tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8935108787491708112024-03-12T19:02:28.591-07:00Teaching Children with Special NeedsThe Trials & Triumphs of Working with Special Needs PopulationsTeam of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-30368322458168871122013-01-16T10:28:00.002-08:002013-01-16T10:28:44.562-08:00We've Moved!The Team at <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Default.aspx?es=4567500000w" target="_blank">Achievement Products®</a> is excited to tell you that <a href="http://achievementproducts.wordpress.com/?utm_source=Blogger&utm_medium=Weblink&utm_campaign=Invite_To_Wordpress" target="_blank">Teaching Children with Special Needs</a> is now hosted on Wordpress. Just click <a href="http://achievementproducts.wordpress.com/?utm_source=Blogger&utm_medium=Weblink&utm_campaign=Invite_To_Wordpress" target="_blank">here</a>! Please change your bookmarks so you can keep up with our latest news.Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-43635519306787780992013-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:002013-01-07T12:24:33.277-08:00Activity Guide - Music Blocks<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement
Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to
provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items
into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided
some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally
designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at
the <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2598&keyword=music%20blocks&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Music Blocks</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">These blocks provide immediate motivation for engaging
children across a wide age range. Each block is colored and contains a short
melody from 3 different song selections. Each of the colored blocks plays a
different part of the melody from a classical, world beat or jazz piece. And
the shapes on each block are coded to play a different style of music from
vocals to instrumental to orchestral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
the blocks can be mixed and matched to create over a million combinations! Even
at its highest volume, the music is played at a level that will be
non-threatening to the sensory challenged child. The blocks are perfect for
developing fine motor, sequencing, and other pre-academic skills. They can also
be used as a calming source for sensory challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Activity ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Develop grasp and release
skills. For the babies or toddlers, simply have them pick the block up and
try to place it in a square. The musical response of a successful trial
lends the motivation for continued trials. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Work on the in-hand
manipulation skill of rotation. Once the child has the grasp and release
mastered, increase the challenge by requiring them to rotate the block
with one hand to find a specific shape for a different musical
arrangement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Develop matching skills.
Have the child rotate each block until the shapes are matching. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, the musical arrangement will
naturally indicate the correct answer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Develop pre-academic
skills. Identify a target color and have the child find the correct block
for placement or identify a target shape and have him/her <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rotate each individual block for shape
identification.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Develop sequencing skills.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place the blocks in order so that
the melodies will play in the correct sequence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have the child listen to the sequence and
then rearrange the blocks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
have the child try to re-create the correct sequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Modify the activity by playing the
correct sequence and then remove all the blocks from the base before
having the child re-create the sequence. For the advanced<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stage, have the child cover his/her eyes
while you arrange any sequence and then try to re-create the sequence
based on only auditory input.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Develop memory skills. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Place the blocks in any order and allow
the child to see and hear the sequence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then remove the blocks and have the child
try to re-create the original sequence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">These blocks are perfect
for use with children <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who get
easily overstimulated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free play
with the blocks in a quiet portion of any room is an excellent method for
calming the sensory challenged child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For more information about the <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2598&keyword=music%20blocks&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Music Blocks</a>
and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-42166228663919190472013-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:002013-01-07T17:00:02.127-08:00 New Year’s Resolutions – Teachable Moments<strong><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://specialneeds.achievement-products.com/2011/11/special-needs-topics-with-don-peek.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Special Needs Topics with Don Peek</span></a></span></b></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></strong></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to </span></strong></span><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter.com/"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">schoolfundingcenter.com</span><o:p></o:p></strong></a></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">New Year’s Resolutions
– Teachable Moments<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit this up-front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like New Year’s resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t keep as many of them as I should, but
I hope to do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like New Year’s
resolutions because they are the beginnings of a plan, and I think we all
should be good planners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone with
an interest in disabled children, you should make some New Year’s resolutions,
and better yet, you should teach the disabled students in your life to make
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, just teaching young people to make New Year’s
resolutions is not enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to
teach them how to follow through and achieve the goals they set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That takes planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many students just skate through school
simply doing what they’re told (or not).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of their actions really don’t involve planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can teach students to set goals and write
plans to reach those goals just as you can teach them to write good paragraphs
by teaching them to narrow their topics, write strong topic sentences, and
outline the bodies of their paragraphs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Believe me, students don’t learn to set goals on their
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t learn to plan on their
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most have heard of New Year’s
resolutions and that makes for a very teachable moment for you to introduce the
topics of goal setting and planning.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s look at setting good New Year’s resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A popular one at this time of year is to lose
weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you set that as a New Year’s
resolution and that’s all you do, I can almost guarantee that it’s not going to
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal is too broad and has no
time parameter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you going to lose
one pound or a hundred pounds?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you
going to lose some each week, each month, or are you just going to drop that
weight all at once before next December 31<sup>st</sup>?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">A much better New Year’s resolution would go like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
going to lose 20 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll weigh once
each week to make sure I’m on target, and my goal is to lose five pounds per
month during the first four months of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Really want to make sure you lose the weight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write in your plan to eat no more than 1,500
calories per day and work out on the treadmill at least 30 minutes per day, 5
days per week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s clear, it’s concise, it’s detailed, and
it’s achievable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to beat a
plan like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can teach that kind
of plan to almost every special education student you know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two other things you will want to teach students to do with
their New Year’s resolutions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a) write
them down, and b) tell all their friends and relatives about their resolutions.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will increase their chances of
staying with their resolutions by about 1000%.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">All too often we believe disabled students are incapable of
setting goals and incapable of extensive planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, they couldn’t read or do any math before
you taught them either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goal setting is
a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Planning is a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must teach disabled students the
rudimentary elements of goal setting and planning, and then you must have them
practice, and practice, and practice until it becomes a part of them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Remember, riding a bike is a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keyboarding is a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must be learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must be practiced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goal setting is a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Planning is a skill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must be learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must be practiced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Make your New Year’s resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep them this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But more importantly, teach every special
education student in your life to make New Year’s resolutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while you’re at it, teach them how to set
goals and how to plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might very
well change their lives in ways you can’t imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Grant Info:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Grant Name:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MAXIMUS Charitable Foundation Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Funded By:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MAXIMUS Charitable Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>The MAXIMUS Charitable Foundation is
committed to creating opportunities for young people through youth-oriented
programs. We collaborate with organizations and charities in the United States
that share our commitment in helping the disadvantaged achieve self-sufficiency
and personal growth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Program Areas:</strong> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After-School, Arts, At-Risk/Character,
Disabilities, General Education, Math, Reading, Safe/Drug Free Schools,
Science/Environment, Social Studies, Special Education, Technology, Vocational<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Recipients:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher
Education, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Proposal Deadline:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1/31/13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Average Amount:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$1,000.00 - $5,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Telephone:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1-800-MAXIMUS<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Email:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:maximuscharitablefoundation@maximus.com"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">maximuscharitablefoundation@maximus.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Website:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.maximus.com/corporate-citizenship/charitable-foundation"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.maximus.com/corporate-citizenship/charitable-foundation</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Availability:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-48289188990561986992012-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-31T07:00:05.093-08:00Don Peek - Caring Makes the Difference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://specialneeds.achievement-products.com/2011/11/special-needs-topics-with-don-peek.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Special Needs Topics with Don Peek</span></a></span></b></strong></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to </span><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">schoolfundingcenter.com</span><o:p></o:p></a></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Caring Makes the
Difference<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have a lot of experience dealing with parents in a school
setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent 20 years as an educator
in public schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seven of those years
I served as an assistant high school principal in two different school districts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think many parents are somewhat suspicious
of assistant principals because their children are often in trouble when an
assistant principal calls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also
tend to be a little bit suspicious of the special education programs in which
their children are enrolled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They often
don’t have a clear understanding of how a special education program even works.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because I was very involved in the special education
programs at the two high schools where I served, I learned a lot about working
with parents in general and parents of special education students in
particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s basically what I
learned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If parents trust you, I mean really trust you to make the
very best decisions you can concerning their children, you can do almost
anything and those parents will support you 100%. On the other hand, if you
don’t have that trust, if they are constantly suspicious that you don’t like
their children, or that you’re simply not concerned with their well-being, you
couldn’t give their children a hard look without getting into a conflict with
them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I told my dad I had decided to teach school, he gave me
some advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Just remember,” he said, “teachers
deal with the single most prized possession of any parent, their children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always remember that when you’re making decisions.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That advice is even more important when you
are dealing with students who have disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents are going to be that much more
protective, and that’s totally understandable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is no course in college that teaches you to care about
each of your students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has to come
from the heart, and it’s very, very difficult to fake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you genuinely care about each student,
you have to make decisions that are best for the child in the long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not even easy for parents to do with their
own children, and yet as educators we have to remember constantly to make those
long-term decisions with special education students every day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">For instance, it is easy to give learning disabled students
practice sheets that occupy them for hours at a time but do very little to
challenge them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring out the sheets
that are harder, the ones the student really needs to work through, and you
have a battle on your hands --- often day after day after day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not always easy to do the right thing
when an easier solution is so readily available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can have some quiet time and the student
isn’t complaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The student is also
not learning, certainly not progressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The same is true in dealing with bad behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some students tend to disrupt the class on a
daily basis, even on an hourly basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
you do the right thing for the child and consistently use those disruptions as
teachable moments, or do you take the easy way out and let the child get away
with behavior that will both teach that child the wrong lesson and give
inconsistent signals to the other students in the class?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you genuinely care about your students, not just while
they are in your classroom, but care about their futures as a whole, you will
consistently teach them what is right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
will teach them the next skill in the sequence rather than repeating things
they can already do well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will teach
them how to behave in a classroom and how to get along with the other students
in ways that will literally shape their future behavior and their future lives
as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was very hard to care for every student I faced as an
assistant principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many had entrenched
behavior patterns before I ever had the opportunity to work with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did the best I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cared as much as I could and tried to help
shape their futures in a positive way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I just hope that as you work with disabled students, either
as a parent or a teacher, you will genuinely care about their well-being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will take every opportunity to teach your
students and your children, not the easy way, but the right way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can guarantee you that it’s well worth the
time and effort.</span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Grant Info:</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dreyfus Foundation Educational Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Giving on a national basis for museums,
cultural, performing, and visual arts programs, schools, hospitals, educational
and skills training projects, and programs for youth, seniors, and people who
are handicapped. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After-School, Arts, At-Risk/Character, Disabilities,
General Education, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies, Special
Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher
Education, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3/10/13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$1,500.00 - $20,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>202-337-3300<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:info@mvdreyfusfoundation.org"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">info@mvdreyfusfoundation.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-91253174511207648902012-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-24T07:00:01.679-08:00
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Achievement
Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to
provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items
into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Scott has provided
some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally
designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today we will look at
the <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2692&keyword=squeeze%20and%20feed%20frog&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Squeeze and Feed Frogs</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYo5afA75XbTlFZ03A-JINALawJEb4AJlBfnB1oY8mKgGTMrQsN_qbz8vcu7AJR3dmnHDuayeEYpuhV8wW71AAAeyiYVl57mjou8NO2hzkIYOzTthyzs8FValV86EUoB8IO_JIwWy8bVB/s400/FROG.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Squeeze and Feed Frogs are rounded,
pliable frog faces that open their mouths when squeezed to “gobble” foam bugs.
The resistance provided when squeezed is excellent for the development of hand
and grip strength, and manipulation of the small bugs assists with finger
dexterity and in-hand manipulation skills. The set comes with both a number die
and a color die for ease of grading the activity to children of various ages.
The dice also provide the opportunity for social play as Squeeze and Feed Frogs
can be used as a game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bugs and the
frogs are both visually appealing which increases the motivational component of
the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Activity ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The simplest activity is to have the child
squeeze the frog and place the bugs inside the mouth with their other hand.
Have the child place his/her thumb on one side of the frog’s mouth with the
other four fingers on the opposite side forming a cupping of the palm when
squeezing. To increase the challenge, have the child try to pick up the bugs
using only the frog and not their other hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Play a game using the die. For younger children,
use the color die and have them race to get as many of the colors as they can
into the frog’s mouth. For school-aged children, have them use the number die
for number recognition. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To increase the
challenge, have the child use both dice and see if they can pick up the correct
of number of the correct color.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop social skills. Have the child use the
frogs for conversations. Have the child make the frog talk by squeezing and
releasing the mouth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a small group
with two children, or a simple 1:1 adult/child situation, the frogs can have a
conversation with each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To develop bilateral integration skills, use one
frog to pick up a bug and have it feed the bug to other frog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For more information about the Squeeze and
Feed Frogs and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-48611394580706908432012-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-18T14:32:34.281-08:00Don Peek: A Few Misconceptions about Special Education<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter</strong></span></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Few Misconceptions about
Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Special education and the services available through special
education are often misunderstood by parents and other community members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not that unusual even for educators who
are not a part of the special education system to have limited knowledge about
how special education provides evaluations and services to those students who
qualify.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">One common misconception is that some students can’t receive
certain special education services from a public school because the school is
small and unable to provide such things as speech or occupational therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, all special education programs
are heavily subsidized by federal funding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If either a school’s diagnostician or an outside evaluator determines
that a child qualifies for a special education service, then the school
district, regardless of its size or financial condition, is obligated to
provide that service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the school
cannot provide the service, then it must contract to have that service provided
by a licensed individual or an outside agency.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another misconception is that once an IEP (Individualized
Educational Program) is signed by all parties, it cannot be changed until the
next annual IEP meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is simply
not true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents can request an IEP
meeting at any time, and it must be held within 30 days of their request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If changes are agreed upon, an amendment is
simply added to the IEP. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is often believed that the school has the final decision
as to whether a child is eligible to receive special education services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, parents have the right to disagree
with the school’s eligibility assessment and can ask for an IEE (Independent
Educational Evaluation) at the school’s expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is a disagreement after the IEE
between the school and the parents, the parents then have the right to a due
process hearing where an impartial hearing officer will make the determination
as to eligibility.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many people have the idea that special education services
are restricted to special education classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A number of parents of special education
students were special education students themselves when they went to
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible that their
programs consisted mainly of going to special education classrooms for
instruction in the various subject areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, that simply is not the case in most schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Special education requires educating students
in the least restrictive environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That means that disabled children should be educated in the regular
classroom along with the general population of students as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do less is to violate special education
policy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is often believed that special education is extremely
costly and is a constant drain on the regular budgets of most schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That simply is not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While sports programs, art, band, and other
programs for the general population are totally funded by the regular school
budget, the special education program is largely subsidized by the federal
government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is true that taxpayers
are still paying for these services through the federal taxes that they pay,
but a very small amount of the money for special education is actually coming
out of a school district’s regular budget.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Providing appropriate special education services for all of the
students who qualify is a complex and expensive task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is little wonder that a host of
misconceptions surrounding special education have sprung up over the years as
it has grown and improved its services.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LEGO Children’s Fund Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LEGO Children’s Fund<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The LEGO Children's Fund will provide
quarterly grants for programs, either in part or in total, with a special
interest paid to collaborative efforts and in providing matching funds to
leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. We will give priority
consideration to programs that both meet our goals and are supported in
volunteer time and effort by our employees. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After-School, At-Risk/Character, General
Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies,
Special Education, Technology<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1/15/13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$500.00 - $5,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:legochildrensfund@lego.com"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">legochildrensfund@lego.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.legochildrensfund.org/Guidelines.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.legochildrensfund.org/Guidelines.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></a>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-14336487465796991262012-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:002013-01-07T12:17:06.599-08:00Activity Guide - Toppletree<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the Toppletree.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toppletree is a fun and challenging fine motor game.
Starting from the base, players try to build a branch of the tree with four
consecutive color pieces without toppling the tree. The game requires fine
motor precision as the child must use muscle coordination to grade his
placement of the pieces without toppling the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This game also assists the child in the
development of planning and reasoning skills as they must be able to see how to
get to their piece in the correct order while not compromising the tree’s
balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Use the tree as a simple
construction toy. Rather than following the actual game rules, allow the
child to simply build the tree and see how big they can make it without
toppling it over.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a small group, each
player selects a color and must build their branches using only that
color. Taking turns, they must find a way to connect four consecutive
pieces of the tree with their color.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Develop color
identification skills. Specify which color piece you want placed at any
time and have the child place it. Increase the challenge by telling the
child which color you want placed on another color (ie. “Place a blue
piece on a yellow piece”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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develop social skills by having one child be the leader, calling out to
the other children where they want different color pieces placed.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">For more information about the Toppletree </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-23111744253607121702012-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-13T16:56:32.295-08:00Don Peek - Pleasant Memories – Pleasant People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter</strong></span></a></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pleasant Memories –
Pleasant People<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I spent twenty years working in a couple of public schools
in Northeast Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I served as a
teacher, an assistant high school principal, a high school counselor, a middle
school principal, and a district assistant superintendent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along the way I built up a host of
memories of special needs students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have to say that after many years, foremost in my mind are the positive ones I
had with these special education students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll never forget a sixth grade boy I had in my first world
geography class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 20, right out of
college, and I had no idea how to teach, much less teach a student with special
needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a little different from
other students, but he was friendly and very smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was amazed at his terrible
handwriting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also amazed that he
had an immediate grasp of material one day and sometimes couldn’t remember a
bit of it the next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, toward the end of the second semester, his mother
met with me and told me about his past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had fallen from a porch when he was young and hit his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was brain damaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two most evident results of this brain
injury were his terrible handwriting and his short-term memory loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was young, the year was 1972, and I’m sure
we didn’t have the greatest special education services at that time in the
small school district where I taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
least, from that point forward, I knew to investigate and get help when students
didn’t function the way I felt that they should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still think of that small boy and the ways
that I failed him, but I also remember how smart and how funny he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, he is very pleasant memory for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was an assistant high school principal, I was much
more involved with special education students as a whole, mainly because I
wanted to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember talking to a
parent who had twin high school sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had a low intelligence level, but they were two of the most
cooperative, happy people I’ve ever met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I once told their mother not to worry about their futures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as they kept their personalities and
their smiles they would be fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wouldn’t have hesitated to hire them in a dozen different settings where they
would interact with the public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I changed high schools, still as assistant principal, I
worked with a group that went to a sheltered workshop each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember two students especially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One was a young man with Down syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was always available for a nice hug and
almost always had a smile on his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember being concerned about his future, but I remember always feeling good
when I was around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He made me feel
better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another young man in that group was severely autistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had large calluses on one hand where he
repeatedly chewed on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also hit his
head on walls when he was extremely upset – even if it was brick, but unless he
was having some type of problem at the moment, he was always good for a
handshake and a smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know he always
made me smile, and that is the main memory I have of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, when I was a middle school principal, I had one
young man on campus in a motorized wheelchair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He raced around
the school like a drag racer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He often
gave people rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even cut wheelies
in the breezeway at lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would find
him in the center of a circle of students cutting up for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That young man will be confined to that wheelchair for the
rest of his life, but rather than complain about his handicap, he found ways to
have fun himself and entertain those around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was just fun to me around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I now realize as I finish writing this blog that these
memories are all of male students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have no idea why that is, but I do know that each of these young men I’ve
mentioned hold a very special place in my memories, not because of their
handicaps, but in spite of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BWI Summer Reading Program Grant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Library Association<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>This grant is designed to encourage
outstanding summer reading programs by providing financial assistance, while
recognizing ALSC members for outstanding program development. The applicant
must plan and present an outline for a theme-based summer reading program in a
public library. The program must be open to all children (birth -14 years). The
committee also encourages innovative proposals involving children with physical
or mental disabilities. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Library, Disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher Ed,
Other<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>12/1/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$3,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>312-280-4026<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="mailto:njajduch@ala.org"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">njajduch@ala.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?template=/CFApps/awards_info/award_detail_info.cfm&FilePublishTitle=Awards,%20Grants%20and%20Scholarships&uid=253E1BA4DC3C957B" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?template=/CFApps/awards_info/award_detail_info.cfm&FilePublishTitle=Awards,%20Grants%20and%20Scholarships&uid=253E1BA4DC3C957B</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-44960870795776001852012-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:002012-11-14T07:00:06.350-08:00Don Peek - Prinicipals: Do You Have Quality Special Education Teachers?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter</strong></span></a></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Prinicipals:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do You Have Quality Special Education
Teachers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I never wanted to be a special education teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if I simply didn’t have the
patience or maybe I just never thought I would be good at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do remember having special education
students mainstreamed into my classroom and not really knowing how to handle
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really young when I started
teaching (only 20 years old), and when I look back, I know I didn’t do a very
good job even with my regular education students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I must have failed my special
education students miserably.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because I had a degree in English and I could see how severe
the reading problems were in my school, I did gravitate to Title 1
reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think both my patience and my
ability to reach these students increased the longer I taught in that Title 1
classroom, and I probably did a much better job with all of my students when I
went back to the regular classroom to teach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">After eight years, I became an assistant principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also became an advocate for special
education students, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many ARD meetings I
attended over the next 10 years as either an assistant principal or a principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did my best to make sure each student’s IEP
was the right one for that student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
didn’t matter if it dealt with discipline or the actual academic program of the
student, I was involved and I, wanted the right decisions made, not just for
the meeting to be over so we could start the next one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another thing I learned during my first 15 years in
education was that many principals, especially old-school principals, were not
good at hiring and firing teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
didn’t spend enough time in interviews, and they didn’t do enough checking on
background and references.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably the
worst practice I saw during this time was that of moving inadequate teachers to
different positions rather than letting them go.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The very worst practices that I saw at that time were the
moving of teachers who failed to cut it in the regular classroom to the
position of special education teacher or librarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve heard the excuse a hundred times if I’ve
heard it once, “They can’t do the job in the regular classroom, so we’ll move
them to a position that has the least impact on the smallest number of
students.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That logic drove me crazy
then, and it drives me crazy now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure
those teachers had to go back to school and get certification to stay in the special
education position, but that usually helped the situation very little.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even though I know teachers who do a wonderful job in the
library, I believe only good, certified librarians should be in charge of a
library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, boy oh boy, in a special
education classroom, you need the best, the most highly trained and certified,
and the most patient teachers in the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you don’t fill those positions with those kinds of teachers, you’re
looking for disaster, and you’re likely to find it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not only that, you are cheating special education students
out of a solid education that they probably need more than any other students
in the schoolhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why anyone would put
a person who was ineffective in a regular classroom in charge of a special
education classroom is beyond me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Principals, if a teacher can’t cut it, do your job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the observations, take the notes, write
the letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Move those teachers
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t move them where they will
hurt children even more than they were in a regular classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I’m on my soapbox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll admit that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once you’ve
seen this happen through the years over and over and over, it starts to work on
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You feel really sorry for the great special
education teachers and the wonderful librarians who are extraordinarily capable
at their jobs, and you develop great sympathy for the special education
students who are so negatively impacted by these decisions and who have little
voice or power to get the situation corrected.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dreyfus Foundation Educational Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Giving on a national basis for museums,
cultural, performing, and visual arts programs, schools, hospitals, educational
and skills training projects, and programs for youth, seniors, and people who
are handicapped. No grants to individuals and no support for foreign charitable
organizations. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arts, General Education, Handicapped,
Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher Ed,
Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>11/10/12<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$1,000.00 - $20,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>202-337-3300<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.mvdreyfusfoundation.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-5399963196312683712012-11-13T09:34:00.001-08:002012-11-13T09:35:46.157-08:00Activity Guide - Gel Spiral Pad<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the Gel Spiral Pad.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFBYG_Er9Uj9uK7b4A5z86ImooC8qud9xKurUCAYGwnn0VgL235A1aTz6TyLwka9YPnFPd2pLIaBvgIwoFDzb2-bleogWJJzI6yHtZe30xsFRK8NoSSThpA5rV7dh7oX2bt-PEMQbdL5I/s1600/GelSpiralPad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFBYG_Er9Uj9uK7b4A5z86ImooC8qud9xKurUCAYGwnn0VgL235A1aTz6TyLwka9YPnFPd2pLIaBvgIwoFDzb2-bleogWJJzI6yHtZe30xsFRK8NoSSThpA5rV7dh7oX2bt-PEMQbdL5I/s400/GelSpiralPad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Introduction: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The gel spiral pad provides a fantastic overall sensory experience while increasing finger and hand strength, and improving visual-motor control. The texture of the gel combined with its bright but soothing colors provides the perfect combination of tactile and visual input in a non-threatening manner to the sensory defensive child. The gel provides resistance for finger and hand strengthening as well a visual-motor challenge as the child tries to maneuver the embedded plastic pieces through the maze. <br />
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Activity Ideas: <br />
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Use the pad for sensory exploration. Have the child free play with fingers and palms across the surface of the pad. Cool the pad in a refrigerator before use for increased sensory input. <br />
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Place the Gel Spiral Pad on a light table for added visual stimulation, to reduce boredom and increase attention span. <br />
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Use the pad to develop finger isolation and strength. Indicate a finger for use on each hand and have the child use only that finger to move the plastic pieces, or simply to trace the spirals. Switch fingers at random intervals or when fatigue is noticed. <br />
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Time the child and see how fast he/she can get the plastic pieces through the maze. </span></div>
Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-20283081831840572022012-11-02T07:30:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:43:00.265-08:00Don Peek - Other Health Impairment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter</strong></span></a></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Other Health Impairment<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">From time to time I will highlight one of the disabilities
that may make students eligible for special education services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, however, that I do say “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">may</i> make students eligible” because not
only does a disability have to be present, but it must impact the education of
a student in a negative way if the impairment is to qualify a student for
special education services.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some disabilities would obviously quality students for
services such as blindness and deafness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For others, students have to be given a battery of tests to determine
eligibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such is the case with
learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another category that may qualify a student
for services is termed “other health impairment”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">IDEA’s definition of OHI states that “Other health
impairment means having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a
heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited
alertness with respect to the educational environment, that –<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(i)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is due to chronic or acute health problems such
as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning,
leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette
syndrome, and<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(ii)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adversely affects a child’s educational
performance.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is not an exhaustive list and some other health
impairments may also qualify, such as:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fetal alcohol syndrome <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bipolar disorders<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dysphagia<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other organic neurological disorders<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If a child is found to have any of these disorders and is
found to be eligible for special education, that student will also be eligible
for related school services while in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These can be important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
services include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Medical services – provided by a licensed
physician for diagnostic and evaluative purposes only<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">School health services and school nurse services
– provided by either a qualified person or a school nurse in the case of school
health services and provided by a school nurse in the case of school nurse
services.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are in place so that every child will receive FAPE
(Free Appropriate Public Education) under section 504.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As with other special education services, if a child is
under 3 years old, parents should seek out state early intervention services
that will identify a child’s problem and, based on the child’s disability,
design and deliver an individualized family service plan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">If a child is between 3 and 21, parents should go directly
to their local public school and request special education services beginning
with a comprehensive and individual evaluation to determine the child’s
eligibility and what types of services are needed to address the child’s needs.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Grant Info:</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smith Charitable Trust Educational Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Giving on a national basis to
organizations that serve the needs of children, the elderly, the disabled, and
the disadvantaged. Interests include art and music, education, and the mentally
and physically disabled. No grants to organizations receiving significant
government funding. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arts, Community Involvement/Volunteerism,
Disabilities, Early Childhood, General Education, Math, Reading,
Science/Environment, Social Studies<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher Ed,
Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apply online at website<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$3,000.00 - $250,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>415-332-0166<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:grantsmanager@adminitrustllc.com"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">grantsmanager@adminitrustllc.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.adminitrustllc.com/may-and-stanley-smith-charitable-trust/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.adminitrustllc.com/may-and-stanley-smith-charitable-trust/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-55709057884679363742012-11-01T09:27:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:31:32.658-08:00Activity Guide - Balancing Hat<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the Balancing Hat.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePjn5ouQiB08H_ZOKohTm0RypnYyiFf4gWF27dcC0abFJYzt53zJopeu4PrYyAu8xXhKkqJVQwEAiozf5EosF1ujR7LpjioLddhdJbKiVVx8LdOb8B4PVZ5GzWe88BnW6AIuL6Lad4xj/s1600/Balancing+Hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePjn5ouQiB08H_ZOKohTm0RypnYyiFf4gWF27dcC0abFJYzt53zJopeu4PrYyAu8xXhKkqJVQwEAiozf5EosF1ujR7LpjioLddhdJbKiVVx8LdOb8B4PVZ5GzWe88BnW6AIuL6Lad4xj/s400/Balancing+Hat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Introduction: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The balance hat is a fun way to work on body awareness, gross and fine motor control, social skills and pre-academic skills. The lightweight foam pieces provide comfort when it is worn as a hat, safety if/when it is dropped, and ease of use due to the light-weight and easy grip material. The different colored and sized pieces allow for a wide range of pre=academic categorization options. <br />
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<strong>Activity Ideas </strong><br />
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Simple stacking activities. Have the child use the "hat" as a simple stacking activitiy without putting it on his/her head. Discuss the sizes, shapes and colors of the blocks while the child familiarizes his/herself with the "hat". <br />
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Have the child stack the blocks on their head while standing still. Place the blocks on a surface that allows the child to be able to reach the blocks without bending, and stack the blocks in the correct order. Doing this activity in front of a mirror can help the child with poor body or spatial awareness and can also assist the child in finding the correct order with the visual clues seen in the mirror. <br />
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Increase the stacking challenge and the motor coordination of the child, by having the pieces positioned on surfaces of different heights that require the child to reach up, bend down, and stack the blocks all without the tower spilling. <br />
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Introduce balance into the activity by placing the pieces on different surfaces around the room, then have the child move from place to place, putting each piece on their head without spilling the tower. <br />
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For group or individual play, complete a relay race. Separate the pieces so that child must walk back and forth between two surfaces to achieve the correct order of the stacking. If working in teams, each player must pass the hat successively to the next for the placement of the next piece. <br />
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Other relay ideas: the teams must first work together to create the stack in the correct order on the table. Then each team member takes a turn wearing the hat while walking a fixed distance. The hat must be passed between teams members as a baton would be n a relay race. </span><span id="goog_992771089"></span><span id="goog_992771094"></span></span></span><br /></div>
Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-74343961766737318842012-10-15T07:30:00.000-07:002012-10-15T07:30:03.576-07:00Don Peek - I Always Welcome Good News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter</strong></span></a></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I Always Welcome Good
News<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few weeks ago I wrote about the positive difference my
grandson’s current school system has made in his attitude toward school and in
some ways life in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandson
is autistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he has problems with
both verbal and non-verbal communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He engages in repetitive activities and stereotypical movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He resists changes in his routine and can
“lose it” when he’s around crying children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But he’s my grandson, and I want what’s best and right for him just as I
do my other grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was good news for me when I learned that he liked his
present school and was doing well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was equally good news to me this week when I learned through my son and his
wife that my grandson will definitely be receiving transitional services next
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know schools are obligated
to provide services up through the school year of a student’s 21<sup>st</sup>
birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all of them do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all of them let parents know what is
available and what can be done to help that special education child with the transition
from high school to college, specialized training, the work force in general,
or just the rest of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some schools do not graduate students when they reach the
typical senior age of 18 or 19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
simply keep them in school taking classes until they reach 21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The transitional plan, as with everything
else dealing with special education students, should be detailed in the
IEP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers and parents have to come
together and decide what is most beneficial for special education students when
they reach 18, and decide if it’s best for them to continue going to school or
if it’s best for them to go into some kind of outside transitional program.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the quality of these transitional programs is
not consistent across the country and school districts are not consistent in
providing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, it is not
automatic that students once in a transitional program will remain in them
until they are 21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It depends on the
goals of the transitional program, the progress made, and the abilities of the
students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beginning at the age of 16, each students’ IEP’s must
include appropriate measurable postsecondary goals related to training,
education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living skills, as
well as the transitional services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
these goals are not met by the time the student earns enough credits to
graduate, the district is obligated to either keep the student in school or to
provide transitional services to meet these goals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If there is a dispute about whether the student should
receive a diploma or if the transitional plan is appropriate, a parent may file
for mediation and due process proceedings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who in the world wants or needs to be involved in that kind
of response?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s why I’m so glad
to hear that my grandson will graduate this spring, but he will promptly begin
his transitional program next fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
fuss, no fight, his school is providing what is right and what he needs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We want the very best for those we love, but it’s always
good to see the personnel of a school district want the very same things for
them that we do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Grant info:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monell Foundation Educational Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Ambrose Monell Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Giving on a national basis to improve the
physical, mental, and moral condition of humanity throughout the world. Giving
largely for hospitals and health services, scientific research, museums,
performing arts, and other cultural activities, and higher and secondary
education; support also for social services, research in political science,
mental health, and aid to the handicapped. No grants to individuals.<span style="color: #000084;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adult Literacy, Disabilities, General
Education, Health/PE<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher Ed,
Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10/31/12<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$5,000.00 – 1 million<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>212-245-1863<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:info@monellvetlesen.org"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">info@monellvetlesen.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.monellvetlesen.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.monellvetlesen.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-78035015410252766212012-10-01T07:30:00.000-07:002012-10-01T07:30:02.845-07:00Don Peek - Getting Familiar with those IEP's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter.</strong></span></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting Familiar with
those IEP’s<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just about everyone is back in school now, getting over the
newness and settling into the routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, it’s a no-brainer that both regular and special education
teachers should be pouring over the IEP’s right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of those IEP’s were developed and
approved by committee last spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
definitely time to put them to use.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of you are probably wondering why I would write about
something that should be so obvious to everyone involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I served in public education for 20
years as a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and an assistant
superintendent, and it was not until I became an assistant principal and
starting attending lots of review meetings that I fully understood how
important IEP’s were --- to both special ed and regular education teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once I saw the value of these documents, I became a very
strong advocate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit,
however, that while I was a regular ed teacher and taught many special
education students who were mainstreamed into my classes, I rarely glanced at
an IEP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have gotten them in my
mailbox and promptly put them in a filing cabinet where they stayed, unused,
for the remainder of the school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
that time, I didn’t know what an IEP was or how it was supposed to be used.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What’s a little frightening is that now, in 2012, there are
still many, many classroom teachers who pretty much ignore IEP’s and certainly
a large number who do not use them effectively. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a majority of these teachers are in regular
classrooms, it is not unheard of for some special education teachers to either
ignore or make half-hearted attempts at following the IEP’s they receive for
the students in their classrooms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are two main reasons for ignoring the directions laid out
in IEP’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, some teachers may not
have a clear understanding of what an IEP is or what they are required to do in
order to fulfill the obligations set forth in the IEP for each student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially true of new teachers who
are often overwhelmed the first few months they are in their classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These teachers need help, and they especially
need help in understanding how they may need to modify what they do when
working with mainstreamed special education students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other reason that teachers tend to ignore IEP’s is that
they are often required to do special work to modify their lessons,
assignments, and expectations for the special education students they teach,
and they are simply too lazy or too strong-willed to modify what they do for
any student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s true that I’m probably
talking about a very small percentage of teachers who have this attitude, but
even a small percentage of teachers can impact a very large number of students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">New teachers need help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other teachers need to be counseled and monitored closely enough to
let them know that carrying out the mandates in IEP’s is a part of their job
and simply not an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teaching is
not easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who has worked as a
classroom teacher at any level can tell you that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is true that having to modify lessons
for individual students in a classroom makes that job more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What everyone (parents, teachers, and administrators) needs
to understand, however, is that well-developed IEP’s are the key to success and
growth when dealing with special education students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The contents of an IEP should never be made
light of or ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students with
disabilities have it tough enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
the least we can do as teachers and administrators to follow the guidelines in
their IEP’s so that we have the greatest chance of success when we work with
these students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kresge Foundation Educational Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kresge Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Giving on a national basis with emphasis
on Detroit, MI, as well as some international funding to strengthen nonprofit
organizations by catalyzing their growth, connecting them to their stake
holders, and challenging greater support through grants. Grants are awarded to
nonprofit organizations operating in the fields of education, health and
long-term care, human services, arts and humanities, public affairs, and
science, nature, and the environment. No grants to individuals, or for debt
retirement, projects that are already substantially completed, minor equipment
purchases, or for constructing buildings for worship services and provide no
support for religious organizations, (unless applicant is operated by a
religious organization and it serves secular needs and has financial and
governing autonomy separate from the parent organization with space formally
dedicated to its programs) private foundations, or elementary and secondary
schools (unless they predominantly serve individuals with physical and/or
developmental disabilities). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After-School, Arts, Disabilities, General
Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies,
Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private School, Higher Ed,
Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See website for details.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$10,000.00 - $500,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Telephone:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>248-643-9630<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:info@kresge.org"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">info@kresge.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.kresge.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.kresge.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</a>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-84819916440498270362012-09-24T08:00:00.000-07:002012-09-24T08:00:07.646-07:00Don Peek - Let's Teach These First<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter.</strong></span></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s Teach These First<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most classroom teachers have a curriculum that needs to be
taught during the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do think,
however, that teachers need to focus on teaching three things first, especially
if they are teaching children with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students at all age levels need to know how to stay out of
danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means fundamentally that
they need to be able to read warning signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, at first you think of the poison warning signs that appear on
chemicals in the home, and those are certainly important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But shouldn’t a student in a wheelchair also
know the unwritten warning signs that could keep them safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are crossing a street in a wheelchair,
they cannot be seen in the same way that a walking adult can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to learn what extra precautions
they need to take when crossing streets to be as safe as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure that the students with disabilities for whom you are
responsible are aware of the normal danger signs, but also teach them the
special dangers that are particularly related to their disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may save their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The second thing I believe we need to teach students with
disabilities (as well as all other students) is how to get along well with
other students and adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these
students don’t want sympathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want
to be treated like every other student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What most do want from others is as much empathy as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they can get other non-disabled people to
put themselves in their place, to recognize the disability but not to build the
relationship based on it, they will go much further in social circles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do realize that socialization is a major problem for
students with certain disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, it can be one of the main issues with which some special education
students have to deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, if
these students can learn to carry on reasonable conversations and get the
information from others that they need to be safe and function in mainstream
ways, their lives will be much safer, fuller, and richer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine how lonely and frustrating it
is for students who recognize they have problems socializing with others and
have no idea how to remedy the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Help them to learn these skill as well as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The third major thing we need to teach all disabled students
is how to read just as well as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not, reading still opens
whole new worlds to us, and many times the worlds of the disabled are smaller
than they are for the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
more severely disabled the student, the more his or world revolves around that
disability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If those students know how
to read as well as they can potentially read, at least it opens various topics
up to them that they can enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
doesn’t matter in this case what they read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reading becomes an avenue for pleasure and for broadening their
experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sure they can watch television and YouTube, but you have to
read to some degree to even use them properly if you’re trying to find the
topics you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, as I’ve
discussed in detail on this blog, reading is absolutely fundamental to any kind
of success in other classes at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We may be a video nation, but there is still a ton of learning done and
a lot of pleasure taken in being able to read well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Teach your students, disabled and otherwise, to be safe in a
dangerous world, to learn how to get along and converse with their peers and
adults, and how to read just as well as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do teach these 3 things, you are well
on your way to shaping your students’ lives in a positive fashion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DonorsChoose.org Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DonorsChoose.org<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with
resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site,
teachers register, and then submit project proposals for materials or
experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality
when concerned individuals choose projects to fund. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education, All Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No Deadline<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No set amount.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.donorschoose.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></a>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-15775266789706831262012-09-12T12:11:00.000-07:002012-09-19T12:25:15.207-07:00Don Peek - Getting Ready for School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs </span></strong><a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> </span></span></strong><a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>schoolfundingcenter.</strong></span></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting Ready for
School</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As everyone knows, summer is fading fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students have a full spectrum of feelings and
attitudes about the beginning of school each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both parents and teachers have to recognize
that fact and prepare students for the very best start possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true for special needs children just
as it is for other students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For students who have felt bored during the summer, the
start of school may be an exciting time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Going to buy school supplies and getting to shop for new school clothes
can be an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically students
who do well in school look forward to school opening more than other students,
but that is not always the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
students are very social and have been cut off from their peers during summer
vacation, they will likely look forward to going back to school regardless of
how well they actually do in their coursework.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Special needs children who do not do well in school and do
not do well socially may dread the beginning of school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents and teachers need to work and plan to
make the transition from summer vacation to the beginning of classes as
painless as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not always
an easy task, but it is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buying
clothes and school supplies may not be fun, but if you go to a game room and an
ice cream parlor while you’re out shopping, it might at least make the trip
tolerable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also want parents and teachers to know that just because a
child hasn’t done well in school before and has never looked forward to
starting school in the fall, it’s not out of the question for that pattern to
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve mentioned before that I
have an autistic grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went to
intermediate school and part of middle school in one state, then my son took
another job and had to move him to another state.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The transition for my grandson was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he went to the first school, he never
had anything good to say about his teachers or his school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he has attended his new school (now in
his senior year), he has always looked forward to going to school and for the
school year to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He’s still autistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He still has the same problems at school and outside of school most
associated with autism, but his attitude toward school and how well he does in
school has changed dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t
help<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but think that the attitude and
actions of his teachers, the way the special education program is run, and the
way other students are taught to respect special needs students all have had an
impact on my grandson and his education in his new school.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, his teachers have had to call home because of his
behavior at times (especially when he changed his medication).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, yes, some students have made fun of him
at times (we are talking about a real middle school and high school here), but
overall his experience with school has been dramatically different.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you are a parent, regardless of the disability of your
child, give some special thought about the problems your child might have
returning to school this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
are a teacher, think long and hard how you can make each special needs student
feel welcome at school and as successful as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the attitudes and actions of parents and
teachers can have a dramatic impact on students as they return to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never doubt that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be just as positive as you possible can with
every special needs child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Grant Name:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Funded By:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Association for Physical Activity
and Recreation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant supports
recreational programs for individuals with disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Program Areas:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Recipients:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Proposal Deadline:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December 1<sup>st</sup> each year<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Average Amount:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$500.00 - $1,500.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Email:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Website:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Availability:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br /><br /></a>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-65256341821977884182012-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:44:24.257-08:00Activity guide - Cushy Bean Pad<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the <span id="goog_992771089"></span><span id="goog_992771094"></span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2657&keyword=cushy%20beans&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Cush<span id="goog_992771098"></span>y Bean Pad - 4 Piece Set</a>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkGJRIOU3DCbECtNebMQ_lu1ZOhYtutEaqtMD1VSBHVFovXwqEvpJAayUz6iyiFKPLlxqW_R5eA1cZ30ZcyvatDMQX7nbKv_4iu6Dk2h2pevYzfFXvdJYP36ef-vnmmgi9lbl_CBKDPTS/s1600/beanPad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkGJRIOU3DCbECtNebMQ_lu1ZOhYtutEaqtMD1VSBHVFovXwqEvpJAayUz6iyiFKPLlxqW_R5eA1cZ30ZcyvatDMQX7nbKv_4iu6Dk2h2pevYzfFXvdJYP36ef-vnmmgi9lbl_CBKDPTS/s400/beanPad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Cushy Beans Sit Cushion provides a portable seating
option for almost anyone. The cushion itself is made from a waterproof material
with three different machine washable covers, all in different textures.
Therefore, you can tailor make the cushion for the child’s particular tactile needs.
The micro-bead stuffing provides children with the ability to have a stable
surface on which they can also move. The white inner cushion is waterproof and surface
washable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Activity Ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>The cushion can be used for adaptive seating in
almost any setting as it is portable and easy </span><span style="font-size: large;">to carry. It can be used to sit on or as a
lap buddy placed on top of the legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>Use the cushion for tactile stimulation. Have
the child rank the covers in order of </span><span style="font-size: large;">preference. Start with the most preferred
cover. Place the cushion on top of the child’s lap </span><span style="font-size: large;">and set a timer for a maximum time limit of
choice while performing other activities. After </span><span style="font-size: large;">that time limit has been achieved, remove
the cover and move to the next in line. See if the </span><span style="font-size: large;">child can tolerate the cushion on his/her
lap for the same time limit. Repeat with </span><span style="font-size: large;">the third cover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span>The cushion is ideal for fine motor
strengthening. Have the child change the covers </span><span style="font-size: large;">on the cushion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How to Care for your Cushy Beans Sit Cushion and Covers:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>Inner (white) cushion: Surface wash only<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span>Covers: Machine wash cold, hang to dry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For more information about the <span id="goog_992771094"></span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2657&keyword=cushy%20beans&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Cush<span id="goog_992771098"></span>y Bean Pad - 4 Piece Set</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-85354050330957422972012-08-31T07:00:00.000-07:002012-08-31T07:00:10.320-07:00Don Peek: Let’s Teach These First<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs <a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> <a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600;">schoolfundingcenter.</span></a></a></strong></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s Teach These First<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most classroom teachers have a curriculum that needs to be
taught during the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do think,
however, that teachers need to focus on teaching three things first, especially
if they are teaching children with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students at all age levels need to know how to stay out of
danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means fundamentally that
they need to be able to read warning signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, at first you think of the poison warning signs that appear on
chemicals in the home, and those are certainly important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But shouldn’t a student in a wheelchair also
know the unwritten warning signs that could keep them safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are crossing a street in a wheelchair,
they cannot be seen in the same way that a walking adult can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to learn what extra precautions
they need to take when crossing streets to be as safe as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure that the students with disabilities for whom you are
responsible are aware of the normal danger signs, but also teach them the
special dangers that are particularly related to their disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may save their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The second thing I believe we need to teach students with
disabilities (as well as all other students) is how to get along well with
other students and adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these
students don’t want sympathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want
to be treated like every other student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What most do want from others is as much empathy as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they can get other non-disabled people to
put themselves in their place, to recognize the disability but not to build the
relationship based on it, they will go much further in social circles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do realize that socialization is a major problem for
students with certain disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, it can be one of the main issues with which some special education
students have to deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, if
these students can learn to carry on reasonable conversations and get the
information from others that they need to be safe and function in mainstream
ways, their lives will be much safer, fuller, and richer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you imagine how lonely and frustrating it
is for students who recognize they have problems socializing with others and
have no idea how to remedy the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Help them to learn these skill as well as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The third major thing we need to teach all disabled students
is how to read just as well as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not, reading still opens
whole new worlds to us, and many times the worlds of the disabled are smaller
than they are for the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
more severely disabled the student, the more his or world revolves around that
disability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If those students know how
to read as well as they can potentially read, at least it opens various topics
up to them that they can enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
doesn’t matter in this case what they read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reading becomes an avenue for pleasure and for broadening their
experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sure they can watch television and YouTube, but you have to
read to some degree to even use them properly if you’re trying to find the
topics you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, as I’ve
discussed in detail on this blog, reading is absolutely fundamental to any kind
of success in other classes at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We may be a video nation, but there is still a ton of learning done and
a lot of pleasure taken in being able to read well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Teach your students, disabled and otherwise, to be safe in a
dangerous world, to learn how to get along and converse with their peers and
adults, and how to read just as well as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you do teach these 3 things, you are well
on your way to shaping your students’ lives in a positive fashion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">-------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Grant Info:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DonorsChoose.org Grants<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DonorsChoose.org<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with
resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site,
teachers register, and then submit project proposals for materials or
experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality
when concerned individuals choose projects to fund. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education, All Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No Deadline<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No set amount.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.donorschoose.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-86366782629080407372012-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-27T08:00:11.987-07:00Activity Guide: The Button Bear Weighted Lap Pad<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2658&keyword=button%20bear&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Button Bear Weighted Lap Pad</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvQ1IDoGnQIOM9U2_poMB_j3Ca8QT6492UuMy9_jFEAzMq8hH0Fn7qEDcSZv0eterdg4z_o61-K5rbTuG7khu8hc6A0Iqzwua_uF5Zf_ePQEOzi7d0H8jF9vyYW4YJ4ztaKm4Q67HHI23/s1600/button+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvQ1IDoGnQIOM9U2_poMB_j3Ca8QT6492UuMy9_jFEAzMq8hH0Fn7qEDcSZv0eterdg4z_o61-K5rbTuG7khu8hc6A0Iqzwua_uF5Zf_ePQEOzi7d0H8jF9vyYW4YJ4ztaKm4Q67HHI23/s400/button+bear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Providing both a weighted lap pad and a bear with several
different options for developing dressing skills, the Button Bear Dressing
Skills Lap Pad is perfect for developing the fine motor skills needed for
buttoning, zipping, tying, and additional dressing skills while providing the
option of a weighted lap pad for improved sensory regulation. The detachable
bear allows the pad and the bear to be used separately or in conjunction with
each other. The colorful and charming nature of the bear provides a naturally
engaging dressing toy that will entertain children for extended periods. The
fabric was also designed to assist with tactile processing skills, providing
several different textures that should be pleasing, even to the tactile
defensive child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Activity Ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">• Add the weights into the pad and
place the pad on the child’s lap during classroom or community </span><span style="font-size: large;">activities that require a child to
maintain a seated position or long periods of focus such as circle </span><span style="font-size: large;">time, church, car rides or dining
out. The weighted nature of the pad will provide proprioceptive </span><span style="font-size: large;">input and the bear will provide
fidget toys, both of which should assist the child with </span><span style="font-size: large;">self-regulation and attentional
focus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">• The bear is attached to the pad
with hook and loop. Have the child pull the bear off the pad and </span><span style="font-size: large;">reattach. This exercise will help
develop strength in the hands and arms and also improves </span><span style="font-size: large;">motor planning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">• Place the pad (with or without
weights) on the child’s lap with the bear’s feet facing the child’s </span><span style="font-size: large;">belly. Experiment with the
different dressing items.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">• Switch the orientation of the
bear so that the head is against the child’s belly and experiment with </span><span style="font-size: large;">dressing from this direction. The
change in orientation will provide a different challenge for the </span><span style="font-size: large;">child but is also closer to the
perspective of dressing themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">• Have the child remove the bear
from the pad. Using just the bear, the child can engage in pretend </span><span style="font-size: large;">play with the bear as if it were a
typical doll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">• With the bear removed, the pad
can be used as a regular weighted lap pad for </span><span style="font-size: large;">proprioceptive input.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">• The bear itself can also be used
as a portable and socially appropriate fidget toy for holding </span><span style="font-size: large;">attention and self-regulation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">For more information about the <a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2658&keyword=button%20bear&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=" target="_blank">Button Bear Weighted Lap Pad</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">and other great items please visit </span></span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-73648074113597671842012-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-24T08:00:01.593-07:00Don Peek: Disability: Traumatic Brain Injury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span></strong><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs <a es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1963665884" quot="quot"><span style="color: black;">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to</span> <a href="http://schoolfundingcenter./"><span style="color: #cc6600;">schoolfundingcenter.</span></a></a></strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disability:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traumatic Brain Injury<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By IDEA definition, traumatic brain injury is “an acquired
injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or
partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed
head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition;
language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment;
problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psycho-social
behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does
not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain
injuries induced by birth trauma.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These brain injuries may happen more often than you
think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 1,400,000 people have
traumatic brain injuries each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
children 0-14 years traumatic brain injuries annually result in 435,000 trips
to the emergency room, 37,000 hospitalizations, and almost 2,700 deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2007, nearly 25,000 school-aged children
received special education services for traumatic brain injury.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the greatest problems from traumatic brain injury
arise in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Educators may not
realize that the difficulties a child is having are the result of injury and
may misdiagnose the child as having a learning disability, emotional
disturbance, or an intellectual disability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In many cases as a result of misdiagnosis, the child does not receive
the educational help and support he/she needs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Children who are already in school when they have an
incident that results in traumatic brain injury may have a host of
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only have many of them
lost some of the skills they once possessed in both the academic and social
areas, they can remember how they were before the injury and have trouble
adjusting to a new, lower set of skills that they now are forced to live with.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If that were not bad enough, both classmates and teachers
also remember them pre-injury and often have trouble adjusting their
expectations for those who have received traumatic brain injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially true if the injured person
shows no physical signs of injury.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is tremendously important for parents to contact school
officials before their child returns to school. Special education services
should do a thorough evaluation of the child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Using that evaluation, special education professionals, teachers,
parents, and administrators should agree on an Individualized Educational
Program (IEP) that will best serve the child’s educational needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is imperative that this plan remain
flexible in the early stages to see exactly what works best with the individual
child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, it is not only the child who suffers from this
type of injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents see their child
change dramatically literally overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Both parent and child may benefit from counseling because of the
dramatic changes brought about by a traumatic brain injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if the injury is caused by
a car wreck, a fall, a bicycle accident, or some other way, the results
generally mean a change in lifestyle for the child especially, but also for the
rest of the family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When a child receives a traumatic brain injury, he/she may
exhibit physical disabilities, difficulties in thinking, or social, behavioral,
or emotional problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early diagnosis
and intervention are essential, and it is vital that parents, special
educators, and other teachers and administrators work together to help the
child cope with such an injury.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p>Grant Info:</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grant Name:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s ALL Play<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Funded By:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>National Inclusion Project<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s ALL Play brings an inclusive
recreational experience to children with disabilities. Through training,
staffing, and scholarships, Let’s ALL Play gives children with disabilities the
same experience as those without. Children with disabilities and their peers
who are typically developing come together to participate in recreational
activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, community service, physical
fitness and more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Program Areas:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recipients:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Proposal Deadline:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9/15/12<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amount:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$10,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact Person:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aron Hall<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Email:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:aronhall@inclusionprojects.org"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">aronhall@inclusionprojects.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Website:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.inclusionproject.org/level_2.php?id=3"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://www.inclusionproject.org/level_2.php?id=3</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Availability:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-52351301495555216432012-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-20T08:00:11.238-07:00Activity Guide: Octaband®<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Octaband®.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7yUbGifNNQkG9YfrPmdnVWIhc4Ut4p0rdCP8milqsovLg9xvpIWjBtFtKeQtlMloDwB6GtB8xdlwSN-UdbMDzZ4XsNeTPK7xDOJxmubIwnMV_M6PsOv4R8PhcXbpDaUpNT2hpxFhr4vM/s1600/octaband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf7yUbGifNNQkG9YfrPmdnVWIhc4Ut4p0rdCP8milqsovLg9xvpIWjBtFtKeQtlMloDwB6GtB8xdlwSN-UdbMDzZ4XsNeTPK7xDOJxmubIwnMV_M6PsOv4R8PhcXbpDaUpNT2hpxFhr4vM/s400/octaband.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The
</span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=1858&keyword=octaband&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Octaband®</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">
is a great tool for group activity. It helps to develop strength and motor
coordination while developing the ability to function as part of a group.
Listening skills, teamwork, attention, and cooperation can also be taught. The
Octaband can be used while sitting or standing and can be used with the hands
or the feet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Activity Ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ring Around the Rosey. Have each child grab one
arm of the Octaband and stretch it to its full length. The arm must be kept at
its full length while the children walk in a circle to the Ring Around the
Rosey tune. When they "all fall down" they must let go of the arms of
the Octaband and grab a different color for the next round.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Play Duck-Duck-Goose. Each child sits and holds
a fully extended arm. When the "goose" gets picked, they caller needs
to get to the open arm and stretch it out before they are safe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Play Hokey Pokey. When the children "turn
themselves around" they have to hold the arms fully extended while they
spin in a circle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have each child grab hold of one arm of the
Octaband. Call out a color and the children holding that color must stretch out
and come back to the circle. Give them unique moves to do when they come back
into the circle such as spinning into the circle so that the Octaband arm wraps
around their body, hopping in on one foot, taking one big jump to return, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work on teamwork and sequencing by doing
"the wave". All the children holding the pink arms pull out and come
back. When they get to the center, the children holding blue pull out and come
back followed by the yellow. See how many correct rotation the group can
achieve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Holding an arm in one hand (specify left or
right) have the children rotate the Octaband to the opposite hand to spin it in
a circle. Perform with both hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For
more information about the </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=1858&keyword=octaband&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Octaband®</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-66777398021489178002012-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-06T08:00:04.220-07:00Don Peek: Getting Ready for School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>This post is authored by Don Peek, a former
educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He
now runs <a"" &es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.educationworld.com/go/base?id=GHY">The School Funding Center, a company that
provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more,
or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to <a href="http://schoolfundingcenter.com/"><span style="color: #cc6600;">schoolfundingcenter.</span></a></a""></strong></span></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting Ready for
School<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As everyone knows, summer is fading fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students have a full spectrum of feelings and
attitudes about the beginning of school each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both parents and teachers have to recognize
that fact and prepare students for the very best start possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true for special needs children just
as it is for other students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">For students who have felt bored during the summer, the
start of school may be an exciting time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Going to buy school supplies and getting to shop for new school clothes
can be an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically students
who do well in school look forward to school opening more than other students,
but that is not always the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
students are very social and have been cut off from their peers during summer
vacation, they will likely look forward to going back to school regardless of
how well they actually do in their coursework.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Special needs children who do not do well in school and do
not do well socially may dread the beginning of school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents and teachers need to work and plan to
make the transition from summer vacation to the beginning of classes as
painless as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not always
an easy task, but it is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buying
clothes and school supplies may not be fun, but if you go to a game room and an
ice cream parlor while you’re out shopping, it might at least make the trip
tolerable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also want parents and teachers to know that just because a
child hasn’t done well in school before and has never looked forward to
starting school in the fall, it’s not out of the question for that pattern to
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve mentioned before that I
have an autistic grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went to
intermediate school and part of middle school in one state, then my son took
another job and had to move him to another state.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The transition for my grandson was amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he went to the first school, he never
had anything good to say about his teachers or his school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since he has attended his new school (now in
his senior year), he has always looked forward to going to school and for the
school year to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">He’s still autistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He still has the same problems at school and outside of school most
associated with autism, but his attitude toward school and how well he does in
school has changed dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t
help<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but think that the attitude and
actions of his teachers, the way the special education program is run, and the
way other students are taught to respect special needs students all have had an
impact on my grandson and his education in his new school.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, his teachers have had to call home because of his
behavior at times (especially when he changed his medication).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, yes, some students have made fun of him
at times (we are talking about a real middle school and high school here), but
overall his experience with school has been dramatically different.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are a parent, regardless of the disability of your
child, give some special thought about the problems your child might have
returning to school this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
are a teacher, think long and hard how you can make each special needs student
feel welcome at school and as successful as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the attitudes and actions of parents and
teachers can have a dramatic impact on students as they return to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never doubt that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be just as positive as you possible can with
every special needs child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Grant info:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Association for Physical Activity
and Recreation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant supports
recreational programs for individuals with disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December 1<sup>st</sup> each year<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$500.00 - $1,500.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-23836873443339367732012-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:002012-08-01T08:00:07.482-07:00Activity Guide: Tobbles™<strong><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tobbles</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">™.</span></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QVUfDLOZBM5Wb_ayv9w1lQXdVeOK0QUEWX0YtEbX2p-ziKyvOZjgWtZO9ITuoiI3SY3fNC7WRLHImp1i43c2YG_f0gUqKsmS9tRCiyqjI4_UxdWqGwNkIbd0o4UXuNc5mtaOn6yt5JLI/s1600/Tobbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QVUfDLOZBM5Wb_ayv9w1lQXdVeOK0QUEWX0YtEbX2p-ziKyvOZjgWtZO9ITuoiI3SY3fNC7WRLHImp1i43c2YG_f0gUqKsmS9tRCiyqjI4_UxdWqGwNkIbd0o4UXuNc5mtaOn6yt5JLI/s400/Tobbles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2539&keyword=tobbles&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tobbles<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">™</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"> is an almost full-proof balancing/nesting
game. Each piece is designed to be able to balance in numerous positions to
create multiple different tower configurations. Most importantly, Tobbles
allows kids to be successful in stacking while working on fine motor skills.
Used in a group, kids can work on turn-taking, social skills, teamwork, and
cooperation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Activity Ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simple stacking activities. Let the child be
creative with his/her designs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Group activities. Take turns stacking the
pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sequencing activities. Give the child a sequence
of colors or sizes for stacking and see if they can follow the sequence from
memory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Color matching. Stack the blocks according to
matching colors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For
more information about </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2539&keyword=tobbles&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Tobbles™</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-3900682481463846102012-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:002012-07-30T08:00:01.011-07:00Don Peek: Deafness and Hearing Loss<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s1600/DonPeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4A_BoaeWhQ47u3vm5LuaBeE81lLPOyCXH3TLUEdVJPHHFedZzg1BMXu8bl4u99SK2zb_Gr7GMZkd-eKujTq-nyvoCXsyacldC68rX6B1YdocXm_7D5l0Kgk7Vm7RXot0oNtr8PV4IsX2/s200/DonPeek.jpg" width="158" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs <a"" &es="4567500000W"target=_NEW"" href="http://www.educationworld.com/go/base?id=GHY">The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to <a href="http://schoolfundingcenter.com/"><span style="color: #cc6600;">schoolfundingcenter.</span></a></a""></strong></span></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Disability:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deafness and Hearing Loss<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">By IDEA definition, deafness means a hearing impairment so
severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through
hearing, with or without amplification, that it adversely affects a child’s educational
performance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">When a child shows any signs of hearing loss, parents should
take immediate steps to have that child examined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since most communication skills are developed
before the age of 3, it is imperative that parents have their children examined
at the first sign of hearing loss and begin a program to counteract that
loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early recognition of hearing
problems is so important, most states require hospitals to test babies for
hearing loss before they ever leave the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If deafness or hearing loss is not detected at birth,
parents and teachers need to be aware of the signs of hearing loss or
deafness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deafness or hearing loss may
be present if a child:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does not respond consistently to sounds,
especially his or her own name.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Asks for things to be repeated or often says
“huh?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is delayed in developing speech or has speech
that is unclear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turns up the volume on the TV and other
electronic devices.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, since speech is tied to hearing, it is vitally
important that a child be diagnosed with a hearing loss as soon as possible and
appropriate measures taken.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">At least 50% of all deafness is genetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is why most states require testing
within hours of birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other causes of
hearing loss at birth may be certain infections during pregnancy and
complications during pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a
child has no hearing problems at birth, they still may develop a problem as a
result of such things as:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a buildup of
fluid behind the eardrum, ear infections, childhood diseases, and head
trauma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hearing loss can also be a
characteristic of other disabilities such as Usher, Down, Crouzon, Treacher
Collins, or Alport syndromes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once again, regardless of the cause, early detention and
intervention are imperative since deafness and hearing loss are so closely tied
to the development of communications skills.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The latest government statistics showed slightly more than
70,000 students qualified for special education services under the category of
hearing impairment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is slightly
more than 1% of all special education students in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately for both parents and teachers an abundance of
help is available if a child is suspected of having hearing problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) provides for free evaluation of any child suspected of having a
hearing problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the child is less
than 3 years old, states are mandated to provide services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over 3, parents should contact their local
public school district for screening and special education services.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Deafness is a disability that can impact the remainder of a
child’s life whether it is present at birth or develops later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents and teachers need to be alert for any
sign that a hearing disability is present.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grant Info:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grant Name:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funded By:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Association for Physical Activity
and Recreation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Description:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant supports
recreational programs for individuals with disabilities<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Program Areas:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disabilities, Special Education<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recipients:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Proposal Deadline:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>December 1<sup>st</sup> each year<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average Amount:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$500.00 - $1,500.00<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Email:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="mailto:AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Website:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Availability:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All States<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-893510878749170811.post-13451737283712827632012-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:002012-07-31T14:50:11.015-07:00Activity Guide: Joey Jump<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The team at </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/community/landing.aspx?campaignid=9003&src=Home_ArticleButton" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Achievement Products</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today we will look at the Joey Jump.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4vuUYOVwRFnNXw2CC2j76Uaj1dNWTnNzEfXdRIIX_3-GYk7XQiJssjaXeOhYPhI8bEWZnXVbg-JvEd0E8vDPYoyC2HslvQ_q0eZ_K__4WISNKxQ1jFU05dWiIGwXkSoWKlCptVLVCJ7w/s1600/Joey+Jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4vuUYOVwRFnNXw2CC2j76Uaj1dNWTnNzEfXdRIIX_3-GYk7XQiJssjaXeOhYPhI8bEWZnXVbg-JvEd0E8vDPYoyC2HslvQ_q0eZ_K__4WISNKxQ1jFU05dWiIGwXkSoWKlCptVLVCJ7w/s400/Joey+Jump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The
</span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=324&keyword=joey%20jump&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Joey
Jump</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"> is an intoxicating tool designed for the development of whole body
integration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Joey Jump can be used
with an individual child to teach body awareness and motor planning, eye-hand
coordination skills, visual tracking, and bilateral integration skills. When
used in a group, teamwork and social skills can also be integrated into the
activity. The Joey Jump includes two spots for beanbag placement providing for
natural gradation of the activity from easy to harder. Most importantly,
children are drawn instinctively to this product.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Activity Ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Count the catches. See how many consecutive
catches the child can achieve. If you have more than one child, you can have
individual competitions to see who can catch the most, since not much room is
required for use. Multiple Joey Jumps can be set up in a small area for
competitions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monitor the height. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to teach body awareness, instruct the
child to hit the Joey Jump with the same amount of force each time to see if
the beanbag can fly at the same height each time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Challenge the child to stomp with his/her right
foot and catch with his/her left hand and vice versa to teach skills such as
bilateral integration and crossing the midline. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a therapist or teacher stomp on the Joey
Jump to change the height of the beanbag flight and challenge the eye-hand and
visual tracking skills of the child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work in groups. With two children, one can stomp
and one can catch. With more than two children, take turns on who catches, or
challenge them by calling out a name while the beanbag is in the air to
challenge their listening skills as well as their motor reactions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do team relay races. Put separate Joey Jumps
opposite each other. One child stomps and catches and then has to run the
beanbag to his teammate. That child stomps and catches and runs it back to the
other side. The child must continue the stomp and catch until he/she catches
the beanbag in the air before delivering it to his teammate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Challenge with two beanbags. Place both beanbags
on the Joey Jump and see if the child can catch both with one stomp.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">For
more information about the </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=324&keyword=joey%20jump&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price="><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Joey
Jump</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> and other great items please visit </span><a href="http://www.achievement-products.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">http://www.achievement-products.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">.</span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Team of Contributorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790326103615022538noreply@blogger.com3