Teaching Best Practices: Lesson Preparation Without a Distorting Lens

Children in Classroom

It is the beginning of a new academic year: time for teachers to prepare lesson plans and to think about ways to engage students in learning material and activities. Truth be told, although the content of what needs to be taught can be well defined, our ability to predict how students will respond to the way in which we present the material—in other words, teaching—remains elusive.

How we presented material to students last year may not necessarily work for a new group of students. However, as we gain experience in teaching, we become more confident that we are able to trust our “sixth sense” or gut feeling when it comes to predicting how our students might respond. We often assume that, based on our years of teaching experience, we understand our students well enough to accurately predict how they could respond. We tend to trust our intuition to guide our teaching. Continue reading “Teaching Best Practices: Lesson Preparation Without a Distorting Lens”

Riding the Whirlwind: Human Interactions and Emotional Resonance

Whirlwinds

On a recent visit to South Africa, I realized again the importance of traveling to bring fresh perspectives as well as new insights into human interactions.

Moral Compass: Political cartoon of Nelson Mandela by Zapiro
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Truth be told, this is a difficult time politically in South Africa; and dealing with political views while visiting family can be interesting albeit quite disturbing at times. A political cartoon by Zapiro (Daily Maverick) stayed with me, as it connected to a dilemma that I encountered while visiting an elderly friend who lives on her own in Johannesburg. The cartoon depicts Nelson Mandela showing the way to go, while the current President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, is caught up in a moral whirlwind (windvane) without an escape route. The depiction of “being caught up in a whirlwind” struck me as I reflected on the situation that my 91-year-old friend finds herself in. Continue reading “Riding the Whirlwind: Human Interactions and Emotional Resonance”

Listening, Communication Intent, and Rabbits

Rabbit in a field of grass

What Can We Learn from Our Leporine Neighbors?

I have been watching the rabbits in our garden in the early morning hours as they nibble at the grass and momentarily stop to listen, before continuing with their nibbling. This process of nibbling, abrupt stopping and listening, nibbling and stopping and listening fascinates me. It is almost as if the rabbits realize that while they are busy nibbling grass, they can’t listen (or become aware of potential threats), hence they have to stop, albeit momentarily, to listen.

While the idea of stopping in the midst of daily activity is not new, it made me think about our communication intervention practices. I have been trained (and have also trained others for a long time) to understand that communication is an intentional, goal-oriented process of exchanging messages to achieve specific outcomes. The closer the outcomes resemble the initial intent, the more successful we deem the communication to be. But is communication with others really purposeful in that way? Is the process of developing meaning with others really that predictable? Continue reading “Listening, Communication Intent, and Rabbits”

iPads, Electronic Media Use, and AAC Users

Child using an iPad tablet

Should students who use iPads for communication purposes be allowed to use the iPad in the classroom for academic purposes? This question was raised recently by Maria Landon in the ASHA Leader (June 2018 issue):

Then the classroom teacher starts talking about a great new current-events application she just heard about. The occupational therapist wants to install a handwriting app. The student’s one-on-one aide thinks a visual timer would be very helpful during transitional times. So, now what?

Continue reading “iPads, Electronic Media Use, and AAC Users”

About Empathy, Dogs, and Humans

Empathy: Woman sitting with dog at Grand Canyon

I recently ran across this article online, “New Studies Show Humans Love Dogs More Than Other Humans,” which begins…

What if a human and a dog stood side-by-side and both needed help, but you could only choose one. It wouldn’t be an easy decision, would it? Some studies reveal when it comes to feeling empathy, many people pick pooches over other people. Does that surprise you?

Continue reading “About Empathy, Dogs, and Humans”

The Young, Not the Elderly, Are Loneliest

Lonely teenager

This is the heading of an article in USA Today (May 1, 2018) in which the writers describe outcomes of a study in which the national loneliness score was 44 on a 20–80 scale of loneliness. Social isolation of those aged 18–22 raised even more concern. According to this study, the score for loneliness for these young people was 48 in comparison with 39—the score for elderly people older than 72. In short, counter-intuitively, it is the youth among us in the United States, not old people, who are the loneliest.

In the article, the link between loneliness and physical and mental illness is also explained. Continue reading “The Young, Not the Elderly, Are Loneliest”

A Culture of Collaboration Among Teachers, Therapists, and Parents?

Team collaboration

I often find myself amazed at how difficult it can be to get parents, teachers, and therapists to engage in conversation with each other on topics of mutual interest. I wonder whether lack of collaboration is about not having time; or whether it is a reflection of the belief that working on “my own goals” as a professional is the expected practice within schools? Continue reading “A Culture of Collaboration Among Teachers, Therapists, and Parents?”

R.I.P.—Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking being presented by his daughter Lucy Hawking at the lecture he gave for NASA's 50th anniversary

I just read that Stephen Hawking passed away last night—a great man who did a lot to promote the use of AAC worldwide.

From Daily Skimm:

 

RIP Stephen Hawking. The world-famous physicist and bestselling author died early this morning in England. He was known for going deep on how the universe works, especially black holes. And came up with the idea that they aren’t entirely black after all, but instead radiate particles. Hawking’s theory was a major breakthrough in trying to combine quantum mechanics—which studies the (really) small things in life—with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity—which handles the big picture. He’s the subject of The Theory of Everything, which Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for. And happens to have done a lot of his groundbreaking research and writing while suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, aka ALS. Which severely limited his physical movements. When he died, his family shared something Hawking once said: “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.” RIP.
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Mental Health Education for All Grades in New York!

Mental health education: grade school classroom

New York State has passed a law, which takes effect July 1, 2018, that will require mental health education in all grades in New York.  John Richter, the director of public policy with the Mental Health Association of New York State, encouraged educators to think of it less as a new class or topic, “but to update the way you think about mental health,” and include it in existing day-to-day classes.  He stated that it can be integrated into existing health class curriculum, and he said there are opportunities in other classes. “In literature, if you’re reading The Scarlet Letter, you’re going to learn an important lesson about stigma. If you’re in biology and you’re talking about brain synapses, you have the opportunity to talk about mental health,” Richter said. [Source] Continue reading “Mental Health Education for All Grades in New York!”

About the Florida Shooting, Empathy, and Not Being Able to Speak

Empathy: Grieving teen with paper lamp

I was reflecting on the 2/14/2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the massive impact this event has had, once again, on all of our communities: not just in collective grief, but in the outpouring of empathy for the victims.

A young man shooting people randomly at a school seems incomprehensible. Yet, how do we go about helping students and families to make sense of such traumatic events? The easiest solution is not to do anything; but is this an ethically tenable position to take? Continue reading “About the Florida Shooting, Empathy, and Not Being Able to Speak”