for each sentence (because I'll be looking for your facial expressions in addition to your vocabulary and general fluency).
If you stop once or maybe twice during the videotaping due to some technical issue or whatever I won't be concerned. But stopping between each question indicates a lack of preparation and smacks of not knowing the material well enough to simply sign the sentences without having to look each sentence up on the web or in the CD.
Some students tape record themselves reading the sentences out loud and then play back the recording while signing the sentences to the video camera. That's okay.
I've even seen students go so far as to write the sentences on poster paper and stick them on the wall behind the camera so they can read them while signing to the camera. That's okay, but a lot of work.
Other students just print out a paper with their sentences on it and put it in front of them. They lean forward to read the sentence and then look up at the camera and sign it.
Then print off your script and mail both it and your video to me. ALSO email me your script so I'll have an electronic copy to edit and make notes on for your feedback.
I'll correct it within a week or so of receiving the video. And then I'll email your feedback. You may post your video to the net via a service such as "youtube.com" or you may submit this video on any of the following: VHS-format full-size cassette, Mini-DV cassette, Video-CD (VCD) using MPEG-1 formatting, Digital Video Disk (DVD) using [DVD-R+, DVD-R-, or DVD-ROM], or as a video file on either CD or DVD in Windows Media File format, Quicktime, or Flash.DO NOT SEND ME "high 8" or any "8 millimeter" formats.
If your video isn't "good enough" due to inaccurate signs, lack of fluency, absence of or inaccurate facial expressions--you will be given instructions for improvement and required to do the video again (retakes are $20). You must get 70% or better on this assignment. This is regardless of your other scores.
Receptive Final:
This is a proctored examination.To take the final exam for this course first you inform the instructor (Dr. Vicars or whomever is your assigned instructor) that you have finished your quizzes, your paper, and your video and that you are ready to take the Final Exam.
Your instructor will add your name to the "Proctored Finals" student list and let you know that you have been added.
At that point you need to contact one of the official Electronic High School proctors in your area--which the you can find by logging into the "Proctored Finals class" at EHS and looking at the list.
The exam will contain a video file of the instructor signing various sentences from level 1.You take the test online with the proctor in the room making sure you do not use any books, websites, or other external material.
Make ups and backups:
Since this class is offered via the web and you can submit your assignments via email--late submissions of quizzes and assignments may receive zero credit. This is not punishment. It is simply a grading issue. Excellent students plan ahead, get organized, keep track of assignments, and turn things in on time (or early). Poor students wait until the last minute, miss deadlines and then make excuses and ask for leniency. Excellent students get "A's." Poor students get "D's" and "F's."Prepare ahead of time to have backup internet access in case your regular computer crashes. Save your work often and submit it early. Dead computers are not an excuse for late work. If you are in doubt as to whether your email has gone through, send a separate email with the subject line
"*** EHS, (first and last name) Reply requested***"
Keep a backup copy of all submissions until the end of the course and your grade has been received.
Holidays: All federal and state holidays will be observed. Any assignments due on a holiday may be turned in the next business day with no late penalty.
Note: You can turn in your assignments as early as you would like--no need to wait for the due dates.
Schedule:
Note: You have up to one year to complete the course. Choose your own due dates. To graduate in time, seniors must submit all work by April 28th.
Website
Quiz
Location
Numbers
Date Due
Check off
ASL Unit 1 CD
Numbers 1-48
ASL Unit 1 CD
Numbers 49-113
ASL Unit 1 CD
Numbers 114--172
ASL Unit 1 CD
Numbers 173-232
ASL Unit 1 CD
Numbers 233-321
ASL Unit 2 CD
Numbers 1-58
ASL Unit 2 CD
Numbers 59-100
ASL Unit 2 CD
Numbers 101-144
ASL Unit 2 CD
Numbers 145-198
ASL Unit 2 CD
Numbers 199--250
ASL Unit 3 CD
Numbers 1-51
ASL Unit 3 CD
Numbers 51-102
ASL Unit 3 CD
Numbers 103-149
ASL Unit 3 CD
Numbers 150-193
ASL Unit 3 CD
Numbers 194-250
ASL Unit 4 CD
Numbers 1-53
ASL Unit 4 CD
Numbers 54-99
ASL Unit 4 CD
Numbers 100-149
ASL Unit 4 CD
Numbers 150-194
ASL Unit 4 CD
Numbers 195-242
Research
Paper
Video Project
Final