Oct. 2nd

* Assistive Technology discussion:
If you're teaching h.s. or middle school, teaching students who are coming out of K-12 system
teaching students how to advocate for themselves. Please include the students in the decision
making process so that they are more sufficient once they get out into the "real-world".
When you are looking at the really neat things, be careful what you are investing your money.
*** For assistive tech. you want the least intrusive.
*** Papers - when you get paper back - if it was 7pts. or lower, you need to re-write and follow APA format to a T.
* Excel spread sheets - will include additional comments, ...
Excel is review from 2 weeks ago.
I. Freedom Machines/ Hello Friend
Danny Glover - talking about being in the lowest reading group in 2nd grade - and how he felt marked - he knew he could never climb out of that hole. Another student asked her mom, how can everyone be perfect and I'm not.
- Most Special Education teachers leave their jobs within 5 years. How do you want to leave your mark on students to plant a seed? For altruistic and selfish reasons. Using Assistive Tech./ Tech. you can do a whole lot you want students to be as functionally responsible and independent as they can be. Wanting kids to be positive attributes to the community. Kids who are not successful- end up in group homes, jail, or
II. Excel spreadsheets
Looking for: Comments in appropriate cells (To add comments - go to insert - click on
comment (can add a comment in the comment box).
Auto filter (Go to data, click on auto filter) will show the tabs and can
re-arrange alphabetical order, etc.)
Condional formating - looking for yellow, red, green (To do the formating-
1. Hi-light cells that you want to use for conditional
formating. Click on (less than) first/add number, go
to (format) to color code. Next, click on (add) to add
more colors.
Worksheets - labels on them (On the bottom)
****ICDL.org**** International Childrens Digital Library: Books in 34 different languages
Reflection:
As a teacher, I have the highest expectations for my students. I view them as being Deaf only and that they should not be treated any differently than any other student on campus. I have a few students who's main disability is not deafness and I do make modifications and accomodations for them.
For my students who are just deaf, I have very high expectations for them such as that most will go to college, succeed in school (K-12) to the best of their abilities, and know that they can be successful at everything that they try. I realize that with most of my students, people in their lives tend to enable them, to do things for them, or feel sorry for them just because they are deaf. In my classroom, my students know that they are expected to act like any other student on campus i.e. raising their hands when they need something, not yelling across the room to get my attention, working cooperatively with others, turning in all homework on time, as well as following all school rules on the playground. With my 5th graders, if they need an interpreter for an outside function, I want them to start learning how to advocate for themselves. I had one student last year who was taking a hip-hop class after school and need an interpreter. It was brought to her parents's attention that an interpreter would be provided if the student needed one but the parents said it was not needed. When talking to the student, I discovered that she could not hear what the instructor was saying some of the time and did indeed need an interpreter. Unfortunately because she did not mention it to her parents, there was nothing I could do for her.
To answer the question of how do I want to leave a mark on my students, I want them to feel confident both with academic skills as well as social skills. I also want them to become model citizens as well as teach them to be able to advocate for themselves. I also want them to know that whenever they have a problem, they can always come and talk to me.
For class tonight, since I missed the last class, learning Excel was interesting but I think I got that down. As for the paper, ULD assignment - I need to get updated materials on APA! I have an old Allyn and Bacon book on writing styles that is clearly outdated!