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.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Presentation on Cognitive Impairments
Today in our group myself, Jana, and Heidi, gave a presentation on Cognitive Impairments. We titled our presentation as Intellectual Disability because we felt that was what it is mostly referred to now as we researched. Our lesson deliver went really well. I was surprised and happy with the participation that was reciprocated as we presented and we were able to do our presentation in a timely manner that was well organized.
The evidence we have of effective student engagement was we were able to watch them and see how they talked as groups, they shared thoughts with us and brainstormed strategies as we gave them points to guide their conversation. I loved how everyone thought about their comments and added to the lesson instead of distracting or getting off topic.
If I were to teach this lesson by myself, the only thing I would change would be that we would be able to go more in depth on each impairment that we talked about. I wanted to learn more about the every day life of each of these children. This wasn't any fault of a person in our group it was what we decided was most important that needed to be covered in regards to what we were already learning in class.
In my teaching I think time management and practice is an area of improvement. I had a lot more material prepared than I thought and I wasn't able to go into as much depth as I wanted to. I also took more time than the other girls as I tried to include the class in my topic and also a video. I need to learn how to practice beforehand so I know how much time I need to take on each topic I am teaching.
I would give our group a 10. We were able to apply the the materials to the class course as a whole, and show how they applied to the principles we have learned. We were able to leave time to discuss with the group and as a class and we covered different disabilities to show examples.
The evidence we have of effective student engagement was we were able to watch them and see how they talked as groups, they shared thoughts with us and brainstormed strategies as we gave them points to guide their conversation. I loved how everyone thought about their comments and added to the lesson instead of distracting or getting off topic.
If I were to teach this lesson by myself, the only thing I would change would be that we would be able to go more in depth on each impairment that we talked about. I wanted to learn more about the every day life of each of these children. This wasn't any fault of a person in our group it was what we decided was most important that needed to be covered in regards to what we were already learning in class.
In my teaching I think time management and practice is an area of improvement. I had a lot more material prepared than I thought and I wasn't able to go into as much depth as I wanted to. I also took more time than the other girls as I tried to include the class in my topic and also a video. I need to learn how to practice beforehand so I know how much time I need to take on each topic I am teaching.
I would give our group a 10. We were able to apply the the materials to the class course as a whole, and show how they applied to the principles we have learned. We were able to leave time to discuss with the group and as a class and we covered different disabilities to show examples.
SPED 310 Week 10
This week was a really fun week and I was able to apply a lot of what we learned to how I can use it as an educator. We learned about differentiated instruction, and we applied it by teaching. We also had a lesson on Orthopedic Impairments and Traumatic Brain Injuries, as well as giving a presentation on Cognitive Impairments.
When we learned about differentiated instruction we were able to see different teaching styles there are and the things we liked and didn't like about each of them. As we chose a strategy to use we were able to now see how effective they were in our lessons. For my group we chose to teach another group how to make snowflakes. For our teaching strategy we had one teacher who was the head of the lesson, and we combined with each other by having two assistant teachers and one observing teacher. By doing this we were able to assist those who didn't understand the material and also have an observing giving us feed back at the end. I really liked this strategy and it was effective for us because we had a strong lead teacher who was prepared, and we were prepared to assist. We were then taught how to throw pizza dough with towels and we were taught with a visual video and also with assistant teachers. We really liked learning this as a group.
The presentation on Orthopedic impairments and Traumatic Brain Injuries really opened my mind to all of the different kinds there are of each. They can be genetic and acquired and it is important for us to see how this fits into IDEA to see the services we may be able to provide for these students. I wish this would have been discussed more in the presentation, but overall it raised my awareness of the conditions.
For the final day this week I along with my group gave a presentation on Cognitive Impairments. It was fun to see our progression in the learning process as we learned so much about many different kinds of Cognitive Impairments as well as they stigmas and myths we thought. We were able to see how society has evolved in their thoughts about cognitive impairments as well as expand our knowledge of how Cognitive Impairment itself is not a syndrome, but how it is coupled with other syndromes and disabilities. What I liked were the teaching strategies we were able to find in our research so that we can implement them in our classroom.
The resource most helpful to me this week was the wonderful internet. I was able to find so many amazing sites for our presentation and great information for teachers and parents.
When we learned about differentiated instruction we were able to see different teaching styles there are and the things we liked and didn't like about each of them. As we chose a strategy to use we were able to now see how effective they were in our lessons. For my group we chose to teach another group how to make snowflakes. For our teaching strategy we had one teacher who was the head of the lesson, and we combined with each other by having two assistant teachers and one observing teacher. By doing this we were able to assist those who didn't understand the material and also have an observing giving us feed back at the end. I really liked this strategy and it was effective for us because we had a strong lead teacher who was prepared, and we were prepared to assist. We were then taught how to throw pizza dough with towels and we were taught with a visual video and also with assistant teachers. We really liked learning this as a group.
The presentation on Orthopedic impairments and Traumatic Brain Injuries really opened my mind to all of the different kinds there are of each. They can be genetic and acquired and it is important for us to see how this fits into IDEA to see the services we may be able to provide for these students. I wish this would have been discussed more in the presentation, but overall it raised my awareness of the conditions.
For the final day this week I along with my group gave a presentation on Cognitive Impairments. It was fun to see our progression in the learning process as we learned so much about many different kinds of Cognitive Impairments as well as they stigmas and myths we thought. We were able to see how society has evolved in their thoughts about cognitive impairments as well as expand our knowledge of how Cognitive Impairment itself is not a syndrome, but how it is coupled with other syndromes and disabilities. What I liked were the teaching strategies we were able to find in our research so that we can implement them in our classroom.
The resource most helpful to me this week was the wonderful internet. I was able to find so many amazing sites for our presentation and great information for teachers and parents.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
SPED 310 Week 9
This week we started out by preparing personally and with our groups for our test. We did a review game in class which really helped us better apply the materials such as case studies and idea laws to children with different specific needs. I really feel like the online reviews were my greatest help and resource this week in preparing for tests.
On Tuesday I met with my group that I will be presenting on Cognitive Impairments with on November 23rd. It was so great to get together and start to plan how we are going to break it up into categories. We found that most of the time Cognitive Impairments are coupled with another disorder such as Autism, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, even strokes and accidents that happen after the child is born. At first we thought it was its own specific disorder but we were able to learn a lot about how it is usually accompanied or caused by something else. My group is really excited to present and we have been able to talk about other group's presentations that we liked and can borrow things from and other aspects we didn't like.
Friday was a day full of learning as we were taught signs of sexual abuse, and neglect. It was very interesting to learn about how we need to go with our gut, but also follow clues and not make assumptions. My group was really open in sharing personal stories and stories of others and it was really touching and eye opening to see that this is real stuff. We will see this.
I also turned in my Mid-term HWD report for Prader Willi Syndrome. Learning more about a disorder my hand had to deal with has helped me understand what her life was like and help my grandparents cope with her passing. I found out to day that through my aunts funeral they were able to raise $26,000 for PWS research. Even though a cure may never be found through this research they are able to subdue effects and help these people live more independent lives. That was a huge discovery to me as I looked at some medical journals and talked with my grandparents.
I am excited for my future as an educator learning and furthering awareness of people who have disorders and being their advocate when others may look down on them.
On Tuesday I met with my group that I will be presenting on Cognitive Impairments with on November 23rd. It was so great to get together and start to plan how we are going to break it up into categories. We found that most of the time Cognitive Impairments are coupled with another disorder such as Autism, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, even strokes and accidents that happen after the child is born. At first we thought it was its own specific disorder but we were able to learn a lot about how it is usually accompanied or caused by something else. My group is really excited to present and we have been able to talk about other group's presentations that we liked and can borrow things from and other aspects we didn't like.
Friday was a day full of learning as we were taught signs of sexual abuse, and neglect. It was very interesting to learn about how we need to go with our gut, but also follow clues and not make assumptions. My group was really open in sharing personal stories and stories of others and it was really touching and eye opening to see that this is real stuff. We will see this.
I also turned in my Mid-term HWD report for Prader Willi Syndrome. Learning more about a disorder my hand had to deal with has helped me understand what her life was like and help my grandparents cope with her passing. I found out to day that through my aunts funeral they were able to raise $26,000 for PWS research. Even though a cure may never be found through this research they are able to subdue effects and help these people live more independent lives. That was a huge discovery to me as I looked at some medical journals and talked with my grandparents.
I am excited for my future as an educator learning and furthering awareness of people who have disorders and being their advocate when others may look down on them.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
SPED 310 Week 8
This week in Sped we were put into new groups. I was excited about my new group and have seen them contribute valuable insights in class before. This week we talked mostly about Abuse, Neglect, and Poverty. My group was awesome in talking respectfully about recognizing abuse and signs of abuse. This was a hard topic to talk about and the realization that we would have students in this situation became clear. We need to be educated on this as teacher and parents so we can help save a child and provide a safe environment for them in school.
In preparation for Wednesdays class we watched a video about an elementary school in Las Vegas that has most of their student body as homeless. The principle who came into the school took it into her own hands to take care of the students and find ways to provide a better school environment and a better home environment. She realized that if their home environment was bad they would end up not coming to school. She got the whole community involved in donating food, clothing, and school items to the school for children. She made it a small community at school that was safe for the children. This video helped me realize that if we can't get the services we need for our children through the school district, there are ways that are safe to help our children. As teachers we can be the change we want to see.
My favorite day this week and also the hardest day for me to sit through was Wednesday where we talked about poverty. We did a simulation where we had to spread out a small amount of money throughout the month and we had two kids and a job that didn't pay very much. This simulation was all too real for me. My dad and I did live in poverty. We experienced things in the simulation like having our phones turned off, our cars repossessed, and not gas in our home. My dad made the best of it and never told me things were bad. It's all I knew. I think that is how a lot of these children are. They don't know anything else so they accept their circumstances. Their parents are trying and my not have resources to get out of poverty at that moment. They rely on friends and family to help them get through hard times. My grandparents had to drive me places when my dad couldn't but I know that a lot of children don't have the church support and family support I had to help me.
One person in class made a comment to the extent of, "Why are they buying stuff they can't afford, like a car they can't afford." I wanted to answer her statement that she shouldn't be quick to judge. They need a way to get to work, to take their kids to school events and commute. Sometimes public transportation isn't the best option. We need to empathize with our students and their families. We can't judge them, we must simply help them.
This week my greatest resource was my own experiences that can help me see my students in a different light than other teachers. I have been there, and I can help them see the opportunities given to them through school. It is such a blessing to have free public school where teachers can make a difference. They need to choose to make a change.
In preparation for Wednesdays class we watched a video about an elementary school in Las Vegas that has most of their student body as homeless. The principle who came into the school took it into her own hands to take care of the students and find ways to provide a better school environment and a better home environment. She realized that if their home environment was bad they would end up not coming to school. She got the whole community involved in donating food, clothing, and school items to the school for children. She made it a small community at school that was safe for the children. This video helped me realize that if we can't get the services we need for our children through the school district, there are ways that are safe to help our children. As teachers we can be the change we want to see.
My favorite day this week and also the hardest day for me to sit through was Wednesday where we talked about poverty. We did a simulation where we had to spread out a small amount of money throughout the month and we had two kids and a job that didn't pay very much. This simulation was all too real for me. My dad and I did live in poverty. We experienced things in the simulation like having our phones turned off, our cars repossessed, and not gas in our home. My dad made the best of it and never told me things were bad. It's all I knew. I think that is how a lot of these children are. They don't know anything else so they accept their circumstances. Their parents are trying and my not have resources to get out of poverty at that moment. They rely on friends and family to help them get through hard times. My grandparents had to drive me places when my dad couldn't but I know that a lot of children don't have the church support and family support I had to help me.
One person in class made a comment to the extent of, "Why are they buying stuff they can't afford, like a car they can't afford." I wanted to answer her statement that she shouldn't be quick to judge. They need a way to get to work, to take their kids to school events and commute. Sometimes public transportation isn't the best option. We need to empathize with our students and their families. We can't judge them, we must simply help them.
This week my greatest resource was my own experiences that can help me see my students in a different light than other teachers. I have been there, and I can help them see the opportunities given to them through school. It is such a blessing to have free public school where teachers can make a difference. They need to choose to make a change.
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