This week my plan was to practice the alphabet and learn to sign my full name. To support my learning I have been using some really helpful resources that I found on Youtube. The main video I watched was from a creator called ASL Rochelle. They have an entire Youtube channel dedicated to learning ASL that covers ASL basics, common mistakes, tips to improve your signing, common phrases, etc. The videos I have been watching are from their youtube series titled “Learn ASL in 31 Days”. The videos are all relatively short and easy to access. Using a Youtube video was extremely helpful for me because I was able to pause, rewind and rewatch the content as many times as I needed to. My experience with using Youtube as a learning tool has reaffirmed how valuable it could be to use within our classrooms to support our students’ learning.

The Day 1 video, posted below for reference, breaks down the whole alphabet. Rochelle shows how to sign each letter and shows her hand from different angles. I found this really helpful because some of the images I have used to learn the alphabet do not fully capture how the hand is supposed to be. My favorite part of the video though, was the second half where she addressed common mistakes, and provided tips to improve our signing practice. For example, they recommended practicing our signing while stabilizing the arm with our off hand to help limit the excess movement or bobbing of arm. This helps to improve the clarity of our signing and limit a miscommunication. Another interesting thing Rochelle addressed in the video was signing in a mirror to practice. This can help learners see their hands and make adjustments. As well, it can help us to improve our ability to visually recognize signs.