Assignment #10 - A

‘The Miracle Worker’ (1962) is a dramatization of the story of Helen Keller (1880-1968)- specifically the time period when Anne Sullivan (1866-1936) came into her life. Helen Keller became deaf and blind at 18 months of age after suffering a severe illness. Her parents were ill prepared (but, fortunately for Helen, well prepared financially) to transition to raising a healthy deaf/blind child. After many failed attempts to educate and discipline her, the Kellers hired Anne Sullivan to work with Helen. Sullivan came to live with the Kellers and was able to reach Helen by teaching her words, meaning and structure using American Sign Language (ASL). It is not clear why Sullivan had such a command of ASL while she, herself, was partially blind and would have a lesser, not greater, dependency on visual language. Sullivan’s unwavering perseverance and high expectations of Keller eventually broke through and connected with Keller, who was described as almost feral up to that point.

For me, this story is not at all about Keller; it is completely about Sullivan. It is thanks entirely to Sullivan’s will, resolve and tenacity that Keller is pulled from her downward spiral. Sullivan’s abilities as a teacher are an extension of her personal character. She has high, yet realistic expectations for Helen, rather than demeaning her with pity. She has to be cruel to be kind, but that is largely a product of Keller having so many lost years with no rules.

Sullivan models a few important attributes of teaching peoples with disabilities.
- High, yet realistic, expectations- adjusted for the student, but not of a lesser level than would normally be reasonable
- Kindness rather than pity
- Consistency, consistency, consistency
- Fairness

It is important to note that Sullivan is able to accomplish so much for two reasons: she has personal life experience in common with Keller and she has a skill set that specific to the problem at hand. Sullivan acts with personal knowledge and background of blindness, as well as life experience and knowledge of the mistreatment of peoples with disabilities. This both motivates her to “save” Keller, and allows her to empathize with Keller. Sullivan is educated and has a skill set that immediately empowers her to act. It is a vehicle to language that Keller’s parents lack. Without this specific knowledge, all the determination in the world would be useless. As educators, it is our responsibility to seek out and learn the skills and methods that we need to reach our students. Without that, we are useless to them.

Assignment #9: Ed3602 Course Exit Card

It is a difficult to gain the necessary distance from the course so soon after it finished (yesterday). Therefore, my comments will probably be premature and ‘half-baked.’ Nor at the moment, do I have the interest or energy to dig out the course syllabus and studiously critique which things seemed redundant as well as where more could have been added. I will, however, repeat some of my comments that I put on the evaluation.

This course carries an interesting burden of presenting some material that is new and some that so much common sense that it seems redundant. Considering that so many of the disorders and behaviours result in similar modifications, at times it seemed pointless to try to extricate them and treat them independently of one another.

The homework load in this class was fairly heavy and this is not a simple, lazy request for less work. The problem with too much homework is that we, as students, have a tendency to switch gears into ‘just going through the motions’ and not making the work meaningful. Retention goes down and frustration goes up when we feel that we are doing busywork. Off the top of my head I cannot think of which assignments felt like busywork, but I know that some of it did.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be to consider which information and resources need only to be presented and gone through in a perfunctory manner only so that we know where to find information in the future when faced with a specific issue/ disorder or condition. This would free up time and mental focus to absorb and value other parts of the course that require deliberate thought and attention.

I may add to this at a later date- as I stated above, it is simply too soon after the course to reflect thoroughly and critically. As I read this over, I realize that it mostly sounds negative, which is unfair considering that by in large I found the class to be a positive experience. Again, this is a drawback of: too soon, too close.

Assignment #6 & 7: Web Activity

i) What are the roles and responsibilities for all teachers in a classroom?
All teachers must ensure a safe and supportive school/ classroom/ learning environment for students. Teachers must teach students the Alberta curriculum. Teachers must foster, guide and encourage learning in all students.

ii) What are the roles and responsibilities for teachers of students with exceptional needs?
Teachers must provide an equivalent educational experience to students of exceptional needs. Teachers must adjust and tailor their lessons and strategies to meet students at the student’s level (be that above, below or unique to the main group level).

1) Please outline in a few sentences how you would describe an inclusive setting to someone who is not an educator {for example, a parent}.
The concept of inclusion is the concept of belonging. In a classroom setting it is the premise that all children are truly welcome and belong in a mixed classroom and that all children are entitled to the same opportunities to learn and grow.

2)Record your information in bullets or as a chain of events.
Identification- monitor student development and achievement
Assessment- Teacher begins to assess and document atypical development
Create a team of concerned parties (parents, teacher, specialists as per necessary)
Create an IPP
Have appropriate PD sessions for the teacher
Have a teacher in charge of the IPP team
Be sure that parent must involved in all stages of the IPP

3) What is the meaning of each of the four terms (see the upper section of each page)? What does this mean for you as a teacher?
Access
Students with special education needs are entitled to have access in a school year to an education program in accordance with the School Act. Students with special education needs receive adapted or modified programming that enables and improves learning.
• As a teacher, this means that I recognize that all students have equal access to equal education and it is my job to accommodate them.

Appropriateness
Educational programming and services are designed around the assessed needs of students and are provided by qualified staff who are knowledgeable and skilled.
• Educational adjustments must be tailored to address the needs of the student.

Accountability
Accountability is the obligation to answer for the execution of one’s assigned responsibilities.
• As the teacher I am legally bound to teach the agreed upon methods and material.

Appeals
Timely, fair and open processes protect the rights of students and parents and address differences of opinion about the education of students with special education needs.
• As a teacher I recognize that parents have the right to challenge any part of their child’s IPP, including assessment, methods and material.


4)a. Please list the top 4 categories (grades 1-12) and note 2 categories that have decreased over the past few years. Referring back to the Coding Criteria – briefly define each of these (6) exceptionalities.
Top Four Categories:
Mild Cognitive Disability (code 51) - A demonstrated delay in most academic subjects and social behaviours as compared to his or her same-age peers.

Learning Disability (code 54) - These disorders delay learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.

Severe Emotional/ Behavior Disability (code 42) - A student/child who displays chronic, extreme and pervasive behaviours (potentially violent and/ or self injurous), requires intensive support services in order to function in an educational setting.

Severe Medical or Physical Disability (code 44) - A student/child with a severe physical, medical or neurological disability who has a medical diagnosis of a physical disability, specific neurological disorder or medical condition which creates a significant impact on the student’s/ECS child’s ability to function in the school environment

Decreased:
Communication Disability (code 57) - Student communicates ineffectively with peers and adults because of a diagnosed mild to moderate disability in: expressive and/or receptive language, and/or articulation, phonology, voice and/or fluency.

Gifted and Talented (code 80) Student exhibits exceptional potential and/or performance across a wide range of abilities.

4)b. Briefly note your prediction as to why there has been an increase in some areas of exceptionality and a decrease in other areas.
Many of the conditions/ disabilities that have always existed were misunderstood and diagnosed as emotional/ behavioural disorders or disabilities when in fact they are medical (physiological, chemical, neurological) disorders/ disabilities. This accounts for a drop in emotional/ behaviour disabilities and a rise in medical disabilities. Today there is also a trend to diagnose all atypical behaviours, signs and symptoms. This has lead to an overall increase in numbers of diagnoses.

6) List these twelve essential items within your blog
• assessment data (diagnostic assessment data used to determine special education programming and services)
• current level of performance and achievement
• identification of strengths and areas of need
• measurable goals and objectives
• procedures for evaluating student progress
• identification of coordinated support services
• relevant medical information
• required classroom accommodations
• transition plans
• formal review of progress at regularly scheduled reporting periods
• year-end summary
• parent signature to indicate informed consent.

7) Give your own example of a strength, an area of need and a measurable goal based on the reading and examples provided.
My student is well liked and enjoys group work. He is talkative and has well developed social skills. His area of need is that he has trouble focusing and staying on task while working independently. His measurable goal is to solve five math story problems in 25 minutes.

Give one example of an accommodation strategy.
I will accommodate this goal by letting the student work in a breakout room, away from peers and distractions. I will also reward successful completion with extra time for group games.

9) Find a chapter that you find most relevant. Give one example of a strategy you feel is most salient to you.
Chapter 2: Encouraging Parent Involvement
Strategy: Acknowledge parents’ role and contribution to the team. It’s important that parents hear that their expertise and contributions are valued.

Assignment #5: Half-way Point

The concept of Differentiated Learning (DI) has been the single most significant new idea that I have encountered in this class. I’m hoping that by keeping DI in mind I can keep planning both flexible and manageable. I will admit that I have some apprehension when I think about the sheer magnitude of the planning workload. Learning more about the various learning and behavioral disabilities that are out there has not helped to soothe the concern of workload. Teachers are expected to accommodate larger, more inclusive classrooms, with financial cutbacks happening monthly that put fewer aids and assistants into classrooms, not more. It seems that every year we recognize and are expected to address more and more syndromes and deviations, yet do not have the resources- financial or human- to deliver the services required. As a teacher-to-be this is a daunting state of affairs.

I believe that more exploration and explanation of DI would be very useful. At this point, my mental image of DI is based almost entirely on the video that we watched with the exemplary male teacher. The video and the ideas brought up in it were very useful. It also did a great job of breaking down many of the practical teaching concepts. I feel like now I have an ideal to shoot for, but that so much planning must happen behind the scenes that it seems superhumanly.

Something I hope to see in the last half of the class: diagnosis and few quick fixes. I still feel that I don’t know what all to look for as the ‘all important’ first line of assessment of a problem. Granted, any student that I have will have (and will have had) other teachers who are presumably also watching for indicators of learning disabilities as well as formulating some strategies to solve or minimize these issues. I would like to have a condensed ‘Coles notes’ on LDs, Behavior Disabilities, and Intellectual Disabilities. Additionally, it would be advantageous to have a handful of ‘quick fixes’ – things that could be incorporated and integrated quickly and easily, to tailor and adjust instruction long before the six-month wait until the specialist can visit the student.

Assignment #4: Differentiated Instruction Your Classroom

I find the prospect and concept of Differentiated Learning (DI) very intriguing. It seems at first glance to either strike a balance between several different teaching methods/ styles or to pull them all under one umbrella. I doubt that it is a magic bullet and I wonder how different it really is from quality, varied instruction that good teachers have employed up to now. As I am not yet a teacher, I’m not in a position to say whether trying to plan for DI would be beyond a reasonable time investment, day in and day out. I feel confident however, that starting a career with DI as a modus operandi or at least a goal to shoot for cannot be much more difficult than starting out without it. I’m sure that incorporation of DI in my toolbox will make me a stronger, more effective teacher. There are a few points of DI that stand out for me more than others. They are: flexible grouping, on-going assessment, and student selected tasks.

I believe continuous, revolving, flexible grouping is a stroke of genius. It breaks down social clicks and barriers in the classroom. It forces students to take risks with all the other students in the class and learn to trust and get to know them. Perhaps this camaraderie will not continue out in the hallways and after school, but perhaps it will. Or, at very least, the particular class will come to be a place that is a healthy and vibrant learning community and students will remember a time and place where everyone wanted everyone to succeed. I’m encouraged by the prospect of grouping students by topic interest, ability, common strengths or weaknesses and the mixing of the two with peer teaching, student heights, the geographic proximity of their houses and other random criteria.

Assessment does not require much explanation. One thing that stands out for me is continuous assessment and the according modifications to groups, lesson plans and strategies. I think this will be easy for me to do but difficult to document as it could happen subtly and frequently.

I am glad to see that a balance of student input and student-selected tasks has become an encouraged and endorsed practice. Before learning about DI I had my own ideas about creating a ‘classroom union’ where students could learn the importance of collective action. In my model, students could have significant input on their learning providing that their position (whatever it may be) fulfilled the following 3 criteria: respectful, intelligent (thoughtful), and creative. I believe that I can strike (no pun intended) a balance between my classroom union, student ownership over their learning and teacher directed learning.

Assignment #3: Living with a Disability - Asperger's Syndrome

John Elder Robison is a gentleman who has grown up with Asperger’s Syndrome, though he did not know the term until later in life. By his own account, his formative years were fraught with abuse (physical, emotional and verbal). Over time he learned to turn his attention to areas that he could control and excel at, and where he did not have to struggle socially. In Robison’s case, these areas centered around sound technology, cars and machines.

His strengths are clearly focused around his ability to concentrate, which could be deemed obsessive-compulsive. In Robison’s case, technology and machines were an outlet that he grew towards for what I perceive as two main reasons. First, he was unable (or at least under-able) to create meaningful social relationships and therefore steered clear of activities and pursuits that required highly evolved social interactions. Second, he tended toward pursuits that were stimulating and complex but did not require a social component.

In his January 2nd blog installment, Robison mentions, “Aspergians drive (indirectly) style and fashion.” I do not agree that Aspergians indirectly drive style and fashion, though it is an endearing anecdote. I believe the corporate and capitalist machine incorporates technology wonks as readily as artists, musicians and other social rebels. I will happily concede that Aspergians contribute in a meaningful way to the society in which we live. Perhaps the point is that if Asperger were a country, more Aspergians per capita would make up the ‘shakers and movers’ of Western society than that any other nationality.

When it comes to teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, two things immediately come to mind: to capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses. As I see it, the strengths of a child with Asperger’s is their ability to focus on a task- especially, in Robison’s case, on tasks requiring problem solving, math, manipulation of technology and/ or machines. This is not to say that an individual with Asperger’s would not be equally devoted to art, music, chess or any other pursuit that does not depend on highly evolved social interaction. Independent learning would be essential.

The weakness of people with Asperger’s Syndrome seems to be in the area of normalized socialization and empathy. In a classroom setting, I would approach this in a couple of ways. I would strike a good balance of independent and group work so that the child could both shine independently and also work on group skills. Creating group problem solving lessons where the child with Asperger’s may have an advantage could result in positive social feedback when the child is sought after as a teammate. As well, pairing the child up with others who share common interests could offer a chance for the child to share her/ his knowledge and opinion where it will be well received.

Assignment #2: Disabilities in Your Classroom

While at one point in time a system of inclusion may have seemed quite radical and revolutionary, in this day and age it is a given. Therefore, I believe that the first thing that we (as educators) must do is to wholly accept this fact. This will prevent any psychological barriers to impede our ability to plan and teach to all students. This is likely a redundant point as many of us consider residential schools and asylum institutions for children as antiquated as corporal punishment and public hangings. There are however, a few cases where institutions have a distinct advantage over mainstream schools. Targeted technological and environmental considerations may be easier to fund and implement where a greater concentration of children with similar needs exists. Mainstream public schools may find themselves fighting for funding in order to accommodate particular needs and deliver maximum benefit and quality of education to students.

Some ‘disabilities’ are unique in that they amount to being a difference in language and culture. As healthy socio-emotional development is one of the prime goals of public education, one must consider what kind of environment would best serve that development. Peers are crucial to healthy social and psychological development. While it is true that the world is made of many different types of people and a classroom should reflect that diversity, children must also develop self esteem and self-confidence in order to interact with and appreciate said diversity. Therefore, peer relations may be one of the factors to include when considering the overall health and development of a child.

Targeted public schooling already exists in Alberta and Canada. One can currently attend a school specially geared towards a religion, a talent (fine arts or sport focused), deafness, philosophy of schooling (Montesori), a reservation school, or an all black school in Toronto (as mentioned by Dr. Hollingsworth). This does not even touch on charter schools and the private sector which have far greater liberty to tailor their programming to be as limited and exclusive as they wish. Charter schools discriminate based on socio-economic standing by the cost of tuition. Over the past 15 years, the Ralph Klein administration has changed legislation allow and encourage more charter schools in Alberta. Consequently, they are popping up more and more and we, as teachers, should be wary of this trend as it effects us both directly (as public educators) and indirectly (as citizens).