American Sign Language adds variety, excitement to foreign language department

Heading into the the 2019-2020 school year, Aurora High School has once again expanded its Program of Studies to offer students new opportunities to learn and collaborate.

¨We are always looking to add relevant and interesting course options in our Program of Studies. The reason we add and revise courses each year is to provide opportunities for students to learn curriculum and in ways that will serve them well now and in the future," stated Principal Paul Milcetich.

The new American Sign Language is a two-year course that is offered in collaboration with the Ohio School for the Deaf. The class will be taught entirely online through an interactive video distance learning program.

“I am interested in the class because I would love to learn how to communicate with people who are deaf and I also want to be a teacher so I think it would be a good thing to learn” said Sophomore Brooke Duguay.

The class will meet five days a week with two being scheduled interactive group video conferences with certified OSD ADL instructors. The other three days will be used for students to complete assignments, assessments, or one-on-one meetings with the instructors.

A foreign language teacher will serve as a supervisor for the students every day to help facilitate the progress.

“For the past few years both students and parents have been asking for ASL. Dr. Milcetich came across this online learning option via the Ohio School for the Deaf . Upon review we both agreed that there is both an interest and a need in our school for such a program” said Spanish teacher Gayle Lewis.

In the Program of Studies, this class is recommended for any student who would like to pursue proficiency in nonverbal communication. It is described as a rigorous course for highly motivated, independent and disciplined learners.

It is also stated that students should be able to communicate well and be willing to ask and answer questions in order to achieve an appropriate level of proficiency.

ASL II, the second level of the course, is available for students who complete ASL I and wish to obtain an intermediate level of proficiency.

It is stated to be aware that the American Sign Language course may not meet the foreign language requirement for college admissions purposes or NCAA eligibility.

¨We add courses by examining the needs of students, the evolving world around us, and feedback/input from students, teachers, parents, and community members. In the case of ASL, we had a group of students and parents who showed their interest in this type course offering, so we responded by adding the blended learning ASL course through OSD in the 19-20 Program of Studies" said Milcetich.

“We are excited about this addition to our offerings also because it adds to student choices. It's sad to me that we only offer 2 global languages. It's nice to give students a wider option” stated Lewis.