Field Notes on Gangs and Special Needs

March 11, 2008
REFLECTIONS ON:
Gangs & Educational Theorists

It is tough to try and relate the educational theories surrounding education to students who are members of gangs. This is mostly because I feel like those students who are involved with gangs are not being reached by their teachers and peers effectively enough for them to choose to stay out of them. Like we heard in the presentation, it is important that as teachers we approach students when we think there may be a problem with involvement and that we also make sure they know that they are not bad people they are just making bad choices and we won’t desert the because of that.
I think that knowing the stages of development such as those which Piaget presents is important because once a student hits the age of 12, they come into the formal operation stage, meaning that hypothetical reasoning becomes the source of how they reason logically. Knowing when students develop the ability to think in this way can help teachers to know that they can use an approach that caters to this asking: “What if you are in danger with this gang?” “What if they try to harm your family if you decide you no longer want to participate in their activities?” “What kind of effect will this have on your future?” These types of questions may be more effective for a student than simply telling them what they are doing is wrong.
Also, we heard in the presentation that telling the students they shouldn’t be in a gang and then not telling them what they should be doing instead is not very effective. Theorists like Vygotsky show the process of scaffolding where you are explaining things to students in broken down sections: motivate them to leave their gang, simplify it by offering help and giving them alternatives, provide a new direction such as a club after school, clarify why they are doing it over and over so they are not tempted to rejoin, and reduce their frustration by helping them through all of it. Also as Vygotsky says, the teacher is simply the facilitator and the choice of learning and following the recommendation lies with the student only, helped along by his or her peers.
March 25, 2008

REFELCTIONS ON:
Special Needs Students in the Classroom

A few students in my classroom need special attention, such as a special seating chart, etc, but only one that I know of has a “diagnosed” special need and an IEP plan to address it. Dana has trouble writing things down and struggles greatly with her handwriting, which looks like that of a third grader, even though she is in 8th. Writing samples she turns in are often in large hand and in different colors. Very rarely does she have to write, most of the time she uses a smaller, simpler version of a computer to take notes. Her assignments are graded differently from the other students, most of the time her answers to test questions are given verbally. Also she is graded based on her own improvements rather than judged compared to the rest of the class. Dana is also a genius, very technologically minded, often coming up with interesting ideas such as speaking in all html format, adding words like ‘space’ and ‘enter’ after her sentences as though she is typing on the computer. She also has a lot of trouble staying still in the proper sitting position; she often sits Indian style or moves about the room when she is bored. Most of the time, when it is not during a lesson, she separates herself from her classmates and works alone to avoid distraction. I haven’t seen her demonstrate any behavior problems and she gets along well with everyone in the class.
A few other students have simple issues with talking to much, acting up in class, shouting across the room, interrupting lessons, etc. but I don’t think they have any special needs beyond the fact that they have just come from lunch and are forced to sit in a desk when they are full of energy and ready to go home.