"" American Sign Language (ASL)

Course	Class Days, Time, and Location:
(DEAF 53) (Section 1) (89602)(2013)	Mondays meet in Library 53 from 2:30 PM to 3:20 PM Wednesdays meet in Eureka 307G from 2:30 PM to 3:20 PM

Fall 2013 Dates	In-class	Lifeprint Homework	Signing Naturally Practice Quizzes	Quizzes (SacCT) Due by 11:59 PM	Points	Notes
Mon. Sept 02						Labor Day
Wed. Sept 04		Lesson 31
Mon. Sept 9						(studio session 1)
Wed. Sept 11		Lesson 32		Quiz 31 (Quiz 31 Video)	10
Mon. Sept 16			Unit 13 Study Guide Unit 14 Study Guide	Quiz 32 (Quiz 32 Video) Note: Video skips #31 Answer is "interesting"	10	(studio session 2)
Wed. Sept 18		Lesson 33		Quiz 33 (Quiz 33 Video)	10
Mon. Sept 23		Lesson 34		Quiz 34 (Quiz 34 Video)	10	(studio session 3)
Wed. Sept 25		Lesson 35		Quiz 35 (Quiz 35 Video)	10
Mon. Sept 30			● Quiz 13 [129 Q's] ● Quiz 14 [118 Q's]			(studio session 4)
Wed. Oct 02	Exam 1	Covers LP 31-35	May include SN 13-14		100	Taken in 307G
Mon. Oct 07		Lesson 36	Unit 15 Study Guide Unit 16 Study Guide	Quiz 36 (Quiz 36 Video)	10	(studio session 5)
Wed. Oct 9		Lesson 37		Quiz 37 (Quiz 37 Video)	10
Mon. Oct 14		Lesson 38		Quiz 38 (Quiz 38 Video)	10	(studio session 6)
Wed. Oct 16		Lesson 39		Quiz 39 (Quiz 39 Video)	10
Mon. Oct 21		Lesson 40		Quiz 40 (Quiz 40 Video)	10	(studio session 7)
Wed. Oct 23			● Quiz 15 [121 Q's] ● Quiz 16 [100 Q's]
Mon. Oct 28		Lesson 41		Quiz 41 (Quiz 41 Video)	10	(studio session 8)
Wed. Oct 30
Mon. Nov 04					10	(studio session 9)
Wed. Nov 06	Dr. Vicars out of town	Lesson 42		Quiz 42 (Quiz 42 Video)		Class doesn't meet
Mon. Nov 11	Holiday				10	Veteran's Day
Wed. Nov 13	Exam 2	Covers LP 31-40	May include SN 13-16		150	Taken in 307G
Mon. Nov 18		Lesson 43		Quiz 43 (Quiz 43 Video)
Wed. Nov 20			Unit 17 Study Guide
Mon. Nov 25		Lesson 44		Quiz 44 (Quiz 44 Video)		(studio session 10)
Wed. Nov 27		Study online		Study online		Class not held
Mon. Dec 02		Lesson 45		Quiz 45 (Quiz 45 Video)	10	(studio session 11)
Wed. Dec 04					10
Mon. Dec 09			● Quiz 17 [134 Q's] ● Review (13 - 17) [50 Q's]			(studio session 12)
Wed. Dec 11	Exam 3	Covers LP 31-45	May include SN 13-17		300	Taken in 307G
Mon. Dec 16	Final Exam				300	Taken in 307G
						(Graduation)

2013 Fall Final Exam Information for Dr. Bill's M/W 2:30PM class
Final Exam Day	Start Time
Mon., Dec. 16, 2013	2:30 PM in Eureka 307G
Check your other Final Exams to make sure they don't conflict. If so, let me know and we will work it out.

	Study Guide for the textbook:	Utilize	Self-Test MC	Self-Test
1	"Signing Naturally" Level 2 workbook, Unit 13 Pages 1-33	Unit 13 Study Guide	Unit 13 Quiz	Numbers 1-129
2	"Signing Naturally" Level 2 workbook, Unit 14 Pages 45-58	Unit 14 Study Guide	Unit 14 Quiz	Numbers 1-118
3	"Signing Naturally" Level 2 workbook, Unit 15 Pages 63-86	Unit 15 Study Guide	Unit 15 Quiz	Numbers 1-121
4	"Signing Naturally" Level 2 workbook, Unit 16 Pages 89-116	Unit 16 Study Guide	Unit 16 Quiz	Numbers 1-100
5	"Signing Naturally" Level 2 workbook, Unit 17 Pages 131-145	Unit 17 Study Guide	Unit 17 Quiz	Numbers 1-134
	Video only links: 13 \| 14 \| 15 \| 16 \| 17 \| Cumulative \|		Cumulative

Welcome to Class!
I'm glad you are here! You can do this! I've been teaching ASL for many years and I am passionate about it. You've picked a great topic to be studying. ASL is an exciting subject that can open for you a new world of relationships and understanding.

Instructor:
William Vicars, Ed.D. (Dr. Bill or "Dr. V") Contact: BillVicars@aol.com Office: Eureka 308
Office Hours: As posted by my office door (EUR308) or email me for an appointment.

Course Format:
This is a hybrid (online and in-person) highly participatory, highly interactive, web-enhanced, no-voice class.
What does that mean? It means you need to show up on-time, turn off your voice, turn off your electronics, turn on your brain, and move your hands. Attendance throughout the semester is required. In addition to the coursework you will need to study online and complete a series of homework quizzes online. You will take several in-person exams and a comprehensive final exam. You may be required to sign in front of class. (Note: In over 20 years of teaching, I've never had a student die on me yet.)

Checklist:

   Read this syllabus thoroughly it is your "course contract."
   Make sure you have a Saclink account: https://mysaclink.csus.edu/Default.aspx
   Visit http://csus.edu/sacct and sign in.
   Take the online quizzes (see the links in the schedule) watch the video, write your answers then visit the CSUS "SacCT" area and find this course to submit your answers.
   Take the Exams and Final (see the schedule for the times and dates).

Course description:
Basic vocabulary and grammar of American Sign Language. Upon completion, participants will be able to exchange information about themselves and their families such as their names, where they live, and their interests. Participants are exposed to elements of Deaf culture and the Deaf community.

Required Books and Materials:
We will be studying from the Lifeprint.com website.

Suggested Textbook: Signing Naturally Level 2 Student DVD and Workbook Price: $69.95(?) (ISBN: 1-58121-131-7) [Note: Yes, on the cover of that book it "says" it is a "Level 2" text. Don't worry about that. The book covers units 13 through 17 of the Signing Naturally curriculum and is used for level ASL 3 at Sac State and most surrounding colleges. You are encouraged to acquire this text prior to the first day of class. Visit the campus bookstore or see ordering information at this link: "Materials"

Links:
   How to contact the instructor: Contact Info for Dr. Vicars (But don't contact me to ask if you can make up a test.)
   Dr. Bill's "semester" page: http://www.lifeprint.com/2013/ (Can link to this syllabus from there.)
   Place to learn or review fingerspelling: http://asl.gs
   Place to improve your ability to read fingerspelling: http://asl.ms
   Place to improve your ability to recognize numbers: http://asl.bz
   Culture Study Guide, see: Culture Study Guide

   The Quiz videos are at: http://webpages.csus.edu/~vicars/index-quizzes50q.htm (DRAFT)
   Use your SacLink user name and password to log into SacCT from the SacCT Home page. See: http://csus.edu/sacct
Once you are logged in you will see a list of courses in which you are currently enrolled. Click on the title of this course and look for the assessments and/or quizzes links.

Examinations and assignments:
There are 1000 points possible in this class:

Assignments	Points
Homework (SacCT) Quizzes (15 Quizzes x 10 points each)	150 points
Exam 1	100 points
Exam 2	150 points
Exam 3	300 points
Final Exam	300 points
Total =	1,000 Points

Homework Quizzes:
Study the lessons at Lifeprint.com. Then watch the video quiz for each lesson (see the quiz links in the schedule section of this syllabus). Use only those links! Lifeprint is full of various resources, videos and practice quizzes. So make sure you are watching the right video quiz by using the links in THIS SYLLABUS. You watch the video quiz for the lesson you are on. You submit them for a summary, then you print them out as a backup for your records. THEN to get credit you go to SacCT (http://csus.edu/sacct) and find this course and go to the assessments section and click on the assessment for the lesson you are on and input your answers THERE. You need to submit them by midnight the day they are due or you will get ZERO! "A"-grade students will turn their answers in a day EARLY. So when your computer breaks down and gremlins mess up your network it won't matter because you will have turned them in already. "B" and lower grade students will dink around and try to turn quizzes in just before the deadline and will experience computer problems and miss the deadline and then think that having a computer problem excuses the fact that they didn't get their quiz in on time! If you have a computer problem and can't get your quiz in on time that tells me what I need to know -- you are not as excellent of a student as the ones who DID manage to turn it in on time. If you are "afraid" this will happen to you, then work ahead.

Exams:
All quizzes and exams are cumulative. I will sign to you sentences and vocabulary from the lessons. The sentences will be composed only from the vocabulary covered in the lessons (either online or in person) but will not necessarily be the same sentences as in the practice sheets. The vocabulary may be combined into new sentences. Hint: Don't just memorize the sentences in the practice sheets.

You are to write down what you see me signing. (If my sentence is a question don't "answer" the question, just write the sentence.) You can write either English sentences or just write down the ASL concepts in the order that I sign them (as long as it is clear that you understand the concept.) If it is a question, then put a question mark at the end. Pay attention to my facial expressions. If I sign "TIME" while using a "WH-question expression" it means "What time?" Thus you should write "What time?" and not just "time." (Hint: Facial expressions are explained in the online lessons (for example, see the links at the top of Lifeprint.com lesson 2).

Note: I will only show the sentences a limited number of times (I usually limit it to just three times). The only reason I'm showing the sentences more than once is in case you blink or sneeze. If you need to see the sentence more than once to "get it" and the person sitting next to you only needs to see it once to "get it" that indicates his performance is "excellent" and yours is "poor" which means the test is doing what it is designed to do: Divide students into excellent, good, fair, poor, and failure categories. If you ask to see the sentence repeatedly, that instantly tells me you are in the poor or failure category. As an instructor, part of my job is to find out who is ready to go on to the next class and who is not. It is my responsibility to weed out (via assignment of "F" grades) those who are not ready to move up to the next level.

Final Exam:
The final exam is a receptive ASL test. The day, time, and location are listed in the schedule section of this syllabus. When you arrive for the test, sit in such a way as to make it difficult (impossible actually) for your neighbor to see your answers. Cell phones are to be put away, headsets taken off, baseball caps turned backwards, two sheets of paper are to be used -- one of which to cover your answers.

I will sign any of the following to you:
* Various sentences composed from the vocabulary lists in the lessons.
* Various individual vocabulary items from the lessons.
* Numbers between 0 and 9,999,999 (study at lifeprint.com and also see http://asl.bz)
* Fingerspelled words (study at http://asl.ms) I recommend you get to the point where you can catch 9 out of 10 at "fast" speed and/or 7 out of 10 at "Deaf" speed).

The final exam is cumulative. I will sign various items (vocab, fingerspelling, numbers, or sentences) to you. You can translate them to English or just string the labels of the ASL signs together. If you miss one concept or change the meaning of a sentence you may lose points for the whole sentence so practice a lot and don't try to bluff your way through this test. These sentences will be similar to the ones shown in class or at the website. Becoming familiar with the sentences on the website is a good way to practice for the test but the test sentences may use different combinations of vocabulary, so watch closely.

Grading:
Scale: 100-95%=A, 90 = A-, 87=B+, 84=B, 80=B-, 77=C+,74=C, 70=C-, 67=D+, 64=D, 60=D-, 59=F.

No-Voicing Policy:
This is a no-voice class. During class time (unless I give you specific permission) you should keep your voice totally off and not whisper --nor rely on "exaggerated mouthing." If another student voices to you, you should respond as if you can't hear them and ask them (via sign) to communicate with you by signing or fingerspelling (or even writing on paper or the board). This is important because I hereby reserve the right to reduce your grade, require you to wear ear plugs, or ask you to leave class if you voice. (But, usually I'll just ask you to sit somewhere else.) This isn't just a learning technique. It has to do with respect and culture. There are CULTURAL and linguistic reasons for turning off your voice in a sign language class. I'll cover some of those reasons in this class (plus the college offers a Deaf Culture class that goes into more detail).

Make-ups:
No make-ups for homework quizzes. These function as "participation" and preparation. If you miss them you won't be as prepared for class as your classmates. So do them on time or miss out on the points. (Or hey, do them EARLY!) Major exams can only be made up with an obituary of a close relative and a copy of the "program" from the service or note on the funeral home's stationary, or a note from your medical professional specifically stating that you were too sick to take the test, or from a school administrator on school letterhead indicating that it was "important" that you miss class. INCLUDE THE PHONE NUMBER so I can have my assistant call the doctor, mortician, or school administrator to verify your claim. Note: You will lose 10% of the points right off the top for any absence other than pre-approved SCHOOL-required absences such as sports teams etc. regardless of having an "excuse." You are expected to attend if you want to get full credit for the quizzes and tests. Traffic, sickness not requiring a doctor's visit, family responsibilities, and so forth do not count as "excused absences." However, if you are required to miss a quiz in order to participate in pre-approved University-required program or non-optional school event such as being on an athletic team--show me the letter (ahead of time) from your coach or administrator (including an email and phone number) and then follow up and send me an email regarding summarizing and reminding me of whatever we discussed in class. Even if you do qualify for an excused absence, I reserve the right to either give you a different but equivalent test, to assign the percentage of your most recent equivalent test, or to substitute the score of a future test.

Ethics, Attendance, Disabilities, and Class Environment: You may be asked to leave class or have points docked for checking your email or texting during class or accessing websites other than lifeprint.com or asl.ms during class. You may be asked to leave class or have points docked for using your voice or whispering during class. Turn cell phones to vibrate or silent settings. Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodations. For more information, contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities. This syllabus and the schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check the university messaging system and your email account for announcements made while you were absent. No reading newspapers in class or other distracting behavior. No videotaping the lecture or bringing visitors or guests without permission. Students are always expected to work independently on quizzes, exams, and/or assignments unless specifically directed otherwise by the instructor in writing. Assignments turned in late for any reason may receive no credit. For information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (See: Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) and the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations). Do not wear baseball caps during quizzes nor even look in the direction of an other student's paper during a quiz or exam. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism will be levied to the maximum extent allowable by University guidelines. [Now I don't actually believe that you would be engaged in such behavior, but as my Pa always told me, locks aren't for keeping dishonest people out -- they are for keeping honest people honest. Seems to me it works the same way with classroom rules. Thanks!]

Correspondence:
If you email me make sure to include in your subject line your first and last name, the name of this class, and the hour of your class. I get an outrageous amount of email due to the popularity of Lifeprint.com and thus a detailed subject line is your best bet for a prompt response. I'll strive to get back to you within 48 hours. If you think I've overlooked your email, feel free to send your question again--I won't feel bothered--rather I'll be grateful for the communication (sometimes email doesn't arrive) because it is important to me that you get taken care of.

Pep talk:
You can do this. I have near infinite patience. I love teaching and explaining. If there is something I can do to make the class better for you please do suggest it. This class may be one of your more challenging accomplishments but I know if you work hard and put in the time--you can succeed.

Wrap up / review:
After studying the lessons online at Lifeprint.com, come here to the syllabus and click on the Quiz Video link. Watch the videos at the link, write down your answers then go to the CSUS SacCT Course area to input your answers there.

Lifeprint Quiz videos: 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45

Note: On quiz 32 the video skips question #31 -- the right answer is "interesting."

Tip:
People who turn work in early rarely have emergencies. (Try it and see.) Hey, sometimes the internet "breaks." Or maybe your computer isn't configured the right way or "crashes" then you need to go to one of the computer labs at CSUS capable of playing videos in Flash format and take the quizzes from there. The fact that there are computer labs available on campus means that your computer breaking down is NO EXCUSE for missing an online quiz.