Posted on 06/29/2018 7:17:41 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
“We hope the school will learn that they need to be more sensitive to what students are dealing with and not make fun of them in what is supposed to be a safe environment."
A mother from Connecticut is shocked after her son was given the "ADD award" by his social studies teacher.
Tera Cooper first told NBC Connecticut her 13-year-old son was given a certificate by a teacher at Plainfield Central Middle School titled the #ADD award. The paper reads “Most likely to be distracted by…look something shiny!” with a zombie holding a balloon. The zombie is also holding a gold ribbon that says “good work.”
“He had tears in his eyes. He’s embarrassed because he had to accept it in front of his entire class,” Cooper told NBC Connecticut.
In an email exchange with Newsweek, Cooper said her son, who is in seventh grade, received the award on Friday, June 22 in his social studies class. She said her son went to take a nap when he returned from school, which was unusual for him. Cooper said she found the award along with several others from the teacher.
“As I was cleaning up the house I noticed the awards, he had three. That’s when I saw the #ADDaward I was shocked. I woke up him up and asked him off his teacher really gave this to him since her name was on it and he said yes. I immediately contacted the school via email and the principal set up a meeting the next day on a Saturday,” Cooper wrote to Newsweek.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I bet the classroom walls are covered with all sorts of crap. This will distract a child.
Best thing for schools to do is take everything off the walls except a cursive alphabet and a number line. If they want to entertain the kids with ADD, on Friday put up everyone’s pictures in the cafeteria and take it off the walls by Monday morning.
I would tend to agree with you.
I believe if you were a parent of a special needs child, as I am, you would see the evidence differently in today's environment.
You actually make a very interesting point, some kids with ADHD have a hard time with patterns and colors which will distract and overload their sensory mechanisms from time to time.
I am in a way “lucky” with my own special needs child. He doesn’t want to be in gen pop. He thrives in special ed classes. He is less anxious knowing the other kids are like him, and he comes out of his shell and does his best. I have to fight the districts to understand that, as their law is to put each special needs kid into the “least restrictive” environment. He wants it to be what they call restrictive! He doesn’t want to be with brash bold typical kids! He goes catatonic. (But other kids do want to be just like the neurotypicals and in the same classes. So it can be tricky.)
You make my point. The needs and FEELINGS of the child are secondary to social engineering. Reality doesn’t always feel good and pretending everyone can learn and cope the same is refusing to face reality. Why would anyone subject their special needs child to any amount of discomfort for any length of time to go along with studies or obey politics? Why make them face their ‘differentness’ when they AREN’T different with others like them? IMO that’s like putting your 7 year old in a major league football game-he wants to play football but he ISN’T the ‘equal’ of the other linebackers and he can only get hurt by reality.No matter how much you cheer him on.
I agree. However, with the goal for the school being the education and happy socialization of all the kids, not just the special needs ones, it should be done on a case by case basis. If the kid can handle regular classroom academically and socially, and not disturb them, and wants it, then fine. That is not always the sitch.
I was inflicted with God’s Gift to Humanity as a young boy, so was my brother, today they call it ADD and ADHD, neither of us were forcibly drugged and we both had a lot of fun correcting and putting down teachers in class.
my Brother has a PHD in Physics, they said his IQ was 180
And I am the best Nationwide in my Trade, they said mine was 165
Go Figure?
Inclusion seriously impedes the overall progress of the class. Why don’t they teach stuff in depth anymore, you ask? You adore the answer. It really isn’t possible to teach to high standards anymore.
Study shows students with, without disabilities recognize benefits of inclusive schools LAWRENCE — In the debate about how to improve U.S. schools, there's often a missing voice among the researchers, scholars, policy makers, administrators and parents — and that's the perspective of the students themselves. A new study co-authored and conducted by University of Kansas researchers found that students attending inclusive schools — that is, schools in which students with and without disabilities learn together — recognize the value of inclusion and being part of an inclusive learning community. KU is a national leader in helping schools transform and create conditions in which all students learn together in blended classrooms with specialized supports available for all students. KU conducted focus groups with 86 students both with and without disabilities to gauge their perspectives on inclusion. The students attended six schools identified as exemplars of inclusive practices by KU’s Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation, or SWIFT, Center. The center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. “This is a critical stakeholder group,” said Karrie Shogren, associate professor of special education and co-director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities. “We also thought it was vitally important to get the perspectives of both students with and without disabilities. If we’re going to talk honestly about inclusion, sometimes students have more insights than we do.” The interviews found that students with and without disabilities recognized and felt a sense of belonging in their schools, recognized the effect inclusion had on all students and were keenly aware of school and classroom practices used in inclusive schools. The results are included in a study co-authored by Shogren, Judith Gross, Allyson Satter and Martha Blue-Banning, all of KU; Anjali Forber-Pratt, formerly of KU, now at Vanderbilt University; Grace Francis of the University of Missouri-St. Louis; and Cokethea Hill of the United Way of Greater Kansas City. It was published in the journal Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. Previous research has shown that in inclusive schools academic outcomes improve for students when effective classroom supports are provided. KU’s SWIFT Center works with 64 schools in five states to put in place a model of education that does not segregate students for special education classes but instead supports all students in the general education setting and curriculum. The center conducted a national search to identify six exemplary schools using the model. Students with and without disabilities took part in interviews about their typical day at school, how they work with teachers and classmates, and more. Among the most prominent findings, students repeatedly referred to the fact that they attended an “inclusion school.” They reported a sense of belonging and positive school culture. They realized expectations were high and reported they had support to meet those expectations and were connected to their teachers and peers. The fact that all students learned together was clearly evident. One student without a disability said, “This is the school where nobody can get picked on or judged by who they are … we have a variety of nice, different learners, and we’re unique and all creative and determined and responsible.” That the students had recognized and internalized the message of inclusion reflected on the work of the schools. “The schools were clearly doing a good job of changing their culture,” Shogren said. “And that confirms the research on the importance of school culture.” The students also showed an understanding of inclusion and its effects on students, academically and socially. Students without disabilities across focus groups described how their schools emphasized educating everyone together. Many also pointed out the positive aspects of the arrangement, including being able to help their peers academically, receiving more help themselves and learning to socialize with others different from themselves. “All students, with and without disabilities, identified ways in which inclusion helped them in their learning,” Shogren said. “This is critical. We want all students to benefit, and these students perceived significant benefits. We also want all students to support each other. A critical part of meaningful inclusion is making sure that students with disabilities have opportunities to take on academic and social roles and responsibilities.” Students across the focus groups also showed that classroom practices in their schools are unique. Many classrooms use co-teaching and technological arrangements to support all students. Students reported the positive aspect of having more than one teacher present, as a co-teacher could often assist other students when the other teacher was busy. “Kids picked up on ‘individualizing,’ or making sure that all students had the supports they needed,” Shogren said. “They wanted each and every student to get what they needed and to not limit supports to certain groups of students.” The study not only sheds light on the often-overlooked perspective of students, it also provides direction for future research and practice in implementing inclusive practices at schools. The fact that students knew and could clearly communicate the aspects of inclusive education that work for them shows the student perspective should be considered when developing and incorporating educational advancements, the authors argue. As another piece of evidence in the growing body of research showing that inclusive education benefits all students, it adds to body of evidence showing the importance of considering all students. “This is not just a disability issue. It’s about providing the best education and the best support for all students," Shogren said.
Inclusion helps only the slower students' self esteem, I suppose. It destroys "higher" education. Is that the proper thing to do for the good of society? No! Nothing can convince me otherwise, for I witness the affects of "inclusion" close up and personal.
Paragraphs are your friend.
I am on my iPhone so it was a bit difficult.
Do you have any response to the material I posted?
Here is a link to the info with paragraphs. https://news.ku.edu/2016/03/25/study-shows-students-without-disabilities-all-recognize-benefits-inclusive-schools
The "studies" are geared to helping the slower, not the faster. I maintain that separating the students into "tracks" is best for the presentation of the subject matter and hence the level of education. The self-esteem issues are immaterial.
As for high school students' take on education: they eat Tide Pods.
Most of what is wrong with the American education system stems solely from this social balance you favor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.