Resume From Senior Project Manual

Senior Project Resume

Senior: Bailey Hanrahan

Title of Senior Project:

Title of paper: Cochlear Implants

Product: Signing Poems

1. Thesis statement:

“While cochlear implants have the potential to help people with hearing loss to communicate better in the hearing world and gain independence, people considering cochlear implants for themselves or their children, need to consider cost, impacts of the surgery, and Deaf culture.” (Hanrahan 1)

2. Product description:

For my sign language product, I decided to sign a poem at night of the arts. Since we are no longer at the school, I cannot do this in the same way. I am going to make a video of me signing instead and post it on my portfolio website. Originally I was going to sign just one poem, but I decided to challenge myself to sign two of them. I am going to sign "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost and "The Moon in my Bedroom" by Jolanta Lapiak. This is going to challenge my knowledge about signs and body language. I am excited for you to see! This will be located in my "product" tab in my portfolio website! See you there!

3. Relationship between paper and product:

Since my project is sign language, I decided to write my paper on Cochlear Implants. Cochlear Implants can help a deaf patient hear electronically. It is another way for them to communicate. I wanted to explore two sides of communication for deaf people. In my product, I examine the sign language side. In my paper, I examine the hearing side of communication that is possible for a deaf person. These are connected by possible forms of communication for deaf people.

4. My background in the area prior to beginning Senior Project:

Before my Senior Project, I had absolutely no background in this area whatsoever. Sign language has always been an interest in sign language. I was always fascinated with sign language which is why I was so interested in starting this project. Overall I feel like I have come a long way in my learning, considering that I started with no knowledge at all.

5. Special things I'd like the judges to notice and consider:

It may not seem that my product is very complex, but there are many things to consider within it. Word order is very different between English and sign language. When signing, one often skips over multiple words because they are just not needed to make sense. Another thing to consider is facial expressions, body language, and emotion. Since people speaking sign language cannot express with the tone of their voices, body language, and facial expressions can dramatically change a conversation from just talking to yelling, etc. Lastly, learning an entire language is very hard. I have learned a lot but I am not even close to fluent. I have learned how to have basic conversations which are still something to be proud of.