A poem by Dorothy B. Smith
In the Deep My internal self my mind, my soul Has dreams of dreams while my shell grows old. The shell is precious, yet not what it seems. I imagine it different than it is in my dreams. Pearl-like, and shiny Valuable, too. Not aging and mushy with hints of blue. My shell is not all that it seems to be. And I realize, now that my shell is not me. |
Our class had a special opportunity to have an online interview and presentation with Dr. Lauren Stichter, an Autism, Behavior, and Special Education specialist. I took some notes during her presentation.
Dr. Stichter has a Masters in Art Education (MAE) and is Special Ed Certified. She went to Penn State school for the Deaf for 15 years to teach. During that time 50% of the students in that school had special needs and abilities. She advised to make good relationships with the OT (occupational therapist), PT (physical therapist), and ST (speech therapist) at the school.
There were also early interventions through college to train special ed teachers how to incorporate art into lessons, how to make their programs and lessons sustainable, and how to work with special found materials in projects. |
The Ride Together is a graphic memoir written by Paul and Judy Karasik about their experiences living with their autistic brother, David.
"... while persons with physical disabilities have legal protections, persons with mental health diagnoses continue to face stigma and a lack of empathy." |
El Deafo is a graphic memoir by Cece Bell about a young deaf student's experience in school and with friends.
Gross suggests, and rightly so, that the use of graphic novels, manga, and comic books should be used in curriculum in today's classrooms to better reach and teach students regarding people with disabilities, and in general. "One book alone cannot create an accurate system of representation." |
*The names of the children are changed to protect their identity.
Day One Observation.My first day of Observation in an E.C. ("exceptional children", students with special needs) classroom was at Hardin Park Elementary. The classroom I visited was a self-contained room for EC students grades 1st through 3rd. There are four children in the classroom: Anne, Isaiah, Hannah, and Colon. The teachers are Ms. Rognstad and her helper, Mr. Dean.
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Click Here to Download the Lesson Plan (PDF) | |
File Size: | 264 kb |
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Our assignment was to find a disabled artist to present to the class. In my search I found Arnulf Erich Stegmann. A German artist, Stegmann was born in 1912. He lost the use of his arms at age 2 from spinal polio. He was encouraged by his teachers to develop his creativity and art skills. He attended the University of Applied Sciences for Applied Arts and Graphics in Nuremberg. From the year 1932 he self-published and distributed greeting cards and graphics. In 1934 A.E. Stegmann was imprisoned in Nuremberg for 15 months for his "anti-state images" - he was a communist himself. He was prohibited from painting and selling his work until 1945 after WWII. In 1953-1954 he organized the Lodge of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. Today this for-profit company is international, inviting several artists from around the world who paint with their mouth or feet in an opportunity to sell their works and make a profit. He was the first president of the company until his death in 1984.
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