Florida
American Sign Language

Teachers Asssociation

 

History of FASLTA...

1. Date of chapter's inception?

The date of our chapter's inception was at an organizational meeting on November 19, 1988. The chapter was officially recognized at the 1992 NAD-ASLTA Convention in Denver, Colorado as per letter from Keith Cagle dated August 17, 1992.

2. Original and present names of your local ASLTA chapter?

From 1988-1993, the chapter's name was FSIGN, from 1993-present the name is FASLTA.

3. Names of past and present officers terms they served?

Officers (2006 - 2008)   Officers (2008 - 2009)
President/Web Cheryl Zuckerman   President Alysse Rasmussen
Vice Pres/PDC Alysse Rasmussen   Vice Pres/PDC Rose Adams
Secretary Linda Combee   Secretary Linda Combee
Treasurer Rose Adams   Treasurer Bill Cooper
Editor Alysse Rasmussen   Editor Cynthia Dupont
Director Shawn Olmstead   Director Lori Cimino
Director Stephen Hardy II (2006)   Director Jer Loudenback
Director Jennifer Briggs  (2006)   Director Cindy D'Angelo
Director Lori Cimino (2007-2008)   Past Pres/Web Cheryl Zuckerman
Director Jer Loudenback (07-08)      
     
Officers (2001 - 2003)   Officers (2004 - 2006)
President Glenna Ashton   President/Web Cheryl Zuckerman
Vice Pres/PDC Mike Tuccelli   VP/PDC/Editor Alysse Rasmussen
Secretary Janice Parounagian(2001-02)   Secretary Linda Combee
Secretary Cheryl Zuckerman (2002-04)   Treasurer Rose Adams
Treasurer Linda-Rose Adams   Past President Glenna Ashton
Director/Editor Alysse Rasmussen   Director Mike Tuccelli
Director Mike Ernest   Director Mike Ernest
Director Lucretia Childers   Director Julia Justl
     
Officers 1997 - 1999   Officers 1999 - 2001
President Glenna Ashton (1993 - 04)   President Glenna Ashton (1993-04)
Vice Pres/PDC Babs Coulston   Vice Pres/PDC Mike Tuccelli
  Kim Smith   Secretary Debi Thomas (1999-2000)
Treasurer Marilyn Knetzer (1994 - 99)   Treasurer Linda-Rose Adams
Director/Editor Alysse Rasmussen (1996 - 99)   Past President Babs Coulston
Director Mary Bramblett   Editor/Web Alysse Rasmussen
Director Betti Bonni   Director Erika Parrado (1999-2000)
      Director Cheryl Waterbury
      Director Mike Ernest (2000 - 2001)
     
The original officers:   Other officers who served:
President Babs Coulston (1988 - 93)   Vice President Brian Meehan (1993 - 94)
Vice President Johnnie Johnston (1988 - 92)   Vice Pres/PDC Len Roberson (1994 - 95)
Secretary Jerry Crittendon (1988 - 90)   Vice Pres/PDC Kim Smith (1995 - 97)
Treasurer Reggie Goff (1988 - 91)   Prog Coordin. Gail Nagy (1994 - 95)
Prog Coordin. Mike Ernest (1988 - 90)   Prog Coordin. Marilyn Knetzer (1992-93)
      Prog Coordin. Lucretia Childers (1990-91)
      Secretary Mike Ernest (1990 - 92)
      Secretary Alysse Rasmussen (1993-96)
      Treasurer Karen Kantor (1991 - 94)
      Editor Mike Ernest (1990 - 1996)
      Co-Editor Lisa Schaefermeyer (1994-95)

4. List of the people who aided in professional development activities since its inception?

Dates and titles of professional development workshops?

1988-1989 - no records

Nov. 9-10, 1990 Tampa
Methods and Goals of Foreign Language Teaching - Dr. Luz Paredes Loro
Classroom Activities and Fingerspelling in Beginning ASL Classes - Betti Bonni
The Dawn Sign Press "Signing Naturally" Curriculum - Cheri Smith
History of SIGN and the Importance of ASL to Deaf Culture - Keith Cagle

1991 - canceled

1992 - canceled

Jan. 8-9, 1993 Tampa
Non-Verbal Communication - Betti Bonni
Student/Teacher Expectations - Alysse Rasmussen
Contact Variations in ASL: Implications for ASL Instructors - Clayton Valli
How to Teach Affect in ASL (Emotion,Body Lang &Facial Expression) - Paula Sargent
How Do We Teach ASL Syntax to Students? - Mike Ernest
ASL Poetry - Clayton Valli

May 21-23, 1993 Workshop - canceled

Nov. 19, 1994 Workshop - canceled

Jan. 28-30, 1994 Fort Lauderdale "Nuts and Bolts of Teaching ASL"
Curriculum and Testing Development - Debra Raynes
Building Your Own Tool Kit - Debra Raynes
Certification Issues - Alysse Rasmussen

August 13, 1994 Workshop Daytona Beach(piggyback to FRID Conference)
Testing and NAD-ASLTA '94 Conference Report - Mike Ernest
Shareshop - Len Roberson, Alysse Rasmussen and participants

Jan. 20-22, 1995 Lakeland "Step by Step: Getting Closer to Certification"
ASLTA: The Organization and Certification - Bill Newell
Teaching ASL - Keith Cagle
ASL Facial Expression - Keith Cagle
ASL Wars - Keith Cagle
also 25 individual appointments with Bill Newell on certification concerns during meeting.

June 17, 1995 Workshop Clearwater(piggyback to FAD Convention)
Shareshop - all participants esp. Alysse Rasmussen
Jan. 12-14 , 1996 Jacksonville "The True Colors of ASL"
ASLTA - Isabelle Calvacca (replaced Lynn Jacobowitz due to snowstorms)
The Ultimate Knowledge-Based Product -You: Developing Qualities to Drive Your Own Career - Cindy Decker-Pickell
ASL Evaluation of Students - Isabelle Calvacca
Current Trends in Foreign Language: Education and Research - Mike Ernest

April 13, 1996 DeaFest, Tampa
"How to Become an ASL Teacher but were Afraid to Try!" E. Lynn Jacobowitz

Sept. 6-8, 1996 Ocoee
How to use the "Signing Naturally" materials - Betti Bonni
Hot Issues in ASL Teaching - Sam Holcomb
Deaf Culture: Our Way - Sam Holcomb
Drills in the Classroom - Sam Holcomb
Hearing & Deaf Cultures: A Comparative Study - Keith Cagle
ASLTA Certification - Keith Cagle
Movie - In the Land of the Deaf - Alysse Rasmussen

June 11-14, 1997   FAD, Daytona Beach
ASLTA, FASLTA, and Certification - Kim Smith and Glenna Ashton

Jan, 2-4, 1998 FASLTA 10th Anniversary, Tampa
Hearing vs. Deaf ASL - Steve Collins
Deaf Trivia - Glenna Ashton
Keynote Presentation - Susan Mather
ASL Storytelling Techniques for Teachers - Pat Stivland
Teaching ASL to Deaf children - Mary Beth Miller
Space and Grammar in ASL - Mike Ernest
Grammatical Aspects of ASL - Keith Cagle
ASL Literacy - Susan Mather
What Every Teacher Needs to Know - Alysse Rasmussen
Do's and Don'ts in Teaching Second Language - Ann Reifel
Assessing Student's Expressive Skills - Kim Lucas Smith
Panel of Local Teachers Moderator - Babs Coulston

May 9, 1998 Palm Bay - Spring Mini-Workshop
ASLTA Certification - Glenna Ashton
Basic Linguistics - Alysse Rasmussen
Classroom Activities - Mary Bramblett
Best Teaching Practices - Louise Moore

October 2 -4, 1998
Keynote Speaker - Leslie Greer
Game Resources - Glenna Ashton
Metalinguistics - Leslie Greer
Teaching Classifiers - Betti Bonni
Second Language Teaching Methods - Alysse Rasmussen
ASLTA Certification - Glenna Ashton
Movie Night Out - "Beyond Silence"

February 5-6, 1999 St. Augustine Florida Past and Present cancelled

June 12, 1999 Coconut Creek
BCC Deafness collection - Debbie the Librarian
Internet Sites - Alysse Rasmussen
Using the Resources - Glenna Ashton
Group discussion moderator - Glenna Ashton

September 25, 1999 MDCC-sponsored Workshop
ASL Linguistics - Jeff Davis
FASLTA Networking Social Host - Glenna Ashton

October 23, 1999 FRID, Jacksonville
Curriculum Development - Glenna Ashton
Fingerspelling Teaching Methods - Babs Coulston
Material Resources - Alysse Rasmussen
special presentation by Concordia Programs on their picture books

June 17-18, 2000 ASL Weekend, Orlando
Teacher by Trade Observations - Maureen Longo, Jeff Davis, Mike Ernest, Alysse Rasmussen (FASLTA members), Marianne Sasseen, Angela Roth, Marietta Patchin, Renee Jackson - teachers were observed while conducting immersion workshops for students by FASLTA participants.

Additional workshop/conference listings to come...

5. List of people who started community activities...?

Mike Tuccelli - FSDB, St. Augustine - several years of presenting workshops and Total Immersion Weekends for ASL students

Mike Ernest - Hillsborough Community College - several years of presenting speakers and events such as Poetry by Clayton Valli

Betti Bonni, Babs Coulston, Kim Marie Smith - H.O.T. Institute - training sessions for ASL students

Mary Bramblett - First Annual State DeaFest held April 12-13, 1996 in Tampa with Lynn Jacobowitz as MC, comedian, and presenter (no snowstorms this time!)

Glenna Ashton - six years directing the annual trip to FSDB - H.S. Dept. for ASL/Deaf students from 3 high schools in Palm Beach County.

USF (University of South Florida, Tampa) Educational Interpreter Club sponsored an ASL Immersion Weekend for High School ASL and Deaf Students since 1998.

Glenna Ashton - presented at the FFLA (Florida Foreign Language Association) October 15 and networked gaining support of FFLA for ASL.

Cheryl Zuckerman & Glenna Ashton - began monthly "Silent Social" at local mall food court; encourage ASL students to practice their signing and receptive skills.

Cheryl Zuckerman - began county-wide programs and inservice opportunities for ASL teachers; wrote curriculum and county exams, mentoring new ASL teachers.

FASLTA (Glenna Ashton and Alysse Rasmussen's initial efforts), 2005 invited to join the board of FFLA (Florida Foreign Language Association) as ASL is now officially recognized as a "foreign language" by the state legislature.

 

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Last update: 9/7/08