Andreya W FNED Blog: Kliewer, McDermott & Varenne

Citizenship in school: Conceptualizing Down Syndrome By: Christopher Kliewer

"School citizenship rejects the idea of a gap between normality and Down Syndrome" (Kliewer 95).
- I agree with this quote. I don't think students with Down Syndrome or any other disability should have to be separated from those who don't have a disability. I feel like as long as the students with a disability have the proper scaffolding in the classroom than it would be a great idea. I know students who have disabilities who feel so left out and isolated because their separated from their peers. Students with and without a disability both deserve a proper and quality education and the students deserve to share the same learning environment with their peers.

"Shayne, however, did not see Isaac, or any of her students, as defective. In her classroom, which contained 6 students clinically identified as disabled (3 with Down syndrome, including Isaac) and 10 students considered non-disabled, Shayne and her associates worked to create a context that supported all children's full participation."
-As a teacher you should never see your students as defective, disability or not. Many teachers label their students with disabilities defective. She saw her students for who they really are not the disability they have. I work in a classroom with seven students who are on the autism spectrum but two of the seven students disability is more severe than the others. There's a staff in the classroom who I seen during certain groups and activities had the students not participate much because they "cant". Seeing that made me so upset because they can. They can at least try if given the opportunity. Just because someone has a disability doesn't mean you leave them out of groups and activities. Everyone deserves to participate in activities even if its harder for those with a disability. It was awesome to read that the teacher and her colleagues were creating context that supported all children.

McDermott & Varenne ; Culture "as" Disability

"Common sense allows that persons unable to handle a difficult problem can be labeled "disabled." Social analysis shows that being labeled often invites a public response that multiplies the difficulties facing the seemingly unable. Cultural analysis shows that disability refers most precisely to inadequate performances only on tasks that are arbitrarily circumscribed from daily life. disabilities are less the property of persons than they are moments in a cultural focus. Everyone in any culture is subject to being labeled and disabled."

- Its sad because people with disabilities face these labels everyday. Everyone gets labeled. Once your labeled and people already view you one way its hard to undo that. People automatically have thoughts and opinions of you and its hard to change them. The label of a disability can change someone's life in every way. Also, I don't get why someone would be labeled "disabled" if their unable to do a task. Not everyone can do every task, disability or not. This is relevant to the article because the author is talking about how culture is a disability.

Point to share: How do others feel about students with disabilities being in the same classroom as students with no disability?