I enjoyed reading your initial response Kristi, especially where you mention the dedicated involvement of the mothers and the teachers working in unison to provide a nurturing supportive environment for the children. The fact that the mothers were advocating for inclusion in the school shows that they believed whole-heartedly that this is what would be best for their child’s learning. I appreciate you bringing this up because we often here it said that parents are a child’s primary teacher and that they have their son or daughter’s best interests at heart, they know them so well. It is therefore comforting to know that parents are keeping informed and connected to the school community to create that cohesive sense of collaboration between home and school - of being on the same page so-to-speak.
When you mentioned the two girls with hearing aids in your practicum it reminded me of when I worked with a little girl in pre-kindergarten who had cochlear implants. She too had an aid by her side who was wonderfully attentive. What was lovely to watch transpire in our little classroom of 12 students were the relationships between this little girl and her classmates. Their natural curiosity caused them to inquire with the aid and I loved that. Did you find that happening at all in your placement with how the class responded to the two girls? I do think the younger the kids are in these inclusive environments the less judgmental they tend to be, they are more matter-of-fact and wondering what’s this all about then thinking she’s strange.
Lastly your mention of the 1-3 survey and your belief about creating a rapport with students to build mutual trust and understanding, I agree as it's my belief too. I have always felt that until a child and teacher feel emotionally safe and comfortable, it would be difficult for learning to take place. It sounds like you have a great grasp on how you choose to connect with your students. It will great forming some wonderful connections with them as you get know who they are and they in turn get to know you. All the best in Macau!
The two girls I taught last term were both grade 8 students, and both had been in the school community for a long time. I got the impression that most of the other students were very used to the girls' hearing impediments. What is interesting is that both girls seemed to be very self-conscious about their hearing aids. One girl would very often "forget" her device or refuse to wear her hearing aids. I think that this was largely because they are two girls in their early adolescence who had a very visible attribute that set them apart from their peers. What's interesting is that I really didn't notice any kind of obvious negative attention directed at the girls because of their hearing aids.
I think it’s very interesting that both you and I did not notice very many students with special needs in our elementary schools. In my own initial response (http://germany-bound.weebly.com/prosem---inclusive-practice-cases.html), I commented that I could recall only two students with Down Syndrome, both of whom were in different grades than I, and therefore were never in my particular classes. I think that this speaks to the inborn innocence of children—-we, as adults, are much more likely to see even the smallest differences in ability between people.
I also found your religion vs. culture curiosity intriguing. It is understandable that because you were engulfed in one religion, with many different cultures participating in that religion, that you would be more interested in different religions than cultures. Myself, I feel that I have equal interest in both different religions and cultures.
In regards to your practicum, I am curious as to whether either of the girls with hearing impairments used sign language. If they did, did this further your curiosity about sign language? Did you gain the desire to learn sign language in order to be able to better communicate with these students? I have never had an acquaintance, student, friend, etc. with a significant hearing impairment such as this, and I wonder how I would adapt to better fit the needs of such a person. I think that a significant impairment like being deaf might strike my curiosity in the same way that we are interested in learning about different religions and cultures—-the less we know about something, the more we want to know.
Sorry for my extreme lateness in replying to this. This past week has been hectic, and I had originally planned to comment on your case response on your blog.
As a child religion was a topic that baffled me. Religious differences were something I rarely encountered, but I saw cultural differences every day, and so that was normal. I would say that now that I am older and I've lived in a variety of different places with very different social and cultural constructions than what I grew up in I have a new appreciation for and interest in cultural diversity that I did not have when I was young, if that makes any sense. What I find so interesting about the Catholic school system is that it is exclusionary in some ways, and that really influenced my understanding of what inclusion is.
In my practicum neither of the girls with hearing impairment used sign language. Both had limited hearing, and one of the girls began to lose her hearing when she was in her early years of schooling. They both got by with their devices.
I enjoyed reading your initial response Kristi, especially where you mention the dedicated involvement of the mothers and the teachers working in unison to provide a nurturing supportive environment for the children. The fact that the mothers were advocating for inclusion in the school shows that they believed whole-heartedly that this is what would be best for their child’s learning. I appreciate you bringing this up because we often here it said that parents are a child’s primary teacher and that they have their son or daughter’s best interests at heart, they know them so well. It is therefore comforting to know that parents are keeping informed and connected to the school community to create that cohesive sense of collaboration between home and school - of being on the same page so-to-speak.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned the two girls with hearing aids in your practicum it reminded me of when I worked with a little girl in pre-kindergarten who had cochlear implants. She too had an aid by her side who was wonderfully attentive. What was lovely to watch transpire in our little classroom of 12 students were the relationships between this little girl and her classmates. Their natural curiosity caused them to inquire with the aid and I loved that. Did you find that happening at all in your placement with how the class responded to the two girls? I do think the younger the kids are in these inclusive environments the less judgmental they tend to be, they are more matter-of-fact and wondering what’s this all about then thinking she’s strange.
Lastly your mention of the 1-3 survey and your belief about creating a rapport with students to build mutual trust and understanding, I agree as it's my belief too. I have always felt that until a child and teacher feel emotionally safe and comfortable, it would be difficult for learning to take place. It sounds like you have a great grasp on how you choose to connect with your students. It will great forming some wonderful connections with them as you get know who they are and they in turn get to know you. All the best in Macau!
Hi Sherri,
DeleteThe two girls I taught last term were both grade 8 students, and both had been in the school community for a long time. I got the impression that most of the other students were very used to the girls' hearing impediments. What is interesting is that both girls seemed to be very self-conscious about their hearing aids. One girl would very often "forget" her device or refuse to wear her hearing aids. I think that this was largely because they are two girls in their early adolescence who had a very visible attribute that set them apart from their peers. What's interesting is that I really didn't notice any kind of obvious negative attention directed at the girls because of their hearing aids.
Thanks for the comment!
I think it’s very interesting that both you and I did not notice very many students with special needs in our elementary schools. In my own initial response (http://germany-bound.weebly.com/prosem---inclusive-practice-cases.html), I commented that I could recall only two students with Down Syndrome, both of whom were in different grades than I, and therefore were never in my particular classes. I think that this speaks to the inborn innocence of children—-we, as adults, are much more likely to see even the smallest differences in ability between people.
ReplyDeleteI also found your religion vs. culture curiosity intriguing. It is understandable that because you were engulfed in one religion, with many different cultures participating in that religion, that you would be more interested in different religions than cultures. Myself, I feel that I have equal interest in both different religions and cultures.
In regards to your practicum, I am curious as to whether either of the girls with hearing impairments used sign language. If they did, did this further your curiosity about sign language? Did you gain the desire to learn sign language in order to be able to better communicate with these students? I have never had an acquaintance, student, friend, etc. with a significant hearing impairment such as this, and I wonder how I would adapt to better fit the needs of such a person. I think that a significant impairment like being deaf might strike my curiosity in the same way that we are interested in learning about different religions and cultures—-the less we know about something, the more we want to know.
Hi Amanda,
DeleteSorry for my extreme lateness in replying to this. This past week has been hectic, and I had originally planned to comment on your case response on your blog.
As a child religion was a topic that baffled me. Religious differences were something I rarely encountered, but I saw cultural differences every day, and so that was normal. I would say that now that I am older and I've lived in a variety of different places with very different social and cultural constructions than what I grew up in I have a new appreciation for and interest in cultural diversity that I did not have when I was young, if that makes any sense. What I find so interesting about the Catholic school system is that it is exclusionary in some ways, and that really influenced my understanding of what inclusion is.
In my practicum neither of the girls with hearing impairment used sign language. Both had limited hearing, and one of the girls began to lose her hearing when she was in her early years of schooling. They both got by with their devices.
Thanks for your comment.