Barb Retenbach reflection

a. How did this presentation change your view of those with Autism?

     I found it interesting to see someone with autism who has overcome expressive barriers, and is able to communicate her thoughts. This presentation really helped me to understand that when working with people with autism the best way to communicate with them is through something they like, such as cooking. I also noticed how Barb saw herself as something different and special, and had a very positive view of herself. 

b. How will you consider autistic children in your classroom in light of this presentation?

     You can never discount an autistic child as having nothing valuable to give to the classroom. It is vital that a way is found to help children with autism express themselves.

c. How does the information you’ve learned affect your future teaching practice?

     One idea that was brought up during the presentation that I think any teacher can use is that you should build students' strengths. It is important that a student know how best their students learn so that the teacher can help them be successful in the classroom.

d. Was this information new, and how do you feel about it?

    I did learn some new information during this presentation. It was very hopeful, in that there are ways to help children communicate what is going on in their heads. 

Group Differences Forum

What did you learn during our forum that you didn't know before?

     From this forum I learned of the different ways that researches categorize people with disabilities. I had also never realized that there are people who are proponents of eradicating special education.

What would you have liked to learn more about?
     I would have liked to learn more about integrating ELL students in the classroom, and how data corresponds to stereotypes we believe about different minority groups.

How do you think the information presented in the forum will help you in your classroom?
     The common thing I noticed within the overall discussion is that with all of the issues discussed  it is important for us, as professionals, to remember to be aware of how different all of the students in a classroom are.

What could have been done to help you learn more?
     It would have been helpful for us to have more of a focus as a whole class. This way we could go more in depth with the particular subjects.

What suggestions do you have about the forum (changes I should make, articles to pitch or to keep, topics that should be discussed that we did not cover?)
     I thought that overall the forum went really well, and there was plenty to discuss. The one change I would make would be to limit the subjects discussed so that they could all center around a common theme.
     

PLE post #10

Theories in educational psychology promote the idea that language plays a critical role in cognitive development. Examine Table 2.2 (p. 51), in what ways might children who use sign language differ in development from those who communicate with spoken language?

A child who uses sign language to communicate will most likely differ quite a bit in their abilities to understand and utilize English. This will greatly effect their cognitive development. Much of what is learned in schools is done through listening and reading. A child who is deaf is going to have problems, especially with reading. Most likely this child will be behind for a while. Because they will only be learning English from what they see, and not also what they hear, it likely that this child's word knowledge will be less than what is expected at their grade level. These children will also have more trouble producing English because it is not the language they are used to using, or get as much practice with naturally. For these reasons, it is imperative that this child have access to various resources and one-on-one time in order to cultivate English learning. This type of intervention would be most effective in the k-5 grades, where the foundational rules of language are established.

This blog is from a teacher in Israel who teaches deaf and hard of hearing students there. Each of the students is at different level and this blog briefly explains how accommodations are made for each student.