2008 Woodie Awards
Kirkwood attempts to break through the silence
Christina Voss
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
You are standing in a crowd of thousands on a cool summer night waiting for your favorite band to come on stage, except all you hear is silence. Noise is all around but you hear nothing.
It's not a dream - it's what a deaf person goes through everyday.
Today, Americans have one of the most complete and expressive sign language systems, which was derived from the French signing system. The interest in sign language has been growing so rapidly that sign language is now the fourth most used language in the United States.
Sign language classes are being offered in communities, churches and colleges.
Beginning Oct. 18, Kirkwood will offer a beginner's class in sign language over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) fiber optics system.
People can sign up for the class through Nov. 1. The class is designed for parents and other family members of children with hearing loss. Friends, caregivers, co-workers, educators and members of the general public with a sincere interest may enroll as well.
As a community education class, it meets for one hour per week and lasts throughout the year for 24 one-hour sessions. There is homework, review assignments and quizzes but no tests, grades, credits or CEUs given.
"The goal of the class is to have the learners come away with the ability to finger-spell and use numbers and some basic signs and phrases to communicate with deaf family and community members," said Anne McKeown, an employee at the Iowa School for the Deaf.
The only cost to students is the textbook. Iowa Student Development, the Iowa Lions Foundation and area education agencies around the state underwrite the cost to provide the class free of charge.
McKeown explained that Kirkwood and other colleges are the perfect place to offer sign language classes because "the missions of Iowa's community colleges and the goals of our sign class are compatible and make meeting in the ICN classrooms available at the community colleges logical. We definitely want to make attending class as convenient as possible for our students."
It's not a dream - it's what a deaf person goes through everyday.
Today, Americans have one of the most complete and expressive sign language systems, which was derived from the French signing system. The interest in sign language has been growing so rapidly that sign language is now the fourth most used language in the United States.
Sign language classes are being offered in communities, churches and colleges.
Beginning Oct. 18, Kirkwood will offer a beginner's class in sign language over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) fiber optics system.
People can sign up for the class through Nov. 1. The class is designed for parents and other family members of children with hearing loss. Friends, caregivers, co-workers, educators and members of the general public with a sincere interest may enroll as well.
As a community education class, it meets for one hour per week and lasts throughout the year for 24 one-hour sessions. There is homework, review assignments and quizzes but no tests, grades, credits or CEUs given.
"The goal of the class is to have the learners come away with the ability to finger-spell and use numbers and some basic signs and phrases to communicate with deaf family and community members," said Anne McKeown, an employee at the Iowa School for the Deaf.
The only cost to students is the textbook. Iowa Student Development, the Iowa Lions Foundation and area education agencies around the state underwrite the cost to provide the class free of charge.
McKeown explained that Kirkwood and other colleges are the perfect place to offer sign language classes because "the missions of Iowa's community colleges and the goals of our sign class are compatible and make meeting in the ICN classrooms available at the community colleges logical. We definitely want to make attending class as convenient as possible for our students."