Kelly+Smithson

**WIKI REFLECTION PAPER** I think that wiki can be used affectively for many types of assignments. I personally think that this assignent was really difficult to complete using wiki and with groups this large. This assignment could have been completed alone in one or two days. It is difficult to get people to complete things in a timely manner on wiki. As far as completing a very large group project, wiki can be extremely helpful. It is a great way to post ideas and share information with other group members. I like how we can post things on our personal pages and then put a final product on the group page. It helps to keep thoughts organized and allows us to put our best work on a different page. I personally did not like this assignment. Although is has some really good qualities, I do not think that this was used as an effective way to work as a group and share information. It is hard because all of the group members finish parts of the project and contribute ideas at different times. Sometimes two of us have done our part and we have to wait on the other two to complete theirs so we can combine our thoughts for a final product. I also felt that this assignment was a bit unorganized. Although I understood that we needed to come up with a possible classroom scenario as a group, I felt that some aspects of the assignment were not explained as well. Our group just now figured out what facilitator notes were and why they would be used. I am also not sure what these scenarios and questions will be used for. In my opinion, this assingment was not really helpful in learning about the special needs fo chidlren with disabilities. on the other hand, it was interesting and helpful to learn about wiki, how to use it, and all of the functions it has. Wiki is definately a convenient way to organize thoughts and to view the ideas of others. I just think that it was not conducive to the progress of this assignment.

I do not know much about Wiki. I was taught to not use Wikipedia because the information may or may not be valid or come from valid sources.

CASE STUDY So Jaede came up with a good scenario last night about a student who is going blind and having trouble using braile. Should the student be tested using verbal testing? I have a printout of the IDEA Qualifying Disabilities from the Tennessee State Board of Education. Blindness is under the disability of "Visual Impairment Including Blindness", which means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. This term includes both partial sight and blindness.

This would qualify a child to recieve and IEP if the blindness the student is experiencing is long-term and affects the child's performance in the classroom. Otherwise, the student can receive services under 504 and receive accommodations this way.

After Lynn and I talked with Amber McCullough, she said that the scenario about the student going blind should start off more general and then work down to a problem. So, if we choose this scenario (which Lynn and I think is great=thanks Jaede), it should start general like the teacher noticed that the student might not be able to read the board or read things clearly on tests. The teacher then requests that the student get her/his eyes checked and they find that the child has Trachoma, which is easily transmitted and can eventually cause blindness.

Lynn and I have discussed that this is a good way to have different parts for this project. Lynn said that the student could come from another country, where this disease is prevalent. This can bring in the issue of being a new student from a different country and all that this implies. Then, the teacher can notice the possible loss of sight and they find the disease. This brings in two issues: the child is going blind and needs braile and verbal testing; and the child may need to be placed somewhere else because the child could transmit the disease to others.

I know this is a lot but we are supposed to break it down into different issues.

PART 1: A young girl named Anna and her family from South Africa have recently moved to the United States. Her family speaks fluent English and knows a lot about the American culture. She had to leave her best friend, the house she grew up in, and her family behind. Anna's parents enrolled her into a public school where she is placed in the seventh grade. She has always been a successful student in South Africa, but her teacher has been noticing a decline in her work since she has entered her class. Anna seems nervous in class and has shown little effort or interest in her school work. Her teacher has also noticed that Anna seems to seclude herself from the rest of the class and has made little effort to make new friends, even when other students approach her. 1. What are some possible reasons why Anna's school work has been declining? 2. What are some things that Anna's teacher could do to help Anna make friends and improve her school work?

PART 2: Since Sandra's quality of work has been declining since her move to the United States, her teacher has been concerned about what the cause could be. Her teacher talks to Sandra's parents and her parents agree to get Sandra into a physician for a full medican exam. Meanwhile, Sandra's teacher sends her to talk with the school councelor about any issue that Sandra may have. Sandra received a full medican exam and it was found that Sandra has a condition in her eyes called Trachoma, which can lead to blindness.

PART 3: Because of the obvious decline in Sandra's work and her recent complaints about her eyes, Sandra's parents take her to get a full medical exam. After the eye exam, the doctor discovered that Sandra has developed a condition called Trachoma, which could be the cause of her academic problems and can lead to blindness ([|http://] [|www.mayoclinic.com/health/**trachoma**/DS00776] ).

Sandra's parents called her teacher the next day to tell her the results of Sandra's eye exam. The Trachoma in both of Sandra's eyes has caused permanent scarring and Sandra's vision will never return to the good vision she had before. Because Sandra's condition is causing academic problems, Mrs. Jackson calls a meeting to discuss ways to help Sandra. In attendace were the vice principal, Sandra's parents, and Mrs. Jackson. They discussed how this eye condition can become chronic and what kinds of things they could do to help rekindle Sandra's academic success.

As part of Sandra's accommodations, Mrs. Jackson agreed to have Sandra sit in the front of the classroom where she can see better and hear the teacher better than when sitting in the back of the room. For testing, Mrs. Jackson is to administer all tests verbally to Sandra in order to ensure that she can comprehend all of the questions presented to her. Mrs. Jackson also recommends that Sandra inform the class on what is happening to her and what kinds of problems she is having with her vision. []. Ms. Jackson also suggested that Sandra's parents should also research ways to accommodate Sandra at home. [].

Facilitator Notes: It is important for Sandra to understand her own condition and to inform the class of her condition. She and Ms. Jackson need to explain to the class what kinds of accommodations Sandra will receive and why she needs them so the rest of the class does not think that Sandra is receiving favoritism. Sandra's parents can join support groups for parents with a child who is visually impaired, such as the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI). 

1. What are some other accommodations Sandra should receive? 2. Should she be invited to the meeting? 3. Should Sandra receive an IEP or 504 plan and why?