Mollie McEvilly, a 16-year-old New York state student who has epilepsy, is attending the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, thanks to a grant from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. McEvilly, who is a competitive ski racer with a local adaptive-sports program, also volunteers in her community and school to help other children with disabilities. "Mollie is a perfect example of what a kid with disabilities can do when given an opportunity," one of her teachers said. The Saratogian (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
As you know, the Winter Olympic Games are in full swing right now in Vancouver. Athletes from Team USA, who have been training their entire lives have been taking the stage to represent our country.
Anyone who registers on Teamusa.org will have access to the latest info and will receive exclusive updates throughout the games. I've put all that information including some very cool Team USA widgets and banners into this social media news release here: http://teamusanews.org
By spreading the word we can all help support our Team USA athletes bring home the gold.
After being closed for about a week, schools in the Washington, D.C., area were busy clearing sidewalks and parking lots Monday to prepare for students to return to school today, but some schools decided to remain closed because they were unable to remove the abundance of snow. Teachers and administrators in West Virginia's Raleigh County spent Monday advising teachers how to make up for the lost instructional time when classes resumed Tuesday. "Our teachers will have to cut all of the fluff and teach the essentials to our students," one high-school principal said. The Washington Post
The other day, I was watching my favorite movie of all time (since I was a little girl), "Ice Castles", but this was the 2010 version. The movie is about a young girl (Alexis) who dreams of becoming a champion figure skater. While practicing, Alexis suffers a terrible accident that takes her sight and threatens to destroy her dreams. In the midst of feeling sorry for herself she falls in love with a handsome young man named Nick who (with help from her family) helps her to realize that she can still fulfill her dreams. The movie tells about dreams, passion, love, inspiration, persistence, failure, and success...
The theme song, "Looking Through the Eyes of Love", has been my favorite classic song for as long as I can remember. Sit back and watch the trailer (Ice Castles 2010) and the themesong (Ice Castles 1978)...
They are the cutest critters!!! I need to introduce them to my students on Monday. I have not see my kiddos for a week because of the snowmaggedon, I miss them. Hope to see all of them on Tuesday!
Who are the 2010 Olympic Mascots?
Miga the Sea Bear : Miga is a snowboarding sea bear inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. Part Spirit Bear, a rare white bear unique to BC, Miga's outgoing spirit and high energy draw her to action and adventure.
Quatchi the Sasquatch : Quatchi, a shy and gentle giant, is a sasquatch; a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exists in the natural world. Although Quatchi loves all winter sports, he's especially fond of hockey and dreams of becoming a world-famous goalie.
Sumi the Thunderbird : Sumi is an animal spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the furry legs of the black bear. With a name that is derived from the Salish word sumesh meaning guardian spirit, Sumi is passionate about the environment and is a fan of all Paralympic sports.
Mukmuk the Marmot : Mukmuk is a small and friendly Vancouver Island marmot who always supports and cheers loudly for his friends during games and races. Mukmuk, the mascot sidekick, is considered an honourary member of the team and enjoys surprising his friends by popping up on occasion to share in the spirit and fun of the Games. Mukmuk gets his name from the word muckamuck, Chinook jargon for food, because he loves to eat when he's not playing with his mascot friends.
More schools are employing one-to-one computer technology in the classroom to help educators tailor lessons for all types of learners. In one Iowa classroom, sixth-grade students are working to create a promotional video for a fundraiser for Haiti to be shown to younger students. Each student is working on their own 20-second clip and choosing subjects such as profiling relief organizations or providing information on the science behind earthquakes. "There's not a single subject that the project doesn't touch," their teacher said. The Tribune (Ames, Iowa)
A suburban Chicago nonprofit group is providing job training aimed at matching the strengths of people who have Asperger's syndrome or high-functioning autism with jobs in technology fields. Aspiritech helps people with the disorders find positions in computer-program testing and data entry, which require the performance of highly repetitive and detailed tasks. The nonprofit's founder said gains go beyond participants' financial earnings. "It is structure to the day," she said. "It is sense of self-worth, value." National Public Radio (text and audio)
An Obama administration plan to create a broader grant competition for teacher-training programs could end the dedication of federal funding to Teach for America. The move could cost the program $18 million this fiscal year, or about 10% of its budget. TFA -- which places new college graduates in two-year positions at the country's most disadvantaged schools -- could be awarded an even larger grant under the proposal but would no longer be guaranteed the money, which it had counted on for a planned expansion. The Washington Post
Yesterday was my son's 2nd birthday, it always fall on Superbowl so I know he will grow up to be a Rockstar! What else is cool about yesterday? ...What a time to be a Saint!!!
Classic Song for Today: "When The Saints Go Marching In"...Louis Armstrong...(thanks Carlos!)
He was born poor, died rich, and never hurt anyone along the way. - Duke Ellington
Leadership opportunities have come slowly to people with intellectual disabilities. But for a new generation, removing the word "retarded" out of all medical and legal lexicon has turned them into confident "self- advocates."
Publicity surrounding the use of language that is offensive to people with disabilities by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and his subsequent apology is highlighting efforts by advocate groups to remove such derogatory language from legal and medical terminology. Because of these efforts -- by groups as well as an increasing number of people with disabilities acting as self-advocates -- states have begun to remove the language from their legal codes, and many have removed it from the names of human-service agencies as well. The Washington Post
Deputy headteachers from Glendene School Craig Platt and Liz Coxon with teacher Mark McNichol and the new defibrillator which has been donated to the school.
Educators at a school in England for students with special needs are being trained to use an automated external defibrillator that was donated to the school. "The aim is that all staff members will be trained to use it," one teacher said. "We hope that we will never need to put it into action, but it is good to know that we would be able to bring a child or adult round in an emergency. They really can make the difference between life and death." Sunderland Echo (U.K.)
The Deaf Bilingual Coalition says teachers often don't have the background they need in American Sign Language. (Jonathan Hartford/KTUU-DT)
Parents of students with hearing impairments in Alaska are seeking an increased emphasis on American Sign Language instruction in schools. Members of the Deaf Bilingual Coalition and other advocacy groups say more teachers need to be trained in ASL so that students who cannot hear can become bilingual -- proficient in English and ASL -- with the ability to communicate easily and maintain their identity as a person with hearing impairments. KTUU-TV (Anchorage, Alaska)
A House committee voted to advance the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act that would provide federal oversight of the practices in schools. The bill would prohibit the use of mechanical restraints or any actions that restrict a student's breathing, and it would limit the use of seclusion and restraint to trained staff and to situations where staff or students are in imminent physical danger. The bill must be approved by the full House and Senate. Disability Scoop
There are times that I find it difficult to get up in the morning and go to work to teach to the test, what's painful for me is painstaking for my students...the low morale that the teachers feel trickles down to them. It is not good to focus too much on burgeoning rules and tests and a narrow set of data then use it as a basis to judge student achievement and teacher's effectivity. Do policy makers really understand what matters most to our students and teachers? Outstanding teachers need exemplary role models in our schools who can guide us toward more effective decisions and innovative practices focused on genuine student learning... Pressure to improve student test scores and poor leadership has caused morale among Dallas teachers to suffer, according to recent data. "Employees feel so beaten up," said Rena Honea, president of Alliance-AFT. "They feel they are working and working and they don't feel appreciated. Then they get new administrators not appropriately equipped to do the job." The Dallas Morning News
This list contains reviews of movies that I have viewed that profile autism or disabilities in general. Please let me know what I missed. Happy browsing!
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