ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Filed Under: Accountability, IEP, IEP Data, Marina Sabatini, Special Education, Special Needs, The Biggest Loser
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
Lately, I have received numerous questions on the subject of data collection. Does it have to be done every day? What kind of data needs to be collected? What do you do with a mountain of data? What does all of this data even mean?
The one question that continually surprises me, though, is, “Why do I even have to do this?”
So to all those in the world of special education who are asking themselves this question right now, let me tell you a story. (more…)
Filed Under: Autism, Special Education, Teaching Children with Autism, Temple Grandin, Visual Thinkers
Posted by: Micaela Canales
Her stature is confident, and she speaks matter-of-factly. A room of at least one hundred people is watching her with attention and delight, eagerly absorbing her words as she explains a few common symptoms of autism; delayed speech, lack of eye contact, preference for solitary play, difficulties interacting with people. You could conclude that a person with autism would probably have great difficulty speaking to a room of people, maybe even difficulty speaking to people at all. The riveting speaker delivering this information is Dr. Temple Grandin, and her bombshell is; she has autism. Yes, you read right.
Filed Under: Admission Review and Dismissal, ARD/IEP Committiees, Special Education, Special Needs
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
In basketball, the full court press is a thing of beauty. The press is a defensive formation in which the team will apply man-to-man or zone coverage to either block the inbounds pass or to trap the offense in back or midcourt. It takes determination on the part of the pressing team to initiate this strategy. However, when it is done well, the press can lead to quick turnovers, putting the team far ahead of its opponent.Â
Similarly, many parents of children with disabilities experience the educational version of a full court press when they attend their children’s ARD/IEP meeting. (more…)
Filed Under: Marina Sabatini, Paulo Freire, Pedagogy, Social Justice, Special Education, Special Needs, The Freire Project
Posted by: Marina Sabatini
When I was ten years old, I had my first encounter with a person who was profoundly deaf. Her name was Jennifer, and she was a phenomenon on the local softball field. Every team was terrified of her prowess. As Jennifer would come up to bat, coaches from opposing teams could be heard yelling, “Back up!” as they waved their hands furiously at their outfielders. Jennifer would not disappoint, smacking the ball so hard that it cleared the fence nearly every time.
As I moved into the upper leagues, Jennifer and I had the privilege of being on the same team. I would diligently observe her, trying to figure out how she held her batting stance, how she brought the bat around, and how she knew to direct the ball to particular parts of the outfield. It would have been easier to ask her for myself, but I had no idea how to speak to her. Neither did anyone else on our team.
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Andrea Hodge is the Executive Director of the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP) at Rice University.
