Awesome Guy

Tell It to the Board

 

I am driving home from the first of two full day teacher workshops that I will run this week in late August.  Three days ago I was on the beach in Wellfleet, Massachussetts listening to the water crashing, feeling the sun on my skin, smelling the ocean air and a welcome blend of sunblock fragrances.  Now, I play the classical channel on XM to keep myself from completely losing it to the anxiety and disorientation that I feel.  Making the shift from summer to fall is hard for everyone; I too cannot seem to shift my body and mind fast enough to engage in the way I know I am usually capable.  My mother, who referring to this phenomenon meant to say "re-entry," once mistakenly said, "rear-entry."  I think the latter term decribes the feeling best.

I pull into our driveway and park.  I glance back at the bags I took with me to work and think better of taking them out right now.  I leave the car and gear behind me and walk into our house.  Tova and her friend Emma are at the computer looking at itunes and playing music.  Declan is at the large white wipe-off board that sits on the clumsy wooden easel we bought at IKEA.  Nothing unusual here.  I go upstairs to change, still thinking about the board.  I got my money's worth from that purchase.  I remember buying it at Staples a few years ago, and though I bought it with the intention of working with Declan on it, I never dreamed of what an incredible tool it would actually become.  I often scan the aisles of office and educational supply stores looking for unique possibilities for teaching Declan something new.  It's impressive what one can do with a set of library book envelopes! But the board has become an institution in our household.  Since it's arrival, it has played many roles, but mostly, it has become a sounding board for Declan.  It is here where we get glimpses into what he is thinking, much more than we would ever hear from asking.  He approaches the board many times throughout the day and just puts his thoughts down.  One time, he used it to express his fear of a character on SpongeBob, which triggered a conversation about what is real and what is fantasy.  Another time, Declan used it to create a multiple choice quiz for the rest of the family on how to handle different social situations. It was clear that time, that he was working through his own new learnings.

As I change into my comfortable summer shorts, I realize something.  The board is really a place where he can make his thoughts visually accessible to him.  Declan struggles with processing language and information, and the board gives him yet another way to work though new, difficult concepts.  Further, he gets to do it at his own pace, and can erase whatever he likes in an instant.  He is in control.  I walk downstairs, now eager to see what deducing he has left behind for us this time.  What I see is a list of what he has done and needs to do for the rest of the day, each job descibed in delightfully simple terms.  Eat breakfast, go to school, come home.  It looks so doable, yet school and days filled with to-do's are so difficult for him.  But there it is, laid out in a list just like he learned from his favorite characters Frog and Toad.  The tao of Frog and Toad, I think to myself.  I smiled and let my shoulders drop to where they should be, as I often do when I learn something new from my son. 

 

The Dunderheads

 

Their nasty teacher, Miss Breakbone, who conjures up images of Miss Trunchbull from Roald Dahl's Matilda, calls her class a "scraping-together of fiddling, twiddling, time-squandering, mind-wandering, doodling, dozing, don't-knowing dunderheads."  What she fails to understand is that the activities that her students drift to are in fact their great strengths.  The book flies in the face of the conventional notions of school intelligence and emphasizes how other kinds of smarts can actually be more valuable and functional in the real world.  In this case, the children put together their various talents in order to solve the real problem of getting back an item the evil teacher took away from Junkyard, the boy that is particularly adept at finding treasure in trash cans.  Another character, an expert with paper-clips, helps the team to scale a wall.  "I nodded at Clips.  His reading scores were low.  His math scores were worse.  But if they tested him for paper-clip chains...He opened his briefcase. 'Two eight-strand ten-footers, fisherman's weave, with grappling hooks.'"  The crowd of different-thinkers win in the end, as do the children that read this book.

Multiple Intelligence, a book by Dr. Howard Gardner that came out in 1983, describes the eight kinds of intelligences that people can possess, and discusses how schools and standardized tests still only test for two of the eight: verbal-linguistic and math-logical.  We all know the people in our lives, however, that did not ace school or the SAT's, that are in fact very successful in life.  Intelligence is defined by Gardner as:

• The ability to create an effective product or service that is valuable to one's culture
• A set of skills that enables an individual to solve problems encountered in life
• The potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which enables a person to acquire new knowledge

I am grateful for authors like Paul Fleischman, author of The Dunderheads, who recognize and illustrate this idea in plain terms.  It's time.

That's Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology was always a term I thought referred to the kind of adaptive hardware that might help non-speaking students to communicate, or would help students with auditory processing issues, for instance, to be able to focus on the teacher's voice during a lesson.  Assitive technology, however, also refers to any adaptive material that helps children to gain access to curriculum and function more independently within a classroom.  In fact, did you know that there is such a thing as "low tech" assistive technology? There is low tech, medium tech and high tech assistive technology.  I write about this, because even though I am in education, I did not know to ask the school for an assistive technology evaluation until very late in the game, and sadly, even though the school knew it was available, they did not inform me.  Our son Declan responds incredibly well to information presented in a visual format, and seems to be able to take in new learning when it is presented on the computer.  Consequently, I am often looking for good resources to help us to help Declan at home and at school.  Today, I found this incredible website created by Susan Stokes.  It is the best explanation of assistive technology that I have seen so far. 

Here is an excerpt from her page:

What is Assistive Technology?

According to the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-407), an assistive technology means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, off-the-shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Assistive technology service is any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.

Typically, children with autism process visual information easier than auditory information. Any time we use assistive technology devices with these children, we're giving them information through their strongest processing area (visual). Therefore various types of technology from "low" tech to "high" tech, should be incorporated into every aspect of daily living in order to improve the functional capabilities of children with autism.

For more, go to http://www.specialed.us/autism/assist/asst10.htm

Not the Right Classroom Setting? Think Again.

In my work to help implement inclusive co-teaching classrooms, teachers will often say to me about one child or another, "I just don't think this is the right classroom setting for him."  Every time, I ask them, "Why not?" It is very hard for most people to imagine how special needs can be met in a mainstream classroom.  While he does not provide all of the answers, Dan Habib takes the issue head-on in his remarkable movie, Including Samuel.  Below is a description of the film and a short trailer, both taken from the the website, http://www.includingsamuel.com/home.aspx:

Before his son Samuel was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, photojournalist Dan Habib rarely thought about the inclusion of people with disabilities. Now he thinks about inclusion every day. Shot and produced over four years, Habib’s award-winning documentary film, Including Samuel, chronicles the Habib family’s efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives. The film honestly portrays his family’s hopes and struggles as well as the experiences of four other individuals with disabilities and their families. Including Samuel is a highly personal, passionately photographed film that captures the cultural and systemic barriers to inclusion.

The film has been screened at universities, national conferences, public television stations and independent theatres across the country. Including Samuel has also been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, Good Morning America, as well as in the Washington Post and the Boston Globe. The film won the Positive Images in Media award from TASH, an international group committed to the full inclusion of people with disabilities. It has also screened at the Sprout Film Festival at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston International Film Festival, the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Moscow International Disability Film Festival and won the “Excellence Award” from Superfest International Film Festival in Berkeley, CA.

Mercy Corps, an international global aide agency, is translating the film into Arabic and will screen it throughout Iraq to support that country’s nascent disability rights movement. The film will be re-released on DVD in October, 2009, with audio description, extras and translations in multiple languages.

Notebook Babies

 
I continue to be very intrigued by the different ways we can teach children, particularly those who tend to take in information in different ways.  From a very early age, Declan made it clear to us that anything we presented visually would be much easier for him to learn.  When Declan got into the habit of getting into our bed in the middle night, we talked to him about it and explained in many ways why he needed to sleep in his own bed.  But no matter how many times we brought it up, gave incentives, took privileges away, got silly with him about the whole thing, the message just would not sink in.  Finally, one day I asked him to make a sign.  He drew a picture of a bed, then drew a red circle with a slash through it.  Below it, he wrote, "NO KIDS IN MOMMY AND DADDY'S BED."  I asked him to tape the sign above our bed to remind him of the rule.  Don't you know, he stopped the night-time visits for weeks! (Yes, it did start up again).  But the sign idea has lived on and has proven to be a tremendously useful tool.  Except of course the time when he made a sign for our dog Bruce which had the word BITING inside the red circle and slash.  Bruce ate it.

My point is, and I've said it before, sometimes we need to get the information in in different ways.  Tova, Declan and I just came across a series of short movies made by a 5th grade science teacher.  They reminded me of Brainpop, in that they use video to teach.  What is unique about these movies though, is that Tony Dusko has a tremendous sense of humor and knows what kids like.  Tova and Declan could not stop watching them! Here is a sample of one.  In fact, Tony just let me know that this very film will be airing on Nickelodeon on Wednesday, November 18 at 4:00 Eastern as part of their animation film festival! You can see more great movies on other topics such as making friends and doing homework, at http://www.notebookbabies.com/

Executive Function and Motor Planning

When Declan was in kindergarten, his teachers would retrieve the class from down in the school yard, and walk them up the stairs to their classrooms.  The kids would walk in a line-like mass up the stairs, sometimes a few straggler parents bringing up the rear.  The routine was, when they got to the classroom door, the students would take their notes and homework out of their backpacks and place them in the labeled baskets sitting on the table outside the room.  Then they would take their coats, their hats, their mittens, and their backpacks into the classroom and store them in the closet.  Other tasks awaited them when they were finished, like turning over their attendance card, checking to see what their class job was for the day, and reading the schedule or morning message.  A kindergarten teacher once upon a time, I know that these are all sound, valuable routines.  And with guidance from day one, most kindergarteners grasp the routine within the first month and do it without thinking, the way a grown up might drive home on auto-pilot. 

I will never forget the day in October when I accompanied the class to their room.  The minute the group arrived at the classroom door, all of the children dropped to their knees and started to pull their folders out from their backpacks.  All of them, except for Declan.  Thinking nothing of it, I casually prompted him to get started.  "Go ahead, Dec.  Don't mind me."  But Declan stood there, as if he did not hear me.  It was odd.  He seemed aware and ready to start his day, but continued to stand there.  Then I noticed him walking through the sea of children and backpacks and into the room, coat and backpack still on his back, and he headed toward the attendance chart.  "Wait, Dec!" I reminded him.  "First you need to take your notes out."

What I realized that day, was that Declan had every intention and desire to follow the routines his teachers set out for him to do, but was unable to sequence the steps that needed to be taken to do them.  After I brought him back outside the room and helped him, I realized the information was in there; he knew what had to be done, but even the simple notion of I need to take my backpack off first before opening it to get my notes did not occur to him.  It was fascinating.  Concerning, but fascinating.  The part of his brain whose job it was to tell the hand to slide the backpack strap off his shoulder was asleep at the wheel.  It wasn't until his teachers and I found ways to sequence the routine for him that he was able to eventually do it for himself.  We knew he learned best visually, so we ended up using a student model to show Declan each phase of the task, step by step, almost like a game of follow the leader, which then led to a chart similar to the one shown above, made by a team of co-teachers that my colleague worked with at PS 41 in Manhattan.  It eventually worked, and not only did we help to foster his ability to function independently, but we also freed him from constant prodding and reminders from peers and teachers.

Reading Dogs Help Children to Learn

“Reading” Dogs Help Children Learn

By lending an ear at story time

By Anita B. Stone

Reading is indeed fundamental, but for many, acquiring the skill is daunting. Fortunately, thanks to some innovative programs and cooperative dogs, the challenge is getting easier to meet. Across the nation, dogs are lending their ears, and thousands of children who need extra help with reading and interpersonal communication couldn’t be happier.

Imagine this scene, described by Brooklyn’s Good Dog Foundation founder and executive director, Rachel McPherson: “For each session, the dog and the child-tutor settle down onto a blanket-covered pad on the floor in a corner of the school media center or in the library. Either the dog picks out a book or the child selects a picture book, brings it to the dog, holds it flat and begins to read.”

Though the children believe they are teaching dogs to read, in fact, with the dog as a comfortable, attentive audience (and an occasional gentle assist from the dog’s adult volunteer partner), they are actually teaching themselves. As far as the child is concerned, however, reading is about the dog, not about the child. No pressure. No embarrassment. No humiliation.

Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) was among the first to use “reading dogs” in the classroom. Launched in November 1999 by Utah-based Intermountain Therapy Animals, the program was introduced in a Salt Lake City library (where it continues to be available to both children and adults), and a year later, successfully moved into the school system. READ dogs are trained, registered and certified therapy animals who serve as classroom reading tutors, assisting children with their quiet presence and helping them develop a love of reading. Currently, 1,300 therapy teams are working their magic in schools and libraries. “We were the first to put a model around the idea, to improve reading and communication skills and to build the love of books among children that will last forever. It is priceless to see the eager faces of enthusiasm of young children reading to their therapy dogs,” says Kathy Klotz, READ’s executive director.

This is a remarkable trend that is gaining speed throughout the country.  To read more of Anita's article, click on this link:

http://www.thebark.com/content/%E2%80%9Creading%E2%80%9D-dogs-help-children-learn

After reading it myself, I added "Read to Bruce" to Declan's after-school checklist.  It was much more inviting for him to see it as a service to our dog than practice for himself! 

Best Inclusion Practices

 
As an educator, I was determined to scour the city's schools for the best possible setting in which Declan could learn.  For many families whose child is struggling with seizures, this is an enormous hill to climb.  Many children with epilepsy have one or more developmental delays and/or learning issues, and req uire some form of support to reach their optimal potential.  I have learned so much along the way and would like to share what I have learned with you.  I will tell you the sinuous route we took with Declan in the hopes that you will get to where you need to go faster. 

When Declan entered preschool at the age of three, we managed to have his SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) from Early Intervention go with him for the entire school day.  This was an incredible arrangement, as Dec had his own special educator adapting the curriculum and encouraging language and social skills as the teachable moments presented themselves.  If we could have, we would have continued with a SEIT for his entire school career; but because it is a costly solution, the Board of Education was not willing to continue the service.  As a result, when Declan turned four, we chose to send him to a private center-based school.  The school was gorgeous, had all of the amenities, all of the therapists, and two teachers per classroom.  Declan had his worst year ever.  Why? We learned that he needed to be in a classroom with strong peer models.  In the center-based school, he was only with children with similar or more severe issues, and no one but the teachers were able to demonstrate strong social skills.  At the end of that year, we took him out and never looked back.  We knew from then on that we would never place him in a setting that did not have typically developing children to help Declan to see more typical academic and social behaviors.  When he was five, our argument was adequate for placing Declan back into a regular ed room, again with a full time SEIT.  It was not easy to get, but we pushed hard for it.  The decision paid off, and Declan had a much more successful year year.  Not only did he accomplish more academically, but he was able to have playdates with peers who could teach him a few things about play.  When it was time for kindergarten, however, we were back to square one.  We were no longer dealing with the CPSE; instead, it was the CSE we had to contend with, and they were very unlikely to allow a full time SEIT.  That is when we turned to a CTT classroom, and that is one of the main ideas I would like to leave with you today.  

CTT stands for Collaborative Team Teaching.  This is a classroom that has both a regular education and a special education teacher in the room full time, and approximately a third to a quarter of the students have IEP's.  The rest of the children are typically developing students.  This is the golden standard of inclusion practices right now, and it is tremendously effective.  Many people who hear about it for the first time are skeptical.  For instance, parents of a regular ed child placed in a CTT room might ask, "How will my child be challenged in such a classroom?"  And the parents of a child with special needs placed in a CTT room might say, "There is no way my child's needs can be met with so many different learners in one room."  I have been a parent and a consultant to these kinds of classrooms for many years, and I can safely say that by the end of the year, these parents are often the same ones we find actually requesting a CTT room for their children in subsequent years.  What they don't know and quickly learn is that the teachers in a co-teaching classroom become absolute masters of differentiation; that is, they are able to meet the needs of every child regardless of where they are because they have the resources and training to do so. Further, these rooms, given the nature of their diversity, end up having the kind of classroom community that neighboring classrooms come to envy.  I could go on talking about co-teaching for a very long time, and will talk about it again in the near future, but for now, take a look for yourself.  I suggest you visit the ASCD website.  ASCD is an organization that all good educators will know.  It's very role is to help advance best practices in educating every learner.  Here's the link:  http://www.ascd.org/

Siftables

When I attended the Eagle Hill Symposium last spring, I was taken with all of the ways in which the school was using technology in order to provide access to the curriculum for different learners.  As teachers, we need to find for our students the best way to get new information in, and then the best way for the students to get the information out in order to show us evidence of their learning.  Traditionally, this would be the teacher lecturing to some degree, then the students telling back what they have learned either orally or in writing.  But what about the child who has difficulty taking in spoken language (i.e. receptive language disability), the child who has difficulty organizing their thoughts (i.e. executive function issues), or the child who struggles with expressing their learning verbally (i.e. expressive language disability) or in writing (i.e. dysgraphia)? There are some remarkable tools out there that are emerging as technology gets more and more sophisticated.  Did you know, for instance, that a variety of over 50,000 books can be read to a student using the site bookshare.org? In this post, I wanted to get everyone's imaginative juices flowing with a very new technology that has not yet made it into the schools.  Just imagine what we might do for different learners with something like siftables.  Take a look at the video below:

BrainPOP

BrainPOP is an interactive website that was conceived by Dr. Avraham Kadar, M.D., an immunologist and pediatrician, as a creative way to explain difficult concepts to his young patients.  It is designed exceptionally well, and is fun and easy for children to use.  From an educator's point of view, it is an excellent way to provide access to information to a wide range of learners.  Many schools are already using this site as a compliment to their curriculums by having children use it both in school and at home.  Topics from a variety of curriculum areas are covered, from reading and writing to science.  They are even beginning to add information about relationships and social skills! Declan is particuluarly fond of the movie that talks about friends.  Visit at http://www.brainpopjr.com/