Louise Masin Sattler

GOODBYE BORDERS

Published on August 30, 2011 by LouiseSattler2 Comments

This has been an unprecedented week in my life. Without going more than 5 miles from my home I have experienced an earthquake, tornado, my son leaving for college and our dog, Bingo, saying his last goodbye. Talk about an emotionally charged week. Since, I couldn’t do anything to change the course of those events I will focus on another farewell… BORDERS BOOKS and MUSIC.

My love affair with BORDERS started when I first saw the shiny box store. Anyone who knows me will attest that I long have needed a program to get over my addiction to buying books (especially children’s books). BORDERS became my place to browse with my young preschoolers and keep them happy with a cookie and hot chocolate during months where the sun went down before dinner! A venue for other moms with strollers to meet and laugh over a latte. Where we could sit and hear a local or nationally renowned author read aloud excerpts from their books. And, where I heard my friend, Tom Sullivan, perform his great music.

BORDERS also was the first area store to spotlight my BABY, TODDLER and PRESCHOOL SIGN LANGUAGE DVD. They allowed me a great spot during their Educators’ Promotions week and I was so grateful for their sales and hospitality. This kind of treatment meant the world to me and helped jumpstart my business, SIGNING FAMILIES.

Goodbye BORDERS, my friend.

Talent Agents and Young Performers – the “411”

Published on July 26, 2011 by LouiseSattlerLeave a comment

◊ Today I was lucky to have interviewed on radio Danette Linicomn from The Liniocomn Agency. She hails from Dallas and represents all ages and sizes. We really clicked! She shared some sage advice which should be considered essential by any parent who has a child interested in the acting profession. I am happy to share it with you and also some great resource links below.

Here are some great suggestions:

1- Be careful for what you pay for. The classes sound great, the commercials sound promising, but no one can guarantee that your child will make it in “show biz”- no one.

2- Be prepared. Having a child actor is work for the whole family. It also can be expensive and time consuming. Headshots, resume services and acting classes all cost money. And when you are with your child at an audition or on the set, chances are your work productivity is compromised, too. So, be aware and be prepared.

3- Danette recommends that only franchised and registered Talent Agents represent your child. If they are not licensed or in franchised then it is possible that they are a “scam” or worse. Be an educated and cautious consumer.

4- Education is important, including for working actors. Although many working actors are schooled on sets or within their homes. This is a personal choice.

5- Actors come in all sizes and shapes. Danette indicated that many casting directors now want “real people” which is why she has a REEL department in her agency. (Submissions welcome )

6- Deaf actors and those who are fluent signers are sought after, as well. Danette will be joining forces with an LA agency that specializes with representing talent who have unique language abilities or special needs. (Addison Witt Talent Agency)

7- Voiceover talent can make a living, however, this is a crowded field and many don’t last long in this niche market.

Here are some excellent resources for parents of working actors to peruse and become informed.

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD – YOUNG PERFORMERS

AFTRA

Note: The children in the photo above are all working actors who have been American Sign Language (ASL) models in video and print for my company SIGNING FAMILIES™ . They are NOT represented by the the Linicomn Agency . However, they do show that acting kids come in all sizes and shapes!

COMING UP ON NEXT MONTHS PARENTING THE TALENT SHOW August 30th as part of the 411 VOICES Arts , Entertainment and the Business of it ALL series..

BACK TO SCHOOL PRODUCTS ! Do you have a product or service that would be perfect for home or set educated young performers? Pitch it to me! Comment below and we will be in touch! THANKS!

CONNECT WITH 411 VOICES here for more information and to learn about ALL of our radio shows

Summertime Learning for ADULTS!

Published on June 1, 2011June 1, 2011 by LouiseSattlerLeave a comment

Today as I am writing this post it is a hot (95 degrees) and humid (90%) day in the greater Washington D.C. area. Don’t make any mistake in thinking that this is a “dry heat”. So, I am especially grateful to Willis Haviland Carrier, who purportedly invented the air conditioner. This little piece of trivia is new to me and I will add it to the list of “things” I learned during 2011.

I was raised in a home where education ruled supreme. And after watching and reading commentary about OPRAH‘s tribute to her by the Moorehouse University graduates who she supported, I gather that we were not the only ones. But, if there is one thing I know for sure- it is that one should never stop learning or you just mentally wilt. (You can watch Oprah’s surprise here)

So, here is my list of things that I want to learn the Summer of 2011. (And add yours to the comments below!)

1- Zumba. Yes, I want to learn more about this form of dance. Would love to hear from others who have tried this dance and exercise form.

2- Learn about HTML. That is a computer term and program “thing” – for those who may need to brush up on it, like me.

3– Read more. I want to read about a random topic. I haven’t picked it out – yet. That will take a trip to the library. And thank the goodness we still have libraries!

4. Learn how to play Mahjong.

and lastly… 5. Learn more about how to operate my “fancy” camera.

TAG – YOU’RE IT! What will you learn this Summer?

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NEWS:

Follow me on TWITTER: [twitter-follow Louise_ Sattler =’wordpressdotcom’]

♦Missed my debut radio segment which airs during the 411 Voices- Arts, Entertainment and the Business of it ALL! show? I was privileged to interview Talent Manager, Susan Ferris from the Bohemia Group. Here is the audio- Listen Here

♦Want to learn American Sign Language later this Summer? SIGNING FAMILIES will be offering ONLINE COURSES starting August 2011. Here is what we will be rolling out…

Just for Kids– a basic sign class geared for kids and taught by kids!

Just the Basics- A Sign Class for anyone who wishes to learn, with emphasis on those who are in the hospitality, restaurant, vacation attractions, hotel and business industries.

Adaptive/ Functional Sign Language– A course designed to teach children, their families and educators within the special education communities.

Sign language for medical and dental personnel.

READ SIGNING FAMILIES JUNE NEWSLETTER HERE (ASL Signs and a GIVEAWAY included)

Do you need a 411 VOICE?

Published on April 25, 2011April 25, 2011 by LouiseSattlerLeave a comment

I love the movie The Sound of Music. Really. When much younger I would pretend with friends that we were one of the Von Trapp kids. Despite my better judgement, I thought that wearing curtains as clothing would be fun. This movie also will be an eternal “top pick” as one of my favorite sayings is quoted by the star- the beloved, Maria- “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” That is how I feel about 2011. In some regards, there have been doors closing here and there this year, yet, many beautiful windows also have opened- WIDE.

In essence, 2011 and all the open windows lead me in a new direction which was to join a wonderful group of creative, educated and amazing women known as- 411 VOICES (see our website and below for our members). To date, we have over 16 women “Voices” from the fields of business, education, parent -child counseling, astrology, entertainment, social-media and more. Each of us have resumes that demonstrate our levels of expertise from nationally recognized guest speakers, to award winning authors, to gurus of social-media and top entrepreneurs. Most importantly, through our collaborative efforts we strive to make this world a better place, through helping others by giving the “411” to those in search of a little guidance.

Here is why I LOVE being part of the 411 Voices team and am so excited for the MAY 2nd OFFICIAL LAUNCH –

If you have a question about parenting, education, starting or growing a business, social-media, how to get much needed PR, how to stir your creative talents, or other general topics- then let the dozen+ experts try and help you! You can connect directly to us through the ASK THE EXPERT tab to post your questions. We will try our best to answer any questions promptly or give to you resources to help steer you in the right direction. (No names needed for the ASK THE EXPERT feature)
We are multi-dimensional– we blog, conduct TV, radio, and online interviews, are national guest speakers, and collectively can speak nearly a dozen languages and with American Sign Language being part of our repertoire. In a few days our welcome message will be in English with captioning and ASL!
Want to listen to a variety of topics through online radio or iTunes? Then check out the ever growing list of radio shows by clicking HERE. Our first show with Dara Blaker will premiere TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 26th at 11:30 am EST. Listen LIVE HERE.
Are you planning an event where you are looking for knowledgeable, dynamic and fun speakers? Check out our SPEAKERS feature. Many of us talk about topics such as special education, bullying, mom entrepreneurship, health and safety, communication and more!

How can you learn more about 411 Voices? Please join us here:

MEET OUR VOICES

Anne Dunnewold

Annie Fox

Astrid Stromberg

Beth Engelman

Britt Michaelian

Dara Blaker

Jenna Riggs

Kristin Andress

Liysa Callsen

Louise Sattler

Lynne Kenney

Marianne Russo

Margaret McSweeney

Shara Lawerence-Weiss

Sharon Davis

Wendy Young

RUN. RUN! RUN?

Published on April 22, 2011April 23, 2011 by LouiseSattler2 Comments

RUN. An easy word with so many meanings. And a nightmare for anyone who desperately is trying to learn the English language. Think about it. How many different meanings can you list for this little three- letter word?

Of course there is the obvious.. “Watch Dick and Jane run.” Or given the season, The ____ (fill in your favorite baseball team name) has scored another homerun.

I have taught American Sign Language (ASL) to hearing students for a zillion years. And with my advanced classes I always try to show them how RUN can be signed a multitude of ways. When we are done with this exercise we are all practically sweating. Keep in mind that these are mostly English- speaking students learning ASL. Imagine how hard this is for my students who do not have English as their first language? They often struggle learning the numerous meanings of one little ‘ol word, let alone all the other words in the English language that have multiple meanings.

Yet, for some reason, this particular word seems to really be a stand out for me. So, here are all the uses of the word RUN that my students and I have put on a list. Any others? Feel free to add below in the comment section.

Runaway

Run in a woman’s pantyhose

Running water

Running off with ones’ mouth

Runny nose

Run for ones’ life

Running brook, stream, etc.

A run for a political office

Running a temperature/ fever

Run the risk of….

Feeling “run – down”

Run- off

Running out of steam

Being give the – Runaround

Now your turn- add any uses of the word “RUN” below or add a comment about another word that just seems to drive you a bit crazy……. Well, I’m running out of time for this blog… Thanks for reading!

Newsworthy-

Just want to point out that my American Idol pick- James Durbin is still in the competition. Just say’in. He may just “run away with” the competition, afterall.

Educators Contest- Win Free ASL Products for Students!

Published on April 19, 2011April 20, 2011 by LouiseSattler26 Comments

SIGNING FAMILIES™ has a new sign language series of materials ready to roll from our place to you home, school, hospital or organization. Throughout the next few months we will be announcing contests to give away FREE products to few lucky winners. Today we announce the EDUCATOR CONTEST- A CLASSROOM SET OF American Sign Language (ASL) Materials…. details are here:

To be eligible simply comment below or on the SIGNING FAMILIES FACEBOOK page by May 1, 2011 (6 pm EST) on why your classroom, your child’s teacher or some educator you know would love to get the ASL classroom set (enough for twenty students). This will include sets of the SIGNING FAMILIES™ new ASL- English and Spanish folder , bookmarks, ASL charts and a free DVD (either Baby, Toddler and Preschool Sign Language or Sign Language for Emergency Situations). The value of this prize is well over $150.

I also will randomly pick two other educators to win a free set of bookmarks for their class and SIGNING FAMILIES DVD.

→ A few rules:

You may submit only one comment per person. But, if you are really clever, you can have friends, family and co-workers comment on your behalf!
You also may comment on the SIGNING FAMILIES Facebook website found here: SIGNING FAMILIES ON FACEBOOK
We ship only in the United States and Canada for this contest. Please make sure the educator who is to receive the gift is in the US or Canada.
Homeschool educators are eligible and encouraged.
Parents may enter on behalf of their children’s teachers (or for themselves if they are educators)
Grandparents also may enter
Your dog may not enter unless they are donating the prize to their obedience teacher
The WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON THIS BLOG and THE FACEBOOK PAGE ON MAY 1st and for a few days after. PLEASE CHECK BACK to see if you are a winner!!

If you do not win and wish to learn how you can take advantage of the deep discounts offered for the new product line please go to our website – SIGNING FAMILIES or email me for details.

info@SigningFamilies.com

Check out the photos of some of our SIGNING FAMILIES products (the folder is so new- no image available yet!) Also, below the photos are some COOL ANNOUNCEMENTS….

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NEWSWORTHY-

WOW- thanks to all who read my last blog about why I think James Durbin should win American Idol! I know some new readers visited so welcome and thanks!

Thank you to all who voted for SIGNING FAMILIES™ as part of the Start Up Nation 2011 Leading Women in Business Contest. There are just a few more days of voting, so please if you have a moment- VOTE–

I will know next week if I was one of their Winners…. http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/contestant/10186/index.php

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I am so excited to have joined 411Voices. The 16 women (and growing) are incredible talents. All with unique skills. All experts in their fields. This week alone we had the following 411Voices get national recognition and I would love to give them a shout out here with hopes that you will follow them and the 411Voices group collectively. (We would love to have you join us on Twitter @411Voices and FACEBOOK)

Meet Jenna Riggs (Mommyonashoestring.com).. She is a finalist in the NBC/Universal Green Creativity contest and we hope she will appear on the TODAY SHOW very soon with her adorable Jump Rope Markers!

Meet Shara Lawrence- Weiss.. here is her great television appearance for her company Personal Child Stories. I love how she discusses the practical uses of “everyday objects and photographs” as a way to enhance learning with young children. Watch by clicking the link:

teach-your-kids-through-your-family-history-and-photos

And you will LOVE this video by Liysa Callsen, aka codadiva. If you do not know what a CODA is I won’t give up the surprise.. just watch and be prepared to LAUGH!

GEARING UP TO GLOW

Published on March 24, 2011December 1, 2019 by LouiseSattler4 Comments

Well, it has been almost exactly three months since my neck was cut open by Top Doc to get rid of thyroid cancer (THYCA). Since, that time I have managed to keep myself busy by tweeting like a “mad woman” about my Twitter Charity Scarf Campaign, filming PSAs, speaking at MacWorld, filming the Chronicles of EMS, baking loads of cookies for college kids, and much more….. Alas… it is the time for what I hope is one of the final steps in ridding for “GOOD” this THYCA…the radioactive iodine treatment (RAI).

Now for those of you who don’t speak THYCA– this is a treatment that begins with a funky low-idoine diet and ends with you drinking some radioactive goop which is suppose to kill off any microscopic cancer cells in my body that Top Doc might have not seen during surgery. All in all, it is suppose to be a much easier treatment then enduring chemo, which is not the plan for this type of cancer. (And my heart goes out to those who are undergoing chemo.)

So, I am nearly in week two of the RAI diet. Which means if it is in a bag, can or restaurant I probably cannot eat it. I can eat all the fruits and veggies I want. Black coffee, no problem. But….nothing chocolate! And.. No dairy or breads-except for Matzo. And note the irony has not escaped me that this diet will end about the same time frame as Passover begins. This year I bought unsalted matzo- by the six-pack! OY VEY!! I will say that I discovered some yummy fruit and nut bars by Larabar that are all organic with no other “stuff” – They tasted so good I called the company twice to make sure I wasn’t cheating on the RAI diet..

After I get my RAI treatment I will be glowing… and in solitary confinement. Don’t feel sorry for me. I have outfitted my “suite” with tons of kids toys like JENGA, PICK UP STICKS, jigsaw puzzles and added in to the room some fun trashy novels. I also have every DVD and VHS in the house that was an award winner or has a brat packer in it! Plus, twenty episodes of NCIS await me on the DVR.

But, here is the one draw back… I may not get to use my laptop or iphone….. If that happens know that I will have groovy hubby checking my “social media stuff” and passing me notes through the door…

Oh well… at least when I get to go back “online” I will be able to order chocolate and ice cream and a pizza and ……….

I conclude with a HUGE thanks to those of you who have been voting for SIGNING FAMILIES on the STARTUPNATION.com competition. According to the “meter” we are almost HOT!! Please continue to vote so we can help people to learn ASL and continue to build communication bridges one SIGN at a time!

CLICK the meter to vote

TWITTER CHARITY CAMPAIGN INFO HERE: http://louisesattler.com/2011/01/20/twitter-charity-scarf/

HELP SIGNING FAMILIES™ TO HELP OTHERS LEARN ASL- THROUGH START UP NATION 2011!

Published on March 13, 2011 by LouiseSattler2 Comments

PLEASE VOTE DAILY HERE: http://bit.ly/eDy1Jg (simply pick daily reminder)

I has been a really long time since I “campaigned” for any competition. I think my last run for an office was in the seventh grade. I lost- badly. This time I am hoping to compete in something a little bit more hefty than my Jr. HS student council race. I am hoping to have my company, SIGNING FAMILIES™ recognized as one of the Start Up Nation 2011 best mom owned businesses. While it would be terrific to win- it would be even more wonderful to receive exposure for American Sign Language as a beneficial mode of communication for not only the deaf community but those who are within perhaps the Autism, Down Syndrome and Speech Impaired communities ( to name a few).

To date SIGNING FAMILIES™ has donated thousands of dollars of product and instructional workshops to people within the special needs community who could not afford to attend ASL classes or purchase materialsfor their classrooms or homes. We also have taught up close and personal- scores of educators, families, medical personnel and First Responders nationwide. Our DVD- Sign Language for Emergency Situations in ASL, English and Spanish has been heralded as a one of a kind DVD to meet the ASL and Spanish communities needs for fast communication during a natural or manmade disaster.

Our BABY, TODDLER and PRESCHOOL Sign Language DVD was designed to meet the needs of people who want to learn how to promote or augment communication with children by using sign language. It recently won the KIDLUTIONS Preferred Product Award and was represented at Mac World for KIDS 2011.

Here is what we are working on now-

Create a large pocket folder with signs for basic communication on the front and emergency/medical signs onthe back. This folder was requested by people within both the medical and educational communities. We heard the requests and are now in production. Available May 2011.

– In order to help promote literacy among deaf children and foster friendships between children who are hearingand those who are deaf we are creating multiple bookmarks. Our first two focus on school words and social-emotional development words with ASL, English and Spanish. The third will substitute Hebrew for Spanish. (Have an idea- submit to us anytime!)

Also, SIGNING FAMILIES™ proudly teamed with abcteach.com to create downloadable flashcards and movies for their terrific educators website. To date, we have created for videos which help students and teachers learn COLORS, the ALPHABET and NUMBERS and COMMON SCHOOL WORDS in ASL. Next we will be developing a video for WH? question words.

…And if we can find people who know sign language for Japan we will gladly put together for First Responders and the Red Cross a quick chart to use on site to help communicate with the deaf population in Japan. (Please send any info about JSL – Japanese Sign Language to info@SigningFamilies.com)

THANK YOU FOR READING… now please vote.. today and every day until the competition ends in mid- May. It would be so groovy to get more people taking a sign language journey with us!

~Louise

p.s. A very special Thank You to Karen Geary, my biz mentor, – without her, I would never have had the courage to pursue SIGNING FAMILIES on an international level!

My Child is Deaf- HELP!

Published on March 9, 2011March 9, 2011 by LouiseSattler3 Comments

As a School Psychologist and the founder and owner of SIGNING FAMILIES™, I often receive queries from parents who are searching for any kind of assistance to help their deaf child. For most parents, having a deaf child is an unexpected bit of news and quite a shock which leads to many questions such as- “Will my child live a ‘normal’ life- go to college, learn to drive, talk to me” and so forth. While I don’t have a zillion answers, I do have a lot of information that others have shared with me and now I happily will share with you.

First, know that 9 of every 10 deaf children born in the United States are born to hearing parents. The reasons for deafness vary with some being genetic. Most parents don’t know anything about deafness, the amazing deaf culture or American Sign Language (ASL). However, some of the misconceptions one may have had in the past are changing (thankfully) due to great public figures such as Marlee Matlin, Deanne Bray and TV shows such as GLEE.

Deafness comes in degrees. Some children can have a hearing loss and benefit from hearing aids and perhaps speech therapy. Others will receive zero benefit from amplification. Just like no two people wearing glasses are the same, neither are those with hearing loss. I. King Jordan, the past president of Gallaudet University, has been quoted as saying, “Deaf people can do anything- except hear”. I ditto that sentiment. You need only to walk the campus of Gallaudet University or see the Who’s Who within the deaf community to know that success is not based on whether you can hear or not.

Now for the What Should We Do?

To start if you have discovered your child is deaf or hard of hearing you may wish to do the following:

1- Contact your public school district Early Intervention Office. The United States has programs that are FREE and available to any child from birth through the age of 21 who qualifies as needing special education, this may include speech therapy for a child with a significant hearing loss and early intervention specialists helping parents with their children’s learning. Here is a link to help you find your more about the laws which help children with exceptional needs: http://idea.ed.gov/ and here http://www.nectac.org/partc/partc.asp

2- Talk with your pediatrician about referrals to medical teams which specialize with deaf children. Your pediatrician most likely has not received specific training in audiology and other matters to help your deaf child. This is just the way it is with medical training.

3. Talk with other parents who have deaf children. There are options from different educational programs, to hearing aids to the cochlear implant. This is your child, be a well informed “consumer”.

4- Learn American Sign Language (ASL). Now I know most of you are saying that you were expecting this suggestion given the nature of my business. However, the reality is that ASL is the fourth most common language in the U.S. And a deaf child with or without a cochlear implant, in my opinion, can still benefit from learning ASL. Plus, sign language for young children , hearing or deaf, has been proven to promote overall language skills, reduce frustration and negative behaviors. Learning ASL is a win-win, for deaf and hearing populations. Your child has nothing to lose by being bilingual and bicultural. To learn more about ASL or see many practice sites visit here: ASL

5- Check out these wonderful groups I have listed below who only want to help your deaf or hard of hearing (HOH) child and your family as a whole.

6- There has been a plethora of material written and filmed about the deaf community, mainstreaming of deaf children into hearing schools and the cochlear implant. Two seminole films are THROUGH DEAF EYES and SOUND and FURY (make sure you watch the first and second films for SOUND and FURY to get the whole story). Both are available on PBS.org, NETFLIX and online for purchase. Both were required viewing for my ASL college level courses. Students with preconceived notions about deafness were “blown away” by both films, especially THROUGH DEAF EYES.

If you have any more questions please feel free to post here or go to SIGNING FAMILIES on FACEBOOK. Let us ALL learn from each other.