Schooling children with down syndrome

 Quotes on Kliewer's

 “Schooling Children with Down Syndrome"

“Fundamental to constructivist teaching is a respect for each student as both an active agent in the learning process and an essential member of the learning community.”

This quote is mentioning that in all classrooms students need to be treated the same and have it be known that each person brings something unique and special to each classroom  no matter if they have a disability or not. I feel like if the teacher respects all of the children in the classroom, then kids will respect one another instead of having them ignore or not listen to everyone’s ideas.

“Vygotsky found that the culture of segregation surround people with disabilities actually teaches underdevelopment of thinking through the isolation of children from socially valued opportunities… altering the culture of disability requires that a child be recognized as an active learner, a thinker, and a problem-solver, but this cannot occur apart from relationships that allow for such engagement.”

 I chose this quote because it is basically saying that if we separate students in classrooms we are pretty much taking away the opportunities. In classrooms the students who do not have a disability are getting a better education, and the ones who do are getting that taken away by getting taken away and getting less of an education. I can relate to this because I know that when I was in elementary school I would get taken away to a different room when it was time for reading groups when all I wanted to do was prove that I could actually read and that when the teacher had the rest of the class reading books together, I could do the same. It made me not want to read even more because I was never given a fair opportunity. This also relates to LGBT in a way with Geri Augusts’ Safe Spaces article because these problems are also not given the same opportunity. And how people feel insecure about this in schools too and feel abnormal because schooling makes this happen.

"How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don't listen to the voices we have.

Personally I know when I was growing up in the public school system, there were always those kids who would make fun of those with disabilities. Honestly I do not know how a person could be so rude and do this. I agree with this quote because people all have something about them that they cannot change. You should never judge someone because of who they are and in this article it does a good job of stating this. All people need to worry about themselves unless they are positive and are willing to only make others and themselves better at succeeding in life.

 TALKING POINTS-  I thought that this article had many great points. Is there a way that one day LGBT and disability issues in schools will someday change? Hopefully one day when we are teachers learning all of this can help us and we can change this. I feel like if in a classroom and being a teacher if you bring the whole class together as one on even the first day when no body knows each other, everyone will be accepting of everyone no matter what the situation.