I found chapter seven extremely interesting and relevant to every subject we have taken in this program thus far, so here is my question:
How do you feel about the portion of the chapter discussing Learning Disability versus Giftedeness? Or do you feel that the dicussion should be about Learning differences instead of disability or giftedness? Do you feel being diagnosed as a Learning Disabled student helps or hinders you in the public school system?
Im very conflicted on this subject myself, Id like to hear what everyone has to say...
Here is a space for us to carry on conversations from class, or for you to raise issues you would like further discussion about.
A place to ponder
5 comments:
In response to Brandi’s question I feel that being diagnosed as a disabled student has the potential to both hinder and help a student in the public school system. Depending on the severity, recognizing and diagnosing a student with a learning disability will allow them to receive the extra assistance they need to further develop their education. I think however that telling a student they have a learning disability no matter how minor it may be it would cause them to feel inferior to the rest of their classmates. I feel that putting labels on students such as “gifted” or “disabled” automatically makes that student “different” in the eyes of all the other students.
Student can be both disabled as well as gifted. I like the idea of learning “differences” because I believe that all students have the ability to excel in some subject areas yet struggle in others. For example just because a student has trouble with numbers doesn't mean they can't be a literary genius, musically or artistically talented.
I was also surprised by the fact that they were discussing learning using the terms learning disability and giftedness. I personally dislike both terms. I think Brandi's suggestion of a learning difference is a great alternative to learning disability, however, I wonder if it is necessary to have a term for diagnosing students as being gifted? When I was in elementary school I was in the category of learning disability as I am dyslexic. My best friend was in the gifted category and as such she and three others got to go out and take special workshops and learn cool stuff while everyone else stayed in class. This did not make those of us staying behind feel very good at all because we knew why we were not invited to go. By best friend and I went to school together every year k-12. After she was diagnosed as gifted she definitely thought she was better then everyone else and she got a little lazy. All through high school she did the bare minimum. Her mentality was "I am way to smart for this I don't need to try". We're not kids anymore and she recognizes that although she may have been a little ahead in grade five she is not a genius. Because this idea that she was gifted had been planted in her head throughout her school years and she now recognises that she is not she is actually afraid to go to post secondary and has yet to do so. It seems to me like being called a gifted student only hindered her.
As a student with a learning disability I can say that being diagnosed definitely only helped me. I was able to understand why I read and wrote funny. I got a little bit of help, although not much. But there is really not anything anyone could do for me anyway. The thing that helped me most was understanding why I did it. I was never teased about it, or about having to go for help. In fact, the first time I was ever teased about it was in my second year at Camosun. My good friend, although new friend at the time, asked to borrow my notes. She asked me why the hell my letters were all switched around and why most of my B's and D's were reversed. I told her why and she felt so bad. So, from my experience being diagnosed only helped me. I'm sure that my friends experience with being diagnosed as gifted is not typical. However, I do not see why diagnosing a child as being gifted is necessary. If a child is excelling in a certain area beyond the class then we need to give them supplementary work or projects to keep them occupied and learning. What does everyone else think about diagnosing students as gifted?
I also really like what Chantal said about using the term learning "differences" rather than the standard terms of "gifted" and "disabled". When we step back from the context of the school system (which I know is pretty much the only context for us as potential teachers) we might be able to see that many of these students labelled as such are only "gifted" or "disabled" within the confines of the school system. Using the term learning "differences" seems much more logical and accurate to me, because when you look at "typical" students with no learning disabilites or giftedness, they still vary greatly along the learning spectrum.
Great point that Rachel brings up. These terms apply for these students within the school system. However, the way our system is set up right now, I think it is important that students are labeled as disabled and gifted. Maybe they could come up with a more PC term, however! All students learn differently, but those students that fall into each end of the spectrum must be diagnosed so that school challenges them appropriately. Without diagnosing these students, there is the possibility they wouldn't be given the opportunity to reach their full potential.
After reading the section Brandy is refering to, I think my opinion in regards to LD has changed.
The authors make a very compelling argument by saying that labeling something is not offering a cure. Just look at Krista who had been diagnosed with dyscalculia for 7 years in a row. The label did not offer a solution.
As educators, we need to provide the resources and offer help where it is needed and sometimes we just don't know where to get the help the students need. If a student has been labelled, then it is up to us to find the cure that works for that student. Each student will have something different that may work. It is through trial and error that we will help these students, not the labelling.
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