Twice+Exceptional+Articles

= Dyslexic? You're not alone... =

** yslexia is a syndrome of many and varied symptoms affecting over 40 million American children and adults. Many with dyslexia and related learning and attention disorders realize quite early that they are not like their peers. Their learning and coordination or klutzy difficulties often lead to ridicule and/or self-recrimination — leading them to feel dumb and depressed-isolated. As a result, one can only wonder just how many potential creative geniuses — how many Einstein’s and Da Vinci’s — have been stigmatized and pushed aside? All too often, learning-disabled children grow up to be underemployed adults, shunted into routine, dead-end occupations for life. Some have difficulties maintaining families and raising children properly. Many drift into drugs and alcohol — even crime. Their loss and cost to society is incalculable. And tragically, this staggering loss was, and is, preventable!** __http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/famous/famous.htm__

= TWICE EXCEPTIONAL: GIFTED STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES = Intellectually gifted individuals with specific learning disabilities are the most misjudged, misunderstood, and neglected segment of the student population and the community. Teachers, school counselors, and others often overlook the signs of intellectual giftedness and focus attention on such deficits as poor spelling, reading, and writing. (Whitmore & Maker, 1985, p. 204) This packet focuses on providing educators with basic information for recognizing and understanding gifted students with learning disabilities (LD). Characteristics of this population are discussed as well as strategies to engage students in the learning environment and models for special programming. Finally, tips for teachers and parents are provided to enhance instruction and interactions to meet the unique needs of gifted students with LD. []

= The Bilingual Special Education Crossroad: Strategies for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Special Needs =

This Considerations Packet provides an overview of the prevailing assessment and instructional research strategies related to culturally and linguistically diverse students with special education needs. Research-based academic and behavioral strategies for these students are described, along with web-based resources geared to assist both general and special educators working with diverse students with special needs. []

Techniques for Active Learning
This packet focuses on techniques which teachers can easily implement to increase time on task for all learners. The techniques require few materials and little extra planning, but they make a huge impact on the amount of time students are engaged in learning. The techniques not only increase achievement but also assist students in building relationships. Techniques are presented in the following categories: []
 * Motivation and Focus Activities
 * Techniques Used During Instruction
 * Cooperative Group Work
 * Evaluation

= VOALearningEnglish = — January 06, 2010 — This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from @http://voaspecialenglish.com

We received a question from a listener about how American schools use educational technology. There is not a simple answer.

It depends on the subject and level of students, of course. But it also depends on the interest and training of the teachers, and the goals and budgets of the schools.

Schools are almost all connected to the Internet. But some have more technology, and use it more, than others. For example, some schools use computers for activities like video conferencing, to bring the world into the classroom. And some classrooms are equipped with things like a Smart Board, a kind of interactive whiteboard. Interactive whiteboards are large displays for presentations. They connect to a computer and can operate by touch. They can be used for documents or writing or to project video. Some teachers are trying creative new ways to teach with devices like iPods and mobile phones. But educators say the most important thing, as always, is the content. Yet technology can have special importance in some cases.

Cosmobot is a therapy robot. It stands about half a meter tall and has a blue body and a friendly face with big eyes. One child who works with it is six-year-old Kevin Fitzgerald. Kevin has developmental dyspraxia; he has difficulty moving his mouth and tongue. He works with Carole Semango-Sprouse as he uses a set of buttons attached to a computer. He can make the silent robot move forward, backward or around in circles. Kevin's mother thinks the robot has had a calming influence, helping her son get along better with his friends.

Cosmobot was developed by AnthroTronix. Corinna Lathan started the company ten years ago to work with children with cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities. Children become friends with the robot, she says. That can have a big effect on their behavior, helping them work harder and longer in therapy sessions. Corinna Lathan is currently working with a British company to develop other socially assistive robots. She says they are still considered research tools in the United States. They are not used as much as in places like Britain and Japan. But she hopes to change that. And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can comment on our reports at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 17Dec2009)

 = Twice-exceptional: learning disabled and gifted = Most school children can identify at least one famous person who had, or has, a disability (or two) but went on to achieve great things (e.g. Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, Ludwig van Beethoven and Stevie Wonder). If you read EP's July, 2002 Research Reflections you know that Jim Eisenreich went on to play major league baseball despite his Tourette syndrome. Yet the combination of a learning disability and giftedness is not something we expect to find, and so it is often missed. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2827/is_9_32/ai_n7203617/?tag=content;col1