Enrolled School Whanau Evenings by Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education NZ
Enrolled School Whānau Evenings
Theresa McCreight - Assistant Head of Enrolled School — June 15, 2023
Unleash the power of visual communication and language growth with Paul Buzzard's captivating information evening.
During weeks 7 and 8, we were fortunate to have Paul Buzzard, our Visual-Communication, Deaf Culture Kaiārahi, host a series of Visual Communication Workshops for our whānau. The presentations were at Auckland West, Auckland South, and Christchurch, with our Wellington whānau attending by Zoom.
Paul shared with everyone the importance of communication, whether in NZSL or spoken word. Deaf and Hard of hearing (DHH) learners require direct communication, with eye contact essential before starting the conversation.
Paul spoke of the importance of using a mixture of NZSL signs and visual communication gestures to communicate, interact and grow language for our learners.
The key elements of visual communication are:
- The use of facial expressions
- Handshapes
- Movement of hands and body
- Switching 'roles' for the different characters
- Eye use – what to look at or what not to look at
- All sign/visual communications should not go below the waist
During his presentation, Paul told a story using visual communication and invited the audience to retell his story. They all did a great job. Whānau expressed that these workshops were a valuable opportunity to revisit visual communication methods and their importance in supporting them when communicating within their families.
