.

 

Looking back at your initial goals–did the course address them? Has your understanding of disability evolved?

Critical Perspectives exceeded my expectations this semester. At the beginning of the semester I had a goal to gain a fresh perspective on special education. The topics that we covered and the discussions that came from the topics were extremely timely. I came into this class with a good background on disabilities, but I have to admit I was surprised at all that I learned. My understanding of disability has grown in a more functional way. Sure, I know how to teach students with disabilities, how to co-teach, and I have certainly heard of UDL. Now my knowledge of disabilities is much deeper and more realistic. The discussion on the social model of disability really made me think more about the students and families that I work with on a daily basis. The difference between the medical model and the social model shed a new perspective on disabilities and my thinking. I would say that I have a more refined understanding of disability and my awareness is even more heighten due to this semester. One word that I was not familiar with before this semester was ableism. I loved our book review that focused on looking at children’s books for ableism. The activity gave me the opportunity to rally grasp the concept.

How does your awareness of disability rhetoric shape the way you now interpret images or messages about disability?

We joked in class about movies now being ruined for us based on our rhetoric discussions. However, it really is true! I was really blown away by what I learned about disability rhetoric. I had never thought about disability rhetoric before this semester. A memory of mine came up in class, I was young and very uncomfortable about a side show at the county fair. It had something to do with a disabled person being on display for all who were willing to pay a dollar to see. I would not go in to see the person; I was unhappy with the way people were treating the sideshow “star”. I now understand the fact that this was an example of rhetoric in the exotic form. Following our discussions on rhetoric and with our Wonder project, I feel more in touch with the different forms of disability rhetoric and how they may have shaped my behaviors in the past. I will not stop watching movies, but I will definitely watch through a more informed lens.

Per the course, what are some things/activities/discussions that you found particularly helpful–or thought-provoking–in terms of helping you to better understand disability?

There are many things that I found though-provoking in the class. I really feel that in every class I gained something new. If I had to pick my top class would be a toss-up between the discussion on disability rhetoric and special education law. I needed the refresher on special education law and was surprised to learn some of the history surrounding disabilities. I was struck with the thought of Ellis Island and the letters people were assigned. I am always concerned with the past repeating itself when it comes to situations for people with disabilities in our communities. I was surprised and very glad to have touched on mental illness a bit. As far a disability rhetoric, I was blown away with our discussions. As I stated in an earlier question, I will never look at disabilities in the movies or media the same ever again!

How, if at all, will you apply what you’ve learned about disabilities after you leave this class? In your classrooms? On a broader scale?

This is a great question. I feel very confident in my interactions with people with disabilities, but I will now be thinking more globally. What is happening for people with disabilities in other cities, states, and countries? How can I become more of an advocate for disability rights? The video of the man who was trying to meet his friend for a drink has really struck a chord with me. Both of my projects had to do with disabilities and Higher Education. I took the opportunity to look into a career goal of mine, working with students with disabilities in college, and I am very excited about the future. This class gave me the insight to move forward.

What questions remain?

I have a lot of questions concerning disabilities and higher education. I will continue to reach out to the people I have met through this class.

Can we add more special education classes to the Master’s programs?

AND

My one big question is can I be hired as your assistant?

 

How does the book enhance your knowledge of the key concepts that we address in this course?

Two years ago, I read the book Wonder out loud to my children. I read the book again last June because it was the required reading for all incoming sixth graders in my school. I felt that it was an incredible read for students and remember thinking how important it was to be sharing it with my own children at the time. As a parent of children without special needs, yet a teacher of students with special needs I thought the book was an incredible opportunity to show how all the sides of the story had great meaning. Not just Auggie or his family, but also the children that he interacted with daily.

As I read the book this semester for our class (as with watching the movie after a few classes) our conversations began to really sink in, reading it with a critical perspective meant more to me. Ideas of disability rhetoric danced through my mind. As I turned the pages, I could see elements of wonderous, exotic, sentimental, and realist rhetoric was present. I still believe that this book is an amazingly written book that really focuses on Auggie’s reality and the reality of those around him. One of the most important pieces was Via’s point of view. I felt that truly helped the reader feel the emotions of a sibling. I also focused a lot on the character of Jack Will and his ability to face his need to be popular while realizing his feelings for Auggie. One of my favorite quotes is found at the beginning of Jack’s point of view~ “Now here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

What is your personal perception of the book and recommendation – what are your reactions to the book (what did you love and appreciate? What moved, challenged, inspired or infuriated you? How did the book make you feel and would you recommend it?

I absolutely LOVE Wonder! I can remember feeling like I was there, I was a part of the journey that the characters traveled. I also loved the fact that as I read it out loud to my own children many years ago that I freely sobbed with them. They got to understand at their young age the importance of accepting people where they are, with what they have, and love them for being themselves.

I have recommended this book to all my friends to share with their kids, but only if they were ready to have an honest discussion with their kids about disabilities. Let’s face it not everyone will be accepting of people with disabilities with arms wide hope, but they should be and with books like this in our schools, it is my hope that students become more aware of others with disabilities. I used this for our sixth graders this year because teaching in a Catholic school you don’t see a lot of diversity or opportunities for kids to become friends with people who are different than them.

I am often moved by the relationships of the characters. Although at times I wonder if the Pullman’s can really get along that well every day 😊 I love the way the book flowed through the year touching on each person’s point of view. My opinion of Auggie winning the Henry Ward Beecher medal at the end of the book did not change, I was ecstatic!. It still made me hopeful that one day people with disabilities will really be looked at through the lens of acceptance. Auggie was defined by himself and all the things he loved, space, Daisy, his family, Halloween. His parents did a lot of hard work in their home to raise him with a sense of himself. As a parent, I have often felt that my relationship with my husband at times has played the second seat to the needs and growth of my children. I identified with their parenting style and although it was often hard on Via, it also gave her the strength to be her own self. As an educator today, I often see children not being encouraged to be their true selves but to go along with a group just to fit in. The Pullman’s definitely lived life in terms of the preceptor “Your Deeds are your monuments”-An inscription on an Egyptian tomb

 

I will take with me the message of hope and positivity. Wonder truly is Wonderful!

 

What purpose does the character’s disability serve? Is it to further some aspect of the main character?

In the movie, Simon Birch, Simon is the supporting character of Joe. Set in 1964, the story explores the life of two friends who grow up together in a small New England town. Simon Birch is physically very small, he was sent by God to do something wonderful. His best friend Joe, who narrates the story as an adult, tells of their childhood. The boys are 12 and both are outcasts in their community: Simon for his short stature and his belief that since his survival after birth was a miracle, he is destined to perform a miracle, and Joe for his illegitimate birth status. The idea of Simon is searching for his purpose and Joe seeks the identity of his father makes for a touching story, a tear jerker one could say.

Simon’s main purpose is the movie is that he is Joe’s best friend. The movie begins in a churchyard with a grown Joe reflecting how Simon is the reason he believes in God. Quickly the movie flashes back to a Sunday school. There is an almost “freak” show quality to the start of the movie. First, in a scene set to whimsical music, Simon is lifted up and passed around in a crucifixion pose by the other kids in the Sunday school class. Simon demands to be put down, only to get in trouble by the teacher as if he asked to be passed around. Then Simon’s birth is recounted with carnival-like background music. Simon is born not with a contraction, but with a sneeze, and due to his very small size, he becomes an attraction at the hospital. Lines of people gather and gasp and stare at him in the nursery.

Throughout the movie, there are subtle hints that most adults and children really have no time for Simon. He is made out to be an annoyance to everyone including his parents, everyone except Joe. Simon is Joe’s one true friend especially after Joe’s mom is killed by a baseball that Simon hits. I felt like this was a way of showing that when people with disabilities are allowed to participate in the “norm” of life, the results are disastrous, and this should be prevented at all costs. After this event Simon is obviously very upset and questioning even more what his purpose in life really is, he must be here for something bigger.

Simon’s character is more than just a disability and I do feel that the movie does a good job of showing him as an average boy in some ways. However, there is a scene where Simon is portrayed as someone who would not be able to have a girlfriend due to his physical disabilities. Simon does prove in another scene that he has the sexual feelings of a boy, but this causes a huge problem during the Christmas pageant and again Simon is made to look like he is always causing problems. By the end of the movie, Simon does reach the hero status that he had thought would define his life and subsequently loses his life while saving others.

Which trope(s) apply?

I believe that there is a combination of tropes happening in the movie Simon Birch. First, the movie has an anti-trope feeling because the actor who portrays Simon actually has a disability. His character is not just about the disability. He is a very good friend to Joe and does remain a positive force throughout the movie. Simon faces some difficult days but always remains true to his belief that he is on this earth for a bigger reason. Not unlike many people who have hardships but are not disabled. However, the movie also has moments of Saint/Inspiration, Damaged/Victim, and Comic Relief tropes intermixed throughout the plot. I chose this movie because my 11-year-old daughter wanted to help me with my homework. It was a really interesting assignment to do with her. As we discussed parts of the movie during and after viewing it, I was torn between thinking “what a great movie” and “what a terrible way to portray disability”

Is this character one-dimensional (i.e. is disability the defining characteristic), or is this a complex character?

Simon Birch is a complex character. Although his disability defines him in the movie, the plot also includes the opportunity for you to see him as “just a boy”. Simon dies as a result of saving a bus full of boys who have crashed into the icy water. The bus is sinking, and Simon makes sure everyone is safe before himself. Joe does not leave his side and makes sure that Simon too gets out of the freezing water. The movie does give an opportunity to see friends and relationships grow. It offers a perspective of two boys who truly are friends growing up together and facing adversity.

What message does this character send regarding disability?

Simon Birch sends the message that having a disability doesn’t stop the world from happening. Although Simon was not treated very well by most, excluding Joe and his mother, he continued to be himself and follow his path. Although it seems, in the end, it was almost as if the fact that he fulfilled what he thought his prophecy was, helping Joe find his real dad and saving the bus full of boys, that his life was then over.

 

https://youtu.be/96BPgasZ354

This link to a scene in the movie gives the comical relief portion of Simon Birch.

As a special education teacher who has been in many different settings, I feel that I am right at home with UDL.  I have always taught by the philosophy that everyone can learn; we just need to expose different students to different forms of instruction! This is the kind of thing that makes me excited about teaching.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons why barriers are allowed to stand in the way of students with disabilities being included in the regular classroom. The major ones I have come across over the years include;

Attitudes -Old attitudes die hard, and many still resist the accommodation of students with disabilities and learning issues.

Physical barriers– In many districts schools are not accessible to students with physical disabilities.

Curriculum– A rigid curriculum that does not allow for trying out different teaching styles or methods can be an enormous barrier to inclusion. When the class is too concerned with teaching to a test rather than exposing all students to the curriculum.

Teachers/ Culture of the building– Educators who are not trained or who are unwilling or, even worse, unenthusiastic about working with differently-abled students are a major barrier to inclusion. The teachers really are the key to making inclusion work.

Funding– Without adequate funding the facilities and training can’t happen.

I have had the pleasure of working in a building where inclusion worked for the students and was an extremely positive experience for everyone. The building was onboard with inclusion. From the principal to the janitors, the school worked as a team for the students.

I have also been a teacher in buildings where students with disabilities are not included in field trips, theater presentations, guest speakers, and other related opportunities because of their disability. I have always felt this was inappropriate. I did not know to call it ability privilege.

 

 

 

I love the reference in the article that discusses the teacher being a UDL menu planner. Setting up a “make your own” Mexican night is such a great comparison to the UDL classroom. I have taught in inclusive classrooms that have looked a lot like a UDL classroom, I am not sure it was called UDL then, but it was a very successful. At times it was hectic, but all of the students were aware of the expectations and thrived in the setting. When you offer different learning options and do not restrict students to learning by only on method or mode, students have the opportunity to grow within the inclusive classroom. I do recognize and have been a part of classrooms that were a disaster using this model due to a lack of structure and enthusiasm.

In addition to planning for more than one way of teaching, UDL classrooms need to have all the tools that the students need for success. Many times this can be a struggle for some educators to grasp as far as feeling students not only aren’t learning the way they are teaching, but that the student isn’t coming prepared. Many students struggle with organizational skills and although that is an important skill and should be taught to the student, it should not be a reason why the student is not in an inclusion setting. My favorite tool of all time is ALWAYS having sharpened pencils and lined notebook paper.

I do not think that the UDL classroom should be restricted to primary or secondary school settings. I believe that with more students with disabilities heading to higher education, It could be an interesting option in some college classrooms.

 

Now that you’ve been introduced—or re-introduced—to elements of disability  rhetoric and theory what stands out? To be more specific, is there anything that we’ve discussed…

That particularly surprised you?

I was surprised by the four types of disability rhetoric. I guess I really never thought about it in the terms we discussed. What I found the most interesting is the emotion that each really stirs in people. Between wonderous and sentimental it almost lets people off the hook for feeling bad for a disabiled person or feeling inspired by someone with a disability. Instead of looking a person with a disabilty as just a person, like all of us. The exoctic rhetoric really hits home for me, it makes me very uncomfortable. The word freak was use which makes me hurt for anyone with a disability. The medical model also surprised me. I hadn’t thought about disabilies as something that needs to be fixed.

That reaffirmed something that you already thought?

I have always as a teacher believed in the social/constructionist model. Education is for everyone, our focus should be on making the school environment more fitting for children with disabilities. I know that resources and finacial issues often arise, however it seems to me that more often than not some type of a solution or resolution can be met for the student.

 

That you might have disagreed with?

I am very torn over the Bethany Hamilton discussion. As I mentioned the exoctic rhetoric makes me very uncomfortable in terms of the thoughts I have as a child making fun of someone at the county fair. I equate that to being mean to people with disabilities. However, as we discussed with Bethany’s situation and many others like her, she has control over how she protrays herself to the world. I  am having a difficult time with this part of the disability discussion. On one hand it seems to be logical that people with disabilities utilize their personal situations to bring awareness or to capitalize on it for financial gain, but at the same time I struggle with this because of the people who are unable to do the same.

That you can relate to your work as an educator? 

As an educator I think one of the biggests pieces is that I provide my students with the best educatonal experiences as I can throughout the day. I hadn’t really thought about how disability rhetoric and these four topics could be impacting my day, but I see it now. The student who has overcome so much, the student who is a real cutie, the student who is a little more challenging than the rest, or the student who has an invisable disabilty that you don’t even notice. This has been a very eye opening week for me.

That you can relate to your life?

I truly believe I will not look at disabilities the same and I thought I already had a pretty global view. It has caused me to pause during commercials or when people are speaking about disabilities. I really believe that our discussion has changed my perception.

1) Tell us who you are. What are your interests (academic and non)? Anything else worth sharing?

Hi, I am Tara Gates. I am really looking forward to taking Critical Perspectives. This will be my third graduate class in the Masters of Education/Higher Education track. I am very proud to be a Villanova student. I was extremely nervous beginning this degree, I have been out of the college setting for several years, like twenty-two! I have been a special education teacher for nineteen years. I have taught everything from emotional support in a high school setting to life skills in a primary setting. I took five years off to be at home with my children, Ava and Wyatt, who are twenty months apart. My husband Greg often works long hours as a small business owner, so I am currently teaching at the same school my children attend. The convenience is amazing; however, our schedule is absolute chaos! I love meeting new people and facing new challenges. I am very interested in working in higher education in the future.  I love spending time on the water and I enjoy cooking.

2) If you’re in the workforce, where are you currently employed? If you’re not, what program are you enrolled in and what are you studying?

I am currently a math specialist at a Catholic school in Wilmington, Delaware. I teach small groups of students who are struggling with the math curriculum. I teach 3^rd through 6^th graders. I also teach a section of 6^th grade Language Arts. It is a crazy combination, but it works. I also serve on the school’s IST program and work in an emotional support capacity.

3) What does the term disability mean to you? What is your experience with disabilities prior to taking this course?

I don’t really like the word disability. Maybe ability challenged might be a bit better. Everyone has areas they struggle with in life. Maybe interest has more to do with intellect than we really know. I think it is a word devised to describe a perceived lack of a person’s capabilities to access life, learning, or place due to barriers put in place by others.
I have had many experiences with disabilities prior to this class. As a high school student, I was a volunteer for my local Special Olympics and a student aide for the special education classes in my high school. In college, I was a full-time employee with an organization working in a group home setting with adult residents with various types of disabilities. I have taught in every disability category class in public school.

4)  Why are you taking Critical Perspectives, and what do you hope to gain from this class?

I hope to gain a fresh perspective on special education and current issues facing disabilities today. I look forward to learning more about current trends and how to have real conversations surrounding students with disabilities. As I mentioned earlier, I would like to transition into the field of higher education and working with college students with disabilities.

Bonus 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton