I have been waiting to hear back from the Daily News Journal about when my letter will be printed. I've noticed three or four letters from classmates that have been published in the past couple of weeks. They are really good! One post in particular was by Courtney Jacobs about transitions. Good job Courtney!
The reason for this blog is not to praise Courtney as much as she deserves it. The reason I am writing this is about the comment that was written in response. The person said "Here is another one of those programs we could cut out, sounds socialistic, what are we doing helping others, we could cut this program also and cut the deficit,,,,,,why do we have such programs." It almost sounds like they were prodding for an argument, but I wonder how many people share this belief about transitional programs, or even all special education programs in general.
It's true we face financial constraints and programs like this affect the deficit. Heck, all education affects the deficit and education doesn't get anywhere close to what it is promised as far as funding is concerned. We are obligated to provide a free, appropriate public education. We should take pride in the fact that we are trying to prepare students to prosper and to contribute to society. Our educational system is not a biological idealogy where only the strongest survive, we strive to educate every single student/child/person. .
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Issues in Special Education
One of the luxuries I've had the last year while student teaching or substituting in several schools is to try different approaches to handling discipline problems. Most of you are really good at handling disruptions in class and I feel that I've done a fair job given what my responsibilities are. I've found out that writing a name on the board or pulling a card will only work so long. Some kids could care less about a sticker or a piece of candy at the end of the day. The kids that I had the most problems with were typically the ones that were part of inclusion. I tried to think of different approaches that would enable these kids to engage in learning and I think I've found a way, at least temporarily, to get them involved in positive behavior.
When I was in my first session of student teaching, I was working with first graders. Some of these kids were nuts! One student in particular had a habit of disrupting class throughout the day. I started wondering "what's this kid going to turn out like in a few years when all he knows is how to disrupt class and become defeated when he finds out that everything he does is wrong? How will he prosper in learning when the next teacher knows what he acts like and will have a tight leash on him?"
At the end of every school day the kids line up in the hallway to wait on the bus to take them home. The teachers monitor the students to make sure they're quiet since the PA system is hard to hear. Many of the kids become restless and get into trouble. As you can guess, the student in my class was the ring leader. One day I wondered how he would react if I gave him a leadership role in helping keep the kids quiet in the hallway. I asked him to patrol the hallway and advise the ones who were loud to be quiet. This student took to this responsiblilty like a greyhound after a rabbit. The kids responded to him very well and he didn't abuse the responsibility once given. After a couple of days, the other rowdy kids wanted to share in the responsiblity. I let them take turns so that they could give and accept directions. The only bad thing about this is that I left a month later and didn't see how well their behavior improved, or if they were allowed to monitor the hallways.
As a substitute, I use the same tactic. Most of the busy work that the teachers assign the students is finished way before class is over. I've found that using some of the differentiated instruction techniques, such as storyboard writing or song making using key words from the lesson, to end the class can hold the students' attention for an extended amount of time. After finding out who the rowdy ones are, I ask them to be my assistant to write down the words or give suggestions regarding presentation.
Giving these kids responsibilities has enabled them to follow directions and comply with rules. This isn't a bulletproof tactic, nor is it proven over time. Just thought I'd share one of the things that I've been working on that seems to have a positive effect for a brief amount of time.
When I was in my first session of student teaching, I was working with first graders. Some of these kids were nuts! One student in particular had a habit of disrupting class throughout the day. I started wondering "what's this kid going to turn out like in a few years when all he knows is how to disrupt class and become defeated when he finds out that everything he does is wrong? How will he prosper in learning when the next teacher knows what he acts like and will have a tight leash on him?"
At the end of every school day the kids line up in the hallway to wait on the bus to take them home. The teachers monitor the students to make sure they're quiet since the PA system is hard to hear. Many of the kids become restless and get into trouble. As you can guess, the student in my class was the ring leader. One day I wondered how he would react if I gave him a leadership role in helping keep the kids quiet in the hallway. I asked him to patrol the hallway and advise the ones who were loud to be quiet. This student took to this responsiblilty like a greyhound after a rabbit. The kids responded to him very well and he didn't abuse the responsibility once given. After a couple of days, the other rowdy kids wanted to share in the responsiblity. I let them take turns so that they could give and accept directions. The only bad thing about this is that I left a month later and didn't see how well their behavior improved, or if they were allowed to monitor the hallways.
As a substitute, I use the same tactic. Most of the busy work that the teachers assign the students is finished way before class is over. I've found that using some of the differentiated instruction techniques, such as storyboard writing or song making using key words from the lesson, to end the class can hold the students' attention for an extended amount of time. After finding out who the rowdy ones are, I ask them to be my assistant to write down the words or give suggestions regarding presentation.
Giving these kids responsibilities has enabled them to follow directions and comply with rules. This isn't a bulletproof tactic, nor is it proven over time. Just thought I'd share one of the things that I've been working on that seems to have a positive effect for a brief amount of time.
Differentiated Instruction
Our group had a blast presenting the prezi assignment on differentiated instruction. Kelley and Katy had great input on how to work it out in front of the class and made it so easy to prepare. Those girls are awesome! The funny thing about our presentation was that the examples that we used were done in about ten minutes. Teachers are faced with time consuming planning every day, week, month, and year. Differentiated instruction does not necessarily mean that you have to spend excessive amounts of time incorporating it into your lesson plan.
One of my favorite hands on instructions is when I taught first graders how to subtract. Some of the kids were familiar with subtraction, others were not. Some of the kids can process written problems with ease, some can not. I thought of a fun game that would aid the students with difficulty to play that would engage them in subtraction. I brought in ten water bottles and a soccer ball to play subtraction bowling. All of our problems started with ten, and when they bowled the soccer ball to the bottles, some of the bottles fell. They could see that three fell down, so 10-3=7. I jumbled the bottles around after a while and started with seven bottles. You see what's going on? They were able to manipulate objects and then write the numbers down in a number problem on paper.
It's not hard to think of different ways to incorporate differentiated instruction in all disciplines, or all grades. I also taught sixth grade during student teaching and we were preparing for the TCAP in geometry. We were studying the Pythagrian theory and some of the kids weren't understanding how side A plus side B equals C. Before I became a teacher, I worked as a supervisor for telephone construction. Every day I worked around telephone and power poles. Poles that are not in a straight line have to have anchors and guy wires to support the weight of telephone and power cables. These guy wires form a triangle that represents the theory perfectly. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, this is probably what a lot of kids have trouble with as well trying to process written words with real life similarities. Anyway, we walked outside to the closest telephone pole and a few of the kids had lightbulbs flashing above their heads when they understood what the whole theory meant. It was a needed visual for those kids.
One of my favorite hands on instructions is when I taught first graders how to subtract. Some of the kids were familiar with subtraction, others were not. Some of the kids can process written problems with ease, some can not. I thought of a fun game that would aid the students with difficulty to play that would engage them in subtraction. I brought in ten water bottles and a soccer ball to play subtraction bowling. All of our problems started with ten, and when they bowled the soccer ball to the bottles, some of the bottles fell. They could see that three fell down, so 10-3=7. I jumbled the bottles around after a while and started with seven bottles. You see what's going on? They were able to manipulate objects and then write the numbers down in a number problem on paper.
It's not hard to think of different ways to incorporate differentiated instruction in all disciplines, or all grades. I also taught sixth grade during student teaching and we were preparing for the TCAP in geometry. We were studying the Pythagrian theory and some of the kids weren't understanding how side A plus side B equals C. Before I became a teacher, I worked as a supervisor for telephone construction. Every day I worked around telephone and power poles. Poles that are not in a straight line have to have anchors and guy wires to support the weight of telephone and power cables. These guy wires form a triangle that represents the theory perfectly. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, this is probably what a lot of kids have trouble with as well trying to process written words with real life similarities. Anyway, we walked outside to the closest telephone pole and a few of the kids had lightbulbs flashing above their heads when they understood what the whole theory meant. It was a needed visual for those kids.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Issues in Special Education
Here's a dilemma; I have a family member that is having a difficulty decoding words and keeping pace with the 3rd grade curriculum. There have been several discussions with the teacher and principal regarding the difficulties. About four weeks ago the principal applied the term "dyslexia" as a possible diagnosis. The principal thought it might be necessary to be tested for the child to see if this is the problem. I thought it would be a good idea to have the child sent to the dyslexic center at MTSU to see if this was the case. I mean, what's the harm in finding out if a child has or does not have a problem that can be accomodated through facilitation?
I found out that the parents and grandparents did not like the idea of the child being tested for dyslexia. I was baffled. If a kid can be helped, why not seek help? Well, after a few arguments and listening to their side, I came to an understanding of what their fears are. If their child is diagnosed with dyslexia, will it affect what they want to do later on in life? What if the child wants to be a pilot, will this disablitly affect their chances at being a pilot? From what they told me, it's possible (the father is a pilot). We all know of people who have succeeded in life even though they are deemed dyslexic. What we don't know, or what I don't know, is if they were pegged as dyslexic before they were successful later on in life.
With this said, the child did not go through testing and has been involved in an eight week after school tutoring instruction to see if they can catch up. Once I find out what progress is attained or not, I'll let you know.
I found out that the parents and grandparents did not like the idea of the child being tested for dyslexia. I was baffled. If a kid can be helped, why not seek help? Well, after a few arguments and listening to their side, I came to an understanding of what their fears are. If their child is diagnosed with dyslexia, will it affect what they want to do later on in life? What if the child wants to be a pilot, will this disablitly affect their chances at being a pilot? From what they told me, it's possible (the father is a pilot). We all know of people who have succeeded in life even though they are deemed dyslexic. What we don't know, or what I don't know, is if they were pegged as dyslexic before they were successful later on in life.
With this said, the child did not go through testing and has been involved in an eight week after school tutoring instruction to see if they can catch up. Once I find out what progress is attained or not, I'll let you know.
SPED Law
As I told you in an earlier blog, I'm working on a case about the SPED law Diana vs. Board of Education (1970) where non-English speaking students are allowed to take tests using their native language. Taking tests in their native language allows the students to avoid SPED classes if they score well enough on other disciplines to prove that they are not SPED eligible.
While I was doing my research, I noticed how every law from Brown vs. Board of Education to Reathorization of IDEA (2004) is intertwined. This is not rocket science as we all know that laws are built on top of other laws. This blog is dedicated to the research that I did and how much information I found out by looking at the U.S. Department of Education website, ED.gov. Obviously with any law there are thousands of papers attached, but this website by the government actually proves to be a worthwhile guide to look over cases, other cases that are involved with a specific case, types of questions involved with the case, overviews, resources, and much more. I'm happy to say that the government website proves to be very accesible and easy to understand. So, with this said, if you need help with the understanding of a certain law, give ED.gov a look!
While I was doing my research, I noticed how every law from Brown vs. Board of Education to Reathorization of IDEA (2004) is intertwined. This is not rocket science as we all know that laws are built on top of other laws. This blog is dedicated to the research that I did and how much information I found out by looking at the U.S. Department of Education website, ED.gov. Obviously with any law there are thousands of papers attached, but this website by the government actually proves to be a worthwhile guide to look over cases, other cases that are involved with a specific case, types of questions involved with the case, overviews, resources, and much more. I'm happy to say that the government website proves to be very accesible and easy to understand. So, with this said, if you need help with the understanding of a certain law, give ED.gov a look!
Issues in Special Education
I have been substituting in a couple of different schools the past three weeks. The classes have either been 7th or 8th grade Language Arts or Math. I found it funny that there is a block of time anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes during the day deemed "RTI." I was curious to find out what happened during this time my first few days of working since our class has discussed this intervention so much. I wish I could say that I have more information about RTI in this experience, but all this time proves to be is a glorified study time for all students. None of the students are taken out at this time for tier 2 services, they are asked to sit in their chairs and work on homework.
My understanding of RTI is that it is a K-6 application. Why is attention to RTI being promoted to 7th and 8th graders, and what is the purpose of calling it RTI if the only thing it involves is study time for all students? I plan on asking these questions for my Action Research Mini Project next month--I don't want to ruffle any feathers just yet by asking questions about RTI that make no sense to me and the fact that it is still a new intervention.
My understanding of RTI is that it is a K-6 application. Why is attention to RTI being promoted to 7th and 8th graders, and what is the purpose of calling it RTI if the only thing it involves is study time for all students? I plan on asking these questions for my Action Research Mini Project next month--I don't want to ruffle any feathers just yet by asking questions about RTI that make no sense to me and the fact that it is still a new intervention.
Issues in Special Education
I"ve been working on my SPED law case paper and some of the points really hit home with me. The case I'm working on is Diana vs. Board of Education (1970), and it involves placement of Latinos in a SPED class because they didn't score well on an IQ test because they didn't understand their native language. The case ruled that children are allowed to take tests in their native language so that they will not be classified as SPED eligible if they are not. The children took the test over in Spanish and achieved much higher results and were pulled out of SPED classes.
I've been working as a substitute for the past three weeks in all disciplines and all classes are inclusive. There is a significant amount of Latino students in the classroom and what I have found out is that they read stories out loud about as well, if not better, than half the class. I asked each one of them when they learned the English language, and most of them told me that they began learning it in Kindergarten.
To make this story more personal, my wife's family brought over a family from Laos in 1978 during the time when Communism was spreading throughout the region. There was a sponsorship for children in countries like Laos and my wife's family brought them over so that the three brothers could achieve a better life in America. They had no familiarity with the English language until they got on the plane to come to America. Long story short, two of the brothers owned a restaraunt within six years of coming over, and the third went on to graduate from Tennessee Tech's engineering program and is now in charge of engineering for Chattanooga Power Company. Public dollars for educating these men were spent well since they contribute to our society on many levels. Luckily for them, they were not enrolled in SPED classes because of their lack of language capabilities. They were enrolled in elementary school and quickly worked their way up to middle and high school because of their proficiency in math.
I've been working as a substitute for the past three weeks in all disciplines and all classes are inclusive. There is a significant amount of Latino students in the classroom and what I have found out is that they read stories out loud about as well, if not better, than half the class. I asked each one of them when they learned the English language, and most of them told me that they began learning it in Kindergarten.
To make this story more personal, my wife's family brought over a family from Laos in 1978 during the time when Communism was spreading throughout the region. There was a sponsorship for children in countries like Laos and my wife's family brought them over so that the three brothers could achieve a better life in America. They had no familiarity with the English language until they got on the plane to come to America. Long story short, two of the brothers owned a restaraunt within six years of coming over, and the third went on to graduate from Tennessee Tech's engineering program and is now in charge of engineering for Chattanooga Power Company. Public dollars for educating these men were spent well since they contribute to our society on many levels. Luckily for them, they were not enrolled in SPED classes because of their lack of language capabilities. They were enrolled in elementary school and quickly worked their way up to middle and high school because of their proficiency in math.
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