Yolanda

"ADHD kids have a right to help" //Ministry statement means thousands of Ontario pupils can now get the special education supports they need.// This article was written by the Toronto Star about children struggling in the classroom with ADHD. Until this time students with ADHD in Ontario were not acknowledged as needing extra help and were not entitled to special education services and or support. The article explained what ADHD is "causes inattention, restlessness, and impulsive behavior." This disorder affects 5% of Ontario's school aged students. The article explains how ADHD tends to not be acknowledged as a learning disability. In the article they were explaining how their goal is to have teachers and parents aware the learning disability and to provide help for these students. They hope that this move will lead to better training for teachers about ADHD and how to better assist these students. In the past students in Toronto were only guaranteed support if they were diagnosed with a second condition. Dr. Kenny Handelman estimated that there are 30 to 40 percent of his patients have had trouble getting help and support in school.

When I read this article I felt that this fits perfectly into this course. Reading this article made me realize that there is so much diversity everywhere and a lot of diversity that goes unrecognized. I think that this article fits well into our topic when we were talking about different learning disabilites. This article relates to the class because all semester we have been learning about all of the diversity that we may encounter. It is also explaining that as teachers we will be working with so many different students and we need to be educated in areas such as these so that we can help accomodate our students and help them to succeed.

This article content will impact my classroom because by reading this it has made me more aware of how this learning disabilty has been ignored in some places. It has made me realize that there is so much diversity when it comes to education and the way each student learns. It has also made me think about how I can educate my students and their parents about this learning disability. Reading this article also made me aware that there may be many students in my class that have ADHD and may be struggling. It will be my job to make sure their learning disability doesn't go unseen and that I do everything that I can to build learning strategies for these students and make an enviorment were they feel like they are receiving all the help that they need.

Janurary 10 2012. ADHD kids have a right to help. //Toronto Star.// E1

I think this is a very good topic. I have heard of a lot of children not getting extra help if they have ADHD which is sad because they really do need that extra attention. I agree that we as teachers need to be very aware of all the different learning disabilities to be able to help our students in the classroom. -Emily Tessar



The book I read was //I Love My Hair,// by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley. This is an elementary school book for ages 4 to 8. The book is about a young African American girl named Keyana who feels embarassed about her hair. The book begins by Keyana explaining how much work her hair is to maintain and to style. She begins the story by explaining how every night before she goes to bed her mother combs her hair. Keyana then says how much it hurts when her mother is brushing her hair especially in areas where her hair is more tangled and how hard it is to fight back the tears from the pain even though her mom is very gentle. Keyana can't stand the pain of her hair being brushed and begins to yell out for her mom to stop. Keyana's mom notices Keyana's fustration and asks her if she knows how lucky she is to have her hair. Keyanna responds no, and then her mother begins to tell her why her hair is so beautiful and relates her hairstyles to different things. For example she relates planting rows of braids along her scalp, to planting seeds in a garden and watching them grow. Keyana then explains how when her mother puts beads in her hair, the beads click to the rhythm of her walk. Then Keyana relates her hair to a globe when she wears it in an afro style. Keyana then says how she was teased at school for her hair and this made her feel ashamed. Keyana's shares how her teacher told her that she was always told that hair was counted as a blessing. For example wearing your hair in an afro style was a way to show and stand up for what they believed in. In the rest of the book Keyana expresses how much she loves her hair now and how wearing her hair in different styles makes her happy. She then describes her hair and relates the characteristics of her hair to positive things. In the end of the book she wears her hair in her favorite hairstyle which is pig tails and relates it to having wings and flying.

The group that is being depicted in the book is the African American culture. Although the author's intent is probably to reach all children of different cultures that may have any type of hair.

Reading this text made me aware of the fact that I may face situations in my classroom like the one the teacher faced in this book. I may have to comfort a child who has been teased because of his/her appearence. I will also have to teach about diversity and make my students knowledgeable about different backgrounds and different characteristics we all have. Reading this text changed my perception on this. Although I have faced situations like this in my own experiences as a young student and I was the one to comfort a student who felt embarased of her natural hair since she had taken out her hair extensions. I have not given much thought before this assignment on how I will handle situations like these as a teacher. I didn't realize how such young children can notice differences in themselves and be embarassed about them. As I child I felt that children don't really worry about these things and now I see that it does affect even children not just older kids. This book also made me realize that as a teacher, what you tell a child will stick with them. For example Keyana remembered all the positive things her teacher said to her about her hair.

Reading this book has made me think more about all the different students I will have. This has made me start thinking of ways that I can educate my students and make them aware of all of the different cultures we have and different characteristics and how beautiful they all are!

This text was very relevant to my teaching practice. Im sure I will have students just like Keyana in my classroom that have been teased before about something. As a teacher I need to be aware of my students and their culture. I strongly recommend this book to elementary school students. This book can really show a child how their characteristics make them special and how it is important to appreciate themselves and respect others. I would definitley use this book with my students. The author of this book found a great way to approach children's differences and explain how important it is to be confident and love yourself. This book is a great way to teach children that we are all different and equally special!