Literacy News » Literacy Instruction

What Are My Daughters Special Educational Rights?

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:23:14 +0000

THANK YOU – To all those who replied to my last question requarding my daughter every single reply gave me much to work on and enabled me to take a hard stance towards her school in 24 hrs i received notice she would receive maths tuition withing a snall group then noticed the next day senco had sat and read with her in the previous 4 weeks of her new year start she’d had no extra support what so ever ‘ AGAIN THANK YOU ALL MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF ANOTHER.
HOWEVER – After taking the advice of some and follwing through it left me with some questions I cant seem to find anyone who will give me independant replies to the school still seem to be only telling me what they want me to know……
I requested a copy of her IEP entitlments and to know when her next IEP meeting would be held as i wanted to attend – The IEP has been sent home with a note on the back next meeting will be held at parents evening.
Q – Is that the common ? that an IEP is held during parents evening? If so should I expect senco to attend with her class teacher ? If they are not there do I have the right to demand they should be ? who is responsible for documenting my daughters IEP is it senco?
Q At the top right hand corner reads SA SA+ and SA+ is circled I presume this is a level of IEP. What does it mean ?
her last IEP is dated 24 June 08 and was completed by senco in her last school (her children got to a lower school until 7 then upper junior school 7 onwards) It states on the IEP That she receives extra 5 minutes daily in a snall group tuition in maths another in literacy (reading) and another 5 minute tuition in a snall group in literacy (writing and spelling) This is given by either the teaching assistant or by senco
Q Is her new school legally bound to offer a continued small group support in all 3 areas if stated she receives on her IEP ? (they tell me this is what another school offered they are still getting to know my daughter and her needs that they dont nec have the same support networks hmm)
Q Can I demand senco see my daughter and are involved in her education 1st hand ? (at the moment senco at the new school apart from one reading session have not been involved the school told me that their are children there with more savere disabilites than my daughter has, that she only works 2 days a week and has concentrated on those children)
My daughter was last January diognosed with a very poor audible short term memory the educational phsychologist explained they could nto predict if this would be permanet or improve with age. she has difficulties retaining information and very low self esteem. Her symptons are especially with maths and spelling shes in need of small enviroment and feel at ease to ask for repeated information given before she will understand what instructions shes been given.
Q As it is not understood if this will improve do you think I would be in my rights asking for a second asessment after a 12 month period ? (plus as her present school have not been forth comming with going out of their way to provide support for my daughter I feel if recommendations came from an educational phsychologist again it wold be taken more seriously and have more authority to it) Is this reasonable .
I don’t know the answers to these questions and would like to be well informed in preparation for that parents evening at the end of this month. What would you do in my situation ?
I have tried the nicely nicely appraoch and just got no where with the school after having lost my temper when her class teacher just shrugged on the occasiion I asked if my daughter had been seen by senco or if was going to been seen. I now have nothing to lose – THEY MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IM JUST A SILLY OVER PROTECTIVE MUM THAT EXPECTS TOO MUCH FROM THEM FOR ONE CHILD – If my little girl was loud abusive and disruptive I’m sure she would get all the help avvailable to her but shes not, shes quiet undemanding and to willing to struggle in silence

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Emergency Help About Reflective Diary Writing?

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:23:33 +0000

I am doing Teaching Assistant course and I am also doing voluntarily training in school. I have to write a reflective diary.
This is my first diary writing so someone can check my grammar mistakes please!!!!
I have started my work placement for last two weeks. This is my last weeks reflective diary.
In the morning, I did literacy. I worked with the individual child ‘J’ reading time which was words with pictures. Some pictures and words she couldn’t understand that time she needed my support.
For the example : the word is : LOOK and the picture sign is : face with hand.
The child said the picture was, people in sick (cold and cough).
So she couldn’t understand that word that time I explained the correct situation of the picture and word.
Next, I supervised and I managed the children behaviour in assembly time.
In the break time, The teacher and I communicated together. which was, the teacher and I were discussed about my course oriented topics and we were talked about the arrangements of the lesson planning. For example: I’m doing on every Friday but the teacher has planned her Thursday’s lesson. That she said, we will discuss on next week about the Friday’s lesson plans. I was happy and thanked to the teacher support in my part of works with children.
Next, I did a playground duty. I supervised and noticed the children how they were using equipment and objects in safe way.
(especially the water playing). At that time,the child ’s’ wanted to make her circle time activity that I asked her, what the main thing of your circle time? then she realised and used a small parcel box and two coloured plastic clips and then she created a girls and boys(circle way) from that clips. I instructed, where put your teacher? Suddenly she put a one clip in the centre of the box and she said that was her teacher.
In the afternoon, I did a creative task. I followed by the teacher instructions and I worked with the small groups of children with their creative task which was the garden things.
I asked the children, if you were going in the garden at that time what things you’ve seen in the garden? and the children said, leaves, flowers, plants and some wood sticks then we were creating the small garden with fresh and dry leaves, flowers and plants. Also we created a flower tower.
Finally, I assisted on the practical way by clearing the table, washed the painting equipment and putting away the equipment in stored the safe place then the teacher and the T.A were thanked me for my involvement of support with children and the teacher.
I personally thought, I will improve my skills to manage the children behaviour in classroom and playground situation to the next time..

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Are The Jewish Right About This?

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:23:38 +0000

The “A” of Judaism: The angel taught us everything we need to know. That’s why we recognize truth when we find it.
The “B” of Judaism: The Almighty created us for maximum pleasure.
The “C” of Judaism: We are not sinners, we just make mistakes.
The “D” of Judaism: To avoid mistakes and achieve our potential, get an education about life.
The “E” of Judaism: The Torah is our instructions for living.
if you need the resource here it is…

http://www.aish.com/literacy/judaism123/The_ABCs_of_Judaism.asp

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X Casual Employee In Trouble. Please Help

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:23:20 +0000

I was employed for aprox. 7 days as casual. I rang up and quite over the phone, because I felt very uneasy about job and wasn’t given enough instruction on the first and only shift I did.
I am very keen to still work in the industry and am looking for employment.
Now a few weeks later I get a phone call from my X employers saying that I’m not aloud to work in the field or line of work anywhere in a 100 km. radius of them. Apparently i signed a contract saying “If I leave there company, I will not be aloud to work in the industry, for anyone, in 100 km. of their building”
Now whats the go with that. They said If I do (get employed by anyone else in the same industry or field) they will find out and I will be hearing from their Solicitors.
Can someone please give advise.. ?
Please thanks to anyone who can explain whats going on. I’m not a very strong reader (literacy) and I was nervouse. I just skipped over the fine print. The guy was rushing me. It was all very upsetting.
I learnt my lesson.
Thank you

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I Am Looking For Career Advice About Teaching/training Jobs.?

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:23:13 +0000

I have my bachelor’s degree and I currently teach in adult education and with English As a Second Language students. I love my job.. but they can’t afford to take me on full time. I want to remain in the teaching/training/instruction field. I have tried thinking of everything, but I think there might be a career or two I have left out in my thought process. I basically want something where I am working with people, either one on one or in small groups. It doesn’t have to be in education… I just don’t want a desk job! Any ideas of any jobs I could do down the training route or others? I can’t currently afford to get my master’s and I don’t want to be a standard teacher(our state has sols, and they are awful!), though I wouldn’t mind working in a reading or literacy program. Any advice or links would be so helpful!

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Would Someone Plz Post An Accomplishments Bio Of Obama As I Am Of Hillary?

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:24:11 +0000

This is only a short list of the good she has done, starting back in her early life.
You can pull it up by bringing her history BIO up online. There is much much more.
Early life
Raised in a politically conservative household,[11] at age thirteen she helped canvass South Side Chicago following the very close 1960 U.S. presidential election, finding evidence of electoral fraud against Republican candidate Richard Nixon,[12] and volunteered for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the U.S. presidential election of 1964.[13] Her early political development was shaped most strongly by her energizing high school history teacher, who got her to read Goldwater’s classic The Conscience of a Conservative[14] and who was, like her father, a fervent anti-communist, and by her Methodist youth minister, like her mother concerned with issues of social justice; with the minister she saw and met civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in Chicago in 1962.
Rodham attended the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, where she decided to leave the Republican Party for good; she was upset over how Richard Nixon’s campaign had portrayed Rockefeller and what Rodham perceived as the “veiled” racist messages of the convention
That summer, she worked her way across Alaska, washing dishes in Mount McKinley National Park and sliming salmon in a fish processing cannery in Valdez (which fired her and shut down overnight when she complained about unhealthy conditions).
Law school
During her second year, she worked at the Yale Child Study Center,[34] learning about new research on early childhood brain development and working as a research assistant on the seminal work, Beyond the Best Interests of the Child (1973).[35][36] She also took on cases of child abuse at Yale-New Haven Hospital,[35] and volunteered at New Haven Legal Services to provide free advice for the poor.[
and volunteered at New Haven Legal Services to provide free advice for the poor.[34] In the summer of 1970, she was awarded a grant to work at Marian Wright Edelman’s Washington Research Project, where she was assigned to Senator Walter Mondale’s Subcommittee on Migratory Labor, researching migrant workers’ problems in housing, sanitation, health and education;[37][38] Edelman would become a significant mentor to her.[38]
In the late spring of 1971, she began dating Bill Clinton, who was also a law student at Yale.
Early Arkansas years
Rodham co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a state-level alliance with the Children’s Defense Fund, in 1977.
For much of that time[81] she served as the chair of that board, the first woman to do so.[82] During her time as chair, funding for the Corporation was expanded from $90 million to $300 million,[70] and she successfully battled against President Ronald Reagan’s initial attempts to reduce the funding and change the nature of the organization.
Clinton appointed her chair of the Rural Health Advisory Committee the same year,[83] where she successfully obtained federal funds to expand medical facilities in Arkansas’ poorest areas without affecting doctors’ fees.
In one of the most important initiatives of the entire Clinton governorship,[92] she fought a prolonged but ultimately successful battle against the Arkansas Education Association[92] to put mandatory teacher testing as well as state standards for curriculum and classroom size in place.[92] She introduced Arkansas’ Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youth in 1985, a program that helps parents work with their children in preschool preparedness and literacy.[94] She was named Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983 and Arkansas Mother of the Year in 1984.
First Lady of the United States
When Bill Clinton took office as president in January 1993, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the First Lady of the United States, and announced that she would be using that form of her name.[116] She was the first First Lady to hold a post-graduate degree[117] and to have her own professional career up to the time of entering the White House.[118] She was also the first to take up an office in the West Wing of the White House:[48] the First Lady usually stays in the East Wing. She is regarded as the most openly empowered presidential wife in American history, save for Eleanor Roosevelt.[119]
Along with Senator Ted Kennedy, she was the major force behind the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997, a federal effort that provided state support for children whose parents were unable to provide them with health coverage.
She promoted nationwide immunization against childhood illnesses and encouraged older women to seek a mammogram to detect breast cancer, with coverage provided by Medicare.[140] She successfully sought to increase research funding for prostate cancer and childhood asthma at the National Institutes of Health.
The First Lady worked to investigate reports of an illness that affected veterans of the Gulf War, which became known as the Gulf War syndrome.[48] Together with Attorney General Janet Reno, Clinton helped create the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice.
In 1997, she initiated and shepherded the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which she regarded as her greatest accomplishment as First Lady.[48] As First Lady, Clinton hosted numerous White House Conferences, including ones on Child Care (1997),[141] Early Childhood Development and Learning (1997),[142] and Children and Adolescents (2000),[143] and the first-ever White House Conferences on Teenagers (2000)[144] and Philanthropy (1999).
Hillary Clinton traveled to 79 countries during this time,[146] breaking the mark for most-travelled First Lady held by Pat Nixon.[147] In a September 1995 speech before the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, Clinton argued very forcefully against practices that abused women around the world and in China itself,[148] declaring “that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women’s rights as separate from human rights”[148] and resisting Chinese pressure to soften her remarks.[146] She was one of the most prominent international figures at the time to speak out against the treatment of Afghan women by the Islamist fundamentalist Taliban that had seized control of Afghanistan.[149][150] She helped create Vital Voices, an international initiative sponsored by the United States to promote the participation of women in the political processes of their countries.
Traditional duties
Clinton initiated and was Founding Chair of the Save America’s Treasures program, a national effort that matched federal funds to private donations for the purpose of preserving and restoring historic items and sites,[184] including the flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner and the First Ladies Historic Site in Canton, Ohio.[48] She was head of the White House Millennium Council,[185] and initiated the Millennium Project with monthly lectures that discuss futures studies, one of which became the first live simultaneous webcast from the White House. Clinton also created the first Sculpture Garden there, which displayed large contemporary American works of art loaned from museums in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.[186]
Senate election of 2000
Clinton has served on five Senate committees: Committee on Budget (2001–2002),[203] Committee on Armed Services (since 2003),[204] Committee on Environment and Public Works (since 2001),[203] Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (since 2001)[203] and Special Committee on Aging.[205] She is also a Commissioner of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe[206] (since 2001).[207]
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Clinton sought to obtain funding for the recovery efforts in New York City and security improvements in her state. Working with New York’s senior senator, Charles Schumer, she was instrumental in quickly securing $21 billion in funding for the World Trade Center site’s redevelopment. She subsequently took a leading role in investigating the health issues faced by 9/11 first responders.[211] Clinton voted for the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, as did all but one senator. In 2005, when the act was up for renewal, she worked to address some of the civil liberties concerns with it,[212] before voting in favor of a compromise renewed act in March 2006 that gained large majority support.[213]
As a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Clinton strongly supported military action in Afghanistan, saying it was a chance to combat terrorism while improving the lives of Afghan women who suffered under the Taliban government.
TAKE NOTE: “should such action be required”
Now those who go on about her vote can eat crow!!….
Clinton voted in favor of the October 2002 Iraq War Resolution, which authorized United States President George W. Bush to use military force against Iraq, should such action be required to enforce a United Nations Security Council Resolution after pursuing with diplomatic efforts.
In late 2005, Clinton said that while immediate withdrawal from Iraq would be a mistake, Bush’s pledge to stay “until the job is done” is also misguided, as it gives Iraqis “an open-ended invitation not to take care of themselves.
Clinton voted in 2005 against the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States,[220] and in 2006 against the nomination of Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court;[221] both were confirmed. In 2005, Clinton called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how hidden sex scenes showed up in the controversial video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[222] Along with Senators Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh, she introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act, intended to protect children from inappropriate content found in video games.
In March 2007 she voted in favor of a war spending bill that required President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within a certain deadline; it passed almost completely along party lines[234] but was subsequently vetoed by President Bush.
In May 2007 a compromise war funding bill that removed withdrawal deadlines but tied funding to progress benchmarks for the Iraqi government passed the Senate by a vote of 80-14 and would be signed by Bush; Clinton was one of those who voted against it.
Clinton has enjoyed high approval ratings for her job as senator within New York, reaching an all-time high of 72 to 74 percent approving (including half of Republicans).

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Are The Religious Characteristics Of A Culture Predictive Of Whether They Will Independently Develop Writing?

brian — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:24:22 +0000

Can an analysis of the “religious characteristics” of a culture be predictive in any way of whether the culture was able (or will be able) to independently (i.e. without outside help from an already-literate society) develop its own written-language system?
(Related to that question: Can anyone cite a link to text or maps which indicate the cultures which are believed to have developed their own writing system(s) without outside instruction? What kinds of cultures are likely to develop their own written language system?)
[Yes, some will no doubt post the story of Sequoyah, who is a rare case in modern times of someone who somewhat randomly borrowed letters from the English alphabet and added his own and created a written-Cherokee alphabet and language system even though he had no previous training in literacy, English or otherwise.]

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The Principal Has Insulted Me As A Teacher. How Can I Tell Him My Thoughts W/o Being Rude Or Disrespectful?

brian — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:24:51 +0000

I’ve been teaching for 11 years.I have a master’s degree in bilingual education and heritage languages,literacy and leadership.I’ve received extensive training to provide the best possible instruction to my English learners.I always teach the beginning ELs and am very proud of their achievements and state test scores.I’ve received only praise from former principals.Our new principal acts like only he knows the correct methods of teaching.After an informal observation of a reading fluency/comprehension lesson,he called me into his office to say it was unprepared(??),a waste of instructional minutes and should only take 5 minutes,not 20.Students do buddy reading while I listen to them,review vocab, cognates, etc.
He said my bulletin boards weren’t current(??completely untrue), and my lang.arts focus wall wasn’t complete.NOTHING was missing.I am hurt and feel he does not respect my judgement as a teacher in regards to my student’s needs. I want to respond to his comments.
Plz help!

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Research Project Ideas For Education!?!? Please Help?

brian — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:23:17 +0000

Here is my assignment:
Your task is to research and present a 15-20 minute presentation on strategies that reflect contemporary issues facing the field of education. Possible research topics include literacy, motivational strategies, assesment strategies, questioning techniques, disipline models, use of technology, cooperative learning models, legal issues in education, professional rights and responsibilities, differentiated instruction, inclusion, multicultural literature, diversity, etc. Once you select a topic, you will research and prepare an annotated bibliography. Using the information you gave gathered, you will put together a powerpoint presentation to aid in presenting your topic. Your presentation will be in front of a class and be conducted as if it were a lesson. There should be an anticipatory set, an engaging, interactive activity, and closure.
If you had to choose a topic what would it be?

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Academic Writing Skills: K-12?

brian — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:23:21 +0000

So we’re taking a look at my school’s latest release of test scores. 44% of our juniors passed the state writing exam (a 5-paragraph response to a prompt, graded holistically on organization, cohesion, vocabulary, mechanics, effectiveness). The state average was 40%.
Our building has been railing on academic writing across the curriculum…or so it seems. Every year we have 2 school-wide writing prompts and each student gets individual feedback. But it’s not solid (no standardized prompts, training on scoring or feedback).
60% of Michigan’s juniors aren’t able to successfully write a 5 paragraph essay. And I look at our curriculum — where is there explicit instruction in process writing and grammar? It comes up in a haphazard way. Never in high school ELA – these classes are literature-based.
Do you think whole-language instruction has led the kids to better literacy, but poorer writing skills? Any building-based suggestions for improvement? Buck stops where? How?

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