Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Construction of Ability and Advisability, Intersections of Ability, Race, and Gender

Jenna's Statements:

1. "If there is no idea of 'normal,' then there would be no 'abnormal' or 'not normal' either...we would consider a range of skills, experiences, and capabilities as merely part of being diverse."
1. This statement is important because it points out a new perspective to take on a student that might have a learning disability. If I do not change my perspective on how I look at students with learning disabilities then it will affect me as a teacher and my students.
2. "But if we do not address negative and pitiful constructions of race, we miss the opportunity to shape a social construction in positive and liberating ways. There is no more important task."
1. As an education in the near future I hope to not only reconstruct my "social construction" that effects my outlook towards learning disabilities, but also of the ones around me by how I view it and teach within my classroom. I hope to form students who will accept and enjoy diverse communities.
3. "One of the most important benefits is that teachers who teach for a range of skills and readiness levels do a better hob for all students than teachers who believe there is one right way to instruct."
1. When I view a disability as a challenge and an opportunity, then all of my students will benefit more than taking a pitiful outlook towards the situation.
4. "Special education is often viewed from the pity/charity model."
1. I believe as an educator, I need to be aware that this is the outlook of majority of society. Therefore when working with parents or volunteers, it is important to keep this in mind.

Alex's Statements

1. “We want to challenge those initial reactions by establishing disability as just another way of being, and not wrong or pitiful.”
1. This statement really stood out to me because it puts having a disability in a whole new light. The part that stood out to me the most was the fact that a disability is just another way of being. I think this will be very useful in my future classroom because it will help me not view a specific student as pitiful. If I have pity on a student then they I will be less likely to challenge him or her because I will want to just help them out not challenge them and help them reach his or her fullest potential. 
2. “Reframing the pity/charity model includes educating society that every person has the right to clean, safe, affordable housing, transportation, employment, and education.” 
1. This statement really stood out to me because I work in the housing authorities for BOOST, an after school program. I work with many children who have disabilities and I see the way their teachers treat them differently with school. The homework they bring home is significantly easier than every other child. This statement also relates to my first statement because it is easy to pity children with disabilities. This causes us to feel sorry for the children and not to help them. Then it leads us to not thinking that they have an equal opportunity. 
3. “One of the most important benefits is that teachers who teach for a range of skills and readiness levels do a better job for all student than teachers who believe there is one right way to instruct." 
1. This really hit me because sometimes it is so easy to think there is one right way to instruct students. However, through all of my courses at Carson Newman and all of my practicum experiences, I have learned that there is no one right way to teach. Every student has a different learning style that needs to be effectively met and that is impossible if you only teach one certain way. This statement also shows that teachers are more successful when they use differentiated instruction. 

Tyler's Statements

1. These variables, along with other factors such as the culture’s interpretation of a person’s actions, all help to shape our understanding of what it is to be normal. Is it normal to use profanity in the classroom, to run a mile in less than four minutes, to study with the stereo on, etc.?
1. This statement tells me that normalcy is relative and that just because something seems normal to me does not mean it will be normal or come natural to others. 
2. The Individuals with Disabilities Act identifies thirteen disability categories.
1. It is important to have categories for people with disabilities. Although it might have some negative psychological effects, it makes it easier to treat specific things.
3. Very high school student who is enrolled in a special education program is to have an individualized transition plan (ITP) as part of his or her individualized education program, or IEP.
1. As teachers with special education students it is important to realize that they will not always be in the education system. This means it is extremely important to prepare them for becoming members of the workforce when they leave the education system.

Tori's Statements

1. “When thinking about disability or a person with a disability, many people first think, “I would hate to have a disability!” or “Oh, that's so sad!” These two statements capture much of history: that disability is bad, or disability is pitiful, or both.”
1. I think this point, although very simple, is very important to start our focus on. Yes! This is how most people first think of when thinking of disabilities. We, as teachers and as people, need to set a new standard for these. Not a standard of pity or sadness, but a standard of love and a “overcome all” mentality!
2. “Society has often assumed that people with disabilities are not able to learn.”
   1. I have seen teachers in past practicum experiences that I think may have had this horrible standpoint. I am challenged by this statement, and those teachers to take the students that I have for inclusion and other things in my classroom, to take a different point of view and realize that with patience and love anyone can learn.
3. “If we can move away from negative social constructions of disability and see challenge, opportunity, and difference instead of negativity and fear, we can shift how students both with and without disabilities learn.”
   1. This statement was a stand out quote to me because of the fact that I want to be a teacher with this sort of mind frame! I completely agree with the fact that teachers today need to focus more on the student and their abilities rather than what they cannot do.

Courtney's Statements

·         “Because people with disabilities are not always seen as real people, mistreating them in a range of ways has been accepted.”

o   I think this is a very powerful statement because I feel like it is very true. People with disabilities have been looked down on and others treat them differently because they feel as if they do not have feelings and thoughts like other “normal” people. Society has accepted that it is ok to treat people with disabilities cruelly.

·         “But when the social sciences—psychology and sociology—established the idea that being normal was natural and good and being not normal was bad, society started planting the idea that being normal was something desirable and a good thing and being different was negative. And society started sorting people into these two categories.”

o   I feel as if this statement shows the turning point at which society started alienating people with disabilities. Society is afraid of what is different and therefore reacts in a way that separates people into categories. Educators and advocates need to reach out to society and show them that different is not always a bad thing.

·         “If we think that disability is bad, we will respond by excluding the student with a disability to avoid negatively affecting other students.”

o   This statement demonstrates the mindset that we as teachers do not need to have in the classroom. I want my classroom to be welcome to everyone meaning that no one will be excluded based on intellectual or physical impairments.

·         “. . . dismissive attitude characterizes much of special education; students are not seen as individuals, but as entities to be categorized and expected to perform based on an often limiting and inaccurate label.”

o   This shows how the school system sometimes looks at children with disabilities. They are dismissed and categorized because they are different.