A few months ago, I spent my Friday night hooked on a marathon of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. One particular episode was one in which a group of school jocks gang rapped an intellectually disabled girl. While the guardians of the girl, along with law enforcement officials, tried to convict the group of boys for their crime, a slip of words and the coaxing of the defendant’s lawyers, left the girl, her family, and prosecutors without a conviction. The group of boys were let off scott-free and the girl had been made to think that she had asked for it and enjoyed it. Too often in the United States, crime against those with disabilities, especially mental disabilities, are swept under the carpet and ignored because conviction of such crimes is in short, too difficult to sort out and made to seem unimportant because they are just mentally retarded people, right? For those who persist in gaining a conviction and balancing the scales of justice, often a “diet conviction” is given to offenders. Part of the problem in convicting such offenders has to deal more with the victims being competent enough to withstand trial as opposed to focusing on the wrong doing. However, while society and advocates for ending the silence about abuse and neglect upon individuals with disabilities cannot change the course of the current crime rates, Dr. Diane Nelson Bryen, in her presentation, “Ending the Silence: Abuse and Neglect (Protection and Advocacy),” suggests ways in which the disabled and not disabled can prevent abuse and neglect from happening to them. Some of which include teaching them to say no and sex education.
Simple as it seems, teaching a disabled person to say no and discussing sex education can make a difference in who will avoid traumatic situations, but also, who will gain justice if treated unfairly. However, one particular portion of Dr. Bryen’s presentation that caught my full and undivided attention was when she spoke about those who have communicative disabilities (I spoke about this in my last blog). According to Dr. Bryen, one of the communicative tools available on the market is a tool called the Pathfinder. This particular tool is one of the best communicative tools and possibly most expensive. While this tool has 14 different words for pasta, there is no word or graphic symbol for rape or sex, at least not in the standard additions. It seems, and I’m just passing a judgment here, that the technology that is supposed to enable communication disabled individuals is reinforcing society’s general attitude towards the disabled society and rape: sweep it under the rug. Further, if this communicative tool is their only means of successful communication, how can the disabled learn about such concepts if in there electronic vocabulary, sex is not a word? I believe that communicative tools should come equipped and education should be dispensed. As a future high school teacher, I know students are required to take a year of health and sex education. This health and sex education should be inclusive for individuals with disabilities. Often in this class, students learn some ways in which to say no to sex or to defend themselves from sexually aggressive behavior. The same should be done in public schools for those who are disabled and teachers should be ready to teach such techniques. A part of our jobs as educators is to provide a sense of safety for all students.
Bryen, Diane N. "Ending the Silence: Abuse and Neglect (Protection and Advocacy)." Special Lecture Series. University of Guam, Mangilao. 24 Oct. 2008.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Imagine a Week Without Speech: A Reflection On "The Right to Communicate"
Being a person who can not only use spoken language to communicate with others, but one who works with literature, linguistics, and the language arts, I was, for the most part, oblivious to the fact that for about two million individuals, verbal communication is impossible and non-existent. Up until my viewing of Dr. Diane Nelson Bryen's presentation, "The Right to Communicate: Augmentative and Alternative Approach, " I was unaware of the extent to which individuals with communication disabilities suffered because they did not have a working system of language. In fact, according to Bryen, of those who have a communication disability, only half have the proper tools and technology to have a working system of language. So, with my ignorance toward such issues, I became very informed by Dr. Bryen's presentation concerning the Communication Bill of Rights and technological tools that cater to individuals with communicative disabilities.
The Communication Bill of Rights are a set of 12 rights produced by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities, that outlines what rights that not only every human being should have in terms of communication, but especially and specifically those rights concerning communication that individuals with disabilities should have. For example, one such right is the right to request information. As a person without a communication disability, I am able to gain access to a wealth of knowledge through the simple formation of a verbal question. With this ability, I gain a sense of independence and safety. However, in our modern society, those who cannot speak are seen as uncaring, content, or "stupid." Clearly, this is not true. During Dr. Bryen's presentation, she shared with the audience a group of individuals with communicative disabilities who, using technology, explained that they wanted to be heard and they do have things to say. In terms of technology, anything from a ten cent piece of paper with letters on it, to a 12 thousand dollar digital communication board can make all the difference in the world of a person who cannot communicate in a traditional manner.
During Bryen’s presentation, she shared with the class that as a part of her curriculum for being able to work with individuals with communicative disabilities is a project in which students are not allowed to verbally communicate for two weeks. I try to imagine myself pointing at a picture of a salad and trying to find a way to communicate "Italian dressing" or ordering at a drive through. Just that simple reflection made me realize, not only how much I take granted the fact that I can speak, but more so, that as a future educator, I will one day be faced with an individual with communicative disabilities and so will my communication-abled students. However, after this presentation I felt a little more prepared to work with communicative disabled individuals. I’m no expert, but I came away from the presentation with the idea that education, patience, and advocacy is necessary to ensure that all human beings, disabled or not, have the right to communicate.
Bryen, Diane N. "The Right to Communicate: Augmentative and Alterantive Approach." Special Lecture Series. University of Guam, Mangilao. 17 Oct. 2008.
The Communication Bill of Rights are a set of 12 rights produced by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities, that outlines what rights that not only every human being should have in terms of communication, but especially and specifically those rights concerning communication that individuals with disabilities should have. For example, one such right is the right to request information. As a person without a communication disability, I am able to gain access to a wealth of knowledge through the simple formation of a verbal question. With this ability, I gain a sense of independence and safety. However, in our modern society, those who cannot speak are seen as uncaring, content, or "stupid." Clearly, this is not true. During Dr. Bryen's presentation, she shared with the audience a group of individuals with communicative disabilities who, using technology, explained that they wanted to be heard and they do have things to say. In terms of technology, anything from a ten cent piece of paper with letters on it, to a 12 thousand dollar digital communication board can make all the difference in the world of a person who cannot communicate in a traditional manner.
During Bryen’s presentation, she shared with the class that as a part of her curriculum for being able to work with individuals with communicative disabilities is a project in which students are not allowed to verbally communicate for two weeks. I try to imagine myself pointing at a picture of a salad and trying to find a way to communicate "Italian dressing" or ordering at a drive through. Just that simple reflection made me realize, not only how much I take granted the fact that I can speak, but more so, that as a future educator, I will one day be faced with an individual with communicative disabilities and so will my communication-abled students. However, after this presentation I felt a little more prepared to work with communicative disabled individuals. I’m no expert, but I came away from the presentation with the idea that education, patience, and advocacy is necessary to ensure that all human beings, disabled or not, have the right to communicate.
Bryen, Diane N. "The Right to Communicate: Augmentative and Alterantive Approach." Special Lecture Series. University of Guam, Mangilao. 17 Oct. 2008.
Internet Safety Presentation
Internet Safety
From: sanchezjiana, 2 minutes ago
Internet Safety
View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.
This is a presentation compiled by my group for Audio Visual Education. The presentation is intended to teach teachers to teach their students about internet safety.
SlideShare Link
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Cyber Safety Technology
Hey everyone,
So this week, my wonderful group mates and I gave a presentation concerning internet safety. In this particular blog, I have included a public service announcement that we created. The presentation will be posted later tomorrow. I hope that who ever may encounter our little presentation and public service announcement will find it, not only entertaining, but also educational and hopefully useful in teaching students about internet safety.
Jiana
So this week, my wonderful group mates and I gave a presentation concerning internet safety. In this particular blog, I have included a public service announcement that we created. The presentation will be posted later tomorrow. I hope that who ever may encounter our little presentation and public service announcement will find it, not only entertaining, but also educational and hopefully useful in teaching students about internet safety.
Jiana
Monday, October 13, 2008
Discussion One: Group Synthesis
Hey Everyone,
Group Deux has created a short clip on our free educational online game.
We were tasked to discuss when we thought a good time to introduce are game would be and how we would make the game student-centered. It is nothing elaborate, but once again, it is us attempting to be more technologically literate.
We hope you enjoy our efforts.
*Music was found via itunes by typing in the key word: "star wars theme"
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Free Online Educational Game Rubric and Review
Uploaded on authorSTREAM by sanchezjiana
*images were found via http://images.google.com/ by typing in words such as "post its" and "layouts"
Free Online Educational Game Demonstration
Bonjour! Recently, in my attempts to become more technologically literate, for a group presentation concerning free online educational games and rubric creations, I decided to try my luck at creating a game demonstration to share during my group presentation. I also thought I would have the flu and be unable to speak during the presentation. So I wanted to contribute to the group some how...so I made a short instructional video.
Further, in my attempts, I tried to post the entire presentation (PowerPoint and movie clip) to authorstream and slideshare, but whenever it came time for the video, it would not play. But I wanted to give everyone a preview of our presentation while I attempt to figure out how to get things to work in one file.
Up above, you'll find the video and a authorstream presentation. Just in case, here is the URL and let me know what you think.
Jiana
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