Bilingual Academy
Join us at the 2023-24 Bilingual Academy Conference for an enlightening and educational experience that focuses on improving language and reading materials for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. This conference promises two engaging sessions to equip you with valuable insights and practical resources to enhance your teaching methods.
Sessions:
Adapting Language and Reading Materials for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Presented by Judi Ann Pate
9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Finding appropriate text for students who are deaf or hard of hearing in the resource setting is difficult! Get some ideas for meeting students where they are while being engaging. You'll get practical resources and walk away with ready-to-use ideas.
Fingerspelling
Presented by Debbie White
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
This session provides an overview of fingerspelling in American Sign Language. Various techniques will be offered to improve participant's articulation and comprehension of fingerspelled words and lexicalized signs. This workshop will show you how to read fingerspelling differently from what other people have learned. People usually believe fingerspelling is read by looking at each letter, but there is a technique to read it differently. The workshop will teach you how to better read deaf children's fingerspelling. In addition, the workshop will help provide ideas for you to teach fingerspelling to your children; fingerspelling allows children to improve their spelling skills.
Presenters
Judi Ann Pate
Judi Ann Pate presently teaches high school English at the Texas School for the Deaf. She also teaches for the American Sign Language and Interpreting Department at Austin Community College. She is a proctor for the CASLI Exam System. She has over 25 years of teaching and advocating for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in various educational settings. Ms. Pate has been recognized for her advocacy work in special education law, for working with police departments on ADA communication plans for deaf/hard of hearing/deaf-blind, and for deaf survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Ms. Pate holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master's degree in Special Education with emphasis in Deaf Education. She holds several Associate degrees, including African American Literature, Theater Arts, and American Sign Language. She completed her educational administration training at the Educational Leadership Institute through Texas State University.
Debbie White
Debbie White is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas in Austin. She has been teaching ASL classes since 2007. She has wide-ranging experience in teaching at different skill levels. She was selected to receive the Raymond DicksonCentennial Endowed Teaching fellowship in 2014-2015, which recognized her consistent level of excellence in teaching students within the Department of Linguistics. In the spring of 2023, she received the Harry Ransom award for Teaching Excellence in recognition of her exemplary performance and commitment to teaching. Prior to her university teaching role, she was a Parent-Infant Educator at the Texas School for the Deaf for 15 years. She currently resides in Austin with two children, her husband Danny, and two adorable dogs.
