OOPS!++I+was+late+to+class+or+missed+class,+so+this+is+how+I+am+making+up+for+it...

Please review the timing sheet for today's class 11-5-12. Watch the listed videos (all come from the Video Clips page on this wiki) and respond with your thoughts right here on this page. Simply click EDIT and start typing :). Yep, it's that easy. For readings, comment on what you gleaned from the chapters and how your thinking has evolved since reading each piece.

Here is the training agenda. After clicking EDIT, type your name and your responses in the spaces below this typed information. Let me know if you have any questions. DON'T FORGET TO CLICK **__//SAVE//__** after adding your thoughts.

Mary Pat's comments I watched the video Rosie and loved it. It was amazing to see the sensitivity and now have knowledge of this to be able to understand students that are autistic. 1-100 children are autistic as stated in the video but knowint know it is 1-80 is alarming as an educator and something we must be able to deal with in our classrooms. It was great to see and hear the converstions that were going on and how much touching can be an issue for these students. This is something teachers have to be careful with even if you are trying to praise the student. Suzie Hutton Video Clip #1 Paula Kluth’s video clip reminds me of the student I took to Outdoor Ed a couple of years ago. “Tim” had autism, and in the first meeting, he refused to sit in a desk, did not want to participate. I was concerned – to say the least. As Tim was not on my team, I was worried about spending a week with him. I talked to his team, and they told me that they, too, were concerned as he had many meltdowns at school. However, his parents were pushing for him to go. The second meeting went much like the first, and I was now more than worried. I talked to the director who said he would keep the student at school, if I felt it was best. I went back to the team to clarify “meltdown.” They said, “sometimes he sits and rocks.” Aha. This meltdown I could deal with. I then talked to a colleague who teaches special education. She recommended I take him and had these words for me: Tim will not have the same experience as the other kids, but he will have his own experience. Right before OE, I saw Temple Grandin. My who world changed. Tim was different, not less. I took Tim, and he taught me more about OE than any student had ever before. I learned about Tim. And I realize now that I didn’t learn much of anything about autism. Just Tim. When we came home, I thanked his parents for advocating for Tim. I thanked my colleague for being an ally to a student she didn’t know. And I am so glad that I was open and allowed this child to inspire me.

Video Clip #2 TG has become a teacher of mine. Between her advocacy in the autism world and her compassion for animals, I absolutely admire her. I also believe (from her books and the movie) that she was so fortunate to have her mother, aunt and teachers.

Her talk about thinking in pictures reminds me of a student I had a couple of years ago. He didn’t do much writing, and he rarely wanted to take tests, but once I asked him to draw pictures of our vocabulary words (which were fairly advanced) and he drew such witty, elaborate pictures. I was so excited that I wanted to copy and share the pictures with the class. He emphatically denied this request.

Obscure connection – before the election, I felt quite strongly about one side. When I spoke to a friend about his feelings on the other side, I just had trouble processing how our thinking could be so different. Thus, I cannot imagine how hard it would be for the student who sees the world so differently from peers and then try to navigate in that world.

Grandin’s thoughts on algebra and geometry is one that I’ve been talking about with others. My son, who is not on the spectrum, struggles with algebra. But he was fine with geometry. Algebra II is kicking him right now. A math teacher friend said that this often happens.

Sensory issues – really struggling with this right now in my classroom, but not so much for the students with autism. More for the students with ADHD. Focus on the H. Trying to address a multitude of sensory issues is challenging. Especially in one room with one teacher.

I think when TG talks about teaching kids basic skills, she’s talking about something I’ve been thinking about a lot – non-cognitive or soft skills. After listening to a podcast on //This American Life//, I began looking at my students who are struggling in a whole new light. I need to build synaptic bridges with repetition for things like manners, asking for help, etc. It’s like Suzy said in our first class, many of the strategies we find that work for students with autism also work for other types of learners.

Video Clip #3 - something didn't work here. Is this the Rosie video or did I miss something...

From the book: Chapter 1 – I loved the quotes from the people who recognize the advantages and disadvantages of autism. Overall, I believe that we, all humans, need to see both sides of ourselves and be okay. I recently read an article about a couple who had a daughter and decided to have a sibling for her. Their son was diagnosed with autism, and the parents fell apart. The mother, for a long time, had a hard time truly loving her son. Her daughter, however, loved her brother unconditionally. The mother realized that she was feeling a loss of expectation that he daughter never had. From her daughter, the mother learned to honestly and deeply love and appreciate her son.

Chapter 2 I am absolutely drawn to the idea of an inclusive school. My only experience with inclusion is from books, movies and stories of other schools. I am interested in more information about this.
 * 1) How many students does a teacher have a day?
 * 2) Do students change teachers every year?
 * 3) What were the growing pains?
 * 4) What are advanced/gifted learners doing?
 * 5) Is the school we saw in the video a charter school?
 * 6) Is the school we saw held to state testing?

Just on one more note – I am working to make my class a more democratic place this year. My current E&R curriculum was student chosen and planned (with my direction).

Chapter 3 From the video on the first day to the reading of this chapter, I am developing a strong appreciation for the word “complexity.” I have never heard it used this way, but what an evocative term. I want to copy the questions on page 49 and attach them to my lesson plans with the names of a few students per class.

I could talk about all 10 points presented in this chapter, but I am aware that this has gone on quite long.

11/11/2012 Cassandra Irwin After reading chapters 1-3 in __You’re Going to Love This Kid!__ I gained new knowledge of inclusive schooling and the role of the teacher. I particularly enjoyed reading Ch. 1. A quote that really resonated with me was “I believe Autism is a marvelous occurrence of nature, not a tragic example of the human mind gone wrong. In many cases, Autism can also be a kind of genius undiscovered.” Another quote that struck a chord was “I like being different. I prefer having AS [Asperger syndrome] to being normal. I don’t have the foggiest idea exactly what it is I like about AS. I think that people with AS see things differently. I also think they see them more clearly.” I mentored a young man with autism in a theatre program in Peoria, IL. He is an incredibly insightful and unique middle school student, who loves to read. I want him to live in a world that sees him and autism as natural and wonderful. “We Thought You’d Never Ask: Voices of People with Autism” was very powerful. I also greatly enjoyed watching the video about Temple Grandin. I have admired Temple Grandin since I saw the film about her life a couple of years ago. I think everyone can learn from her example of perseverance and ingenuity.

11/5/12 Dawn Duffh Rosie video: 1 word: enlightening. It was great to see individuals with Autism explain things from their perspective. I loved when Tony said "I am perfectly normal. Everyone else is weird." Along with this week's reading, I have a new perspective on Autism.

11/11/12 Maggie Kennedy I loved the videos. I thought they did a great job explaining autism and different ways to help students with autism. I think Rosie's video was very well done. I watched this video with a friend. During the video she told me she was amazed how well they were able to articulate themselves. She said that she didn't know people with autism were able to talk that much. She thought they functioned more like Rosie's brother. I explained to her how autism is a spectrum because everyone with autism is different and has a different severity. It reminded me how important it is for people to be educated about autism. Watching "I Thought You'd Never Ask" was a good follow up video to this. I love how it showed different modes of communication.

I like how the reading showed different types of autism. It makes sure you know in the very beginning that no two people with autism are the same. It was also good to read about inclusion in the beginning of the book also. Inclusion can be tricky with autism because you think you have a good model for inclusion, but then the next year you have to change it. It can be hard to know sometimes if a student with autism is places in the correct environment because it takes a while to get to know the student. It was good that the book hit on the least restrictive environment because it can be difficult to remember that during times you are having a tricky situation with a student. The role of the teacher is so important for students with autism. When a student cannot fully express themselves, they need someone to help advocate for them. I also think it is important to remember what the book said about making sure the student has a choice too. A teacher the to get to know their students and help advocate for them, but not forget that the students needs to advocate for themselves also. Students feed off of a teacher's attitude. Overall, I think these were three great chapters to introduce autism.

Entrance slip for 11-12-12 class Natalie Langhoff First reaction is a feeling of frustration. I’m frustrated because people react in a rude manner, because they are ignorant. I am consistently dealing with ignorance whenever someone finds out that my mother has schizophrenia. They pre-judge and treat my mother a certain way before she even has a chance to show them her personality. Or they treat her like a child. Kira was treated like a young child. I would bet that Kira, like my mom wants to be treated with dignity. I teach psychology, primarily because I want to educate our youth about the facts about mental illness; I want them to hear from various people who live with a diagnosis and to see that the person is so much more than their “label”. I would hope that if I received this email, I would talk to the students about the incident and use the opportunity as a time to enlighten them. =This is entrance slip for our **11-12-12** class. Participants will have the first few minutes of class to read and respond to the prompt, and then we will watch the first video, Episode #6 of Return to Normal (Family is the title of this clip). The link is provided right here [|Return to Autism -- Episode #6 of 10 (Marty Murphy on the topic of family and a bit about sensory)]=

Here is the training guide for our class tonight

Check out the tab on the left sidebar titled **Exit Slips from D87 Fall 2012 Class** to see the class's feedback from the 11/5/12 class. I made adaptations to the class based on that feedback.

Don't forget, if you have missed a class, you need to do the make up activities and save them on this wiki in order to receive stipend or credit for the class.

=Here is the agenda for our 11-19-12 class. At 2:45, we will watch the video Autism: The Musical, Part 1=
 * [|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G43qNZjmfz0] **

You may watch it prior to class, if you have time, or watch it later if you wish. Feel free to post comments below, and watch the other 6 parts of this series at your leisure if you are "hooked" by this first episode. Our panel is coming tonight, so be prepared with questions. Also, I would like for you to bring your KWL+ chart (if you can find it -- if not, there is a copy on the graphic organizer section of this wiki that you can print off and complete prior to class).

11/19/12 Nancy Pichla I watched the video as I will be a few minutes late coming from the junior high. The lady who plans on holding a musical for kids with autism seems like she is patient and kind. I imagined the sadness that goes along with the realization that something about your child is different as seen by the different parents in the video. Being able to put a name on it and getting to the point of acceptance would be hard. During the parent orientation, it was interesting to see her explain to them that she was not sure what was going to happen or how it was going to work, but that they were going to be in an environment where they were loved and accepted.

= Final Class period agenda 11/26/12! We will watch this video while we wait for our Jr. High colleagues.= =[|Katy Perry, fan with autism sing amazing duet]=