From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Special education is instruction that is modified or particularized for those students with special needs, such as learning differences, mental health problems, specific disabilities (physical or developmental) , and giftedness. Most times, however, the term "special education" in North America refers specifically to students with learning disabilities or other mental problems.
Monday, June 2, 2008
When To Start Teaching Your Baby (1)
By Roy Thomsitt
When is it that I should start teaching my baby? That is a question that may come to mind for many first time parents; other parents may never consider the question at all, and just leave things to evolve naturally.
In a way, that is an unnecessary question as, whether you like it or not and whether you mean to or not, you begin teaching your baby while it is still in the womb, and then continue through its early years, teenage years, and even into adulthood. So, perhaps it is better to rephrase that question slightly to "when should I consciously start teaching my baby?"
Even with the rephrased question, the answer is the same: while the baby is in the womb. How can that be?
While the baby is in the womb it starts to learn about its environment after about six months of pregnancy, when it is capable of hearing external sounds. Of course, it is aware of its internal environment earlier than that, but there is little you can do to enhance that. But when it comes to the external environment, you are in a position to have some influence even from that early stage of development.
What Can You Teach Your Baby In The Womb?
With the baby in the womb there is clearly a very limited scope for teaching as such. However, you can provide additional stimulation that will form an important part of their learning at that stage. You can provide many hints as to what the outside environment is like, in a way that sets a good foundation for their feeling of love and security.
The main external awareness of a baby in the womb is sound. If you can make the external sounds comforting and welcoming then that will help the baby more than you may think. Music is a proven stimulation to babies, especially classical music; a daily dose of Mozart will stimulate the baby's brain and senses. With any luck, they will become a musical talent, but that is not an issue at this stage of their development.
You do not, of course, have to restrict her to classical music. Whatever music you like, just turn the volume up a bit more than usual to ensure she hears it. The sound will be muffled, but by the time baby is born, she will be used to your musical tastes. Your aim should be to make the outside environment familiar to the baby. Most of that will happen naturally, and she will become used to the daily sounds, such as vacuum cleaner, liquidizer, lawnmower and other domestic noises that are penetrating.
Our baby daughter was born in the Philippines, where our usual form of transport is a tricycle. I do not think it a coincidence that, once she was born, she was contented with the noise of a tricycle; and they are noisy here, I assure you, especially outside the womb! However noisy the tricycle, she would always be asleep within a minute or two, and even now at 20 months is particularly relaxed on a deafening tricycle.
If you want to insist on having a most important sound in the womb, then it must be the voices of the parents. Getting to know the voice of mum and dad will come naturally, but dad especially can get up close and talk to the baby in the womb. It will not talk back of course, but you can rest assured, if she is awake, she will be intrigued by your up close and personal voice. It is something I did every evening with Saffron. That also had the effect of keeping her awake as long as possible during the evening, so she was less restless at night. That can be very helpful for mum to get a good night's sleep.
Another external stimulation which I never learnt about for my now grown up children, and that is light. This can be even more useful for keeping baby awake in the evening. If you take a powerful flashlight, switch it on, and hold it close to mum's tummy, the baby in the womb will respond to it. I must say I thought it a silly idea, until the then unborn Saffron started moving every time the light was switched on. So, the flashlight became another tool in the "keep baby awake in the evening" campaign to stop mum being kicked so much during the night.
Maybe Saffron did not appreciate my "keep her awake" tactics. She was probably wondering "who is this guy keeping me awake all the time; doesn't he realise I want to get some sleep?"
However, she does seem to have done well on it. She has slept like a log all night, every night apart from one, since she was just a few months' old. The odd night? Apparently, a bad dream at 11 pm. A quick cuddle and words of reassurance, and she was back to sleep again.
Whether that has any connection to her in-the-womb experiences, I cannot say for sure. But I will definitely be using the same tactics again next time, if we are blessed with a baby sister or brother for her.
When is it that I should start teaching my baby? That is a question that may come to mind for many first time parents; other parents may never consider the question at all, and just leave things to evolve naturally.
In a way, that is an unnecessary question as, whether you like it or not and whether you mean to or not, you begin teaching your baby while it is still in the womb, and then continue through its early years, teenage years, and even into adulthood. So, perhaps it is better to rephrase that question slightly to "when should I consciously start teaching my baby?"
Even with the rephrased question, the answer is the same: while the baby is in the womb. How can that be?
While the baby is in the womb it starts to learn about its environment after about six months of pregnancy, when it is capable of hearing external sounds. Of course, it is aware of its internal environment earlier than that, but there is little you can do to enhance that. But when it comes to the external environment, you are in a position to have some influence even from that early stage of development.
What Can You Teach Your Baby In The Womb?
With the baby in the womb there is clearly a very limited scope for teaching as such. However, you can provide additional stimulation that will form an important part of their learning at that stage. You can provide many hints as to what the outside environment is like, in a way that sets a good foundation for their feeling of love and security.
The main external awareness of a baby in the womb is sound. If you can make the external sounds comforting and welcoming then that will help the baby more than you may think. Music is a proven stimulation to babies, especially classical music; a daily dose of Mozart will stimulate the baby's brain and senses. With any luck, they will become a musical talent, but that is not an issue at this stage of their development.
You do not, of course, have to restrict her to classical music. Whatever music you like, just turn the volume up a bit more than usual to ensure she hears it. The sound will be muffled, but by the time baby is born, she will be used to your musical tastes. Your aim should be to make the outside environment familiar to the baby. Most of that will happen naturally, and she will become used to the daily sounds, such as vacuum cleaner, liquidizer, lawnmower and other domestic noises that are penetrating.
Our baby daughter was born in the Philippines, where our usual form of transport is a tricycle. I do not think it a coincidence that, once she was born, she was contented with the noise of a tricycle; and they are noisy here, I assure you, especially outside the womb! However noisy the tricycle, she would always be asleep within a minute or two, and even now at 20 months is particularly relaxed on a deafening tricycle.
If you want to insist on having a most important sound in the womb, then it must be the voices of the parents. Getting to know the voice of mum and dad will come naturally, but dad especially can get up close and talk to the baby in the womb. It will not talk back of course, but you can rest assured, if she is awake, she will be intrigued by your up close and personal voice. It is something I did every evening with Saffron. That also had the effect of keeping her awake as long as possible during the evening, so she was less restless at night. That can be very helpful for mum to get a good night's sleep.
Another external stimulation which I never learnt about for my now grown up children, and that is light. This can be even more useful for keeping baby awake in the evening. If you take a powerful flashlight, switch it on, and hold it close to mum's tummy, the baby in the womb will respond to it. I must say I thought it a silly idea, until the then unborn Saffron started moving every time the light was switched on. So, the flashlight became another tool in the "keep baby awake in the evening" campaign to stop mum being kicked so much during the night.
Maybe Saffron did not appreciate my "keep her awake" tactics. She was probably wondering "who is this guy keeping me awake all the time; doesn't he realise I want to get some sleep?"
However, she does seem to have done well on it. She has slept like a log all night, every night apart from one, since she was just a few months' old. The odd night? Apparently, a bad dream at 11 pm. A quick cuddle and words of reassurance, and she was back to sleep again.
Whether that has any connection to her in-the-womb experiences, I cannot say for sure. But I will definitely be using the same tactics again next time, if we are blessed with a baby sister or brother for her.
Online Education - Success Tips
By Gabe Mirkin
Studying in an online university and attending online classes is, though, a very convenient way of education, but it is also a very different mode from the traditional, direct ways of education. Online education does not require physical attendance, or even a classroom. Fellow classmates are absent and there is no direct contact with professors or trainers. Thus, it is entirely your responsible for successfully completing studies with online programs. Following the success tips mentioned below would be beneficial in earning an online degree effectively.
The convenience of online learning should not turn into negligence. Online courses require as much concentration and hard work as a typical direct college graduation. There might not be professors to look over your work and judge you all the time. Hence, it's your duty to fix a timetable and decide a schedule that accommodates online classes well. Giving few undisturbed hours to your studies daily is ideal. And pending the assignments in online learning will only make things difficult. It will delay your studies and might affect your grades later.
Motivation is another key to success. You have to keep setting short and definite targets and give in all your best efforts to achieve them. In an online course, one needs to be passionate about studies and find innovative ways of completing assignments on time. Periodically motivating yourself is extremely important in distance learning.
Discussions about the online course you are doing and talking about the subjects with friends, family or colleagues will widen up your scope. You might also find people who are also pursuing some online program. And this way you will have a person to assist you if need arises. In case you come in contact with people experienced in the same field that you are presently studying, nothing like it. They can guide you and give suggestions when you face difficulty.
You might have taken up an online course to carry on your daily activities like business, job or family, but in case you are still left with little time, you can devote it in studies by joining a study group. There, you will be in interaction with people which can be motivational and have an additional benefit of improving your communication skills.
Keep testing yourself from time to time. While studying, you can set a list of questions and solve it with the help of study material or instructions in the online class. This will help you in knowing how good you are in the subject. Moreover, it will prepare you for the final actual examination. Do try and memorize whatever you study in the online class or from the reading material. Keep refreshing the subjects at regular intervals if you want to save yourself from last minute blues at the time of examination.
A little thoughtfulness and a disciplined approach towards online education can do wonders. It's just about being passionate for what you selected in order to be successful in life.
Studying in an online university and attending online classes is, though, a very convenient way of education, but it is also a very different mode from the traditional, direct ways of education. Online education does not require physical attendance, or even a classroom. Fellow classmates are absent and there is no direct contact with professors or trainers. Thus, it is entirely your responsible for successfully completing studies with online programs. Following the success tips mentioned below would be beneficial in earning an online degree effectively.
The convenience of online learning should not turn into negligence. Online courses require as much concentration and hard work as a typical direct college graduation. There might not be professors to look over your work and judge you all the time. Hence, it's your duty to fix a timetable and decide a schedule that accommodates online classes well. Giving few undisturbed hours to your studies daily is ideal. And pending the assignments in online learning will only make things difficult. It will delay your studies and might affect your grades later.
Motivation is another key to success. You have to keep setting short and definite targets and give in all your best efforts to achieve them. In an online course, one needs to be passionate about studies and find innovative ways of completing assignments on time. Periodically motivating yourself is extremely important in distance learning.
Discussions about the online course you are doing and talking about the subjects with friends, family or colleagues will widen up your scope. You might also find people who are also pursuing some online program. And this way you will have a person to assist you if need arises. In case you come in contact with people experienced in the same field that you are presently studying, nothing like it. They can guide you and give suggestions when you face difficulty.
You might have taken up an online course to carry on your daily activities like business, job or family, but in case you are still left with little time, you can devote it in studies by joining a study group. There, you will be in interaction with people which can be motivational and have an additional benefit of improving your communication skills.
Keep testing yourself from time to time. While studying, you can set a list of questions and solve it with the help of study material or instructions in the online class. This will help you in knowing how good you are in the subject. Moreover, it will prepare you for the final actual examination. Do try and memorize whatever you study in the online class or from the reading material. Keep refreshing the subjects at regular intervals if you want to save yourself from last minute blues at the time of examination.
A little thoughtfulness and a disciplined approach towards online education can do wonders. It's just about being passionate for what you selected in order to be successful in life.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Special Education Inclusion
By Ken Marborough
Special education inclusion signifies the participation of special education students in regular education classrooms and provision of support services to these students. The main objective of inclusion education is that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths and their weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community.
Every student develops a feeling of belonging with other students, teachers, and support staff. In segregated special education, children will not learn how to function in a non-disabled world. For instance, children who are disabled in terms of communication and are emotionally distressed would not communicate and might remain in a more emotionally disturbed state in segregated settings. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) holds it mandatory for schools to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms.
The prime advantage of special education inclusion is that both disabled and non-disabled students are brought together in an environment of togetherness. Children learn to accept individual differences in inclusion education and this would lead to the development of new friendly relationships. Inclusion education also enables active participation of parents in their child's education.
The law also states that students with disabilities have a legal right to attend regular classes and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Although the advantages are many, inclusion education creates an uncertainty regarding the roles and responsibilities of regular classroom teachers and special education teachers.
However, researches show that inclusion education can be made effective by a healthy collaboration of special education teachers and regular teachers. With the assistance of services that would be available from the health department, physical education department, occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc., the school administration can aid the teachers to develop active lesson plans for inclusion education. Thus schools can create a cooperative learning environment and promote socialization.
Special education inclusion signifies the participation of special education students in regular education classrooms and provision of support services to these students. The main objective of inclusion education is that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths and their weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community.
Every student develops a feeling of belonging with other students, teachers, and support staff. In segregated special education, children will not learn how to function in a non-disabled world. For instance, children who are disabled in terms of communication and are emotionally distressed would not communicate and might remain in a more emotionally disturbed state in segregated settings. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) holds it mandatory for schools to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms.
The prime advantage of special education inclusion is that both disabled and non-disabled students are brought together in an environment of togetherness. Children learn to accept individual differences in inclusion education and this would lead to the development of new friendly relationships. Inclusion education also enables active participation of parents in their child's education.
The law also states that students with disabilities have a legal right to attend regular classes and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Although the advantages are many, inclusion education creates an uncertainty regarding the roles and responsibilities of regular classroom teachers and special education teachers.
However, researches show that inclusion education can be made effective by a healthy collaboration of special education teachers and regular teachers. With the assistance of services that would be available from the health department, physical education department, occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc., the school administration can aid the teachers to develop active lesson plans for inclusion education. Thus schools can create a cooperative learning environment and promote socialization.
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