This week was a week of many changes as we started preparation for our finals and learned new material to help us as teachers in the classroom. On Monday we started a discussion on student behavior and how we respond to student behavior. The main lesson I learned from Monday was it is important to prevent than to repair. As we are able to teach to the child and their zone of proximal development, we can prevent the behavior that comes with being bored or not feeling comfortable in class. We talked about how we want to build our classroom around our students so that they have choices and they start to feel independence, even though our hidden curriculum is to guide them to be good students and citizens. As we praise and respect our students in the small things, it can help make bigger tasks seem less difficult and they are more likely to attempt to achieve these tasks.
This discussion on classroom behavior carried into Wednesday as we were able to talk about how we can apply and analyze our strategies and the student's behavior. The main way we realized how we could collect data was to use our ABC's. A is the Antecedent in which we are able to analyze their behavior that came prior to the initial unwanted behavior. As we view this over the next few days we can begin to develop a pattern of what happened to lead them to this behavior. B is for Behavior. This is the unwanted behavior and when we document this it should be as exact as we can be in describing the behavior. C is the Consequence. This is what happened after the unwanted behavior, and was this consequence rewarding or punishing the behavior to lead them to a pattern of doing it again.
These are things we can use in every day life as well as our teaching. If I were to be having a difficult time with a behavior I have seen my husband (he's great, don't get me wrong), I would be able to use this to analyze him over a few days and experiment to see how I can change the unwanted behavior.
This week we also met as a group to discuss our final project which is a case study of a child and how we can defend her eligibility or not eligibility based on the criteria we have talked about his semester. My book has been the greatest resource to me in finding he information for our case study. My group has also been great, however, the book gives specific guides to how we can go about finding services for our case study. We met twice this week and have begun our paper and expect to finish it on Monday. I am so glad to have a great group to work with on this project. They are reliable and we have worked hard and had disagreements that we have worked through professionally about our case study. It has been fun to advocate the best we know how to for our child in the case study, and see what services we can get her. I have learned a lot this week!
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Special Olympics
For my 5 hours of service learning in SPED 310, I chose to go to Special Olympics bowling. I spent more than 5 hours from morning to early afternoon helping with whatever they needed to make the games run smoothly. This was held at fat cats and it was so much fun to see the atmosphere that is provided for people with disabilities to be able to compete and also have fun.
I was able to help keep score and also assist in helping the contestants bowl. The lane I was on consisted of people who were in wheelchairs, or needed more specific help bowling, such as ramps or carrying their ball to the ramp.
This was such a fun filled day for me as I was able to find ways to communicate with the people on my lane. two couldn't really talk, but I was able to use my limited sign language to understand what one of the girls needed. As they bowled I gave them lots of encouragement, even if they weren't doing well, I wanted to be positive. When I was keeping score I was able to go get their rewards and reward them a ribbon and their smiles made my day!
The thing that stood out to me most, and I almost cried when they stated their Olympic Athlete Oath. it goes, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." This was so amazing to see people who in the world are sometimes ostracized or looked down on intellectually, they have to be brave in everything they do to be seen as equal. Special Olympics provides them the opportunity to be with people who will accept them, and I hope to be apart of the change in the world that accepts them no matter where they are.
I was able to help keep score and also assist in helping the contestants bowl. The lane I was on consisted of people who were in wheelchairs, or needed more specific help bowling, such as ramps or carrying their ball to the ramp.
This was such a fun filled day for me as I was able to find ways to communicate with the people on my lane. two couldn't really talk, but I was able to use my limited sign language to understand what one of the girls needed. As they bowled I gave them lots of encouragement, even if they weren't doing well, I wanted to be positive. When I was keeping score I was able to go get their rewards and reward them a ribbon and their smiles made my day!
The thing that stood out to me most, and I almost cried when they stated their Olympic Athlete Oath. it goes, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." This was so amazing to see people who in the world are sometimes ostracized or looked down on intellectually, they have to be brave in everything they do to be seen as equal. Special Olympics provides them the opportunity to be with people who will accept them, and I hope to be apart of the change in the world that accepts them no matter where they are.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
SPED 310 Week 11
The first two days of this week I did not attend class because of the flu. I was really sad to miss out on the case study with my group because they always help me so much in understanding areas I lack in. They were my greatest resource when I came back to class on Friday.
As I was sick I was able to ponder and gather more information for my HWD project. My grandma gave me some amazing insights into PWS as I was able to find more questions as I researched. She helped me realize how much the education system has changed since my Aunt, who had PWS, was a child. She talked about how as a teacher I need to fight for my students to get the services they need and be aware of where to get them. I was able to turn in my HWD project and I am excited to present it to the class.
Friday we had a presentation from the class about visual impairments. They did a great job helping us do visual simulations with glasses so we could experience what it would be like to have a visual impairment. I was surprised how many people in our classroom have a visual impairment, and I have never had problems with my sight. The whole presentation helped me understand how hard it can be for someone to have a visual impairment to be in classroom. Sometimes glasses work, and sometimes contacts work, but as teachers we can't assume that if they look normal they aren't struggling with a visual impairment. We must be aware as teachers to see the signs.
We also had a short presentation from Jana about her HWD project on a visual impairment she has been diagnosed with. Her impairment has progressed quickly and she is able to experience the changes and have a new perspective on visual impairments. I like how she told us we can be the difference for our students if we help them and accommodate for them by being their advocate. If we assume, we can't fully understand what that child is going through. Her website is very well designed and has lots of resources for parents and children. We need to BELIEVE our students.
As I was sick I was able to ponder and gather more information for my HWD project. My grandma gave me some amazing insights into PWS as I was able to find more questions as I researched. She helped me realize how much the education system has changed since my Aunt, who had PWS, was a child. She talked about how as a teacher I need to fight for my students to get the services they need and be aware of where to get them. I was able to turn in my HWD project and I am excited to present it to the class.
Friday we had a presentation from the class about visual impairments. They did a great job helping us do visual simulations with glasses so we could experience what it would be like to have a visual impairment. I was surprised how many people in our classroom have a visual impairment, and I have never had problems with my sight. The whole presentation helped me understand how hard it can be for someone to have a visual impairment to be in classroom. Sometimes glasses work, and sometimes contacts work, but as teachers we can't assume that if they look normal they aren't struggling with a visual impairment. We must be aware as teachers to see the signs.
We also had a short presentation from Jana about her HWD project on a visual impairment she has been diagnosed with. Her impairment has progressed quickly and she is able to experience the changes and have a new perspective on visual impairments. I like how she told us we can be the difference for our students if we help them and accommodate for them by being their advocate. If we assume, we can't fully understand what that child is going through. Her website is very well designed and has lots of resources for parents and children. We need to BELIEVE our students.
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