Lesson 9

This week was fun!  I got to give my group's presentation on Monday.  I really enjoyed learning about the topics that my group was assigned to.  We talked about emotional disturbances (emotional disorders).  I was very surprised at the amount of material there was on emotional disorders.  As we learned more and more about these disorders, I came to feel more strongly about the severity of the issues.  I think it is too common a thing that people joke about these things.  I presented on the eating disorder section of the project and was taken back at how prevalent this disorder is!  It was shocking and heartbreaking to know that little girls (10 year olds!) think so poorly of themselves and have such a disappointed view of themselves.  Having learned a little more about so many disorders, I have decided that I am going to take them a little more seriously.  I am not going to joke around about them because, statistically, the chances of someone having one is more likely than I think.

Another thing that we hit on just briefly in class was the idea of co-teaching.  I like this because it applies in so many aspect of life.  It is important to know about the different styles of co-teaching for when I am a teacher, a parent, a leader, etc.  I love this class because it helps me see a little deeper into the things that I do on a daily basis.  I liked learning about the co-teaching styles because I seem to be giving a lot of presentations these days as well as teaching lessons in church.  I think these methods will be of benefit to me well into my future.

Lesson 5

This week was a fun and slightly stressful one.  I was a little stressed about all the material that would be covered on the test, but once I took it I realized that the material we are covering just needs to become a part of my life.  This is knowledge that will apply to my life in so many circumstances, not just in the classroom.

Something that I learned from this week was the importance of assessment.  It is through assessment that schools are able to identify and categorize each student's needs.  Before I learned about this chapter I had no idea that there were so many ways to assess a child!  I like that there are such a wide spectrum of assessments; as the difficulty for the child become greater, the assessment also becomes more specific.  It was fun to go through the different case studies and get a feel for the actual processes.  Although the case studies were fun, it was also an eye opening experience.  It was interesting to learn about the process for parents, and all of the rights that they have, but also the IEP team and what they do when they cannot come up with a final decision.  I found the INCLUDE strategy to be very helpful.  I like that it is an acronym, which is helpful in any situation.

I know this seems silly, but I am really amazed at how much thought is really put into the individual ideas and programs set up for young children.  I am seeing more and more, through this class, how much of an impact I can have on the lives of so many young children in their education, but also on a more personal basis.