The latest research points to

numerous benefits of blogging

including student engagement,

authentic voice, and interaction and

awareness of diverse perspectives

Ellison & Wu, 2008; Ferdig & Trammell, 2004;

Wickerson & Chambers, 2006

In the United States alone, there are

nearly 113 million blogs (Helmond,

2008). Approximately 12 million Ameri-

can adults publish blogs and 57 million

Americans read them (Lenhart & Fox,

2006). A blog is a website where en-

tries are typically displayed in reverse

chronological order. The purpose of

blogs ranges from personal interest to

public forum.

When I started my Deaf Characters

blog in 2007, I did not plan to become a

“blogger” nor did I have any plans for

my blog. I simply opened an account

and added a list of books connected

with my research. It took me three

months to begin posting on a regular

basis. Since that time, blogging has

become a way for me to keep my re-

search current; and, it enables me to

become part of a cyber community

made up of other bloggers and read-

ers.

After attending a presentation that fo-

cused on a group of ESL students who

used blogging in their English class, I

felt inspired to “try out” blogging with

my students. My class was made up of

a group of Deaf college freshmen in a

Developmental English classroom. I

found that blogging in an English class-

room can be an effective tool for both

academic and reflective writing that

allowed the students immediate access

to their work and that of their peers.

The latest research points to numerous

benefits of blogging which includes

student engagement, authentic voice,

and interaction and awareness of di-

verse perspectives. Researchers con-

clude that student blogging encour-

ages engagement in learning (Ellison &

Wu, 2008; Ferdig & Trammell, 2004;

Wickerson & Chambers, 2006). When

students blog, they collect, publish and

then edit their work after receiving

feedback and having time for reflec-

tion. Blogs allow students to easily

navigate through their work since blog

posts are organized in a reverse

chronological order. My students noted

improvements in both the quantity and

the quality of their work.

(Continued on page 4)

Blogging in the Deaf Education Classroom

Issue 6

Fall 2008

Letter from Sharon 2

What’s on my bookshelf 3

Blogging in the Deaf

Education Classroom

4-5

Books I’m looking for-

ward to reading

6

Thanks for Giving me a

Head’s Up!

6

Awards & Honors 7

How to Start Blogging 7

Author Websites 8

Inside this issue:

"Girl Reading"(1938)

by Isadore Weiner

Dear Readers,

Yes, I realize that you will technically be receiving this Fall issue in the Winter. I can give you a whole list of reasons why this

issue has been put aside numerous times; however, I think if I simply label myself as “educator”, you all can nod your heads

in agreement because you too understand the feeling of having too many responsibilities on your plate.

The main focus of this issue is about Blogging in the Deaf Education Classroom. As most of you know, I run the Deaf Charac-

ters in Adolescent Literature Blog (http://pajka.blogspot.com/). What you might not realize is that I have several other blogs.

All of them are educational in some way. Let me back up a bit. In April, I attended a workshop on blogging at the TESOL

Convention. The focus of the workshop was a group of ESL students who used blogging in their college– level English

course. I was already five weeks into my semester with a group of Deaf students who were taking a developmental English

course and decided to give blogging a shot. I honestly did not believe that it would work with my students. It wasn’t because

of the national statistics revealing that deaf seniors’ writing skills are below average compared to their hearing peers but

because my students were often too embarrassed to share their writing with each other during class. I figured that even if I

“forced” them to write in a blog, they would never really feel engaged. I was so wrong! They loved it and continually found

ways to amaze me. When I assign a project, like running a blog, I always participate along with my students. During the Fall

semester when I was asked to teach a “regular” English 102 group, I immediately knew that I would have them create blogs.

While the course and students were very different from the original developmental English class, the benefits were again

amazing. I’m still sorting through the assessment data from my recent blog project but each students’ final post on their

thoughts about blogging really is the key. Here is an excerpt from one of my students’ blog posts:

My first thoughts will obviously show that I didn't care about this. The message is

pretty much simple, I do this because I am forced to do this in order to get

credit. I hate to read and think...... support from my class and professor made me

feel that I am part of this work. In order to have class discussions and feedback,

everybody needs to do their blogging. Throughout the semester I felt important

to the group and I got all my questions answered when I wasn't sure about the

story.

Sharon shouldn't stop this blogging method, its great for students to do this. I'm

sure y'all will agree. My overall opinion about this blogging thing is pretty sim-

ple. It's great and easy to use. Students will appreciate blogging more than writ-

ing and bringing papers to class. I would like to thank my professor who was a

great support throughout the semester. Thanks y'all for the great and fun class

discussions, it was the best in my life.

I love that his post is so honest. Of course it makes me laugh because he doesn’t like to “think”. While for confidentiality rea-

sons I can not share my student blog addresses, you’re welcome to check out my blog http://www.gsr102.blogspot.com.

At the time of this letter, I have 193 contemporary books listed including some upcoming publications on the "100+ Books

and Counting" list on my Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature Blog (http://pajka.blogspot.com/). Feel free to contact me

at yadeafcharacters@gmail.com

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays,

Sharon Pajka-West, Ph.D.

Letter from Sharon

Page 2

Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech

(September 2008)

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 160 pages

Vendor: Harper Collins

The sequel to Love That Dog, Hate

That Cat: A Novel, picks up another

year of Jack's life with teacher Miss

Stretchberry. Readers discover

that main character Jack is a CODA;

his mother is Deaf and uses sign language to communicate!

While Mom isn’t a main character, she holds a pivotal role

throughout the book.

From A to Zulinski by Deb Piper

(May 2008)

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback

Vendor: Royal Fireworks Publishing

This is the third volume in series follow-

ing Jake's the Name, Sixth Grade's the

Game and followed by his exploits in

Those Sevy Blues.

Jake has reached high school gradua-

tion. The book is a series of flash backs

about his time as a deaf student main-

streamed in a public school.

Hands of My Father by Myron Uhl-

berg (February 2009)

Reading level: Crossover/ Adult

Hardcover: 256 pages

Vendor: Bantam

Uhlberg’s account of growing up the

son of deaf parents whom he adored.

From the beaches of Coney Island to

Ebbets Field, where he watches his

father’s hero Jackie Robinson play

ball, this is a memoir filled with sto-

ries about growing up not just as the child of two deaf peo-

ple but as a book-loving, mischief-making, tree-climbing

kid during the remarkably eventful period that spanned the

Depression, the War, and the early fifties.

My Heart Glow: Alice

Cogswell, Thomas Gallau-

det, and the Birth of Ameri-

can Sign Language by Emily

Arnold McCully (July 2008)

Picture book: 40 pages

Publisher: Hyperion Books

for Children

Children’s author, illustrator

and Caldecott Medal winner

Emily Arnold McCully invites us to take another look at this

touching story of how “one little girl inspired a whole new

language- as well as the school where it could be taught”.

This picture book shares their story and recounts how Gallau-

det's interest in teaching Alice carries him on a long journey

that eventually leads to the nation's first school for the deaf. In

addition, a beautifully written author’s note offers more de-

tails about American Sign Language and Alice’s life after at-

tending school.

Signs of Jays (October 2008) by Linda Kurtz Kingsley

Reading Ages: Ages 4-9

Publisher: Jason & Nordic Publishers

When narrator Pete and his mother

rescue two abandoned Scrub-Jays, his

friend Mike, who is deaf, and other

deaf and hard of hearing students

help take on the responsibility of car-

ing for the baby birds. His mother

explains that just like the students in

her class who are preparing to main-

stream, the jays are being prepared

to mainstream back into the wild. This story is very much

about bridging the communication between deaf and hearing

children and how two boys overcome their barriers of com-

munication to become friends.

The title holds a double meaning. While this is a beginning

“sign” language book, Pete and Mike are waiting for a “sign”

from the birds that they have raised and freed into the wild.

The book includes twenty-four signs and beautiful watercolor

illustrations of children using American Sign Language and

wearing hearing aids.

What’s on my bookshelf

Page 3

Page 4

mation. Many deaf and hard of hearing students are

considered visual learners and are “best able to under-

stand and remember content when they can see it

graphically represented” (Kluth, 170).

Once I asked students to establish classroom blogs they

almost immediately demonstrated an increase in moti-

vation and enjoyment in completing writing assign-

ments. While they were given specific assignments,

they showed creativity by selecting topics that were of

interest to them. For example, I asked students to read

an article from any on-line newspaper and answer:

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How, and then

write a one-paragraph summary of the article that in-

cluded their opinion. The students were required to cite

their articles by using the hyperlink function. This en-

abled readers to simply click on the text and go to the

original source. While I encouraged my students to se-

lect articles that interested them, many selected news

articles that were both poignant and serious in nature.

Students motivated one another through their posts. For

one optional assignment, I asked students to watch the

premiere of Hallmark’s Sweet Nothing in My Ear and

write a review of the movie. Some of the posts were so

enticing that those students who failed to watch the

movie posted comments of regret.

Aside from extrinsic motivation, the students started to

establish new relationships with one another based on

their blogs. They became critical readers reading both

the text and the visual images that accompanied the

articles. In the comments section, I noticed that students

began explaining to their peers how certain images

had the power to elicit particular emotions and that

sometimes these pictures were used as a parody. Stu-

dents not only made connections with peers but they

also were more interested in discussing their writing.

(Continued on page 5)

One of the benefits of blogs is that they are interactive.

Ferdig & Trammell (2004) explain that students who

blog become active participants in a community of

practice and are exposed to diverse perspectives.

Buffington (2007) notes that blogs supported social in-

teraction when she engaged in blogging with her stu-

dents. She explains that this interaction outside of the

classroom helped maintain the students’ momentum in

their course work, and the accessibility of blogs en-

abled her students to interact even when they lived a

significant distance from campus.

Since blogs include both written and graphic compo-

nents where text along with visuals come together to

form meaning, blogging may benefit deaf students.

Kluth (2008) reports that research on visual supports,

including graphic organizers, handouts, manipulatives,

and other visual representations of information are im-

perative for deaf and hard of hearing students when

they are learning to read and understand content infor-

(Continued from page 1)

(Blogging in the Deaf Education Classroom cont.)

Visual supports, including graphic

organizers, handouts, manipulatives, and

other visual representations of information

are imperative for deaf and hard of hearing

students when they are learning to read

and understand content information (Kluth

2008)

attempting new language and for correcting any mis-

use. Overall, the students authentically practiced Eng-

lish outside of the classroom.

This format of writing fosters authentic opportunities to

build a community of trust that enables students to

“own” their writing. Blogging empowers students as

writers enabling them to become aware of their own

voice, a sense of audience and purpose, a community of

writers, and multiple perspectives and feedback

through blog comments.

Allen, T. (1986). Patterns of academic achievement among hearing impaired students: 1974

and 1983. In A. Schildroth & M. Karchmer (Eds.) Deaf Children in America (161-

206). San Diego, CA: Little Brown.

Bertein, M. (2004). Do Weblogs Improve Writing? MarkBertein.org. Retrieved on April

04, 2008 from http://www.markbernstein.org/Jan0401/

DoWeblogsImproveWriting.html.

Blood, R. (2000). Weblogs: A History and Perspective, Rebecca's Pocket. Retrieved on

September 28, 2008 from http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html.

Helmond, A. (2008). How Many Blogs Are There? Is Someone Still Counting? Blog

Herald. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://www.blogherald.com/2008/02/11/how-

many-blogs-are-there-is-someone-still-counting/

Holt, J.A., Traxier, C.B., and Allen, T.E. (1997). Interpreting the Scores: A User's Guide to

the 9th Edition Stanford Achievement Test for Educators of Deaf and Hard-of-

Hearing Students. Gallaudet Research Institute Technical Report 97-1. Washington,

D.C.: Gallaudet University.

Mitchell, R. E.& Karchmer, M. A.(2006). Demographics of Deaf Education: More Stu-

dents in More Places. American Annals of the Deaf , 151(2), 95-104.

Kluth, Paula (2008). “It was Always the Pictures…”: Creating Visual Literacy Supports

for Students with Disabilities. In N.Frey and D. Fisher Teaching Visual Literacy:

Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons and More to Develop Com-

prehension and Thinking Skills (169-188). Thousand Oaks, CA, Corwin Publishing.

Lenhart, A. & Fox. S. (2006). Bloggers: A Portrait of the Internets new storytellers. Wash-

ington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from

http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP%20Bloggers%20Report%20July%2019%2020

06.pdf

Schirmer, B.R. & McGough, S.M. (2005). Teaching reading to children who are deaf: do

the conclusions of the national reading panel apply? Review of Educational Re-

search; 75(1), 83-117.

One student began coming more regularly to my office

during office hours and frequently made appointments

to discuss her blog-writing. Prior to the blogging pro-

ject, the student had only come to office hours when the

appointments were mandatory.

The students also started to show ownership of their

writing and reported feeling like writers. Because they

understood who they were writing for and had a clear

audience and purpose for their posts, their writing be-

came much more clear. They even differentiated the

necessity for more formal writing in their posts from

casual writing including slang and computer acronyms

in the comments section. The students almost unani-

mously differentiated their writing styles between more

academic writing in the posts to more casual tones us-

ing computer jargon such as “LOL” and “OMG” in the

comments sections. I noticed that they were more will-

ing and perhaps able to attempt spoken language ver-

nacular.

Their writing in Blogger allowed me to assess whether

or not they could apply what they learned in class into

their everyday writing. In particular, students still

struggled with differentiating between gerund and in-

finitive use. One student wrote, “You intend to going to

basketball this weekend.” This was an opportunity for

me to talk to the student one-on-one and remind her of

the rules. Similarly, another student misused the term

bookworm and called one of her peer’s a “wormbook”.

This was another moment to applaud the student for

(Continued from page 4)

(Blogging in the Deaf Education Classroom cont.)

This format of writing fosters authentic

opportunities to build a community of trust

that enables students to “own” their writing.

Page 5

Their blogs allowed me to assess whether

or not they could apply what they learned

in class into their everyday writing.

My friends know that I have a hard

time keeping secrets; however, if I

spill the beans from every author

who sends me Advanced Reading

Copies or manuscripts, I’ll never

receive any tips in the future. So

for now, I’m just going to give you

some teasers.

Recently, I reviewed a manuscript

with a main character who is an

ASL-using Deaf teen. This charac-

ter is awesome and I can’t wait for

this book to be published. The

storyline kept me interested

throughout and the author’s Deaf

Characters are even more inter-

esting!

And, this week, I was contacted by

a Reading Recovery Program

editor who will be including a

Deaf Character as the main char-

acter in a whole series of educa-

tional comics! I can’t wait to share

this will you. Although I can’t tell

you more, I CAN direct you to the

comments section on my blog->

http://pajka.blogspot.com/2008/10/

presentation-deaf-comic-book-

characters.html where you can find

correspondence between one of

the comic book artists and me!

For now, I’m looking forward to

these books:

"Vignettes of the Deaf Charac-

ter": And Other Plays by Willy

Conley

Gallaudet University Press; 1st Edition

(May 15, 2009)

Product Description

Deaf master playwright Willy Conley

features deaf, hard of hearing, and

hearing characters created from the

Deaf perspective.

I Fill This Small Space: The Writ-

ings of a Deaf Activist (Deaf

Lives Series) by Lawrence New-

man

Gallaudet University Press; 1st Edition

(April 15, 2009)

Product Description

This collection features the best arti-

cles and poems by Deaf activist and

1968 California Teacher of the Year on

subjects ranging from communication

and language to humorous insights on

his own activities.

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony

John

A deaf seventeen-year-old manages

her high school rock band to both

humorous and devastating effect, will

be published by Dial (2010)

selves contact me to draw my

attention to such books.

Thanks to librarian Ann G. from

New York for sharing this book

with me. Ann explains that while

the Deaf Character isn't the main

character, she plays a pivotal

role in the story. I just started

reading this one.

I scour through the

search engines, the

book release

notices, the major

book sellers’ web-

sites and inevitably,

I miss books with

Deaf Characters.

Thankfully readers

and authors them-

A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A

Melodrama by Laura Amy

Schlitz

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Candlewick (2006)

The Deaf Character, Muffet, is

a secondary character who

communicates with "signs".

Books I’m looking forward to reading….

Thanks for Giving me a Head’s Up!

“The narrator's motivation for

managing her high school rock band

is that she plans to attend Gallaudet

and her parents have just blown her

entire college fund. I guess this

means you'd be her professor!”

-email correspondence with Antony John

Page 6

Congratulations to Myron Uhlberg!

His picture book Dad, Jackie, and Me

has been selected to be on the Vir-

ginia Young Readers’ Choice list for

2009-2010. This children’s choice

award is sponsored by the Virginia

State Reading Association. Winners

will be officially announced in May

2010.

The Historic Sites Association partners

with the Writer's Alliance of New-

foundland and Labrador to present a

Heritage and History Book Award

for a work of fiction, non-fiction, po-

etry, or young adult/children's litera-

ture that exemplifies excellence in the

interpretation of the history and heri-

tage of Newfoundland and Labrador.

A shortlist is selected and the winner

is announced in December of that

year. Let's cross our fingers because

The Silent Time by Paul Rowe has

made the short list!!! I read this book

last December and it became one of

my favorite reads of the year.... and is

still one of my favorites. The deaf

character, Dulcie attends the Halifax

School for the Deaf in the early 1900s,

similar to the author's late mother,

Elizabeth Rowe. The plot is amazing!

You can also check out my review of

The Silent Time in the Fall 2008 issue

of the Newfoundland and Labrador

Studies Journal!

Pajka-West, Sharon. “Paul Rowe. The

Silent Time” Rev. of The Silent Time.

Newfoundland and Labrador Studies

Journal 23.2 (Fall 2008): 267-269.

While the idea my seem daunting, blogging isn’t that difficult. First and foremost, I

recommend that YOU start a blog before encouraging your students to do so. Here is

how to start blogging in 5 easy steps:

1. Find a blogging platform. I use Blogger (www.blogger.com) because I’m most

familiar with it; I find it easy to use; and, it is FREE!

2. Find your niche. What is your purpose for blogging and what will you choose to

post? Remember that you can’t write for everyone. So, pick your audience. I try

not to stray away from my Deaf Characters topic on http://pajka.blogspot.com/

3. Pick a strong http address. If I had to do it all over again, I would never select

pajka.blogspot.com! It tells you nothing about my topic and now it is simply too

late to change (sigh!).

4. Once you select your platform, follow the easy steps to set up your layout.

Remember, you can always make changes!

5. Finally, don’t freak out about your first post. While it is important to proofread (I

know my friends are laughing that I wrote that because I don’t proofread very

often), you can always go back and edit your work.

Preferred Blogging Platforms by %

graph by Michael Pick, 2007

http://www.masternewmedia.org

How to Start Blogging

Page 7

Awards and Honors

Read the YADC blog!

http://pajka.blogspot.com/

E-mail us!

yadeafcharacters@gmail.com

Jacqueline Woodson, Feathers

http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/

Doug Cooney, Leading Ladies

http://www.dougcooney.com/

Delia Ray, Signing Hands

http://www.deliaray.com/

Lauraine Snelling, A Touch of Grace

http://www.laurainesnelling.com/

Christine Harris, Mask of the Jackal

http://www.christineharris.com/

Rachel Stolzman, The Sign for Drowning

http://booktour.com/author/rachel_stolzman

Meg Burden, Northlander

http://www.megburden.com/

Teri Brown, Read My Lips

http://www.teribrownwrites.com/

Marlee Matlin, Deaf Child Crossing

http://www.marleematlinsite.com/

Josh Swiller, The Unheard

http://joshswiller.com/

Jodi Cutler Del Dottore, Rally Caps

http://www.rallycaps.net/

Sarah Miller, Miss Spitfire

http://www.sarahmillerbooks.com/

Penny Warner, Connor Westphal Mysteries

http://www.pennywarner.com/

Ginny Rorby, Hurt Go Happy

http://www.ginnyrorby.com/

Jean Ferris, Of Sound Mind

http://www.jeanferris.com/bio.htm

David Mack, Marvel Comics’ Daredevil

http://davidmackguide.com/

Sherryl Jordan, The Raging Quiet

http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/jordansherryl.ht

ml

Donna Jo Napoli, http://www.donnajonapoli.com/

Janice Graham, The Tailor’s Daughter

http://www.janicegraham.com/

Joyce Dunbar, Moonbird

http://www.joycedunbar.com/

With the popularity of the internet, authors realize that they need to be accessible to their fans via the web. Below you might be interested in visiting some of the websites of authors who include Deaf Characters in their novels.

Favorite Fall Moment:

Meeting Author Sharon Creech

Visit her website at:

http://www.sharoncreech.co.uk/