Jaylen, his sister and me - meeting in Florida, December 2010. These kids are both amazing!
I have knownJaylen Arnold for more than a year. Each time I read his posts, watch his videos or see his tweets I have to remind myself that he is not even a teenager, but a young boy with multiple personal challenges who does not wallow in his own struggles, but chooses to help others. In fact he goes beyond measure to assist peers, such as in the case of his friend, Carissa Bodner.
In the video below Jaylen eloquently appeals to his audience to help Carissa, who recently was hit by a drunk driver while riding her bike. She has been in critical condition and has received multiple surgeries. Carissa, needs our help. Please watch and then consider contributing to Jaylen’s campaign to lend a helping hand to his dear friend.
My company,SIGNING FAMILIESwill be donating a generous portion of proceeds from our product sales to Carissa throughout the fourth of July weekend. Perhaps you will do the same? Thank you.
I know that there are a lot of ways to learn the basics of American Sign Language and Baby Sign language on the internet and via DVDs. One simply needs to GOOGLE ASL to see the plethora of websites, online dictionaries and materials dedicated to teaching the average hearing person how to communicate within the deaf world. However, not much is available and affordable for people who wish to incorporate sign language in to their homes or workplaces when their lives don’t allow for time or access to classes or they may have a difficult family situtation. This is why SIGNING FAMILIESis putting the finishing touches on our SIGN LANGUAGE LEARN AT HOME OR THE WORKPLACE SERIES OF ONLINE COURSES.
We are starting with SIX introductory VIDEO courses geared to help teach people from 3 to 103! EAch lesson is 20 minutes or less, as we know that you have limited time to learn during your day. A subscription to the online courses will allow you access for 90 or more days (depending on the modules you pick). IN addition, SKYPE™ one on one practice and learning sessions, materials and more are available.
Here they are the links to learn more. They are mentioned in no certain order.
The first course is the BASICS OF ASL for HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS. I recognize that more and more students, many with exceptional needs, are being taught at home. Many are visual learners and may profit from learning sign language, not only as a wonderful form of communication, but also as a means to help with overall development and study skills. This course is designed for this group and comes with a whole host of “add ons” including one on one practice sessions via SKYPE™. Learn more here: HOMESCHOOL COURSE
The second course is ADAPTIVE SIGN LANGUAGE. This course is near and dear to my heart. I often sat in school special education IEP meetings where teams of school specialists would recommend to the parents that they learn sign language to help their child who might have had significant learning delays. Many times the parents could not obtain babysitting or afford the cost of classes within their local communities, so they never did learn. I wanted to bring sign language training to these homes with an affordable and accessible series of lessons. Learn more about ADAPTIVE SIGN for children with special needs and for those who live, teach or care for them here: ADAPTIVE SIGN LANGUAGE
JUST FOR KIDS, BY KIDSwas created as a fun way for kids to learn from their peers. Lessons are short, simple and geared for the preschool through elementary school crowd. Junior teachers, Madelyn and Caroline will help teach kids basic sign language. Learn more here: JUST FOR KIDS
ASL for DENTAL PROFESSIONALS- this class was created by request. Common signs used in the dental office to help make patients feel more comfortable. Note: this course is not intended to substitute for the use of interpreting services. LEARN MORE HERE: ASL FOR DENTAL OFFICES
ASL for HOTELS, RESTAURANTS and FAMILY ATTRACTIONS. This course was designed to help families with deaf members be able to easily communicate with hearing staff in venues such as hotels, restaurants, convention centers and family vacation attractions (such as Disney World, Legoland and Busch Gardens, to name a few) Learn more here: ASL FOR HOSPITALITY and RESTAURANTS
As a special educator I often am requested to write blogs or answer questions on websites such as Education.com. Typically, the questions I receive are from parents who are looking for tangible ways to promote the general development of their child with special needs. The two most sought after domains for information are communication and social skills. It became apparent that I needed to delve further in to research as to what affordable products and programs were available to parents, especially those who opted to teach their child at home. This is why I connected withRosetta Stone to preview theirHomeschool English editionand I was glad I did!
I decided to go through the Rosetta Stone English – Level Oneseries twice. First time I did not use the sound nor the speech simulation aspects of the kit. I wanted to experience this language program from the perspective of a deaf individual. Now while I recognize that I could never truly duplicate a deaf person’s experience, it helped me to try. To the credit of Rosetta Stone the program had great visual aspects and clear and concise language acquisition modules. Without the sound or speech replication, one could learn a lot about English grammatical components as there was a continual flow of text/ captions. Note: research has demonstrated that some deaf children who use ASL as their primary language do experience difficulties with writing as ASL is based on syntactical concepts that are not “English”. (And actually are closer to French.) Thus, this program could prove to be a great tool for a deaf child regarding the development of their reading and writing skills!
Now the program was not absolutely “perfect” from the “deaf perspective” however, in my opinion – nearly so. Only a few times, did the lack of expressive language skills trip up my “grade”. Overall, as I have indicated, I think this would be a great addition to primary level deaf education programs, especially grades 2-5. It also could help with any child who is undergoing speech therapy, such as those with a cochlear implant.
Now for my take on my second experience delving in to the Rosetta Stone Homeschool English Edition. This second time I worked through the program and decided to keep the sound and speech elements in tact. I wanted to experience the program as if I was home educated and with learning challenges, such as Autism. I paid special attention to the social story components and the photography. I must say that Rosetta Stone has created an exceptional product for special needs populations. The photos were excellent. The kind that is needed to grab a student’s interest when attending can be difficult. The design of the content was engaging and beautifully demonstrated how people work through every day social situations by providing models and scenarios that could be used as effective learning strategies for socialization. Two examples included how one could greet a stranger or learn to interact appropriately within a group setting. It would seem very reasonable that the Rosetta Stone program could assist a child on the Autism spectrum to learn how to integrate key socialization concepts and vocabulary needed to engage with others in their own lives.
There are many aspects of this comprehensive series that made it “hands down” the best on the market, in my humble opinion. However, I would make some minor additions and adaptations to the supplemental materials (e.g. parent guide, student workbook, etc.) and the program itself for children with learning challenges and sensitivity issues. I would be happy to discuss these with Rosetta Stone, if they wish.
Lastly, I saw on Rosetta Stone’s website that homeschool educators gave the Homeschool English Edition a score of 4.8 out of 5. I would have to agree! This program has proven to be par excellence for language acquisition across ages and needs. As for the price, some may balk, but if you look at other quality homeschool and special education materials you will see that Rosetta Stone is right in line with most and well worth the price.
For more information about Rosetta Stone Homeschool Program go HERE:
Note: I received no monies for this review. Only Rosetta Stone product to experience for myself and share with all of you. Thanks for reading!
THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT ROSETTA STONE- TWO THUMBS WAY UP!!
Finally there is a holiday that I can enjoy which doesn’t involve cooking or gift buying!
NATIONAL FLIP- FLOP DAY is GENIUS! One can wear flip-flops, enjoy a free smoothie thanks to Tropical Smoothie’s Cafe and be doing good by supporting CAMP SUNSHINE – all at the same time. CAMP SUNSHINE is dedicated to helping children with life threatening illnesses.
I just arrived home from LA, but knew that I had to write a blog “asap” about one of my hosts, little Cali, a Besenji mix and my “grandpuppy”. We spent many hours bonding during our walks on the streets of West Hollywood. She truly proved to be the “master” when it came to teaching me about viewing the world through a “dog’s eyes”.
For starters, I learned that motorcycles, buses and skateboards are all scary to a dog that has moved from urban Florida to a bustling LA neighborhood. I guess people, like dogs, can learn to adapt to new surroundings if are willing to try new places, sights and smells.
I also learned through Cali that a person should be appreciated and shown compassion even if they are presumably homeless and smelly.
Then I learned that everyone deserves to be heard, including the teen we met at a local Starbucks named, Carlos. This student wanted to “skip school” because he felt misunderstood but was willing to try it for “one more day”. “Dr. Cali” listened intently as Carlos explained his reasons for feeling like he “didn’t belong”. His story was compelling and of the three of “us” he seemed like the “lost puppy”. By the time my coffee was gone, so was Carlos as he made his way across the street to school.
Lastly, there was how our canine ambassador reacted, or rather didn’t react, to droves of participants for the annual gay pride parade. Despite the noise and numerous people in various forms of dress or undress she walked around the event with what seemed like a wide smile and wagged her tail at each and every person she encountered. No judging nor political agenda – just joy.
I wish everyone would walk through life viewing the world with wonder, excitement and joy- in essence, through a dog’s eyes!
I knew when we ushered in the year 2011 it would be an interesting one. Mostly because five days in to the new year I was scheduled for surgery to remove thyroid cancer. As far as we know, it was very successful and I am grateful to “Top Doc” and staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital for all they did to make this Cancer Warrior Goddess a survivor. There were a few complications, but none as irksome as my voice having some serious problems.
Now I won’t bore you with all the medical stuff as this is not a blog about my voice (or the new show, “THE VOICE”) but about how Rosetta Stone helped give me my voice back. After a few months of living with a very, very deep and husky voice (which was painful), I went back to Hopkins and met with their amazing staff at the speech, language and voice disorders department. I was given a whole host of exercises in order to help relearn how to speak in a normal range post-surgery. At the same time, I received my French Totale program from Rosetta Stone. After a week or so, I noticed that my voice was really improving and that my accuracy with pronunciation on the Totale voice activated module was getting more accurate. I also liked that I could listen to my own voice imitating the native speaker by using the playback feature. This was VERY helpful and a great motivator for me to continue to practice.
I know that Rosetta Stone did not go in to the business of making language acquisition programs in order to help with speech and vocal therapy. But, I must tell you that I owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you Rosetta Stone for giving me a fun and educational way for getting back my voice back! And, also a heartfelt thank you to Heather Starmer from Johns Hopkins Hospital who really was open to the idea of my using Rosetta Stone as way to conduct vocal exercises.
Here are some great links:
To learn more about Thyroid Cancer and why everyone should “check the neck” go here: http://www.thyca.org
To learn more about Rosetta Stone and their Totale Program click here: ROSETTA STONE
And now that I have my radio voice back, please join me when I air my new radio show- PARENTING THE TALENT- a half hour program about raising a child who is involved with acting, modeling, music or athletics. We also will talk to industry professionals including my first guest, Susan Farris from Bohemia Talent Agency
Starting Tuesday, May 31st at 11:00 a.m EST Listen here Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/411voices/2011/05/31/411voices-arts-entertainment-and-the-business-of-it-all
When I was younger I wanted to become a United Nations interpreter. I loved learning foreign languages and took up both Spanish and French in high school. Then I added American Sign Language (ASL), Polish and a bit of Russian in college. Years later I continue to use my knowledge of Spanish and ASL on a daily basis, but had forgotten much of my French. So, imagine my joy when Rosetta Stone asked our 411Voices team to learn a foreign language and then let others know about their Totale Program by blogging. I decided this was my “grande” opportunity to have a “redo” with French.
Many of us remember studying a foreign language with a lot of redundancy. There was no real application for the language except for an occasional “dinner night” or school trip. This is not the case with Rosetta Stones Totale program. The first step to using the Rosetta Stone programs is to FORGET how you learned a foreign language before using Totale. Next, sit back and enjoy the amazing photography and great audio incorporated in this intuitive learning acquisition program which allows you to become immersed in the language and culture. I use the program about 30 minutes a day and truly the time flies by. Plus, I am competitive by nature, so having a progress score given to me at the end of each module keeps my interest. My only complaint so far, is that I don’t do as well as I wish on the pronunciation section. I tend to put too much Spanish in to my French pronunciation. No 100’s here on pronunciation – yet! But, no worries – Rosetta Stone is a “patient teacher”.
Now bring in David, my concierge tutor supplied to all who use the Totale program. David called not once, twice but three times until we could finally talk. We have yet to set up a tutorial session (my fault, not his)- but I am really looking forward to chatting with him. In time, I can also join the online community of native speakers who will hone my skills. In fact, this program is so comprehensive that it does not allow for failure.
I plan on writing several blogs about my Rosetta Stone experience. Not because I am getting paid to do so (I’m not). Or that I have nothing else to write about ( Double- NOT) But, because as a person who has a deep interest in language acquisition I want to see how effective the Rosetta Stone program is with groups such as these: 1) English Limited Learners or Second Language Learners (ELL / ESOL), 2) Home Educated students 3) Deaf students 4) Children with Special Needs, such as Autism. ( I already know that they are the “platinum standard” with the military and for corporate language learners.)
So here is my request… if you have tried the Rosetta Stone Totale program and you have a deaf child, a child with autism or are a home educator- please connect with me. I would love to learn about other people’s experiences with their product. If you are a home educator to a deaf or child on the Autism spectrum please connect with me.
I hope you will take a few minutes to check out their website and think of this….
College graduates and those looking for new career opportunities who have a good command of a second language often secure employment easier than their peers who do not have another language ‘under their belt’.
I will be writing at least two more blogs about my Rosetta Stone experience, including how the pronunciation section helped improve my vocal quality post thyroid cancer surgery.
Thanks for reading! ~Louise
To listen to my interview with Duane Sider, spokesperson for Rosetta Stone (Fall 2010) please clickhere
I remember when our oldest child, Natasha, wanted to join the ranks of the acting world at the tender of age of three. She calmly approached my husband and myself and asked to find her a person to put her on television. We asked her to wait until her Bat Mitzvah was completed. Stupidly, we thought that would be the end of the discussion. That was until the day after her Bat Mizvah when Natasha handed me a phone and politely said, “Find me an agent. You promised.” And we did, eventually.
Yet, when the time arrived for us, the parents, to be part of the “acting world” we were totally unprepared. What did we know about getting an agent? At first we went to all the crazy open calls you hear advertised on television and radio. Yet, if I knew anything about this “biz of acting” it was that real agencies are selective and these open calls seemed to be non-exclusive. So we passed. Wise choice on our part.
Now fast forward.. it has been ten years since Natasha asked me to “make the call”. She has grown as an actor and has gone from open calls in the Mid-Atlantic region to “by request auditions” in Hollywood. We just had the pleasure to sit at the E Street Landmark theater in D.C. and watch her rock a performance in the new movie, Lebanon-Pa alongside Josh Hopkins, Samantha Mathis, and Rachel Kitson.
We have all learned a lot in ten years. And that is why as part of the 411Voices network I will be starting a monthly online radio show- PARENTING THE TALENT as part of the 411Voices series- Arts, Entertainment and the Business of it ALL with Dara Blaker. The goal is to bring experts to help other parents who have child actors, models, artists, athletes or musicians. The debut show is scheduled for Tuesday, May 31st at 12:30 p.m EST. If you are an “expert” please feel free to connect. If you are a parent of the “talent” and want to share your story- would love to hear from you, too. And don’t be surprised if Natasha joins me from time to time! You can follow her on IMDB and or her own website.
I have always been interested in learning about the world around us. How to garden. Fix a car. Why cows can’t wait until 9 a.m. to be milked? However, it is safe to say that I was not a fully present high school student in classes that were not highly engaging. Mainly, I hated classes that involved repetitious and boring work. Maybe it was my undiagnosed ADHD that was getting in the way of my enjoying the required New York regents courses. Probably not. And most of all – I hated to learn to type! Quite honestly, I would have been a better student if born in the 1990’s then in the 1950’s.
I can only guess about how my learning would have been different if I was born in 1990 versus 1959. Here is what I THINK may have been the difference. I really would have loved a class in computers. I know that the internet would have saved me countless hours of searching through the local library for books that were already checked out. Also, I would have enjoyed adding to my schedule classes like Filmmaking, Photography, Art History, Arabic, Chinese and Small Businesses 411. Of course, I can take those classes now at a local community college or recreation program. However, I feel like I am playing an endless game of catch-up. So much to learn, so little time.
People sometimes ask me what I wish I had learned before I started SIGNING FAMILIES. The list is pretty extensive. Basically, I wish I had taken a basic business course in college, including accounting, marketing and how to write press releases. Just last week I had to beg a favor from a friend to write a press release for me. (A shout-out to Shara from MommyPerks.com)
Enough belly-aching about my lack of business knowledge. Tomorrow, I will enhance my learning by making a trip to the public library and going directly to the card catalog! Whoops- meant to say sit at a computer and conduct an online library search! Yep- I have a lot to learn!
SIGNING FAMILIES has a NEWSLETTER. Not a boring one, as we already have determined that boring does’t sell! So, if you wish to partake in a GROOVY newsletter where ASL signs, great resources, fun video and maybe a giveaway or two will be offered click HERE
