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.
The main/biggest concept I learned from chapter one was what IDEA and Section 504 were, and what the big differences between them are. Both of them are laws that serve to protect the educational rights of "disabled" students. Under IDEA only students with specifically stated disabilities are covered. Under section 504, anyone who has any sort of mental or physical
ReplyDeleteimpairment that substantially limits a life activity is protected. Also, While IDEA covers only public schools, section 504 covers any entity that receives public funds. Other concepts I didn't really know much about were IEP and the LRE. It was interesting to read about LRE and inclusion because I worked at Bush Elementary for my work study and there was one girl whom I wondered why she was in the general classroom when she didnt really follow along/pay attention to the teacher, or complete any of her assignments on time.
What I already knew was the different learning types, and the importance of catering to all of them. Right now I am also taking a TEFL course and we recently went over the different types of learning and different activities we could use in order to reach all the different learners while teaching English. I think this information will be incredibly important to have in future teaching careers because you will use it when creating lesson plans, when teaching, when encountering a student who isn't doing as well as they should be (maybe because you aren't teaching in way that engages them), etc.
I do agree with you. It is important to know the difference between IDEA and Section 504. I also like how you took the LRE and connected it to a personal experience, really helps to learn and apply the terms when you apply it to yourself.
DeleteThe graph on page 15 can give you an better understanding of the two. I agree on how it's important for teachers to under stand the different types of learners and the activities that could be used to reach their needs.
DeleteI also thought the differences between IDEA and Section 504 we big and important topics in chapter 1. On another note, I am interested to hear more (if the opportunity arises) about how the things you're learning in your other class end up relating, or not relating, to this one.
DeleteIn chapter 1 I learned plenty of new things, as well as recognizing a few old things that I have learned or seen before. One thing that I read in chapter 1 that I have learned before was the IDEA. However I briefly learned about it. I never knew that there were 14 categories. I also have heard of mental retardation before, but I didn't know that the name has been changed to intellectual disabilities. I think this change is very important because retardation is a very negative title which results in more harm, like bullying, than help, like acceptance.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I have never heard of before was the Response to Intervention (RTI). I think this is an important term to know and understand because I want to be a counselor which could be involved with carrying out this model.
The most important thing I took away from this chapter, even though there was so much important information, was the inclusion portion of this chapter. I think it is extremely important to have a sense of community, an appreciation for diversity, and all the criteria that needs to be present for a classroom to be considered inclusive.
I didn't know that the IDEA had 14 categories either. It was a great idea to change the name to stay away from all the negativity that could come from it. I agree with everything you have said in this blog. GO CARDNIALS!
DeleteI totally agree with you about changing mental retardation to intellectual disabilities. Usually, I'm more about destigmatizing a word than rejecting it completely, but when considering school age children and the prevalence of bullying, even without specific disability labels, I think it was definitely for the best that they changed it.
ReplyDeleteKaitlyn, I also was surprised by the amount of categories of IDEA. Another thing we have in common, and it looks like everyone else too, is our views on the changing of the phrase "mental retardation" to "intellectual disabilities." I'm actually going to disagree/agree with what you said Kimber. I think some words do fall into a category where it's not too late to destigmatize them. On the other hand I also think that some words are too far gone when it comes to if people use them in a negative manner, no matter the age of the people using them.
DeleteI hope when the other folks join our class, they can be as spot-on with comments!! You two are TOTALLY psychology folks. I love it!
ReplyDeleteChapter one had a lot of good information in it. Some of what I have heard and some I haven't. I feel like the main focus of this chapter was about the two laws (IDEA and 504) and how they protected children with disabilities in schools. I didn't know that the IDEA had 14 categories and only covered them. While the 504 covered anyone with a mental or physical disability.
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't something that I never really heard before but it was very interesting/knowledgeable. It's the table on page 15 titled comparison of IDEA, Section 504, and ADA. This gave a clear understanding of the differences between them all.
The most important thing I took away from chapter one was the four elements of effective management and instructions. It's important for a teacher to have successful classroom management, effective instructional techniques, appropriate accommodative practices and instructional flexibility. If a teacher can work to accomplish these four elements then he or she will be very successful at what they are teaching.
I too really found the table on page 15 helpful! I agree, it really made the differences clear because the two could easily be overlapped and potentially confused with one another. I also agree that classroom management is important. The four elements is the key to success! HaHa GO Royals!
DeleteI think classroom management is super important as well. Those 4 elements sound like everything you need to be a teacher in a nutshell.. I didnt realize there was a way to condense it that easily. Although, I also think those elements can be applied in a lot of different areas in life other than just being a teacher.
DeleteLike both of the others have stated, I also agree how important classroom management is. Like Kimber said... with a little adjustments those 4 elements can be helpful in many different situations.
DeleteLike both of the others have stated, I also agree how important classroom management is. Like Kimber said... with a little adjustments those 4 elements can be helpful in many different situations.
DeleteI learned lots of new things in chapter 1, but I was most surprised and intrigued by some of the things I found in the “History of Education for Students with Special Needs.” I knew that people with disabilities hadn’t always been given the help they needed to learn but I was interested to hear about the process of giving them that help. I wonder if we will ever have more than the four phases that we do now; Which are Relative Isolation, Integration (Mainstreaming), Inclusion, and Empowerment. I know this is a big questions but in your reply, I’d be interested to hear what possible ideas you guys can think of when it comes to advancements in the services given to students with special needs.
ReplyDeleteSomething I already knew about is found in the "Defining Students with Special Needs” section, more specifically the “Students At Risk for School Problems” sub-section. “Because students in the at-risk group (english is not primary language, living in poverty, drug abusers) are not eligible for special education services, classroom teachers bear the primary responsibility for their educational programs, which may need to be modified to meet these students' needs" (page 8). I witnessed this firsthand in the classroom that I volunteered in for my high school senior project. I think for students like this there isn’t always something you can do for them inside the actual classroom, but instead ways that they can get help outside the classroom need to be found in order to help them in the long run in the classroom. I spoke with the teacher of the classroom I volunteered in about this a few times.