Greetings from Los Angeles where new programs, new books, DVDS and surprises have been and are being planned and fussed over.
Today, I head back to Berkeley via the train.
As I speed north on Amtrak, ASL Tales will speed along with me and my faithful laptop.
Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure in bilingual storytelling.
If you haven't checked us out - go to ASL Tales.net
....... not after your coffee NOW!
For language and literacy,
susan
Wednesday
Tuesday
Life is either a Daring Adventure or Nothing at All
Life is short and each day does matter. Today, I am researching how bilingualism can help children learn to read, think better, see better (English and ASL). Why is signing so attractive to almost all kids? Perhaps it is because it is one step closer to universal communication via body language, facial expressions, mime and movement. Anyone out there in cyberland who knows anything about early education or literacy or teaching ESL, write me and tell me what you think are the main problems facing teachers, schools, students and parents in early education.
Or, write me directlym at susan.schaller a t g m a i l . co...
Youra for language for EVERYONE,
susan
Or, write me directlym at susan.schaller a t g m a i l . co...
Youra for language for EVERYONE,
susan
Thursday
Happy New Year
Dear cyber world, friends, neighbors and comrades,
Enjoy the last days of December by slowing down to appreciate any and all things you can.
Take some time to give something to others instead of spending your time and energy on what you can manipulate in your favor.
Be the best you can be, today. Be good to your family and friends by taking care of yourself.
Peace can be. Begin today.
Prepare for joy in 2011.
Yours for community building,
susan
Enjoy the last days of December by slowing down to appreciate any and all things you can.
Take some time to give something to others instead of spending your time and energy on what you can manipulate in your favor.
Be the best you can be, today. Be good to your family and friends by taking care of yourself.
Peace can be. Begin today.
Prepare for joy in 2011.
Yours for community building,
susan
Sunday
December descends
I'm back and have been immersed again in activity. Currently, I am in Southern California meeting with a film maker who is inspired to tell the film version of Ildefonso's story of entering our world of language.
I have been able to see Ildefonso more than usual. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and a big heart. With years of language, he has attached labels - names and dates - to some memories. I made a mistake in the book, thinking he was an adult when he came to the U.S. and did apple-picking and other work. He was about 8 years old and alone.
This guy never ceases to surprise me.
Yours for preventing any baby from being raised with little or no language,
susan
I have been able to see Ildefonso more than usual. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and a big heart. With years of language, he has attached labels - names and dates - to some memories. I made a mistake in the book, thinking he was an adult when he came to the U.S. and did apple-picking and other work. He was about 8 years old and alone.
This guy never ceases to surprise me.
Yours for preventing any baby from being raised with little or no language,
susan
Monday
Back after a sabbatical
Dear World,
I didn't retreat entirely or go live in a cave, but I did step down from a few projects, stepped back from planning and committing, and stayed a while in that uncomfortable place of not knowing. I am disheartened by so many people's inability to see deaf babies and Deaf people as human first, and different from the majority second. And, especially, parents who do not accept their visual babies as differently abled, but as deficient and needing to be fixed.
With my discouragement, often self doubts appear and questions about who am I to think I can write and speak and spark any change in a war, that has been waging against deaf babies ever since someone tried to educate a deaf child. In the past, I respond with more activity and more involvement and drive myself more. The last two months, I did not.
I decided to stay in the "I don't know" place. I squirmed, I chased away black clouds, I squelched my impulses to run away or jump into another battle, and I sat. It helped that my foot has been hurting and I couldn't walk most of the time, but, mostly, I was training myself to face uncomfortable truths, to look inside of me to improve my tolerance for differences, my receptive and acceptance skills, and my abilities to change. I discovered (surprise, surprise) that it is much harder than attempting to influence others to change.
And, that is why it is so uncomfortable.
It is absolutely necessary to face inward with honesty in order to move forward with honesty, to face inward with compassion to move forward with compassion, to face inward with forgiveness and love, to move forward with forgiveness and love, and to align our inner principles in order to move forward from an integrated foundation.
Onward, forward to the fray, but slower and more consciously,
susan "I don't know" schaller
I didn't retreat entirely or go live in a cave, but I did step down from a few projects, stepped back from planning and committing, and stayed a while in that uncomfortable place of not knowing. I am disheartened by so many people's inability to see deaf babies and Deaf people as human first, and different from the majority second. And, especially, parents who do not accept their visual babies as differently abled, but as deficient and needing to be fixed.
With my discouragement, often self doubts appear and questions about who am I to think I can write and speak and spark any change in a war, that has been waging against deaf babies ever since someone tried to educate a deaf child. In the past, I respond with more activity and more involvement and drive myself more. The last two months, I did not.
I decided to stay in the "I don't know" place. I squirmed, I chased away black clouds, I squelched my impulses to run away or jump into another battle, and I sat. It helped that my foot has been hurting and I couldn't walk most of the time, but, mostly, I was training myself to face uncomfortable truths, to look inside of me to improve my tolerance for differences, my receptive and acceptance skills, and my abilities to change. I discovered (surprise, surprise) that it is much harder than attempting to influence others to change.
And, that is why it is so uncomfortable.
It is absolutely necessary to face inward with honesty in order to move forward with honesty, to face inward with compassion to move forward with compassion, to face inward with forgiveness and love, to move forward with forgiveness and love, and to align our inner principles in order to move forward from an integrated foundation.
Onward, forward to the fray, but slower and more consciously,
susan "I don't know" schaller
Saturday
what fun
How ironic! I, an advocate for visual language for visual people, am on national public radio.
Enjoy life. Accept and enjoy ironies.
why not
Enjoy life. Accept and enjoy ironies.
why not
Thursday
AUG! Those August AUdists!
What is the reaction to Deaf people who say "audists" for doctors, augiologists, teachers and parents who forbid visual language for visual people (I know,it sounds crazy, but that insanity is the message given by over 90% of Ear, Nose, Throat Doctors)?
They are called crazy - militant or fanatical.
For over thirty years, I've been wondering how I can share my experience of meeting a beautiful and rich culture and language, based on vision, that would change the perspective of parents and the medical world.
How can we appreciate what others have instead of what is different or missing?
I welcome any ideas, suggestions or descriptions of any successful projects. Until then, let's ask all our friends and neighbors to buy ASL Tales at ASLTales.net, and help bilingual storytelling take off. If you would like to send in a donation, I will buy one and put it in a doctor's office. Or, you buy one for your local pediatrician. There's an idea, let's organize pediatricians around this. I think they would see the need for language in babies, over the need to fantasize about making the baby "normal."
I look forward to any comnmunication.
They are called crazy - militant or fanatical.
For over thirty years, I've been wondering how I can share my experience of meeting a beautiful and rich culture and language, based on vision, that would change the perspective of parents and the medical world.
How can we appreciate what others have instead of what is different or missing?
I welcome any ideas, suggestions or descriptions of any successful projects. Until then, let's ask all our friends and neighbors to buy ASL Tales at ASLTales.net, and help bilingual storytelling take off. If you would like to send in a donation, I will buy one and put it in a doctor's office. Or, you buy one for your local pediatrician. There's an idea, let's organize pediatricians around this. I think they would see the need for language in babies, over the need to fantasize about making the baby "normal."
I look forward to any comnmunication.
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