INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES: BEST PRACTICES
Viewing questions
1. Teacher Lisa Kelleher describes her role as a teacher in an inclusive classroom as being quite multifaceted. Are there any aspects of her role that surprised you or made you envision your future role as a teacher differently? Explain.
The only aspect that was surprised to me was the fact that I felt as if she had somewhat of a smaller role interacting with the student than I had envisioned. I always knew that there was aids in classrooms with children who have health impairments but I also had the assumption that the classroom teacher did more hands on work with the students. I now understand that the classroom teacher's job lies more in planning ahead with the aid to modify activities so that the student can be apart of what their classmates are doing.
I can see myself planning as many activities as possible so that all students can take part in the activities. Lisa talked about including students in activities such as music arts and crafts. This is something that all students can participate in in the same way. This is part of expressing students creativity so it is important to do in any classroom and is a great way to incorporate all students.
2. What skills does elementary classroom aid Danielle Doucette bring to her work with MaryAnne, the child who has spina bifida? How does Danielle take MaryAnne's academic and social/emotional development into account when planning activities?
When classroom aid Danielle Doucette comes to school each day she brings her knowledge of all of the assistive technology that can be used to help MaryAnne succeed and be welcomed into the classroom. Within this movie she used tools such as standers to work in art class, her wheel chair and the bolster that she sat on in the classroom to work. She brings all of her knowledge that is targeted torwards children with a health impairment such as this. The most important aspect of her assistance is the ability to use the tools, assistive technology, that bring MaryAnne as close to the same level as possible with her peers.
When planning activities Danielle takes MaryAnne's academic development into account while planning activities that are possible for her to do while remaining at the same level as the rest of the peers. She may be able to do the same activitiy just in a modified manner. She takes her social/emotional development into account when she trys to modify activities in a way that will make the student not feel left out but included. In art class a special table, a stander, is used so that the student is at the same level as the other students.
3. What questions has this video raised in your mind about your own familiarity with adaptive technologies for children? How can you take action on Lisa's suggestion that teachers familiarize themselves with how the equipment works (e.g., an electric wheelchair) even before you have your own classroom?
This movie has made me aware that I am very unformiliar with the assitive technology that is out thier for students. I never imagined that there would be so many different ways to include a student into the general education classroom, to mainstream them. One way that I could familiarize myself with the technology that is out there would be to even do a simple google search and see what I find and see how all of this works. The more information I have the better off I will be when I have my own classroom. I will never know what students would walk into my door each year.
4. In the bonus video, "Encouraging Social Interactions in an Inclusive Classroom," Lisa explains how she makes sure that all students have opportunities to play together, typically through music or art. Can you think of any activities you've used successfully to engage a full range of learners? If not, what types of activities do you plan to add to your repertoire?
I have not had the opportunity to incorperate any of these activities thus far in my learning experience. As I expressed before though I believe that the best way to have students play together is through music. MaryAnne in the movie seemed to love singing with her friends and when it came to this activity she was just like her peers. The differences that my be evident to her classmates in other activities where not present in this one.
5. The classroom artifact entitled "MaryAnne’s Schedule" blocks out MaryAnne's schedule for the day in words and illustrations. How could a chart like this be used more generally to help students with other types of learning challenges (such as ADHD)? Explain.
This could be used more generally to help students with other types of learning challenges, such as ADHD, beasue it creates structure. For students who have trouble focusing and need that extra structure in thier day can have the pictures right in front of them. If a student is off task they can be asked to look at there chart and calm down and they can know what they should be doing or what they should be working on at that times.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM: BEST PRACTICES
Viewing questions
1. Kindergarten teacher Tony Byers describes his responsibility to teach Jamie, a girl in his classroom who has cerebral palsy, so that she can feel like an equal participant. Have you had any experience in working with children who are physically challenged? If not, how can you gain experience before you have your own classroom?
I have not had the opportunity to work in a classroom with a student who has a physical challenge such as cerebral palsy. In order to gain experience before I have my own classroom I would maybe volunteer to work at a school with a student such as this. I would also maybe talk to a teacher who has worked what a student with a physical challenge to gian some insight on what would be best and what I need to experience in order to be able to deal with a situation such as this one.
2. Inclusion facilitator Sara Woodruff is an advocate for assistive technologies. She explains that there are many ways to help children access their voices and their minds as best they can. What assistive technologies--either high-tech or low-tech--have you seen or read about? How and when would you be likely to incorporate them into your teaching?
The amounts of assistive technology that is out there is endless. There are tools to help students be included in just about every activity out there in some way. Some technology that I have read about deals with speech boards and electronic devices and writing aids and systems. Some writing aids include hand splints and aid in grasping a crayon or pencil, special pencil holders, slant board to support forarms, clipboard, heavy weight, or masking tape to secuse paper while writing, and wide-lined paper. I would see myself using many of these tools within my classroom. This is because alot of these tools assist in a student being able to communicate with other students and the teacher. Communication is such an important tool and every student needs to be able to do this at some level even if it is at a very low one.
3. As you watch Jamie complete an activity using a speech output device, what do you notice about the way Sara interacts with her? What can you learn from Sara's approach in general, and the way she describes her goals for Jamie?
What I noticed most about Sara's work with Jamie was her patience. She took her time and let the student doing everything she new she was capable of. She at no time got frustrated and just took over or stopped the activity she pushed through the whole time. She even had the student with her help glue and put the colored papers on the large one. I was amazed at her confidence and ability to just go with the flow and allow what was going to happen happen. Sara had high but realist goals for the student, she knew what she was capable of and was going to do everything she could to get her to the highest level she knew the student could achieve.
4. According to Tony, having Jamie use assistive technology "helps show the other children that there's a wide range of communication capabilities in our population as a whole. Children are shown an alternative way of communicating that is different rather than better or worse." What questions about your own understanding of the potential of assistive technologies has this video raised?
In my mind the largest question that is in my mind when it comes to assistive technology is does using these activities cause more disruption in a classroom rather than good. Although they are helping the student with a disability do they distract other students so much that it is doing more bad than good. I still do see the good in assitive technology, this is just the only question I had when it come to these tools.
5. In the bonus video entitled "Adapting the Curriculum: Mr. Byers' View," Tony describes the tension he feels between teaching spontaneously and the need to slow down and adapt every lesson for all students. Can you think of any experiences you've had that have created a similar tension? Explain your ideas.
In my current placement often times I think that the students are just not really getting it, or that maybe half the class does and the other half isn't and if the teacher would just slow down everyone would be included. I often see students just stop paying attention because they are frustrated and the teacher has already moved on to the next aspect. It frustrates me that my teacher just moves on beccause she is trying to fit everything in the day. In my mind it is more important for everyone to understand something than only half or a third of he class to understand a bunch of little things. I could be wrong in this thinking but these are my observations.
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