Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f39D7lg27556; Mon, 9 Apr 2001 09:07:47 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 09:07:47 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3AD1B347.D8EB61C@ellijay.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Art LaChance <arthur@ellijay.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:3387] RE: Consumer empowerment Curriculum --- X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) Status: O Content-Length: 3721 Lines: 86 Ellen, What comes to mind here is the old one-room-school-house adage "I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do and I understand. I think we all basically really "learn" the same way. If the verbal explanation is insufficient, and the visual representation is inappropriate, then what do we learn? However, we learn instantly when we touch the hot stove. A radical representation but...... True education must encompass all three of the primary senses, auditiory, visual, and experiential (touch?). If not then only partial learning of conceptual representations occur. And what if those are based on primary level skills which are also skewed. Secondarily, what happens to the emotional system of a child who is forced to go into an environment where he/she feels high levels of negative self concept? Disassociation from that environment? hmmmm And then what happens when those brain functioning patterns are fertilized for 10 or 15 years? Why is it that education systems outside the public ed arena are able to educate students who have been rejected as incapable by the public system? Is this really the childs incapacity? So many questions, so little time. Art LaChance Gilmer Learning Center Ellijay, GA Eileen Trainor wrote: > What a power thread of conversation! The more I learn, the more I watch my > child struggle with learning differences, the more certain I become that > standard education does not meeting the needs of most students. Whether > cultural bias, ignorance, or ingrained ways of teaching are responsible, I do > not know. > > When I think of this learning differences, I remember three people in my life: > > * One friend who could attend class and absorb what he needed without notes or > reading books. > > * Another friend struggled with notes, tutoring, group learning, and > frustration. > > * My best friend had a set schedule. Daily, she would get notes from someone > who was a good student and copy them. That night she would read them aloud, > and discuss the notes with her classmates in the AM. > > All three of the students were straight A students. So was I. I had to > attend class, take notes, transcribe the notes, summarize the notes, read them > again, and highlight items I thought were important. Then I would find my > friend that could learn without difficulty and check my reality. > > All learning differences are processing problems. Not everyone processes > information the same way. If we teach to one style of learning, we are short > changing at least half of our students. Not only that, we are thwarting their > education and increasing their frustration. > > To get a real feeling for this frustration, attend a session with Dr. Richard > Cooper. In one hour he can make you realize exactly how someone with learning > differences feels. He is a little rough on the participants, but you will > gain and understanding of learning differences and develop an empathy that > will last your entire career. > > There are many ways to teach learners who have learning differences. It is > not much different from dealing with our own children. Do our children all > learn to stand/walk/run walk at the same age? Do they all speak, eat solid > foods, sleep through the night at the same time? Why are we so accepting of > the differences in our children and so hard on the differences in learning > styles? > > I wish I had the answers. But then, I am no expert... > > Eileen Trainor, Grant Coordinator > Project Inter-ALT http://cie.ci.swt.edu/interalt > Texas Crime Stoppers http://www.crimestoppers.swt.edu > Center for Initiatives in Education > Southwest Texas State University > San Marcos, TX > et02@swt.edu > 512 245 9047
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