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.

Lesson 06 Reflection

This weeks learning focused on collaboration and teams. The reading explained many of the ways that general educators, families, and support staff interact and work together, with the main goal of assisting the student in progressing. I feel like I typically have and focus on the parent's perspective and the student's progress from that side of things, and I was wondering a lot about how the professionals tend to look at this. In my reading this week, I was able to understand that other side a little better. I was impressed by how much the professional side of the student support team was encouraged to respect the family, their beliefs and to work to use family centered practices that encouraged the collaboration between family and school staff. I enjoyed learning a little more about the role of paraprofessionals and how I will be working with them as a general educator. Before I made the decision to pursue Elementary Ed, I was considering going to work as a paraprofessional so I was glad to get an additional peek into their role in the classroom and with the students.
In my future classroom (and to be honest, many other areas of my life) collaboration will be one of the keys to meeting the needs of all of my students. I by myself will not be able to do and provide everything that they will need to be successful. The tool of collaboration will help me fulfill my role as an educator.
In relation to a previous topic, I saw that a family from my hometown is suing the school district over their perceived harm to their special needs daughter's development. This is a link to the story: http://www.saobserver.net/news/380688991.html

Lesson 05 Reflection

This week we learned more about the laws governing special education. I was impressed by the level of detail and amount of revisions that some of the laws have undergone over the years. To me, it seemed that the more understanding we become as a society, the more we work to reflect that in these laws. It was hard to believe that as recently as the early 70's, disabled people were still institutionalized for something like cerebral palsy. I was fascinated as I was able to learn about some of the laws and cases that have affected the treatment of disabled persons.
We also learned more specifics and responsibilities of the teams that work to support students with special needs. That was extremely helpful, and I will need to continue to study and learn about those roles because I know that I will be interacting with this team and these professionals in my career as a general educator. The better I can understand what their goals and plans are to support my students, the better.
One thing that I would like to remember was mentioned in the law lecture video - that case law will always be ahead of statutory law, and to do what I can to keep current with case law regarding special needs students so that I can best serve them and their families.

Lesson 04 Reflection

Learning a little more about the inner workings of an IEP was so interesting to me. My mother was a Special Education Support worker, and often brought her students that she was working with home to meet us (her children) so I was aware in a small way that their education goals were different than mainstream students. She did not talk much about what those differences were (and I doubt I would have understood much about that when I was a child), so I enjoyed gaining insight in to that this week. I was so impressed to learn that the parent's rights are at the forefront, along with the best outcome for the student. The IEP really is individualized, and the student's progress is continually monitored. To me, it seems like this would be fantastic to do for every student but I understand why that is just not feasible. I know this may be controversial to say, but I wonder what would happen if mainstream or gifted students received as much individualized attention to their educational progress and goals as those students with special needs. I understand the need to monitor and help the students who are behind, obviously, but how amazing would it be if every student was able to receive that amount of support and monitoring and personalized goal-setting?! Wow, that opens up a whole world of possibility in my mind. Grade-level would cease to hold meaning and each student would be able to progress at their own rate and not be held back from learning something if they were ready for it. Sounds a little Utopian, but so exciting as an idea.

Lesson 03 Reflection

I have to be honest, the videos of the Serbian institutions that we watched this week really affected me. I couldn't help but think of my own mother, who passed away two years ago due to the effects of frontotemporal dementia. As I thought about the care she received in stark contrast to what the Serbian people were subjected to, I was appalled. I had a hard time dealing with my own feelings, even knowing that she was under the full time care of a full and competent staff in a comfortable, loving, supportive environment and can only imagine in my worst nightmares what the families of the Serbian patients must have felt, giving up their children to the government without knowing where they were or the conditions they were living in.
After watching those scenes, I was able to take heart in the fact that in our country we are doing many things to support the people who need care and help because of handicaps and disabilities. I hope with all of my heart that other countries are able to progress and move forward in their treatment of these people, looking to America if necessary (even though our legislation may not be perfect, it is an effort made).

Lesson 02 Reflections

As I have read the content this week, I have more deeply realized that mine is not the only perspective that I will need to focus on as a teacher. The students that will come into my future classroom will each be arriving with varying backgrounds, support systems, challenges and goals for the year. I think that it would be incredibly rare to have a classroom full of typically developing, on-grade-level students who come to the class focused and ready to participate and learn. I do know that most schools have access to a specialist or support staff that can help the students who have various specific challenges, but I feel that if I am able to be prepared in some way to help them that it will be a greater benefit for them and for our classroom as a whole.
As much as I hate to use the word "entitled", I do feel that it works when describing how students with special needs and challenges should feel in relation to receiving help. It would eat me alive to feel like I was not able to ask for or receive help when I needed it, and although the kind of help that special needs family may require can potentially be very great and time consuming and specialized, it is my belief that the kind of help they need should be available and accessible. I know that I will not be able to develop all the skills I need to be able to help every family and student that I will encounter in my career during this one class, but I am hoping to become more aware through this experience and learn about resources and types of help available so that I can at least be sympathetic to their needs and provide some kind of supportive direction.