Monday, January 26, 2009


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?

1 comment:

Kathie Maniaci said...

Andrea...I am glad you connected with Dr. Grandin's article. It is important to remember that everyone has their own individual "normal," so being normal is not really possible. (my opinion) One way to change the perceived "normal" is to plan your curriculum for ALL students and offer supports to all students, not just the ones you think need them. We'll talk more about Universal Design for Learning soon!

12 points