This article caused me to question several things, I would love some feedback from our group on what you think about these questions. Does the elimination of Art, Music and the fine arts have an effect on students with disabilities? I think so because these are course where standard assessment does not occur and free expression is the course design. Also, can you remember ever studying anyone with a disability besides Helen Keller and FDR? In today's digital society, I think we should look at and critic how the media portrays people with disabilities. These stereotypes should be broken, along with stereotypes about color and gender. The only way to break the cycle is to educate individuals to think critically about what is being said and what is unsaid. And lastly, how can the state curriculum be redesigned to be reflective of what Erevelles has brought to our attention? I see some of the things we are doing like changing assessments and redefining standards in a broader sense as moving in the direction, but is it enough?
Melanie
Comments (2)
Great questions Melanie! With your mention of Helen Keller and FDR I thought of those who we lift up as "heroes" and wondered why they are always the most talented, beautiful, fastest, strongest, etc. Why instead of the professional basketball player don't we see the paralympic athlete whose spirit and as your poem so eloquently describes pride is much more worthy of hero status? I think in many instances this is true because celebration of those who are differently abled is not as neat and clean as we would like. For many it leads to discomfort- awkwardness in that they don't know how to treat someone or the discomfort of a child asking questions we don't have good answers for- and discomfort is something we humans try desparately to avoid.
Posted by Christy Forrest | July 12, 2009 1:44 PM
Posted on July 12, 2009 13:44
Melanie, I like your questions that you laid forth. As you know I woud be one who would pushe the humanities in school to be as important as core classes because of the fact that there are multiple intelligience. If schools value one intelligience over another, they are simply prejudice. I knew at an early age where my talents were and I was proud of my right brain but I knew the world valued left brain thinkers more. Like Daniel Pink, I think the whole mind needs to be valued within the school and I believe that all students, with or without disabilities have gifts to offer the world. Therefore the school should honor each child and strive to foster the talents within every child. The world needs all kinds of people. Is that not a collaborative effort for the world's success?
Posted by Diane Guelzow | July 13, 2009 11:13 PM
Posted on July 13, 2009 23:13