Let's Read. Let's Move.

Secretary Duncan's Kick Off of Let's Read. Let's Move. was an apparent success, thanks to Target's fabulous donations of refreshments, equipment, and games! This initiative is to help support the First Lady's Let's Move program to end childhood obesity by also highlighting the necessity of summer learning and community service. While this is a fantastic idea, it clearly hasn't caught on in our neck of the woods. I have not seen one gathering or activity focusing on either initiative. The First Lady and Secretary Duncan have grand ideas, but there's clearly issues in implementation countrywide. After reading through the article, they had a series of pictures from the Kick Off including the Secretary's wife playing hopscotch, children playing with hula hoops, and some reading on bean bags. Now, keep in mind, all materials were donated - check out what the little boy is reading ; )

Yeah, that's right - it's BONE, a COMIC BOOK (feel free to look it up in the Amazon side bar). Awesome. How does the U.S. Department of Education suggest we get kids to read? Give them something interesting! Comic books, which have been considered a dieing medium, can clearly gain a new momentum through utilizing these countrywide initiatives. What is fantastic is that either Jeff Smith, author and publisher of the Bone comics, or a huge fan took advantage of this event to thrust comics back in to the limelight. The only book pictured in conjunction with the Let's Read. Let's Move. Kick Off event is Bone. What this message sends is to increase the number of comics and graphic novels available to children in our libraries, both school and public. Contrary to popular belief, comics and graphic novels have merit not just men in tights. So get out, get moving, grab a comic, and get in to it ; )

Reach Out and Read

Become a Part of Reach Out and Read's
Summer of a Million Books Campaign
June 21 - September 6, 2010

 

In conjunction with United We Serve's "Let's Read. Let's Move." initiative, Reach Out and Read is launching a bold, new campaign to put one million brand-new books in the hands of American children before Labor Day. 

So what's the deal? Participating Pediatricians hand out books every while they provide parents with age-appropriate reading tips and advice about the importance of reading aloud every day. In order to attain this goal, Reach Out and Read's participating pediatricians will need to distribute more than 18,500 books to the children we serve every day between Father's Day and Labor Day!

If they succeed, they will provide one million more families with the tools and the guidance they need to prepare their children to succeed in school! How amazing is that?

So how can you become a part of the Summer of a Million Books Campaign?

1. Donate a book or sponsor a child online through Reach Out and Read's
   Virtual Book Drive
2. Organize a book drive for the Reach Out and Read Program in your community.
3. Most importantly, read to the children in your life every day

They are almost halfway to their goal and with each book sponsorship only being $5, won't you help a child get ready for school?

And be sure to keep your eyes open at Borders Bookstores! They will support Reach Out and Read Programs in California, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and several other states by hosting in-store book drives and benefit days in August.

Sensory Friendly Despicable Me!

Don't miss this month's Sensory Friendly film, Despicable Me thanks to the Autism Society of America!!!

Milk Mustache Campaign

Feeding America does it again with a super simple app on facebook to help spread the wealth and stop hunger! It takes two seconds, just point, click, and send away. Help people eat, go click your heart out ; )

Illinois Implementation of IDEA... not so much

Okay, so every year the US Dept of Education puts out, essentially, a yearly review of how states are doing in implementing IDEA. How'd Illinois do? Well, for children birth-2, they met the recommendations (although with the recent budget cuts, I doubt this will be the same for next year). For children 3-21? Illinois needs assistance... for the fourth consecutive year. Thumbs up, Illinois, you're super. Although it could be worse, we could be Ohio or DC.

 

Sensory Friendly Toy Story 3

Don't miss our Sensory Friendly showing of "Toy Story 3" this Saturday, June 26, at participating AMC Theatres! More info at http://www.autism-society.org/sensoryfilms

 

Every Little Bottom

Did you know 1 in 3 American and 1 in 5 Canadian mothers struggle with diaper needs and have had to cut back on basic necessities including - food, utilities, or even childcare in order to provide enough diapers for their babies? Learn more about Huggies® partnership with diaper bank leaders in the U.S. here: http://www.everylittlebottom.com/

 

Midwestern Region Diaper Banks

Diaper Bank of Northern Indiana

Northern Indiana

P. O. Box 1401 South Bend, IN 46624
Providing diapers to low-income families with young children, and to the disabled and elderly, through an established distribution network of nonprofit organizations.

Donate with Amazon Wishlists

 

The St. Paul Diaper Bank Partnership

McHenry, Illinois

3706 St. Paul Avenue McHenry, IL 60050
Helping to meet basic needs and working to partner the community’s compassion into action on behalf of those in need.

Donate with Amazon Wishlists

Keeping Kids Safe

I originally read this post on the WrightsLaw blog, then went back to read the original point of contention: preventing abuse when using seclusion and restraint. The bill is currently in the Senate and is causing much discussion on the use of restraints and physical intervention. It's quite intriguing.

Secretary Arne Duncan's PTA Speech

For a full copy of his speech "Beyond Bubble Tests and Bake Sales" given at the 114th Annual National PTA Convention (which isn't long at all) - you can find it here

I love the internet. And I'd love to hear your thoughts on his speech.

Autism Society of America Conference

Whether you are a parent, professional, or interested person, the ASA Conference is worth your while. With abundant resources and speakers, you can't help but learn new strategies, stories, and successes ; )

To check out the Conference Overview, click here ; )

If I could afford it, I would absolutely go!

NCLB Workshops

Courtesy of the Illinois State Board of Education!

Check out the information here!

Obama in the Washington Post

An article posted in today's Washington Post about President Obama pleading for $50 billion in state and local funding -- check it out! Be sure to let your legislators how important education is!

GLAD to Give!!!

What a fantastic mission Glad has - Cookies for Cancer, You Can Bake a Difference!

GLAD^® is a proud supporter of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer™, a non-profit organization committed to raising money to support pediatric cancer research through bake sales. Now there are three simple ways you can be a good cookie and get involved.

 

BUY Specially marked Gladware Products and they'll donate $1 for each code entered onto the website

SHARE your recipe - enter the contest!

HOST a bake sale!

So get involved and get baking!

Beyond the Backpack!

So with a preschooler in the house, we're apt to watching the typical kids channels - PBS, Sprout, Disney, you name it. Lately, Cayden's been tuned in to Nick Jr. on a Dora the Explorer-Spongebob-Fanboy and Chum Chum kick. After today's enthralling mermaid episode of Dora there was a commercial featuring Salma Hayek promoting Beyond the Backpack with Dora to encourage child readiness for Kindergarten. I thought - Man! That's a great idea! Dora's so popular and a large chunk of kids aren't ready for school nor do their parents know the steps to take in order to best prepare them (through no fault of their own, they just don't know - can't blame people for what they don't know). So what a fantastic idea to combine Dora with readiness skills and activities that parents and kids can engage in together! It's easy to navigate, has a countdown calendar and is accessible in both English and Spanish. Supported by the National PTA and Children's Defense fund, BTB is a worthwhile venture for your child's education. Check out the site: Beyond the Backpack with Dora!

Here's the blurb from the site itself:

Just as Dora the Explorer's friendly Backpack keeps her prepared for each adventure, every child deserves to be well prepared for their first school experience with the resources, skills, and support they need to be successful and start their education on the right path. Beyond the Backpack is a new pro-social initiative from Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer to champion overall school readiness for preschoolers on their biggest adventure yet--going to school.

The first five years of life are critical to kids' lifelong development. However, too many children enter kindergarten with physical, social, emotional, and cognitive limitations that could have been minimized or eliminated through early attention to child and family needs. Research shows that children who are not performing proficiently by the end of third grade are at very high risk of poor long-term outcomes, such as dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and juvenile crime.

Beyond the Backpack is about the navigational tools--emotional, physical, experiential, and actual that kids need to start school. Beyond the Backpack engages parents, educators, and the community at large in the four areas critical to school success: 1) social and emotional "know-how," 2) early literacy and math skills, 3) parental involvement in schools, 4) health and wellness. Families and communities are a critical part of the solution for the well-rounded development of young kids.

The initiative launched in March 2010 and provides parents, educators, and community leaders with tools to engage in activities year-round that support educating the "whole child." Because school readiness is a multidimensional challenge, Nickelodeon is joining forces with the leading organizations in child development, access to education, and parental involvement, including the National PTA and Children's Defense Fund, to develop an infrastructure of support that gives every kid the best start to school.

Race to the Top

On March 29, 2010, Ed.gov posted a press release with the very first two winners of distributions from the Race to the Top Grant. According to the press release: 

The $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund is an unprecedented federal investment in reform. The program includes $4 billion for statewide reform grants and $350 million to support states working together to improve the quality of their assessments. The Race to the Top state competition is designed to reward states that are leading the way in comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform across four key areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals how to improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around their lowest-performing schools.

Forty states and the District of Columbia submitted applications for the first phase of grants. Delaware (who will receive about $100 million) and Tennessee (who will receive about $500 million) were selected from among 16 finalists who presented their proposals to panels of peer reviewers earlier this month.

Currently, the reviewers are processing the Phase II applications. Only 35 states and the DoC applied for Phase II. To see if your state (which IL is one) applied, click here. What's super cool is you can check out your state's application, scores and reviewer comments from Phase I. Hopefully IL wins a part of the initiative to keep jobs and boost quality of education! Let's go Illinois!

Healthy Kids!

Healthy Kids Competition Deadline Set for June 30

As part of the first lady’s Let’s Move campaign, the Apps for Healthy Kids Competition invites software developers, game designers, students and others to develop applications helping children and their families eat healthier and engage in physical activity, with a focus on targeting 9-12 year olds.

The application must incorporate the USDA’s Nutrition Dataset located at http://www.data.gov/details/1294. Prizes totaling $60,000 are available. 

Visit http://www.appsforhealthykids.com for more information.

Huggies MomInspired Grant!

Click here for more information!

What a fantastic opportunity for business savvy moms, take advantage of what's available to you and go after it ; )

ADHD and Medication

First of all, I’d like to thank Kirsten for posting the email on the discussion board. Medicating children has been a hot topic of discussion in the realms of medicine and education for decades and for a few of the reasons stated in the email. Before delving in to pharmaceuticals, I think it is important to understand the basics about ADHD and why some people opt to medicate.

ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), and in some cases, are overly active (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).  It is often diagnosed as one of the following: ADHD-I (primarily inattentive), ADHD-HI (primarily hyperactive and impulsive), and ADHD-C (combination of both types).  In order to make a diagnosis, a child must exhibit six criteria for inattention OR six criteria for hyperactivity/impulsivity for a period of at least six months and to a maladaptive degree (DSM-IV). CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) provides the list of characteristics for each category:

AD/HD - Primarily Inattentive Type:

• Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes.

• Has difficulty sustaining attention.

• Does not appear to listen.

• Struggles to follow through on instructions.

• Has difficulty with organization.

• Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort.

• Is easily distracted.

• Is forgetful in daily activities.

AD/HD - Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:

• Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair.

• Has difficulty remaining seated.

• Runs around or climbs excessively.

• Has difficulty engaging in activities quietly.

• Acts as if driven by a motor.

• Talks excessively.

• Blurts out answers before questions have been completed.

• Has difficulty waiting or taking turns.

• Interrupts or intrudes upon others.

Displaying six of the criteria is not the only element in determining a diagnosis. It is also essential to:

-    Determine that symptoms are present in two or more of a child’s settings (eg home and school)

-    Determine that the symptoms adversely affect the child’s academic or social functioning for at least six months

-    Ensure that the evaluations are initiated by the primary-care physician

-    Include assessment informationf rom both parents and scohol professionals

-    Include evaluation for coexisting disorders such as depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities (Webber & Plotts, 2008).

Once a diagnosis is made, depending on the severity of the disorder, one may choose to medicate.

But why medicate? Why do people with ADHD need to be medicated? What’s going on in their bodies that needs regulating?

Although there is no one cause to ADHD, the research shows a strong neurobiological basis with a focus on neurotransmitter disturbances (National Resource Center on AD/HD, 2010; CDC, 2010; Webber & Plotts, 2008; & CHADD, 2010). While most people think ADHD is caused by an overstimulation of the brain, it is actually linked to an UNDERarousal of the anterior frontal lobes which is caused by dopamine and/or norepinephrine depletion. For more information about cause(s) and risk factors, visit the National Resource Center on ADHD or the National Institute of Mental Health .

So what’s basically happening is that the brain is understimulated, causing the child to be overstimulated. How do you combat that? Stimulate the brain -- get the brain to function at the level it should. By stimulating the brain, it actually calms those with ADHD. It is because of this fact that doctors prescribe (can you guess what’s coming?) STIMULANTS. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has a fabulous chart regarding the various drugs commonly used for ADHD, click here: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml#pub6 .

However, medication is not the ONLY treatment of ADHD. Effective treatment of ADHD in children and teens requires a comprehensive approach that professionals call multimodal. This means that the best outcomes are achieved when multiple interventions work together as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. The elements of a multimodal treatment approach include:

• Parent training

• Behavioral intervention strategies

• An appropriate educational program

• Education regarding AD/HD

• Medication, when necessary

Positive behavior intervention can be critical. The most important techniques are consistency and positive reinforcement, in which the child is rewarded for desired behavior. Classroom success may require a range of interventions, from making minor adjustments in the regular classroom to requiring special education programs. For many children with AD/HD, medication may be an integral part of treatment. Both stimulant and nonstimulant medications are now available to physicians and parents.

So what’s the problem with medicating? Why do we keep seeing meds in a negative light?

In the email Kirsten presented, they listed the following as results that are “covered up”:

* Have a high potential for abuse

* Be habit forming

* Impair vision

* Cause serious heart problems

* Create blood-vessel problems

* Result in sudden death.

Which they aren’t. At all. Studies are always accessible and warnings are always on the label. In FACT, you can access medication guides from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as drugs.com. In my personal opinion, problems with medication arise due to:

-    Incorrect dosage

-    Lack of supervision

-    Lack of reporting effects (on part of the parent or child)

-    Contraindicated medication

-    Incorrect reporting of effects by parent(s) and/or teacher(s)

-    Lack of knowledge and/or awareness

-    Others

The common theme is that something is missed, intentionally or not, resulting in undesirable outcomes. Medication, if used correctly and under appropriate supervision, could most definitely be beneficial to a person with ADHD. Although it’s not listed under the area of treatment, I think it would be a great idea for these kids to undergo therapy before, during, and after taking a drug to have their behavior closely monitored as well as help walk them through and understand the changes they are experiencing.

For more information:

CDC ADHD Homepage
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/index.html

Children and Adults with AD/HD
www.chadd.org

Drugs@FDA
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/

Drug Information Online
www.drugs.com

National Resource Center on AD/HD
www.help4adhd.org/index.cfm?varLang=en

NIMH ADHD Homepage
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/complete-index.shtml

bind it up

So in our house, we are big book fans - in fact, our floors look like a library upchucked half it's contents creating a minefield of picture and board books. Although we have an exorbitant amount of books, we're always on the look out for something new and exciting to feast our eyes and ears on. We decided to be adventurous and take the kids to the library in hopes of introducing the world of rent-a-books to the kids. Cayden absolutely LOVES to be read to and Kaylee just likes to carry books around like a caveman dragging its prey. We're trying to continue fostering the love of reading with both our kids (although it's much simpler with Cayden than Kaylee). On the walk to the library, Cayden was noticing every, literally, EVERY SINGLE ANT. When we got to the library, there was a big, fat "Killer Ants" book on display. I snatched that puppy up in a heartbeat ; ) Unsurprisingly, it's been the least favorite book of the bunch. So what all was our take? Let me share ; )

1. I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd
This is a super cute book and is GREAT for the (non)insect lover ; ) The rhyme scheme and fun descriptive words make it a joy to read. The illustrations go along with the playfulness of the story. The end of the story involves a spider and running away squealing - I make my hands like a spider and attack Cayden and, as you'd expect, he runs away laughing and squealing ; ) "I Love Bugs" is super great for real world interaction - whether you become the spider or decide to go look for bugs afterwards!






2. The Zoo I Drew by Todd H. Doodler
With mod, playful pictures and adorable rhymes, Doodler creates an enjoyable animal journey through the ABCs that can be enjoyed over and over and over again.










3. Killer Ants by Nicholas Nirgiotis
The aformentioned ant book. If you are curious about the anatomy of the ant, you've gotta check this out. This book is FILLED with some crazy facts about ants and, although Cayden's not a huge fan, Adam and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it and checking out all the illustrations (which are FANTASTIC).








4. Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes... Naturally by Betsy Franco
Illustrated by one of my FAVORITES, Steve Jenkins, Franco (a mathematician) weaves a story taking you through nature finding honeycombs, moth wings, and other cool patterns and shapes. This is an excellent tool to introduce the concepts of complex patterns and shapes.








If you get the time, I highly recommend checking out any (or all) of these books ; ) The best thing about books is you can simply read for enjoyment or use them as an aid at home or in the classroom!

eBAY

From now through July 4th, tell eBay who
your favorite nonprofit is and help them secure one of
three grants for $15,000, $10,000 or $5,000! 

Go to http://mynonprofit.ebay.com/

Find organizations like the Autism Society of America, Children's Miracle Network, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, and more! Not only does eBay Giving Works make generous contributions like this one, but you can SHOP listings that support your favorite nonprofit, SELL items and donate 10%-100% of the proceeds, or DONATE immediately. How fantastic is that?? You can also follow via Facebook and Twitter ; )  

Go to it, friends! Help your favorite organizations - it only takes a click!

TWITTER

It's official: I'm on Twitter! Follow me as xspediter ; ) See you around everyone!

NATIONAL SPEAK UP CAMPAIGN

GET WITH THE PROGRAM GUYS!!! SAVE JOBS!!!

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY TO SPEAK UP FOR EDUCATION & KIDS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 is the start of the National Speak Up for Education & Kids Campaign. It begins with a
NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY

Take Action:

• On Wednesday, May 26th, call 1-866-608-6355 to contact your representative in Congress.
• You will hear talking points and will be connected to the United States Capitol Switchboard – ask for your House Member. To find out who your House Member is, either ask the operator or click here.
• Tell your Representative to protect the future of our children by supporting funding to save education jobs in the emergency funding bill.
• With 300,000 education layoffs expected, our students are the ones who will suffer – in overcrowded classrooms, with less time in school, and without the teachers and school staff needed to give them individual attention and help.
• Share this call-in day information with your friends, Ask them to call Congress on May 26th and inform their friends about this crucial legislation

Other Actions You Can Take to Speak Up for Education & Kids:

• E-mail your Members of Congress to support funding to save education jobs in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
• Become a “fan” of Speak up for Education and Kids on Facebook – a community of educators and concerned citizens – now more than 16,000 strong – who believe our nation has a responsibility to invest in education and avoid the short-sighted cuts that could deprive our students of the bright futures they deserve.
• Print the poster for our event and post at your school or workplace.

Congress can’t ignore a strong message from all across the nation. Make your voice heard! Participate in the National Call-in Day and speak up for education and kids!

MY OWN KIDS

Okay, so you all know that my own kids have special needs - both are developmentally delayed. I figured it's about time for an update ; )

Since November, Cayden's been attending the local public special education program. He has made such tremendous progress! It's amazing to hear him these days. Although he still babbles nonsense, his expressive vocabulary has come leaps and bounds. He'll tell us that we're being silly or what he wants to eat. It's somewhat mind-blowing to think that a year ago he was throwing himself on the ground, crying, screaming, breaking toys in frustration. Those fits would last for an hour sometimes - it was out of control. Now when he gets upset, he can recognize it. He'll even say, "Go Time Out. I angry. Go time out." It catches us off-guard sometimes lol He's such a fun little guy and we're so happy that we're getting to FINALLY understand what he's been saying the past few years.

As for Kaylee, she still remains without services. The early intervention (EI) services are sucking at life mostly due to the state of Illinois. In case you didn't know, the state of Illinois cut the budget on EI services. This means that they haven't been paying the therapists. So since the therapists aren't getting paid, they aren't coming out. Since they aren't coming out, Kaylee remains without services. Interestingly, EI COULD refer us to a clinic setting HOWEVER because there is a tremendous emphasis on helping children in the home environment, they won't do it. So, again, Kaylee goes without services.

However, me being me, I decided to say "eff that" and called up Sertoma. Sertoma is an organization that works solely with speech and hearing. Although this will come out of our pocket, our children are our priority. They will be providing Cayden with summer services through their Bridge program in order to keep him on track. Don't get me wrong, he's come a LONG way, but he's still REALLY far behind. Since he's shown such tremendous progress over the past few months at school we don't want to lose what he's attained and we want to bank on the forward momentum. As for Kaylee, they can and will do a hearing test (FINALLY) as well as provide speech services for her. If the outcome for her hearing is normal, we plan on going through the diagnosing process either through RUSH or Children's Memorial since they have Pediatric Neuropsychologists.

We also plan on having the kids participate in Gymnastics over the summer. This is not only to get some of their spastic energy out but to help with their coordination, balance, and motor skills. Adam wants Cayden to do hockey (there's a surprise), but I think we will stick with gymnastics this year and branch out next year when he turns 5. ZOMG HE'S GOING TO BE 5 NEXT YEAR. Okay, done spazzing. ; )

So things are moving in a forward fashion for the kids and I couldn't be happier. I hate that we have to go through Sertoma and we have to pay out of pocket BUT I want to hear Kaylee talk. I want to know what the Doods has to say about things. I have a feeling it'll be somethin' sassy. ; )

SMART IEPs

It's a concept that makes nothing but the utmost sense. As a reminder for our non-SpEd people, IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. IEPs provide a plan to adapt lessons and classrooms for the benefit of the student and their learning.

On fetaweb.com (From Emotions to Advocacy), the sister site of Wrightslaw.com (a site specializing in special education law), there was a description of a SMART IEP. So what does that entail?

S Specific
M Measurable
A Use Action Words
R Realistic and relevant
T Time-limited

By ensuring that an IEP entails each of those concepts in relation to the particular child, the team (and parent) can best create strategies for that child's success. To read the full chapter, check it out: http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/feta2/ch12.ieps.pdf

What I enjoy about WrightsLaw is the breakdown factor. They take the large concepts and explain them in a way that everyone can understand. The main goal of WrightsLaw and fetaweb is to ensure parents' understanding of special education so they can secure the services their children so rightly deserve.

BLOGS, SOCIAL NETWORKING, AND WEE ONES

Allright guys, I know it's been awhile but I'm back! I know you missed me. Currently, I'm taking an Ed Tech class (so to speak) and one of the discussion topics presented was this:

"Social Networking and "Blogs", "Online Journals", etc. are important for ALL users of the internet, but more so when we are using the internet for teaching children and youth. Tonight, I want you to explore and identify
POSITIVE uses of Social Networking, Blogs, Journals and the Internet. How young is too young for Blogs?
What sites did you find? What kind of lesson would you develop?"

I know what I wrote, but I'm curious to see what YOU guys think. Are there actually benefits for our elementary students and teachers to utilize social networking sites as well as blogs? What about high schoolers? Is there a way to incorporate them in to the classroom? 

HUMANISTIC EDUCATION

NOTE: This is something I wrote for one of my classes. I thought the information was interesting, so I decided to share and (as always) would like to know your thoughts and opinions ; )

In short: Humanistic Education puts the development of character before academics in order to create happy, well-adjusted individuals. Webber and Plotts site two major ideals of Humanistic educators: 1) children have an innate ability to learn independently and creatively and 2) schoolwork should be relevant to students' daily lives (p. 122, 2008).

The question being asked is: Do you feel it has application in schools today?

My answer to that is: Absolutely, education of character has always been applicable within the school system; but you are not asking the right question. "To what degree should Humanistic education be taken to in schools?" is a more appropriate question to ask.

Today, teachers are not "just teachers" - we are confidants, we are investigators, we are alternate parents. What was once relegated to the church has come to the schools. As American society turns a more agnostic/atheistic eye, the development of character, morals, and values, rests in the hands of parents, peers, and educators.

However, before we can tackle the extent to which we develop character and moral standing in our classrooms, we must determine the purpose of education. Is it to develop model citizens? To ready them for the workforce? Teach to the test and ensure nice statistics? Social development? Cultural transmission? The list is endless. Perhaps we should teach students how to THINK, how to CHANGE, how to ADAPT, how to be ACTIVE and PREPARED rather than making sure the numbers look good. Once you determine the purpose of education, then you can determine to what degree your curriculum focuses on character development.

CONFORMITY IN THE CLASSROOM

As I've been reading a chapter on the Psychodynamic Model, I've come across some interesting tidbits of information. I'd really like to know what you guys have to say about any or all of the following (either individually or all in conjunction with one another):

In the early part of the 20th century, conformity in the classroom came to be viewed by some educators as detrimental to a child's natural development.


Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
Basic Needs -- Deficiency Needs: safety, hunger, satiation, affection, security, and self esteem
Meta-Needs -- Growth Needs: justice, goodness, beauty, and unity
Only a very few, select people are characterized by autonomy, spontaneity, democratic values, creativity, and a resistance to conformity. They are able to transcend rather than tolerate the environment, which is the final step in becoming full human.


Carl Rogers:
Learning should be self-initiated and congruent with personal experience
Classrooms should offer a climate for experiential learning and teachers should facilitate the learning process


Karen Horney:
A Neo-Freudian who focuses on anxiety and the basic need for conformity. She feels that conflicts such as arrogance, hostility, and anxiety can be avoidable if a child is reared in an atmosphere of security, warmth, love, trust, and respect.


What's your take?

IEP

This afternoon I met with Cayden's preschool teacher to go over his progress and discuss various aspects of his education. It went very, very well. We went over his IEP, what his progress has been and what the expectations for the next quarter is. He's going to be doing a lot more OT and continue his speech therapy. I told her about our trips to the museum and aquarium and how proud we were of him and his behavior. I feel it's important for her to know his progress outside of school too.

So what is an IEP? 

In brief: IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. This is used to develop curriculum/manipulate the general curriculum, objectives, and create goals to best educate a child with special needs in the least restrictive environment. In order for a child to have an IEP, they must've been identified, assessed, and determined a qualifying candidate for special services. There is a LOT more that goes in to the IEP process and I will be than happy to elaborate on the details if asked. ; )


In my class tonight, we discussed IEPs and determining the need for functional assessments. It led to a lot of interesting dialogue. I keep reiterating the necessity of fighting for kids and their help. 


Let me give you a scenario and I'd really appreciate your input -- whether you're a parent, a teacher, or innocent bystander. What is your take on the following situation:


You're a teacher in a classroom. You have a kid that is showing qualities and characteristics that are inconjunction with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and ADD. You call in a social worker or special needs teacher or someone to do an observation of this student. Their observations support your own observations. After much contemplation and dialogue, you decide to talk to the parents. They say that they're child is fine and doesn't need any aid. So, you, being the wonderful teacher that you are, alter your teaching style and try a few interventions to benefit this child. You document these changes in your classroom to back up your attempts. No improvements are made. The behaviors continue. They're distracting to other students and can, at sometimes, present dangerous situations. You decide to talk to the parents and ask them to have their child assessed. They still refuse the intervention.


What do you do?

PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS

Let me hitcha with some basic knowledge:

Under IDEA-2004, states are mandated to have programs available for persons with special needs. For children age infant-3 years, there's Early Intervention (for our area it's Child and Family Connections/Easter Seals). For school age children 3-19 years, they are entitled to free, appropriate public education with necessary services provided through the district. Services can be extended over breaks (including summer and holidays) to make sure that progress in continued (this is called ESY - Extended School Year Services). 

I was always under the impression that you needed to have a doctor's recommendation to get Early Intervention (EI) services... After talking with one of my professors a few weeks ago, I found out I was wrong. I was happy and pissed off at the same time. I was pissed that we've waited for nothing but happy that I could get the ball rolling. Well, I called 10 days ago and haven't heard a word. When I made the initial phone call, she took some basic information so we were in the system. I called today, we're not in the system. AWESOME. 

I feel like I'm constantly having road blocks thrown in our way. I feel like I'm doing other people's jobs. Oh wait, I AM doing their job.

When we went through Easter Seals for Cayden, it was pretty awful. His therapist kept calling off and canceling so he never got the services he needed and deserved. I'm unsure if I had told the story earlier but at the beginning of this school year we enrolled him in preschool, just to get him around other kids to help with socializing and, hopefully, to aid as verbal models for him. In October, we took him to the free screening at the local public At-Risk preschool. At-Risk Preschool is the free, public, appropriate education program in our area for children with special needs. They run the risk of having disorders which would prevent them from being successful in elementary school. Anyway, we went to the screening and he had NOTHING of it. He screamed, he cried, he ran around, laid down on the ground -- he was NOT going to be evaluated... at least not by their standards. It was pretty clear and obvious that this child was in need. The way he was acting, his lack of cooperation, his lack of verbal skills - it should've been flashing neon lights to these people. But you know what I was told by the director? Come back in January.

WAAHHHHAAAAAAATT!?!?! Are you kidding me?

I was so pissed. Thankfully, I have a large support group who told me not to give up and stay on them. So I did. Cayden began going to the preschool December 1st. He has made such wonderful strides, it's amazing. But what else is kind of crazy... I didn't know this... he couldn't received his Occupational Therapy (OT) services until they received his medical records. Now, here's me thinking: Hm, I'll just ask his old preschool to send over his medical records 'cause it'll be significantly quicker and easier than going through the doctor's office. So I call and ask, get a "sure no problem" and I think I'm good. Then I kept getting notices from his new preschool saying they don't have his records. WTF yo? It took me calling his old preschool every week for four weeks for them to finnnaallly fax it over.... two months later. Ugh. AND! We asked for a tuition reimbursement from his old preschool (which they were wonderful and understanding about), but it took TWO MONTHS for them to cut the check. It was kind of ridiculous. Why it took so long? I don't know, but I'm glad it's finally done.

What ELSE pissed me off is that I called I don't know how many times and it wasn't until ADAM called that something happened. And I was sitting right there -- it wasn't as if he a was a jerk or anything, he was very pleasant and it got done right away. Honestly, people, what the hell. Is it 1950 where we need the Man of the House to step in for things to get done? And I wasn't a bitch or anything, either. I was pleasant and asked very courteously and was very VERY patient -- considering it took them two months to do something that takes two seconds. Honestly. Exasperating. 

But you know what's exciting? I just got a call and scheduled Kaylee's initial meeting for her EI services, woo! Although it took me calling a second time for them to call me back but whatevs. I've learned my lessons from Cayden - I'm not giving up and I'm staying persistent. They deserve this help and I'm going to make sure that they get it. 

I'll be sure to keep you posted as to what the evaluators say about Doodles - we're very curious ourselves ; )

PICA

A good chunk of the time I'm observing my kids while I'm interacting with them. Knowing they have developmental delays keeps me on my toes for other potential disorders on the horizon. Typically people don't just have one thing going on, they have other "side" disorders. For example, a kid doesn't typically just have ADHD, they probably have anxiety too. Someone with Autism or Rett's Syndrome probably has depression to boot. With that in mind, I keep tabs on various aspects of my kids so if an issue arises, we can nip them in the bud.

As we approach Kaylee's second birthday, I'm in disbelief. I can't believe she's two! Oy. But the fact that she's two and still puts things in her mouth is.. well.. kindof annoying. Kids typically surpass the oral stage around one year, 18 months at the latest. At that point, they've developed other ways of feeling texture and determining purpose of an item. Kaylee, not so much. 


So what the hell is Pica and what does it have to do with Kaylee?

Kaylee doesn't have Pica, but her mouthing things reminds me of it and I decided I'd share it with you today. 


Pica is a disorder categorized by persistent and compulsive cravings (lasting longer than one month) to eat non-food items. So while we joke around and say "You were the kid that ate paint chips as a child, weren't you?" For some, it's their reality -- eating not just paint chips but dirt, toys, dirt, clay, coffee grounds, hair, ice, glue, paste, chalk, soap, sand, etc... While eating these items aren't necessarily bad for you, if done consistently and in the place of food, it can lead to iron deficiency anemia or lead poisoning. Pica, interestingly enough, is a common disorder found alongside autism. It's also typical of those who have OCD, Schizophrenia, or mental retardation. Similar disorders are Compulsive Overeating, Binge Eating and Bulimia.


I've heard of another disorder (the name escapes me) where they eat and eat and eat till they throw up then continue to eat and eat and eat and eat. As I've said before, typically disorders come in at least pairs or multiples and/or are the result of something else (this is called comorbidity). So whenever you hear or notice someone has a disorder, it's probably got a buddy. It's best to acknowledge them so they can be handled appropriately than to ignore them and let them fester. 


Oh, and in case you're curious... The name Pica comes from the Latin name for the magpie, which is known for it's large, insatiable appetite ; )


Bon Apetit!

YOU!

... because you're reading this blog ; )


But before I truly venture in to blogland, I suppose it's necessary to introduce myself and the point of this whole shebang.

My name is Melinda, I'm 25 years old, and live in a south suburb of Chicago. I've been with my husband, Adam, for six years now and we've been married for three. We have two kids: Cayden, 3.5, and Kaylee, 2. I am fortunate enough to have two fun, loving, and hysterical kids. Every moment with them is a learning experience and test of character. What is important to know is that both of my kids have developmental delays. Cayden has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified which is commonly referred to as PDD-NOS (I'll delve in to this another time) while Kaylee has not, as of yet, been diagnosed or evaluated, but we're working on that. ; )

Currently, my husband works at a hospital and I hussle womens shoes at Macy's. In January, I began the Master's program at Governors State University in Multicategorical Special Education. In May 2012, I will *fingers crossed* be certified to teach K-12 students with disabilities ranging from ADD to Autism to Traumatic Brain Injury. I'm really excited about this prospect and am enjoying every minute of my classes and research. Not only is it going to benefit me as a teacher, but as a mother as well. Ultimately, I'd love to apply my skills and knowledge to those in Early Childhood, although I'm sure that when the time comes I'll be placed where I'm needed most. 

So enough about me. What about this whole blogging thing? What am I going to do here? Well, hopefully, I can generate discussion and awareness on a variety of things. I'll post about whatever is of interest to me and that can range from music to Project Runway to an issue in the classroom or a parenting problem or perhaps some interesting information that I'd like to share... or maybe I just want to bitch about something, I'm not exactly sure, BUT there will be a point. I want to share what I know and grow as a person. So if you disagree with something I say, tell me and tell me why - I welcome it with open arms. I just ask that comments are made with respect and courtesy, no attacks please.

Like I said, I'll post about a variety of things that'll be "winners" in their own right - good or bad. So welcome to it - sit back and enjoy the ride.