12th post

Paula Kluth's article "It Was Always the Pictures" is an article describing how students with learning disabilities and autism can benefit from visual representations. In past studies, it has shown that visual representations can help reinforce difficult subject material or can help students who are struggling to learn the material to begin with. In my opinion, all students could benefit from visual representations, not just students who appear to be struggling.

In the article, five types of visual representations are discussed: graphic organizers, picture books, fascination-focused materials, graphic notes, and story kits. Not only will this help reinforce student's learning, but it will making learning much more enjoyable. Back in elementary and high school my favorite classes were the ones that were not just reading or text-book based. One example of visual learning that took place in one of my college classes this year was taking the time in and out of class to read children's picture books to better understand how different races and persons with disabilities are represented to children.

10th post

Growing up, I was in what was called a "multiaged" school, which means it was a school where students have teachers for two years. The classes were divided in to K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. The first grading that appeared in my elementary school was in the 4-5 classes, but individual letter grades were not given; instead, all the teachers used rubrics. The articles for this reading reminded me that these rubrics were used not just to measure achievement, but also the accumulated knowledge and thought process that went along with it.

However, what the articles mention that I never experienced was the suggestion that teachers should ask their students what the objectives of the lesson should be. That way, both teacher and students have an understanding of what is supposed to be gotten out of the lesson. I think this would have been especially helpful in my science lessons, because I often found that I was given a large mass of knowledge and couldn't always pick out what was the purpose of it all. Obviously, this can be applied to all subjects of a child's learning, not just art and science.