Power Point/Dilemma

If Kevin was willing I would invite him to explain to the class what his learning disability was and explain to the students why it is he needs these extensions. However, if Kevin wasn't willing to be open about his situation I would design an activity that minimizes everyones time in order to show an example of what Kevin goes through on a daily bases. In my opinion this is a very awkward situation for both myself and Kevin. Having a learning disability is a very personal issue and it is not something people are always willing to discuss. I think that I would immediately ignore the whole situation because I was not sure to handle it. The fact that I personally believe it is a private matter will hinder in how I approach the situation. The idea of "fair" for a child with a learning disability is preforming academically the same as a child without a learning disability. For this to happen, exceptions may be required and in order for everything to be "fair" those exceptions should be available for them.

Number Two :)

I dare you to go into a school and not find a single good teacher. General education in our country is phenomenal and it is something our government is extremely proud of, however as this class discusses general education is not for everyone but education is. The reason that our country provides special education programs is because they know that it is needed in order to ensure that each and every child gets a proper education. Teaching a child with special needs requires a lot of time, energy, patience, and understanding. Due to this it takes a certain type of person to handle situations and not everyone is qualified or has the time with a full classroom hence the need for special education classrooms. Special education classrooms are not designed to separate those with special needs to punish them but to give them the attention they greatly deserve.

Individualized Education Programs are legal documents that state exactly what services your child will receive in special education. The document is required by law to include the classification of your child, placement, services, academic and behavioral goals, the percent of time they will be spending in a general education classroom, and also progress reports for the parents from both the teachers and the therapists. By providing an almost set of guidelines for what is expected of both the general education teacher and the special education teacher. It allows for more concrete planning to be able to ensure the parents of the fact that they are getting their child exactly what they need.

Entry Number One

Having a child with exceptional needs is a hard thing for every parent. Most parents do not prepare for it to happen but still welcome the child in with open arms. By having a good home environment the child becomes more at ease and able to adapt around others. Most parents go on treating their child just like any other child with a few modifications. From experiences I have seen siblings of children with special needs treat them just like they would any other brother and sister. To the sibling, love covers up any difference that that their sibling may have.

For a child to be considered “exceptional” they must be classified under one of these themes:

- visual impairment

- speech and language impairment

- auditory impairment

- deaf and/or blind

- autism

- developmental disabilities

- multiple disabilities

- orthopedic impairment

- specific learning disabilities

- emotional/behavior disorder

- traumatic brain injury

- multi-sensory impairment

- serious health impairments

However, a gifted child is also classified as “exceptional” which is something I don’t think many people know. What exactly is gifted anyways? According to the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) website in response to that question is that, “The quick response is that there is, as yet, no universally agreed upon answer to this question. Giftedness, intelligence, and talent are fluid concepts and may look different in different contexts and cultures.” So I guess that can be a reason why only the classifications listed for a child to be considered “exceptional” and not so much the concept of being gifted.

I know, I'm a little late

We're supposed to blog after every class, but class was 3 days ago and here I am posting about class. I'm horrible.

For an 8:30 am class I have so much fun. Sure I'm tired but who couldn't think that running around taking pictures isn't exciting? Or making a fool of yourself doing yoga? I know I look like a fool, I can't balance on my foot to save my life I'm pretty sure.

As for the quiz, the format today really helped relieve some stress. Personally I think that reading when you know you have a quiz defeats the act of reading. I don't think that I'm reading to learn what is in the book, but only looking for key things that are on the test. But I guess I've always been like that, even in high school. I guess I'm not a fan of extremely structured tests (which this wasn't). Like standardized testing, I could go on for hours about how the SAT's aren't standardized at all. But I wouldn't dare bore you.

All in all, I'm so excited to see what this class will bring.

Blogger? Huh?

So a blog is all the rage huh?  Well, I guess I'll test my technology skills and keep this updated in more ways then just what I've been learning about in education.