Blog #2 -- Chapter 1

This chapter is so full of great information.

The idea of inclusion has become synonymous with integrating hardcore special educated kids. But in reality, an inclusive classroom is one that doesn't tolerate bullying or doesn't allow a shy student to sit silently or doesn't let an apathetic student wallow in inactivity. To be inclusive means just what it says...to get EVERYONE included, and that might simply be to be sure your lesson is engaging, active, and integrates ALL TYPES OF LEARNERS! That's why I integrate diverse learner activities with this chapter. To be a great teacher, you have to reach every child (if you can). Set expectations high but give the tools to achieve them. If your class is full of kinesthetic learners, then lessons should be active. If there are kids who are auditory AND visual, then make sure all lessons have a listening and viewing component. It's SO important to know who your students are, how they learn, and what may connect with them. Within this chapter, you get some insight into the IEP process, into how disabilities are served in public schools, and various philosophies and ethics of meeting those needs. For your blog, you'll tell me a couple of things you learned, a few things you already knew, and how this information can help you be/become a better teacher or professional or human being...

Before you complete any of the diverse learner activities, you'll take the surveys (in Diverse Learner folder), watch my video in Dropbox so you can see what these look like, go through the packet I posted in the Diverse Learner folder, and then you will be making some of your own! THESE are the real activities you will do in your own classroom, so be thinking about how you can integrate this information into your future classroom!

Because class is small enough, when you blog, you then need to respond to everyone's blogs! :-)
When the blog is due, your responses to classmates will always be due with the next 48 hours, unless someone is late to blog.

Introductory Blog

Follow my lead...

Introduce yourself: where you're from, what your interests are (hobbies, studies, travels, etc.), and one thing that makes you truly exceptional. The word has a connotation when coupled with special education, but truly about 87% of us are exceptional in some way (I just feel bad for the 13% who are not!) [Exceptionalities range from diagnoses like ADD to shyness, gifted to struggling reader, the autism spectrum, hyper-sensitive to apathetic -- we will explore a lot of them!]

So here goes! I'm Dr. Barri Bumgarner (Dr. Bum, if you prefer), and I'm originally from southwest Missouri. I grew up in Lebanon, got my B.S. in Ed. at Missouri State (then SMSU), and I played tennis and basketball while in college. I then taught 7th grade for a few years, directed a KinderCare for the next 5, then taught junior high in Columbia for a decade. During that time, I wrote seven novels, published three, have a couple more on the way, and decided I would get my Masters in Education. While at University of Missouri, I taught education classes, got lured into getting my PhD, and three years ago, I became an Assistant Professor at Westminster! Whew...way more than you wanted to know.

As for hobbies, I love to travel (I usually go to St. Thomas around Christmas, this summer I'm traveling to Dauphin Island/West Palm/Savannah, Ga), I'm a voracious sports fan (KC Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals, Mizzou, WC!, tennis...), and if I have my choice, I'd rather be at a concert or out by my pool with my puppies than just about anywhere else. I also absolutely LOVE books...reading them, listening to them, writing them, talking about them. And I am VERY plugged in -- I taught a seminar at WC called "There's an App for That" and I've led the initiative to get Westminster to go 1:1 (every student gets and iPad). It is about to happen! All things digital will help you evolve in this decade in almost every single profession (though I pride myself on knowing when to still pick up pen and paper!). But 92% of all western culture professions use digital literacy in some way (medicine, law, education, business, engineering, etc.)

One thing that makes me exceptional is that, first of all, I am ADHD. Second of all, I am stubborn to a fault and I don't take no for an answer. When someone tells me I can't do something, I strive to prove them wrong. Sometimes it gets me into trouble. Most of the time, it allows me to live my dream. So far, just now into my 50s, I've done just that...

Now it's your turn! Tell us about yourself, and each of you respond to one another's intros!