"I started to notice that I didn't like the classes I was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed. almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad, 1 wanted to cry. (Peterson, 1994, p. 6)"
This was a really eye-opening quote. I had never thought that a student with a disability could be told that they HAD to be in a special ed class, and that they couldn't take a class that interested them. It seems really unfair that these students do not have the same opportunities that their other classmates have.
"I don't tend to see Down syndrome as something. If you look at those three kids running around the room, they're incredibly different from each other. They're different in terms of what their bodies are like, how they best communicate, what they're like socially, their interests. And with those three kids in the room it would be hard to say, "This is how you should teach kids with
Down syndrome." They are not at all alike."
This quote is important because it reminds the reader that a disability does not define a child. There is always more to a student, and it is up to the teacher to recognize and unlock the potential in every one of their students. There should be absolutely no exceptions to this.
"Christine's communication skills also improved dramatically. Her teachers suggested that Christine's enhanced speech was a product of the necessity of engaging in conversations and also reflected, interestingly, her participation on the cheerleading squad."
Towards the end of the article, the reader hears a story about Christine, a girl with Down's Syndrome entering high school. She was put into "regular" classes like any other student, and was very successful in them. Her fine and gross motor skills improved, and I think this is a great example of how separating special needs students from their peers can often have the opposite outcome than what was intended.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Promising Practices Conference
The Promising Practices Conference on Saturday went really well, in my opinion. I arrived around 8 am and, since I'm one of the most forgetful people on the planet, had to do a walk-in registration. The women at the desk were really nice and helpful, and it only took me a few minutes to pick my workshops and sign in. I met up with a few friends and we sat down until the first workshop began.
The first workshop I attended was "Improving Inclusion in Classroom Interaction". The presenter was organized, and had a power point for us to watch. It had a lot of really interesting information about gender issues in the classroom, as well as participation percentages. For example, the presenter told us that only about 25% of elementary school students report having constant interaction with their teachers. When you think about it, classes usually are filled with both students who raise their hands and contribute to classroom discussions, and then there are students who actively listen most of the time. However, this class went deeper than that. We talked about groups of students who have lower interaction rates, and the reasons why. Like how girls usually have a lower interaction rate than male students, because teachers tend to call on boys more, and girls are passively taught to keep quiet. Also, we talked about how, when students are asked to work in pairs, mixed gender groups tend to be led by the male in the group, and that the female will be more submissive and ask the boy for help/directions. It's unfortunate that our classrooms still have these unspoken gender biases. I felt like it really related back to the discussions we had in class about gender in education. We discussed a lot of the same issues that we did in class. We also discussed how students who come from different cultural backgrounds have lower interaction rates, because they feel excluded and unsure of themselves. It's the teacher's job to make sure that all of their students feel comfortable and equal to their classmates.
After this, I went to the curriculum resource fair. There were a lot of interesting materials and brochures to check out, so I took a few. I haven't really had the time to check them out though! I'll try and get around to that this weekend.
My second workshop was called Multicultural Teaching: A Best Practice Approach to Growing Academic Skills. The presenters were really nice, and had a few really good points. Their main idea is that many curriculums in school only discuss events and lessons from the "valued" culture of power - white, christian, etc. This reminded me of Johnson's S.C.W.A.A.M.P piece. We then had to view a power point lesson and write about how we would include other cultures and view points into the lesson. It was really informative, and I like that we got to really get involved in this workshop.
After that, we had lunch and listened to Dr. Tricia Rose. I was really excited to get to hear her talk, because her speech that we watched in class was really informative. I really liked the part of her speech when she talked about her personal experiences in the classroom with her students making subconcious innappropriate comments. Sometimes people don't even realize that just because society has started throwing around derogatory terms carelessly doesn't mean that they aren't ignorant and offensive. It's all part of the discussion that we all need to be a part of as a society.
The first workshop I attended was "Improving Inclusion in Classroom Interaction". The presenter was organized, and had a power point for us to watch. It had a lot of really interesting information about gender issues in the classroom, as well as participation percentages. For example, the presenter told us that only about 25% of elementary school students report having constant interaction with their teachers. When you think about it, classes usually are filled with both students who raise their hands and contribute to classroom discussions, and then there are students who actively listen most of the time. However, this class went deeper than that. We talked about groups of students who have lower interaction rates, and the reasons why. Like how girls usually have a lower interaction rate than male students, because teachers tend to call on boys more, and girls are passively taught to keep quiet. Also, we talked about how, when students are asked to work in pairs, mixed gender groups tend to be led by the male in the group, and that the female will be more submissive and ask the boy for help/directions. It's unfortunate that our classrooms still have these unspoken gender biases. I felt like it really related back to the discussions we had in class about gender in education. We discussed a lot of the same issues that we did in class. We also discussed how students who come from different cultural backgrounds have lower interaction rates, because they feel excluded and unsure of themselves. It's the teacher's job to make sure that all of their students feel comfortable and equal to their classmates.
After this, I went to the curriculum resource fair. There were a lot of interesting materials and brochures to check out, so I took a few. I haven't really had the time to check them out though! I'll try and get around to that this weekend.
My second workshop was called Multicultural Teaching: A Best Practice Approach to Growing Academic Skills. The presenters were really nice, and had a few really good points. Their main idea is that many curriculums in school only discuss events and lessons from the "valued" culture of power - white, christian, etc. This reminded me of Johnson's S.C.W.A.A.M.P piece. We then had to view a power point lesson and write about how we would include other cultures and view points into the lesson. It was really informative, and I like that we got to really get involved in this workshop.
After that, we had lunch and listened to Dr. Tricia Rose. I was really excited to get to hear her talk, because her speech that we watched in class was really informative. I really liked the part of her speech when she talked about her personal experiences in the classroom with her students making subconcious innappropriate comments. Sometimes people don't even realize that just because society has started throwing around derogatory terms carelessly doesn't mean that they aren't ignorant and offensive. It's all part of the discussion that we all need to be a part of as a society.
Talking Points #8
This week's reading was an article by Jean Anyon. The article focuses primarily on the different economic classes, and how the children in each level are taught and dealt with in elementary schools. The four groupings are the working class schools, middle-class schools, affluent professional schools, and executive elite schools.
"There are no minority children in the school. Almost all the family incomes are over $100,000 with some in the $500,000 range. The incomes in this school represent less than 1 percent of the families in the United States."
This is a great quote to show how few children get to attend the executive elite schools, where they have access to more materials and are encouraged to work hard and be responsible for themselves.
"In social studies--but also in reading, science, and health--the teachers initiate classroom discussions of current social issues and problems. These discussions occurred on every one of the investigator's visits, and a teacher told me, "These children's opinions are important - it's important that they learn to reason things through."
This is an example from the executive elite schooling section. The children are expected to contribute with their thoughts and opinions - not just answer close-ended questions to get a good grade on a test. I feel that this type of education is more beneficial than doing worksheets or spelling tests every day.
"On the card the teacher has written the question to he answered, the books to use, and how much to write. Explaining the cards to the observer, the teacher said, "It tells them exactly what to do, or they couldn't do it."
This quote made me so angry. This teacher is essentially inhibiting their students' learning by assuming that they aren't smart enough or capable of completing their schoolwork without having all the answers handed to them. This was an example I took from the working class school section.
"There are no minority children in the school. Almost all the family incomes are over $100,000 with some in the $500,000 range. The incomes in this school represent less than 1 percent of the families in the United States."
This is a great quote to show how few children get to attend the executive elite schools, where they have access to more materials and are encouraged to work hard and be responsible for themselves.
"In social studies--but also in reading, science, and health--the teachers initiate classroom discussions of current social issues and problems. These discussions occurred on every one of the investigator's visits, and a teacher told me, "These children's opinions are important - it's important that they learn to reason things through."
This is an example from the executive elite schooling section. The children are expected to contribute with their thoughts and opinions - not just answer close-ended questions to get a good grade on a test. I feel that this type of education is more beneficial than doing worksheets or spelling tests every day.
"On the card the teacher has written the question to he answered, the books to use, and how much to write. Explaining the cards to the observer, the teacher said, "It tells them exactly what to do, or they couldn't do it."
This quote made me so angry. This teacher is essentially inhibiting their students' learning by assuming that they aren't smart enough or capable of completing their schoolwork without having all the answers handed to them. This was an example I took from the working class school section.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Blog 7 - Issues of Gender in Schooling
These are some interesting things that I found while searching on the topic of gender and schooling. The first two links are articles, and the last link is a video.
http://news.illinois.edu/news/05/0726math.html
The link above was the first article that I came across. It's all about the stereotype that boys are better at math and sciences than girls. What makes this article different is that it reports about a survey they did which stated that parents of female students tried to help with their math homework without having been asked. It just goes to show you how people can unintentionally pass on their prejudices and how it can affect others.
http://www.sadker.org/100ideas.html
I liked this article because it's a list of activities that you can do in the classroom to promote equality. It reminded me of an activity my class did in 6th grade, a woman came in and passed out 2 note cards to each student that either had a name, color, or profession listed on it. Then, she had 3 tables set up that said female, male, or both. She then asked us to place our note cards where we thought they belonged. I still remember the cards I had, pink and construction worker. Without so much as a second thought, I placed pink on the female table, and construction worker on the male table. After the activity was over, she reviewed our choices and explained that every card should have gone on the table that said both. Media and advertising really influences the way we look at certain professions/what colors go with what gender, but it's important to remember that that should not be the case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E_GoN768E8
Lastly, I found this clip on Youtube. It's from a school in Tucson, Arizona during their battle of the sexes week. It's a bit lengthy, but it shows how something meant to be fun and harmless can really have a negative impact on gender equality in schools. The caption in the side bar sums it up really well.
http://news.illinois.edu/news/05/0726math.html
The link above was the first article that I came across. It's all about the stereotype that boys are better at math and sciences than girls. What makes this article different is that it reports about a survey they did which stated that parents of female students tried to help with their math homework without having been asked. It just goes to show you how people can unintentionally pass on their prejudices and how it can affect others.
http://www.sadker.org/100ideas.html
I liked this article because it's a list of activities that you can do in the classroom to promote equality. It reminded me of an activity my class did in 6th grade, a woman came in and passed out 2 note cards to each student that either had a name, color, or profession listed on it. Then, she had 3 tables set up that said female, male, or both. She then asked us to place our note cards where we thought they belonged. I still remember the cards I had, pink and construction worker. Without so much as a second thought, I placed pink on the female table, and construction worker on the male table. After the activity was over, she reviewed our choices and explained that every card should have gone on the table that said both. Media and advertising really influences the way we look at certain professions/what colors go with what gender, but it's important to remember that that should not be the case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E_GoN768E8
Lastly, I found this clip on Youtube. It's from a school in Tucson, Arizona during their battle of the sexes week. It's a bit lengthy, but it shows how something meant to be fun and harmless can really have a negative impact on gender equality in schools. The caption in the side bar sums it up really well.
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