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.

SPED Chapter 8 Week 6

When a student walks into their classroom the immediate atmosphere of the room begins to either damper or simulate their mind. The teacher needs to not be afraid of decorating their classes. Even if the wall space is limited due to boards or fire codes, there are other ways to make the classroom an inviting learning environment. Color can be incorporated into the classroom in a variety of ways to make it more inviting for young kids. When the students sit down for the day the placement of their desk as well as the other students around them affects their outlook for the day. As a teacher it is important to assess your students and their needs and design the classroom layout to best fit that group of students. What works one year may not work the next. Each group that walks through the classroom door has different needs. It is also important for a teacher to remain organized within the paperwork required. I think teachers need to be as prepared as possible because you never know what may happen to throw you off schedule. Children with certain specials needs do not take well to change and if the teacher tries to be prepared the changes that do take place may go over more smoothly. Having rules set in place in your classroom is also a good practice. Children do succeed and learn better if they have a limits and boundaries as well as a schedule. Overall, the environment as a whole in the classroom affects the students not only in their school performance but in their performances outside of school as well.

SPED Chapter 5 Week 5

I think this chapter gives great information on individualizing students' education needs. I think as a classroom teacher it may be difficult to not just modify all of the lessons, but to make sure to modify them in such a way that it helps the student learn without making it too easy for them. The goal is that the work be challenging for the child but not so hard that they become frustrated and give up. Students may have academic problems in any of the three learning stages. The teacher needs to figure out exactly where the modifications need to take place. Teachers need to begin the modification process in stages. Choose the least intrusive tactic first and assess the results of the change before moving on to more intrusive modifications. I would think that finding the best modification can be challenging for the teacher but also an adventure if they want to look at it that way. Each child is different and I will be excited to try to figure out just how to help them learn the concepts.

SPED 3000 Week 4

It takes a team of professionals to ensure that a child with spherical needs receives the care and education that they deserve. I have set in on a team meeting with my mom about my brother before. I was truly blessed to witness the love that his educators had for him. He was in 2nd grade at this time and his teacher was so awesome with him. She sat in the meeting surrounded by other school officials and cried as she talked about the progress that my brother had made that year. Bringing the parents, family members, and educators together can allow each of those people to view the child in a different light. However, it is very important for every one of the IEP team to communicate regularly and effectively. I have seen that some teachers are do not follow the IEP as they should, feeling like the modifications make their work too easy. The parents need to make sure their child is getting the modifications that they need, and the school officials need to respond immediately when a teacher is not following the IEP.

Chapter 4

As the years pass, the population is school systems are becoming more diverse. At the school where my mom works, they have seen many more ELL students enroll. With ELL students the teacher also need to consider the parents and whether or not they speak English. With the growing number of ELL students, the teachers have had to dig deeper in their teaching and curriculum to ensure all students are presented the material in a ways they can learn. The language barrier is becoming smaller and smaller the more teachers and students work together.
Family diversity is another characteristic that teachers need to keep in mind in their classroom. Again, at the school my mom works in, this had become more prominent over the last five years. The students may not live with mom or dad anymore. Many are living with grandparents, where there is a great gap in the education from their youth and the education system of today. The grandparents may not be able to help the children with school work because they may not have went to school themselves. It is hard to really know the child's home life. I think the teacher should try to find out as much important information as possible to ensure the children all have equal opportunities.
It does not matter what characteristic of a child sets them apart from others, as a teacher I will do everything I can to make sure when that child walks out of my room they know someone cares.

SPED Week 2 Chapter 3

Chapter three goes into detail about the possible disabilities and special needs that teachers might encounter in their classroom. I think that this chapter did a good job of explaining the different needs and how they are included in the general education classroom. My ten year old brother has special needs and he is in a general classroom room the majority of the school week. He does not have a particular disability that the doctors can diagnose. Up until this school year, he was "labeled" as having a developmental delay. However, the school system does not recognize developmental delay after third grade so the doctor finally decided to say he has Asperger's Syndrome. I am able to watch him from an educator's viewpoint now instead of a sister's and I can see the challenge it may be for some. I think that the fact that he doesn't learn like everyone else, and that he has different needs than others is what would make being his teacher so much more rewarding. When he cannot understand a new concept, it is amazing to see his eyes light up when that part clicks into place. He loves to learn and wants to learn, and he CAN learn. I wish that more teachers would accept that they are now special education teachers as well as general education teachers. Some of the children may be challenging at times, but doesn't that make the reward so much sweeter?

SPED 3000 Week 1

The first chapter of this book talks about the beginnings of special education and the reforms that have came about since. I have studied special education before and I have experience with children with special needs. However, this chapter opened my eyes up even more to the progress that special education has made in America. I feel sympathy for the students that were barred from school and the teachers that wished to see change and did not know where to begin. I am glad that the reforms began and that America is well on its way to reaching as many kids as possible. I know that there could still be improvements but things today are much better than they were 30 years ago.