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Reflection an Overview of Learning Disabilities
On Wednesday Jan 31, 2018 our class discussion was based on the History of Learning Disabilities which I must say was vibrant, thought provoking and interesting. Our lecturer Mrs. Anderson Leachman engaged us with high quality information from her researched presentation power point and experiences in the field of disability. We initially began with an ice-breaker “Guess Who?” in which we were asked to write something about ourselves and persons would guess who it is, it was fun and got our attention to begin class. We reviewed and discussed the many stages researches speculated the etiology and deficiency and developmental stages of children or the correct name for these symptoms and conditions.
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The discussion heightened and we agreed that they were similarities between Intellectual Disability (ID) and Learning Disability (LD).We also know that there are differences. In short ID is an intellectual deficits and LD is an overarching condition that affects learning.
The class discussed at length our experiences for example, my son Conrad who attended a special education unit and the discrimination faced because he was not toilet trained but because of advocacy he was able to complete his primary and secondary education and graduated out of 5 children who were also enrolled at the same special education institution who themselves were not toilet trained. Our lecturer also spoke on the matter of her child’s condition at birth and having jaundice and the treatment given to him by the medical personnel in a private institution. Another colleague spoke on her child in the primary school with attendance of 47 students in the classroom, while others spoke on their home and school
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB 2001) ensures all children have a fair, and equal chance of accessing high-quality education and of achieving at least the minimal proficiency level on state standard” (Leachman 2018) in class power point presentation. Do we believe that students are given a fair share in the classrooms or within the education system? We reflected and discussed our Jamaican situation in the education system regarding the GSAT examination and its proficiency. This exam is designed for a one size fits all and frustrates teachers and students knowing that some children are not eligible, however they are put through a test that they are not able to accomplish and then placed in a non-traditional high school and are still not able to cope because there is no resources put in place such as differentiated instructions within a least restrictive environment
In the video presentation of How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop, Richard Lavoie is able to simulate several of the difficulties that a student with a learning disability has to face at school. Some of the difficulties experienced by the students are intrinsic to the disability itself, but many other difficulties are directly related with the emotions that the student experiences when attending a class, and as a result of his or her interactions with teachers and classmates. Both the United States law and the education system, have the opportunity to make a huge difference in the learning experience of every student with disability. Students with disabilities need to be guided to a path to education that is both feasible and accessible for them; with achievable goals, and by being provided what they need in order to succeed, and to be able to overcome any obstacles.
“The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal” by Jonathan Mooney is the story of his journey around the U.S. in short bus nonetheless to meet with different children and their families who have faced challenges in school due to ADD, ADHD, Autism, and other learning disabilities. Jonathan Mooney himself faced the disability of Dyslexia and often had to deal with many challenges in school himself, but he appears to be one of the more fortunate ones, who was able to grow from his disability and ultimately get a degree in English. Needless to say, his book and journey lead the reader to question what really is “normal”, and how the views of this have caused the odds to be stacked against those who don’t fit the mold. Throughout, this story, for me personally however, this story gave several events that I found moving, and had the potential to influence my further work in education.
Lavoie’s workshop provokes an emotional response. After viewing life through the eyes of a child with special needs, I cannot help but have a more significant understanding of what people, especially children with disabilities, must deal with every day, everywhere. During the many years that I have worked with children with various disabilities, I have encountered each of the topics discussed in Lavoie’s workshop and agree with the points he makes regarding children with disabilities. Particularly impacting the way I interact with my students are the topics concerning: anxiety, reading comprehension, and fairness.
Alison’s story is the perfect example of what many families must go through when faced with the possibility of having a child diagnosed with a learning disability. Alison was not diagnosed with visual and auditory dyslexia until the summer before entering college. However, while still a toddler, her symptoms had been brought to her mother’s attention by her sister’s teacher. Alison’s mother then noticed her habits in repeating words incorrectly and how Alison would need tactile clues to follow directions. At the recommendation of her kindergarten teacher, Alison was tested for learning disabilities and the results from the school psychologists were that she was acting stubborn or disobedient. Her family did not stop with the school’s diagnosis. They had private testing completed that confirmed Alison did not have a specific learning disability. The final word came from a relative that happened to be a psychologist. He insisted Alison would grow out of her difficulties. So Alison continued on with her entire elementary, middle and high school journey as a student and daughter with an undiagnosed learning disability.
Labeling theory is an issue that has been raised that deserves a closer look. Labeling theory, the impression that the public labels certain people as different from the normal conduct. (Popple and Leighninger, 2011) Everyone labels in society. An actor can be labeled into a certain part thought out his/her career. A boss is labeled horrible for firing one individual. Society uses labels and it defines people. The book brought up two points of labeling that should be explored. The first point is the label of developmental disabilities will give a diagnosis. People who have developmental disabilities have it, and they cannot change the situation. It can be manageable, but there will always be the label. The second point is that the society label and perception of the label. There is a stigma in the public about developmental disabilities. Although more accepted than mental illness, developmental disability has a label of individuals being stupid and slow. Labeling theory can be seen throughout history. Chapter thirteen points out that history can shape individual’s label of developmentally disabilities.
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
Though standardized testing has played a part in America's education system it took several tries before it played such a large role in education like it does today. The No child left Behind Act of 2002 was the foot hold standardized testing needed in order to be implemented into schools at a national level with such force. During the 1990’s the U.S felt as though it was falling behind on the Programme for International Assessment. “After No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading”(walker 1).
Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the sentiments of the authors and their insight into standardized examination. The articles provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that standardized tests are not effective at measuring a teacher’s competency because they do not take into account the school environment and its effect on the students.
Standing in front of 30 or so fifth graders is a lonely position. I feel the burden of all teachers and start my presentation. It is a difficult curriculum to teach to fifth graders because of the many contradictions and situational circumstances. These fifth graders are sharp and ask questions whose answers could easily fill the rest of the year's class time. It is for this same reason that the presentation is such an enjoyable program. A ten-question quiz, designed to "pop" some of the myths about disabilities, is given to the students. The class discusses ideas about independence, differentiating between disabilities and emphasizing that the person comes before the disability. The quiz is an icebreaker that encourages the students to ask questions that pertain to the whole disabilities spectrum.
My field experience for EDUC 2130 was done at Rabun County Elementary STEM camp. The camp and its instructors had the goal of increasing the student’s awareness, knowledge, and interest in STEM. The student age groups I worked with went from kindergarten to 5th grade which gave me a wide range of behavioral, moral, and developmental stages to observe. The teachers running the program used many of the techniques we have discussed such as whole class discussions, small groups, and observational learning.
Santa Barbara, CA: Learning Works, 1996. Print. The. Girod, Christina M. Learning Disabilities. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2001. Print.
Students with learning disabilities can learn; each student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Educators must continue to focus on the strengths of each student and building on them, creating a stronger student and person. Identifying the weakness is at the core of getting a student help with their learning disability, but after this initial identification and placement, the focus should shift to the strengths and adjusting the student’s schoolwork to reflect these strengths. For instance, if a student is weak in reading but has wonderful group interaction skills and is good with his or her hands, the students' reading tasks should then be shifted to reflect these st...
In society, education can be seen as a foundation for success. Education prepares people for their careers and allows them to contribute to society efficiently. However, there is an achievement gap in education, especially between Hispanics and Blacks. In other words, there is education inequality between these minorities and white students. This achievement gap is a social problem in the education system since this is affecting many schools in the United States. As a response to this social problem, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed to assist in closing this achievement gap by holding schools more accountable for the students’ progress. Unsuccessful, the No Child Left Behind Act was ineffective as a social response since schools were pushed to produce high test scores in order to show a student’s academic progress which in turn, pressured teachers and students even more to do well on these tests.
People with intellectual disabilities can and do learn new skills, but they learn at a slower process. There are varying degrees of intellectual disability, from mild to profound. In society today, mental retardation is no longer the appropriate political terminology when referring to people with an intellectual disability or developmental disability. Today the term used in the medical professional is intellectual disabled.
The classroom is a diverse place where learners from all different genres of life meet. Included in these learners are those that display learning disabilities. According to the British Columbia School Superintendent’s Association, ‘learning disabilities refer to a number of conditions that might affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning’. They also posit that ‘learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to language processing,