Reflection:
My intermediate American Sign Language course was unorthodox because it was taught completely online. We had to be creative to find ways to practice communicating with each other productively. We used a video platform that allowed us to share short videos with each other to complete weekly assignments. This was helpful to practice my signing skills, however, it left out some social aspects of communication that are very important to ASL conversations. Fortunately, these are things I learned to work with and develop in my following advanced ASL course. It was an important lesson to learn how to rely on and use more nonverbal communication skills such as facial expressions, emotions, and body language. In my intermediate ASL course, I was tasked with sharing my signing skills with a video enactment of a children’s book reading. It was difficult to share a story without a live audience, but I was able to share the video with some friends who found it useful. The process of creating this video forced me to understand the difference in electronic use for Deaf Culture. Videos are typically loved and depended on in the Deaf Culture, where I felt completely restricted by it. This understanding of cultural differences helped me understand the important values of ASL communication and more effectively use my skills to participate in thoughtful conversations. These achievements helped me successfully achieve Communication Level Two.