Please...

Will someone let me know what I missed in tonight's class? My great grandmother has passed away, and I came back home to be with my family. Everyone, especially my grandmother, is taking it very hard because this is the 3rd death in our family in the past 6 months.

Question....

Are we to include the name of the school, students, teacher ect in our observation report? I was "iffy" about this because of the whole privacy thing and didn't know if I should or not?

Beautiful

Observational Reports

I saw that they are due Monday. Do we need to bring a copy to class or just attach it and summit to Blackboard?

Class Monday

I feel like class Monday really opened my eyes to autistic children and today I felt like I was seeing it everywhere...which started a discussion with my older sister and I about whether there was more autistic children or more diagnosed children in schools now then when we were there...because she teaches special ed. now at a elementary school.

I also saw a great lifetime movie today about a single mother who was raising twin autistic boys...it was just really really good...

AND then on my blackberry's mini feed the main news story was about a chinese I think? lady who discovered her son was autistic and the only advice they gave her was that now she would be able to break the "only 1 child law" and have another. Not discouraged she researched and researched and discovered her son could learn and have a better life. Thus she started a school for her son and 10 other autistic children...

I just thought I would share!

CNN Specials on Autism

This week CNN will be running specials on Autism in light of Wednesday be
National Autism Awareness Day. Check out the EXTREMELY interesting links on CNN's website. Let me know what you think of the Naughty Auties virtual reality space!

CNN Specials on Autism

Observation Question

Do we have a form or something that we need the teacher we observe to sign? Or does the report on our observation count as our documentation? Thanks!

Extra Credit Feedback - From Both Classes

Impressed. I am impressed by your candor and excellent suggestions. Here are a few I will be implementing:

1. Offer you one MORE question than you HAVE TO answer. This gives you an option in case there is one question that you really do NOT know or feel less confident in answering.

2. Be more intentional about stating the instructional objectives of each class and ensuring by the end of class we have met them. If students still have questions that there is an avenue to have those questions addressed.

3. Balance direct instruction and student activities to accomplish the instructional objectives.

4. Ensure that the questions on the test are worded clearly. (Remember ANY time a student is UNCLEAR about a test question you can call and get an explanation of what the question means) However, I will do a better job of writing specific questions.

5. Balance the points between all questions, not making any ONE question be worth such a large percentage of the overall score.

6. Continue with an open book, open note and untimed test.

7. Continue having it be the synthesis, evaluation and application of material as a professional teacher would apply information in a real world setting - not the regurgitation of information from the text and notes. You want college classes that actually are what you can USE in the real world.

8. The questions can demonstrate your own "opinion" or style but MUST reflect best practice or what the book and resources have demonstrated are effective and maximize student learning. Just because a question asks what YOU would do doesn't mean the answer is CORRECT if it does not include what brings about the greatest good or is the most appropriate measure in that given situation. Jena's teacher was 100% wrong in her opinion that Jena HAD TO TAKE NOTES because ALL kids take notes in that class. Not every practice is appropriate.

A few of the things it appears some or all of YOU will be doing...

1. Prepare more effectively - for tests.

2. Read the questions carefully to determine WHAT they are asking you to demonstrate you know.

3. Answer specifically the question that was ASKED not provide general information about that topic.

4. Put forth a bit more effort than you have been

Hmmmmm - who has a longer list!

Question please

Okay...my question is how many observations do we have in this class? I think we only have to do one....im not 100% sure on that though, so if someone could please answer this for me that would be so helpful~! I know I should know how many observations I have due in this class, but I have 2 other SED classes and another class that I have observations in.

Circle Time!

I really enjoyed our discussion about ways to "spice up your circle time." I worked at a daycare last summer, and we had circle time activities. I hope to work there this summer, too. Discussing some ideas for circle time really got me brainstorming and excited to be back at the daycare, having cirlce time with the kids!

So excited!

I did some of my observation hours today in a first grade classroom where the special education students were in the regular ed classes with what they call their "special helper." I got to jump in today and help some of those students read books and take AR tests and I found myself using words like "phoneme." :-) What we have learned in this class really helped me in helping them!! Also, I was so amazed at how kids at that age LOVE adult approval! One little girl, everytime she sounded a word out on her own, and I smiled at her, she just gave me this look like it made her day!! It seriously melted my heart, and I'm so ready to graduate and start teaching! Just figured I'd share some of those thoughts!

Educational Placements

1. How do you handle a parent that was making a decision for the child in which the child clearly didn't agree?
2. Would not the student be the main person in planning his or her educational strategies?

Acoustics

How could the acoustics in a classroom impact a deaf student? (What do we know about deafness and the types or degress of hearing loss) Check out these websites. http://www.cdc.gov/Niosh/mining/topics/hearingloss/hlsoundslike.htm

http://www.utdallas.edu/~thib/rehabinfo/tohl.htm

ASL vs. Signed English

What's the difference between these two types of sign languages? If a student were attending an all deaf school or college would they be more likely to use ASL or Signed English? What does it mean if someone says they use Pidgin?

Jena - Will You Answer This One for Us???

A student asked a great question on their "One more question I still have is..."

How do you incorporate a deaf child in a mainstream class and make them feel equal to that of other hearing children in the classroom?

Once Jena answers, feel free to respond to her!

Your Questions on Deafness

You submitted several very good questions that are often asked by people who are not familiar with working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I want to post some of them here on the blog and give the class a chance to answer them. Once you have discussed these I will also chime in. A few of these may then lead to questions on the test.

The first question I want to share is: Do you separate the deaf child from the regular hearing students? Because if you have a deaf child in a regular education class and the deaf child has an interpreter then how do you keep the attention and order in the class if the regular education or hearing students want to watch the interpreter?

Drive

I just wanted to let the class and Ms. White know that I appreciated your "sermon" last night about becoming a "true" teacher. Although, I was sitting there like a littled "WHOAED" I completely agree with each word you said. I may not be an education major but the students in the classroom are my son's future teachers and I don't want to dare think that my son's teahcers are burnout and sorry. I appreciate your passion and drive for such a crucial part of all of our lives....because teachers are the people who educate some of the most prestigious careers in the world!

Monday night's class

I think that class helped tonight too. I was personally surprised with how much my test scores dropped from the first one to the second. I think tonight helped me pinpoint my exact issues that I could address that would help me. Also, I was relieved to be given the opportunity to respond about the test and receive credit. That rasied my grade an entire letter grade so I appreciate that opportunity.

Monday Night's Class

I personally want to say that I needed tonight's classroom talk. I have been extremely discouraged with how my semester has been going. Usually at this point in the term, I have a great standing in all my courses - however it has been a different story this semester. I definitely needed the pep talk we had. I'm doing well in this class, but in my others I have let myself think that average is okay. With all the demands and things due, I have hardly any time to breathe. And just getting things done is my main goal. But you have given me the kick I needed Mrs. White to get back to the level I was at last semester. My expectations have went from the highest to about mid-level. And that is not me. It never has been.

Thanks for caring Mrs. White.

-Danielle

Freaking out!!!

I cant handle anything that has to do with school right now, it is nearing the end and all I keep thinking about it how bad I am doing in every class. Usually my mid term grades are good but this time around it was far less than that. Seeing my grade in this class makes me realize that I am not doing something right and I am not sure what it is. I don't know but what I do know is that I am so over school right now it is not even funny.