Ella Mae Lentz Explained

Ella Mae Lentz
Birth Date:	5 May 1954
Birth Place:	Berkeley, California
Nationality:	American
Education:	California School for the Deaf
Alma Mater:	Gallaudet University
Occupation:	Writer, educator
Notable Works:	The Signing Naturally Curriculum Series, National consortium of Programs for the Training of Sign Language Instructors (NCPTSLI)

Ella Mae Lentz (born May 5, 1954) is a Deaf American author, poet, teacher, and advocate.^[1]

Biography

Lentz was born in Berkeley, California, to two deaf parents. Her brother was also deaf.

Lentz graduated from the California School for the Deaf (currently the California School for the Deaf, Fremont) in Berkeley in 1971. After graduating, she attended Gallaudet University where she received dual bachelor's degrees in Drama and English, graduating in 1975.^[2]

Lentz has done research on American Sign Language (ASL) at several research institutions, including Northeastern University in Boston, the Salk Institute in San Diego, and the University of California, San Francisco.^[3]

ASL Presents was founded by Lentz in 2007, located in Hayward, California. The company focuses on the how to coach, consult, present, perform, and teach ASL and Deaf Culture curriculum.^[4]

Written production

Lentz has developed training material as well as educational material such as:

• National Consortium of Programs for the Training of Sign Language Instructors (NCPTSLI): Lentz developed and tested the curricula for this project as well as recruited and trained the instructors. This project was a grant project combined with the National Association of the Deaf, with the hopes of reforming ASL instruction.^[5]
• The Signing Naturally Curriculum Series, which is a best-seller^[6] (Lentz was a co-author). The series was given a three-year federal grant through the Funds for Improvement of Post Secondary Education, and was produced in hopes to teach ASL as a second language. Today many schools use this series as their textbooks for their ASL classes in high school as well as college.
• The Deafhood Foundation.^[7]

Productions

• The PBS children's television show Rainbow's End.^[8]
• A televised talk show in 1974 called Silent Perspectives^[9]
• Dennis Cokely and Charlotte Baker's ASL curriculum known as "The Green Books".
• Starred in a Milwaukee Repertory production of Children of a Lesser God in 1982, playing the leading role of Sarah Norman.^[10]

Poetry

Lentz is widely known in the deaf community for her poetry.^[11] Many people have analyzed and studied her poems.

• The Treasure: Poems by Ella Mae Lentz
  • The Poem "The Door"
• video poems

Recognition

• On August 27, 2009, Ella was honored by the Purple Communications as one of the ten finalists for its "Dream Bigger Campaign".
• She is recognized for her achievements as well as her contributions to the Deaf community by being appointed a member of the California Association of the Deaf as a member of the board of directors.^[12]
• She was also recognized for her achievements as a "Famous Alumna" at the California School for the Deaf.^{[13] [14]}
• She was also awarded the Kappa Gamma Poetry Award at Gallaudet University.
• She is a part of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition.^[15]

Family

Lentz' partner is Judy D. Gough. They have five children, the youngest being Deaf, and ten grandchildren, of whom three are Deaf.

External links

• Web site: Abe. . Debby . Article Teenagers discuss 'deafhood' - Deaf Studies Division in the News . Ohlone College Official Website, A World of Cultures United in Learning- Ohlone College, Fremont, Newark, East Bay Area, California . 2009-05-20 .
• Web site: Baer . Joey . Judy . Gough . Brenda . Faliger . Linda . Slovick . Trudy . Sluggs . Joyce . Brubaker . About – Ella . Ava Moon Studios . 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110919053237/http://aslpresents.com/ella.html . 2011-09-19 . . This website provides information on Ella's life, what she does, what she stands for, and who she supports. The entire website is dedicated to her and provides videos as well.
• Web site: Browning . Paula . ASL Teachers . Coda 365 . 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050217/http://www.coda365.org/coda/Vote.html . 2012-04-26. : in Depth bibliography on Ella Mae lentz life.
• Web site: Deaf Protest at the Italian Consulate in San Francisco . Deafbayarea.com . 2011-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110811111511/http://deafbayarea.com/deaf-protest-at-the-italian-consulate-in-san-francisco/ . 2011-08-11. This is about the protest that Ella Mae Lentz help led for the deaf protest at the Italian Consulate in San Francisco.
• Web site: Dream Bigger: Ella Mae Lentz . Facebook . Facebook pictures of Ella at the Purple convention .
• Web site: Ella Mae Lentz . Flickr . Pictures of Ella at the purple convention.
• Web site: Ella Mae Lentz . San Diego American Sign Language Teacher Association. . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050220/http://www.sandiegoaslta.org/events/bios/ella.html . 2012-04-26 . . This website is the bibliography of Ella Mae Lentz.
• Web site: Free Community Screening: Deaf Jam : Indybay . San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. Event Ella did.. She did a Q & A
• Web site: Gmelch . Sharon . Gender on Campus: Issues for College – Sharon Gmelch, Marcie Heffernan Stoffer, Jody Lynn Yetzer . Google Books . It is a reference to a book that she is in (might be a video).
• Web site: Lentz . Ella Mae . The Treasure . San Diego . Dawn Sign . 2006 .
• Web site: People behind the Foundation . Deaf Hood . https://web.archive.org/web/20111108162925/http://www.deafhoodfoundation.org/Deafhood/Board.html . 2011-11-08 . . This website talks about her definition of Deafhood and also a little about herself.
• Web site: Purple Communications Invites Greater San Ramon Community to Celebrate Ms. Ella Mae Lentz, Finalist in 'Dream Bigger' Initiative . The Free Library . Gale, Cengage Learning . 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305051452/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Purple+Communications+Invites+Greater+San+Ramon+Community+to...-a0206103878 . 2016-03-05 . . About Ella and her contribution to Purple.
• Web site: River of Words – Art and Poetry . River of Words – Home. 2011 . She was listed here as a poetry contest judge. It also explains a little bit about herself.
• Web site: Savage . John . Deafhood Monologues at CSUN . vblogs on presentations that Ella has done.
• Web site: Sustainability Saint Mary's College. 1928 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120207130316/http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/tags/sustainability . 2012-02-07. A short bibliography on Ella as an ASL contest judge.

Notes and References

1. Web site: NYC Metro RID -DEAFHOOD . 2011-12-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426050323/http://www.nycmetrorid.org/deafhood.htm . 2012-04-26 . dead .
2. Web site: 域名已过期 - DNSPod-免费智能DNS解析服务商-电信_网通_教育网,智能DNS . 2011-12-12 . 2011-09-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110919053237/http://aslpresents.com/ella.html . dead .
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=WeBOn6N8PJ8C&q=%22Signs+of+Language%22+bellugi+%22Ella+Mae+Lentz%22&pg=PR3 Signs of Language
4. Web site: ASL Presents . 2011-12-12 . 2012-01-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120101162223/http://www.aslpresents.com/ . dead .
5. Cokely, Dennis and Charlotte Baker.1999. American Sign Language: A Teacher's Resource Text on Curriculum, Methods and Evaluation, Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, p. xiii.
6. Whitley, Sharon. 1997. Breaking the Silence--Deaf Publisher Started Small, Shook Off Discouragement. San Diego Union-Tribune (September 3, 1997), p. C-1.
7. Web site: About the Foundation . www.deafhoodfoundation.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110430031119/http://www.deafhoodfoundation.org/Deafhood/About_Us.html . 2011-04-30.
8. Frei, Terry. 1990. "Firehouse Nine Polishing Up Stage Diamond, The Oregonian (April 15, 1990), p. F1.
9. Lane, Harlan L., Robert Hoffmeister and Benjamin J. Bahan. 1996. A journey into the deaf-world, San Diego, CA: Dawn Sign Press, p. 148.
10. Jaques, Damien. 1980. "Deaf Actress Not Sure She Wants Broadway", Milwaukee Journal (December 14, 1980), Section 5, Page 2.
11. Web site: Pearl Awards . 2013-07-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150331054714/http://thepearlsawards.com/2013/06/2014-winners-of-the-pearls/ . 2015-03-31 . dead .
12. Web site: Welcome to CAD . 2024-09-27 . California Association for the Deaf . en-US.
13. Web site: California School for the Deaf Presents Its First-ever Heritage Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Homecoming Weekend . 2011-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120526091211/http://www.csdeagles.com/outreach/heritage-pr.htm . 2012-05-26 . dead .
14. Web site: Hall of Fame . 2011-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120425122621/http://csdeagles.com/outreach/pdf/heritage.pdf . 2012-04-25 . dead .
15. Web site: Home .