social justice!

The questions that i wanted to know about teaching for social justice, is what are the concepts behind it and what programs are in line to help handle it. Searching on the web i learned that teaching for social justice is a very big deal. it states in an article that i researched that social justice means recongizing oppression, and that it comes in multiple forms. There are various ways of taking action in the classroom to stop oppression. Some steps or strategies used is to address race, class, gender, disability, sexuality throughout all the levels of abilty in the class.
The way the teacher goes about dealing with all these issues make all the difference. Teachers have to be taught a way of dealing with these issues as well as being able to talk about it and handle it correctly with there students. Social justice is a big part of teaching and there are many stratergies put in to help prevent children from getting hurt by the idea of race and, disabilty, etc. I feel that educating teacher on how to deal with these things are a great way of going about it. Teachers need to know how to be able to deal with these types of issues, and its a good thing to know how to deal with especailly if as a teacher you have your own classroom

http://www.oswego.edu/~prusso1/Teach_for_SJ_main.htm

Special Education -Inclusive eduaction

The topic that i am choosing to talk about is Inclusive Education along with students that have an IEP. Both in which we read about in chapter 3. Inclusive education is defined as a program in which special needs students are put in depending on their learning disabilities. There are so many conflicts out there that involve inclusive education. Inclusive education can be segragated classrooms and or seperate classrooms. Depending on the childs disabilitiy and how well they can adapt in a classroom. It is said that if you take a child out fo the classroom where all their peers are learning they begining to think that they are different and become upset. Depending on a childs learning disabilty they should not be taken out of the classroom. However they could be provided with a resourse teacher, that can help them and give them the extra attention they need. Or they can also be provided with an IEP, which is an indivulaized education program to help students. It outlines where a child struggles and special things that should be put in place to help the child learn better. I defintely believe that children with learning disabilities should not be pulled out of a class away from there fellow peers. They make think of it has punishment or that they have done something wrong. In most cases a resource teacher sits in on the class and helps out the teacher and student when needed. That may as well be the best thing. I have experienced IEP first hand because when i was in elementary up to high school i had one. IT was nothing serious but when i was in elementary school i had alot of trouble reading etc. So they deveolped an IEP for me. At times i hated having to go into the resource room with only a few other students but it helpped me out. I though of it as being embarressing and i never wanted anyone to know. But now that i look back it was not really a big deal and infact it was a great help. However i dont believe that a child should be pulled out of there classes and if they are the teacher should explain it to them because alot of students do not understand what was going on.

Children that are at risk

The topic that I chose to talk about is the struggle that every school around the world is facing, which is kids that are at risk. Kids that are at risk according to chapter 2 in our books are the kids who live in poverty or parents struggle with making money etc. It states that "low income communities often mean underfunded school districts and poorer schools in virtually every way". Thus meaning if a city has a high poverty rate it means that children do not have the materials and nessecities needed to get a better education. Such as the schools that have all the money to do things with. More money means better funded schools, new books and a better education.

Now that the schools are so aware of at risk kids they are trying to form programs to change things and turn everything around. They have started the National Defense Education Act which is extended counseling, that informs the children to understand the imporatance of success! Which is a great program to have. Especailly for the children who do not have the support at home. And it is very easy to see who those children are in school. When observing I started to notice certain things in the younger children. Such as in kindergarten is when children start writing or learning to write there names. For example most of the students parents have sat down with there child and has tried to take the time to teach them write there name. I have witnessed children walk in and have no idea what letters are or even how to write the first letter of there name. It is because there parents have not sat down to take the time with them. As a teacher you can see which parents are given the support and which parents are not. Thats what this program helps to do, it encourages children where there parents are not standing behind them. There are so many other programs that have been formed in order to help children to understand the importance of being an educated person.

The reason why i did choose to write about this topic is because i have witnessed this while observing. I can defitnely pick the children out whose parents having been helping them and expressing the importance of success. There are so many children who are at risk, and i believe the risk starts at a young age. I understand when your eighteen you can drop out of school because you are an adult. But there is a reason you choose to drop out. It because you have been pushed for success at a young age, and if your parent are gaurdian pushed for success and to help you learn chances are you would not be dropping out of school. If you maybe had that extra push an adult you wouldnt be an at risk child. I truely believe that the structure starts at home and is reinforced in school. It can not be one of the other it has to be both

Disabilities in the Classroom*

The educational topic i chose to write about this week is children with disabilities in the classroom. The reason why i chose this topic is because i find it interesting and a very controversial topic in schools all over the United States. My article talks about getting an bill called the IDEA act passed in order to help out students with disabilities. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and this act was developed to "require schools to give students with disabilities individualized education programs designed to meet there education needs." (Christina A. Samuels) Which many schools have because they receive federal funding for it, however there are schools that do not have enough funding for it. There are certain criterias that have to met in order to recieve this funding. Therefore there are many children that are not covered which makes it very hard for parents and care takers of these children. Because they end up having to pay money to send them to special schools etc.

I truely believe this is a very important topic because it touches me personally. My little cousin is in special classes for students with disabilities. Although he is not physically disabled he is just a very slow learner. And sadly what is called a drug baby, meaning when my aunt was pregnant with him she did drugs and basically thats why he is slow. Which is not his fault and he tries very hard but hes just not all there. Without this program in place he would be sitting in a regualr classroom and not be able to follow the criteria that the teacher is covering. So i feel by having some kind of aid and help hell be fine and hopefully develop to be okay. I wish that all children were as lucky as him to receive such good treatment.

Title- Changes to Disabilities Act Seen as Offering Students Protection

By Christina A Samuels

Website -www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/24/05ada.h28.html