"She Stoops to Conquer" Extra Credit

For extra credit I went to go see "She Stoops to Conquer" with a friend at the church in Lewiston on Friday night (December 4). The play was great to see, especially after we studied it this semester. This is my first year actually going to see the plays and Mr. Zschiegner was right when he said that Niagara's theater program is sort of a hidden secret. I went about a month ago to see "Tick, Tick, Boom" and I was so impressed that I wanted to see "She Stoops to Conquer" also. Every one of the actors were extremely talented and they truly put on an awesome show. They played the characters extremely well and by studying the play throughout this semester I feel as if I was able to connect with them better. I first I had trouble understanding why we were developing study guides for the students, but after seeing the play I can completely agree that they were a necessity. I believe that the study guides we made for the high school students will be extremely beneficial. The play was difficult to understand. My friend who I was with even had trouble grasping the plot, and I know if I hadn't studied it before hand I would have struggled also. In my opinion, the most difficult part to get through was the dialogue. The play was set in the 18th century, and therefore, the vocabulary the characters used was much different than what we use today. I believe the songs we chose to represent each character also will be helpful to these students. It is a quick and easy way for the kids to get the overall idea of a character in a way that relates to them. Overall, the play was great. I now understand why developing study guides for it was such a necessity. I believe that this was a useful activity for the students, and as a future teacher I would certainly consider doing something of this nature.

Entry #14 - Week 15 (December 10)

I was in a group with Heather Martin and Alyssa Constable. For our final portfolio we chose to complete it on blogger.

My group met in the library for about four hours on Wednesday, December 2 and divided up the work. We developed a plan to get all six points for each of our three disorders done by Monday, December 7, which is when we will meet to finish up the last disorder together. At this point we will also add our hyperlinks and pictures.

What my group did for the final portfolio:

My group decided to use blogger to house our final portfolio project. We chose to divide the ten disorders between us all, therefore, leaving each of us to complete three disorders, and then finish the last one together. For all of our disorders we provided the six parts Mrs. McLaughlin asked us to: a definition of the disorder, characteristics of the particular disorder, how students with this disorder differ in growth compared to the typical child of this age, instructional strategies that can assist students with the disorder, a review of some major federal laws and organizations that provide assistance to children with the disorder. We all added hyperlinks and photos to go along with our disorders as well.

What I did for the final portfolio:

For the final portfolio I completed three of the ten disorders and then helped Heather and Alyssa complete the final one. My assigned disorders were sensory impairments, intellectual impairments, and developmental delays. I completed all six parts for these disorders and added two hyperlinks and a picture to each blog.

Entry #13 - Week 14 (December 3)

Video Case #1: Including Students with Physical Disabilities: Best Practices

1. Teacher Lisa Kelleher describes her role as a teacher in an inclusive classroom as being quite multifaceted. Are there any aspects of her role that surprised you or made you envision your future role as a teacher differently? Explain.

No there really were not any aspects of her role that surprised me. She labeled her self as an overseer of her students academic and cognitive growth and I would agree. She also said that it is her job to make sure all of the student's IEP standards are met and that is something I have seen in the inclusive learn and serve placements I have been in.

2. What skills does elementary classroom aid Danielle Doucette bring to her work with MaryAnne, the child who has spina bifida? How does Danielle take MaryAnne's academic and social/emotional development into account when planning activities?

Danielle has to be very knowledgeable of Spina bifida in order to work with MaryAnne and her knowledge is certainly shown in the video. She helped MaryAnne with sitting and using the bolster as well as standing and using the stander. Danielle knew it was important to switch up her position to stretch and strengthen her muscles. While Danielle tries to improve her health, she is also taking into consideration her social social/emotional skills. Danielle tries to make sure MaryAnne is an equal part of the class by putting her at the same level as the student. She also has noticed that since MaryAnne has had the electric wheelchair, students have felt more comfortable around her and want to come and work with MaryAnne, which in turn promotes her self-confidence.

3. What questions has this video raised in your mind about you own familiarity with adaptive technologies for children? How can you take action on Lisa's suggestion that teachers familiarize themselves with how the equipment works (e.g. an electric wheelchair) even before you have your own classroom?

I am always surprised by all the technology that has come out and been available to students with disabilities, therefore, my question would be very broad in asking, what other technologies are available to students with Spina bifida. My question also goes along with familiarizing yourself with the technologies. I believe that the best way to become knowledgeable of these adaptive technologies by experience and I specifically get this at learn and serve. I agree with Lisa's suggestion, and I think by asking questions and observing one can really understand how and why this technology is being used.

4. In the bonus video, "Encouraging Social Interactions in an Inclusive Classroom", Lisa explains how she makes sure that all students have opportunities to play together, typically through music or art. Can you think of any activities you've used successfully to engage a full range of learners? If not, what types of activities do you plan to add to your repertoire?

Activities that I have used to successfully engage a full range of learners are typically hands-on activities or creative activities. For example, when reading a book, if you have a group activity for the students to complete that engages all the various learners in your classroom. Group games seem to really interest students and ones that involve math, speech or pronunciation are very beneficial to children.

5. The classroom artifact entitled "MaryAnne's Schedule" blocks out MaryAnne's schedule for the day in words and illustrations. How could a chart like this be used more generally to help students with other types of learning challenges (such as ADHD)? Explain.

Charts and schedules work extremely well for all students, but especially those with disabilities. Children with disabilities need routine in their lives and by having a set schedule there is little room for chaos and confusion. This is specifically true for students with ADHD. By using a schedule or chart, the student understands what is expected of them and knows what they must complete next.

Video Case #2: Assistive Technology in the Inclusive Classroom: Best Practices

1. Kindergarten teacher Tony Byers describes his responsibility to teach Jamie, a girl in his classroom who has cerebral palsy, so that she can feel like an equal participant. Have you had any experience in working with children who are physically challenged? If not, how can you gain experience before you have your own classroom?

I have not had any experience with working with children who are physically challenged; however, I have worked with adults who are physically challenged in Mrs. McLaughlin's Special Olympics class last semester. It was very rewarding and I certainly learned a lot. However, being an Elementary and Special Education major 1-6, I still feel as if I need more experience in the special education classroom. I believe, like I stated before, that the best way to do this is through experience and I can get this directly through Niagara through learn and serve. I have asked the learn and serve office to place me in more self-contained classrooms to gain more knowledge of working with students with disabilities.

2. Inclusion facilitator Sara Woodruff is an advocate for assistive technologies. She explains that there are many ways to help children access their voices and their minds as best as they can. What assistive technologies, either high-tech or low-tech, have you seen or read about? How and when would you be likely to incorporate them into your teaching?

This semester we have read about all kinds of assistive technologies, everything from computers to using microphones in the classroom. I would love to incorporate any assistive technology that would be beneficial to a student in my classroom. I understand the realities of budget within school districts; however, if I believe that it will truly help a student's growth and development, then I will certainly fight for it.

3. As you watch Jamie complete an activity using a speech output device, what do you notice about the way Sara interacts with her? What can you learn from Sara's approach in general, and the way she describes her goals for Jamie?

Sarah explains the task to Jamie and then helps Jamie complete it by repeating the directions and helping her push down the buttons on her speech device. After she has chosen two colors, she is asked to choose another and Sarah covers up the past two colors, so Jamie does not get confused and is not tempted to choose those again. Although Sarah helps Jamie out, she is not doing the work for her. It is important for us to understand that students with disabilities can often do the task asked of them, they may just need more assistance.

4. According to Tony, having Jamie use assistive technology "helps show the other children that there's a wide range of communication capabilities in our population as a whole. Children are shown an alternative way of communicating that is different rather than better or worse." What questions about your own understanding of the potential of assistive technologies has this video raised?

I agree with Tony, that assistive technologies in the classroom can be beneficial to all students learning. I believe that by having an open classroom to those students with disabilities the mainstream students have experience interacting with these students and the stereotypes and discrimination decrease. This video has made me wonder if sometimes the student with disability begins to rely on the assistive technology, when in actuality, they can complete it themselves.

5. In the bonus video entitled "Adapting the Curriculum: Mr. Byers' View", Tony describes the tension he feels between teaching spontaneously and then needing to slow down and adapt every lesson for all students. Can you think of any experiences you've had that have created a similar tension. Explain your ideas.

I have experienced this many times in my own learning. It has even happened in this class. When working in groups, I often notice the various learning levels. Some people understand and pick the task up right away, while others need a little more instruction or help. It can become annoying and frustrating; however, as a teacher you need to have patience and understand that all students learn differently and at various paces.

Entry #12 - Learn & Serve

Today was my last day of Learn and Serve for this semester. When I came into the classroom this morning, the students were getting started on their breakfast. As usual, the teachers walked around and greeted each of the students. We then did the pledge and started morning meeting. The kids were very well behaved today and the class was able to transition smoothly. After morning meeting was finished, Mr. Azzarella had a surprise for the students. Instead of doing the normal alphabet exercises and stations, he had a craft for them to complete that helped them with their numbers. The craft was to make a chain out of construction paper. Mr. Azzarella provided the students with strips of paper and the students had to cut out the numbers from a worksheet and glue each of them to each strip of paper. After they completed this, they were ready to begin their chain. The students were to make their chain in numerical order, so the first circle of the chain being number 1 and the last being number 24. This was a beneficial and creative way for children to learn numbers and correctly order of them. Our textbook explains that there are four dimensions of creativity; generating ideas, digging deeper into ideas, courage to explore ideas, and listening to one's inner voice. The text states that "creativity is not so much a personal characteristic as it is a process that involves both thinking and personality" (Kirk, Gallagher, Coleman & Anastasiow pg.292). I believe that it is important to add some crafts and creative work into the classroom. Students all learn differently some hands on, others by listening to a lecture. Everyone varies, and I believe that because of this it is important for teachers to vary their instruction as well. The students worked on this until lunch and I went around and helped the students as they worked.

Learn and Serve this semester had been great! I could not have asked for a better placement. It was my first experience of actually being in a self-contained special education classroom and I loved it. The students were wonderful and the teachers were very knowledgeable and helpful. I took a lot from Mr. Azzarella's classroom that I know will help me in the future. This has been my best placement yet and I hope to get more experience in special education classrooms.

Entry #11 - Learn & Serve

Learn and Serve went well as always today. I arrived to the classroom as the students were eating their breakfast. During this time, all of us teachers walked around and helped each student as we greeted them. The students took a little bit longer today to transition, they were moving very slow. However, after the students finished we headed to the rug for morning meeting. After morning meeting, Mr. Azzarella went through the alphabet song that he normally does and then the students learned a new letter. Each week the students learn a new letter and they spend the week learning about that letter. For example, this week the students were learning the letter "M". Mr. Azzarella first introduced the letter to the students and explained that it was a consonant. He explained what sounds the letter "M" made and had the students repeat the sounds as he did. After the students finished with these exercises Mr. Azzarella placed a sentence on the white board that included a bunch of "M's", capital and lowercase. Mr. Azzarella read the sentence to the students and then called on each of them to come up and find a letter "M" and circle it. Mr. Azzarella does this each week with the students. He makes up a sentence and has the students identify the letter in them. This allows Mr. Azzarella to focus on students individually, while still working with the class as a whole. For each student he helps them out in different ways and asks them various questions as they find the letter. This is because the kids in his classroom are all at various levels. For example, for a student who knows the alphabet well, and is able to find the letter "M" quickly, Mr. Azzarella may ask them if the letter "M" is in the beginning of the word or at the end. Our textbook calls this differentiated instruction which "refers to the changes in teacher strategies and curriculum made necessary by the characteristics of the exceptional child" (Kirk, Gallagher, Coleman & Anastasiow pg. 165). The students finished up this activity and then went onto their letter centers. After letter centers, the class cleaned up and went off to lunch. I thought it was great to see Mr. Azzarella using differentiated instruction today. We have learned a lot about it in class but to see it actually being used in the classroom helped me better understand how it can be used in a variety of ways.

Entry #10 - Learn & Serve

When I arrived today to my Learn and Serve, the children were getting prepared for class. They put their belongings in their locker and began to eat breakfast. The classroom teachers and I walked around and spoke with each of the students for a little. It was just small talk, but I believe as a teacher it is important to welcome each of your students to class everyday. It sets a good mood for the day and it allows you to see how each student is doing. I actually learned this technique from Coach Mihalich, when he presented to my Edu 214 class that I had with Mrs. McLaughlin. After breakfast, the students met on the carpet for the pledge and then we began morning meeting. During this time I realized that one of the students was not paying attention to Mr. Azzarella. When I tapped this student on the shoulder to grab his attention, he looked and me and said "We have gym today!?" It was then that I realized what he was looking at. It was the schedule for the day that Mr. Azzarella posts on one of the blackboards. I hadn't payed much attention to this before but when this student brought it up to me it made me think about it more. The schedule is a great idea, especially for students with exceptionalities. These students need routine in there lives because they need to know what is expected of them and when. A schedule provides smoother transitions throughout the day and leaves less room for disruptive behavior. For the remainder of the day, Mr. Azzarella read to them, the students completed their alphabet stations, and then they headed off to lunch. I thought this Learn and Serve was very helpful today. I learned a technique that is very useful to any classroom, especially a Special Education classroom, and I will take this with me to use in my classroom when I begin to teach.

Entry #10 - Opportunities Unlimited Blog

1. Today in class we... met over in the education building for a while and discussed how the remainder of class would go as the adults from Opportunities Unlimited came to spend the day with us. We got started on a name game with our class and then as the adults from Opportunities Unlimited began to show up, they also joined in our game. We got to know them a little bit and then split up into groups to take pictures for the class movie we will be putting together. After we finished taking pictures, we headed over to the class in DePaul. When we got there, we broke up into stations. There was a station where we took a survey on what we like/what we don’t like, another one where we used play-doh to represent ourselves, a station where the we worked together with the adults to build a tent, and another station where we made up a story about the pictures we took. Each group did not get a chance to visit each station before class concluded, but we all got to know a little about the adults from Opportunities Unlimited and how we will be working with them.

2. Describe your experience.

Coming into class today I was excited to meet the adults from Opportunities Unlimited. I really didn’t know what to expect as far as how class would be organized but I figured we would be working on something hands-on with the adults. When I arrived in class, we discussed how the day would go once the adults arrived. When they finally did, my group decided to work with one of the adults from Opportunities Unlimited, Melissa. We were given the task to go around campus and take pictures of things that represent proper etiquette for a professional situation. Our group chose to focus our pictures on maintaining good eye contact, not texting or using your phone, not wearing too much jewelry, and showing that you are confident. We first chose to go over to the Castallani Art Museum to take pictures that represented eye contact and confidence. While we made our way over there we all welcomed Melissa and got to know her a little. She was very quite and timid, which is understandable coming into a large class of people you do not know. Hopefully, in the coming visits she will begin to feel comfortable and be able to open up to the class. After the art museum we made our way to the church, where we took pictures that represented no texting or using your phone. After our visit to the church, we went over to the Gallagher Center to take pictures that depicted someone not wearing too much jewelry. We then headed back to the class where we worked with Melissa completing the survey station and the play-doh station. Melissa remained shy the entire class; however, there we some other adults from Opportunities Unlimited that were very outgoing and clearly felt comfortable in our class.

3. Connect to text

In our textbook, chapter nine focuses on children who have gifts and talents. The chapter speaks about how gifted children show their excellence in different ways than the typical person. This relates to class today. Many of the people from Opportunities Unlimited showed this. They were all unique and showed their gifts in various ways. The textbook would label any of these adults as "gifted underachievers" which are "students whose academic performance consistently falls far short of expectations despite high cognitive abilities." (Kirk, Gallagher, Coleman & Anastasiow pg. 301)

Entry #9 - Learn & Serve

Today I arrived at my learn and serve placement as the children were beginning to eat their breakfasts. I immediately felt as if I served a purpose in the classroom. When I walked in the students were excited to see me and were asking me for help with various tasks as they got settled in and ate their breakfast. Once the students were finished, morning announcements came on, and after that the students gathered for morning meeting. After morning meeting, Mr. Azzarella chose to switch the agenda up a little. Instead of then moving onto the alphabet stations, Mr. Azzarella chose to read a book to the children. The book was titled, Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. The book was about all the letters in the alphabet attempting to climb a palm tree. As each letter climbed up the palm tree, the tree branches began to get heavier and heavier, until the tree eventually bends, and all the letters fall to the ground. Mr. Azzarella developed a literature lesson plan to go along with the book. He created a visual of a palm tree on a large piece of paper. He also brought in some plastic letters. As he listed off each letter in the book, he asked students to help him find that letter and put it at the top of the palm tree. The children had so much fun with the activity! It was a creative and useful way of helping students learn the alphabet. After the book and activity, Mr. Azzarella broke the children up into the groups and they moved onto their alphabet stations. From that point on the day went on as normal. After the alphabet stations, the children cleaned up and went onto lunch.

Entry #9 - SSTC Digital Video Day

I was absent for this class.

Today we added two hyperlinks to out bloggers. What are these sites about and what do they have to do with teaching and learning?

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is a nonprofit research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals, especially those with disabilities. This site is useful to teachers because it offers various educational products, classroom practices and classroom policies, that will be useful to a child's learning.

The IRIS Center develops training materials to be used by faculty and professional development providers for the preparation of current and future school personnel. The IRIS Center works with experts from around the country to create challenge-based interactive modules, case study units, and a variety of activities. The purpose of this is to provide research-validated information about working with students with disabilities in inclusive settings. This is beneficial to teachers because this website provides the teacher with a lot of information they can use to better the learning in their classroom.

Have you ever spent time with an adult with a cognitive or developmental disability? If yes, describe and explain.

Yes, I have. Last semester (Spring 2009), I took the Special Olympics course that was offered by Mrs. McLauglin. When I first registered for the course I knew that we would be working with people that have all sorts of disabilities; however, I figured that our class would be working with children. Our class actually worked with all adults. I was shocked at first, but it was a great experience! They truly needed our help and we definitely felt as if we were making a difference. The Special Olympics class I took and working with people with disabilities in general is a very rewarding experience.

Entry #8 - Learn & Serve

When I arrived to the classroom this morning, the kids were just getting settled in. They put their belongings in their lockers and the assistant teachers helped the students with their breakfasts. The students ate until the announcements came on the television. At that point the students threw out their garbage and grouped over at the rug. After morning announcements concluded, Mr. Azzarella began morning meeting. During morning meeting, Mr. Azzarella leads the group with a variety of songs. To start off, the class sings a song that welcomes each student to the class. To follow, they sing a song about the days of the week and Mr. Azzarella has the students help him fix the date on the calendar. The class also keeps a tally of how many days they have been in school. To do this they use straws and group them into tens and ones. For instance, if they had been in school for 48 days, they tally would have 4 groups of ten straws and 8 individual straws. Although the students have difficulty with this they love it and it is a great skill to use for math. After changing the calendar the students change the weather on the bulletin board. When these tasks are completed, Mr. Azzarella gives out jobs for the day. Everyday, each student gets a new job. Mr. Azzarella has jobs that include things like, lunch counter, room checker, line leader, and someone to turn off the lights. The students love this. They enjoy having a responsibility in the class and it helps out the teacher as well. After jobs were given out, Mr. Azzarella grouped the children for stations. The students each went off into their respected alphabet stations and worked on their assignments together. Like last week, the students did well with this. There were no problems and after the stations were completed the class went to lunch.

Entry #8 - Parent Communication

Reflection of Video Case

How can you be an effective communicator during parent-teacher conferences?

Communication between teachers and parents is a key part of a child’s development. It is important for both parties to be on the same page as far as the child’s strengths and weaknesses and without contact between the teacher and parent the child may struggle more than necessary. In order to be an effective communicator, it is important for the teacher to come prepared to the conference with what aspects they want to touch upon. It is also important to share both pros and cons of the child’s performance with the parent. You do not want to come across as if the child is a “bad” student or as if the child cannot make improvements. A conference is an overview of how the child is doing in class, so make it brief but informative.

Top Three Things to Connect with Parents (Before Video):

1. Focus on the child’s strengths first, and then move on to talking about the child’s weaknesses. This will assure the parent(s) that there child is developing in various areas, rather than the parent(s) concentrating primarily on their child’s weaknesses. However, it is necessary to touch on the child’s weaknesses as well. If the parent(s) know of their child’s weaknesses they can also be a part of changing these downfalls.

2. The teacher should come prepared with not only a list of the child’s strengths and weaknesses but evidence of these pros and cons. This can often be shown through the student’s work. If the teacher has specific assignments the child has completed, this will help parents better understand exactly which areas the child is succeeding in and which ones they are having more difficulty.

3. Along with explaining the child’s strengths and weaknesses, and bringing evidence into the conference, the teacher should also come into the conference with some arranged solutions to help the student improve their weaknesses. By doing this, it will show the parent that you care about their child and that you are really making an effort to attempt to improve their child’s learning.

Top Three Things to Connect with Parents (After Video):

1. Focus on the child as an individual. Parents are often concerned about their child’s performance compared to the rest of the kids in the class; however, what is more important is the child’s individual progress. An example of this is when the mother asked how her daughter related to the rest of the students in the class. The teacher response was how I would probably answer this question. He explained that her daughter has really improved since the beginning of the year, and although she may be at a lower level, she is doing great individually.

2. It is important to understand the child’s background and lifestyle. The teacher should not make assumptions on how the student lives. The teacher should know and understand their daily routines as well as their parent’s interest in their academic life. It is important for teachers to understand the child’s struggles and find ways to work around these.

3. As I said before, a teacher should come to a parent-teacher conference with work that the child has completed. After watching this video, this was proven. It is reassuring to the parent if the teacher has work to back up what they are saying. It is not only proof of their child’s strengths and weaknesses, but it helps the parent understand exactly how their child is succeeding and what they are having difficulty with.

Entry #7 - Learn & Serve

My day at my learn and serve started like all the others I've have. I arrived to the classroom a little after nine and the children were just beginning to pile in. Mr. Azzarella and his two teacher helpers were in the classroom and as we each welcomed the kids we also assisted them in putting away their things and getting their breakfast. The students ate and while they were finishing up their breakfast Mr. Azzarella gave them an assignment to work on. It was an alphabet assignment in which the students needed to color the letters of the alphabet and cut them out. Mr. Azzarella explained that this would be used at a later date for a project he had planned. I thought that Mr. Azzarella’s way of handing out the assignment was clever. He did not wait for the students to finish eating, but instead gave it to them to work on while they ate. I at first thought that this could be difficult because it would force the students to double task; however, the I found that the students actually worked better. Normally, the class has a lot of trouble with transitions, and it takes them a great deal of time to move from one assignment to the next, but not with this. Mr. Azzarella avoided having all the children moving around and talking and passed out the assignment individually as the students ate. This is something I will take away from him. I would eventually love to incorporate this into my classroom. After the students got through breakfast and finished their alphabet assignment, the class joined on the rug for morning meeting. After we finished with morning meeting the students moved on to their alphabet stations. The students did excellent! Unlike last week, everyone was very well behaved and focused. As the time for lunch came closer, the students each cleared their stations and stood in their spots in line to go to lunch. Today went extremely well. There were no problems with the students what so ever and I was able to take a new technique away with me.

Entry #7 - She Stoops to Conquer Test

Blackboard Questions

1. What kind of activity is this?

This kind of activity is a hands on creative activity that allows students to get out of their seats and think outside of the box. It forces students to be imaginative, while at the same time asking them to take information from what they have previously learned and should know.

2. How does it challenge you?

This activity was challenging because it forced us to be creative while at the same time taking information we’ve learned from class and from the readings. It was also difficult because it asked us to describe complex disabilities in five words.

3. What background knowledge are you using to complete this activity?

The obvious background knowledge we are using to complete this activity is information we have received through class and through the readings. This activity asked us to describe various disabilities, including IDD, GT, LD, and EBD, that we have learned so far this semester. This information came from chapters 4,5,6, and 9. Other background knowledge we used is the idea of a metaphor and using a creative way to present the described disabilities.

4. How much do you love this blackboard compared to the other Blackboard?

This blackboard is very nice compared to the “other” Blackboard. It is great because it is simply easy. I am in control and everything just works, where on the “other” Blackboard, I rarely feel like I’m in control and things rarely just work.

Podcast Questions

(podcast)

1. What kind of activity is this?

This activity is also hands on. It incorporates an alternative way of presenting a subject, which some students may prefer. It relates to the students as well. Children today are so technologically advanced (excluding me!) and this gives them a way to feel comfortable presenting to both their peers and to their teachers. Even for those students who have trouble with technology, podcasting allows them to learn discover a useful tool.

2. How does it challenge you?

Podcasting challenges me because although I am familiar with using it (video confessionals from Special Olympics) I still cringe when I see and hear myself on the screen. I find it very uncomfortable and embarrassing; however, I understand and I try to keep in mind that both learning and teaching are just that, stepping out of your comfort zone to create new ideas and projects that will be useful to yourself and to others.

3. What background knowledge are you using to complete this activity?

Unfortunately, I was absent the day that the class hiked the gorge. However, I have hiked the gorge before and know just how beautiful it is. Therefore, when developing the story I was familiar with the gorge and the falls and came in with knowledge of that. I also came in with knowledge of podcasting, although I still struggle with keeping a straight face while doing so. However, I have never posted a podcast to a blog, so I do not have any background knowledge in that area.

She Stoops to Conquer Questions

1. What kind of activity is this?

This activity allows students to relate to the play in a unique way. While still learning vocabulary and understanding both the play and the characters, students are able to think creatively. It offers students an alternative way of grasping the material and what the play is about.

2. How does it challenge you?

This activity was challenging for many reasons. Some of the vocabulary was unfamiliar to our group and trying to find a song that represents each character was also quite difficult. Although the tasks may have been challenging and time consuming, I really do believe that it will truly help the students in the end relate to the play.

3. Who is your “audience” and what do they like? What kinds of music, images, sounds?

Our audience is the group of high school students that are coming in to watch the play. In general, this age group of students enjoys the same things. The majority of them listen to pop/hip-hop/rap music. They watch popular shows on television like reality shows and when it comes to learning they like to be taught and they like to learn in creative ways. Most of them seem to hate lecturing, so to grasp these students attention, we and teachers everywhere should think out of the box and try something different.

Five Vocabulary Words for Each Chapter

Act I

1. Follies - pg.1 line 11

2. Discretion - pg. 2 line 30

3. Pewter - pg. 3 line 74

4. Superfluous - pg. 4 line 91

5. Squire - pg.9 line 6

Act II

1. Militia - pg. 15 line 20

2. Quarreling - pg. 16 line 52

3. Extravagant - pg. 17 line 70

4. Attentive - pg.16 line 39

5. Impudent - pg. 18 line 94

Act III

1. Brazen - pg. 38 line 38

2. Sullen - pg. 39 line 59

3. Pretence - pg. 42 line 146

4. Trumpery - pg. 43 line 165

5. Obstropalous - pg. 48 line 300

Act IV

1. Elopement - pg. 51 line 14

2. Rogue - pg. 52 line 43

3. Entreaty - pg. 54 line 89

4. Affront - pg. 57 line 181

5. Grumble - pg. 59 line 229

Act V

1. Peremptory - pg. 66 line 15

2. Rebuke - pg. 72 line 46

3. Thicket - pg. 74 line 80

4. Levity - pg. 81 line 111

5. Contrivances - pg. 82 line 141

Music for Each Character

Mr. Hardcastle – Daddy’s Little Girl – Frankie J

Mrs. Hardcastle – Rich Girl – Hall and Oats

Kate Hardcastle – Deceiving – Drake

Tony Lumpkin – Party Like a Rock Star – Shop Boyz

Constance Neville – Love Story – Taylor Swift

Marlow – Everybody’s Fool – Evanescence

Hastings – Travel the World – Superbus

Sir Charles Marlow/Stingo, the Landlord – Bartender Song – Rehab

Pimple the Maid/Serving Wench – Servent Song – Richard Gillard

Diggory/Dick Muggins, the tax collector – Tell a Country Boy – Rodney Atkins

Roger/Little Aminadab – The Plough Boy

Thomas/Jack Slang, the horse doctor – Take a Stand - Boyzone

Entry #6 - Learn & Serve

My learn and serve placement this week went very well like always. When I first arrived in the class at 9:00am the students were just arriving and beginning to eat their breakfasts. Like the other teachers in the classroom, I helped the students unpack their belongings into their locker and get started on their breakfast. During breakfast, I walked around and spoke to many of the students who had many interesting stories to tell me. There is this one student named Gabe, who is a second grader. Gabe has down syndrome, and during breakfast he was explaining a story to me that happened over the weekend. He was so enthusiastic and had so much character. During the story he jumped up from his chair to describe something his brother had done. It was hilarious! He was so energetic and entertaining and had all of us laughing. After breakfast, the kids headed over to the carpet for morning meeting. During morning meeting they figure out the date, the weather, the lunch count, and the jobs each person will have for the day. The students get so excited for the jobs. They love to be assigned a role in the classroom. After morning meeting, we begin reading. During reading, Mr. Azzarella reviews the alphabet with the children and they sing several songs to engrain the letters into the student's knowledge. When they have reviewed a couple of times, Mr. Azzarella will have the students come up one by one and go over the ABC's with him. When each student has completed this, Mr. Azzarella normally reads the student's an alphabet book. After he has finished, he assigns each student to a station where the children normally play a game that has to do with the alphabet. After about ten minutes the children will clean up and switch stations, so that everyone has a turn at each. When the students break off into their groups, one of the teachers will lead each station. Today I helped with an alphabet match game. First the students had to put the alphabet cards in the correct order (A-Z) and then had to match the lowercase letters with the capital letters they had already put down. Things were going great until the last group came over. This group of three included Gabe. As the students were setting out the cards in order, Gabe began throwing the cards and would not participate in the game. I asked Gabe to stop numerous times and even placed the cards out of his reach. When I did this, Gabe throw a tantrum and Mr. Azzarella took control. Mr. Azzarella explained to me later that that happens a lot with students who have been diagnosed with down syndrome. He explained that tantrums are common, and that there were many times in past years where he has had students with down syndrome that have become violent with other students and even teachers. It was shocking to me, and although I did not necessarily like the situation, it was good experience to know how to handle a situation like that for the future.

Entry #5 - Learn & Serve

My learn and serve placement is in the Niagara Wheatfield School District at Colonial Village Elementary. I am in a self-contained special education classroom with grades ranging from kindergarten to second and I absolutely love it so far! Up to this point I have had one great placement at Henry Kalfas Magnet, and a so-so placement at Hyde Park Elementary, and even though I have only been to my present placement a couple of times so far, I can already tell it will be my favorite. The classroom has just twelve students in it, all with various disabilities and various levels of severity. The teacher, Mr. Azzarella is awesome! He has been working with students of all kinds of disabilities for about seven years now, and it is amazing just how well he knows each of his students. Along with Mr. Azzarella, there are two other teachers who spend the entire day with the students. On my first day I was shocked. I couldn't believe that all these teachers were necessary to a classroom of twelve. There were four of us in the classroom at all times, plus various other occupational therapists and speech therapists who occasionally helped the children out. I thought that's like one teacher for every three students! However, after a few visits going there, I realize just how important these teachers are! In reality the classroom probably needs more teachers. When I say this it is not because the students are bad. In fact, this is not the case at all. The students are very well behaved. Of course, there are a few that get angry and will throw a fit, but that is typical of any child this age. The reason I say that they probably could use more teachers is because the students are very dependent on the adults in the room. The kids need attention all the time, and they need assistance with almost everything they do. Some people may find this to be exhausting and I completely agree. I'm tired after just two hours with them! However, when I'm done I leave with such a rewarding feeling, and I know that I have made a difference to these students. They are so very appreciative and that is what makes me love this placement.

Entry #4 - Chapter 4

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Moral Dilemma

Students with learning disabilities often need modifications in their assignments in order to minimize the impact of their disabilities and to facilitate their success. Kevin's IEP, for example, includes extended time on exams, no penalty for spelling errors on essays written in class, and ability to use the computer for extensive written work. You are Kevin's high school English teacher, and one of your students has protested that giving these accommodations to Kevin is not fair. The protest is growing, and no several students have voiced their resentment of Kevin's special treatment.

(A) How will you handle this?

If I were faced with this situation, I would explain to the students that everyone has different learning styles and learns at a different pace. I would explain that certain techniques that I use on you students allow you to learn the material successfully; however, these techniques do not always work for Kevin. Therefore, I must find ways I am able to help Kevin learn and be successful.

(B) What are your personal beliefs about this issue, and how will your beliefs affect your professional decisions?

I personally believe that everyone has very different learning styles and learns at a different pace. For example, I am more successful in the classroom when I am learning hands on rather than just listening to a lecture. However, this does not work for everyone. Therefore, the teacher must make accommodations to her strategies to meet all of their students needs. I believe that Kevin deserves the modifications he is getting, and if I as the teacher were seeing him improve, I would keep the implications I made for him intact.

(C) What does "fair" mean in the educational context for individuals with special learning needs?

I believe that "fair" in the educational context for individuals with special learning needs means that these students are receiving modifications and accommodations that will bring them to the same level of learning as the students of the "mainstream" classroom. Fair means that all the students have an equal potential to succeed in the classroom and that no one is at a disadvantage because of their disability.