Special Education Today

This weekend I watched (you guessed it) Must Love Dogs starring  Diane Lane & John Cusack. I won’t bore you with the particulars. The part that I want to blog about is when Diane Lane & John’s characters finally go out on a date & he asks her what her story is.

“What do you mean?,” she asks.

He tells her that people are brutally honest when they first meet each other. The problem begins once you’ve been together for awhile, when you get bogged down with the minutiae of everyday life, resentments & water under the bridge. So, he tells her his story, but she doesn’t really tell him hers. She holds back a little. Maybe she forgot they were in the beginning where she could be completely honest! ;D

Well, that’s my point today. I have so many questions in my head dealing with John Cusack’s statement. I’ve found that I have a hard time getting to the heart of things with people I’ve known for a long time. I can no longer be brutally honest. I don’t know how to conquer this problem. I feel like I’m going backwards sometimes. I’m having problems with a long-standing relationship because of this. I know I’ll get past this. I’m looking forward to it!

HERE’S TO 2010!

When people ask me what I do for a living and I say that I teach students who are deaf/hearing-impaired, I almost always am asked: "Oh, so you sign?"

But, no, I don't sign. And there's no quick way to explain the hundreds of years of history in deaf education and the competing philosophies that are out there. For the purposes of this post, I'll just say that there are two main camps: the Total Communication method, and the Oral method (there are many more methods out there, I'm just over-simplifying here!).

The Total Communication method advocates the use of sign language as well as some speech/lip-reading to educate students with hearing loss. The Oral method involves teaching students (with hearing aids or cochlear implants) to use spoken language by listening.

So when parents are informed that their beautiful newborn baby has a hearing loss, they should theoretically have a choice (the choice offered really depends on where you live in this country). Do they want their child to learn to sign, or do they want their child to be able to talk and hear as best as they can? There are advantages and disadvantages to each choice.

I mention all of this because I'm at an Oral campus within a Total Communication district. There are three T.C elementary schools in our district, and just one Oral campus. I'm teaching at the Oral campus, and while I believe that sign language is a beautiful language, I personally think that we should be giving children with hearing loss every skill they will need to function in a hearing society.

I have deaf ed colleagues who strongly disagree with the Oral philosophy and I'm still wondering why they're working at my campus (as much as I like them as friends!). I wince when I see them signing on the sly to the kids. Because, bottom line, we need to respect the choice that the parents have made. In California, I worked with a lady who was all about sign language--but she was able to put her personal feelings aside in the classroom and respect the methodology that the school campus and the parents subscribed to.

So all year I've been feeling like a black sheep on my own turf, and sometimes I resent it. But, I thought, at least my deaf-ed administrators have my back! They understand!

Until recently. Our speech/language pathologist (who is refreshingly neutral on the methodology issue!) came into my room after school and handed me a bunch of papers to send home with the kids. Papers for SIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES. After some probing, I discovered that this directive was coming from none other than the Big Cheese herself. Yep, the HEAD of the entire district's deaf education program is sending fliers for our ORAL kids to learn sign language.

Oh the ridiculousness. Would you buy Chinese textbooks for your Spanish classes? Would you substitute salt for sugar in a cookie recipe? Would you use a football in a basketball game? OF COURSE NOT.

So I distributed the fliers.... in the trash can.

Let’s see, what to write? Well, it is February in Michigan. Those who live in Michigan would not need me to write anything more; they would just nod and know exactly what I meant. But for the rest of you, it’s grey . . . VERY grey, it’s cold, and it’s getting a little old!



My new semester has begun, which means new students. Our young adults (ages 18 to 26 with disabilities) are assigned to job sites typically for one semester at a time and switch to a different site every semester. Our students spend half the day on the job with a job coach (like me) and the other half at school taking classes that are geared toward independent living.



My group is In-House Custodial, fancy for “we stay at school and clean it.” I am assigned students who are new, are not ready to go out to other sites, or are difficult to place for one reason or another. I also take on stragglers who arrive at school late and have missed their ride to their normal job site.

My group this semester is going to be a bit challenging. I have a few students back from last semester. Pam* has a worsening visual impairment and now uses a cane, but she has a wonderful attitude and works very hard to compensate for her sight loss. Bridget* has food issues and needs to be in a controlled environment like ours, but just when I think I am making progress with her, I find out I have been lied to again! Tim* has an inoperable brain tumor and is undergoing oral chemo; he is now using a wheelchair because his balance has been affected. He is a sweet young man who never feels sorry for himself (just needs to take a nap now and then, which is just fine with me).

Among my new students is Doug*, who resides in a group home and has been suspended already in his first two weeks! Craig* is also new and seems like a nice young man when he is able to actually get out of bed and get to school.



This semester I have had to set some new boundaries. For example, I set the limit of students I can take at once at six. Because I have been assigned one student who is partially blind and another who uses a wheelchair, I asked for some extra help and received two wonderful parent volunteers for two days each week! I really appreciate having those extra hands around.



I am trying to get my group to gel, but so far there have been so many disruptions that I do not feel we have properly begun yet. This week I got the flu and missed two days -- that certainly didn’t help the “gelling process.”

It’s February and I must be really low on vitamin D because everything is a bit of a struggle right now! How are you all getting through the winter blues?

*Names have been changed.

I am in Portland, Oregon today with all our districts and ESD's as we share on what is happening in our area with assistive technology. I have heard some great ideas and thought I would share what they are doing in summary.

Many are using the SETT model for assessing and implementing AT. They are also using the WATI consideration guide. Data collection/trials can last up to 3 months depending on the district.

ARA funds are being spent on NEO keyboards, K3000, Intel Readers. Autism kits were built using Boardmaker, Time Timers, GoTalk Ones, Clicker 5, Cheap Talk 8.

There were some great ideas. I don't have a lot of details on them, but you can see what
Proloquo2go, iTouch and administrating iTunes account - went to Costco and bought gift cards with the district credit card and then bought Proloquo2go. They have limited the code to open the iTunes account to their AT administrator.
Natural Reader is being used.
Paper Port/scanner to scan tests take and print out.
Loved this one...iTouch with the Nike sensors tied onto shoes and recording walking times and distances. They upload the data and students look at graphs and work on better distances and times. This has been developing more independence and motivation to exercise.
One ESD has developed an online data base that holds a lot of the free online Boardmaker, Intellitools activity exchange and Clicker 5 teacher-made activities in one place.
Using Office 07 Access template for asset inventory (they downloaded a free template Lending Library from the business category of online templates) to build an equipment data base.
Porta Portal - a free web based link organizer open to everyone - used by Saint Helens School District.

Redmond School District did a one day training open to certified staff and trained them on print disability and text to speech tools. The teachers left with Mp3 players, flash drives, and notebooks with directions and ideas. They did a survey later and found that not very many had used them. The team re-grouped and got a tech/IT guy to be a tech support for them. They collaborate with IT on training and getting out in classrooms to model how to use the tools. They are using Premiere Literacy software to get students with print disabilities access to text. They have been doing training of counselors for students that are on 504's and need support for vocational and college prep counseling/expulsion counseling - what AT will do to support these students and help them graduate.
Redmond has also been integrating Flip video and sharing videos for assessment and showing them to students for self-assessment. It has strengthened their program. There is a digital wish site that will give 2 for 1 when you buy if you prove you are an educator.

National Initiatives:
Gayl Bowser shared on RESNA and that they were at the ATIA conference they asked how they could be helpful to AT specialists and make IDEA mandates enforceable. she also shared on the QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology) Summit June 22 and 23 in Fort Lauderdale FL area. If you would like to be involved in collaborating with a work group to strengthen the processes for AIM, you might want to attend. The cost is only $40 for both days and your travel and housing is on your own.

All the best,
Lon




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Yesterday was my son's 2nd birthday, it always fall on Superbowl so I know he will grow up to be a Rockstar! What else is cool about yesterday? ...What a time to be a Saint!!!

Classic Song for Today: "When The Saints Go Marching In"...Louis Armstrong...(thanks Carlos!)

He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone along the way. - Duke Ellington



CONGRATULATIONS!

I’ve been working very hard trying to learn bookbinding. Trying is the key word. I’m afraid I am not having much success. Every time I think I’ve gotten a technique down, I screw something up the next time I try to do it. I am so frustrated right now. I’m even more frustrated because I was trying to teach Phillise as I’m learning. It is so hard to teach a hotheaded child something. Hmmm…I wonder where she got that from?

I’m not sure if I want to teach her anymore. It frustrates me and her. I think I’ll just pay for someone else to teach her. The problem began when I was trying to show her how to make a simple origami box that did not seem to want to cooperate. I was getting frustrated and needed some time to calm down. It certainly didn’t help that she was frustrated & tried to run off at the mouth. I told her that sometimes you need to start from scratch. By this time she was almost in tears, but I made her go through the process anyway while I tried to throw a little wisdom in there.  Although I didn’t, I wanted to, we continued.

Moral of the story? I’m still not sure. I’m thinking that it’s if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. But that will only bring her to tears. I’m also thinking that I need to continue working with my daughter, ignore the big crocodile tears & march on. It could also be…

I don’t know. I’m tired & need to calm down. Maybe I need to make a lesson plan before I attempt this again.

Deputy headteachers from Glendene School Craig Platt and Liz Coxon with teacher Mark McNichol and the new defibrillator which has been donated to the school.

Today was a lazy Saturday. I was disappointed because I’d planned to go to Souplantation for breakfast. Unfortunately they only serve breakfast on Sundays. I didn’t get a chance to eat that great Souplantation breakfast buffet, but this is what I learned this morning:

1.) It’s okay to change your mind sometimes,

2.) A message on Facebook told me that I see things as I am, not as they are. I immediately agreed that it was true. It’s like I have some type of blockage all around me. I keep trying to deal with this particular issue of mine, but cannot seem to get past a certain point. Even though it’s tough, I will continue on,

3.) I can control my emotions and not let my emotions control me,

4.) Last, but not least, family is so important.

Maybe today wasn’t such a lazy day after all.

HERE’S TO 2010!

Special Education Postdoctoral Scholar Applications are being accepted for an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) sponsored 2-year special education postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Iowa. The overall goal of the postdoctoral scholar is to provide the scholar with the knowledge and hands-on experiences needed to conduct rigorous educational research [...]

As you should be able to tell by my crazy title I could not decide what the title of this post should be, but bear with me and, as usual I will explain.  You see I’m very frugal when it comes to buying phones. I do not believe in spending a couple hundred dollars for a phone. Why? I have the biggest trouble with phones. If I’m not dropping them in water, I’m losing them. That’s exactly what happened to my last phone. I dropped it in water. So, I have been without a phone for a little over a week now. But, it doesn’t bother me. Not having a phone has actually allowed me a few moments of silence. I have been able to be alone with myself & my thoughts. It’s badly needed. Sometimes the ties that bind, really bind. You know what, it’s not so bad to be alone with yourself & your thoughts!

HERE’S TO 2010!

On 5 February 1946, Kenneth A. Kavale was born in Brooklyn (NY, US). After graduating from college, Ken taught for a few years and then began graduate studies. In the 30+ years after he completed graduate work, he became one of the foremost contributors to the contemporary understanding of Learning Disabilities. As a journal editor, [...]

I was just thinking about a scene from You’ve Got Mail where Meg Ryan wishes she could have the perfect reply. She’s always at a loss for words when it comes to telling someone what she really thinks when she’s in an argument with them. Well, the time comes & she does have the perfect reply. The only thing is that she regrets it the instant she says it.

Have you ever had that happen to you? Well, I had it happen to me & it was just like Meg Ryan’s moment of epiphany. I felt no satisfaction. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I felt so terrible afterwards. I apologized, but that’s the funny thing about words- once they’re said, they’re said. I guess the perfect reply really isn’t a perfect reply after all.

HERE’S TO 2010!

Today, the House Education and Labor Committee passed H.R. 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act by a bipartisan vote of 34-10.  CEC has advocated for this legislation for many months and is pleased the Committee passed it. 



This legislation is the first national effort to address harmful restraint and seclusion. Restraint and seclusion, if used appropriately, can be effective tools when dealing with children with behavioral issues. The bill seeks to establish minimum standards for their use in schools, provide resources for staff training and support, and improve data collection of incidents and identification of effective practices.



CEC’s division CCBD, was instrumental in helping Congress and field understand this difficult issue through its work on two white papers on restraint and seclusion issued last May. Read CCBD’s position summary.  CEC subsequently adopted a new policy based on CCBD’s work. CEC’s policy is closely mirrored in the current draft of the legislation.  Throughout the fall, CEC worked closely with both House and Senate staff to draft legislation which can effectively address this issue and provide protections for staff and students.

The next step for this bill will be a vote by the full House and action in the Senate. Nothing is currently scheduled in either chamber, so stay tuned to the PI blog for up to the minute updates.

Read CEC’s Press Release on the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act.

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As the US House of Representatives prepares to make statements about and amend HR 4247, Representative Joe Courtney (CN, US) posted a statement on the blog maintained by the House committee that will debate the legislation. The post, “Rep. Joe Courtney: Congress Must Make Schools Safe Havens for Children,” touts Representative Courtney’s perspective on the [...]