American Sign Language (ASL)

You may recognize this sign as meaning I love you or just sign language. Either way it's a way of life and communication.

Why Study ASL?
Why do so many people want to learn sign?
The answer might be found in the results of a study conducted by a researcher at the University of California Los Angeles. Albert Mehrabian, a well known psychologist, discovered that only seven percent of the meaning conveyed by typical utterance regarding our feelings and attitudes comes from the words we use, 38 percent from our voice, and 55 percent from our body language. When our body language conflicts with our words, listeners will typically pay more attention to our nonverbal message (Mehrabian, 1972).
Think what a difference it would make if you could improve your nonverbal communication skills by just a small percent? How many more sales would you make? How many more satisfied customers would you have? How many more interpersonal conflicts would you avoid by just being a little bit better at communicating nonverbally?
Next time you give a speech wouldn't it be great to use a bunch of natural looking gestures that hammer home your important points to the subconscious minds of your listeners? Next time you're negotiating a contract, wouldn't you just love to get a handle on what's going through the other person's mind? Being more attuned to his or her body language might just help you avoid making some costly communication mistakes.
American Sign Language (ASL) is growing in usage everyday.
Many states have passed laws recognizing ASL as a complete and natural language. Hundreds of colleges and universities throughout America now accept ASL in fulfillment of language entrance and exit requirements.
More and more television stations are using sign language in their programs and advertising.
Most school systems are now mainstreaming their deaf and hard of hearing students-- dramatically increasing the need for sign language interpreters.
More and more employers are looking for applicants who can sign. They know that having signers on their staff can contribute toward a good faith showing of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar legislation.
A snowball effect is taking place as more and more people learn to use American Sign Language.
While many languages are " dying off," American Sign Language is growing in usage everyday.


Kentucky School for the Deaf


http://www.ksd.k12.ky.us/
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_School_for_the_Deaf
Jump to: navigation, search
Kentucky School for the Deaf

Jacobs Hall, A National Historic Landmark in 1987
Location
303 S. 2nd St, Danville, Kentucky
Information
Type
Public
Established
April 10, 1823
Head of school
Dr. Harvey Jay Corson
Faculty
45
Grades
K-12
Enrollment
140[1]
Mascot
Colonels
Website
Official Web Site
Jacobs Hall, Kentucky School for the Deaf
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Location:
Danville, Kentucky
Coordinates:
37°38′29″N 84°46′18″W / 37.64139°N 84.77167°W / 37.64139; -84.77167Coordinates: 37°38′29″N 84°46′18″W / 37.64139°N 84.77167°W / 37.64139; -84.77167
Built/Founded:
1857
Architect:
Lewinski,Thomas; McMurtry,John
Architectural style(s):
No Style Listed
Governing body:
State
Added to NRHP:
October 15, 1966
NRHP Reference#:
66000354[2]
The Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD), located in Danville, Kentucky, provides education to deaf and hard-of-hearing children from elementary through high school levels.
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 Governance
3 Facilities
4 Master Plan
5 Athletics
6 References
7 External links
//
[edit] History
KSD was established as the Kentucky Asylum for the Tuition of the Deaf and Dumb on April 10, 1823. It was the first state-supported school of its kind in the United States and the first school for the deaf west of the Allegheny Mountains. The deaf were a special concern of General Elias Barbee, a Kentucky state senator, whose daughter was deaf. In 1822 Barbee and John Rowan wrote legislation authorizing the creation of the school. On December 7, 1822 it was signed into law by Kentucky Governor John Adair. With the help of Henry Clay, KSD received two federal land grants in 1826 and 1836. This land in Florida and Arkansas was eventually sold to finance the construction of school facilities.
In the early years it was thought that the Kentucky school might be able to meet the educational needs of all deaf people in southern and western United States. Pupils from all the southern states except Florida, and from as far away as Montana, attended KSD. Eventually, other states established their own schools.[3]
[edit] Governance
The Centre College Board of Trustees operated the school until 1870. It was then governed by its own board of commissioners. Since 1960 the Kentucky Board of Education and Department of Education have governed the school.
Many of the officers and teachers at KSD have had long tenures. George M. McClure was associated with the school for eighty years as both pupil and teacher. The school has had fourteen superintendents since its inception. The Rev. John Rice Kerr, the first superintendent, and John Adamson Jacobs, the third superintendent, are credited with nurturing the school from its infancy. Jacobs began his work in 1825, became superintendent in 1835, and held that office until his death in 1869.[3]
[edit] Facilities
KSD lies on 166 acres (67 ha) near the center of Danville. Buildings on the campus are listed below. It has been proposed that the campus be reduced to 50 acres (20 ha), demolishing or selling several of the buildings.[4]
Argo-McClure Hall (1964) Technology classes for middle and high school.
Barbee Hall (1966) Currently empty middle school girls' dormitory.
Beauchamp Hall (1966) Middle school boys' dormitory.
Brady Hall (1981) High school girls' dormitory and offices.
Bruce Hall (1966) Currently empty middle school girls' dormitory.
Fosdick Hall (1966) Currently empty middle school boys' dormitory.
Grow Hall (1968) Food service.
Jacobs Hall (1857) KSD's oldest surviving building. It is listed as a National Historic Landmark[5] and contains a re-creation of a student dormitory and classroom from the 1850s.
Kerr Hall (1976) High School and Middle School classes.
Lee Hall (1958) Was used as girls' vocational classes.
Middleton Hall (Boys Dormitory)
Thomas Hall (1973) Gymnasium, Student Grille, Swimming Pool, and Athletic Offices.
Walker Hall (1971) Elementary self-contained department.
[edit] Master Plan
A task force was established in 2004 to create a master plan for KSD. The master plan recommends [6]
Reduce the number of buildings from 17 to seven.
The new campus would contain Argo-McClure, Brady, Jacobs, Kerr, Middleton, and Thomas halls, and a new elementary school to be built at a cost of $6.5 million.
Beauchamp, Fosdick, and Grow halls would be demolished.
Campus buildings outside the master plan area are Barbee, Bruce, Lee, Rogers, and Walker halls, the laundry and power plant, and the engineer's residence.
Reduce the land from 170 acres (0.69 km2) to 62.
Surplus and sell land outside the master plan area. Use the proceeds to fund future campus needs.
[edit] Athletics
The school's mascot is the Colonel. Athletic teams have enjoyed moderate success. They have won at least one high school eight-man football championship. In 2007 they won the National Boys Soccer Championship and became a 12th Region contender in Boys Basketball. KSD currently participates in the following sports
Volleyball
Soccer
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball
Swimming
Track and Field







Ways To Learn Sign Language


My college Bluegrass Community College offers classes to help you learn


http://legacy.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/hlss/fl/courses/asl


This is a link to KSD's sign language class which I took and loved! :)


http://www.ksd.k12.ky.us/Intrepreters%20Sign%20Lang/communityASL.htm


Also their was ways to learn to learn on the internet! :)

http://www.startamericansignlanguage.com/

there you can learn words, numbers, colors and phrases from videos! It's really exciting! So try it and have some fun! :)

http://www.aslpro.com/

This website has videos on how to say everything which I think is easier to learn than pictures. It has conversational phrases, religious signs, a main dictionary and also ASL for babies.

Books are another way to learn ASL is the book that I have.

American Sign Language Dictionary (Sternberg) which you can get for about $60