A Change...

This week our teacher announced that the house passed a bill to replace the NCLB law. The new bill will be called ESSA-Every Student Succeeds Act. I do not fully understand all of the changes that have been made, nor do I know the effects that this new change will have in long term, but do see promise in this change and hope for a better future. This is very exciting to be here for a part of history! I love that states will be in more control and I hope that this will be an improvement to the education of our children. My classroom group and I briefly talked about how this could greatly benefit education. We are excited to see what happens with education in the future. Now that we have studied laws in education throughout time, it is fun to see another change take place while we are in this class. If you would like to know more information on this change go to this link: http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml


As we draw an end to another semester, I am pausing to reflect on all that I have learned in my class. I must say that I have learn and gained an application not only for those that suffer from disabilities, but those that give of their time to care for them. In my classroom, I am surrounded by so many striving to be educators and I am in awe at their drive and compassion. These future teachers truly desire to service others, and knowing the pay, it is not for selfish reasons. I have gained a new appreciation for all educators. Countless amount of hours are placed in planning, accommodating, and taking all students into consideration when running a classroom. Teachers do much more than they are paid to do. My eyes have been opened and I will be forever respectful to my past and future teachers. Thank you teachers for all you do.

Service Learning

This semester our class was asked to complete five hours of service learning working with adults that struggle with disabilities. At the start of the semester, a boy from one of my classes announced how the school has an autistic mentoring program and that all were invited to join. This program allows student peers to work with students struggling with autism here on the campus of BYU-Idaho. The mentors help provide assistance with daily living, school, social/emotional difficulties, and anything else the student might be struggling with. To join the program, you agree to a two semester commitment, and agree to work with your mentee at least an hour a week.  I decided that this was something that I would love to be a part of. I attended training meetings every other week throughout the semester. After the first couple of meetings, I was set up with a partner and a mentee. My mentee is a first semester student. It was his first time being away from home, and he was nervous and scared to be on a new journey in life. Having a little bit of experience with those that are dealing with autism, I knew that change is one of the hardest challenges to encounter. My partner and I often helped him with social issues, as school seemed to be a strength for him. We still checked each week to make sure he was completing his assignments and that his grades were acceptable. His challenges dealt a lot with roommates, meeting new friends, and finding a place to belong. As we worked with him each week, I felt myself growing a deep care for him and his well-being. He always seemed so excited to see us each week. As time passed on, he seemed to become comfortable with us and less afraid to express his concerns in his life. We often talked openly about how to talk to his roommates, how to talk in a large group (knowing when it was his turn to speak), and how to make new friends. He often felt sorrow for not having any friends here, and was grateful to have us here to help him. After working with him for several weeks, I found a valuable resource that I used to help direct him in social settings. I also started implementing role playing to help him know how to respond in certain situations. The website was very helpful. I recommend it for anyone that struggles with social issues: http://www.autism.org.uk/socialskills  Overall I have felt that this experience has helped me to grow. It has helped me to gain more compassion and love for those that are dealing with a special need. I am grateful for this experience. I am looking forward for the opportunity to continue working with this program next semester. I am grateful for my mentee and all that he has taught me. I know I have made a new friend in the process also.

A Shout Out for Technology

(Warning: I am on a soapbox) I must admit, I am a bit old fashioned. I am not a huge fan of technology, and find myself angry at how it has taken away from our interpersonal communication skills. I can be on campus, surrounded by a sea of students, and still feel so alone. As I pass by each person I see, a screen blocks any person to person contact. I refuse to get a smart phone, and I only carry my phone occasionally...I am strange, and I know it, but I can remember what life was like before technology took the front seat, and I miss it. I miss people saying "hello" as I pass them by. Our world has changed, and often when I think of it, I tend to focus on the negative. Now, with keeping all that in mind, I must give a shout out to technology!

In class yesterday, we focused most of our time on visual impairments. We learned of a small handful of different causes and types. In groups we talked about ways in which we would accommodate students that have visual impairments. I learned a lot of great ideas on how to assist those students, but one particular part of the lesson stood out to me more than the rest. We learned about different types of technological assistance that is now widely available. I was not aware of any of these resources, and I must say that I was very impressed! As a class, we went into our phones (of course I could not participate in this activity without having a smart phone), but we saw how we could change the settings to help navigate the phone if we had visual impairments. Also, we went onto the computer, and found that every computer has settings to make the print/page larger, or be able to have information read out loud. I also learned about how you can now have any book/textbook transformed into a audio book. These are amazing tools and teachers really need to know about them to help assist any students they might have in their classrooms that would benefit from this technology.

So, going back to my first paragraph, I realize now how much good can come from technology. We are now in a world where disabilities are being recognized and accommodated for. It can help the children with certain disabilities to be able to be more independent. That is quite impressive and I can no longer keep a strong negative view about the technological world. For that reason, I must give a shout of for technology! What a wonderful asset to our world!