1108/09/17

Please Raise Your Hand - 2017 Version. As a way of developing connections with my students in next semester’s class, I modified an activity I have used in the past: Please Raise Your Hand If - - - . I recommend that the students work on highlighting the connections they share with their students as a method of developing rapport and community within their future classrooms. [All 20 statements in the example below pertain to their instructor.]

1208/10/17

You Got Me ThinkingYou got me thinking about the work I do each dayMy role in teaching classes and what I'm about to say.I love my work at Central - - - the flexibility of my time;Even the self-expressions contained in my current rhyme.My creative ability to speak my mind each day - a perkAnd the colleagues in my department form my closest friends at work.There're excellent fringe benefits for when I'm ill and cannot teachI influence my students who soon one day will reachOut to other learners in the cities and the townsAfter crossing center stage in their graduation gowns.But - - - my loyalty is not limited to the structure of this entityThe buildings and the administration of this university.Yes, I have my stage, a classroom - I’m the director of my show,But I can quickly be replaced; this I surely know.There are many reasons that people choose to work each dayAmid the chaotic nature of the external forces at play.I may be short sighted and selfish in my rantBut survivors of certain illnesses have a reason to chantEach day is a day and each moment is a momentMy reasons to work here are a personal commitment.Full-time, part-time doesn't really matterAmid the e-mails and the daily chatter.Some of us are starting - beginning our careers;Some of us are in the final stages of our yearsAnd hold many values and attitudes to be true,Some of which may happen to also belong to you.Ben and John hold a part of the truthBut so do Jane and Lois and if your name is Ruth.Thank you, for reading the lines of my poem.Share your gifts and live your life at both work and home.

Personalizing Reinforcement. One of the main features of reinforcement is to personalize what this means for each student. During one brainstorming session, one team of students identified nine features of reinforcement that could be associated with a student. I used my own last name as an acrostic organizer to demonstrate how a personalized visual might be developed for a student if these features were associated with me.

08/11/17

08/12/17

Communitas Est - Spring 2012. In a previous blog entry, I had included an issue of the Communitas Est newsletter in which I had [1/24/17] written some thoughts about the creative process in working with individuals with disabilities. In this blog entry, I also include an issue in which I wrote about some of the values and truths that form the foundation of my courses at CCSU.

[Please upload the file that appears just below entry on the contents page of the old blogs.]

Thoughts On Teaching My Current CoursesMastery is an illusion -We must stop teaching to this delusion.Connecting with the content matters -Let’s use our strengths and gifts togetherFor new insights and ways to growThat only we can really knowHow to live a better lifeAmid the joys and amid the strife.

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08/13/17

When Schools Forgo Grades. I am fascinated with the anecdotal accounts of when schools opt for a non-grade based approach to assessment. I read about one such approach I want to share with students in my courses and the image I am left with is the reciprocity of learning among teachers and students. We are all learning about the topic of focus, but at different levels of understanding. We never stop learning about a topic about which we are interested. [I apologize if you are viewing this blog entry at a time when the link may not be active.]https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2017/08/13/when-schools-forgo-grades-an-experiment-in-internal-motivation/

08/14/17

1408/15/17

What Are You Getting Into?• One of the best jobs in which to influence the direction

students take in their lives;• A career in which your creative powers will be

challenged;• A line of work that makes you a better person;• A chance to practice over and over again and hope you

never get it exactly right;• An opportunity to self-reflect on your own values and

beliefs;• A network of peers who help each other become better

at what they do;• An exciting job in which no two days are ever alike;• Working on teams in which people bring their collective

wisdom to improve the lives of students;• A challenging atmosphere to do what's right - - - not

what's easiest;• A profession in which reinforcement might come 10

years later from a student who tells you just how much you have influences his/her life.

So FarAbout eight months ago, I started this daily blogOf thoughts and opinions that I wanted to logTo acquaint my students and peersWith what I had to say throughout the year.I think I can keep it going day by dayUntil I run out of something new to sayOr share from many of the writings in my filesOr some of my ever expanding number of pilesOf papers, notes and thumb drives galore.Going back in time helps me to exploreWhy I have my goals to reachAnd share with my students in the courses that I teach.Another academic year will soon begin;What new insights will I have withinTo bring to the surface each and every dayIn what I write and in what I have to say.

08/16/17

1508/17/17

Naoki Higashida. In 2013, I read a book by Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism., which contained responses to questions put to this teen from Japan about what it is like to live with autism. I just downloaded his most recent book, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: A Young Man’s Voice from the Silence of Autism. I am eagerly looking forward to this follow up book published four years later. I will record my notes below as I read his most recent book.

1608/18/17

Diversity of Feedback. I just completed reading the third book in the Jackaby series by William Ritter and thought it was wonderfully constructed and extremely enjoyable to read. The final book in this series is due out next week and I have already pre-ordered an e-book version. When skimming through the GoodReads website for reviews, I noted most were extremely positive about this book, and the series, in general. However, a couple of reviews were downright critical and viewed this book in a very negative light. This reminds me of some concert goers who attended a Dylan concert on the most recent leg of his Never Ending Tour. One newspaper reporter from a British Columbia, Canada, venue criticized Dylan for not singing his old folk tunes from the 1960s and left the venue disappointed. I had attended a show earlier this summer and thought it was among his best performances! In my own courses, the vast majority of students comment using glowing words of praise about their experience in the course. But, I will never forget one student’s crass remark upon completing a course, “This course wasn’t worth the price of gas to attend!” I take heart that Mr. Ritter and Mr. Dylan are not universally appreciated for their craft. I thank the occasional student whom I have disappointed because they spur me on realizing that I can make improvements to all existing work.

Neurodiversity – What I See. In a recent article in Educational Leadershipby Thomas Armstrong, he uses Harvey Blume’s definition of neurodiversity as “an understanding that neurological differences are to be honored and respected just like any other human variation, including diversity in race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, and so on … .” When I look to how this term can revolutionize education, I see the individualized education program for each student taking shape. I see teachers as facilitators of learning and helping each student advance to his/her next level of achievement without competing with anyone else in the class for how to earn his/her “A”. I see excitement as students and teachers share their discoveries when interacting with the same content. I see connections between the needs in one’s community and the work in which students are engaged in the classroom. I see social and emotional learning being measured with a greater emphasis than academic progress. I see the subject areas as vehicles for personal growth and not the retention of minutia of information. I see teams of students in brainstorming sessions, each one taking on a significant role toward the identification of possible responses to a challenge of focus. I see the enjoyment in student faces as if they were attending summer camp. I witness the practice of mindfulness and compassion in all aspects of the curriculum. Living a worthwhile and meaningful life is an end goal as students prepare for careers that they will enter after graduation and for which jobs most likely do not currently exist.

08/19/17

1708/20/17

The Public’s Need to Comment. I was intrigued by an article in today’s Hartford Courant written by a person whose chemotherapy resulted in a regrowth of hair in a sparsely arranged manner. She commented on how often strangers / friends / relatives would comment to her about remedies she should consider to either cover up or address her thinning hair status. Her article contained a profound truth – others may be much more concerned with how she looks than she is! It is possible not to be perfect or conform to society’s idea of how one should look - - - be more normal, as if that is what each of us strives to be – what others think we would want, based on their own values. The author of this article was forthright about accepting her new look and not wishing to “fix” her hair in a way that might not bring stares and unsolicited advice from others. Why do people think their advice would be welcomed by this individual? Do people realize how insensitive they are being in the presence of someone who looks different than they do? I will share this article with students in my courses when we discuss the social influences on the inclusion of students with disabilities in our schools and community.

NeuroFeedback Companies. One of the courses in which I am the instructor focusses on evidence based practices for current/prospective teachers. One of the topics for this upcoming semester will be neurofeedback companies that claim a reversal or elimination of symptoms for a variety of conditions through brain-based exercise both on and off a computer. I think there is a confusion among many people between the terms brain-based research and brain-based exercises to boost IQ or eliminate symptoms of ADHD, autism and other such conditions. More and more, there are watch groups criticizing companies whose claims are based on testimonials or observational data separate from third-party, scientific rigor to verify claims in each company’s advertising. I will update readers of this blog on the outcomes of the investigation completed by students in this course. My current knowledge only stems from summaries of accounts that question the claims of such companies and I want to have more extensive information so that my response to parents who hear of such offers can benefit by a more thorough investigation that what the companies who offer their services present.

08/21/17

1808/22/17

My DMV ExperienceA few weeks ago, much to my dismayMy driver’s license renewal came my way.I put it off until todayWhen at 9:15 AM I was off and awayTo take a ticket [A040] at the doorOf the DMV Office - for what would be in store.I forgot my reading glasses at homeSo I listened to Dylan on my iPhone.At 10:45 I looked up at the clock faceThe numbers were changing at just a snail’s pace,So – I left and headed back to my houseTo have some lunch and talk to my spouse.I returned just about noon and immediately was dejectedMy A040 had recently been selected,So I had a to wait for a new number to appearA067 was the one I drew near.I now had my e-book to read for pleasureThe Dire King – the last of the Jackaby treasureOf stories that helped me pass the timeAnd contribute to more lines for this rhyme.About 1:45 PM I heard my number with surpriseI felt like I had won a great big prize.The exact renewal process took just a short while;In five minutes I was through and just had to smileAbout how long this whole process tookBut I got to listen to Dylan and read from my bookThat otherwise might not have been part of my day;I was mindful of that as I went about my way.

Jackaby Book Review. [as presented on the GoodReadswebsite] I read this concluding book in the series in two days as my final reading of the summer. I head back to teaching my courses at a local university next week fully refreshed in reading the entire Jackaby series from June to August of this summer. As a source of enjoyment and diversion from day-to-day duties/activities, Ritter filled the bill to as much a degree as The Hunger Games / Divergent / and others have previously done. Thank you, Mr. Ritter for taking time to entertain us!

Always bring music and perhaps a good book to readFor appointments you may have when you find you may needA way to occupy your timeAnd summarize your results in verses that rhyme.

08/23/17

1908/24/17

We Are All Life-Long Learners. There is no limit to what we can learn about any topic. For instance, a solar eclipse occurred earlier this week. Observers ranged from young children with modified viewers constructed from cereal boxes to astronomers using highly sophisticated telescopes. This reminds me of Bruner’s “spiral curriculum” concept in which he asserted that any content can be accessed with different degrees of intensity and knowledge depending on the age level and experiences of the student. If we can all be life-long learners, our ability to grasp new knowledge on a topic like an eclipse is often based on the cumulative experiences of past engagement on that topic. As our interest in a topic is fueled by past experiences, we may choose to focus on the topic with more intensity, but everyone does not need to be interested in that same topic. For example, during the eclipse, I was at a Dunkin’ Donuts eating a sandwich with a cup of coffee and barely noticed a change in sunlight at the appointed peak of this event. However, colleagues at my university travelled out to Indiana and Illinois to be in the “area of totality” to engage on a level of much greater intensity. One’s interest or engagement is not better than another’s. Everyone is not forced to be equally engaged at the same time and in the same way. Why can’t school be more like this? Students can find their source of engagement that matches current interests and creative teachers can embed the required content to those interests.

Thoughts Upon Watching The Teachings of Jon. About ten years ago, I viewed a documentary produced by a sister about her brother who lives with a significant intellectual disability. I shared the DVD in class and the discussion that surfaced was quite fruitful. I had mixed feelings while watching the film and sent my comments to Jon's sister in a poetic format. I share that reflection with you now and direct you to the website where I initially learned about Jon. http://www.teachingsofjon.com/filmmaker.html

Members of Each Other - book review. One of my earliest writings was a book review of Members of Each Other by John O'Brien and Connie Lyle O'Brien. I still consider this one of my better pieces of writing and one about which I am quite proud even all these years later! http://www.inclusion.com/bkmembersofeachother.html

08/25/17

08/26/17

2008/25/17

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2108/25/17

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