“Thank you, this was an amazing course! I only knew a few basic signs going into this workshop, and I learned so much about American Sign Language, child development, and using ASL with children. The course was beautifully created to maximize learning and keep me from getting bored. I was perfectly content during the entire 2 hours. 🙂 ” – Anna N. (Sign, Baby, Sign!: ASL in Baby and Toddler Storytimes)

“I’ve been wanting to build on my ASL skills for a while, but I knew most of the classes I took in the community or independent study I did online wouldn’t cover the vocabulary I needed for my job. This class was perfect for learning library-specific vocabulary!” – Anonymous (Hands Up!: Live ASL Practice for Library Staff, Beginner)

“Hands Up! was one of the most enjoyable and practical continuing ed courses I have taken in a long time. I found the ASL lessons extremely valuable as well as the introduction to Deaf culture. I have already had opportunities to put these new skills into practice at my library.” – Sarah Matthews, Wadsworth Library (Hands Up!: Live ASL Practice for Library Staff, Beginner)

“I appreciated the instructor’s clear communication and instruction, her openness to questions, the combination of hands-on practice/ASL language learning and English instruction, and the pacing of the workshop. It’s clear she put a lot of thought into including just the right amount of information in the allotted time frame, and keeping attendees engaged. I also very much appreciated the context for ASL and Deaf culture that was provided, helping attendees to further understand community perspectives. I will definitely use what I learned in the workshop and am inspired to keep learning.” – Janine M. (Welcoming Deaf Patrons to Your Library)

“Kathy MacMillian is not only an expert, but she’s kind and curious. The breadth of her knowledge and her patience with people new to Deaf culture and ASL makes a virtual learning environment more effective.” – Anonymous (Welcoming Deaf Patrons to Your Library)

“There was a wealth of ideas and information in this webinar! I’m really looking forward to practicing these signs so that I become more comfortable with them, and then incorporating them into my storytimes. I thought all the rhymes and songs she shared are great. I also loved how Kathy gave us story time tips that are valuable even if you’re not using ASL! Excellent workshop.” – Jane Weaver, Youth Services Specialist, Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, St. John’s County, Florida (Little Hands Signing Professional Development: Autumn Signs)

“The do-it-as-you-watch aspect of the training is the best way to get started.”- Anonymous (Little Hands Signing Professional Development: Autumn Signs)

“I like the openness; the starting at level 0 was exactly what I needed. I left the webinar with the idea that I had learned more than just some signs; I understand (some) of the underlying philosophy.” – Anonymous (Little Hands Signing Professional Development: Autumn Signs)

“This was my first time attending a workshop like this, and it was fantastic! The instructor was friendly, knowledgeable and did a great job explaining the signs.” – Anonymous (Little Hands Signing Professional Development: What’s New for Storytime 2024)

“I loved this workshop, it was a great introduction to library vocab in ASL!” –Anonymous (Hands Up!: Live ASL Practice for Library Staff, Beginner)

“Thanks for another outstanding learning experience! I’ve loved taking what I learned back to my colleagues and customers.” –Anonymous (Hands Up!: Live ASL Practice for Library Staff, Beginner)

“This webinar was exceptional! I studied ASL many years ago and became semi-fluent. I have incorporated ASL some storytime songs but Ms. MacMillan inspired me to go beyond. She’s an excellent presenter and passionate educator whose deep knowledge and respect of the Deaf community make her shine. Thank you for bringing her to my attention! I will definitely be learning more from her and stay connected. I can’t wait to use what I learned with my library community.” – Karen Quest, MLIS (Little Hands Signing in Storytime)

“Thank you! You are obviously knowledgeable about ASL and a great teacher. I expected to learn just ASL signs, but the background, history and info about Deaf culture that you shared was even more valuable to me.” – Holly CP, Tigard Public Library (Hands Up!: Live ASL Practice for Library Staff, Beginner)

“Well organized and well presented. Loved that the content was so library-specific. Overall, really great!” – Anonymous (Welcoming Deaf Patrons to Your Library)

“Kathy MacMillan’s workshop was phenomenal. She presented the material in a wonderfully engaging way. I will definitely put the materials she presented in this workshop in my daily work with our deaf patrons.” – Sarah Campbell, College of the Holy Cross Archives and Special Collections (Welcoming Deaf Patrons to Your Library)

“This was such a fun workshop! I loved the Storytime format of it. I can definitely see myself using these signs with the children and caregivers who come to my programs. You can definitely tell that Kathy is knowledgeable of ASL and really cares about advocating for the deaf community. I can’t wait to attend future courses taught by her.” – Adriana F., Placer County Library (Little Hands Signing Professional Development: Family Signs)

“An amazing job! Really enjoyed it and learned a lot!” – Wenona Phillips, Laurel Public Library (Little Hands Signing in Preschool Storytime)

“Kathy provided a thorough, engaging workshop suitable for new ASL learners and those interested in incorporating more accessibility in programming. This was a fantastic workshop that included great resources.” – Anonymous (Little Hands Signing in Preschool Storytime)

“This workshop helped immensely with educating me on how to start incorporating American Sign Language into my storytimes!” – Anonymous (Little Hands Signing in Preschool Storytime)

“The presenter did a fantastic job. It was especially helpful to be able to practice the signs during the webinar.” – Anonymous (Little Hands Signing in Storytime)

“I learned so much in this course, and it was so fun! Not only are the signs perfect for my Storytimes but I learned new Storytime songs and rhymes (always looking for new content). I found the information shared about Deaf culture particularly helpful as including ASL in my storytime is one thing BUT ensuring that they are applied within a cultural context is crucial to creating an inclusive space, and a great opportunity for education for caregivers and children as well.” – Erin W. (Little Hands Signing in Storytime Series 3: Babies and Toddlers)