Love Me

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JJ Heller, music

I recently, heard this song by JJ Heller. Hope you enjoy it.

 

Homeschooling and Learning Disabilies

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homeschooling, Individualized Education Program, learning disability, learning styles

I originally wrote this for the Homeschool Network in 2008.  Currently, I am consolidating all of my writing to this blog.

Homeschooling has many advantages for children with learning disabilities. It is much easier for your child to receive the intensive one-on-one instruction needed to succeed. Instruction can be tailored to meet your child’s individual needs. Educating a child with learning disabilities can be a challenging task especially in the beginning. Today, I would like to offer some suggestions if you are considering homeschooling or even already homeschooling a child with learning disabilities.

First, before you begin or as soon as possible have an educational assessment of your child. This should include an individual IQ test and achievement test. If possible, have a learning styles inventory done as well. This gives you a base line of where your child is functioning. Both IQ and achievement tests are needed to determine learning disabilities. To have a learning disability there must be a two standard deviation gap between IQ and achievement in one or more areas (i.e. reading, math, language, etc.) Individual tests are more reliable than group tests. A learning styles assessment will help you determine through what channel your child best receives information. This makes it much easier to effectively deliver instruction.

Evaluate the testing data to determine what areas you need to emphasize. If your child is two or more grade levels behind in reading or math focus on these subject. If your child is above fourth grade, it is important to teach coping strategies and skills that will help your child function independently and successfully in life. It might be helpful to prepare goals similar to an Individual Educational Plan (IEP).

Become an expert on your child’s particular learning disability. Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Keep a record of what instructional methods work and do not work with your child. This does not have to be formal but can  be anecdotal.

Keep a notebook or portfolio with evaluation reports, goals, other important information, and a sample of your child’s work. At least every four to six weeks evaluate and record your child’s progress. Add these results to the portfolio as well. Annual achievement testing is also helpful. It is a great tool to see what progress your child has made in the past year and plan for the next year. If possible, have your child re-evaluated every three years.

One last thought, be flexible and willing to try many methods until you find what works for your child. There is no one best method or right way for teaching children with learning disabilities. Whatever works best for your child is the correct way.

Allergy Rant

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allergies, Allergy, health, McDonald's, rants

Newsflash, I’m ranting again. A blog is such a good platform for ranting. The Big Guy would rather I rant on here than to him.  The topic for today’s rant is allergies. At least I haven’t used this title before I checked.  Well, the other day as I was picking up a $1 sweet tea for the Big Guy I noticed the drink machine at a local McDonald’s drive through. It was one of those evil kind that has one line for all drinks and a push button thing to select the drink. I asked the guy at the window about it. From his shirt I think he was actually management.  He responded that the line clears each time. My response no it really doesn’t and it is death waiting to happen. Unless the machine is completely flushed and cleaned including the nozzles cross-contamination is possible. For a food chain that caters to children it is surprising how oblivious McDonald’s as a company is to food allergies and cross-contamination. I had an allergic reaction once from a shake, the shake machine is similar to the drink machine. Both times even management doesn’t seem to know or even care about food allergies. With shake the “manager” lamely asked do you want a new one and then informed us to get out of line and move on. No are you okay, do you need an ambulance, or even talking to us to the side of the line.  So McDonald’s is not only unhealthy, they are now becoming a dangerous dining establishment.

Live Blogging (Sort of) from FETC 2011

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alterantive education, Educational technology, FETC, K through 12, Technology

I was selected to attend the Florida Educational Technology Conference in Orlando this week. For a nerd it is almost as good as going to The Land of The Mouse.  So, while I’m writing this on the spot it will be posted afterwords. Thought I would share some of the things I found interesting. The implications of technology for education is just mind boggling.

I want one of these! I’m in a session on how to use the Lightscribe pen in the classroom.  Using this pen media, pencasts and other things can be attached to any dot of ink. It is accessible using smart pens.  Pencasts can be stored and shared using a free Livescribe account.  Think about how much time is spent just making up sub plans. Using a smart pen sub plans could also contain audio instructions. Further it makes it easier to share notes, lectures with parents or students who are absent. I like the potential of having lessons stored to use for independent learning, remediation, and extension. OK, here is something cool that I just learned. If you draw something with the pen it actually works. So if you draw a piano it actually plays. How cool is that.  One future trend is the ability to create an interactive.

Now, I’m at a presentation from Kingsville, ISD (Kingsville, TX) on using technology in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP).  KISD closed down their alternative education campus and integrated the.  The DAEP program is located in separate buildings on the middle and high school programs. Technology is used to keep students on track with the general education classes.  Using cameras in the general education classes students in the DAEP program receive real-time instruction. The core teachers are also given extra pay to visit/tutor students in the DAEP.

Question of the Day from Nightline

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health care, Health law, insurance, Nightline, United States Congress

I thought Monday night’s question from Nightline would make a good blog. “Does or should Congress have the power to require people to buy insurance? Should the health care law stand?”

I’m not sure if Congress actually has the power to make insurance mandatory. However I do not think that they should have that power nor should they make insurance mandatory. I am not comfortable with the government telling me how to run my life. I think insurance reforms are needed to make insurance available to those who want it.

Should the current health care law stand? No, I do not think this health care law with solve the problem. We need to reform health care but not this way. The health care law is cost prohibitive. In my opinion it was passed too quickly and is too large. It is impossible to know exactly what is in that law.

I am in favor of extending Medicare/Medicaid as a temporary option. I want to see more common sense reforms. It seems that many times doctors are too cautious and require extra tests because they are afraid of lawsuits. Growing up the doctors we used had their own clinic.  That could handle many things that would now be sent to the ER. Things were taken care of faster and cheaper in house. As a child it was less traumatic for me to be treated in their clinic ER rather than the hospital ER.

My Current Perferred Creative Activities

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digital photography, photography, Plinky

I have always enjoyed creative activities. Growing up my mom always kept my little desk supplied with crayons, paper, paper bags and other things art items. I have tried a variety of needle, leather and woodcrafts as well as painting. Currently, my creative outlets of choice are digital photography and blogging. If you want to see some of my photography check out my blog.

Some of my favorites:

Lake Wahburg, Gainesville, Florida

 

Between Kermit and Odessa, Texas

Daytona Beach, Florida

Dishes I made.