Barb Rentenbach

One thing from this presentation that I will consider when teaching children with Autism is that it's important to meet the children where they are. A few examples were given where it was necessary to connect through the child's interests before being able to work on other things. This just shows the importance of knowing your students.

One thing that I learned from this presentation that I hadn't really appreciated before is just how observant and contemplative individuals with Autism are. Hearing excerpts from Barb Rentenbach's book really made this clear. It's amazing how much individuals with Autism can take in because they aren't hindered with some characteristics that we consider normal. Thinking of Autism as something that puts individuals at a higher level than "normals," as Barb Rentenbach calls them, is a much better way to think about  Autism when comparing it to thinking of it as something that hinders individuals.

This presentation was great and very eye-opening.

Group Differences Forum

The group differences forum was very interesting. I thought it was a great way to get a good understanding of  many topics. It was very beneficial, and it made me consider some things that I hadn't before. 

One thing that I learned from this discussion that I didn't previously know is that some people consider Asian Americans the model minority. I had never heard this term before, but I can definitely see how stereotypes could lead to this association. While discussing this, the point was brought up that this idea of the model minority puts average and low achieving students at a disadvantage. Even though teachers may not realize, they may have higher expectations for their Asian students which makes it more difficult for low achieving Asian students to live up to the teacher's expectations and sets them up for failure. 

One thing that has been discussed in various classes and reinforced through this discussion is to never make assumptions about students. I think this is one of the most valuable pieces of advice that I can take to my classroom. Whether it's assuming a child's strengths and weaknesses by looking at an IEP, assuming a child's religion based on where they're from, or assuming a student's culture or language based on skin color, it's never a good idea to make assumptions. Each child is unique and comes with different ideas, beliefs, abilities, and cultures, and making assumptions can hinder a child from reaching their full potential.

This group differences forum was very beneficial, and I enjoyed it.

Language and Cognitive Development

The following is a list of some strategies for supporting and encouraging language development for students in grades K-2. I will likely include these in my own classroom one day.

• "Read age-appropriate story books as a way of enhancing vocabulary." 
• "Ask follow-up questions to make sure students accurately understand important messages." 
• "Give corrective feedback when students' use of words indicates inaccurate understanding." 
• "Ask students to construct narratives about recent events." 

I strongly believe in the importance of reading story books aloud to students. It can be beneficial in many ways; it can help students with reading fluency or grab student interest when starting a new lesson. But it also aids students in enhancing their vocabulary. This is a much better strategy than simply assigning vocabulary words each week and having the students write definitions. Hearing a term in context makes learning a new word much easier.

Another strategy that should be apart of any lesson is asking follow-up questions to check for understanding. It is never good enough to assume that your students understand correctly just because they are able to produce a correct answer. One way I would incorporate this into my class is by asking students to explain their answers either verbally in class or in written assignments.

It is also essential to inform your students when they use a word incorrectly. I was recently in a situation where I had to inform a student that he was using a word incorrectly. When observing a second grade classroom, I worked with a small group as they discussed a story they had just read. They were instructed to discuss how the main character was feeling. One student in my group stated that the main character was oppressed. It was obvious that he was confusing oppressed and depressed considering that the main character was simply upset about her garden, so I told him that I thought he meant the word depressed. Then as the teacher came to the group, she further corrected his word choice by suggesting that depression is a little too strong of a word for this situation. As in this example, I think that corrective feedback needs to be included daily, as there can be a need for it at any time.

And lastly, I also see great importance in writing, so I could easily see myself having students writing narratives about recent events in their lives. I would probably incorporate this into my classroom as part of a daily journal.

Below is a video that describes a fun way to enhance students' oral language.