Nancy C. - Deaf Writing Tutor for Deaf Students

I am a professional, deaf, writer/editor and graphic designer. I am currently freelancing in publications as well as tutoring in English.

When you are my student, we will not be in the same room together. Instead, we will be connected by computers. We will use whatever chat program we agree on to talk about anything -- your history or English Lit homework for example. As we chat, in standard written English, and you make errors, I will show you by example a better way to write what you mean. As time goes on, often within the same session, you will intuitively incorporate the correct usage and your writing will improve. While we're on the chat program, we will simultaneously be on either webcam chat or videophone so that we can discuss problems, or I can clarify a point in sign language.

It's not just your writing that will improve. As a natural outcome of this type of interaction, you will become a faster, more accurate typist. No matter what field you enter, accurate, speedy keyboard skills will be an asset. You can also expect to get whatever insight I can give you on the topic of our conversations.

Transcripts of our sessions will be available, and I will use them to show you and your parents how your writing skills have improved.

I am most interested in working with deaf college and high school students, and deaf professionals who sign, and have access to the equipment we will need — a computer with a high speed internet connection, and either a webcam or a videophone. We will begin with a free half-hour intro session where we can discuss your goals for tutoring and test our equipment. I'm looking forward to our educational journey together.

My background

I worked in the publications department at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for more than ten years as administrator; writer and editor; book, newsletter and magazine designer; and layout artist. Before I worked at the NAD, I worked at Gallaudet University as a tutor in the Writing Center, and then network manager of the ENFI Project. When I tutored, I used the ENFI Project's networked computers to chat with my students, in writing.

ENFI stands for both English Natural Form Instruction and Electronic Networks for Interaction. Long before broadband was widely available and instant messages and texting became popular, ENFI provided deaf students with a way to see a skilled person writing English, in real-time. This immersion in interactive writing allowed the student to intuitively copy the tutor and craft their own written English, with immediate feedback, in a natural manner.

I was privileged to be part of the ENFI Project, and am glad that the tremendous technological growth since the mid-1980s -- the availability of high speed internet connections, web cameras and videophones, instant messages and text pagers -- means I can bring the enduring principles of the ENFI Project to my work tutoring deaf students.