Katie Bentley, March 20, 2014, Case Analysis Photo-School Field Trip

Identified Goal of the Environment: To be able to write an essay describing what blacksmiths do
and what they observed while on the field trip, when they
return to the classroom.

Environmental Demands:
Molten iron sparks from the horse shoes could potentially fly towards us as the
blacksmith works with it.
The students must stand behind the chain to keep themselves protected and far
enough away from the molten iron.
On the side of the chain where the students need to stand, the room is very small.
The students are trying to push towards the front of the chain in the very small space
and there are 30 students.
The teacher has left the room and is not present to gain control of the students.
Sightlines to the deaf students are difficult seeing as they are trying to watch what
the blacksmith is doing and see me for the interpretation also since the room is small
and the students need to stand behind the chain.
Specialized terminology such as blacksmith, horse shoes, molten iron, sparks,
concepts related to what blacksmiths do, etc.

Interpersonal Demands:
The communication style of the blacksmith since she talks and demonstrates what
she is doing at the same time.

Paralinguistic Demands:
The Deaf boy is supposed to have ASL interpreted for him.
The deaf girl is very English-based and does not comprehend ASL sign structure
very well.
The deaf girls IEP says she is to rely on speech reading, use of an audio loop, and
her hearing aids for communication.
Notice that the deaf girl is watching me interpret frequently for comprehension.
The blacksmith has a very heavy accent and uses terms like tote it and poke and
yonder.
The deaf girl turns off her hearing aids when the blacksmith starts to strike the iron
and complains that the loud noise hurts her ears.

Intrapersonal Demands:
Feelings of not sure what to do when the other children are pushing to the front of
the chain while the teacher is not in the room.
I am feeling tired from walking on the tour all morning and continually standing to
interpret.
I am hungry since it is almost lunch time.
One child is misbehaving, leaning on the chain, and swinging. The teacher has been
disciplining him all day. She told him that if he didnt behave, he would have to stay
next to her for the rest of the day. I am contemplating if I should make her aware of
the situation.

Possible Pre-Assignment Controls:
Research terminology and concepts related to blacksmiths, what they do, etc. and
how to sign/convey them.
Discuss with another colleague that has had some experience with interpreting an
assignment like this and if they have any insight into how some of these concepts
can be conveyed.
Review and familiarize myself with the students IEPs and what is supposed to occur
in the interpretation, etc.

Possible Intra-Assignment Controls:
Position myself in the best possible sightline to be right near the blacksmith or at
least so that the blacksmith can be easily seen next to and behind me so that the
students are able to see the interpretation and watch what the blacksmith is doing.
Ask the blacksmith if she would mind holding off doing the action and
demonstration while she is talking so that the students can have access to the
interpretation and not miss what she is demonstrating.
o Resulting Demand: The blacksmith feels annoyed or frustrated with me for
asking to do that and to alter her demonstration from the way she normally
does it.
Focus my interpretation to be in ASL even though the deaf girl is watching the
interpretation as well.
o Resulting Demand: The deaf girl is unable to access the interpretation really
at all, even though it is not on her IEP to have an interpreter.
Advise the deaf girl that she may want to keep her hearing aids on so that she doesnt
miss any information but explain that I understand it is hurting her ears. Explain that
she could take them off during the loud noise and then put them back on so that she
can access the information.
o Resulting Demand: The deaf girl feels that it is not my place to advise her to
wear her hearing aids if she doesnt want to.
Inform the teacher that the students and pushing to get closer to see and that they are
getting rowdy.
o Resulting Demand: Something is said and therefore not interpreted while I
am gone for a second to get the teacher to come regain control of the class.
Ask if there is a chair I can use to sit in since I am very tired from walking and
standing all morning.
o Resulting Demand: The sightlines become even worse for the deaf students
to be able to see me and be able to watch what the blacksmith is doing.
Inform the teacher that the student she has been disciplining all day is misbehaving,
swinging, and leaning on the chain.
o Resulting Demand: Something is said and therefore not interpreted while I
am gone for a second to get the teacher to come regain control of the class.


Possible Post-Assignment Controls:
Consult with other colleagues some better ways to sign/convey the concepts related
to this assignment.
Debrief from this assignment with what all happened and reflect on my own
interpreting to strategize some ways to better interpret these concepts next time.
Research other terminology and concepts to be better prepared next time.
Discuss with the teacher the difficulty when she is not present in the room if there
are disruptions and misbehavior. It is not something I can typically take the time to
address or the deaf students would potentially miss valuable information.
Address the fact that even though the deaf girl does not have an interpreter written in
her IEP and she is supposed to rely on other ways for her communication, let them
know that I have noticed her watching the interpretation frequently for
comprehension particular in noisy environments.

Effective Conservative Control:
Not do anything to address the fact to the teacher that some of the students are
pushing or the one student that is misbehaving.

Effective Liberal Control:
Focus my interpretation to be in ASL even though the deaf girl is watching the
interpretation as well.

Unethical Conservative Control:
Get a chair to sit down in because of how tired I am from walking all morning, even
if the students cant see the interpretation well and watch the blacksmith at the same
time since I am so tired.

Unethical Liberal Control:
Tell the blacksmith not to perform the action and demonstration while she is talking
since the deaf students cant have access to the interpretation and not miss what she
is demonstrating. The deaf students cant watch the both of us and are missing out.

Overall, the controls that I chose tend to be more toward the liberal side. I tend to favor more
liberal controls rather than conservative. I feel that the choices I make in my controls being more
liberal, help to serve the goal of the interpreted interaction more effectively. If demands present
themselves and I tend to side more on the conservative side or chose not to take much action, I feel
that I am doing a disservice to the goal of the interpretation for the consumers. If there are demands
present that I can adequately try to resolve effectively, I feel I need to do so to be in service to the
goal at all times.