Kliewer Connections

A child with Down syndrome is included in classroom activities just as any other student would.

This picture was taken from a really great article on inclusive education that can be found here. 

For my final blog post of the semester I chose to make connections to other readings we have discussed in class. Since I found this particular reading to be interesting, it will be the focus of this post, with a couple connections added in at the end. 

       In a section of the book titled Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Christopher Kliewer, the author informs the reader what it's like to teach a class with a student that has Down syndrome without letting them become frustrated or feel left out. In the chapter, he first discusses negative feelings associated with children who have the disability. Mia Peterson, a student segregated from her non-disabled peers says "I started to notice that I didn't like the classes I was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad, I wanted to cry." He then goes on to share a positive story about how a teacher named Shayne Robbin actively shaped a lesson so that her disabled student Isaac did not feel this way. Since Isaac had issues with motor abilities, such as turning the page in a book, she decided to create a lesson based on his favorite story Where the Wild Things Are that wasn't the traditional drawing or painting. Instead she had the students create and perform a play where Isaac got to star as Max. I think this is a phenomenal job by the teacher including this student with the rest of the class in a creative way. If more teachers like this existed I'm sure it would change the lives of many individuals with this disability. 

       In several ways this chapter reminded me of Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth by Gerri August. The central theme they both include is inclusion of all types of students no matter the gender or intellectual ability. What's different is that while LGBT youth are different and experience social barriers, those with Down syndrome require extra academic support and the potential variation of lessons. 

       This chapter also drew connections to the Oakes article. I can't help but imagine a situation where teachers executed tracking for all students with Down syndrome. This would put these students in a highly disadvantaged learning environment and would certainly limit their development.