2. People with disabilities are a group that are often not
discussed. Society often thinks of people in wheelchairs
when they think of people with disabilities, but there are
many different types of disabilities. My project’s focus is on
Description of Focus students with learning disabilities, where these students
The project I was originally assigned have special accommodations to fit their needs based on
was on the vague subject of difficulties with processing what they learn. Many students
Discrimination. Due to this vagueness, with learning disabilities grow up never knowing what their
drastic changes were done to the disability is (because their parents do not want them to feel
process of this project. For example, too different), or why they go to an alternative classroom
my group became just me, Shannon that is considered for students who are not “smart.” Having a
Ferguson, to do the project. This
learning disability does not make one “not smart;” it means
project is based completely on my
efforts, so that is why the project may that the way that student processes information, or learns, is
sound small even though the topic is not in a typical way, and certain ways of learning are difficult
significant. Another change was the (i.e. visual, verbal). To be in a Study Skills class, which is part
altering of the topic. Instead of of Special Education, the student with the learning disability
Discrimination, it became about issues must have at least an average IQ. Students with learning
for students with learning disabilities. disabilities entering high school have more things to consider
than students without a disability. These students may take
alternative classes, including a Study Skills class, and have to
go to meetings at least once a year to discuss
accommodations and goals to put in the student’s IEP
(Individualized Education Plan). With all of these things to
look at when transferring into high school, and other
concepts of high school, I developed a pamphlet describing
high school, answering questions, and giving suggestions to
ease the transition process.
3. I created a pamphlet that describes high school, defines terms and Special Education systems, offers
suggestions, and answers questions. Some of the information in the pamphlet can be useful to a typical
incoming freshmen, and some of the information addresses specific things that affect students with learning
disabilities. Questions that I answered were given to me by incoming freshmen with learning disabilities from
Kenilworth Junior High School and Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley.
To address my project to the community, To have my project reach the Casa
I decided to make a pamphlet for Grande community, I had students in
incoming freshmen with learning Study Skills classes help me answer the
disabilities. I asked for current eighth questions given to me from the middle
graders with learning disabilities for schools, since they would be the best
questions about high school, which I experts to provide answers from the
would answer, and then I would point of view of a student with a learning
distribute those pamphlets to the middle disability. I will also put some of my
schools in Petaluma. I received questions pamphlets in the Study Skills classrooms
from Kenilworth Junior High School and at Casa so new freshmen in Study Skills
Mary Collins School at Cherry Valley (K-8 will have access to the information too.
charter school). By giving information to
at least these schools, I am reaching the
community.
4. Evaluation of Project
Successes Failures
Even though I didn’t do a good job with More seemed to have gone wrong than
preparations, and I kept pushing it off, I went right. I should have been more on
at least got something done. I am happy top of my project. With my group, we
that I finished what I set out to do, and it should have been more productive in
has a good chance at being successful. By coming up with a project, and we should
making a pamphlet, my project can have communicated a lot more. When
survive and be accessed by more than my group dwindled down to just me, I
just next year’s incoming freshmen. I was should have figured out a plan and
able to do all that I could do, even executed it a lot earlier than I did.
though it wasn’t much, and I didn’t just Because I did my project mostly last
give up on the project. minute, it’s not quite what the project
called for. I shouldn’t have pushed the
project off so much. Due to the late
production of my project, it also does not
address all the RADIO points quite as
strongly as it could have.
5. Radio Points
Rigor Action Deconstruction Interdisciplinary Other Voices
education
This project is My project This project is My project People with
not very strong addresses not very strong combines disabilities, let
on the Rigor Action because with the information alone youth
point, but my it reaches out Deconstruction about high with learning
project does to students point, but my school, student disabilities (to
reach out to with disabilities project life, and be more
middle school in the probably education with specific), is a
students to community, deconstructs disability rights group whose
teach them and it will common and voice is not the
about what to provide them a beliefs about accommodat- mainstream.
expect from service with high school as ions. It relates They are so not
high school information. well as students with mainstream
with a learning stereotypes disabilities and that they aren’t
disability. about students high school. even
with learning mentioned in
disabilities. our class.
6. The Project
The next several pages will be the
pamphlet that I made for incoming
freshmen with disabilities.
7.
8.
9.
10. Time school gets out
is subject to change
at Casa, which will be
fixed on pamphlet
before distribution.
11.
12. Thank You
Thank you for reading about my project. Even though it may not be typical, or
expected, for the Spring Project, I did all I could in the time left that I had. I hope that
my contributions can be lasting and universal (for at least a couple years) help that
affects more than next year’s freshmen. This presentation may not be fancy, but I
hope it was informative.
High school is a difficult time, which is universal to any student. For students with
learning disabilities, there is a lot more to know so as to be successful in and get
through high school. With my project, hopefully that transition can be a little bit
easier.
