Chapter 6

(6.1) The gold standard for teachers is to get students to store information in their long-term memory. What role do interpreters play in what is stored in the student’s sensory register? working memory? What are some potential issues that may arise?

Interpreters play a huge role in what is stored in a sensory register and working memory. Through repeating particular signs, introducing new signs and following a specific language model, the deaf student memorizes/remembers new information. However, if I am introducing signs in a more advanced way than the student is linguistically prepared for, they will probably not remember it. Also, if I present the new information in a nonsensical or relevant way to the student, the information will not be stored accordingly. Finally, if I do not repeat the new signs enough, the signs and the information will not store in the students memory.

 

(6.2) If you interpret for a student throughout the course of a school day, what strategies could you. employ to help your student become increasingly independent and to develop long-term memory storage of things like signs for course specific language, class schedule,  etc. Identify at least one strategy for long-term memory storage to: (1) promote metacognition, (2) encourage meaningful learning, and (3) make use of mnemonics.

I think a strategy that could work very well for remembering certain signs would be to use the key word method of the mnemonic technique or even the meaningful learning. A lot of signs in ASL are related to the visual representation of that word. For example, CAR is signed like one is driving a car. The student can relate the new word to an actual action or thing they are learning about. For English words they are reading I would suggest a mnemonic device as well. It is easire to relate English words to signs and visual factors in the outside world.