Summary of chapter 12:
This chapter talks about different physical impairments such as cerebral palsy and the different types, and spina bifida, which the two children in the case videos both had, seizure disorders, and orthopedic and musculoskeletal disorders. It also talks about health impairments, such as cancer or diabetes and how they can affect a child and their learning. Other disorders that they talk about a specific learning disorders, such as ADD or ADHD. This chapter talks about early intervention and ways to help children at the early stages, this can prevent secondary or behavioral problems from beginning. One last major thing that the chapter discusses is modifications and accomidations such as scheduling, setting, presentation, activities, and responses to their actions during acitivities.
Including students with physical disabilities best practice viewing questions:
1. Teacher Lisa Kelleher describes her role as a teacher in an inclusive classroom as being quite multifaceted. Are there any aspects of her role that surprised you or made you envision your future role as a teacher differently? Explain.
No, this did not surprise me because I was in inclusion classes in elementary, middle school and in high school and I also was placed in an inclusion class for my first learn and serve. I have seen the extra work teachers have to put into modifying their room or lessons for students placed in these inclusion classes.
2. What skills does elementary classroom aid Danielle Doucette bring to her work with MaryAnne, the child who has spina bifida? How does Danielle take MaryAnne's academic and social/emotional development into account when planning activities?
When Danielle Doucette goes to work with MaryAnne she has to know about MaryAnee’s disorder along with how to adapt the environment to best fit her learning ability. Danielle takes MaryAnne’s development into account when she plans activities by making her able to be on the same levels as the students or doing the same type of activity with just little modifications. Her social and emotional development was taken into account when she makes sure that MaryAnne feels as “normal” as the other students as possible, for example her electric wheelchair and her standing machine that allows her to be working at a table on the same level as other students who sometimes come to work with her.
3. What questions has this video raised in your mind about your own familiarity with adaptive technologies for children? How can you take action on Lisa's suggestion that teachers familiarize themselves with how the equipment works (e.g., an electric wheelchair) even before you have your own classroom?
The only questions that this video really raised for me was, how am I going to be able to modify the lesson to more than one student’s needs while still teaching to my best potential for the student who do not need modifications? You can take actions to familiarize yourself with the assistive technology by interacting with students who use these types of technology at your learn and serves and in other settings that you see these types of opportunities to get to know the equipment. You can also look into them online or in stores, if you know that you students are going to be using this in the near future.
4. In the bonus video, "Encouraging Social Interactions in an Inclusive Classroom," Lisa explains how she makes sure that all students have opportunities to play together, typically through music or art. Can you think of any activities you've used successfully to engage a full range of learners? If not, what types of activities do you plan to add to your repertoire?
Activities that you could use to engage a full range of learners is playing games that consist of basic math or spelling questions that all the students would know, but also throw in some more challenging problems for the students that excel in these subjects.
5. The classroom artifact entitled "MaryAnne’s Schedule" blocks out MaryAnne's schedule for the day in words and illustrations. How could a chart like this be used more generally to help students with other types of learning challenges (such as ADHD)? Explain.
A chart for students with ADHD that could be similar to the one used for MaryAnne could be a behavior chart. On this chart they could use different expressions stickers such as smiles, frowns and some inbetween to show the students overall performance of the day. If a teacher gives the student an incentive such as, if you get 4 smile faces out of the 5 days this week you will receive a prize at the end of the week, the student is more likely to cooperate and behave.
Assistive technology in inclusion classrooms best practice viewing questions:
1. Kindergarten teacher Tony Byers describes his responsibility to teach Jamie, a girl in his classroom who has cerebral palsy, so that she can feel like an equal participant. Have you had any experience in working with children who are physically challenged? If not, how can you gain experience before you have your own classroom?
Yes I have, I have worked with students with physical challenges in my learn and serves, at summer camp and with my cousin who is autistic. I think that when students are younger like in the video they are more accepting to these students with challenges and as they get older it seems that students tend to reject the students that are not the same as they are.
2. Inclusion facilitator Sara Woodruff is an advocate for assistive technologies. She explains that there are many ways to help children access their voices and their minds as best they can. What assistive technologies--either high-tech or low-tech--have you seen or read about? How and when would you be likely to incorporate them into your teaching?
I have read about assistive technologies that read students their questions and materials that they need so that they can avoid the difficulties of reading when the goal is to obtain an understanding of math or some other subject. I have read about others but I would be most likely to incorporate this into my teaching when I put students into small groups to work and I am unable to read the student their assignment or sit with them and give instructions, I could also use this on a test so that the student wouldn’t need to waste their time trying to read the questions but can focus on the actual content of the questions.
3. As you watch Jamie complete an activity using a speech output device, what do you notice about the way Sara interacts with her? What can you learn from Sara's approach in general, and the way she describes her goals for Jamie?
As Jamie completes her activity Sara interacts with her in a very positive way, she is enthusiastic and optimistic about Jamie and she provides her with a generally happy environment. You can learn from Sara’s approach by watching how she is so focused on Jamie’s goals and feelings, she focuses specifically on one goal at a time and watches the progress.
4. According to Tony, having Jamie use assistive technology "helps show the other children that there's a wide range of communication capabilities in our population as a whole. Children are shown an alternative way of communicating that is different rather than better or worse." What questions about your own understanding of the potential of assistive technologies has this video raised?
What do you tell students who see Jamie using this assistive technology that do not understand why they are not allowed to use it without making Jamie sound like she is at a loss? That is one of the questions I had after watching this video.
5. In the bonus video entitled "Adapting the Curriculum: Mr. Byers' View," Tony describes the tension he feels between teaching spontaneously and the need to slow down and adapt every lesson for all students. Can you think of any experiences you've had that have created a similar tension? Explain your ideas.
When I was in high school, I had a deaf sign language teacher, she felt that you could not move on until every single student in the classroom knew the signs she was teaching and had perfected them. There were students in the class that seem to care a lot less than others, this was upsetting to me because I was one of the students who did care, and sign language came very easy to me. I tended to get very bored in this class, and this got me in some trouble which in turn held me back from receiving my regents in sign language because I chose to drop the class. This created similar tension because I wanted to move quickly while she wanted to hold everyone back for one or many even two students.
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