For Immediate Release

Media Contact: Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Outreach Division

Phone: 510 794 3707

Fax: 510 794 2755

Event and Registration Information Contact: Pam Snedigar, Gallaudet University Regional Center

Coming to Fremont-Newark

California National Roundtable for American Sign Language professionals in pre-kindergarten through 12^th grade Deaf Education

Fremont-Newark, California – Teachers who teach American Sign Language to Deaf and hard-of-hearing students as their first language are invited to attend a national event which will be held in Fremont-Newark, Calif., January 13-16, 2010.

The American Sign Language Roundtable (ASLRT) event focuses exclusively on Deaf students whose first language is American Sign Language. Participants will have an opportunity to further develop ASL benchmarks for ASL as a first language curriculum, along with informal and formal assessments. Also, there will be hands-on activities coming up with initiatives and opportunities to network with other schools.

As one of the sponsors for this exciting event, California School for the Deaf superintendent Dr. Henry Klopping remarked, “The ASL Roundtable gives teachers and administrators the opportunity to gain new knowledge and expertise in the critical area of ASL, the first language of Deaf students. Armed with new knowledge and skills, teachers from all over the United States, particularly those in California who work with our students, will transfer this new information to their work with Deaf students. This would insure that they can get the best education possible. CSD is focused on ASL as a first language, and it is an honor to be a part of this ASL Roundtable that ultimately seeks to maximize the academic achievement of Deaf students.”

THE EVENT

The conference will be held at Ohlone College Newark Center, 39399 Cherry Street, Newark, CA 94560. The theme of this year’s conference is, “ASL Language Planning in Deaf Education: Engaging, Empowering, Electrifying.” www.csdeagles.com/outreach/pdf/asl-in-deaf-ed.pdf

This event is being sponsored by the Deaf Studies division at Ohlone College; California School for the Deaf; Deaf Studies department at California State University, Northridge; and Gallaudet University Regional Center at Ohlone College; in cooperation with the Language Planning Institute at Gallaudet University (based in Washington, DC).

Dr. Genie Gertz, dean of the Deaf Studies division at Ohlone College explained, “The purpose of this third national American Sign Language Roundtable (ASLRT) is to provide a place for 'pre-K to 12' American Sign Language professionals and school administrators to participate in new initiatives in ASL development.”

Adele Ann Eberwein, CSD elementary principal, elaborated, “The targeted population includes all Deaf learners in K-12’s ASL/English bilingual settings. This event will address best practices and discuss issues related to ASL teaching, ASL curriculum, and ASL instructional language assessment.”

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Amy Hile is faculty member in the department of education at Gallaudet University. Her doctoral studies centered on the areas of ASL development/acquisition, fingerspelling, and K-12 ASL/English bilingual education. She worked at the New Mexico School for the Deaf as an ASL specialist.

Dr. Laurene Simms is the director of the master's degree program in Deaf education, a graduate program at Gallaudet University. Her specializations include multiculturalism; social justice; literacy research; advocacy of Deaf people of color; early childhood education; diversified teaching pedagogy; Deaf education history; international Deaf education; American Sign Language and English bilingualism.

TRIBUTE to the LATE DR. FLEISCHER

The event will open with a tribute to Dr. Lawrence Fleischer who was an integral part of the ASLRT 2010 planning. Dr. Fleischer’s accomplishments include being a chair of the Deaf Studies department under the College of Education at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN); founder of Deaf Studies as an academic discipline at CSUN. In addition to his academic credits, he was known as an advocate for ASL and was a noted leader in Deaf education.

REGISTRATION

The fee to attend the Roundtable is $225, which includes lively discussions on ASL language planning, Wednesday night reception, lunch on Thursday and Friday, closing social, and tickets to the Clerc Classic basketball tournament at the California School for the Deaf. For registration form, go to: www.ohlone.edu/org/gurc/calendar.html

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2010 American Sign Language Roundtable Tentative Schedule

1/13/2010

Wednesday

1/14/2010

Thursday

1/15/2010

Friday

1/16/2010

Saturday