Blog 5: Service Learning Reflection

Our group decided to work together for our service learning project. We rented a table at the North Commons Dining Hall to retrieve signatures of students and faculty members who believed in removing the derogatory use of the word retard from their vocabulary. We asked students and facility as they were walking by the table if they would like to sign our pledge to spread the word to end the word retard. We explained to them that this is our service learning project to inform people about how the word retard can affect so many people. By removing the word retard in a derogatory way will help promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Kim's Reflection:

        By doing this service learning project, I definitely felt like we promoted acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. By setting up a table and asking people to join on what we believed in really felt like we made a difference. Not only do I think we made a difference but we brought awareness to people that may have had no idea that a word such as retard can affect so many people in a negative way. At the beginning of the year I had no idea what a service learning project was but know I think service learning is more than just a project. It truly made me involved to do research and see what laws are supporting redefining autism. Not only was our main project was on redefining autism but our group branched off to this campaign called, "Spread the word to end the word". I think I would definitely do a service learning project with my future students. You can do a service learning project at all ages.  I think I would try to adapt it into the first year of teaching to see how well it goes because it makes such a huge impact on yourself and the community. I think a service learning project would just make a methods course just that more involved. I don't think I would change anything about the service learning project we did. I have learned a lot from what we did. The only suggestion would be to allow more class time to work on the presentation portion  and/or time during class to complete the service learning project. 

Michelle's Reflection:

I was very excited to do out service learning project for the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign.  We collected many signatures and were able to educate people on the derogatory use of the r-word and why it is so hurtful to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  I felt proud being able to make a difference and teach about this campaign because it is something I have always been passionate about.  I do think service learning is a great teaching strategy.  It gets students involved with real world problems and teaches them things that cannot be learned simply in a classroom.  I will start service learning as soon as a start teaching.  I think it provides very valuable life lessons and is important for students to experience at any age.  My suggestion to make this project better would be to allow more time in class to work in groups because it was really hard to get our group together for planning time.  I also think that maybe bigger groups would be nice because service learning projects could be done on a larger scale.

Brittney's Reflection

As a group we did our project within the dining hall on North Campus. The result was a lot better than what I expected and we were really happy with it. Educating people on the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign was a great idea because not many people know about it and also use the r-word so much they don't even realize. This campaign is a great way to give people the knowledge of how their use of the word is actually extremely negative towards those with developmental issues. I think our biggest struggle with the project was just the lack of materials we had. We had our poster to show but we weren't able to capture people's attention because of the lack of room we had. We tried to get their attention by talking but some poeple just kept walking. Although it was a little bit of a struggle for an audience we did actually end up with a lot of signatures. I am extremely happy with how our project turned out and I'm glad Michelle gave us the idea of the R-word campaign because I've never heard of it and I learned a lot from doing our project on it. I would definitely use service learning projects within the classroom because it is a great way for students to not only engage with each other but also learn how to help their community. I believe this type of project would build their understanding of a sense of community and learn about current events taking place in their society.

Final Blog

Brittney's Reflection:

After doing this blog I learned a lot about how government is changing the spectrum of autism. I have done some research before on what autism is and how people who are diagnosed act in society but I learned so much more after this further research. The redefinition of autism is going to change so many people's live in an almost negative way since they will be losing so much from it. Mostly people currently on the spectrum that may be iffy in the first place, but obviously if they are on the spectrum at all they need help. By changing the definition of autism and who is considered under the umbrella these people who may need that little extra help could lose it all and may struggle in life. Just the little extra things help for these people which could make a huge loss and life changing experience for them. As I have said before I have a cousin who is teetering on the spectrum which is actually good because it is providing her with the help she needs to succeed in life. She has a mild form of autism and a lot of it affects her social life because she is extremely shy, but by receiving the help she has been getting her social skills are vastly improving. It is nice to see a success story so close to me because she is a young vibrant little girl who is finally coming around with herself and you can see that the help she has received being on the spectrum has actually helped. So what if they change the definition and people like my cousin are not considered under the umbrella anymore? These people may struggle through and never get to learn the social skills to be able to hold a conversation with someone or even have the strength to want to be in a social setting. In my opinion I think that this redefining is going in the negative direction. People should not be taken off of the spectrum because they believe they do not need the help, obviously if they are considered enough to be on it, they definitely need the help. 



Kim’s Reflection:

When we first started talking about service learning projects I had no idea what it was. I am really happy to have been introduced to service learning. It makes me feel that I am a part of something that is helping to improve society. Especially the topic of autism and learning about the wonderful campaign of "Spread the word to end the word". Autism is going to be one of those topics that I think will always be in the public eye with either finding new discovers on how autism is caused or redefining the individual pieces of the spectrum or possibly adding new pieces to the spectrum. In regards to how the legislature is helping with this disorder I feel as if it’s being done in a positive way. We all know autism is being redefined but many of our states are on board to support these children with any disability they may have regardless if they happen to get bumped off the autism spectrum. I personally think that redefining autism is an awesome opportunity to standardize the entire spectrum to properly diagnose a person with this disorder. By redefining autism it will put more people on the same page and maybe in the future it won’t be such a questionable diagnosis. Although people may be bumped off the spectrum, the majority of the insurance companies are still supporting mental illnesses or other disorders. Trying to tie the topic of redefining autism would be a little difficult concept for children to understand but I think the “spread the word to end the word” is an awesome way to introduce children to not use derogatory terms and that everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their disabilities. Teaching about treating others with respect and learning that even though we are all the same, people have different learning abilities or different physical appearances, among other things such as race and ethnicity. This is where social justice in the classroom would take a huge role. So even though you are not discussing the topic of redefining autism but you are bringing in a component that helps support children with autism in regards to being treated equally. As a teacher I could take this information that the government is looking to redefine autism and some children may be diagnosed with another disorder I should still differentiated with the child still to meet his/her needs in a unit plan and more specifically for each lesson. I chose to put a picture of adult figures and children figures around the picture of the world because its not just adults that can make a difference, children have very powerful voices as well and they should be heard and involved.  

Michelle's Reflection:

I have learned a lot from this blog assignment.  As future teachers we are always going to have students with special needs in our classrooms and likely to teach at least on child with autism at one point or another.  It was interesting to read about our current event of the new autism definition.  There is a debate centered around this topic, will it be beneficial for those under the spectrum or will it be detrimental.  Through research I have learned the pros and cons of each side of this debate.  I personally think that the new autism definition would be beneficial because it will include more people under the spectrum and this would allow them to better access to services they need.  I loved developing our service learning project together as a group.  I think because it is something I am very passionate about.  I am always doing research and promoting spread the word to end the word on my own.  I think it will be awesome to work together as a group and spread the word to end the word on a bigger scale here on campus.  It is so important and I am more than happy to help educate people about it.  I think that the r-word is being used now more than ever and many people  do not realize the severely harmful effects that is has on the special needs community.  I also think that the topic of spread the word to end the word could be used as part of classroom curriculum.  I think it would fall under the category of citizenship.  Part of being a good citizen involves being respectful and kind to one another.  By teaching children to not use harmful words and treats others kindly and with respect, it is promoting good citizenship and classroom community.

I chose this image because I think it really reflects special needs children as a whole.  They are fragile and unique just like a butterfly.  With caring, compashion and education the can blossom just like a butterfly when changing from a simple caterpillar.  I chose the second image because it really reflects what Spread the Word to End the Word stands for and it is a symbol they use in their campaigns.  I have a t shirt that has this one it as well as the words Spread the Word to End the Word and I feel a sense of pride every time i wear it.

Our group did not perform our service learning project yet but we will be setting up a table on March 22, 2012 in the North Common Dining Area to “Spread the word to end the word”. As a group we are really excited to inform people of this campaign and get as many people as we can to come together and join the pledge to remove the word retard from their vocabulary. Even the smallest change, such as removing the “r word” from ones vocabulary, leads to bigger and greater improvement.  

As a group we decided to go along with the theme of Spread the word to end the word but give it a twist for elementary children. As a classroom we would support spread the word to promote a new word… RESPECT!!! As a classroom we will make a list of how to treat our classmates and people in our community. By doing this campaign with the children we want to eliminate the bullying and mistreatment of children with disabilities in the classroom as well as in the community. Students will make a pledge to Spread the word to promote a new word, Respect. They will promise to respect one another in every action they do in the classroom as well as in the community. This campaign would tie in with teaching about social justice in the classroom. As teachers we would connect spread the word to promote a new word into learning about citizenship and being a fantastic citizen!

Michelle's Take Action

Michelle's Take Action:

I have been involved in the Spread The Word To End The Word campaign for a couple of years now.  I first saw it when I went to a Special Olympics event and saw people signing a banner to stop the use of the r-word.  This is when I first took the pledge to end the use of the r-word.  I think that this word is incredibly overused in our society, using it even once is too much.  The r-word is hurtful and derogatory.  I think many people simply do not think that their words hurt and I do not think in their hearts they are doing it intentionally.  This is why I think a Spread The Word To End The Word campaign would be perfect here at the SSU campus because it will educate people about the negative use of the r-word.  When people use the r-word they are not only hurting those with development disabilities but they are also hurting their caregivers and families.  Having worked with people with developmental disabilities for years now it breaks my heart every time I hear someone use the word and if it is in my ability I always make it a point to tell the person that using that word hurts and to think before they say it.  When people do something 'foolish' or 'stupid' they often call themselves or their friends retarded or a retard.  By using the r-word in this context people are implying that those with developmental disabilities are less than, stupid, act foolishly, and not smart.  When this is infact the opposite, people with developmental disabilities are smart, creative, kind, and have amazing determination and potential in everything they do.  I encourage everyone to go to r-word.org and sign the pledge online to end your use of the word retard.

I wanted to share a video that really helps to capture what Spread The Word To End The Word is all about. This video was made by students who have developmental and intellectual disabilities.

I also wanted to share Spread The Word To End The Word's official PSA.  It played on television for a short time but was taken off due to the use of derogatory and slag words to describe groups of people.  But it was very powerful to those who have seen it and view it on the campaign's website.

Service Learning-Spread The Word To End The Word

The critical attributes of our current event are the derogatory use of the word retard and how this word negatively portrays people with developmental disabilities.  To break this problem up we would set up a table and recruit people to sign the Spread The Word To End The Word pledge saying they will stop the use of the r-word and spread the knowledge of why it is wrong.  The informational knowledge would be to inform how the r-word affects those who are developmental disabled and there caregivers.  The procedural knowledge is that they would sign the pledge and agree to not use the r-word and pass this information on to others.

For our service learning project we want to create a campaign at the north campus dinning hall and provide information on why the r-word is wrong to use.  We would also provide people with an opportunity to sign the pledge whether it is online or on a banner we bring in.

Here are some resources and contacts for our service learning project:

• http://www.r-word.org/ 
• http://www.facebook.com/EndtheWord?ref=ts

Kim's Take Action on Autism:

R-Word: Spread the word to end the word.

Today I took action by joining the pledge and to be heard to spread the word to end the word.. This pledge is a pledge in which you personally take to stop using the derogatory word retard. The R-word is so negative and really can put down someone. I think this idea is awesome because it really made me realize how hurtful the word retard can be and it made me become better aware of word choices that I make. I think this should be spread all over the community to eliminate the r-word. This campaign can apply to so many concepts and really strive to make a difference. It made me feel apart of making a change for the better. No one likes to feel degraded or made fun of. I'm looking forward to spreading the word to end the word. Taking action such as pledging to this wonderful campaign connects to democratic values because calling someone retarded is a form of bullying and bullying is a huge problem in our society. If we can all come together and make a pledge to stop using the r-word it would eliminate the problem our society is facing. We all have the right to equality, what gives someone the right to judge someone else.

As a future teacher teaching about social justice is something I want to bring attention to in a classroom. All people are equal so why not bring those elements into what we teach and belief in. No matter what gender, race, ability, and/or language we speak. All classrooms have rules created by the students and teachers, why not create a petition to prevent the use of such words as the r-word. Not only can petitions be signed but student can come up with ways to display "Spread the word to end the word" to get the whole school on board. It is important for everyone to understand that we all deserve respect no matter what are abilities are and what we appear to look like. Through education we can develop a good public,community, and society.

“Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history…“Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies”

I believe that there is a struggle for social justice and the subject is looked past upon but in all honesty I think social justice should be in some way, shape, or form instilled on activities done in the classroom and the common good should be recognized on a daily basis. You never see common good deeds or protection of rights of an individual being done as often as it should. Everyone is so wrapped up in themselves that we look past on what we are actually doing. Like using the word retard, I have to be honest I use it in my vocabulary saying that something is retarded but if I was having a conversation and someone overheard me say the r-word they might be offended. Since I took this pledge I am going to watch what I say and how I word things. No one deserves to feel down!!

Here's My Pledge:
Kim
Tewksbury, Massachusetts

I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. (Salem State University)

To Help Promote acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities join the pledge today by clicking the link below.
Pledge and Be Heard

Brittney's Take Action:

I plan to pledge to take action to stop the use of the r-word altogether. I have to admit I have used the word quite often, obviously I've never used the term towards someone with a developmental disability, but I have used it in other context. Now that I have researched through the campaign of Spread the Word to End the Word, I plan on taking the initiative to completely stop using it in my language and also educate others to do the same. I never really looked into the actual background of how hurtful the r-word can be to someone. I have used the word retard in the past and never thought to myself how I could be hurting someone by simply calling myself or someone else a retard. I now look at myself and think of how awful I have been because I have used it so many times. I want to stop using this word altogether and any other derogatory word that could negatively affect someone else. 

In the future I plan on using this type of campaign in my classroom to educate my students how negative the word is and how it affects those around them when it is used. Educating students how they can take the initiative to stop as well and educate their family and friends. This ties into the aspect of social justice that we talked about in class the other day and I think this would be a perfect lesson for that. Students can see how negative words or actions can truly affect someone with out even knowing. It doesn't have to stop at the r-word, any other derogatory word or action that can affect another will be taught to the students.

Brittney's Interview

Deanna McGinness  - Early Childhood Educator in the town of Billerica.

-Do you think this problem is important?

                - It could be a positive in some aspects because there are so many children that have been diagnosed and put under the spectrum that may not need the help they are receiving. With that, the students who actually need the help will then be given more attention. This could also be a negative to because certain students that need the help may suffer since they no longer fall under the correct category. This situation is really a catch twenty-two because either way it is going to negatively affect a student.

- Do you think others in the community will find it important?

                -Yes, I believe a lot of the community will find it important because it will have a large impact on lots of families with children.

- What policy, if any, does government now have to deal with this problem?

                - They will now need to reevaluate all people who are now covered under the spectrum to see if they fit the criteria of the new definition.

-What are the positives and negatives of this policy?

                - The positives will be that those who need the help that were not getting it will now but the negatives are that some children may not be considered in the spectrum anymore and lose their help when they actually need it. Also reevaluating everyone in the spectrum will take up a lot of time since there seems to be many people diagnosed in our world today.

-How might this policy be improved?

                - The policy can be improved by giving more to the families that are being affected, such as insurance coverage for certain needs for the student or the ability for the families to have different options when dealing with the Autism Spectrum. Giving the family and the child options will help to maybe alleviate the stress and shock that the child needs help and with options they can handle it in different ways.

- Are you concerned by the new definition personally or on a social level?

                - Personally I am not concerned because no one in my family is considered under the spectrum. But as for society I am concerned because it may negatively affect many families with the loss of coverage and help they may need for their child. 

After talking with my mom, I got an insight of what she thought as a parent for this new definition. As she said, she is not personally affected by this change because none of her children are under the spectrum, but she feels that many disadvantages may come from this that will affect other families. She has worked with children for many years and has seen all different types of students so this can hit close to home for her. She has connected with these students and parents which gets her on a personal level, so if one of the students had some sort of disorder she was directly related in helping with it. She sees that students need all the help they can get on a basic level but then when they have a disorder they need that much more so with the possible loss of it for some students it may result negatively for the student's future and family. 

Michelle's Interview

I interviewed my friend Lauren, she is a senior nursing student at Salem State University.  She already had a knowledge of autism from her nursing classes.  Before interviewing Lauren I explained what the new autism definition is.

Q: Is this a problem you think is important?

A: I think it is very important. 

Q: Why do you think it is important?

A: It is important for all the kids and families who are dealing with diagnosis's and it will affect their treatment.

Q: Do you think others in our community think this is an important problem? Why?

A: No, because I don't think a lot of people know how serious autism is.  I don't think they understand how it affects people day to day and all the care and education they need.

Q: What policy, if any, does government now have to deal with this problem?

A: There is the Healthcare Act that does not leave any out based on diagnosis.  Also, they have IEPs in school to help students get the services and education they need.

Q: What are the advantages of the new autism definition?

A: I think it will include more people under the spectrum.

Q: What are the disadvantages of this policy?

A: It could exclude people.

Q: How might the policy be improved?

A: I don't know because it has not been fully established yet so I do not know the affects it has had on the autism community.

Q: Does the policy need to be replaced?

A: No because it has not been fully established yet.

Q: Where can I get more information about this problem and the different positions people take on this problem?

A: You could go to your doctor and they would be able to refer you to the appropriate people and resources.

This interview was fun to do because it was nice to see someone else's views and thoughts on the issue of autism.  I have worked with special needs children, manly autistic children, for the past six years so it is an issue I know a lot about.  I liked hearing about the Healthcare Act because it is something I did not know about before, but I am glad it is in place.  I found it interesting that Lauren said that she does not think it is important to the community because many people are unaware of autism and how important it is.

Kim's Interview

Interviewee: Joyce Kling (my mom and she works in Tewksbury Public School System)

Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?

“Yes, because medication alone is very expensive.”

 Do you think others in our community this is an important problem? why/ why not?

“Yes, a lot have medication and medical needs for their children.”

 What policy, if any, does government now have to deal with this problem?

“I think that they should have a child put into a hospital to be re-evaluated to see if they have more behavioral or mental problems.”

 What are advantages of this policy?

“Parents who are struggling will get help financially and support medical needs.”

 What are disadvantages of this policy?

“Refusing the policies for your child in need.”

 How might the policy be improved?

“Being able to get help brought into the home for the child that has the insurance will cover it”

 Does the policy need to be replaced?  why?

“Yes, I think insurance companies need to give a little more. Family’s need help!”

 What disagreements, if any, about the policy exist in this community?

“Yes, there is more to help needing which includes, physical, speech, and occupational therapy that these children need.”

 Do you feel children are being diagnosed with autism too easily?

“I feel they are considering ADHD has come close to the systems as low spectrum high functional Asperger’s.”

 How do you feel a school system should approach children with autism?

“I feel they should have an aide with them to help explain so anxiety for them does not set in with some modifications. Try to keep them busy with a lot of socialization.”

 If the new definition of autism restructures that some children fall out of the spectrum, how do you think the school should handle this situation?

“These children still have these weaknesses and I think their services that they get for their IEP should continue, so they don’t struggle through school.”

After interviewing my mom and discussing these questions it brought up a huge situation that we are facing right now. My nephew is eight years old and the school system is saying that he has ADHD and autism. As the school recommended, my brother brought my nephew to his primary care doctor and she could see where they got the ADHD from but couldn’t see the autism. His primary care doctor recommended bringing my nephew to Boston to get some testing done. Ryan did not want to cooperate and rushed through the test so he could just come home, as for now the doctors from Boston wants to see him back in six months to see where he stands. My mother’s nephew, which is my cousin, was diagnosed with Asperger’s.  His mom is struggling so badly with him and doesn’t want anyone to help. When I was interviewing my mom she brought up a good point about home care. Insurance companies should do a home visit to check in with these children and parents. This would be a great support system for parents and the child.