Both articles we had to read for the next class had great points and expressed their opinions in poignant and clear ways. However, I must say that I agreed more with the article, "Autism-The Way I See It," by Temple Grandin. He seemed to have a completely positive outlook on his views and was not concerned with the way in which people perceived his thoughts. I can relate to him when he says he is a visual thinker becuase I am the same. It was almost as if his article was reaching out to me to say that I am not alone. Through all of my schooling, I have had some difficulty trying to learn the materials being taught to me by my teachers who were almost always lecture-only teachers. As a person that learns better through seeing objects, doing projects, and using art, it was very difficult for me to fully grasp the concepts being given to me.

Another part I really enjoyed about Grandin's article was that he described the other types of learners. However, Donna Williams also did a great job at explaining them. She even mentioned a few more types of learners that some people may have not have heard of before. I loved how Grandin talked about how individuals with ASD are thought of as different from the way "normal" people think. It is crazy for me to think that because I learn the same way as Grandin and as many other people in the world, that I am in some way not normal. This brings in another notion of what normal is. As a teacher we are told that no one is normal, but clearly there are still issues in which people and students are not feeling "normal." My one question would be then, how can I break this mold in which the word "normal" is still thought of as the highest and best power? What can I do to show my students that there is no "normal" way of learning?

Art has played an extremely important role in my life. From the age of three I have been dancing. To me, dancing is an extremely personal and profound form of art. When asked why I love to dance so much and why I have been committed to it for seventeen years, I simply say that I love the way it makes my body and soul feel. It is definitely a form of personal expression and it allows me to show how I am truly feeling. If I am angry my style of dance that day is going to be completely different from a day when I am happy and fulfilled. I have aquired a strong passion for the arts from dancing for so many years. I have come to thoroughly enjoy photography and paintings. In fact, my best friend from home is a beautiful and inspirational painter with whom I love to see her creations.

Like the one article stated, there is a personal aspect to art. For me, this is dance. I also agree with the second article when it says that art is great for students who may not perform well in other subject areas. If their strength is art, allow them to use that strength when it comes to learning other subjects. One question I have is how can I incoporate math and art? I am more than sure it is possible, I am just unsure of where to begin.