Question #1 - ESPE 530 - Psychology and Education of Exceptional Individuals - Discussion Areas - Stan Swartz - Message Board - Yuku

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Question #1

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Unregistered(d)	Question #1	Lead	[-]
Posts: 0 (12/07/07 22:30:36) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Yes, according to IDEA, the federal government mandates that children with learning disabilities be placed in the least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment is usually the general education setting, unless the student has very specific needs that cannot be addressed in a general education setting. IDEA is in place to make sure that children with learning disabilities are not discriminated against. In prior years, they were often separated from the general education population and received a less than inferior education. Research shows that children with learning disabilities learn a great deal when they are in the same classroom as their peers. They learn appropriate social cues, may have a buddy student that can help them with assignments, and overall greatly benefit from being in a general education setting. Regular classroom teachers may feel overwhelmed because they may not have appropriate training or resources to support their students. It is really important that teachers participate in professional development training that helps them make appropriate accommodations for their students. It is also important that teachers be given resources to support their students within the classroom. Appropriate resources might include: audio CDs, Braille text, large print texts, and manipulatives and supplies to make abstract concepts more accessible to their students. Teachers also need time to collaborate with one another and share best practices that have been successful for them and may provide success for other teachers. Ideally, teachers need to participate in professional development and collaborate with one another to share best practices and possible solutions to help all students achieve success in their classrooms.
Unregistered(d)	Response Question 1	#1	[-]
Posts: 0 (01/12/08 22:45:10) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Nice job. I know several teachers who are overwhelmed by having special need students in their classrooms. They view them as being a burden and a disruption to their classrooms. And granted, sometimes they are. However, a teacher who has the training and patience to deal with these special students can make a great impact and everyone can benefit from the experience. Not just the special needs student, but the other students as well. I have witnessed these exceptional teachers as well. I have been amazed at how well the whole class can adapt to such a situation. The needs of the special needs student is being met, the teacher is teaching ALL of her students and the fellow students are coming along side and befriending and accepting the student who is "different" from them. I personally feel that it is not only the law to include these students, but our duty as fellow human beings.
Unregistered(d)	Question 1	#2	[-]
Posts: 0 (01/24/08 15:05:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	While I agree with the importance of teacher training with regards to educating students with learning disabilities in a mainstreamed classroom, those with severe handicaps are sometimes better served outside the regular classroom. Teaching training programs should have a stronger emphasis on differentiated learning and trained teachers with strategies for meeting students across a variety of ability levels. Trained teacher can bring about amazing academic results in children with learning disabilities; in addition Ive seen teachers create an atmosphere of compassion and understanding that stays with their students for a lifetime. On the other hand, Ive also seen teachers who have damaged the self esteem of students with learning disabilities. For example, drawing attention to weaknesses and picking on these students who behave differently often complicates the social as well as academic issues associated with a disability. A teachers role is to not only educate but to facilitate an environment of support and encouragement. Students with disabilities that go unnoticed and ignored by their teacher can become the targets of jokes and be teased by other students. Some teachers do not have the tools nor the interest necessary for providing the quality of education that the law entitles to each student under the IDEA laws. Another unfortunate example of mainstreaming gone wrong involves race. Even though Section 504 and ADA have been put into place to reduce racial discrimination of students with disabilities, the law cannot rule a teachers heart. I have family in Mississippi, and in the deep south I decided to visit my sisters school. I will not forget a conversation I had with a teacher there who thought all black students were not capable of the same behavior and work as the other students in her classroom. She thought that the learning disabilities her black students had been diagnosed with were excuses for low intelligence. I had to wonder whether or not her students would have been better off in a pull-out program. Overall, teachers such as the one from Mississippi are the exception, not the rule in classrooms Ive seen in California. All in all, teachers can certainly be expected to provide for the needs of children with disabilities, but if they do not provide their services whole-heartedly and with training and skills, a student may be better served in a pull-out classroom. Its too bad parents cant choose their students teachers for situations like this, eh?
Unregistered(d)	Question 1	#3	[-]
Posts: 0 (02/02/08 22:46:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	As teachers we have responsibility to teach to all children. We have learned that every student is an individual with their own learning style. We are encouraged to uncover each of our students learning modalities and use a variety of techniques that enhances these learning styles. I dont understand why students with disabilities should be excluded from this practice. If a teacher is accommodating to her students then all of them will be successful at their level of ability. I have witnessed these success; students with disabilities thrive from the regular classroom setting were the teacher embraces different learning modalities. Their teacher is accommodating to all of them, they are supported by their peers, and given extra reinforcement from the resource teacher. If all these dynamic are in place their confidence in their academic ability flourishes. But we also need to consider the advantage that many of the other students are receiving from this environment. With the variety of teaching techniques used, the students that are not classified with disabilities but have low test scores benefit from the accommodating strategies. The continuous practice of teacher-directed groups, collaborative work, and explicit instruction help all of the students in the classroom. I know that accommodating to each of the students is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. But in the long run you have built each of your students confidence level and acceptance for each of our differences. Besides as teachers we definitely did not get into this profession for the money we choose it because we want to make a difference in all of our students lives.
Unregistered(d)	Q#1	#4	[-]
Posts: 0 (02/15/08 10:51:29) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Yes, I would agree that many general educ.classroom teachers are very overwhelmed, especially with this years restrictions and standards that the teachers are held accountable for. From what I have seen and heard they are not only overwhelmed, but have become very bitter and cynical as to what they are now expected to do. I will admit that apart of me agrees with their frustration. Two of the teachers I have spoken with have been teaching for over 25 years and are mentor teachers. And now to have somebody come in and so "we do not care about the success that you have had for all these years, you must now do something completely different". So, to begin with the attitude of many teachers, (at least in the Riverside School District), is poor and indifferent to say the least! Many of them in my opinion, will become even more unmotivated with as they are expected to provide the needs of a child with disabilities. So you ask is it reasonable to ask these teachers to provide children with disabilities an education? Morally and ethically, absolutely YES............Resonably.....I think not. I believe that there are many teachers out there who have the skills, patience, and classroom organizational practice to help these children. With more instructional training, support from other teachers, parents, peers and administration general education teachers can be very successful with inclusion. The bottom line is that we need to not think of children with disabilities as "those children" but simply as CHILDREN that have all the needs, wants and desires as any other child. It is not only legal, but ethical to include these children with any other child. We must let our values guide our practices as special educaiton. In order for the educational world to be successful in meeting the needs of students with disabilities, we must all envision great expectations for these kids by tapping into their strengths and not concentrating entirely on their weaknesses. Help children to enhance their self-determination and ensure that they become full participating citizens in their community. And of course we must realize that according to IDEA, the federal government mandates that we as educators provide the LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT for all children. When children are placed in a classroom environment that does not allow them to perform at their full potential, there growth is stunted and their self-esteem is crushed.

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