Conversations with Emily

  

Our first conversation

     

To continue our conversation, I wrote Emily's name with a 

highlighter and she traced my writing with a pen. 

Emily made sure every letter was perfectly traced before she moved to the next. 

She wrote my name and then music. Emily loves music - it calms her. 

Emily wrote, traced and taught me Spanish. 

hermano = brother   

Aunt 

Emily wrote San Pedro. She checked the writing on her shirt
(she was wearing a San Pedro shirt) to make sure she spelled it correctly. 

   

Zulma (Emily's mom) and I. 

My Vision

A significant part of successful inclusion for students with disabilities in general education is a change from negative to positive attitudes of general educators towards students with disabilities (Downing, 2007; Kluth 2010;  Nel et al., 2011; Snow 2001). One strategy that has consistently been found to have influenced educators' attitudes towards students with disabilities is training in inclusive education, either in a single course or content infused approach (Avramidis & Norwich, 2002; Shade & Stewart, 2001; Sharma et al., 2006; Subban & Sharma, 2006; Voltz, 2003). Another important condition for the successful implementation of inclusive practices is continuous support and assistance to teachers by others (Downing, 2007; Talmor et al., 2005).

The proposed study will measure if pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards disability can be positively influenced through purposeful university programming which will combine formal instruction and field experiences teaching students with disabilities in the general education classroom. The proposed research is reflective of a social model of disability. A social model of disability shifts the focus from “medical” to social intervention which is what is happening, at different rates and perspectives, in the US and Belize school systems. 

Proposed Research Questions:

What factors influence pre-service teachers’ attitudes to inclusive education in the US and in Belize?

Will university training that considers the attitude constructs related to inclusion and inclusive field experiences contribute to developing positive attitudes and practices among pre-service general and special education teachers?

Belize Ministry of Education

In regards to the professional learning and connections on this trip, our visit with Carol Babb, Deputy Minister of Education for Belize, was a highlight. I was shocked when we arrived at the port in Belize City, walked two blocks, looked up to the 3^rd floor, and located the Belize Ministry of Education Office. I thought visual models of  the Belize Ministry of Education and the US Department of Education would provide a good comparison. 

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr 

Photo courtesy of Flickr 

As with most of my Belize/US comparisons/contrasts, I realize that materialism has become a part of our culture. Throughout the world, American culture is criticized for being too materialistic — we’re only 10% of the world’s population and yet we’re leaders in the consumption of the world’s resources. Americans are what we wear, what we drive, where we live, and what we watch on television. 

From this experience, I have realized that the ability to live a simple life is within all of us. "The art of simple living is not: a sacrifice – in fact, it is a revived indulgence."

Look, it cannot be seen - it is beyond form.

Listen, it cannot be heard - it is beyond sound.

Grasp, it cannot be held - it is intangible...

-  Lao Tzu