Graduation Speech : School Programs

The BDA Dyslexia Friendly Schools Pack for Teachers (2009) provides an overall guide of what dyslexia is and how a dyslexia friendly school should be delivering education to the dyslexic learner. The writers begin with a definition of dyslexia stating that “dyslexia is a learning difference, a combination of strengths and weaknesses”. This is an informative definition as opposed to the recommendation of Norwich et al (2005) that exemplary schools should promote an inclusive school system whereby dyslexia is considered but not in isolation. The BDA (2009) state that importance ought to be

I have been going to school since I was four years old and, that means that I have been attending school twenty to twenty two years, including kindergarten, middle school, high school and now college. As every student, I had my ups and downs in school; I had some failures and some successes. One of the failures that affected me the most and that I will always remember was the time that I was in high school during my junior year. I failed almost all my classes and, I only passed two classes and with a C. In the other hand I had some really good success. The most recent one and the one that I am still happy about is getting my Family Development Credential. We learn from our mistakes and also from our successes, these two times in my life

The driving forces behind SB 866 include persons from both public and private sectors. Individuals testified to the Interim Committee on Dyslexia and Related Disorders in what dyslexic students need to be successful academically. Testimony was heard from educators at the college level, parents of dyslexic students, doctors familiar with dyslexia and related disorders, medical researchers, members of professional dyslexia organizations, and state officers (Texas Legislature Online, 2011). Each spoke of their experiences with individuals with dyslexia and related learning disorders, medically, personally, and academically and each was chosen for their research and knowledge as it pertains to this very specific field (T. Flanders, personal communication, August 30, 2011). Absent from the agenda were teachers and dyslexia therapists within the public school system (Texas Legislature Online, 2011).

Usually high school students meet with the counselor and follow a determined set of coursework in order to graduate high school. However, if a student has been identified as a special needs student, the process of signing up for classes is not as simple as for other students. When trying to earn a high school diploma, special education students encounter difficulties not faced by their peers. The first step is for parents, school staff, and the student to meet and determine the best option for the student in order to receive a diploma. Determining the student’s path is called an IEP, individualized education plan. All special education students have an IEP that identifies the courses they will take in high school and the plans they will pursue after graduation. Students may choose from four paths: the traditional pathway, the career pathway, the occupational pathway, or the certificate of completion. The traditional pathway, which most advisors put the student on at first, allows the student the option of going to college. The next is the career pathway, which does not require a student to have an eligibility ruling for special education but still is another option if the student cannot obtain a high school diploma through the traditional path. Third, occupational pathway is a way to receive a diploma and not have to achieve as many credits or pass state test, but is still a difficult process. The last option for special education students is certificate of completion.

UCAN is a program that weekly, visits local high schools providing them college mentorships. As part of college mentorship, we aid students, in college applications, financial aid, college essays and college preparation. The program is efficiently split into three parts, so mentees and mentors can take most from it. The three parts consist mainly of helping seniors in the college application process, teaching and mentoring sophomores and juniors about college preparation, preparing for next year. I first joined the UCAN program in Fall 2016, an aspect that really captivated my attention was that we could aid high schools, this really interested me because this was an opportunity that I did not count with in high school. I wanted provided the aid and support that could not receive when I was growing up.

Research in the field of Dyslexia has grown twenty-five percent throughout the last few years. From recent studies, we have discovered new and improved ways to help people who are hindered by Dyslexia, even though we are still learning more about Dyslexia every day. Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that hinders the academic progress of over 40 million American students who struggle daily, and can be helped with accommodations. In order to help these 40 million students, we must acknowledge what is Dyslexia, recognize what it is like to be Dyslexic, and explore what accommodations should be given to those who need it.

Dyslexics are inquisitive lifelong learners. While often misunderstood, we tend to possess an insatiable curiosity and commitment to figuring out the world around us that is unique in its intensity. We are not only compassionate about learning—we are driven to analyze and assess the world around us—to turn arguments inside out, then right-side back again. This, after all, is what dyslexics do well. As a dyslexic I have a distinct viewpoint allowing me to question teaching norms and push the boundaries to reach each student where they are in their process. We see the world from a unique perspective, and we are compelled to share our perspective with others. This is why we make great teachers.

All materials purchased by the grant will serve to combat this problem in the Masonville community. The collection would include materials for educating parents/teachers concerning assisting the students, as well as visual and tactile aids. Posters showcasing dyslexic celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, and Walt Disney will be prominently displayed in the section labeled; Everything Is Scrambled In My Head!, which shall be housed  all together in one location for easy access to the students, teachers and parents. A free informational program called “Everything Scrambled  In My Head!” will be offered to educate the community about dyslexia and introduce the materials.  A local community member who identifies as dyslexic will be the guest speaker. Activities that demonstrate how a dyslexic sees written print shall be demonstrated. The library will provide handouts and information from the International Dyslexia Association and the American Dyslexia Association, which discusses dyslexia and how to obtain help. Teachers will be encouraged to read the children’s books to their class.

For my I-search project, I decided to research dyslexia and more specifically, dyslexia in elementary school-aged children and some accommodations and programs are helpful for them. Through my research, I plan to address Essential Question four, “what approaches and practices are effective in supporting the needs of individuals with disabilities across their lifespan?” I chose to research this disability because of my first-hand experience working with a middle school student who had severe dyslexia. At the time, I wished that I knew more about the disability. I am choosing to focus on elementary school age children because this is the age group that I would like to teach when I am out of college. Having the knowledge of how to best support students with dyslexia is something that I hope to gain from this research.

Students enrolled in special education programs are generally defined as passive learners. Many students in the special education program transfer their passive classroom learning into their knowledge of their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and rarely demonstrate self-determination skills. Few students attend their IEP meeting and fewer students know their IEP goals and goal areas. Thus, the students in the special education setting display a lack of involvement and participation in their IEP, including the accommodations and modifications available to help them succeed. This researcher has found that most of the students in the special education program at a rural northwest Iowa high school where she teaches are not actively involved in their own IEP process. Also, the students do not understand why they are in the special education program; therefore, they do not attend IEP meetings and are not active participants in goal setting and transition planning.

Throughout our lives, we are asked about our future careers. When we are younger, this question is simply asked as “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. A few years later in high school, the question transforms into “What are you going to go to college for and where are you going to college?”. Once we are in college, the question is always “What is your major and what do you plan to do with it after college?”. All of these questions can be extremely nerve-wracking and confusing for those who have no idea what they would like for their future, have no support for working on future plans, or do not know what they true passion is yet. This is where school counselors come in to help. As a school counselor, I want to help every undecided, unsupported, decided and undecided student because having a future planned out is an amazing feeling and great accomplishment.

In the past years, educators did not consider dyslexia as a disability so the students did not get the proper intervention that would help them throughout their school years (Greene, 2015). However, dyslexia is an educational matter that educators are facing today; it is really important that the teachers be given specific training on how to meet the educational needs of dyslexic students in their classroom. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015) all teachers should be licensed by the government, should have a Bachelor’s Degree, should complete a teacher training program and should have supervised experience in teaching. Some special education teachers need to complete a period of field experience while studying before they can teach. This will help the teacher get experience knowing the students with dyslexia and helping them to improve and be more successful in their lives. Also, they will have more awareness about dyslexia. In addition, there are some key abilities that the teacher must have: first is communication skills. This skill is important because it important to discuss students’ needs and performance with the teachers, parents and administrators. They also need to explain difficult concept in a way that the dyslexic student may understand. Second is critical-thinking skills; teachers evaluate learners’ progress and use that information to adjust lessons to help them learn.

Every year, I have the opportunity to teach an elementary summer school program. Although this program only last for a month and a half, parents want to see some type of learning progress with their child; rather big or small. I believe given informal assessments throughout this program will help show the parents and students how they are making progress or what extra help can be provided for them to make the progress that they need to make.

Did you know that school schedules haven’t changed much since the late 18th century? The school schedules of today are designed for the needs of someone during the Industrial Revolution, and not for kids of the 21st century. Education Secretary Arne Duncan once said in a recent interview with The Associated Press, that "Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today." Today’s jobs are vastly different from the jobs popular during the 18th century, but school schedules haven’t changed to compensate for this difference. The easiest and most effective way to prepare student for these new jobs is to increase the length of school days. Increasing the length of school days will

I am sure you have seen the increasing decline in students that are college-ready, that do not require remedial classes. Businesses are also struggling with hiring employees that are unprepared in some of the basic educational skills needed to perform their duties efficiently.