My Qualitative Inquiry project was centered on the question of what it means to be “literate.” I focused my observation time on a group of people in a breakfast area of a hotel. I sat for an hour and a half and observed and recorded the things they were participating in that required them to be literate. I detected eight different categories or situations in which literacy skills were necessary. ..
1. Reading the newspaper
2. Having discussions with one or more people (speaking and listening)
3. Using a computer for: social networking, e-mail, weather, news
4. Watching television for: weather, news
5. Reading a book
6. Reading instructions: Ex. microwave use
7. Reading signs: Ex. Heimlich maneuver, cpr
8. Listening to, interpreting language: Ex. foreign languages, accents, dialects
The texts and images seemed accessible to mostly everyone. The countertops were low, doorways were wide enough, handicap accessible bathrooms were available, etc.
People with visual disabilities may be disadvantaged by some of these particular literary practices because they would not be able to participate in: reading the newspaper, using the computer, watching television, reading a book, or reading the instructions or signs.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Presuming Competence
Paula Kluth’s book, “A Land We Can Share” has an important section in which she talks about presuming competence in your students. She discusses this idea in her chapter on teaching Literacy to students with significant disabilities. When teachers have the understanding and realization that their students know more than they may be able to express, and when they assume that their students are competent-Kluth calls this acting “as if.” It’s pretty apparent how powerful acting “as if” could be for students with disabilities. Kluth gives the example of constant talking with these students, even if they can’t communicate back. Also, she says teachers should presume competence by being sure to use age-appropriate materials, give opportunities to practice new skills, and to look for alternate ways to incorporate literacy. I think all too often people don’t treat students with disabilities like they would students without disabilities, probably because they think they can’t understand…and we know this isn’t true. So if we begin by assuming they can and will understand, we’re giving these students an advantage and setting them up for success.
I See What You Mean: Children at Work with Visual Information by Steve Moline
What a great resource for any teacher at any grade level in any content area. The book is very teacher-friendly and will be a resource for useful and practical ideas to incorporate into a curriculum. The examples are wonderful, and made me see how easily adaptable these strategies would be in a classroom. A few of the strategies I particularly like are the Making a Model Town, the Flow Diagrams and How-To’s, and the Timelines. The how-to’s and timelines are things that I remember doing in school, that were purely writing activities. It’s interesting to see how education has transformed these tasks to make them meaningful for a wider range of students.
“The use of visual supports in literacy instruction, teachers are sure to…give every student opportunities to hone their skills as listeners, speakers, writers, and readers.”
http://www.paulakluth.com/articles/visual_literacy.html
When reading about visual literacy in this article, I thought of my student teaching experience in a 5th grade classroom. I did a literacy unit on the novel, Maniac Magee and used many different forms of visual tools/representations. For example, we used a story poster, built a human timeline, created a bulletin board, used graphic organizers, and played a power point jeopardy game on the Smartboard. I like how Kluth generalizes visual literacy when she points out that not only can visual strategies be useful for students with disabilities, but also those without. By expanding the strategies teachers use in their classrooms, they are opening learning up to a “wider range of learners.” She gives three great visual strategies; picture books, story kits, and visual notes. Often times as Kluth says, strategies that are primarily meant to help the student with the disability will end up aiding the entire class as well-creating a powerful tool.
When reading about visual literacy in this article, I thought of my student teaching experience in a 5th grade classroom. I did a literacy unit on the novel, Maniac Magee and used many different forms of visual tools/representations. For example, we used a story poster, built a human timeline, created a bulletin board, used graphic organizers, and played a power point jeopardy game on the Smartboard. I like how Kluth generalizes visual literacy when she points out that not only can visual strategies be useful for students with disabilities, but also those without. By expanding the strategies teachers use in their classrooms, they are opening learning up to a “wider range of learners.” She gives three great visual strategies; picture books, story kits, and visual notes. Often times as Kluth says, strategies that are primarily meant to help the student with the disability will end up aiding the entire class as well-creating a powerful tool.
“This was a hard scene to watch; the situation was difficult to begin with but was made more challenging by the actions of the adult.”
http://www.paulakluth.com/articles/calmincrisis.html
This article was so simple…but extremely important. I think we can all think of someone we would like to hand this article to as a “wake-up call.” It seems like common sense to try to calm someone who is worked up, but it isn’t natural to whisper to someone who is yelling and crying. This is where our talent comes in as teachers, to reflect for a moment about what is best for our students and our classroom environment. Kluth’s strategy is simple, subtle, and by the sounds of it, successful. This strategy in one I can envision working not only for students with Autism, but also many other types of students.
This article was so simple…but extremely important. I think we can all think of someone we would like to hand this article to as a “wake-up call.” It seems like common sense to try to calm someone who is worked up, but it isn’t natural to whisper to someone who is yelling and crying. This is where our talent comes in as teachers, to reflect for a moment about what is best for our students and our classroom environment. Kluth’s strategy is simple, subtle, and by the sounds of it, successful. This strategy in one I can envision working not only for students with Autism, but also many other types of students.
Eye Tracking Devices
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDKFNqrmtZ4
My interest with the Dynavox technological devices stems from my experience in an inclusive 5th grade classroom, and also personally with experiences with my father. I student taught in a classroom where a student with severe disabilities used a Dynavox on a daily basis. She used it for communication, expression, and learning. The most memorable thing about that experience was seeing her classmates want to learn about her Dynavox. She had a close group of friends that knew how to communicate best with her and took the extra time to do so. My other connection to the Dynavox devices is through my personal life. My father had strokes a few years ago, and lost his speech. He had no way to communicate with us until he was exposed to the Dynavox. The device was a complete relief for all of us. Finally, he had a way to communicate with us so that he wasn’t going through everything alone and so that we didn’t feel so helpless.
This video was really interesting to me. It just shows how quickly things can change and advance. The device that was first used through touch can now be used through the use of sight. Technological advances like these are opening so many doors for people with disabilities every day, and it’s exciting to think what could come next.
My interest with the Dynavox technological devices stems from my experience in an inclusive 5th grade classroom, and also personally with experiences with my father. I student taught in a classroom where a student with severe disabilities used a Dynavox on a daily basis. She used it for communication, expression, and learning. The most memorable thing about that experience was seeing her classmates want to learn about her Dynavox. She had a close group of friends that knew how to communicate best with her and took the extra time to do so. My other connection to the Dynavox devices is through my personal life. My father had strokes a few years ago, and lost his speech. He had no way to communicate with us until he was exposed to the Dynavox. The device was a complete relief for all of us. Finally, he had a way to communicate with us so that he wasn’t going through everything alone and so that we didn’t feel so helpless.
This video was really interesting to me. It just shows how quickly things can change and advance. The device that was first used through touch can now be used through the use of sight. Technological advances like these are opening so many doors for people with disabilities every day, and it’s exciting to think what could come next.
Focused Issue: Technology
The following quote is from a teacher, reflecting on one of her students’ behaviors:
“Reuben burst into the classroom on Monday morning, waving his school library book in the air and asking, 'Can I please do a book review?' Reuben, a typical six and a half year old boy, is not usually very excited about reading, or writing, or in fact anything remotely resembling hard work, so what had got him so excited?” –Sue Halsey, Embracing Emergent Technologies and Envisioning New Ways of Using Them for Literacy Learning in the Primary Classroom (ERIC Digest).
The student was eager to partake in a book review because his teacher, Sue Halsey, chose to incorporate technology into her classroom. She developed a class website in which she, her students, their families, and community members could contribute. One of the aspects of the website allowed students to use podcast technology to share reviews of books they have read (Halsey, 2007, p. 102). Technological advances are ever growing, and because children use these advances a great deal outside of school, it is eminent that these new technologies will make their way into our classrooms. Ideally, every classroom should incorporate technology to the best of their abilities in response to children’s interest and excitement about these technologies. After all, what better way to reach our students, than to use what they love…
There is a wide range of possibilities when it comes to using technology in schools, and it will forever be expanding and improving. Promethean Boards are a popular tool being used today. They are essentially interactive chalkboards. Teachers gain access to thousands of pre-made flipcharts which can be used on the boards. The flipcharts are of varied lessons, activities, and grade levels (www.prometheanplanet.com). Teachers also have the capability to use their creativity to construct their own flipcharts. Once the flipcharts are opened on the Promethean Board, students have the ability to use a special pen tool to interact with the board. Students can also interact with the board through personal handheld devices which are synced to the board, which has great opportunities for students with disabilities. Another technological advance of growing popularity is the use of electronic books. These ‘E-Books’ have a great potential to open reading up to people who were not accessible to books before, such as people with blindness, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. It would give them the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from reading, when perhaps they couldn’t before.
Sue Halsey says, “Envisionments take place when teachers, children, and others imagine new possibilities for literacy and learning, transform existing technologies to construct this vision, and then share their work with others.” This is exactly what is, and should be, happening in our schools and communities. With any drastically new idea, teachers can be nervous and hesitant, and naturally so. However, educators need to embrace new technologies into their philosophies…for the benefit of their students.
“Reuben burst into the classroom on Monday morning, waving his school library book in the air and asking, 'Can I please do a book review?' Reuben, a typical six and a half year old boy, is not usually very excited about reading, or writing, or in fact anything remotely resembling hard work, so what had got him so excited?” –Sue Halsey, Embracing Emergent Technologies and Envisioning New Ways of Using Them for Literacy Learning in the Primary Classroom (ERIC Digest).
The student was eager to partake in a book review because his teacher, Sue Halsey, chose to incorporate technology into her classroom. She developed a class website in which she, her students, their families, and community members could contribute. One of the aspects of the website allowed students to use podcast technology to share reviews of books they have read (Halsey, 2007, p. 102). Technological advances are ever growing, and because children use these advances a great deal outside of school, it is eminent that these new technologies will make their way into our classrooms. Ideally, every classroom should incorporate technology to the best of their abilities in response to children’s interest and excitement about these technologies. After all, what better way to reach our students, than to use what they love…
There is a wide range of possibilities when it comes to using technology in schools, and it will forever be expanding and improving. Promethean Boards are a popular tool being used today. They are essentially interactive chalkboards. Teachers gain access to thousands of pre-made flipcharts which can be used on the boards. The flipcharts are of varied lessons, activities, and grade levels (www.prometheanplanet.com). Teachers also have the capability to use their creativity to construct their own flipcharts. Once the flipcharts are opened on the Promethean Board, students have the ability to use a special pen tool to interact with the board. Students can also interact with the board through personal handheld devices which are synced to the board, which has great opportunities for students with disabilities. Another technological advance of growing popularity is the use of electronic books. These ‘E-Books’ have a great potential to open reading up to people who were not accessible to books before, such as people with blindness, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. It would give them the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from reading, when perhaps they couldn’t before.
Sue Halsey says, “Envisionments take place when teachers, children, and others imagine new possibilities for literacy and learning, transform existing technologies to construct this vision, and then share their work with others.” This is exactly what is, and should be, happening in our schools and communities. With any drastically new idea, teachers can be nervous and hesitant, and naturally so. However, educators need to embrace new technologies into their philosophies…for the benefit of their students.
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