Rules For Posting To This Blog and Weekly Blog Question

1. Only use your first name (no last names, addresses, IM screen names, etc.)
2. Show respect and consideration of others when posting and commenting. This includes individuals, students, organizations, political parties, colleagues, etc.
3. Check all posts for spelling and grammar errors before posting.
4. Protect the privacy of others. Gain permission from other people before you write about them. Avoid sharing someone else's last name. Use job titles or pseudonyms when writing about experiences with your co-workers or students.
5. Watch your language. Use politically correct and non-offensive language.
6. Make sure you write about things that are factual.
7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.

FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!

Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Changing Schools

All of you know that I was diagnosed with a learning disability in middle school. Without the extra help that I received, I am not sure that I would have ever graded from high school. With that being said, I think the government needs to be careful that our schools remain a place for general education and not a glorified come one come all service. I am going to try to be careful as I say this because in no means do I want to offend anyone. I believe special education has its place and think there should be schools set aside for severely profound students. I am sure there is plenty of research to say that I am wrong and these students should be in the general populace of the students at our schools. From my limited interactions, the teachers in our special education department work very hard, but their classes are mixed with different special needs. How are they to help all of the students that they have when they cannot specialize to help their specific needs? Last year, I had an autistic student. I loved him to death, but there is not one thing that my class did for him in an education setting. His paraprofessional pretty much took the tests for him. He was never able to edit a piece of video or to run a video camera. I believe if we are not careful, the general ed. students begin to suffer due to the modifications I had to make for him. It slowed the class down so much that we didn't get as much done in that class. I will finish it with a thought I had from last night. I had to chaperone prom. Early on before most of the students arrived, a severely profound student was dropped off by her parents. My first thoughts were, "How sweet!". She looked beautiful. She had a nice dress on and I thought "She must be having the time of her life." As the next hour and a half to two hours went by, I kept noticing the special ed. teacher pacing her back and forth through the main hall. She screamed at times and the teacher kept saying, "They know she can't stand loud noises and music." I don't know what this little girl was thinking in her head, but do we truly believe she was having a good time? On one of the videos we were watching at NTI this summer, one of the most profound statements I had ever heard that probably changed my life not only as a teacher, but also as a parent, he said, "Fair is not getting everything equal. Fair is getting what YOU need." I am not sure as a school system we were fair to that little girl. I still don't believe she got what she needed.

2 comments:

Dr. M said...

Hi, Dwayne - very poignant post, and I thank you for reminding us about fairness. This is especially the time of year, testing time, that we as teachers need to examine our tests by the fairness attitude. Not saying all should pass, but as a teacher your tests should allow all students a fair chance at assessing their learning in your class. Thanks for sharing a memorable post.

Emily said...

Great, well stated!