Midterm Exam

Hillary Sisson

Diverse Learners Midterm

1.         In the last 60 years, there have been many judicial decisions that have impacted the lives of students within the school system. The civil rights movement was the catalyst for affecting change within our schools. Although this movement did not change the rights of the disabled, it spawned a fight for equal rights. The advocacy that emerged from this movement allowed Brown vs. The Board of Education to be heard and won in the nation’s highest court. This case resulted in proving that separating students by race was unconstitutional. Using this result, many families came forward to enforce that their disabled child was also entitled to a free and appropriate public education.

            The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed in 1975 and has been amended several times since then. Initially the act served to provide a proper education to all disabled children regardless of the severity of their disability. The act is based on six different principles that preside over the education of students with disabilities:

• Zero reject means that schools cannot reject any student because of their disability.
• Nondiscriminatory evaluation refers to the rule that schools must evaluate each student fairly for disabilities and provide resources for them if they are diagnosed.
• Free and appropriate education ensures that schools follow the individually designed education plan for those students with disabilities.
• Least restrictive environment increases student’s likelihood of being placed with peers in a regular classroom whenever it is possible.
• The procedural due process ensures parents rights to sue the school if they fail to honor these principles regarding their child.
• Family and student participation guarantees that students and parents will take part in the planning and implementation of how their child will placed with the special education system.

            IDEA has many amendments added to it since its initial inception. Those amendments cover infants and toddlers with disabilities as well as correct ways of addressing students with disabilities so as not focus solely on the disability and to focus more on the individual. The 2004 amendment of IDEA consisted of major changes in how we involve families in the special education process and how we go about identifying special education students.

            Finally, No Child Left Behind was passed to ensure that all students regardless of disability receive the same curriculum and meet specific learning standards. This law encourages least restrictive environments for students with disabilities because teachers now must make sure that all students are receiving the same instruction. In addition schools are required to offer families alterative schooling if their district school is not meeting test scores, highly qualified teachers, and teaching with the most advanced researched strategies available. Although passed with the best intent for all students, I feel this law has been a great disservice to a lot of schools because of the enormous pressure it puts on schools to meet standardized test scores. Even though many students with IEPs will benefit greatly from a regular curriculum taught among their peers, some students with disabilities do not possess the cognitive abilities understand concepts that the tests are based on. Additionally, due to all the pressure these standardized test have put on teachers, many wonderful learning experiences are being bypassed resulting in a lack luster learning environment for many students.

2.         High-incidence disabilities refer to an array of mild disorders that can affect learning, intellect, behavior, and language. Over 90% of disabled people suffer from a high-incidence disability. The effects the disability has on a person are consistently changing as they age. What is acceptable in toddlerdom becomes disruptive in the structured confines of elementary school. These children often experience feelings of frustration, anxiety, isolation, and low self-esteem that compound the initial disability. High-incidence disabilities can have biological, environment, or experiential causes so it is often difficult to identify the source of the issues. This type of disability can include:

·        Learning disabilities which can encompass difficulties with learning and academics, language and communication, perceptions and motor skills, and emotions and behavior. This type of disability is thought to make up 5% of school populations.

·        Emotional and behavioral disorders are believed to affect 3-5% of students. These disorders are characterized by difficulties with learning, behavior, and motivation. Additionally, students with emotional and behavioral disorders suffer from issues with self control, irritation, and impulsivity. The effects of these disorders can range from mild to severe with some children overcoming their issues while others struggle throughout their lives. Some disorders that fall into this category include schizophrenia, OCD, and bipolar disorder.

·        Attention deficit disorders have become the most diagnosed psychiatric disorder among children afflicting 3-7% of students in this country. ADD sufferers are more than three times as likely to be boys rather than girls. This disorder is characterized by inability to pay attention, being impetuous, and hyperactivity. Symptoms must persist for 6 months, be noticeable at an early age, and interfere with school and social performance in order to gain a diagnosis.

·        Intellectual disabilities diagnoses have decreased dramatically in the United States only consisting of 1% of students. These disorders can impair their ability to learn and can range from mild, moderate, and severe. Some of the conditions included in this category include Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Williams syndrome.

·        Speech and language disorders impact students by making communication difficult. They may experience trouble understand new vocabulary, pronunciations, and being understood when they are orating. The causes of such disorders are often hard to pinpoint, but it is believed that environmental and experiential factors can often exacerbate them. This type of disorder can include dysfunction of expressive language, articulation, voice and fluency.

Low-incidence disabilities are generally defined as those disorders that can have severe physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. They tend to only account for 6% of all diagnosed disabilities within the school system. This group of disabilities spans a large spectrum of characteristics making curricular implementation complicated. It is important for teachers to modify their curriculum in ways that would be most beneficial for each disabled child’s strength and weaknesses. Teachers can use collaborative resources and assistive technology to support to enhance the learning environment for these students. Some types of low incidence disabilities may include:

·        Health and physical needs may include orthopedic impairments that can be a result of complications in the womb, genetics, and diseases. Health impairments may impede a student’s ability to succeed due to “limited strength, vitality, or alertness”. Chronic and acute health problems are often the cause. Teachers need to be aware of each child’s condition in order to make learning possible for them. Some of these student’s disorders are unchanging while others may be progressive or terminal. Know your students!

·        Cerebral palsy is another low-incidence disorder affecting a student’s motor skills and muscle tension. This disorder can be mild to severe and may be accompanied by many other issues that will impact classroom success. Cerebral palsy can affect speech, mobility, and sometimes brain function. Inability to communicate is often one of the most troubling symptoms for people suffering from cerebral palsy.

·        Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings and can often cause paralysis and loss of bladder control. Many students with spina bifida will need the use of walkers, leg braces, and wheelchairs. This disorder can also cause cognitive and language development.

·        Asthma and allergies are one of the most common childhood chronic diseases. It is characterized by difficulties with one’s respiratory system leading to bouts of coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, and trouble breathing. As a teacher, one of the main concerns for these students is the amount of school they miss causing them to fall behind. Knowing what triggers your student’s symptoms can help to alleviate some of the issues involving classroom learning.

·        Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations which are often called tics. This disorder is usually diagnosed in childhood and lasts throughout one’s lifetime. It affects boys most often and symptoms are compounded by stress, exhaustion, and outside factors. School can be a challenging place for children with Tourette’s so it is imperative to be a strong support for your student’s suffereing from this disorder.

·        Autism spectrum disorders are one of the most highly diagnosed low-incidnece disorders today. Students suffering from this disorder vary greatly depending on what part of the spectrum they are diagnosed on. It is considered a neurological disorder, but I believe environmental factors play a huge role in the onset of this disorder. There is much controversy about the causes of this disorder. Autistic students may have sensory impairments and difficulties socializing with classmates. The vast array of issues facing autistic students can range from severe intellectual difficulties to gifted and talented placement.

            Obsessive compulsive disorder can be very disruptive to the classroom environment and may cause it’s sufferers to experience major difficulties with academic and social success at school. If I suspected one of my students may be suffering from this disorder, my first step would be to research the disorder so that I am knowledgeable enough to discuss my concerns with the comprehensive planning team. Once the team is aware of my concerns, I will gather all of the evidence of the issues that the child is encountering within the classroom. I will fill out a preferral planning form denoting student’s strengths, weaknesses, and what seems to work with them and what does not. I will work with the team to come up with various interventions that may alleviate some of the stressors that are causing my student to not succeed. I will try different types of accommodations such as allowing them extra time to finish assignments, taking tests orally if smiting is an issue for them, and teaming them with a compassionate peer tutor. Once I have exhausted my interventions with no positive results, my team and I will implement a RTI model to assess how my student will respond to various strategies and how much assistance they may need to accomplish such tasks. This will give us an idea on how to proceed with a proper referral for an IEP.

            Tourette’s syndrome is such a rare disorder, it will be unlikely that you have a student with this problem However, as a teacher we must be prepared for anything. Since this disorder carries such a social stigma, the social setting of school can truly impede a student’s ability to perform academically. Additionally, since this disorder is marked by obvious physical and verbal tics, it will likely already be diagnosed when the child enters your classroom. However, in order to help my student succeed in the classroom, I will try different techniques to make the classroom experience as enjoyable as possible such as collaborative activities to promote socialization, instruction for all students about the disorder, and allowing students some leeway to accomplish curricular goals. Since many who suffer from this disorder do not have impeded brain function, I feel that full inclusion is the best approach for most of these students.

3.         As a parent myself, I find it hard to understand why a parent would ignore a conference requested by his/her child’s teacher. Looking deeper, however, there are many factors which may contribute to a parent not wanting to or being able to attend. Time constraints are often a reason for lack of parental involvement. Everyone is very busy these days with almost all moms and dads working. Another reason parents might fail to attend conferences is that they have had bad experiences regarding teachers and educators in general and they can’t stand to hear how poorly their child is performing or behaving. Further reasons may include language and cultural barriers, lack of interest, or general unwillingness. As teachers, it is our job to create a bridge of trust with our parents and build open lines of communication from the beginning of the school year so that when conference time arrives, parents will already have some knowledge of their child’s classroom experiences.

To start building up awareness about the upcoming conferences I would:

·        Publish the schedule in class newsletter and post it on the school Web site.

·        Provide conference information in all the languages represented in my classroom.

·        Develop a flexible schedule that includes early morning, late afternoon, and evening conference times.

·        One thing that could really make a difference in attendance if the PTA provided

·        If I have any non English speakers, I will make sure translators will be available

·        I will let parents know what services will be provided. For example, any tutoring,     after school programs, or extracurricular activities offered by the school.

·        A few weeks prior to the conferences, I will send home personal letters announcing the conferences and what dates they will be held on. Included with the letter, I will provide a brief outline of what the conference will entail with items about their child to interest them. I might also include an optional questionnaire that they would fill out and bring with them to the conference detailing what they want for their child and what they see as his/her strengths and weaknesses. I will also stress the importance of the conferences on their child’s education. I will ask parents to respond either by email, phone call, or note with their child as to what time they could attend.  

·        I will make an effort to schedule conferences for students who have siblings in the same school first and coordinate conference times with the siblings' teachers.

·        An important thing to remember when scheduling conferences is to base the length of the conferences on the needs of the students. You do not want to keep parents waiting and you should be well aware of which students may warrant a little extra conference time.

·        I will telephone parents who do not respond and encourage them to attend or try to make a plan for getting together. If I feel it is necessary for the sake of my student, I would be willing to meet a parent outside of school.  

·        I will have the students create home reminders with their conference time on it one week before the conferences are to occur.

Pre-conference preparations

      Prior to the actual conferences, I would prepare a folder for each student that contains samples of his/her work as well their current grades and any behavior concerns you may have. Additionally I would create a comfortable and private physical environment. I would I include adult-sized seating, paper and pens so parents can take notes, and an area large enough to spread the student's work out so parents could examine it. Also, you should be prepared with appropriate materials if you are going suggest special home instruction on a particular skill. Even though it is totally not my style, I would plan a loose script so I don’t find myself flustered when conversing with parents. This is important because you will not have the same questions for each parent. Additionally, you should have specific examples if you are expressing concerns about specific academic or behavioral issues. Know that some parents might react negatively to what you have to tell them and make sure you stay calm (this one scares; I might cry).

      When the conferences begin, I will greet each parent at the door to welcome them to our classroom. I will try to create immediate rapport by relating something amusing or positive about their child. The first part of the conference will be to go over the student’s grades in each subject including examples of student work. For struggling students, I will make a special point to have positive things to say about any accomplishments he/she has reached so it isn’t all negative. Next I will talk about the child’s work habits, behavior, and social skills exhibited in the classroom. The rest of the conference will devoted to the parent so that they may share any thoughts or feelings regarding their child’s progress. This would be the time for any parents who filled out my questionnaire to share it with me. Once completed, we could go over any goals we need to set for the student and ways of achieving them. If needed, we would make plans to correspond about further progress. After the conference, I would walk the parents to the door and thank them for attending. I would also record any prevalent notes about the conference in the student’s file for future reference. Even as outgoing as I am parent teacher conferences hold a mystery that is slightly terrifying for a pre-service teacher. I think the most important things to remember are to remain calm and positive and to listen carefully and reflectively so that all of the parents you meet will feel that you are fond of their child and that you have their best interests in mind.

4.   In the present world of high stakes testing and added pressure on teachers to produce good results, a lot of the social skills instruction has gone to the wayside. I hope to be a teacher that can infuse social skills lessons with my regular curriculum so that it will be thorough. Students arrive in school with all kinds of preconceived notions and misconceptions about people that are different from themselves. In order to address these issues in the classroom, I think first it is imperative to assess what my student’s attitudes toward individual differences are. Using observation techniques, student drawings about different people, and various probes that address differences will give you an evident view of issues that may need addressing in your classroom and can become a valuable teaching tool.

      There are many different strategies and techniques a teacher can use to affect attitude change among his/her students in order to foster not only acceptance but genuine interest in each other. I feel that collaboration is key. Using all of your school resources (nurses, counselors, and other teachers) as well as parents will go a long way in aiding a supportive and open classroom culture. In order for a teacher to succeed in altering student attitudes, he/she must promote positive social skills first by reflecting on her own views, actions, and language make sure she isn’t disregarding individual differences among her students.

      When addressing individual differences such as disabilities, teachers can have the students study about a particular disability that is present within the classroom. Teachers must make sure that disabled students are comfortable with her lesson plans as they will likely be singled out. Using a variety of resources such as literature, websites, games, and assignments, teachers can help students to view disabilities in a positive way so that students can be empathetic toward these people without showing pity. Another great way to enlighten students about life with a disability is to have a guest speaker who may suffer from the disorder your students are learning about. This strategy is great because it brings a true sense of reality to the students about how one can overcome their strife and become successful in life. The use of video and books can also enhance the understanding of a disorder especially if they are high quality meaning they address positive aspects of life for the disabled person. There are many books and videos that are inappropriate, untrue, and misleading so to be sure to your homework. Using these subpar materials will only further enforce the stigmas surrounding disabities.

      Another area of acceptance that needs to be addressed in the classroom is cultural, gender, religious, and economic differences among people of the world. Children need to learn to see the world globally as opposed to making comparisons based on their own existence. Using your own knowledge of diversity and those of classmates, you can effectively promote acceptance of all different types of people. You can make your classroom a view into the world by studying all different types of cultures and their customs. By recreating some of these practices with students, they can imagine what they lived like. Another way to illustrate individual differences regarding to culture would be to have assignments in which students would learn about their own family culture and what kind of customs they practice. This type of assignment closes the gap on understanding that everyone has a culture and that just because it is different from others, it is no less inferior.

      In order to support language differences in your classroom, you should first off as much support to your ESL students so that they feel accepted and engaged. To do this, you can allow these students to use their native language when asking and answering questions. Peer tutoring can work well also as a way to encourage collaboration while fostering social interaction. Additionally, teachers should have dictionaries of the languages represented in their classroom so they can assist with understanding academic concepts. I believe having language diversity in the classroom can be an additional teaching opportunity to have your English speakers learn some common words in the other languages spoken by your students. Teaching acceptance to your students can be a difficult and touchy topic to address, but it is imperative to help your students become well rounded and open people who understand our differences are what make us unique.

Reference

Salend, S. (2011). Creating inclusive classrooms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Chapter 7 Creating a Classroom EnvironmentThat Promotes Positive Behavior

In order for students to be successful in an inclusive environment, they must be able to behave in a way that does not disrupt the other learners in the class. Chapter 7 shows different ways of dealing with this issue. Having a school-wide positive behavior system, using functional behavioral assessments, and promoting positive classroom behavior can go a long ways to ensure that all students are not impeding the learning of others.
1. PBIS programs are school wide positive behavioral interventions and support programs that are used in schools across the country. The school we are doing our field in this year uses this system and seem to really work.
The website below has tons of info about this system and how to make it a part of your school.

The TA Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

http://www.pbis.org/

2. Developing students self esteem can be a great way to combat negative behaviors. Students need feel good about themselves so that they may practice some self control when the time comes and so that they can make wise choices. Having a strong self efficacy will create students who care about consequences and what others think of them.

http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/teachers-formula.gs?content=795

3. Bullies have been an ever present part of the school system. However, bullying today is much different than in the past. Due to technology, bullying continues even when school is not in session. Violenc, suicides, and even murder has occurred as a direct result of bullying.

There is a four part series at brighthub about:

• 1. Why Do Kids Bully?
• 2. How to Identify a Bully
• 3. Identify Kids Who Are Bullied
• 4. How to Prevent Bullying
  
  Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/6339.aspx#ixzz12pika8mC

Chapter 3 Understanding Students Who Challenge Schools

The changes that continually shape our world can have a profound effect on the students we teach. Our job as educators needs to involve understanding our students prior and ongoing experiences so that we may create a learning environment for them that will be conducive to success. Economics, lifestyle choices, culture clashes, and mental and emotional health can all impact the way in which a child functions and succeeds within the school environment. Chapter 3 helps to define some of these differences that face our students and how we might be able to support them.
1. In reading about ELL students in your classroom, it is easy to become concerned about how you will effectively instruct these students so that they are learning English and the curriculum simultaneously. Many of our previous efforts have failed these students. The idea of two-way bilingual education mentioned in the book seems to me to be the ultimate answer. Use your English speaking students to help the ELL students succeed. In doing this, you can also help to create bilingual students from your English speakers.
The website below has a lot of good information on different strategies you can use to implement two way bilingual education in your classroom.

http://www.positivepractices.com/BilingualEducation/BenefitsofTwowayBilingual.html

2. GLBTQ students have been struggling to have a voice in the school system for years. However, they continuallty are bullied and often to the point of violence and suicide. Just yesterday a bullied thirteen year old took his own life in Texas. This often happens because these students do not have admin. and faculty support.
I did a research paper on these youth and loved the website listed below. It has all kinds of infor for these students and how they can overcome the treatment they receive at school. In addition, they celebrate a day of silence every year to bring this issue to light. "On the National Day of Silence hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools."
http://www.dayofsilence.org/index.cfm

3. Family changes can have a major impact on a students ability to achieve success in school, especially if they go from a stable environment to one that is not. Todays world has so many different types of families that teachers must learn to accept their students upbringing without judgement. This article helps to define these issues.
http://www.americanvalues.org/briefs/edoutcomes.htm
Family Structure and Children's Educational Outcomes
A comprehensive review of recent academic research shows that family structure — whether a child’s parents are married, divorced, single, remarried, or cohabiting — is a significant influence on children’s educational performance. Family structure affects preschool readiness. It affects educational achievement at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. Family structure influences these outcomes in part because family structure affects a range of child behaviors that can bear directly on educational success, such as school misbehavior, drug and alcohol consumption, sexual activity and teen pregnancy, and psychological distress. There is a solid research basis for the proposition that strengthening U.S. family structure — increasing the proportion of children growing up with their own, two married parents — would significantly improve the educational achievements of U.S. children.

Chapter 1 of Friend book Planning Instruction by Analyzing Classroom and Student Needs

Chapter 1 of the Friend book has a ton of useful information for inside the classroom. First of all, the INCLUDE strategy seems to be a great way to make sure that all of your students are receiving the type of education they need dependant on their abilities.
1. I thought the sidebar on sponges was amazing. In our fields, it is easy to observe how much classroom time is wasted transitioning from one activity to the other or waiting for special area or lunch to start. Using these wasted moments as teachable ones will help your students master content they are working on and can be a lot of fun.
The website below has a variety of sponges you can use that actually address standards.
http://eduwithtechn.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/standards-based-sponge-activities/

2. Teachers are discovering that informally grouping and regrouping students in a variety of ways throughout the school day can make a teacher's job easier and students more productive. This teaching strategy is called flexible grouping.
The PDF below has defintions of flexible grouping as well as 4 models of use. This could be useful in the classroom because you will need to use flexible grouping in today's diverse classrooms. Whole group instruction will no longer be solely effective.
http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/flexibleGrouping.pdf

3. Indirect instruction is an approach to teaching and learning in which the process of learning is inquiry, the result of discovery. The idea is that children can actively construct knowledge and solve problems in developmentally appropriate ways.
The website below is a chapter from an online textbook that is based on indirect instructional strategies. It answers these questions:

1. What is the indirect instruction model?
2. What are constructivist strategies for teaching?
3. How does direct instruction differ from indirect instruction?
4. What teacher behaviors are required for indirect instruction?
5. What are some ways of promoting the goals of indirect instruction in a culturally diverse classroom?

The chapter also has self quizzes and praxis prep(case studies) to assist you
.
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_borich_effective_5/16/4135/1058716.cw/index.html

Chapter 2 Understanding the Diverse Educational Strengths and Challenges

Chapter 2 is solely devoted to the special education process. It includes the comprehensive planning team, referring students, IEP implementation, and all the disabilties that are covered under the special education umbrella.

1. Use of assistive technology in the classroom can enhance the learning abilities of your special education students. Some of the devices can be electronic and very expensive while others may be as simple as a pencil grip or nonslip desk cover. Anything a teacher can do to ease the tribulations facing these students will be invaluable.
The website below has a veritable plethura of resources that can assist you as a teacher or for parental use in finding out about different assistive devices to help your student/child advance his learning ability.

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/education/at.html

2. I chose speech and language disorders as my next main point only because my interest in this has heightened since my son has been referred for speech. I think as a general ed teacher, this disabiltiy will be extremely prevalent in your classroom. Additionally, there are so many different afflictions that can fall under the speech umbrella.
The website below contains a lot of information on various forms of speech and language disorders with different ways of addressing them in the classroom. The association's motto is, "Making effective communication a human right, accessible and achievable for all."

http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/childsandl.htm

3. Gifted and talented students are also part of the current school makeup that need extra/differential instruction. It is important for these students to be challenged so that they don't lose interest or go astray.
The website below has different ways of working with gifted students, how to spot a gifted child, and different links to other sites about gifted and talented students.

http://www.teachersfirst.com/gifted.cfm

Awareness Project Children's Literature Reviews

Children’s Literature Reviews

1.     Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair by Jamee Riggio Heelan  (2000)

Rolling Along is the story of boy named Taylor who was born with cerebral palsy who finally gets a wheelchair and becomes more independent. Taylor has a twin brother Tyler who does not have cerebral palsy. Taylor has always used braces and walker to get around, but he gets tired very quickly and moves really slowly. He doesn’t like that when he gets tired, he has to be carried. When he is big enough, his parents get him his very own red and blue wheelchair. Tyler helps Taylor wheel himself around until he is strong enough to do it himself. Taylor is so excited about his new chair and all the places he will now be able to get to on his own. He also realizes that there are some places he will not be able to take his wheelchair like buildings that only have stairs. Taylor also talks about how his school has built a ramp and widened his classroom doors so that he can move through his school on his own. Taylor is so thrilled with his new independence, he feels unstoppable.

                This book is a perfect read aloud to 1^st and 2^nd graders. The book has real faces for Taylor and Tyler, but their bodies and the rest of the illustrations are done crayon making it engaging and interesting. For classroom use, I would have it as read aloud during a unit on acceptance. Since there is very little information about the actual disorder, this book would need to be complimented with something else so that children might have a clearer understanding of why some people are the way they are. Following the reading of this book, I would conduct a question and answer seesion with my students to clear up any misconceptions they may have. I feel the most important lesson to be learned from Rolling Along is overcoming obstacles.

2.     Be Quiet, Marina by Kirsten Debear  (2001)

Be Quiet, Marina is a cute little book about two disabled preschoolers who have to learn to accept each other and be respectful of each others differences. Four year old Marina has cerebral palsy and Moira has downs syndrome. Marina likes to live it up. She loves to dance and play dress up, but tends to make a lot of noises by yelling and shouting often. Moira also enjoys playing like Marina, but she likes quiet. When Marina and Moira first meet, Moira is scared of Marina because she is so loud and the two girls do not play together. However, soon they become best friends and Marina learns to control her outbursts while Moira learns to be accepting of other’s differences.

                This book is appropriate for preschool and kindergarten students. For use in the classroom, teachers can introduce not the disabilities of cerebral palsy and downs syndrome, but also lessons of acceptance, being a good friend, and how to stand up for yourself. The use of black and white photographs to depict the story makes it truly realistic.

3.    Imagine Me on a Sit Ski by George Moran  (1994)

Imagine Me on a Sit Ski is the story of Billy, a young boy who has cerebral palsy. Billy is in a wheelchair and attends school with other disabled students. He uses a wordboard in his class to communicate with his teachers and others. Billy gets very excited when he hears that the class will be going snow skiing on the mountain. Billy and his classmates are eager to go, but they also have natural fears about whether they will be able to do it. When they get to the mountain at Snow Valley Ski Resort, Billy and his class learn all the different ways that disabled people can ski. Some use crutches, but Billy gets to use the sit-ski which is almost like a wheelchair, but it has ski blades instead of wheels. The rest of the book details Billy’s adventures on the slopes.

        This book would be appropriate to read to your 3^rd and 4^th graders to teach them that people with disabilities can do many things that regular people can do just with modification or with special equipment. Because the book is set in a wholly disabled class, I feel another book that promotes inclusion might be a better fit. Additionally, using this book in South Carolina will not be as effective because many of your students will not be able to relate to snow skiing.

4.    Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis  (2000)

Susan Laughs is a wonderful little story about a young whom is like everyone else. Written in a rhyming pattern, the books show all the things that Susan does. Susan paints, she throws, and she gets mad at her cat. Only on the very last page do we learn that Susan is in a wheelchair. The point of this book is to show that disabled children are just like you. They have the same feelings, enjoy doing the same things, and really just want to be accepted. Written for preschool to 1^st grade, this would be a wonderful book to introduce the concepts of understanding and acceptance because your students will get to see all the things that Susan does before they ever know that she is in a wheelchair. Many of the books I have looked at focus on the child’s disability and how it affects their daily life rather than on what the child can do. I would recommend this book for any classroom teacher to use so children can see that disabled children are just like them.

5.    A Contest by Sherry Neuwirth Payne (1982)

Even though this book is slightly outdated, I thought the storyline was radically appropriate for what is going on in schools today. The book focuses on Mike, a 5^th grader who has cerebral palsy. Mike is transferring to a new school and will be in a regular classroom for the first time. Being that he is an older elementary student, his classmates are unfriendly and he even has a bully to contend with. As Mike struggles to fit in, he gets little support from home and it isn’t until a teacher really tries to get to know Mike that his classmates start to see that a being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you cannot do anything. Mike likes to play pool and swim and soon his classmates see that he can even beat some of them at some things like arm wrestling. I would use this book in my class to show that every single person has things that they excel at no matter what disability they may have. I would also make sure my students understand that treating someone meanly because they have a disability is not acceptable behavior. It is important for students to understand that there may come a time in their lives that they feel like they don’t fit in and they will want others to be friendly towards them.

6.    Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge  (2004) 176 pages

What a wonderfully funny and touching book. I loved this book whether I had to write a review on or not. Stoner and Spaz follows the story of two misfits who find each other and form a friendship. Ben Bancroft is a 16yr old high school student who has cerebral palsy. He lives a lonely existence with grandma after mother leaves him. Ben is a preppy who has no friends except the workers at the Rialto, his favorite movie theater. Colleen is known around school as a drug addict/dealer. She does any drugs that come her way and copes with her troubled home life by staying as high as possible. One night they meet at Rialto and life suddenly changes for Ben. Colleen not only talks to him, but teases him about his disability and actually touches his bad arm even though it makes Ben uncomfortable. From then on, this unlikely duo learn many things from each other. Colleen encourages Ben to talk to more people and put himself out there. When he gets the chance to make his own movie, Colleen encourages him to base it on high school life. Colleen exposes Ben to many new things including going dancing at a club and smoking pot. In return, Ben tries to make Colleen realize she doesn’t need to get high all of the time. She eventually enters a rehab and makes a good effort at staying sober. When Ben’s movie gets chosen for a student film festival, his life truly starts to change and other students take notice. This story shows how two people from such different backgrounds can really impact each other’s lives. Due to the drug use depicted within this book, I would not recommend as a classroom read. It is definitely geared toward students over the age of 13, but teenagers will love this hot mess of a love story.

Awareness Project Resources

Online Resources

            Disaboom is a website I found that has great information and resources for people with a variety of disabilities. There are articles, videos, and sources of support. One of the things that drew me to this website is that is a real and viable source of any kind of information a disabled person might need to find out in order to live a more successful life. There is not one ounce of pity or “inspirational” stories of triumph (although I do love those); it is authentic and factual. Some of the information provided focuses on:

• Accessible Homes
• Accessible Travel
• Adaptive Driving
• Adaptive Sports
• Additional Disabilities
• Arthritis
• Assistive Technology
• Cancer
• Care giving
• Dating and Relationships
• Disability Rights
• Disabled Veterans
• Education
• Emergency Preparedness
• Pain
• Entertainment
• Health and Wellness
• Living Forward
• Neurological Disorders
• Parenting and Family
• Regional
• Women's Health

In addition to all of this information, there are also many current articles and videos that are current with the ever changing tides of disability information. Although this is not necessarily a great resource for teachers of disabled students, it can give them basic information of the trials and tribulations that their students must face on a daily basis.

http://www.disaboom.com/search/results?query=cerebral%20palsy

      Teachnology is another great website that provides many great resources for teachers. It provides information that involves:

• Teacher Helpers
• Best Teacher Web Sites
• Teacher Articles
• Teacher Catalog
• Teacher Dictionary
• Teacher Forum
• Teacher Newsletter
• Teacher Timesavers
• Teacher Web Sites
• Teaching Tips

All of these resources appear on the homepage of this website. Once you dig deeper into what the website has to offer regarding special education, inclusion, and cerebral palsy, you can see how this could become a go to website to use in your classroom. The cerebral palsy page contains basic information about the disorder, how it works within a classroom setting, related services, curriculum modifications and adaptations, and assistive technology. In addition to all of that information, the page also offers links to other cerebral palsy resources on the web.

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/disabilities/cp/

            Cerebral Palsy Source is a website that almost acts as an advocate for people with cerebral palsy. It’s Cerebral Palsy and Education section depicts what student’s rights are in accordance with the IDEA laws and how to ensure you or your child are receiving the education you are entitled to. Additionally, this website also has pages that focus on IEP for Cerebral Palsy Patients and Teaching Children with Cerebral Palsy. One of the reasons this website impacted me was the thought that if there are websites that focus on the legal rights of people with cerebral palsy, then there must be numerous instances where unfair treatment occurs not just in our classrooms, but everywhere in society. I know we have come a long way in the last 50 years, but we still seem to have a good long way to go. This website could be a helpful tool for teachers so that are aware of what their CP students are entitled to under the law. Parents can also benefit from the information provided by the Cerebral Palsy Source if they need legal advice about the treatment of their child.

http://www.cerebralpalsysource.com/Education_and_Patients/index.html

            Teaching Tips is an expansive website of various links to assist teachers in becoming effective par layers of knowledge. The website is basically a giant lists of resources. Digging deeper into the site, I found The Ultimate Guide to Special Needs Teaching: 100+ Resources and Links within the website content. This page is a virtual gem for addressing any type of disability that may be present within your classroom. Whether you have an entire class of students with special needs, or you’ve welcomed a student with a disability into your traditional classroom, this massive list of resources will help you research different disorders and conditions, review special lesson plans, and find the support you need to work with your students and help them succeed. The disabilities addressed include various links for blind students, deaf students, ESL students, autistic students, mentally challenged students,  physically challenged  students, general materials and resources for special needs students, inviting special needs students into a traditional classroom, technology and special needs students, terminally ill students, and  teacher support. There are lesson plans, accommodations, and ways to enhance the learning experience for any type of disabled student within your classroom. This is definitely a resource I will be using to make my classroom a positive learning environment for all of my students.

http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/06/25/the-ultimate-guide-to-special-needs-teaching-100-resources-and-links/

            The Exceptional Teacher's Factsheet is a short PDF file created by the Faculty of Education at Brandon University in Canada. Of all of the online resources out there, one might wonder why I have chosen this as one of my favorites. Basically, it comes down to the idea that sometimes short and to the point is the best approach. Often times, websites contain so many different pages, that it can become exhausting trying to find the proper information. This 3 page PDF contains some of the most useful information for teachers to use with CP students in their classroom. The Accommodations/Interventions list for classroom teachers shows what you as a teacher need to think about when addressing the difficulties a CP might have within a general education setting. This invaluable information can make a great deal of difference on whether your CP student thrives in your class.

http://www.brandonu.ca/education/files/2010/08/Cerebralx20Palsy.pdf

           

            The University of West Virginia has a wonderful webpage entitled Strategies for Teaching Students with Mobility/Orthopedic Impairments. This website is broken down into various sections in order to not only cover classroom experiences of your CP student. Included within this website are:

Introduction

General Courtesy

General Strategies

Teacher Presentation

Laboratory

Group Interaction and Discussion

Reading

Field Experiences

Research

Testing

Each section has information about how to handle yourself around your CP students as well as different strategies to make learning easier for your students. One of the sections I found to be most helpful was the General Courtesy portion because no other site I have looked has given these types of tips. We need to understand as teachers that even though we may feel a need to coddle our CP students, it actually comes across as quite derogatory. Some examples of the tips included within this section include:

• Accept the fact that a disability exists. Not acknowledging this fact is not acknowledging the person.
• Ask the student to tell you when he/she anticipates a need for assistance.
• Don't lean on a student's wheelchair. The chair is a part of the body space of the student who uses it.
• Don't patronize students who use wheelchairs by patting them on the head. This is a sign of affection that should be reserved only for small children, and most of them do not like it either.

Moreover, this website has ways of accommodating your CP in other school settings such as the science lab and field experiences. All of the information included touches on topics that I would not have thought about. This website is a great learning tool for teachers in an inclusive classroom or special education teachers.

http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/motor.html

This was chosen as one of my resources because I think seeing real people with a specific disorder can sometimes have a greater impact on a person than reading a lot of basic information. Watching this video not only inspired me to be great at reaching my CP students, but it also gave some insight into the complexities of raising a child with CP. Watching how Samual and his brother interact and how his brother embraces him and his differences truly makes you want to make all of your students understand that just because you may be different, you still have many of the same dreams as other kids your age. Moreover, as a teacher I want to spend a lot of time with my class teaching and learning about acceptance. Raising students to have more compassion and understanding of all people can only succeed in creating more well rounded adult advocates for all peoples with disabilities. This video has an abundance of love and support for Samual and it truly makes you want every disabled child to experience the same such support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfg1pswiOgM

"The Yes I Can Social Inclusion Program teaches interested students with and without disabilities to effectively work together to ensure that youth with disabilities are included in recreational and social activities of their choice." This website is a social inclusion program for students with and without disabilities. It has sample lesson plans and various curricular activities to teach students about acceptance of all people. This would be a valuable source for teachers because I believe it is our job to teach students that everyone is unique in thier own way and that each person has something special to offer to the class. The myths and misconceptions lesson plan is a great place for teachers to begin their students training on acceptance. It truly portrays what most people would think as myth and denotes the truth in age appropriate wording for elementary school aged children.

http://ici.umn.edu/yesican/curriculum/lesson.html

The journal article "Inclusion on the Bookshelf" should be a must read for all teachers. The article focuses on the lack of contemporary fiction based on disability acceptance. Even though it has been over thirty years since the United States segregated special education students, it appears the publishing world has failed to publish books depicting disabled children in a socially accepted light. Most fiction involving disabilities focuses on the disabled child and how he copes with his disability. I know this to be true because during my research for children's fiction involving cerebral palsy, many of the books had outdated themes that cast the disabled child in a segregated, labeled, lonely, and lost world. The article goes on to explain that "finding books that are disability-positive may take some digging, but it is worth the effort. Truly inclusive books serve to dispel stereotypes, prevent bullying, and support students who are labeled disabled (Jackson, p.63)". Teachers need to understand that prejudice is a learned behavior and the way to change that among your students is through education. The article includes some highly positive books to use in your classroom that involve a character whom has a disability. I was especially interested in Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. It is a book of free verse poems about Josie who has cerebral palsy. Reading this article will help teachers see that just reading a book about a disability will not change your students views about disabled people. The book needs to have meaning and show the disabled person as someone has hopes and dreams just like everyone else.

Jackson, C. (2009). Inclusion on the bookshelf. Teaching Tolerance, Fall(36), 63-68.

This article focuses on how children with cerebral palsy view their assistive devices. It is a study based students of various ages with cerebral palsy in Tawaiin. The researchers interviewed 15 Tawaiinese students, their parents, and teachers about whether they liked their devices and why. Because devices often times are connected to CP students bodies (wheelchairs and leg braces), they can have the function of making the users' condition more noticable. Additionally, the article talks about if the student feels he is in an unsupported environment, they may have negative feelings about their devices and their willingness to use them. Four factors were evident when students felt positive about the devices they used. They included their desire to overcome the physical limitations of having disabilities, the view of themselves as students made them accept the use of the device in the school setting, their willingness to use the device was inspired by their enthusiasm for socializing and school participation, and the high frequency of use of their device made other students more accepting of it. Basically, the purpose of the study was to show that for CP students to feel positively about their devices, they need a high support system among their parents, teachers, and administrators. This is a useful article for all teachers and parents so that they may create a supportive environment for the student to grow and have a say in what devices truly make thier lives better. 

Huang, I., Sugden, D., & Beveridge , S. (2009). Assistive devices and cerebral palsy: the use of assistive devices at school by children with cerebral palsy. Child: care, health, and development, 35(5), 698-708