1/16/2014
Today we attended a professional teaching conference in which both of our professors presented. About 100 teachers from the area were in attendance for the Inaugural Special Education Conference. I got there early and was given the task of registering teachers for the conference and assembling and distributing agenda folders to each teacher. Dr. Amy Stevens-Griffith (Professor of Special Education) presented the collaborative consultation style of interaction between schools, families, and other people resources to ensure that ALL students' needs are met in the general education classroom. Jamaica is very behind in education, especially special education. They don't have special educators, and a lot of times teachers don't have any special training in how to accommodate for these students. Dr. Stevens-Griffith talked a lot about how teachers need to be creative for all students on the continuum--those who are low performing and those who are high-performing. As teachers, we need to create positive and professional relationships that encourages collaboration and active participation from student in the classroom. It was fun to listen to Dr.'s personal story of a boy named Robert that used to be in her 7th grade classroom. She had heard many bad things about this student from past teachers and she told everyone that if another teacher negatively comments on a student, than you should completely ignore it...and she did. She was able to completely turn that child's life around through documenting temper tantrums, supplying him with a safe space, teaching him to know when he loses control, and by giving him a schedule daily. Many teachers didn't believe in him. Towards the end of Dr.'s presentation, she informed everyone that Robert graduated from high school and attended Texas A & M on a full ride scholarship to study engineering. Amazing.
Dr. Brenda Clayton, retired Professor of Physical Education, presented research that suggests physical activity increases brain cells. During her presentation, I helped her show teachers the equipment we made out of trash. We used cardboard, bottles, rope, and yarn to make simple throwing and catching games along with jumping activities. It was fun to watch teachers try to catch a ball in a bottle attached to a string. Dr. Clayton focused on how physical activity provides student with rhythm which in turn allows children to transfer rhythm into reading and other academic efforts.
Our professors were on the only ones who presented during the conference. A couple of other higher educated professionals from Jamaica presented about special education and meeting the needs of all students. Their ideas of special education relate directly to how we do special education in America. The only difference is Jamaica hasn't implemented these ideas or concepts into their system yet. When one of the presenters was talking of inclusion of students with special needs into the general education classroom she said, "This won't happen in Jamaica for a very, very, long time. Inclusion is not in our near future." I wondered "Why not?" Is there not enough support for inclusion? Does inclusion go against their social norms? Why will it take so long to implement inclusion? Is money an issue? Although it may seem so simple to me, Jamaica is far behind in education. There was a point in America when students with special needs were sent to institutions where they didn't receive any education because it was believed they couldn't learn or function. We were able to overcome that notion, which is why we are where we are now. Jamaica just hasn't reached that point yet, but it seems as though they are headed in the right direction.
I have never attended a professional conference before and it was a great experience. It was fun to chat with the teachers and show them different materials and strategies they can use in their classrooms. At the end of the conference, we let the teachers take one piece of the equipment we made...and teachers were walking out with arm fulls of equipment and we couldn't stop them!
Today we attended a professional teaching conference in which both of our professors presented. About 100 teachers from the area were in attendance for the Inaugural Special Education Conference. I got there early and was given the task of registering teachers for the conference and assembling and distributing agenda folders to each teacher. Dr. Amy Stevens-Griffith (Professor of Special Education) presented the collaborative consultation style of interaction between schools, families, and other people resources to ensure that ALL students' needs are met in the general education classroom. Jamaica is very behind in education, especially special education. They don't have special educators, and a lot of times teachers don't have any special training in how to accommodate for these students. Dr. Stevens-Griffith talked a lot about how teachers need to be creative for all students on the continuum--those who are low performing and those who are high-performing. As teachers, we need to create positive and professional relationships that encourages collaboration and active participation from student in the classroom. It was fun to listen to Dr.'s personal story of a boy named Robert that used to be in her 7th grade classroom. She had heard many bad things about this student from past teachers and she told everyone that if another teacher negatively comments on a student, than you should completely ignore it...and she did. She was able to completely turn that child's life around through documenting temper tantrums, supplying him with a safe space, teaching him to know when he loses control, and by giving him a schedule daily. Many teachers didn't believe in him. Towards the end of Dr.'s presentation, she informed everyone that Robert graduated from high school and attended Texas A & M on a full ride scholarship to study engineering. Amazing.
Dr. Brenda Clayton, retired Professor of Physical Education, presented research that suggests physical activity increases brain cells. During her presentation, I helped her show teachers the equipment we made out of trash. We used cardboard, bottles, rope, and yarn to make simple throwing and catching games along with jumping activities. It was fun to watch teachers try to catch a ball in a bottle attached to a string. Dr. Clayton focused on how physical activity provides student with rhythm which in turn allows children to transfer rhythm into reading and other academic efforts.
Our professors were on the only ones who presented during the conference. A couple of other higher educated professionals from Jamaica presented about special education and meeting the needs of all students. Their ideas of special education relate directly to how we do special education in America. The only difference is Jamaica hasn't implemented these ideas or concepts into their system yet. When one of the presenters was talking of inclusion of students with special needs into the general education classroom she said, "This won't happen in Jamaica for a very, very, long time. Inclusion is not in our near future." I wondered "Why not?" Is there not enough support for inclusion? Does inclusion go against their social norms? Why will it take so long to implement inclusion? Is money an issue? Although it may seem so simple to me, Jamaica is far behind in education. There was a point in America when students with special needs were sent to institutions where they didn't receive any education because it was believed they couldn't learn or function. We were able to overcome that notion, which is why we are where we are now. Jamaica just hasn't reached that point yet, but it seems as though they are headed in the right direction.
I have never attended a professional conference before and it was a great experience. It was fun to chat with the teachers and show them different materials and strategies they can use in their classrooms. At the end of the conference, we let the teachers take one piece of the equipment we made...and teachers were walking out with arm fulls of equipment and we couldn't stop them!
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