Final Reflection

As this course comes to a close and I reflect back on what I have studied and learned, I have to say that although I learned quite a bit I am still not where I would like to be as far as understanding  students with special needs. However, I do think that is a feeling that will develop through experience and interaction with my future students and getting to know them as individuals and getting to know their specific needs, challenges and abilities. I am grateful that I have been able to study some of the laws regarding the services that schools provide for special needs students, and to have gained an understanding of the changes that we as a country and culture have made in supporting, including and welcoming people with special needs.
One of the most impactful experiences for this class was the orthopedic simulation, where I spent several hours in a wheelchair and had some tasks that I was to accomplish. It was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life as far as understanding the challenges associated with being in a wheelchair. I experienced an enormous range of emotions as I attempted to accomplish each task; my emotions ranged from frustration to rage and back to despair as I realized that the place I was in was not designed for my current level of ability. I thought about how each person who is in a wheelchair may also feel those things and be faced with them every single day, on top of the ordinary day-to-day frustrations and challenges as well as any other additional emotional issues or mental health issues that affect any one of us. I thought that it would be incredibly easy to slip into a deep depression brought on by the experience of trying to live in a world that you cannot access freely. Since that simulation, I have looked at each person in a wheelchair as a person of deep strength.
Although the mechanics of this class were frustrating at times, I am glad to have been able to take it over the summer when I could focus on it a little more than if it were in a full-time semester. I had originally planned to be a ECSE major, but now know that ElEd is the right place for me to be. I will work hard to include, encourage and support all of my future students who have special needs.

Lesson 12 Reflection

This week we learned about making accommodations when evaluating student learning. There are many ways that we can create opportunities for all students to demonstrate their learning, and to achieve success according to their abilities and strengths. individualized grading is a way for teachers to accommodate students who may have a high-incidence disability or modified curricular expectations. They can monitor the student's development and represent their progress in a way that is meaningful for that individual student. A portfolio assessment is another way for students with special needs to show their achievements and progress. A collection of their work and other observable evidence is assembled and is then available as a reference on that student's progress.
I worked on the visual impairment mask challenge this week, and it was again such a powerful experience. I had to plan it for a day when I could be home and not need to drive anywhere. I developed quite a headache after straining my eyes for so long. I was surprised how hard it was to navigate even in my familiar home environment. It was surprising how many things I found difficult without my sight. I couldn't do my usual activities like reading or watching TV or going for a walk, without experiencing severe difficulty. These challenges have been so revealing.

Lesson 11 Reflection and Oral Expression challenge

The reading this week shared some strategies which can be used to aid students in independent learning. It was great to learn a few new ones and to know that I have these and can refer to them in the text as a resource. I am particularly interested in these kinds of things because as I have continued my education and experiences in the classroom, I am developing the sense that student-led learning is very powerful. If I teach strategies such as these to my future students, then I believe that they will be able to take an assertive stance in their own education.
I worked on the oral expression disability challenge this week, and it was again a humbling experience. I spent so much time beforehand thinking and stressing about what I could say without using the /l/ or /n/ sounds. I was really worried about repeating back to someone a portion of their directions that they said to me, and had to think about what I could repeat without using the specific sounds. These simulations are a very eye-opening and worthwhile project to participate in. I have found some good people though, who have been so kind and made sure that they looked me in the eye and stopped to listen to me and do what they could to assist me and make me feel like they were giving me their best.

Lesson 10 Reflection and Orthopedic Impairment Experience

I completed the orthopedic impairment simulation this week. I was able to participate in this experience at my local mall, and was able to bring my children with me. For me, this was a fairly difficult and a surprisingly emotional experience. The first thing that we did after arriving was to go buy a soft pretzel. The cashier was so friendly to me, and I made a special note that she looked me directly in the eye and was upbeat during our interaction. After we bought our pretzel and drink, I realized that the only way for me to get them to our table was to place the hot pretzel and full soda on my lap or have my children carry it for me. I needed both hands on the wheels of my chair or I wouldn't be going anywhere. I continued to have moment after moment of realizing my current limitations; the displays in stores that I couldn't fit between, the amount of time it takes to get from one side of the mall to the other, the way that water from the drinking fountain dribbles down your chin when your face is vertical coming at instead of horizontal above that fountain, how much shoulder and back strength it takes to move around independently in a wheelchair.... I had a moment when trying to use the restroom without using my legs where I teared up in frustration. I could not figure out how to transfer to the toilet without using my legs. I literally sat in the stall and googled how to do it. and I couldn't even do it with those instructions. The realization that if this were my impairment that I would need assistance to just use the bathroom impacted me. I had been thinking that this experience would be interesting, but I was not prepared for how emotional I felt. I will absolutely remember this experience.
This week's reading focused on differentiating instruction. After my experience in the wheelchair, I feel like I have an enhanced sense of the importance of reaching students who have impairments to their learning, and to differentiate for them so that they can experience success and participate in their classroom.

Lesson 09 Reflection

This week our readings focused on students with "other disabilities" and UDL, Universal Design for Learning. UDL works to design learning for students who have been marginalized and/or are struggling with average curriculum that is geared towards the illusory "average" student. I was so impressed by the efforts of many of the teachers that we saw in the content videos who were working to do everything in their power to reach the students under their care who struggled with various difficulties from homelessness to neglect or abuse to symptoms of ADHD and other cognitive or physical challenges. These teachers absolutely lit up when they were talking about their jobs and how they felt a sense of purpose and were dedicated to serving the children with integrity and purpose. I was inspired when I saw the classrooms that were as inclusive as they could be, with students who have special needs seated next to and working with their typically developing peers. It was powerful to watch the peer to peer teaching that happened with the students, and to hear that when students are in an inclusive classroom, all students benefit and experience deeper learning. This was an eye opening experience for me and one that I would love to be able to enact in my own classroom. Thinking back to my own elementary experience, I do remember special needs student being included in our classroom and it was just a normal thing for us; we did not expect them to be separated, we wanted to know how we could interact with them and share our learning experiences with them.

Lesson 08 Reflection

This week I was most impressed by doing the case study learning activity where we used the INCLUDE model and made a plan for "Mark". For me, it was beneficial because before actually participating in creating the plan for him, just reading about all the steps in the textbook seemed a little overwhelming and intimidating. Having the opportunity to learn a little about the child and his background, previous teacher's experiences with him, gave me the information I felt like I needed to make some recommendations for accommodations that might help to benefit Mark in the classroom with the other second graders. I am glad for that experience of creating the plan for him, and using the guidelines from the INCLUDE method to do that.

Lesson 07 Reflection

This week we continued to look at the referral process for Special Education services. The assessments can be a little confusing to interpret, so we watched a video that helped explain that in more detail. (video found here: https://screencast.com/t/PNMmvXYZb62J ) Our case study for the week looked at a young girl named Esther who had been experiencing struggles in her schooling. She had been adopted from Mexico after being raised by a mother who had neglected her and then abandoned Esther at a bus station, then she lived in an orphanage for a year and a half. We looked at her assessment scores and made decisions about where to place her so that she could now receive extra help, but my heart was just focused on how troubled her young life had been. I think that in my future encounters with children like Esther, I need to remember to focus on more than just the data and assessment scores, and remember that there is a human life behind the numbers. Esther needs care and compassion and support from loving and trustworthy adults who can help her to grow and see the value in education and the steps that will get her there.