I hope you'll forgive me for jumping in here. In school, I had a
Blindskills class for about an hour a day in elementary school, but the rest
of my time was spent in the regular classroom as well. Starting in fourth
grade, I joined an after school cooking class with other blind students,
where we went to one another's houses, and learned to prepare various meals.
Starting in junior high school, I never went to the blindskills class, and
just took a regular series of classes.
We did have a full-time Braille transcribe for the district, and every
assignment, every textbook that I ever worked with where in Braille. And we
had a fully staffed resource room, where a teacher worked full-time with
blind students, different students each period, to make certain that they
acquired the skills that they needed.
One thing I liked about our resource teachers was that, for the most part,
they were blind (I can think of two exceptions to this). They were
excellent role models, and thus I knew that blind people could do important
things, like teach, from a very young age.
Throughout school, I went on field trips with my classmates, and no one ever
said I shouldn't. I went hiking, camping, roller skating, to amusement
parks and so on. Everyone assumed that this was normal. Yet nowadays I
hear about blind students in public schools who are prevented from attending
these important social events because the school system is afraid they will
get hurt. This is a shame, and I hope, when I hear these stories, that a
more acceptable resolution is found, because I believe that these social
events were also necessary for turning out well-adjusted people.
The only thing I can think of that I wish my school had done differently was
centered around learning to use the long white cane. They didn't show me
until I was thirteen. Instead, they wanted us to walk around with our hands
in front of us, one at about chest height, and the other at about midsection
level, to prevent us from running into things too hard. Now I had some
residual vision, not enough to read print, but to see colors, and the
outlines of obstacles, and I never did accept this strange behavior. When I
turned thirteen, and I was told I'd have to learn to use the cane, I
despised it as making me conspicuous. I was certain other people would
notice, and sure enough, the first time I used it in school, someone decided
to play jump rope with it, and landed on it, breaking it in two.
I eventually got over all this, though, and high school was as fun as high
school should be.
Forgive the ramble.
Lora
Hello E,
That sounds like what was in place in the Royal Oak school system in
Michigan. WE started going to regular classes on about a 50 50 basis in the
fourth grade. Music, science and social studies. IN the 7th grade I had a
assistant that helped with tests and other special needs that came in a
couple of times a week. I did go to a local high school which looking back
did make a big difference over the years.
I do have to give my parents credit though. Someone from the gDSB told them
to treat me like the rest of the kids and they believed it. I lost my sight
in the second grade so as I got older and friends from school would stay
over I remember my mom telling me... They seem so blind compared to you. I
really can't remember a time when they held me back from doing something.
When I was 16 and wanted to get a summer job at the pickle factory near the
cottage my Mom even applied for a job with me to make it work. We never did
get me in but that was the attitude they had.
Oh Yeah, I got the belt when I messed up too just like the rest of the kids:)
Katie Hill The Reconnection & reiki Healing Get yur personalized numerology chart Kaitlyn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx -----Original Message----- From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of E. Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 1:16 PM To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT: Mainstreaming
I participated in what I consider a good mix. I went to classes with
sighted kids most of the time but had a class a day where the blind kids
were all in one room learning braille, working on spelling and particular
things useful and different in teaching for blind compared with sighted
children. This was in grades one through four. I went to regular main
streamed high school and had a teacher come in one hour a day to help
out. The combination gave me the assistance I needed, taught me to be
independent and find needed resources (like how to hire readers for college
and get books) and be mainstreamed. I know my parents worked closely with
the school system to make this possible. Considering we moved about ever
two or three years this meant several school systems. They did a terrific
job. I attribute much of my later success to this careful early planning
and dedication on their part.
E.
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