Online Module for Missed Class

Based on Article #1

1. What are the social and mental implications for children with learning disabilities?

Most students with a learning disability have some emotional problem associated with the disability according to the article. Emotional conditions that may exist because of their learning disability or condition are as follows: emotional distress, low academic self-concept, anxiety, depression, low coping skills, and low self-esteem. These conditions may also present themselves before a learning disability is diagnosed and the disability could go unnoticed because of the earlier conditions. Students with learning disabilities are much more likely to suffer from low academic performance and social problems in school and in their lives due to these conditions. The article stated that a majority of individuals who committed suicide in LA had been diagnosed with some type of disability. This is why we as teachers need to be looking for the warning signs which are: acting out, escaping school by not attending, and problems at home. According to research, positive "affective states" can increase academic performance and social performance. This, I would argue, should be used for all students, but this is especially true of students with learning disabilities and the students who show the warning signs discussed earlier. We as teachers should help students to understand their learning disability and give them a "can do" attitude with lots of support and positive feedback.

2. Think back to when you were in school. What strategies do you remember teachers using (academic or behavioral). Think about how a child with a Learning Disability would respond to these strategies. Explain and comment.

I never really thought about the academic strategies until I came back to college to become a teacher. Now with some reflection, I can remember some teachers using "copy the textbook" strategy everyday to learn material in high school. I can also remember a whole language approach to reading in the elementary. This is basically finding a book and reading quietly in class during reading. I don't know what you did if you couldn't already read. I can't imagine a student with disabilities succeeding in this independent environment. We always had a very large class and not very much student-to-teacher interaction. Behaviorally, my teachers did not put up with anyone acting out or being disruptive in the class. I can remember the paddle being used for anyone who didn't obey the classroom rules. This was done by taking the student into the hallway and opening up all of the classroom doors so that everyone could hear the swat. I can't imagine students with disabilities being subjected to this treatment now. According to the articles that we just read, this strategy for behavior would have a devastating affect on a student with a disability. With the movement of full inclusion, behavior strategies that I grew up with needed to change.

3. How will you refine your practices to address the social needs of students with disabilities?

I will make a conscious effort to be on the lookout for social difficulties when dealing with students who have a disability in my classroom. It will be clear to everyone in the class that we treat everyone with respect as we would like to be treated. I will also use positive comments for the benefit of all students. My activities that I design for class will create an atmosphere that we all belong and I will mix ability groups and friends so that everyone can be a part of the social groups. If any student starts to show warning signs to the emotional conditions discussed in the articles, I will use all the resources available to me so that each student may succeed both academically an socially in my class.

Based on Article #3:

1. How has the evolution of medical technology changed the way we look at disabilities?

The use of MRI imaging and genetic coding has shown that there is a link between some individuals with reading disorders and a specific gene. Although, this is not the case for every individual with a reading disorder and the environment is still a factor in developing reading skills. MRI imaging is also being using to find the most effective ways to develop interventions for students with disabilities.

2. What implications will this new outlook have on teaching and mandated legislation?

The implications for teaching and legislation are that interventions and reading strategies will have to be science based approaches to receive funding. Science based approaches require research. An example is the single subject research design for collecting data to be used to determine the most effective strategies in teaching students with disabilities.

Based on Article #4 & #5:

1. The disproportionate representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students in special education is a significant issue in education. After reviewing the article:

a. List some of the issues surrounding this topic?
The main issue in this article is dealing with students who don't speak English as their first language and how they end up in special education. This is largely due to the fact that school districts do not have any other program in place for them. Another issue in the article deals with the over-representation of ethnic groups and minorities in special education. I think what the article is getting to the heart of is that students who may not have a labeled learning disability are ending up in special education because they need help to succeed, but there is no tailored program to suit their specific need already in place.

b. Discuss how legislation has attempted to alleviate this problem?
The courts have tried to remedy these issues and the most successful attempt was in the Larry vs. Riles case. The outcome was that they found an over-representation of African Americans in special education due to IQ tests. They ruled that they couldn't use the IQ tests anymore and that these students shouldn't be placed in special education. Congress has tried to define these issues but they always leave too many generalizations, which can be interpreted as states see fit. This is why these cases are usually resolved in the court of appeals.

c. Describe the problem as you see it.
I think that the problem is that the U.S. school system is facing a situation where there is a large influx of students entering the school system who are not English speaking and there are no programs in place to adequately deal with the situation. To adequately deal with this problem, it is going to take more money and resources and no one, as of yet, is willing to pay for it. Taxpayers do not want to pay more taxes and politicians want to keep their jobs. If you want to fix this problem, than at the federal level it needs to be recognized as a situation that has to be fixed by the states, even if funds have to be diverted or raised in another way.

How children learn to read.

It was intersting to watch the video Biomapping the Brain and see the researchers looking for the signs discussed in the article "How Children Learn to Read." According to the video if a student hears a sound just a tenth of a second different than everyone else than the whole brain will interpret that information differently. This is being proven by the brain waves of students with dislexia by the researchers in the video. Students who have a language based learning disability show signs of misunderstanding sound and making connections between sounds and letters & signs. I was very interested in seeing that some students may actually be writing or doing operations that their brains are telling them from this time delay. It is not that students don't know something but instead are being given misleading information from their own interpretations. The researchers in the video combined their findings with the use of a specialized tudor to help students to become more accurate with hearing sounds and interpreting these sounds into letters and signs. I agreed whole heartedly with the article that we read which said a blanced approach to reading is the best approach. I am a student of the whole language era and I have always struggled with grammar and writing accurately. Although I have never had trouble with reading and comprehension. I worry that some school districts today are headed back with the pendulum to whole language. This only becomes more important in the future with research showing that students with disabilities require more intense phonics instruction than regular education students. I also agree with the advice to parents to be involved in their child's learning process by finding out more about the reading program that is used in their school. The warning signs listed in the article are also good advice for parents to look for to make sure that their children succeed. I think that this article would be good for any parent to read that has a child about to enter the school system. I think the video Biomapping the Brain would be good for anyone who teaches students to view. It sheds a different light onto why students with learning disabilities behave and respond the way that they do.

LD Simulations from PBS site

The LD simulations on the PBS site were a good reminder to me of how complicated the human mind can be. Every student that I work with learns differently and the challenge that I face as their teacher is to attempt to understand how each child learns so I can have the best chance of actually teaching them something that they will retain. I became VERY frustrated during the simulations. I didn't feel that I had a fighting chance, so I just started to click the "close" button on each one without even attempting it. Wow! Now I know why some of my students just "check out" and give up without even trying. I don't blame them! As I went through each academic area and experienced the simulations, I could think of a student or students that I am currently working with that are probably experiencing difficulties in that area. I began to think of teaching strategies that would assist that student...strategies that I don't normally use or don't always think of while teaching. I need to periodically visit this site to remind myself of what these kids go through in a normal day. Hopefully the empathy that will stimulate will also push me to challenge myself to strive to reach them where they are at the time. Little things like dimming the lights, eliminating background noise from computers, fans, etc., or providing a slanted writing surface could be the ticket to a successful day for a child. This will require extra effort on my part, which is why this it is so challenging to meet the needs of every child. With twenty-five kids in a room, how does a teacher meet all of their needs? Try one approach at a time and just be relentless in your quest to reach them all.