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HI Everyone I too had some doubt about the use of the list for SPED 330 student's reflections but having read the responses from list members I'm now thinking a number of things. The inclusive education course I coordinate, TEHD 220, is a compulsary course taken by all third year students currently enrolled in an undergraduate teaching degree (this year 130 students). This is the first year I have been fully involved with developing teaching material for this course. One of the assignments set asked students to reflect on lecture and tutorial material - which included historical, contemporary, advocacy, policy and practice issues in Disability/Inclusion - rights, social model etc etc etc. - in relation to their future practice as teachers of primary and secondary school students (age range 5 -18 yrs). Over half TEHD 220 student's written responses echoed the difficulties pinpointed in the reflections of SPED 330 students - universalist/ablist underpinnings, we/they dualisms, helping the afflicted statements, 'giving them their rights' solutions etc etc etc etc, I had thought that the compulsary aspect of the course might be a factor in explanation of some of the more fulsome comments produced - on the assumption that students who have the choice of opting into a course bring at least some specific prior knowledge/insight. Now, I realise that the compulsary attendance aspect explains very little, if at all. So, many thanks Thomas, your initiative has made me think hard about how I am to approach the issue of what to include in course material in 2011, what I want students to think about in this course and how to actively engage with them to manage the complexities involved in this topic. Would be pleased to see if there was any way to perhaps link up with you and your students, or others who are working in a similar positions on this .. Best Carol On 5 June 2010 06:20, Beth Omansky <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hello Thomas! > > It might have been useful for you to have first introduced your idea to > the list to see how its members would feel about reading homework > assignments. There was no indication in any of the students' posts they > expected or > even wanted in put from the list. Perhaps if we had known what you wanted > for the students we might have engaged with their reflections. Instead, > they > appeared to be final thoughts from students ending a three-week course > and > probably happy to be done, as students usually are. > > I've been subscribed to this list since its inception over a decade ago, > and have never seen the list used for special education courses, which are > quite different from disability studies courses, especially disability > studies research-oriented courses. Special education is, as you probably > know, > quite different from disability studies as its own academic discipline. > Furthermore, UK and US disability studies are different from each other, > too. > > I applaud your effort to introduce your students to disability history. > However, I found many of their responses still rooted in an > individual/tragedy > model of disability. I also found little critical thinking or analysis > about "disability" or the differences between "disability" and > "impairment," or a critical analysis of "normalcy." I imagine it's > difficult to > present and analyze "disability" in its various usages during just three > weeks. > Like others, I, too, came away from the students' papers a bit sad that > they were still perceiving disabled people as 'other' or "special needs." > > > I have found our listserv members quite generous with information, > exchanging ideas, arguing concepts, etc., and I am sorry we did not know > what you > wanted from us. Perhaps you will try this again another term., but please > let us know what you would like from us. Or ask the students to tell us. > Also, perhaps having them engage with us throughout the three-week course > rather than just posting a final reflection could be useful. > > Best wishes, > > Beth > > Beth Omansky, Ph.D. > Portland, OR > USA > > > In a message dated 6/4/2010 3:49:51 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > Good Day > I am indeed the guilty party as I have asked my students to write a brief > reflection and post it to a community they would do well to be connected > to. > I apologize for this brief annoyance, if you have been annoyed. The > assignment is over today and each student posts once. The idea is to > broaden the > students communities and perhaps give them continued contact as they > remain > members of the list serve. Young scholars, after all, must start some > where. I ask your patience and perhaps willingness to mentor as each > student > posts one reflection. > > I like one list serve members suggestion that the relfections contain > useful information and perhaps can be the foundation of further schoalrly > inquiry by seasoned group members. > > Be well, > Thomas > Thomas J Neuville, PhD > Associate Professor > Millersville University > Stayer Suite 216 > 51 Lyte Rd > Millersville, PA 17551-0302 > 717-871-4880 > ________________________________________ > From: The Disability-Research Discussion List > [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Leigh > Scherman [[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 12:05 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: SPED 330 Final Reflection > > Hello, > > Regarding the individual postings from the SPED 330 students: > > While I have enjoyed reading several of these student reflections, I would > suggest to their instructor that the next time they are asked to post > suggestions, it is done in a collaborative email (i.e. all reflections > attached, linked, or cut and pasted) identifying the course and the reason > for the > posting. That way, we would understand the context of the messages and > could opt to read and appreciate them at our leisure. > > I do support what I sense to be the instructor's intent to encourage > public scholarship and dialogue; however, the delivery was a bit > problematic. > > Best, > Elizabeth Scherman > University of Washington > > On Thu, 3 Jun 2010, Beth Omansky wrote: > > > Hello Listers! > > > > I didn't read the first few E-mails under this topic so I may have > missed > > the reason students' homework assignments are flooding the Leeds > research > > listserv. Did the instructor require students to post to the list? > It's a > > bit disturbing, really. > > > > Beth > > > > > > In a message dated 6/3/2010 7:26:20 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, > > [log in to unmask] writes: > > > > Samantha Haas > > SPED 330 > > Final Refection > > > > Throughout this short, but intense 3 week class I have learned a great > > deal about individuals with disabilities and their role in society over > the > > years. I never really knew how misunderstood the term disability was > over > > the years. The misunderstandings of disabilities lead to mistreatment > of > > individuals with disabilities by members of society, government, and > doctors. > > This class taught me that in thinking that society is fair to everyone > I > > am very wrong. I used to think that everyone is treated equally and I > > learned over the past three weeks that that is not true and although > the > > government has made policies to try and make it equal it is still not > so. > > The information that I have learned over the past three weeks will help > me > > for the rest of my career. The rising popularity of inclusion in the > > classroom will require me to work with individuals with disabilities. > These > > students with disabilities will need to be given accommodations that > allow > > them to succeed in my classroom. The treatment of the students with > > disabilities may not be the same for all students, but it will be fair > in that > > each student will receive the accommodations and teaching style they > need to > > be able to succeed to the best of their educational abilities. > > The teachings from this class and the readings that went along with it, > > will always be in the back of my mind and will always be present in my > > teachings. I will be sure that the unjust among these individuals will > not > > continue in my classroom. > > > > ________________End of message________________ > > > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for > > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > > [log in to unmask] > > > > Archives and tools are located at: > > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web > > page. > > > > ________________End of message________________ > > > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > [log in to unmask] > > > > Archives and tools are located at: > > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web > page. > > > > ________________End of message________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web > page. > ________________End of message________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds > (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web > page. > > ________________End of message________________ > > This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for > Disability Studies at the University of Leeds ( > www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). > Enquiries about list administration should be sent to > [log in to unmask] > > Archives and tools are located at: > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page. > ________________End of message________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask] Archives and tools are located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.