teaching online – our technology

July 18th, 2023

Teaching Online

Most of what I learned, I was taught by my student Mizael who developed his skills as a gamer. Best advice is listed here:

#1 get a camera separate from your laptop. Research what you want. I wanted something that had speakers and good range for meetings as well as teaching.

#2 add a second monitor so you can keep track of your Zoom window, your OBS window, your teaching resources. Everyone has to configure their monitors to their preference. I like to have my camera and ZOOM window as close as possible so it looks like I am looking AT my students. Then I have my laptop just below the ZOOM window so I can glance down at my various windows and notes on my table.

If you haven’t used ZOOM – it’s simple. Nothing fancy to it.

OBS (online broadcasting software – is free!) took me some time to learn. You will want a green screen (we have everything from a sheet to an actual popup screen) and sufficient lighting. Think of the green screen as your whiteboard. This will be behind you (or in front of you). You will see it on the screen and can interact with it. I still turn around thinking I will SEE the words on the screen and then run into the GREEN screen! There is a learning curve and I am learning.

I use my external fancy webcam in conjunction with OBS then set OBS as my webcam (start virtual camera). Watch a video and it will all come together for you. Lots of videos about setting up OBS and using the FILTERS to get your colors and resources all neatly organized.

#3 I find it helpful to have a document camera also. I keep a sketchbook on the table to the right of my laptop and an assortment of markers and colors. Sometimes I print the page we will be working on and use the doc cam to show what I want my student to do. Sometimes I want them to draw a graph or diagram and I can show them a sample. Sometimes I want to share a book I haven’t scanned yet. Document camera is a great asset.

#4 I prefer a mouse to a touchpad but now I have a touch screen and I am getting better at the touchpad. Also I am learning to use a pen+tablet as a mouse – it’s touchy so I haven’t gotten precise yet.

Amazon Kindle online reader

I use this almost every day – placing the window for the reading material on the OBS screen as a source and then reading, pointing out words. Better still if the remote student has the book or accesses the material in their kindle or on their screen also.

OneDrive Live

I upload everything to the cloud so I can share with my remote students. They can access the PDF files I make so we can work together. Their moms most often print the pages which is nice. I put the PDF on the OBS screen as a resource and then use a Huion Inspiroy H430P pen tablet to write on the actual PDF file on the computer.

Google Doc

I use a Google Doc every lesson to interact in writing with my students. I do this even if we are in class together so they can see their writing and my replies. Save by NAME SUBJECT YEAR MONTH DATE SUBJECT and you will have files to go back to and reuse. Many classes, I change the NAME and reuse with another student. I have to go through and remove personal references. You could save a TEMPLATE and make life easier. I tend to do things the hard way.

Here is a Google Doc I used to teach about this book: The Dog That Dug For Dinosaurs. I hope the link works for you.

Here is a youtube video of me teaching a Bible verse. I am have PowerPoint on the screen behind me. Used the external camera and recorded by OBS video.

Check out Christian School For the Deaf – YouTube for more videos we have done.

In another attempt, I added the captions using WonderShare Filmora software.

I am still working on how to use Google classroom.

I am still collecting resources like interactive games online that we can play.

These two have potential to share the site then draw, write, play tic-tac-toe together: Sketchpad – Draw, Create, Share! and Ziteboard

July 18, 2023classroomBetsy Hoke

2023 2024 school year

June 12th, 2023

As of this writing, June 12, 2023, we have NO (zero, none, nothing, zippo) students lined up for full-time classes in August.

#1 GOD KNEW THIS WAS COMING – Our God knows the past and the future.

How does a ministry called a SCHOOL run without students in the classrooms? Well, we are looking at this as a sabbatical year for our director who has her last sabbatical in 1990 and who is beginning her 39th year of fulltime ministry at CSCD. Our director has brought her mother to live with her as her mother is not able to live independently and that is adding to Betsy’s responsibilities.

We have two little Deaf girls who are in mainstreamed educational settings all day. We are working with them in tutoring situations for ASL as well as educational support. We are working with the schools and holding ASL clubs there to increase the chances of the students using ASL. We are working with the families to encourage their use of ASL at home.

#2 THE NEED for WORKERS IS STILL CLEAR – Pray with us for workers – who are fluent in ASL (and Spanish), able to teach, seeking to live for Christ alone, and desire to see the Deaf reached for Christ

We have started to teach ONLINE with some mothers from around the island – the driving distance from them to us is greater than 2 hours. ZOOM sessions are helping us to reach into homes of Deaf babies and young people. We are working on HOW to get together – or where to gather – so that the Deaf children can socialize and the parents can also hang out. Maybe we will host an overnighter. Pray for this please.

We are also continuing to teach ASL in the community and by ZOOM, working with our Adult Deaf Literacy program and recruiting new Handbell Ringers for our handbell choir – we have two members from last year who desire to continue – now we need 4 or 6 more to give us a complete ringing choir.

#3 GOD IS WORKING HERE

Our buildings are being used by a variety of churches and visitors – some local groups come for a weekend retreat, some work teams from the States come for an overnight on their way to a more distant destination in PR, other work teams stay here and work at CSCD doing maintenance, still others go out into the community to help churches, families, our Deaf community in whatever ways they need help.

Thank you for your prayers and please know that as our ministry changes with the times, we still hold to the power of God and His Word and our desire is for Him to be glorified!

June 12, 2023NewsBetsy Hoke

2022-23 school year ends!

May 24th, 2023

In 2005 we met this little boy. He has been attending classes for 18 years – for real – preprepreschool preschool kindergarten thirteen years of grades 1 to 12 (there was a repeat when he had health issues and missed a school year) and finally GRADUATION!

What joy to celebrate Mizael’s triumphs and growth academically, spiritually, and in character.

This roomful of friends and family gathered to support him in his victory and to pray with him for the NEXT thing. As he makes his plans and shares them, we too will share with you. Our celebration day included handbell pieces, awards, spiritual challenges and many tears as we said GOODBYE and GOD BLESS YOU to Mizael and his family.

Because ministry is never FINISHED, we are already making plans for the summer ministry season – in-person and remote ASL classes are lining up for many parents of Deaf infants – THANK GOD that they are learning ASL NOW as their Deaf babies need to see their families signing! Pray for these parents and for our ability to reach them from a distance – pray for volunteers who would be willing to be paired as an ASL tutor with a Spanish-language Puerto Rico-living parent of a Deaf child. Pray also for volunteers who would be willing to work with an adult Deaf person (or teenaged Deaf kid) to teach English and ASL skills. Distance is not a problem now – we are all learning ZOOM and video chat methods to meet from anywhere! Send an e-mail to cscdluquillo@gmail.com and let’s make a plan for YOU to get involved!

Our online giving platform is working for us – we made a change in April and are now up and running at

May 24, 2023News, StaffBetsy Hoke

2023 02 update

February 3rd, 2023

Four weeks of classes into the semester. We have been BUSY. Our director/webkeeper was called away at the end of 2022 due to a death in her family so we apologize for not updating the website as is our custom. In the end, the deceased is believed to be eternally content in Jesus’ presence while those still remaining on the planet are working through steps to keep moving ahead.

Natalia knows none of this of course. She had her 6th birthday while we were on Winter Holidays and we celebrated with her when she returned to classes. From these photos, you can see Delilah (the dog) continues to tolerate hugs and Betsy continues to “teach”.

Our fleet of volunteers has kicked up their gears and bring us monthly lunches as well as come once a week to teach a variety of skills with the boys. Every young person should have the ability to make fried chicken, boil pasta and chop veggies. Who knows what the next lessons will be!? Natalia’s volunteer driver is Lucy – she joined us for birthday cake and games that day.

We are always excited to have Jerry and Christina from WyldLife YounLife join us! We are possibly the smallest group they ever have as far as numbers but we are always enthusiastic! SO THANKFUL to God to their willingness and the willing hands of our staff interpreter Amber.

Thank you each for your prayers as we continue to minister here at CSCD. Pray with us for these students and for those who will be coming in the next and future school years.

February 3, 2023NewsASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, deafness, Escuela para sordos, ESD, Evangelical School for the Deaf, handbell choir, Luquillo School for the Deaf, Mission work team, missionary, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, servant hearted, short term missions, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordo PR, students, World Mission to the DeafBetsy Hoke

hearing the bells means Christmas is just around the corner!

October 28th, 2022

So many years, people have commented -IT’S NOT REALLY CHRISTMAS UNTIL I HEAR THE BELLS. We are well into our Christmas music practices and looking forward to presenting our bell choir offerings beginning December 2! To me (Betsy) Christmas has already begun!

If you have opportunity, go to see this movie – I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY – it sounds like an awesome movie about a favorite carol of mine.

October 28, 2022NewsASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Christian School for the Deaf, CSCD, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, handbell choir, Luquillo School for the Deaf, missions trip, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico sordos, school for the deaf, Sordo en Puerto Rico, studentsBetsy Hoke

MidOctober Days’ work

October 15th, 2022

You can check out the newest newsletter here: WTH_Fall2022 (1)

The middle of October and we are still feeling the summer humidity. Someone thought playing outside on Friday was a good idea. And it was. But getting back into the school chapel was a better idea!

We always enjoy our friends from Young Life come for some fun and games and the challenge from God’s Word. Jerry and Christina are amazing and we love having them and our friends from the Palmas Community Church.

There are four of us on staff now – we welcomed Dave Markle (white shirt) as our maintenance and Go To Guy for all things dysfunctional. Valie is enjoying having another guy around who knows how to fix things. Last week Dave installed a new hard drive on the school ZOOM CLASS laptop. This week he fixed leaks in the east wall that allowed Hurricane Fiona waters to enter the preschool classroom and kitchen. Imagine finding water in the breaker box! Only God knows what next week will bring to his plate!

Similarly in the classrooms – as teachers, we can know ourselves and prepare but we never know what will be behind the faces that enter. Our morning students are pretty settled into their studies and arrive knowing we will be doing SCHOOL work. Afternoons, we face ZOOM class with a teenaged girl and Tuesday Thursday with a Kindergartener girl. Oh dear. Pray in the afternoons if you think of it!

We love a weekend to do prep work and gardening but one Saturday each month we have Deaf Fellowship Day. The ladies have taken an interest in Diamond Art which is very tiny work. They got a little competition going to see who can complete the Christmas pieces they are working on. For me (Betsy), this project is too small and I took the paper sample to the printer and made an enlargement to help explain what we were doing.

There are already plans for more Christmas themed projects.

We also enjoy a night at the movies each month – coming up November 4 will be MOSES by Sight and Sound Theaters. Love their productions and the way the play shows us more of the character of the Bible person and times.

Pray with us for more opportunities and more hands to help with reaching out to the Adult Deaf community. Thanks for stopping by today!

Read the Fall 2022 newsletter at our webpage: https://cscdluquillo.com/with-these-hands/

October 15, 2022News, StaffASL, ASL PR, Christian School and Chapel for the Deaf, Deaf, Deaf education, deaf mission, Deaf Puerto Rico, Escuela para sordos, Evangelical School for the Deaf, Hispanic Heritage Month, Interpreter training workshop, lenguaje se senas, school for the deaf, servant hearted, Sordo en Puerto Rico, Sordos, studentsBetsy Hoke

Post-Fiona Post

September 20th, 2022

See Betsy’s blog

We are temporarily not in classes – waiting for some electrical security 🙂

The students have reported in as “DOING OK”

Continue to pray for Puerto Rico and all those who have lost furniture, homes and electricity to this storm. THANK YOU for your prayers and concern.

September 20, 2022NewsBetsy Hoke

Suddenly it’s September

September 9th, 2022

From our seats, we can feel like we are in a boot camp tent. Well, our chapel has a.c. and we are using it these days as the weather has been toasty.

Mornings we begin with songs and sharing stories – working on conversational skills in ASL as well as Bible skills such as knowing where the books are located and how to find them. We are still reading through Andrew Murray’s Ministry of Intercession plan. We are all learning some new words from an older version of English and some new concepts that we would not normally pray about. All part of Bible Book Camp – learning to be more discerning and wise in our prayer lives.

After chapel while the room is still cool, we often stop by the bell tables. Already working on Christmas music. Already have one scheduled Christmas recital.

Christmas is just around the corner and while we are not in a hurry to get there, we are wishing for the cooler weather that comes with the shift into autumn and winter.

Our photos are not allowing a complete picture of our lives right now.

We have Natalia missing – 5 years old and sweet as can be. Pray for her as she anticipates a baby in the house around Christmas time.

Salem, we have not yet seen this semester. Her parents are working on a timetable and we are praying that they are able to join us and she joins our preschool to learn some more ASL.

Pray for Mizael and Henry as they grow from boys into men. This is a tough time of life for everyone. Trying to comply with school and trying out their adult brains at the same time.

Pray for all of us!

In August we celebrated Amber’s birthday. Always fun.

We have been studying MOLECULES in science class which led to creating crystals. So far, not much to report but we will keep trying!

THANKS also to those who send a lunch bonus! While we try to spend frugally, once in a while, we have PIZZA from a place nearby. This week, we welcomed Dave and Annette Markle to the ministry. Today we asked them to stop by Pizza Hut and bring us lunch! Maybe next week we can order fresh lobster – Perhaps Dave can find some while snorkeling.

In all August was a great month. Looking forward to the blessings coming in September.

PRAY – for our students – they are being challenged to be young MEN. One recently asked, “How can I pray better?” Oh that they would continue to have a desire to learn.

September 9, 2022NewsBetsy Hoke