Can Stock Photo. (Producer). (n.d.). Asian family reading together. [Web Photo]. Retrieved
from http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE- SearchBo&xrlz=1I7ADFA_enUS465&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=YlWOhxAcHsjjBM:&imgrefurl=http://www.canstockphoto.com/asian-family-3621790.html&docid=O1W0p364EJ3g1M&itg=1&imgurl=http://comps.canstockphoto.com/can-stock-photo_csp3621790.jpg&w=400&h=282&ei=0R8iT8eqGuLz0gGH25DRCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=500&vpy=144&dur=732&hovh=188&hovw=267&tx=133&ty=106&sig=110962733040494240448&page=1&tbnh=109&tbnw=155&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0
But for now, these teachers are glad they can help their students feel pride in the heritage of their original dialect at the same time they are becoming successful writers in "the dialect of Standard English." (Epstein & Herring-Harris, 2011)
Reaction:
I hear my husband (Aaron) go back and forth between his professional speech (whether it be with his coworkers or with the kids and I) and his "back home speech". However, over the years I never imaged this form of vernacular swapping would be encouraged in education. I know that I tend to look at Aaron funny when we return to Jackon County and I hear "wheelbarry" fall from his mouth. It occurs the moment he begins talking to his old farming friends and various characters from his hometown. I think his "back home speech" makes him feel more comfortable in certain settings. It is not that I believe Wood, Marion, or Mon County have better dialects but Jackson County tends to be a little different. Different is not bad, it is just different. I find it interesting that there are teachers who are encouraging students to use their various Appalachian dialect when at home (and with friends) and a more professional speak when in a professional setting. Maybe it is this encouragement that will help Appalachians be successful in other enviornment. I agree with the article "Honoring Dialect and Increasing Student Performance in Standard English", I can detect any and all dialects and drawls that I do have when I'm talking to someone who is not from the Appalachian areas. It makes me self-conscious. At that point, it takes me a lot longer to calculate and say precisely what I need to say. After all the dreaded sentence that ends in a preposition (in which Applachian people have been made infamous) may come out at any moment, something I have been progressively working on. <-- Oh look, I just did it again.
Describe 3 things you learned about teaching literacy development.
I honestly did not know there was a way to allow Appalachian dialect to thrive while teaching students proper Standard English. It does dimish the hurtful reactions many West Virginians may have when told their English is not up to par. I am curious if other states are working on improving their Standard English skills as well. Wisconsin, Massachuesetts, New Jersey, and parts of the deep south have some rather odd dialects that do not follow rules of "Standard English" per se. In any case, I would like to personally visit a class that is able to promote both forms of language.
Although I did state above that the region we live in is infamous with prepositional endings, I did not realize how badly it was affecting our test scores. I do wonder how many teachers I had in the past who may have fallen between what is considered Standard English and our dialect. Who have not either corrected the dialect issues since it does not hurt anyone who lives in Appalachia or did not completely understand where we error in our dialect. I can imagine that it would be a challenge changing to habits in which you were raised and adjusting to the rules of Standard English for aspiring English teacher, unless they are just born with an innate ability to understand the rules of Standard English. I can also say with certainty that I was not meant to be an English teacher since I am not completely sufficient in what dictates the rules of Standard English. I do want to make sure that I possess a certain amount of professionalism (and I pride myself on this) in front of my own science classrooms; I believe it is important to set by example. I will also admit that I may be flawed. At least I am doubting myself after reading this article.
I find it interesting that Ms. Phillips has her students "track" the change in dialect from one location of Appalachia to the next. I can see this as being effective because dialect can change quickly in a very short distance. For example, the dialect between North Parkersburg and South Parkersburg is very different to the point that people from those two areas make fun of each other. In any case, Ms. Phillips' technique would allow the students to compare the rules of Standard English to the slang and dialect of each area.
Give 2 examples from your schooling experiences that reflected effective or ineffective literacy instruction for speakers of non-standard dialects.
In high school during my 11th grade year, which would have been 1993-1994, I experienced a horrific grammar/English class. I am not sure what part of it was actually considered grammar. I know that we focused mostly on spelling difficult words. However, we did not focus on the meanings of the words nor did we touch down on grammatical structure. I remember not doing well in her class, which was unusual for my performance in school, this also makes me think that the instruction might not have been up to par; combined with the fact she expressed obvious disrespect for all of her students. It turned me off as a students in a grammar class, which I am positive did not help in my learning process. There is also a possibility I turned her off that whole entire year, I've never like screaming teachers.
A second example occured while I was seeking my Animal & Veteriary Science degree. One of the requirements was English II and I actually looked forward to this class. I had heard the class consisted of one large paper I would need to produce. I like writing, so that seemed reasonable. The rumors were true, one long paper that I would turn in over a period of 3 rough drafts and then a final draft. The topic I chose was Near Death Experiences. I ended up receiveing a lot of flack from the professor after my first draft because he did not believe in near death experiences which he could have told me when I turned in my topic. However I had already written one rough draft over a period of two weeks complete with references and so forth, I could not imagine starting over again. My first draft had so many red marks depicting so many grammatical errors that I am positive the paper was actually bleeding from all the wounds. I fixed the problems using his sentence structure from his corrections, only to find out the next time around he still did not approve the changes I made and on top of that had added a bunch more red marks that weren't there the first time. Not only was my paper wounded this time but my pride and my initiative. This continued on to the third draft. I got to the point where I did not care what he thought. He was not instructing us on what was proper and what was not proper grammatical structure in "his" opinion. And yes, at this point I began believing that proper grammatic structure was in the "eye of the beholder". I was frustrated, misguided, and done with the project. I just wanted to turn in the paper and receive whatever grade he deemed was suitable. I ended up with a 'B' in the course and moved on. The class seemed like wasted time, which only promoted more frustration and a turn off for the whole subject. I to this day dislike grammar and English.
Explain 1 relationship between the strategies for the teaching of literacy presented in this article and Inclusive practices.
The students are encouraged to speak in their own dialect while in the classroom. They are not band from expressing themselves in a way they are most comfortable. If the moment the students walked in the classroom they were forced to speak in Standard English only, I do not feel they would embrace the learning process. After all, the subject of dialect tend to be a sensitive topic in West Virginia. Step into a classroom and tell students that they speak improper English and see how much resistance finds its way in the front of the classroom. In fact they may reject what is considered the rules of Standard English and then the objective of the class would be pointless. Feeling uncomfortable with who you are and how you relate to the rest of the world is a horrible feeling. Instead this class is meant to help the students excel in professional settings yet feel comfortable with one's own roots. This is an exceptional class because the struggle between one's background and how the rest of the world perceives that individual is personal. To be able to combine the two worlds is miraculous.
Related Source:
(Fox News)
This video focuses on Ebonics which like the Appalachian dialect has become a subcultural language. This particular educator has a different approach in teaching Standard English to promote professionalism. He states "...the language isn't looked upon as being deviant or incorrect" so teachers and parents are correcting the problems; which I feel is the reason why Appalachian dialect has not been corrected over the years. However it isn't going to lead kids to a higher paying, professional career.
References:
Epstein, P., & Herring-Harris, L. (2011, September 15). Honoring dialect and increasing
student performance in standard english. Retrieved from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3655
Fox News. (Producer) (n.d.). Fox news and black english - ebonics [Theater].
Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_KKLkmIrDk
This is an amazing story of a girl named Carly who finally finds her voice. I think Carly will give us a prospective of what it is truly like to be trapped in an autistic body. What an inspirational story and one that will make you think before you treat someone as if they don't understand what you are saying. Kudos to Carly and her family for continuing to believe in her. Hopefully this "medical mystery" will lead to many more breakthroughs in the world of autism.
Reference:
ABC Medical Mysteries. (Videographer) (n.d.). Autisitic girl expresses profound intelligence [Web].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4XMlhCfp3Q
It was hard to pinpoint a specific quote from the article Tall Tales of Appalachia written by John O'Brien in the Opinion section of The New York Times. As a true West Virginian born and raised under the stereotype of "hillbilly", I tend to be sensitive to how the rest of the world perceives us. I work hard to make sure my dialect or drawl is nearly invisible to others for fear that I do not sound educated. I think about each phrase I use in my conversations for the fear that "y'all" will pop out at any moment. In fact, I wince when it does rear its ugly head during informal conversation with other West Virginians thinking to myself, "Well that stereotype just rang true and clear."
I feel my parents did the best they could to make sure I used "proper English" but at times what is declared cultural "proper English" can be abstract; dialect combined with slang sometimes takes over. In fact, I once sat through a meeting in Pennsylvania to hear my boss declare that people south of where I was sitting did not have a proper or professional dialect. I gulped and became infuriated immediately. He proceeded to tell us that we needed to watch our accents and present ourselves in a professional manner. Ouch! That stung, if I weren't already self-conscious - that just did it. It confirmed what I already knew about the rest of the world and how the southern states were perceived. If you are wondering - Yes, I did confront him at that moment in front of everyone in the meeting. I had worked too hard all my life to present myself in any other way than professionally; to sit and listen to such nonsense was unexceptable. To this day, that comment still stings.
Quote:
Reporters from the big cities wrote about ''white savages'' and ''West Virginia barbarians.'' (The New York Times, for example, said of people in eastern Kentucky: ''They are remarkably good shots and effective assassins,'' adding that they ''are so accustomed to murder that they do not look upon it with the horror with which it is regarded in civilized communities.'') (O'Brien, 2003)
Reaction:
My Scot-Irish ancestors arrived in the hills of Nicholas, Greenbrier, and Pocahontas County (West Virginia) in the 1840's. They welcomed the beauty of these hills which mirrored the beauty of Ireland as their new home. As immigrants they weren't prosperous by any means and continued their farming heritage; happy with their surrounds as they became the McClungs of these three counties. I chose this quote simply because I have been embarrassed of my relatives that still linger in these same hills. I too have thought of them as barbarians. I have fallen to the same uneducated stereotype as the rest of the world. I did not want to admit that these same hills had a pull on my heart and my being. They feel incredibly liberating. When I step out of my car and I breath in the sweet air of the trees, the dirt, the flowers, the mountains - I feel like I've come home. I know what attracted my ancestors, I know what still attracts my family but the stigma that follows is also powerful. Sometimes I feel as if I live in two worlds. The one I know in my heart (the one that pulls me home) and the one that the rest of the world sees.
Related Source:
( kittehcat101 )
I chose this picture because I think it best represents how the rest of the world views or wants to view a "hillbilly", "hick", "mountain folk", or "Appalachian" - as an uneducated, unkept, toothless joke. While there are people who do represent this stereotype all over the world, there are also people that represents West Virginians as intelligent, professional, and successful:
("Jennifer garner eyelid," 2011)
Of course, West Virginians are not all as glamorous all as successful as Jennifer Garner. Maybe this pictures represents a typical West Virginian family:
References:
O'Brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia. The New York Times
Jennifer garner eyelid surgery: Go away eye bags. (2011, October 8). Retrieved
from http://celebquestion.com/jennifer-garner-eyelid-surgery-go-away-eye-bags/
Introduction: Before I begin, I wanted to take a few moments to introduce the literature and content As soon as she opened her mouth in which this journal entry will be derived; mostly because this is an interesting read for anyone who is thinking about teaching or has been teaching for a multitude of years. Dr. Purcell-Gates delves into the world of biases that surround the education of low socio-economic families, specifically Appalachian children, and attempts to break the dogma that states that these families are unteachable. I believe we as people and teachers do not always realize how many times we prejudge a person due to their dialect or the location in which they have been raised. Prejudging a child solely on this basis before they are able to shine and prove that they want to learn as much as any other child, given the chance, is not only detrimental to their development but places the child in a box in which he or she cannot she around. Every child is aware when they are skipped over or given very little opportunities to prove themselves in school. If this is done enough times he or she may begin to believe they are unteachable, which is tragic in and of itself. Dr. Purcell-Gates demonstrates this point in her story of Jenny who cannot read and her son Donny whom she desperately tries to save from the same fate. Born and raised in West Virginia myself, I believe this is an important read to break the dogmas that surround Appalachia and low socio-economic families.
Quote:
The negative attitudes towards the spoken language of urban Appalachians is so strong in the cities that teachers regularly insist that students not speak or read orally unless they drop their dialect and use "standard English". (Purcell-Gates)
Reaction: I literally shuddered at the quote above. A child denied interaction in a classroom because of their dialect? I had a multitude of reactions.First I thought to myself, “Well yes, being from West Virginia I’ve experienced all kinds of snap judgments.”Then again, I was born and raised in WV so my education was never halted due to my dialect.My second thought, “How badly would that sting or hurt a child to be set apart from the rest of the classroom because their teacher has declared them a hillbilly?”The final thought that shot through my mind, “If a student is turned away from hands on experience in the classroom, then when does he or she learn the material?When does that student throw in the towel and declare themselves unteachable? ”
Quote:
First, and most obvious, teachers and schools must except, believe, and act upon the belief that children of poverty are learners, have been learning since birth, are ready to learn at any time, and will learn. (Purcell-Gates)
Reaction: I chose a second quote because I feel it backs my final reaction above. It is easy to prejudge a person based on characteristics that set them apart from our own.It is a human fallacy that is hard to overcome and sometimes we don't even realize we are doing it. However, as a teacher I hope that I am able to recognize and break the dogmatic views stating children of lower socio-economic backgrounds do not want to learn. If I do receive a student who have had this impressed upon them all the way up to my secondary school setting, I hope that I can become the inspiration they need to break away from this sort of stereotyping. After all, our experiences and our backgrounds should be valued (never looked upon as insignificant) because that child that was just deemed unteachable may be the next Chuck Yeager.
Chuck Yeager was born to farming parents in Myra, WV. He became an Air Force officer and the first pilot to break the sound barrier in 1947. He later rose in rank to become a prestigious and well known General. (Young)
What is literacy knowledge? Give examples of both print and nonprint literacy knowlege. Literacy knowledge is the ability to begin recognizing that letters make sounds which then create words; words build sentences; sentences have to read in a particular directions; and so forth. Literacy knowledge comes from the early exposure children receive from their care givers with written words and oral reading. For instance, when my children were young they asked many questions about specific store signs and would ask what each one said. It didn't take long to associate the sign for Lowes, Walmart, or the Mall. They knew Lowes meant a boring walk through the home improvement section; Walmart meant shopping for house hold cleaners; and the Mall meant eating at Garfields. The moment they saw the sign for Lowes you could hear the strong disagreement from the peanut gallery (as I liked to call them), "Oh no mom not Lowes!" It didn't mean they could read the sign but it did mean that they had begun recognizing the individual letters in the sign. Likewise the letters M-A-L-L meant delicous dino bites which created excitement from the peanut gallery. Nonprint Literacy is the ability to recognize symbols even if they are not in their natural environment. For instance a child may recognize the golden arches as the place they get chicken nuggets whether it is in the place they return to in their own hometown, while traveling, or on television.
How do stereotypes interfere with literacy instruction? If the stereotype places the student in a category where the teacher feels he or she is unteachable, then the student may receive less one-on-one instructional time. The student may then become either a shadow in the back of the classroom *falling behind even more) or a constant example the teacher uses to deter other students from falling behind. Either way is harmful in a learning environment. The student may feel alienated and begin hating school all together.
How do schools and teachers contribute to poor literacy instruction in school? Schools and teachers may deny a child the right to participate in activities because of a preconceived notion that the child comes from a background that is unteachable. In As soon as she opened her mouth it was obvious that Donny was being passed from grade to grade so that the teacher would not have to deal with him anymore. He wasn't progressing, he wasn't learning. He wasn't receiving the one-on-one attention he desperately needed to succeed. The school was simply over-looking him as unteachable. It takes a special kind of teacher to take the time to help a student like Donny when in reality it should not. The school and the teachers should have wanted, by nature, to intervene in Donny's education in the beginning before it became a serious learning disability.
What is the relationship between language, social class, and the denial of educational opportunity? According to Dr. Purcell-Gates children from lower socio-economic household are given less exposure to written languages in the earlier years than children from middle class households. Whether this is because of the depression, stress, and time constraints (two working parents or single parent households) that follows lower socio-economic households - I am not sure; Dr. Purcell-Gates does not go into the explanation. I do not agree with this being an over all trend though. My parents did not have a lot of money - my dad was a mechanic and my mom worked graveyards in a grocery store while attending college during the day and I received plenty of written and oral language exposure. I do not think my family was the exception. However in this study the lower income children did begin school with less literary knowledge and were behind the middle class children. Without this literary knowledge, children do not realize that written language is another way to communicate. Ultimately, children from poorer families that do not receive enough exposure to written language in the early years and appear to be behind are written off as unteachable and not given the opportunities they need to succeed.
What are some misconceptions about the relationship between language and literacy? Many times the dialect a family has is mistaken with their ability to formally write or read. Dialect often defines a cultural background. If the cultural background is defined in as a particular stereotype such as Appalachian people being hill people or hillbillies; the associated stereotype follows - such as being dirty, pregnant, barefoot, toothless, and uneducated.This is quite sad to write off a human being before they are able to shine. Dialect does not dictate intelligence just as social classes does not dictate intelligence; The reverse is just as true intelligence does not dictate social class or cultural background.
What can schools and teachers do to improve literacy instruction? School and teachers need to enter literacy instruction with the knowledge that students enter school from all walks of life. Some students may have had more experience with written words while other students may have never picked up a book hence making that student more challenging. Regardless, it is an innate human desire to learn and with the correct technique and the correct attitude higher goals of student readers can be attained.
How do you feel about the use of the term "proper English"? I feel the phrase is very abstract depending on the area in which the statement is derived. To me, an individual from Boston, MA is hard to understand, as well as their analogies, slangs and phrases. Their dialect sounds as if extra E's are added to words and R's are obsolete (or pronounced as short a). It does not mean they are using "improper English" per se but a dialect that is different than my own. It is part of their culture and their region in the United States. Likewise, I expect my western West Virginia drawl (I do hear from time to time) somewhat "improper" for a resident in Boston.
Related Source: Operation Breaking Stereotypes challenging perceptions , changing lives is a site that takes several kids from several different backgrounds and literally places them in a world they are not familiar with (i.e. big city kids see stars for the first time in the country) but have already preconceive notions. Within the link is a video that precedes the journey as well as essays that follow up on the students' reactions. The goal? "Different races, different cultures, different places, same story". (Carter) What did the kids learn? To appreciate their own cultures and to appreciate others' cultures as unique but not as different as they once thought. If children can break past stereotypes and see the value in other cultures and ethnicities then we as adults should be able to as well. Or maybe we need to literally places ourselves in different worlds to appreciate differences ourselves.
References: Carter, C. (2000). Operation breaking stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www.operationbreakingstereotypes.org/index.html
Purcell Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth. In L. Delpit & J.K Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (Print: Anthology)
Young, J. (n.d.). Mach buster. Retrieved from http://www.chuckyeager.com/1945-1947-mach-buster
Quote:
"Incorporating diverse people into a truly inclusive community requires vision, commitment, and the belief that each and every individual has a significant contribution to make." (Inos & Quigley)
Reaction:
I want to begin with this quote simply because it stands out in my own experiences. I am happy to see the old teaching philosphies thrown out as outdated and the new teaching philosphies quickly swooping in to replace that which is old. I have thought for a long time the only way to progess this nation into a more functioning and fluid community we must reshape education, as hard as it may be, and make the student the center instead of curriculum. I want to see this transformation on a personal level as well as a professional level.
On a professional level I want to have the ability to teach everyone in my classroom; to touch every soul whether I am invited or not. I want to inspire future generations to love the art of science or at least appreciate science as anything but dull. I want to possess the skills to excite the learning process. I want my students to take the skills I teach them and apply those skills else where whether it be in another class or in their personal life. I suppose I will have to realize failure from time to time as I reach to attain this goal but then again maybe I should see them as challenges that I need to hone in on.
On a personal level, I battle the old way of thinking, the old way of teaching, on a daily basis. The teaching that states that my son, who faces his own challenges with epilepsy, is too much of a drain during the daily grind of the classroom. Many times I have heard, "I don't have time for this. I have benchmarks and the Westest to deal with." Maybe it's the system I should fight. Afterall, I understand that teachers are under an incredible stressor with No Child Left Behind and the requirements to meet this goal. Maybe I am asking too much of his teachers. I don't think I've asked for anymore assistance or special treatment than what his Section 504 dictates. On the other hand, maybe my child's needs are too overwhelming, especially since he has complex-partial seizures that are hard to detect unless you are tuned into his normal behaviors. I have heard more than once, "He doesn't have seizures. He just stares into outer space." I feel defeated at this point. In fact, the thought that enters my mind is, "Didn't she/he read the information I gave them in the beginning of the year? I thought it was fairly simple and concise information." I feel I am faced with being an advocate for my child but having my voice lost in the red tape; while at the same time I know exactly what these teachers are faced with - timelines and deadlines to meet the guidelines of No Child Left Behind. Knowing both sides of the coin I ask myself this:
When it comes down to all the diversity I will meet in the classroom - will I be able to meet the challenge? Will I be able to recognize the diversity? Will I be able to rise above the timelines and deadlines set upon teachers and realize that my student(s) is facing adversity because of something he or she cannot help? Who in the class will suffer if I redirect my focus on helping those I feel need it most? As a gifted kid myself in school, if the class didn't move fast enough I was bored and I tuned it out. I would like to say, "Yes I can meet all these challenges!" but I have not yet faced them on a daily basis in my classroom. Maybe all the battles I have fought for my child in the end will make me look foolish because I could not rise up to be the teacher I expect my child's teachers to be.
When faced with all these questions, I return to something my mother once said, "The student should never be forced to conform to the classroom. Instead the classroom should be built around the student." To me these are powerful words. I interpreted these words as the classroom should flow with the learners and that everyone has something to contribute; ideas to share; ways to teach and influence peers. The classroom is a dynamic, living, and breathing organism - not four walls and 6 rows of desks. No one should stand alone.
Quote:
"Educational change, no matter how lofty the goals, will only take place over time and by enlightened, informed people as they truly become committed to a shared vision. Inclusive schools are developing in a unique way based on the needs of their individual students and communities." (Inos & Quigley)
Reaction:
I focused on this quote as well mainly for the fact that inclusive practices do not happen overnight. It is a process one in which may be thwarted by various principals and teachers according to Michael Remus. His work in Phoenix took 38 schools (K-12) which included 37,000 students 4,000 with special needs, and began restructuring these schools to fit inclusive practices. The old ways of teaching in his district included interventions, evaluations, and placement in a program. He called this the "Hotel California" effect or simply put - the students were placed in boxes that encompassed a wide range of issues instead of focusing on individual need. This obviously didn't work and frustrated many of the parents which resorted in basically moving the child to a different district where a "program" may work more readily. Thumbs down on that idea. Once again, the child has to conform to the classroom. Other requests were made for more professional special education teachers while general teachers claimed it wasn't their problem. There was nothing fluid about Mr. Remus' district. An issue many districts face all around the United States (Remus).
Once inclusive practices were introduced the child no longer had to fit in a box but instead the focus became how to deliver services. It wasn't immediate and wasn't easy but in the end the goal was achieved - a community was built in which everyone was accepted. Friends are being made as they help each other to attain goals, which means ultimately higher self esteem and higher test scores (Remus). In this sense, no one is left behind. Ah ha! My mother may have been right about something after all - the classroom should be built around the student.
Define Inclusive Education and describe the kinds of students Inclusion is meant to benefit:
Inclusion as defined by the article Research Review for Inclusive Practices simply means "including all" (Inos & Quigley). If we take that one step further to define Inclusive Education it would also have a simple meaning - include all in an educational setting. By IDEA standards Inclusive Education would be in the "least restrictive setting".
Inclusive Education is meant to benefit all students. To further strengthen the fact Inclusive Education is meant to benefit all, I liked this quote from the article:
"Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal motivation, but children have the equal right to develop their talent, their ability and their motivation." ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Likewise not every child is on an IEP or has a Section 504. Inclusive practices should help every child in the classroom meet their goals and help them to succeed in and out of the classroom. It is meant to strength self esteem and build strong, independent students; which eventually when released into the "real" world have teh tools to be independent, strong adults.
3 types of students Inclusive Education is meant to serve:
Inclusive practices reach out to students who have learning needs whether they be high incidence (i.e. learning disabled, behavioral disorders, emotional disorders, mentally challenged to a degree, etc..) or low incidence (i..e. autism, severe mental challenges, physically disabled, etc..). Inclusive practices are also being tweaked and developed to help students with ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic differences (Inos & Quigley). These children are not left in a room, away from peers. Instead they are welcomed into the group, when possible, to share their ideas; become part of a functioning and fluid community.
Inclusive practices can also help gifted children through 2 prerequisite conditions as found by research cited by The Council for Exceptional Children (ERIC Clearing House). The research first suggests gifted children should be grouped homogenously. This is mostly to give them time to explore more indepth ideas (Berger). Secondly it suggests that this grouping should contain "appropriately differentiated curriculum" ( ERIC Clearing House). This "appropriately differentiated curriculum" is meant to address their unique needs and abilities; challenge them to stave off staleness or boredom in the classroom (Berger). I personally believe that this segregation should not be all the time. Being set apart from the rest of the classsroom is just as hurtful for a gifted child. On the other side of the coin, it is also hurtful for the group to have someone who is always placed in charge and ends up with most of the group work. The groups in a classroom should flow. This is a fuzzy area for me on many different levels.
2 characteristics of Inclusive schools:
One characteristic is a sense of community(Inos & Quigley). I think I have focused fairly heavily on this point because I like this idea when it comes to inclusive practices. The fact that those who once remained hidden in the back of the classroom or in another classroom all together are now brought to the front with their peers. They are sharing their points of view, which are valid, and they are gaining a sense of self respect and esteem by being part of a group. This ultimately will give students the skills to enter the working world and the ability to work in a group. It will give everyone in the classroom the chance to value differing points of view from all walks of life.
A second characterisitic is using a common language (Inos & Quigley). Students from all walks of life and varying backgrounds do have some sort of life experience that they can equate on many different levels and to varying problems. When students are able to bounce off one another to tackle a skill or a challenge, it can be surprising how well they are able to come up with a solution. Adult supervision is always required to help moderate disagreements or keep the topic train on track. However, adult languages can be confusing, as well as adult ideas which can be restrictive in a learning enviornment.
In both of these approaches it is surprising how much the teacher can learn in this enviornment as well. There is always room for growth when the classroom comes together to tackle skills and challenges. Which in the long run will create a rather fruitful enviornment where self-esteem is taken to the next level and diversity is nutured.
1 strategy that helps students become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process:
The biggest, simplest way to help a student is to inform his or her parents or guardians of the structure and expectations met in the classroom (Inos & Quigley). I cannot reiterate or highlight this enough. When the parent is in the dark on their child's needs, especially when the teacher is not willing to give this sort of information way, frustration results. I cannot empathsize how many times I, myself, have left the school more confused than when I arrived. A parent cannot help their child succeed if they don't know where to start. Unless the parent is able to sit through their child's classes; which in any case is not feasible or practical. For the most part we are trying to raise successful children who can go into the world independently. However, parents should be in the background somewhere with some sort of direction. Parents also need to know if the staff are able to handle their child's special needs. For instance - What is the protocol if my child has a seizure? I know what it is, do all the teachers? Will a substitute know what to do?
Another point is to reassure the stability of the classroom. In other words - How flexible is the classroom? Will my child's teacher be able to accomodate him if he were to have an absense/ complex partial seizure? Procedure states that he or she prompt my child in a respectful manner. But what if the teacher is not flexible and accuses him of daydreaming? It has happened in the past. In fact he was told, "If I'm going to stand up in front of class and teach, you will have the decency to listen." In a short, cruel instance he was belittled in front of his peers. Set apart from the rest of the class. Later it was confirmed that he was having many seizures throughout the day.
Lastly the parent needs to be aware of their child's rights in the classroom if their 504 or IEP is violated? What is the next step? Reconviening as a team (parent/teacher/special ed teacher/principal)? Going straight to the Board of Education? Filing a claim with the ADA? Finding an advocate? Like I said, I cannot stress the importance of parent involvement and parent awareness enough. It becomes a foundation of trust and eases frustration levels.
Related Sources (Youtube link to an Inclusive Practice sample):
(Art Sight Studion, 2010)
I chose to share this video because it gets to the point of why Inclusive Practices need to be met. The two students in this scenario classroom both feel alone albeit for two different reasons whether it be their inability to learn the content or their physical disability that is holding them back. For a child, feeling isolated may be hard to put into concrete words and even harder to fathom that other children may feel the same way, although their needs may be different. I like the way one reviewer of the video phrased it, "we must learn together, we must be together, no more division". Diversity comes in all shapes, sizes, and needs. If we are to grow as a society or community, we must find a way for all our members to reach their full potential.
References:
Berger, S. (n.d.). Differentiating curriculum for gifted students..
Retrieved from http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10342.aspx
Inos , R. H., & Quigley, M. A. (n.d.). Research review for inclusive practices.
Retrieved from http://www.prel.org/products/Products/Inclusive-practices.htm
Remus, M. (n.d.). The road to systems change: inclusive practices. Retrieved from www.taalliance.org
The ERIC Clearing House on Disabilities and Gifted Education. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions
on inclusion. Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/special-education/resource/2942.html
I'm hoping to keep a diary of teaching quotes that I find inspirational in this particular blog entry. I've always been an individual who finds inspiration in quotes. In fact, I have a journal in my home full of life quotes that I review from time to time. In this blog I will add teaching quotes that I find relevant as I discover them; my absolute favorites will be outlined in green and I hope one day to add quotes of my own. When I feel in despair or I feel I have lost my inspirational touch I will come back to these quotes that once drove me and revive my own inspiration.
"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." ~ Khalil Gibran
"I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." ~John Steinbeck
"The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner." ~Elbert Hubbard
"The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'" ~Maria Montessori
"Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." ~Author Unknown
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~William Arthur Ward
"What students lack in school is an intellectual relationship or conversation with the teacher." ~William Glasser
"Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." ~ Nikos Kazantzakis
"Thought flows in terms of stories -- stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best storytellers. We learn in the form of stories." ~ Frank Smith
"If you want to build a ship don't herd people together to collect wood, and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." ~Antoine de Saint Exupry
"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others." ~ Unknown
