SPED 3000 Chapter 16

Students with visual or hearing impairments is a common occurrence in a classroom. Many students know wear glasses, contacts, or hearing aids. The student could be exceptionally bright, but have trouble with assignments due to misunderstanding or not being able to read the work. I found the strategies really interesting listed. Some of the things, like write page numbers on the board, seem simple but can really help those children that struggle to hear to interpret what you say. I do have some experience with hearing impairments, as two of my cousins are completely deaf. I know the basics in sign language, but I have been trying to learn more from my aunt recently to have that knowledge when I am a teacher. I think hearing and visual impairments are often over looked by teachers, and many don't go the extra step to ensure those students are taught as well.

SPED 3000 Chapter 14 & Chapter 15

Reading the chapter on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was really interesting for me. As I have said before, my brother was diagnosed when he was five years old. He had previously been diagnosed with a developmental delay before the ASD diagnoses. I always wonder what it will be like to have a student on the spectrum in my classroom when I have previous experience with a child on the spectrum. The characteristic about ASD, as with all special needs, is that each child is different. There is no "cookie cutter" strategy to reach each and every student with ASD. An example: the last day of TCAPS at my brother's school (he is ten) ended with him completing a puzzle and winning a DVD to rent from the classroom. However, when he filled out the puzzle the pieces did not fit together just right because two different teachers had printed off the pieces and they were different sizes. When my mom got home from school he would not get out of the car and sat there crying uncontrollably. I had no idea what had went on to bring him to this point, but I am familiar with his "meltdowns" as we call them. He kept screaming that he had to tell Ms. Asbury (the teacher that gave him the movie) that the puzzle was wrong. My mom was frustrated by this point and did not handle it in a good way. He ended up shutting himself in his room. I cannot stand to see him upset, or to go through the emotions on his own so I went to try to talk to him. I calmed him down by telling him (in a calm, nice voice) that crying doesn't help him any and that I needed him to use his words to explain it to me. He calmed down and told me what was wrong and I told him what the solution would be (talk to the teacher the next day), and he was in a good mood again. I hope that experiences like this with my brother and his needs helps me in my classroom. I know that ASD is a hot topic in education and I hope to be a voice for it one day.
I also found the chapter on physical and health impairments interesting. I have never personally been around many people with these types of special needs so all of the information and strategies were new for me. I found the chart  on how to handle seizures really helpful. In my field experience, there were two occasions a child had a seizure and I would be unprepared if it happened to me. Now I hope to be able to handle it in the best way possible.

Chapters 12 & 13

There are students will behavioral issues in every classroom across America. Teachers need to have training and experience with these issues in order to recognize them for what they are. Many students become labeled as a trouble maker or an unruly child, when there are deeper issues involved. If teachers have the education and training to help students with these disorders, they can help the student to get the special services or therapy that they need. In our rural area, I have noticed that many teachers do not believe in behavioral disorders, they believe the child just needs more discipline. Sometimes that may be the case, but there are those children that have a neurological disorder that prevents them from acting accordingly.
Another issue in classrooms is students that are hard of hearing or deaf. It can be difficult for parents and teachers to agree on this issue. Many times the students are accused, by teachers or parents, of not paying attention when really, they could not hear properly. I have family members that are deaf and it is difficult to diagnose early when the child would not have developed language skills yet. The biggest sign of a child being deaf or hard of hearing should reveal itself by the time they are toddlers (2-4 years old). This is when the children begin talking. They may have delayed speech, which many people will say "they are just stubborn, they will talk". Or the child may talk with some sort of slur or impediment because that is the way they hear things. Hearing problems need to be addressed as quickly as possible to give the child the best chance.

Chapters 10 & 11 Week 10

The information in these two chapters is extremely important to general education teachers. The majority of the time the general education teacher is the person that realizes a child may have a learning disability or other disorder. If the teacher does not know what to look for or the true signs of a disorder, then the child may be labeled as a trouble maker or a difficult student to work with. If the teacher knows the signs and how to recognize when the child needs special services, it works out better for the child all around. I have students in my field experience classes that may have ADHD. One child in particular, I have noticed, has trouble staying in one spot for more than a couple minutes. He is always moving around within his seat and talking out of turn during class discussions. I have heard some teachers complain about him, but I think that if they modified their lessons to involve more movement or activity, that he would be able to soak up the information better. With students with intellectual disabilities, Chapter 11 offers a multitude of strategies and information for teachers. It is important for teachers to not limit the students with disabilities, they will learn by being challenged and given support throughout their educational career.

SPED 3000 Chapter 7 Week 9

As soon as I read what this chapter discussed I thought of Fairview School. It is not my intention to talk badly about this school or show them in a negative light, but I have been shocked by things that I have witnessed, especially in the way special needs students are educated and divided into classes. I am glad for this opportunity because it has opened my eyes to the fact that not every school in America educates student with special needs to the best advantage for the student. One thing that sticks out to me: inclusion. The word inclusion does not come into play in the classroom division in this school. There are distinct "high", "middle", and "low" classes in each grade level. In my opinion, this strategy does not work in the best interest of any of those children, whether they have special needs or not. It is important for children to be around others not exactly like them, as it can help both children learn about others and how to treat/talk to each other. In my "low" class of the day, there is a girl that does not talk very plain. She is called on is class, and those few students in there (it is smaller than other classes) are exposed and able to learn to understand her and communicate with her. There are many students in that class with special needs, and very few in any of the other classes. In 6th grade there is one student that is pulled out for RTI, and he just sits in the general classroom drawing in his notebook while the other children work until time for him to work with the teacher's assistant.

In my opinion, it is extremely important for all students to be involved in projects together. I think that it allows those with special needs to learn how to live in the real world after school has ended, and it helps those without special needs to learn to talk to and accept those different than themselves.

SPED 3000 Chapter 6 Week 8

This chapter offered me a lot on insight into the behavior of children that I have been around in classrooms. Each time I have been in classrooms grade 3 and up, I have witnessed a wide variety of consistent inappropriate behaviors. More often than not the behavior was followed by a negative reinforcement from the teacher. I have always thought that positive reinforcement is the best behavior modification strategy, for the home and for school before leading into punishment. I have witnessed teacher punishing the students before attempting another possibility. The most important way to maintain and discourage misbehavior in the classroom is to establish classroom rules and procedures at the beginning of the year. If the students begin the year with set goals and expectations in the classroom they are more likely to choose more appropriate behaviors during the day. I thought the contingency contracts for older students discussed is a great idea. I have never heard of this, but I think it would be worth a try to see how it works with students. Each student will be different though and what may work for the almost all of the class, may not work for one or two students. These students could have different positive behavior reinforcements included in their management strategies.

SPED 3000 Chapter 9 Week 7

Technology in the classroom can be extremely useful if used when appropriate and not overly done. I think that it is important for children to know that there are other ways to get answers, take notes, or compute equations than just using technology. They may not always have the technology at their side so it is important for student to develop the skills they need to be independent from technology, while it is also important for them master certain tech items. I think that technology can be an integral part of special services for children with disabilities. In our class a few weeks ago, Jason mentioned that his wife records her students on a Ipod doing activities in the appropriate manner, then if the child begins acting inappropriately she gives them the Ipod with the video of the appropriate behavior playing to show them the correct way. This method has worked with her special needs students. Another incorporation of technology for special services could be allowing a student to use headphones to listen to music when they need a few calm moments. The assistive technology can be the students main mode of communication also. I watched an interview with a teenage girl that has severe autism. She has an Ipad of some kind that she used to communicate with those around her. She cannot talk or write, but after research she is finally able to communicate for the first time through technology. Inventions like that make incorporating technology so much more important. In cases such as hers, using the technology is greatly important. It is less severe cases that educators need to be careful in making sure the students do not become too dependent.