Cendie Stanford
ETEC
526-Espinoza
October 12,
2004
Abstract # 3
Aaroe,
L., & Nelson, J. R. (1998, November 18). Views About Key Curricular Matters
from the Perspectives of Students with Disabilities. Current Issues in
Education [On-line],1 (8). Retrieved
SUMMARY:
This
article conducts a study on students with learning disabilities and the
problems that they face. The article looks at questioning the students on their
preferences of learning. The article stresses the importance of the student’s
views on their learning and the impact that it can have when implementing into
education. The educational surroundings, subject matter, resources, and the
method in how lessons and assignments are conveyed are all important elements
in the special education curriculum.
The article
mentions the important factor that the setting plays in educating the learning
disabled. In addition, students had a say in the activity preference, and
predictably, computers were at the top of the list. The way instruction was
delivered was considered and was found to have an immense impact on how the
students participated in the classroom. The authors reviewed several
literatures involving special needs students and concluded the reviews were
related to students of broad range disabilities. The research looks at the
characteristics of the participants, the three subject matters, and the
research methods used.
REACTION:
Involving
students in their learning has already been proven to be effective. Special
needs students in particular should have involvement in their learning process.
The study asked students what they needed the most adaptations in and
unsurprisingly it was homework and reading assignments. Students tend to forget
information from one setting to the next and this is apparent when taking home
assignments.
What I have
found in my teaching experience in urban districts and some rural schools is
that parents sometimes are not knowledgeable in the content and aren’t able to
help students with homework. Reading seems to be the biggest struggle of all
learning disabled students, so any assignments that deal with reading will
prose a problem. The article addresses focal points and problem solving in the
special education setting. I think this was a good article because it
identified a problem in the schools and looked at ways to address the needs of
the students by involving them in their education. The only problem that I can
see with this issue is allowing them too much control, modifying assignments
excessively, and relying on technology too much.