Your Faculty for this Course:

Raychelle Harris, Ph.D.

raychelle.harris@gallaudet.edu

ASL 752: Sign Language Practicum (3)

Syllabus - Fall 2015
Online: Aug 31 - Dec 14, 2015
(See bottom of sidebar for more details,
< including deadlines to drop/withdraw from this course)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Contact me using my
Gallaudet e-mail for:
Gallaudet IM,
Email,
GoogleHangout,
iMessage/iChat,
or FaceTime.
Glide ID: KTL BOUZ
Etiquette rules apply
(See #7 on the penultimate
page of this syllabus).
Online: Contact me between
930 to 430 pm EST during
weekdays. Other days/times by
appointment only.
Need to Drop This Class?
100% refund: Before Aug 31
80% refund: Sept 6
60% refund: Sept 13
40% refund: Sept 20

This course is a required professional field experience in the Sign Language

Education program consisting of a minimum of forty-five (45) observation
and/or assisting hours. During this experience, the practicum student
observes (and when appropriate, assists) in a sign language education
classroom. A required seminar is conducted regularly to review theoretical
and practical applications of teaching, lesson planning, activities and
assessment techniques. An important component of this course also
includes preparing for the upcoming student teaching internship.
Prerequisite: ASL 724, 741, 753, and 750 or equivalent courses; a B grade or above is required.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Graduates from the MA program in Sign Language Education will:
1) Demonstrate theoretical knowledge and display competence in
classroom settings regarding methodological and socio-political issues
involved in sign language teaching, curriculum development and assessment;
2) Produce graduate level Sign Language and English texts that demonstrate
knowledge of and critical inquiry into key concepts in the sign language
teaching field;
3) Recognize the importance of the Sign Language teacher as a system
change agent and apply this in practice utilizing effective leadership, advocacy,
consultation, and collaboration to influence change on the individual, group,
and organizational and systemic levels; and

20% refund: Sept 27

WD grade: Sept 29
WP/WF grade: Dec 14

4) Demonstrate preparedness to seek and obtain employment as a teaching

professional in the field of sign language education.

See link for more details

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Program Outcomes
Course Student Learning
Outcome

I
Student Learning
Opportunities

II

III

IV

Assessment Method

After completing this course,

students will be able to

Critically synthesize
theoretical and
methodological properties
of sign language teaching in
each observed sign
language class.

-Seminars
-Quizzes
-Unit Plan
-Journal

-Seminar Rubric
-Unit Plan Rubric
-Journal Rubric

Articulate application of
theoretical and
methodological issues in
sign language teaching.

-Seminars
-Quizzes
-Research Project
-Unit Plan
-Journal

-Seminar Rubric
-Research Project
Rubric
-Unit Plan Rubric
-Journal Rubric

Prepare for upcoming

-Seminars
student teaching internship -Quizzes
(or employment).
-Research Project
-Unit Plan
CREDIT HOUR
-Journal

-Seminar Rubric
-Research Project
Rubric
-Unit Plan Rubric
POLICY
COMPLIANCE
-Journal
Rubric

DEFINITION OF TERMS
Practicum student/Teachers assistant: Those of you enrolled in ASL 752 and undertaking an
unpaid practicum/teacher assistant role under the tutelage of an experienced, cooperating
faculty.
Cooperating faculty: The teacher of the onsite course that the ASL 752 practicum student is
assigned to. Often contact between the University and the cooperating faculty is minimal and
only when/as needed.
Cooperating supervisor: This is usually the onsite department chair or program coordinator.
Often contact between the University and the cooperating supervisor is minimal and only when
needed.
University faculty/supervisor: Your ASL 752 course instructor at Gallaudet University. The
university faculty will be responsible for collecting materials and grading ASL 752 students for
academic credit and graduation.
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GRADING DISTRIBUTION AND LETTER GRADE EQUIVALENT
Letter
Grade
A+

GPA
Value

Definition

Percent Range

4.0

97.6 - 100
Outstanding

4.0

A-

3.7

89.6 - 93.5

B+

3.3

87.6 - 89.5

3.0

B-

79.6 - 83.5

C+

2.7 Unsatisfactory, only one B- allowed throughout

your program
2.3

2.0

73.6 - 77.5

0.0 Failing, No Credit

73.5 or below

XF

0.0 Academic Integrity Policy Violation, No Credit

Good

93.6 - 97.5

83.6 - 87.5

77.6 - 79.5

Note: The grade average you see in your course grading center at the end of the course will translate into the
letter grades above. No end-of-course requests or negotiations for grading alterations, rounding-off or extra
credit will be responded to. Strive to do your best on each assignment. One B- grade or below indicates you
have performed unsatisfactorily in the course, and this may put you on academic probation and possibly
academic probation. A C+ or below indicates automatic retake of the course, that is, if you are not dismissed
from the program.
The grading system for graduate students can be found in the graduate catalog here.
Incomplete Grade Disclaimer:
A grade of Incomplete [I] is given only when student performance in a course has been satisfactory, but
the student is unable to complete the requirements of the course. The decision to give a grade of I is
made by the instructor with approval from the coordinator, and only reserved for extraordinary
circumstances (hospitalization or death in family). A student must be passing the course and have no
more than 25% of the course requirements remaining before the possibility of an incomplete will be
considered. To be eligible for credit in a course which an I is recorded, students must complete the
requirements of the course by the end of the final day of classes of the following semester or a date
agreed up on in writing with the instructor; otherwise, the grade will automatically become an F. The
student and instructor must provide Registrars Office with written notification of the agreed upon
date before the time limit indicated above.
For all other questions, concerns, grievances or disputes that are not covered in this syllabus, please refer to
the current University Graduate Catalog.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
All of the books and materials required from the students of your assigned practicum site are required
books and materials for you. In addition, the following books are required for this course:
McKee, D., Rosen, R. & McKee, R. (2014). Teaching and learning signed languages:
International perspectives and practices. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
ISBN-13: 978-1137312488 ISBN-10: 1137312483

Rosen, R. (2015). Learning American sign language in high school: Motivation, strategies, and
achievement. Washington, DC: Gallaudet Press.
ISBN 978-1-56368-642-9; E-Book ISBN 978-1-56368-643-6

*Instructor reserves the right to add new viewings and readings to course as the course progresses in
order to support spontaneous learning and direction of inquiry taken by the course participants.
UNIVERSITY FIELD EXPERIENCE CREDIT COMPLIANCE
ASL 752: Sign Language Practicum course is a non-traditional 3-credit bearing experience course, which
requires a minimum of 112.5 hours of course work.
Academic Activity

Hours

Seminars

14+

Quizzes

14+

Research Project

12+

Unit Plan

12+

Journal

20+

Practicum Experience,
Log/Thank You

45+

Internship Site

2+

TOTAL

119+ hours

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GRADING ALLOCATION
Assignment

Languages

Weight

Contract/Syllabus

English

Required

Seminars

ASL

20%

Quizzes

Predominately English, some ASL

20%

Research Project

ASL/English

20%

Unit Plan

Predominately English, some ASL

20%

Journal

English

20%

Log/Thank You

English

Required

Internship Site

ASL/English

Required

COURSE SCHEDULE/ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Total: 100%

COURSE SCHEDULE/ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

W11

W12

W13

W14

Fall
Semester

Aug
31 Sept
6

Sept
713

Sept
14 20

Sept
21 27

Sept
28 Oct
4

Oct
511

Oct
12 18

Oct
19 25

Oct
26 Nov
1

Nov
2-8

Nov
915

Nov
16 22

Nov
23 29

Nov
Dec
Dec 14
30 7 - 13
Dec 6

Contract/
Syllabus

Quizzes

Seminars

Research
Project

X
X

X
X

X
X

X
X

W15

X
X

X
X

Unit Plan

Journal
Log &
Thank You

Final
Exam

Internship
Site

X
X

*Due dates refer to midnight of the last date listed. For example, the first column states Aug 31 Sept 6, which means means the assignment is due Sept 6 at 11:59 pm. Details for each
assignment above are discussed below.
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CONTRACT & SYLLABUS (required)
Students are required to complete the practicum contract fully (all five pages) and email the University
faculty as an attachment, ccing the onsite cooperating faculty. You are also required to complete the
spreadsheet (emailed to you, and posted on Blackboard) with your practicum information. The course
syllabus (when ready) is to be uploaded to Blackboard, preferably during your first week of class or
earlier.
QUIZZES (20%)
Students are to complete online, open-book quizzes during the online portion of this course by the deadline
indicated on Blackboard. Quizzes will be based on assigned readings and class discussions. Quiz format varies,
some will be multiple choice, matching and/or short answer, and some are posed in ASL or in English or
require ASL or English responses.
SEMINARS (20%)
Bi-weekly seminars will be hosted on MyThread. The faculty will pose questions and/or requirements, and all
students are to respond and engage in an academic discussion regarding their readings and/or practicum
experience. No onsite faculty or student names are to be used in order to adhere to FERPA regulations. Your
first comment will be graded. Subsequent comments are optional. See rubric for further instructions.
RESEARCH PROJECT (20%)
All of you will contribute towards one larger research project led by the course instructor with the goal of
publishing our piece with Journal of American Sign language and Literature (JASLL). Each of you will have two
particular assignments for a specific section of the research project. The research topic and requirements are
detailed in the course Blackboard.
REVISED UNIT PLAN (20%)
Revise your unit plan according to feedback received from your previous courses, upload as your own unit plan
on Blackboard as a .pdf with hyperlinks to all videos used in the unit plan. Share with the faculty of this course
for further grading and feedback. See rubric for required components and details.
JOURNAL (20%)
Write weekly journals on GoogleDrive link assigned by faculty. Journal will have two components - one
focused on the content during class, and the other focused on your reflection. This journal is confidential and
kept between the student and the faculty of the course. See rubric for expectations and requirements.
LOG and THANK YOU LETTER/CARD (required)
Using the assigned log sheet, document the day/time and time allotted for each of your practicum observation,
and have your onsite cooperating faculty sign off on the log at the end of the semester attesting to your 45
hours or more of observation and assistance. Scan/attach your thank you letter/card for the cooperating
faculty. Upload to Blackboard. Not completing this assignment results in an F for the course.
INTERNSHIP SITE (required)
A GoogleDrive spreadsheet link will be available on Blackboard for you to upload full information
about your internship site and placement.

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COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
1. Professionalism: As an practicum student, you are representing Gallaudet University, creating a
relationship between your site and Gallaudet. You are paving the way for other potential, future students. A
crucial component for a successful experience is punctuality and rigorous attendance for all classes. Other
equally important components of a successful experience include professional attire and collegiality, and most
importantly, dedication to teaching, the curriculum and your students.
2. Attendance Policy: If you are to be late to (or miss a class), you are to follow the policies at your site,
and to notify your cooperating faculty and your university faculty immediately. If you do not notify your
university faculty of your tardiness or absence(s), and your university faculty learns from your site supervisor,
you will receive an automatic F for the course (see academic integrity policy below for more details). If this
absence affects your required number of observation hours, please come up with alternative arrangements
immediately and communicate with your university faculty supervisor.
3. Student Responsibilities: Students are expected to actively participate by participating online discussions,
attending class and completing assigned activities, participate in class discussions, serve in groups, complete
assignments on time, respect diverse perspectives and opinions, and support opinions and answers with
reasons, explanations and documentation from a variety of sources.
4. Academic ASL/English: Use academic ASL/English in your assignments throughout the semester.You are
required to submit edited assignments. Contact Tutorial & Instructional Program (TIP) for opportunities to
improve your work before submission. They require advance notice to give feedback on submissions, so plan
accordingly. Unedited work will also be graded accordingly. I reserve the right to return heavily unedited work
for a zero. Professional academic discourse requires giving credit to original authors for their ideas, so
citations are required. The citation and reference format required for assignments in English is American
Psychological Association (APA) format. For more details, please see the academic integrity policy listed below.
5. Assignment Submissions: I welcome early submissions. Please do not ask me to take a quick look
before you submit your work. Once you submit your work, the work will be graded as is, so be sure to submit
the correct version- recheck your work after it has been uploaded to make sure the assignment is the correct
one. Assignments are due by the due dates. Assignments not submitted on time will receive a zero. Graded
work is final. No make-ups or extra credit.
6. Peer Network: Each student is responsible for getting access to and understanding what is expected of
each assignment. Please form a network with your peers. If you need information about assignments or class
schedule, go to your course Blackboard and ask other classmates to learn about what you missed.
7. Communication: I welcome emails, GoogleIMs/video calls, text/videos sent to me via iMessage, calls via
FaceTime, Glide messages, but will not accept or respond to excessively colloquial register choices in either
language. This is your opportunity to practice ASL and English in academic settings, on a consistent basis. See
#4 for more details.
8. Text Submissions: I will accept text-based submissions in the following format: .pages, .docx, .pptx,
and .key. I will also accept .pdf submissions. Please be aware that .pptx, .key and .pdf do not allow for the same
level of feedback I can give via the tracking and comment function available in .pages and .docx formats.
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9. Video Submissions: Your university faculty reserves the right to give a major deduction or a zero for
video submissions that are subpar in quality (e.g. the left side of your body is not visible, the focus is off, or
constant unnecessary camera movement), and/or unedited submissions.
10. Technology: This is a paper-free classroom. All assignments are to be posted on Blackboard or as
instructed. The Gallaudet Technology Services Help Desk can assist you with technical issues throughout the
course.You are to upload all of your assignments to Blackboard including links to videos. For large files,
upload them to GoogleDrive or DropBox, and share links via Blackboard with my Gallaudet e-mail address.
DVDs, thumb drives, CDs, external HDs or any other format will not be accepted.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Academic Integrity Policy
All students must read and understand the Gallaudet University Graduate School Academic Integrity
Policy. This policy applies to both ASL and English.
Academic Accommodation Policy
Students are to request accommodation through the Office for Students With Disabilities (OSWD) at
the beginning of the semester prior to course start date. This is to be communicated immediately with
the course instructor in order to ensure accommodations are being made right away.
University Policies
All university policies may be found in the Graduate Catalog. The standards of professional behavior and
communication discussed in the catalog will be mandated in this course and program.
*Disclaimer: This syllabus is tentative and may be subject to change if circumstances require it.
Changes if any, will be announced via Blackboard announcement feature.

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Appendix: Rubrics
SEMINAR RUBRIC

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FINDING YOUR ARTICLE RUBRIC

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY RUBRIC

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CODING RUBRIC

UNIT PLAN RUBRIC

JOURNAL RUBRIC

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