Tonight and Tomorrow

Tonight and tomorrow night KSD has a volleyball tournament going on.  It's a great way for those who do know ASL to practice not only signing, but also practice being polite and respectful within the deaf culture.  Hope to see you all there!

Cognition and Language

After our discussion on Monday night about cognition and language I headed home. My next door neighbor has a son, who is about 3 years old. When I got home he ran over and said "Hey Tatertot! Wanna see me gun?" So I waited on him to get his toy gun and he came over and started telling me about how he shoots deer, ducks, and turkeys. Which obviously he does not but his dad does. This all reminded me of class and how my neighbor didn't actually understand how to shoot a real gun nor had he ever killed anything. Everything he said was just things he had picked up from his dad. It got me thinking a little!

Chapter 1 Target 4

I can list examples of language differences that students may display that would not be identified as a language disorder and explain why.

You listed:

• regional dialects
• bilingual
• ESL
• accents
• stutter
• ASL

This list accurately identifies many differences that a child may display.  To EXPLAIN why one would include a REASON or reasons why this would be a disorder.

So...what do you think?  What are reasons why a child who has a regional dialect would not be identified as having a language disorder?  Why would a child in a class in a Madison County classroom who is bilingual or who has English as their second language not be identified as having a language disorder if they are below grade level academically? 

What are your reasons? 

Hunter Spanjer Story - a little ranting

After reading the post about Three-and-a-half  year old Hunter Spanjer, It's unbelievable how ridiculous the rules of public schools are getting. 

It seams like with each passing generation the school board finds sillier things to worry about. Hunter was signing his name in S.E.E. faculty should have much bigger issues to worry about than  the way a 3 year old signs his name. 

Chapter 1 Target 3

I can explain why a language disorder may become more obvious once a child enters school.

You shared:

• Because it is in a different setting
• Because the students are exposed to other people
• It is not their native language
• They may not be able to express their needs
• School explores a variety of communication styles

To show an understanding of the important issue in this situation . . . we must understand look at the

1. What is the question asking you to DO - EXPLAIN
2. KEY WORD(S) - LANGUAGE disorder, CHILD  and ENTERS SCHOOL

So, to demonstrate you understand why the child may exhibit a language disorder once he enters school . . .
Using your answers in bullets 1, 2, 4 & 5 - The child's family is used to how the child communicates and can understand him when he tells them what he wants or needs.  They have become accustomed However, when he enters school which is a different setting with different expectations and ways of communication it becomes apparent that the child has difficulties with communicating. 

The reason why a NATIVE LANGUAGE would not be correct here is because a language DIFFERENCE is not considered a language DISORDER.

Chapter 1 Target 1

The target is. . . I can compare and contrast speech and language.  On the sheet students wrote:

• Speech & Lanugage - both deal with words
• Language doesn't always have to be spoken but it communicates
• neurological (speech)
• Speech is vocal but language may not be
• dialect - speech and language
• Speech is the sound of speaking
• Language is shared code
• Speech is words/talking

Soooo....when we COMPARE & CONTRAST...we show how one is similar to and different from each other.  Using what you've written then I could answer the question

Speech and language are similar in that they both deal with words but differ in the form used for communicating those words.  Speech communicates words only vocally.  Language can communicate words via a spoken, written or signed form.

How else might you use the information above or other information to show how speech and language are similar and different?

My 2 year old's perspective...

I find it incredibly amusing how my son's language is developing. Although he learns something new everyday, it always seems as though he'll have a day where he wakes up with a whole new set of vocabulary! Needless to say, he talks my ear off, and I love it! The latest and greatest is that he has to say, "Mommy! Watch me!" and "Look at THIS!" for every move he makes. Case in point, I've heard "Mommy, watch this!" 8 times since I started this post. Secondly, when we read books together, he has been able to finish the sentences, say the words that I leave blank, and "read" entire pages by himself (from memory, of course)! As a mom, I tend to think everything he does is just amazing, but it is so fun to see his language unfolding right before me!
Last night's class really has me thinking about the cognition vs. language debate when I hear my son speaking now. I'm not sure what I think yet!

To close, I'll leave you with my son's perspective on the Keurig coffee maker.
As my husband was making his coffee tonight at dinner, Logan saw the coffee trickling out and his jaw dropped. "Uh Oh!!! Daddy's coffee going pee-pee!"
I would have never made that connection, but I can definitely see the resemblance! :0)

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

Resonation

Happy Tuesday.. every one.. I am remembering that Resonation is a tone shaper. and it is controlled by the size of the resonating cavities nasal, pharynx, and the larger they are the lower the tone.. That's only because that was the group I was in.. what group was you in and what was your def. 

Welcome to Holland

In my SED 104 class today, we read a poem by Emily Perl Kingsley. It describes the unique experience of raising a child with a disability. I think you all should read it! Very touching. :)


http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html

student asked to change how he signs his name

I read the post about the 3 year old student who is deaf and has been asked to change the way he signs his name because his signing resembles a gun. I personally think this is a little ridiculous. First off, the boy is only 3 years old and has been taught to sign this way and has never been condemned for it before now, so this has to be confusing to him. Second, I feel like with the age that he is at this shouldn't even have to be any sort of problem now and if he is surrounded by the same kids throughout school it'll never be an issue. Him signing won't resemble a gun to his peers, they'll see that symbol and think his name before they'd think it was a gun. 

3-year-old Deaf boy told to change the way he signs his name

<script type='text/javascript' src='http://KOLN.images.worldnow.com/interface/js/WNVideo.js?rnd=433583;hostDomain=ww2.1011now.com;playerWidth=616;playerHeight=360;isShowIcon=true;clipId=7652612;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=News;advertisingZone=;enableAds=true;landingPage=;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=STANDARD_EMBEDDEDscript_EMBEDDEDscript;controlsType=fixed'></script><a href="http://ww2.1011now.com" title=""></a>

 I ran across this news report and once I read it, I was furious. The little boy is 3! Just because the way he signs his name may or may not look like a gun, it is his name. I can't believe a school system would say something to this boy and his family.
I hope you all take a chance to watch this video or read the article that I attached.

Never EVER should you walk on children...

CHICAGO –  The Chicago Teachers Union says its members will go on strike Monday for the first time in 25 years.

The union says contract talks with the district failed late Sunday night over issues including benefits and job security.

"We will be on the (picket) line," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Sunday night, calling it a difficult decision and one the union hoped could be avoided.

More than 26,000 teachers and support staff are expected to hit the picket lines Monday morning, while the school district and parents make plans for keeping students safe and occupied during the day.

School board President David Vitale announced a short time earlier that talks had broken off despite the school board offering what he called a fair and responsible contract that would cover four years and cost the city $400 million.

Lewis said she believed talks would resume Monday but a time had not been set for the sides to meet. She added that progress had been made but not enough to avert a strike.

The strike was announced after months of tense, at-times heated talks between the city and the union representing 25,500 public school teachers.

The district, the third largest in the United States, had been offering a raise of 2 percent a year for four years. The union called that offer unacceptable -- particularly after Mayor Rahm Emanuel last year canceled a previously negotiated 4 percent pay raise, citing budget problems.

The union countered by asking for a 30 percent pay raise over two years, followed by a request for a 25 percent increase over two years. Just weeks ago, Lewis told delegates the union had adjusted its demand and was asking for a 19 percent pay raise in the contract's first year.

The union also has raised concerns about raises based on teacher experience and education. It said the district agreed to retain contract language allowing raises based on experience, called step increases, but would not actually pay the money now.

Teachers also have been concerned about new teacher evaluations, health benefits and regaining lost jobs. An additional issue was how a longer school day for students is being implemented.

The strike is the latest flashpoint /The threatened strike was the latest chapter in a very public and often contentious battle between the mayor and the union.

When he took office last year, the former White House chief of staff inherited a school district facing a $700 million budget shortfall. Not long after, his administration rescinded 4 percent raises for teachers. He then asked the union to re-open its contract and accept 2 percent pay raises in exchange for lengthening the school day for students by 90 minutes. The union refused.

The longer school day was one of the mayor's campaign promises for the city's schools, and he pushed to have it implemented a year ahead of schedule. He attempted to go around the union by asking teachers at individual schools to waive the contract and add 90 minutes to the day. He halted the effort after being challenged by the union before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

The district and union agreed in July on how to implement the longer school day, striking a deal to hire back 477 teachers who had been laid off rather than pay regular teachers more to work longer hours. That raised hopes the contract dispute would be settled soon, but bargaining continued on the other issues.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/09/10/chicago-teachers-to-go-on-strike-after-talks-with-district-fail/#ixzz262AzWlVG

interest

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/c522/
This spiked my interest

response!

So I am still kind of trying to figure this whole blogger thing out, and for some reason I cant find/see where I can comment on someones post! It might just be me but who knows! I wanted to comment on the article that was posted about the child who was deaf and used sign language to communicate, and the school said the way he communicated his name through sign language violated rules?....The school comapred the way he communicated his name through signs, looked as if it was a gun? This article was mind blowing to me and absurd that a child is asked to change how he has known to communicate something so simple as a name with his disability. It was a eye opening article to all of the little issues that people with disabilites come across!

No Coverage for London Paralympic 2012

I am sure you watched the Olympics this summer and watched intensely as the Americans DOMINATED every other country. :) But did you know that today ended the 2012 Paralympics in London? I would say not unless you just follow the games intently or somewhat had previous knowledge it was going on. This is rather disturbing to me as it seems like people with disabilities are  treated like second hand citizens all over the world. This is seen largely by the lack of media coverage for these athletes. I personally think they should get way more coverage then they have gotten due to the amount of adversity and hard work they had to endure to get where they are today. If you ever get a chance to watch any type of Paralympics, you will be amazed on how strong and talented these athletes are.

I absolutely loved reading about Language Acquisitions. I can not wait to discuss and learn more on it in class monday! see you guys then!