After reading about John on his website and reading through his blog I feel like it would be a great idea to also read his book. He seems like he is a very smart individual and his writing is very well thought out. When looking at his accomplishments it is obvious that he has been gifted in the way of understanding mechanics and electronics. But on top of that he has a great understanding of himself.
How many people go throughout there lives without really understanding themselves nor understanding why they do what they do. In my opinion I feel that that is a detriment to oneself. As John mention in his January 28 blog, utilizing an age old adage, "knowledge is power". And I agree with him in his stating the importance of understanding oneself. If you have some sort of exceptionality and it requires you to get tested to find out what it is so that you can understand it better, then get tested. But by understanding oneself provides you with the power to affect the way you act and respond to certain situations. John Robison has come to this type of understanding of himself and has, as a result, been able to grow and overcome some of his challenges. Plus he now knows that he is not a freak but he has Aspergers and he is not letting it hold him back.
John still has challenges before him though, like the difficulties with social situations. This being of more importance to him now that is becoming very well known and having numerous requests to publicly speak. Not to mention his dealings with individuals through his business. But he appears to be doing very well considering this difficulty. For instance if you read his blog from January 2 and here about his encounter with the elderly lady who owns the collection of Indian Motorcycles, he seemed to be able to have a great discussion with her, find out some very valuable information and not seem to be hinder by Aspergers. I am sure that there were challenges for him in the conversation but he seems like he is a great listener even if he is not able to look you in the eye.
In regards to the last note, it was quite frustrating and saddening to hear how he was treated when he was in grade school. Sure Aspergers was not really known, but it didn't appear that the teacher made any real attempt to see if there was any underlying issue to his apparent "lack of focus". I would hope that when I get into a classroom teaching and I notice I child who is not "looking me in the eye" that before I jump to any conclusion that I try to understand why. Assess to see if that student is hearing and understanding what I am saying, asking to find out if they seem to be having difficulty with anything. I would hope that I would just be sensitive to the possibility of that student having Aspergers or any other exceptionality and treat them not as a diagnosis but a student for myself to help succeed.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Changing models in Todays Classrooms
The education models, in regards to students with exceptionalities, is greatly changing in regards to how it has dealt with these difficulties in the past. It had long been believed that the best way to educate students with disabilities was to segregate them from the mainstream classes and provide them with specific plan to teach them; the relative isolation model. Within the last 30 years there has started to be a move from this model to one that integrates students in mainstream classes part-time and eventually to where students with excetionalities are completely included.
The change of models from relative isolation to integration, and integration to inclusion will result in a greater need for myself, as a teacher, to be better prepared for differentiating my teaching to reach all the students in the class. Diversity in the classroom will be far greater then it has been in the past. With the students not only being from different individual homes they each will have different religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds. And with this change of models the range of learning abilities is being increased, placing a greater demand on teachers to be better trained and prepared to teacher in these diverse settings.
In my opinion I believe that these are some very positives changes both for students with exceptionalities as well as for mainstream students and teachers. Students with exceptionalities in the past had been segregated from mainstream classes and so missed learning how to deal with there exceptionality in the rest of the world. Every aspect of there classes was catered around there exceptionality resulting in an integral part of there education being missed, how to operate in the world outside of school. Now with being included into the mainstream classes these students have this opportunity while at the same time still being educated.
By having students with exceptionalities included in mainstream classrooms typical students are also being given a fuller education. Now there are also being given first hand experience in being sensitive to individuals with exceptionalities and that they really aren't much different from themselves. This should hopefully help bring around deeper understandings in students of being sensitive and respectful to the differences of all people.
As for teachers this inclusion requires that they be better trained and instructed in a variety of learning strategies and techniques in order to effectively teach students of all abilities. Through this students should be provided with a more rounded, varied, and deeper education. The teacher will be better trained to meet the specific needs of each child, so that each childs educational needs will be more fully met. It is for this reasoning that I myself will need to seek any opportunities I can to acquire instruction in new strategies for teaching students with exceptionalities. As I train to be become a teacher it is now my job to do the best I can to be prepared for the classroom challenges I will come to face and learn all I can that I will be able to provide my future students the best education I can provide them.
The change of models from relative isolation to integration, and integration to inclusion will result in a greater need for myself, as a teacher, to be better prepared for differentiating my teaching to reach all the students in the class. Diversity in the classroom will be far greater then it has been in the past. With the students not only being from different individual homes they each will have different religious, ethnic, and social backgrounds. And with this change of models the range of learning abilities is being increased, placing a greater demand on teachers to be better trained and prepared to teacher in these diverse settings.
In my opinion I believe that these are some very positives changes both for students with exceptionalities as well as for mainstream students and teachers. Students with exceptionalities in the past had been segregated from mainstream classes and so missed learning how to deal with there exceptionality in the rest of the world. Every aspect of there classes was catered around there exceptionality resulting in an integral part of there education being missed, how to operate in the world outside of school. Now with being included into the mainstream classes these students have this opportunity while at the same time still being educated.
By having students with exceptionalities included in mainstream classrooms typical students are also being given a fuller education. Now there are also being given first hand experience in being sensitive to individuals with exceptionalities and that they really aren't much different from themselves. This should hopefully help bring around deeper understandings in students of being sensitive and respectful to the differences of all people.
As for teachers this inclusion requires that they be better trained and instructed in a variety of learning strategies and techniques in order to effectively teach students of all abilities. Through this students should be provided with a more rounded, varied, and deeper education. The teacher will be better trained to meet the specific needs of each child, so that each childs educational needs will be more fully met. It is for this reasoning that I myself will need to seek any opportunities I can to acquire instruction in new strategies for teaching students with exceptionalities. As I train to be become a teacher it is now my job to do the best I can to be prepared for the classroom challenges I will come to face and learn all I can that I will be able to provide my future students the best education I can provide them.
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