Watch Out World

Just the shortest of posts from me this time around.
I passed my LBS1 this week.....watch out world!

Freakonomics

As part of my current SPED class at Roosevelt we were asked to read and review Freakonomics. Here is that review.
Freakonomics (2005) written by Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner shows how thoughtful analysis of data can be used to draw conclusions causing us to question that which we thought to be true. The analysis within illustrates that morality and economic theory can at time be at odds with each other. While the author’s analysis spans across fields ranging as far apart as sumo wrestlers to crack dealers, and the Ku Klux Klan to parents, often their insight is applied to education.
Recent stories in the press, most notably the Atlanta public school system, have reported what has been suspected by many for some time. Some teachers, when under pressure to produce greater levels of achievement from students, succumb to ‘massaging’ the figures instead of re-evaluating their antiquated teaching methods to improve their instruction. Levitt & Dubner blame the creation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law in 2002. The high-stakes testing that was mandated by President Bush made school districts, their schools, and their teachers more accountable. These tests have been used to reward the highest performing schools, and to sanction those that performed poorly. Opponents of NCLB argue that a certain cohort of students will be subjected to tests that they have little to no chance of passing. These opponents also argue, and Levitt & Dubner prove, that teachers may concentrate on test topics to the detriment of a wider curriculum, and even go as far as committing a criminal act in order to suggest that their students have hit benchmarks.
The arguments for and against incentivizing teachers are many, but Levitt and Dubner illustrate that with careful analysis it is possible to run analysis of figures to such an extent that individual teachers who are guilty of cheating can be found and punished.
School districts are now more likely to be run by an individual from a business background than an educational one. The business world is more likely to financially reward their top performers, and fire their poor performers. It would make sense that the success of a manager in one field can be transferred to another using those same management principles. The examples given in Freakonomics of the Chicago Public School system, and the recent debacle revealed in Atlanta would suggest that comparing the business world to the education world isn’t as simple as some might think.
After reading Freakonomics one calls to mind the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”. This phrase describes how numbers can be used to support an argument, even when that argument is a weak one. It can also be applied by people to disparage those statistics that do not support their own views. Healthy discussion and utilization of statistics should be encouraged, but when the use of those same statistics are used to cover up truths, thoughtful insight and clear analysis, the type of which Levitt and Dubner champion, need to be employed.

Book Review

I read Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About The Bike - My Journey Back To Life". Written in 2000 it details Armstrong's fight against cancer. In it Lance demonstrates that a positive mindset is crucial in overcoming illness. "Make every obstacle an opportunity" is a quote fom chapter 2 attributed to his mother and it helps to explain Armstrong's later observations in which he shared that every time he coughed up a black tar-like substance during chemotherapy he imagined that it was the cancer leaving his body. He said that every time it burned when he went to the bathroom he imagined that it was the cancer leaving his body. Now obviously surviving cancer involves more than a positive mind but Lance Armstrong believes that remaining optimistic and surrounding yourself with close friends and supportive family can help make the battle against cancer a little more bearable.This for me was the key thought that I took away from the book, the idea that friends and family should not be scared, or shun the patient. They should help form a supportive unit that will help share the burden being bore by the person living with cancer.
As part of this assignment we we asked to provide a list of ways in which a teacher might support a child with cancer in an educational setting. A list such as this could be never ending but would certainly include things such as:
Meet with the child and parents and understand as much about the disease as possible. Share this information with other teachers if required.
Educate those students around the child so that they can better understand what they are going through. This may reduce misunderstanding and perhaps bullying. It will also increase the level of support that they are able to provide to their peer.
Students requiring medical care will miss a lot of time at school. It is important for the teacher to prepare for this accordingly, perhaps modifying packets and assessments so that the student can try and maintain their grades. A element of flexibility regarding deadlines will also be necessary.
Additionally teachers should be aware of the stress that the student is living with. Medication, plus living with a disease may affect moods and behavior patterns. Neither of which will be typical of the childs normal behavior.

We have also been asked to consider what a parent might choose to tell an educator about the child living with cancer. I suppose that this is quite personal and some families might share more information than others. However, as a teacher I would welcome the opportunity to discus the child's disease to help me plan my lessons in a way that I could reduce any restrictions that the child might face in class. I would like parents to tell me how the child is dealing with the situation mentally. Are they strong and positive or ca I help boost their confidence in any way. I would like to know when treatments are planned so that I can avoid setting projects or tasks that would otherwise be impossible. Also, if the child is on medication, how might I see a change in their behavior. Finally I would ask whether the parents and child were comfortable sharing this information with peers and oth teachers that taught the student.

I have never knowingly taught a child living with cancer but have taught many who have family members fighting the disease or have passed from the disease. I know the devastating effect that it has on our communities and hope that as a teacher I have been possible to provide comfort in some way.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) Reflection

In class we undertook an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) task in which each student was assigned the role of one of the many adults who might be present. This ranged from parents, advocate and tutor to hearing, vision and orthopedic itinerants, to physical and occupational therapists, teachers and paraprofessionals. Our IEP had 17 people involved, not including the student, Felipe, for whom the IEP was being prepared. This number might not be typical, but certainly there could be more people present than in our example.
My first observation was that this potentially complicated meeting was highly structured, formulaic and managed to gather a large amount of data in a short period of time. As education is becoming increasingly data driven each of the professionals present came to the meeting with facts, figures and comments that could be used to assess Felipe’s current performance and make goals for the future.
The parents in this case seemed to play a major role in the meeting. They were strong advocates for their son and had aspirations for his future that didn’t necessarily agree with the views of the service providers. I can see that this has potential for being an issue in some IEP meetings. What parent doesn’t want the best for their child? Surely we all want our children to be successful, go to College, have friends and hold down a steady job. However, in the case of Felipe these goals would seem less likely to be achieved and some might need to be re-addressed. Felipe is still young and perhaps parents are more likely to re-evaluate their ideals the longer that their child stays within education. I am also aware that there will be occasions when parents, for whatever reason, may choose not to be present at the IEP meeting of their child.
I noticed that many of the reports from the professionals used very neutral language. There seemed to be little room for emotions in the room, and more a reporting of fact. I played the role of the adapted physical education teacher and I reported that Felipe only walked on 2 or 3 days in a month, despite the use of a gait trainer and regular use of the supine stander. There was no comment as to whether this was considered a good level of walking or not. Many of the comments had to be re-worded so that they were not open to misinterpretation. It is a sad fact that in this litigious society in which we live we have to be so careful of what we say.
It was clear in our meeting that the other significant person in the room was the general education teacher. Their comments seemed to carry more weight with the parents and perhaps her clear and concise commentary on Felipe’s poor academic performance hit home the hardest. The parents still wished for Felipe to remain in a general education setting but I could see that it is more likely that he will move into a self-contained situation and perhaps even a specialized setting.
I can see that ultimately it is important for everyone to agree with the long term goals of the student and that the IEP will then allow short term goals to be set to ensure that they remain on target to achieve the bigger goal. However, I can see that the goals of the student are also likely to change as time goes on and that this then leads to a re-evaluation of all short term goals. The dynamic nature of the IEP ensures that all parties involved really need to know their role and also know their student very well.
Parents should be happy that so many adults are present in a room, all wanting the best for the child. While there might be some juggling between realistic needs and some fanciful aspirations it is evident that IDEA has created a system that goes some way towards ensuring that each child is given the best opportunity to reach their full potential. In our classroom situation I agreed with the final IEP report and felt that it was appropriate for Felipe at this stage of his life but can see that there will be future, more difficult IEP's in the future for Felipe and his parents.
For further information regarding IEP's in Illinois, and to download examples I would recommend the ISBE website.

Getting To Know Tyler Mitchell

Sitting in class today I was reminded of this short movie about an incredible young man that I know.

Huntington's Disease

In class we had to choose a disability and create a brochure explaining our findings. I chose to research Huntington's Disease, a rare hereditary degenerative disease. You can click on the image above to read through my two page brochure.
If you wish to find out more about this fatal disease then you can visit the excellent Huntington's Disease Society of America website

Movie Review

We were required to watch and review a movie that portrays a person with a health impairment and I chose to watch "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" (2007). This was the film adaptation of Jean-Dominique Bauby's autobiographical memoir.
I chose this film as I had heard of it, but never really had time or the inclination to sit through a foreign language film depicting the life of a paralysed man despite the critical acclaim that it had received.
Following a massive stroke at the age of 42, "Jean-Do", an educated fashion journalist, found himself unable to move. He was diagnosed as having a condition known as 'locked-in syndrome'. In addition to his paralysis he had his right eye sewn shut as it wasn't irrigating properly. As a result, Jean-Do was left with only his left eye that could be controlled to react to the world around him. His brain was functioning perfectly and yet he could only express himself through a series of blinks. WIth the help of his physical therapist who devised an alternative alphabet that she would read and Jean-Do would select individual letter to spell words, he was able to communicate with the outside world. This resulted in him creating his memoirs that were positively received upon release. Unfortunately Jean-Do died of a massive heart attack just two days later.
The portrayal of 'locked-in syndrome' was very effective. Putting the viewer in the place of Jean-Do we were able to see the frustrations that he was going through. We could hear his, very eloquent, thoughts and yet those around him could only see a motionless patient. We were able to hear of his thoughts of suicide, the fact that he hadn't reconciled with the mother of his children following a recent love affair. We also saw how the paralysis effectively brought him closer to his frail father who himself wasn't physically mobile.
Those around him were patient and kind with Jean-Do. His children, despite the appearance of their father, were still able to spend time with him, sharing stories and singing. I found this to be very moving. As Jean-Do was able to communicate, his visitors were made aware of the fact that he was still very mentally alert. Thus we didn't see any mocking or patronizing behavior with the exception of two visiting telephone installers who found it funny that he would want a phone installed in his hospital room. The physical therapist was appalled at their behavior but Jean-Do found it funny.
The challenges that lay ahead for Jean-Do were immense. He was unable to do ANYTHING for himself. We saw him being fed through a tube as he couldn't swallow. We also saw him being bathed regularly, something that he was embarrassed about. This reminded me of the need to be empathetic around those with impairments and I always do my utmost to communicate with these individuals on an equal footing if possible. Shortly after watching this movie I met a young man who had the left side of his brain removed to control some mental health issues. I remembered my feelings from watching the movie and was pleased with the way in which I held a conversation with this young man.
Interacting with the world through a series of blinks seemed the most painful of ways in which to communicate, especially when it was obvious that Jean-Do's thought processes were the same as before his stroke. And yet, the fact that he was able to write his memoirs serves as an inspiration to others. It shows that some obstacles can be overcome with patience and a support network of people around you. Jean-Do's 'team' included Doctors, a speech therapist, a physical therapist, orderlies that washed and cared for him, plus his friends and family that came to visit him regularly. Of course they were unable to provide a cure for Jean-Do and his early death was certainly a result of his stroke, however, his life after the stroke will be remembered more so than his life before the stroke.
The movie affected me in a positive way. As I have mentioned, I was reminded of the need to talk to those with impairments as if they were as physically or mentally able as myself. It reminded me of the need for empathy when dealing with those who are overcoming great personal struggles and it also motivated me to continue with me desire to work with those with physical and mental disabilities.