Learning+Log+4

__Learning Log #4: 3/3/09__

It was so moving to listen to your story about the young man (20-ish year old) who was not able to communicate, or communicated mostly in negative ways. It is hard to imagine having one something to say and not being able to say it (lost your voice, loud party, etc). Imaging having //everything// to say and not being able to say //any of it//. How frustrating. No wonder his communication could become negative - pounding, etc. The Boardmaker program seems to be a god-send for folks like him.

Once again, it has been a wonder to troll through the links (and links to other links, etc...), especially the BCPSS site. I have send several links to colleagues. I am not sure if they are aware of these resources, but so many of our students (not so much in my area, but in lots and lots of other class rooms) use BoardMaker and I know, know, know that tons of staff time is spent adapting books and stories. I could be a savior for forwarding that link! They may name a holiday in my honor! Thank you Dr. G and the BCPSS for this very valuable resource!

Boy, oh boy, oh boy! Once again, I have seen so many different on-line resources. I think the e-book resources have such great potential for educators, though I am still working through how to take them from a purely scanned version to one that can be a little more "flexible" in it's design. I hope to be able to take time over our Spring break to find a book that is suitable for my middle school students, download it and adapt it for their use. While that may not be as much fun as spring break in Cancun, at least it is it more useful. Think I'll paint the upper hallway at home, as well.

Thinking about obstacles that get in the way of learning, I often wonder about lighting in the classroom. I prefer a fair amount of light and, fortunately, my classroom faces East, so we get decent natural light, at least during the morning hours. I know that lots of students (those with Autism spectrum disorders?) have trouble with the buzz or hum of fluorescent lights that are standard in a school setting. What are the alternatives if you have a classroom without access to natural light?

Some of our classrooms are below street level and have just a short bank of windows to the outside. Many of those teachers have purchased small lamps for student desks or taller halogen lamps for the corners of the rooms, but the "powers from above" have decided that these pose a fire hazard. Now, if it doesn't have a three-pronged plug, it has to come out of your classroom. It would seem to me that someone out there has designed a lamp or lighting system that provides enough bright, natural quality light so you are not included to want to go to sleep without the hum that fluorescents do.

One thing I would propose would be to retrofit existing fluorescent-lit rooms with "can" lights, perhaps on dimmer switches. You would have adjustable lights without the buzz of fluorescent lights and the ability to adjust the lighting to the needs of the staff and students who use the space.