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Fellow teachers and art therapy majors: "The lesson plans listed are designed for classroom educators in grades 9-12, science, social studies, and language arts classes. They can be used in conjunction with The Forgetting program or as stand-alone resources." Read on and watch the program



Image reference:
PBS Press Tour The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's and The Future of Alzheimer's
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2662615869_a2ef65349f.jpg?v=0

Hello Everyone,

WiZiQ invites HASTAC Members to give a public session on WiZiQ at a scheduled time of your choice. Because HASTAC and its members are active in online education, giving a WiZiQ public session is an excellent way to get the word out on your organization to the education community especially in your areas of interest and expertise.

Click on the link to register.
http://www.wiziq.com/public/apply.aspx

Sincerely,
Mark Cruthers
WiZiQ-Oline Education
rousseau1789@yahoo.com

In theory, I am for inclusion. However, inclusion doesn't work when teachers don't have the resources and/or training. Most regular education teachers are not trained on special needs education. Indeed, becuase of the teacher shortage/turnover in many states, one does not even need a degree in education (i.e. from a teaching college) to teach school. Therefore, many teachers do not know how to deal with extreme behaviors and/or medical conditions.

Furthermore, due to inclusion many special schools are now being closed. But is this a good idea? Here is a brief article called School inlusion can be abuse. What are your thoughts?




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Image Reference:
E. Smith Whiterock Design
http://www.photowestus.com/linked%20photos/Laundry-line.jpg

Many many students who are placed in special education classes are not disabled, but rather developmentally delayed due to poverty. The other day in class some of my students were talking about what they call "crazy checks". I've heard the term before in passing. However, this year being my first year teaching high school special education verses elementary and middle I am surprised how many students are aware that they are recieving disability checks. Many of these students will come to school with brand new clothes and nails done. There parents will drive them to school with cars that have rims on them. Yet, students will not have notebook paper or calculators. One day a student asked me why I didn't have nail tips and proceeded telling me that I needed to do my nails. I looked at her and smiled and thinking, 'Why is she talking about nails?' I didn't tell her that I had been living out of my suitcase because my apartment was burglarized. I didn't tell her that I am working 3 jobs. I just kept quiet and smiled. A little background, yes, I may not understand many of my students realities, but I do know what it is like to grow up and do without. We did the best we could. Not all teachers come from upper middle class homes, as many believe. For the most part my mom raised me as a single mother and we got by. If I wanted extra I worked for it. For example, in high school I wanted braces and worked and made monthly payments towards my braces and so on. But I digress... This year when I started off the school year I bought my students school supplies. Some of the teachers I work with said that was a mistake because the kids are so used of getting everything handed to them that they don't want to work for anything. This school year I've been wondering: What about giving disablity checks to students who are truly not disabled? How does this help students? How does this hinder students? Doesn't this promote learned helplessness? Many many of my students know they will get a check each month for being in special ed. Most of my high school students do not work, for, they know they will get a check in the mail. So what to make of all this? Is such a system institutionalized classism? Indeed, it seems to me that families are rewarded monitarily if their children are labled with a disability. On the other hand, public schools and teachers are penalized if their students do not make yearly annual progress. Public schools loose funds when schools don't meet AYP, and yet families are rewarded. How is this helping American public education? This is such a contradiction and one that has never been discussed in any of my grad classes when I was an education major. Why isn't anyone discussing this issue? I wonder why there isn't more accountablity with regard to tax-payers dollars in this area? How does such a system help children who truly have disabilities? This is taking funding away from children and families with true disabilities. Furthermore, because of inclusion, this doesn't just affect public school special education. It affects the whole school...think more control over schools because of NCLB. Many children with disabilities are placed in regular ed settings without all the proper resources, time, etc. Hence, this slows down the whole class. For example, I'm suppose to teach quadratic equations to students who don't know how to tell time and teach Chaucer to my 12th grade students who can't decode letters to sound. I have to teach the state standards despite where each child is developmentally. Our students have to pass the grade level test or they will not graduate high school. (In my state they recently have stopped special education diplomas). The state is only offering alternative assessments to students with severe disabilities. However, this is not an option for students placed in regular education settings. Hence, my 9th graders who are placed in regular education classes will not graduate unless they pass on grade level standardized tests. How is the abuse of disability checks affecting our nation's school children? Our nation's future? How does this affect children who are truly disabled? One of the reasons I went into teaching is for social justice, yet now I am so very confused. ... Image Reference: http://www.eikongraphia.com/wordpress/wp-content/Pencil%20on%20pad%20of%20paper.jpg

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Image Reference:
Rothko's Chapel
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h272/med7605/rothko.jpg

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