Read- alouds: I loved the book "One" by Kathryn Otoshi 0972394635. It took an extremely creative approach to adress the issue of bullying. It made it as simple as possible which is great for younger kids so that they can understand much easier. It is also a good way to teach colors in an art class or even for kids in elementary schools when learning to stand up for what they think is right. The next book we read was the "Zoom Broom" by Margie Palantini 9780756908966. It has a lot of onomatopias which would be really helpful for speech therapy kids that need practice with trickier words and phrases. Also this could be a fun lesson for highschool physics kids and they could create a problem where they have to calculate at what speed and how long it took for the witch to hit the ground. The last book we read was "The Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark" by Debrah Disen 0374360960. This book mentioned all sorts of fish and that could be used to teach smaller kids fractions. Also it could be used in an english class and have kids write about what they feel like is their darkness in their lives and how they can overcome it.
Learning Experiences: These past few weeks we have talked a lot about disabilities and how they affect the lives of those who have them. One of the most interactive things we did was Disability Day where we went to different stations around the room and were "disabled" for the tasks. They were all difficult in their own nature and really made me realize what some kids have to go through on a daily basis. For instance, I never realized how hard it was to maneuver a wheel chair until I had to use one myself and go up the ramp! Also I found the hearing impairment station really difficult. It was frustrating to try and follow directions while struggling to hear what the person was saying. I do not see how some kids do it but I admire them so much!
We have also just recently finished the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"- a book that was extremely eye opening- it help me better understand autism and its different forms. The way the author uses Christopher to portray several different aspects of his form of autism really gave me a good perspective since I have not had much interaction with this particular disability. After reading the book I have a greater understanding of why kids like Christopher do the things they do and how and why they feel about certain things.
In class I loved watching the videos about autism. Can you believe 1 in 88 kids have some sort of autism! It's somewhat discouraging but this is why people should talk about it more and really focus research on it. The videos were so interesting; I liked hearing what the parents of these autistic parents had to say and I can not even begin to understand how difficult their lives must be.
Quote of the Week: 
Always
Unique
Totally
Intelligent
Sometimes
Mysterious
This is not exactly a quote but I think it says it all. I really like how it portrays autism in a positive nature; focusing on the gifts that come with autism. If fewer people saw it less as a disease then maybe they would not be so scared and hushed when talking about it. Without talking about it, nothing can be done to help solve its mysteries.
Observations: When I was at the mall the other day I went into Gap and saw that there was an autism awareness table set up. I went to talk to the person since I felt somewhat confident in my knowledge since what we have been learning in class. They were accepting donations and were just really trying to expose and educate people about the disorder. It was really cool to see what I had been learning in class show up in my daily life!
Reflections: These past few weeks have been stressful! A couple of classes are consuming huge amounts of attention and time. I've been trying to do other things besides schoolwork when I can, just so I can have a breather ever once in a while. I completed my Clemson application this weekend so I can send it in for the early application date! I don't want to go to Clemson whats so ever though, my heart is set on CofC!