Presenter:         Maureen Longo Tuccelli

Brief Bio of Presenter:      

A native of the Hudson Valley in NY, Maureen has been an educational and freelance interpreter for more than 20 years.  She has a national RID Certification of Interpretation, holds a Florida EIE3, earned a superior rating in the SCPI and is presently employed full-time as an interpreter at Florida Community College in Jacksonville for whom she also interprets the Broadway plays that come to the city.  She is on the Quality Assurance Administration Team of Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, is an adjunct professor at FCCJ and travels as a guest lecturer and workshop presenter.  She was honored by FRID with the Distinguished Service Award in 2003.  In her role as a mentor Maureen has been praised for her ability to relate theories of professional practice to real life situations and is noted for providing a safe learning experience.

Do You Understand What I Think I Said? (6 hours)

How do you get the picture from your head into someone else’s? This is a group discussion of where breakdowns occur in visual and verbal communication.

You’ll see demonstrations of how experiential knowledge influence style and sign choice.  Ideas on ways to facilitate clear transferal of information will be shared.  Hands on activities will help heighten awareness of problem areas and lead to improvement in skills.

Don’t Drop the Cheese  (6 hours)

Ever walk through the door you set up without opening it?

Ever flee from the wolf smack into the tree you just established?

Ever clap to show the mouse’s great joy only to have the kids ask what happened to the cheese you were holding?

Of so, this is a seminar for you.  A workshop that concentrates on visual integrity in storytelling. Learn what the audience sees when you sign.  Practice thinking visually.

Gather tips on how to improve your skill.

Come watch, share, learn and do in an atmosphere of camaraderie<> 

In the Eyes and Out the Hands; Owning ASL  (6 hours)

"What am I missing?" Have you ever asked yourself that question when watching a Deaf signer?  It's not just the signs! Come learn about some  less obvious movements that are vital to your understanding the message. This workshop allows participants to observe more than 30 ASL principles as they occur naturally using a master Deaf communicator as a model. Subtle features such as editorial comments, story plans, and audience address will become evident. Participants will then practice incorporating learned features into their own communication style and interpreting product.

Languishing In Linear Language Is Lethal!  (2 hours)

How are you going to sign in ASL when you're still thinking in English?

This workshop will discuss four big stumbling blocks hearing people have when trying to sign in ASL.  It will also provide suggestions and activities for "letting go " of the English.

“Oh See Can You Say…..” (6 hours)

Using dynamic interactive methods and real life situations Maureen will demystify the process of voicing and explore specifically the components of Understanding, Telling and Saying.       

Participants will:

Develop knowledge and skill in the areas of grounded mental space, grammatical use of space, characterization and vocabulary variation.

Discuss peripheral vision, self monitoring and idiomatic expectations.

Understand the danger of “dictionary conditioning” and learn ways to manage the amount of “dead air” with out using fillers.

This is NOT a receptive workshop! Maureen will explain what is being signed. This workshop is designed to help participants realize the choices interpreters have when voicing and to teach ways to practice this skill.

When "Duck" Is Not Enough   (2 hours)

Beanie Baby Duck/Rubber Ducky..... how are you going to show the difference? Come think about how we describe things visually. Learn how to "become" what you are describing, then practice showing the difference between pairs of similar items.

If you want  workshops by DrSign, here are some ideas: 


1.         Deaf Culture:  The Key to Reach the Third Largest Nation by Mike Tuccelli -- a three-hour presentation.

What is Culture?

Why Learn About Deaf Culture?

Role of Education and Deaf Culture

The Language Controversy

Criteria for Best Education

Rules of Behavior

 

2.         Deaf Awareness:  Meet the Third Largest Nation in the World by Mike Tuccelli -- a three- or four-hour presentation.

 

Myths and Misconceptions

Legal Issues

The Deaf Population

Audiological and Medical Information

Communication Options

Improving Communication

Visual Devices

How to Identify a Person as Being Deaf

How to Establish Initial Communication

Setting Up for a Potential 12,500% Increase of Contacts

 

3.         ASL for Hearies ... A Guide for the Rest of Us by Mike Tuccelli -- A four-hour presentation

 

Parameters of Signs

Conceptual Accuracy

ASL Principles such as ...

(a)  Directionality

(b) Noun/verbs

(c)  Space references

(d)  Topicalization

(e)  Indexing

(f)  etc. -- about 25 more!!!

 

4.         On Fire With Classifiers! by Mike Tuccelli -- A two-hour presentation, depending if it is a review (2 hours) or an introduction for new signers only -- meaning no intermediate signers (3 hours).  Not only are classifiers covered, but movement roots such as contact, stative descriptive, etc.  The importance of four other parameters of signing in the use of classifiers are also emphasized.  This is a must for aspiring interpreters and for those who wish to obtain advanced on the SCPI.

       Mike Tuccelli, born deaf, had his first contact with ASL as a transfer student at Gallaudet.  He has taught at Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind for 21 years. The first two years was as a science and math teacher, then the last 19 years as Community Education Coordinator and as a Sign Communication Proficiency Interview Director.  He was a principal of a private K-12 school in Wisconsin and also was the science teacher at St. Johns School for the Deaf.
           He is currently the ASL Senior Lecturer at the
University of Florida, where he was given the Teacher of the Year Award in 1999-2000 and was granted the President’s Humanitarian Award in 2000.  Florida Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf also recognized him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1999.  The Florida American Sign Language Teacher’s Association also recognized him with a Distinguished Service Award in 2005.

     
He was on the Board of the Assistive Technology Advisory Council (8 years) and was the former Treasurer of the Florida Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf and former vice president of the Florida American Sign Language Teachers Association and the former president of Wisconsin Association of the Deaf.  He holds a doctorate from the
University of Florida.


Workshop fees
– Fees are normally $700 per day for each presenter for a 6-hour day plus $150 per hour for each hour over six for the day.  For an extra day of four hours or less, it is $150 per hour. 
An exhibit table is also requested to allow participants to examine workshop-related DVD to be sold at a discount.  A non-refundable $100 deposit is requested to hold the date.  
        Travel, meals, and hotel accommodation expenses are also the responsibility of the workshop organizer.