Sunday, April 17, 2011

Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Chrostopher Kliewer

Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Chrostopher Kliewer

I feel like the only way I could respond to this article was through reflection. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I don’t know why- jus always have. I knew I wanted to work with little kids because I just absolutely love them-so it was decided elementary or early childhood….later on I decided early childhood because I love working with toddlers. Anyways…it wasn’t until two summers ago (junior to senior year in high school) that I decided I wanted to be involved in special ed. My mom is a special ed assistant so I have some background but its totally different to hear stories and to experience something yourself.
So for senior project we had to work with a mentor and complete 15hrs of fieldwork…kind of like service learning. I did my project on Autism, though not Down Syndrome, another disability. Through going to the school and helping these children I fell in love with the ides of teaching special ed. I felt like I couldn’t just walk away and leave it like that.so here I am.
This article just made me feel even more for kids with disabilities. Its hard enough to be told statistic wise or theoretically what could happen to them in schools but its just heart and gut wrenching to hear personal accounts.
Mia Peterson made the statement: “I started to notice that I didn’t like the classes I was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed. almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad. I wanted to cry.” (Peterson, 1994, p.6) This makes me sad because of how much she missed out on. I guess it kind of relates to the knapsack and white privilege- kids without disabilities have one of the knapsacks and those with the disability unfortunately do not.
The second part that really hit home with me or touched me was when Jason Kingsley asks “How do we erase those negative attitudes…that people without disabilities are judging us” Snow, an advocate in the disability rights movement replies, “How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don’t listen to the voices we have.”
I just really like this small conversation between Kingsley and Snow because I totally agree. I don’t see why people feel the need to talk about them or make joke when really its not funny. We have no idea what it is like unless we are also affected by the disability- in which case there are still various levels.
Id like to discuss in class how we may handle issues of harassment in the schools with the words like retard, sped and idiot. I cringe every time I hear these words come out of children’s mouths so I would like to prepare for the next time I hear it.

13 comments:

  1. I like how you connected this to the Knapsack. I agree. I have always wanted to be a teacher as well, and I am going to be concentrating in Special Ed.

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  2. i cant wait to be a teacher :) i love kids

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  3. This is a really nice reflection. I totally agree about cringing when I hear people say "you're so retarded". (I'm glad I now know to say, "So what do you mean by that?") I agree that it's really sad to hear about what happens to any marginalized kids in school. I try to tell myself, "Pity is a wasted emotion. It doesn't change anything about the harsh reality that is happening." Instead I try to empathize and then look for how I could make a change.

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  4. I think that's something we all have problems with. What words do we say for different things? I'll be the first one to admit, I say "I'm an idiot" when I do something really stupid but know better. Perhaps that's something we can bring up in class, the proper terminology.

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  5. I really like your blog this week. Along the lines with what mike said the terminology is something that most people have problems with. I know it is wrong but with my friends if one of us says something stupid or does something stupid we normally call them a "retard". So with what mike said i wold like to go over proper terminology.

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  6. thanks for the comment Luke and i too catch myself using words that i shouldnt to describe things like that. i think we just need to just be more aware and try to catch ourselves before someone may see/hear it that could be offended :)

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  7. i really enjoyed reading your blog this week. i also find myself calling my friends "retarded" when they say something stupid. it just slips right out and i know it's such a bad thing to do. this kind of relates to when we talked about LGBT students and using the word "fag". people use these kinds of words all the time but will there ever be an end to it?

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  8. i sure hope there will be an end to it...and soon :)

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  9. I really like your blog as well! It's so hard to know the right thing to say but at the same time whats the problem with just asking what that person likes to be called? I definitely like how we discussed that in class and just as someone would correct you with the nickname they like to be called, I'm sure a person who is disabled would correct you as well. Just be mindful of how you sound (don't want to be condescending)

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  10. I'm so glad that you are in a major that you are really passionate about and I'm glad that you had these experiences because where would you be otherwise?

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  11. i liked your personal connection, if u really care that deeply then youre going to be really good at what you do

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  12. nice blog...good job unraveling it

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