Distance learning is gaining trust among students looking to upgrade themselves for better career prospects. Distance learning serves as an alternative for students looking out for graduation without undergoing any form of conventional classroom learning. With the rising competitiveness in the market, more and more adults are taking interest in pursuing higher education. Considering the rise in interest for higher education via Distance learning, education providers are looking forward to offer new technologies in order to meet this demand.
Online institute no doubt offer much of freedom and flexibility. Most students enrolling for accredited online degree program courses are working full-time and doing well in their jobs. They need a source of income to run their family's expenses and quitting jobs mean inviting financial problems. So, in order to upgrade their educational qualifications along with a job, distance learning courses are the preferred choice.
In online classes and course, students study about the business world via technical characteristics of an internet. The online classes and courses are accomplished on the internet in several different methods. The seminars and lectures can be brought on the internet and there are several of options for downloading and file uploading, forums, web chatting and video streaming. The students enroll in online degree program will be capable to reach the syllabus on the internet and normally there will be standard sessions with the other students and teachers. Just like the other course, classes are focused to the similar great standards while the homework is all the times present.
Distance learning is available for a wide spectrum of courses. And these courses have been steadily getting the popularity in the past few years due to the many different advantages which the students can get from them. And the very first advantage is a convenience thing. Persons don't have to go away their residences to take the classes. So that is why they can save their lots of money and time. Furthermore, it is perfect for those online students who have to manage academic, professional and family responsibilities. Another added benefit is that students have access to learning anywhere and at any time with no limitations and restrictions time and location of study. It gives students ample time to spend with their family and work. Also, distance online education saves the time and cost incurred in traveling.
The choice to become successful in your job depends upon your skill to obtain the right field regarding examine that fits the academic needs as well as profession targets.
Author writes article on online education in India. He is impressed with the evolution of technology which enables students to pursue their studies online. Colleges in Chandigarh are the perfect example of institutes which believes in accredited education.
By Jaspreet Singh Dutt A
Tips for Improving Your English Through Movies
Movies and films give more than just entertainment. Watching foreign language movies is a fun, motivating way to improve language skills. While enjoying a movie, you can be immersed into authentic and varied language, the visual context and new expressions that you may not find in a textbook. Below are some ways that watching English movies can help you to learn English, and guide you how to get the most out of this technique.
How watching movies helps to improve your English skills
1. Listening skills
Watching movies is a great way to boost your listening skills. You will hear English used in a natural way, informal English, slag words and phrases you do not often find in books or dictionaries.
2. Speaking skills
Repeating what you hear on the screen can go a long way towards improving your speaking skills, from your fluency, words linking, pronunciation, to correct intonation.
3. Vocabulary and grammar
You will have chance to learn many words, phrases and grammar and how they are used in real life.
Watching movies and films, obviously helps to improve your English. However, while some can use this technique effectively, many people find it difficult. For example, there are no subtitles; they have to keep on pausing and playing to understand; they find it difficult to take notes while enjoying the movie; they are not sure whether they can remember these words after.
So how can learning English through movies be made enjoyable and effective?
1. Enjoy them
You don't need to understand everything. If you try too hard, it will be frustrating experience studying the language. Instead, try catching words and grammar points you already know and those you are not familiar with. You can pause and replay when you find something interesting or if you want to verify something. It is easier and time-saving if you have both English subtitles in your mother language. Since not all films have these, you can check the movie transcripts.
2. Re-watching, listening and shadowing
Re-watch your favorite films, and replay your favorite scenes. The more you re-watch, the more you can focus on the speech because you already know what is happening in every scene. Instead of focusing on what is happening, you can give more attention to what you hear. If you don't have time to re-watch the movie, then listen to the film audio. You can rip audio from films, save them as Mp3 files, and play them while doing other things. Also, mimic the way the actors say the lines by repeating them. You can look at the transcripts while doing so.
3. Use movies to reinforce what you have learned from textbook lessons
You can remember lots of new words and grammar through watching movies. Just compile transcripts of your favorite films in a single document. For new words and grammar that you meet in the lessons from your ELICOS courses, you can find them in the script, then check when and how they are used in different scenes in the film. To better remember the words and grammar, you can re-watch, and listen to the audio, color-note the script lines of the scenes that have the words you are studying and repeat them. Repeat and act out the scenes until you can recite and understand them without looking at the transcript and your notes.
In a nut shell
Learning English through movies is an enjoyable and effective strategy to improve your language skills. Don't stress yourself too much! Just enjoy watching movies, re-watch, listen and mimic your favorite movies and scenes. The subtitles and transcripts are also a great help. By so doing, you may be amazed at your language improvement as time goes by!
Learning English can be very fun and effective if you take ELICOS course at Scots English College (Scots). As a government registered ELICOS provider, Scots offers various premium quality ELICOS courses right in the heart of Sydney's CBD. We also have practical tips and useful resources to help you learn English quickly, easily and effectively. Check out these helpful tips to improve your English through English movies.
By Suri Do
How watching movies helps to improve your English skills
1. Listening skills
Watching movies is a great way to boost your listening skills. You will hear English used in a natural way, informal English, slag words and phrases you do not often find in books or dictionaries.
2. Speaking skills
Repeating what you hear on the screen can go a long way towards improving your speaking skills, from your fluency, words linking, pronunciation, to correct intonation.
3. Vocabulary and grammar
You will have chance to learn many words, phrases and grammar and how they are used in real life.
Watching movies and films, obviously helps to improve your English. However, while some can use this technique effectively, many people find it difficult. For example, there are no subtitles; they have to keep on pausing and playing to understand; they find it difficult to take notes while enjoying the movie; they are not sure whether they can remember these words after.
So how can learning English through movies be made enjoyable and effective?
1. Enjoy them
You don't need to understand everything. If you try too hard, it will be frustrating experience studying the language. Instead, try catching words and grammar points you already know and those you are not familiar with. You can pause and replay when you find something interesting or if you want to verify something. It is easier and time-saving if you have both English subtitles in your mother language. Since not all films have these, you can check the movie transcripts.
2. Re-watching, listening and shadowing
Re-watch your favorite films, and replay your favorite scenes. The more you re-watch, the more you can focus on the speech because you already know what is happening in every scene. Instead of focusing on what is happening, you can give more attention to what you hear. If you don't have time to re-watch the movie, then listen to the film audio. You can rip audio from films, save them as Mp3 files, and play them while doing other things. Also, mimic the way the actors say the lines by repeating them. You can look at the transcripts while doing so.
3. Use movies to reinforce what you have learned from textbook lessons
You can remember lots of new words and grammar through watching movies. Just compile transcripts of your favorite films in a single document. For new words and grammar that you meet in the lessons from your ELICOS courses, you can find them in the script, then check when and how they are used in different scenes in the film. To better remember the words and grammar, you can re-watch, and listen to the audio, color-note the script lines of the scenes that have the words you are studying and repeat them. Repeat and act out the scenes until you can recite and understand them without looking at the transcript and your notes.
In a nut shell
Learning English through movies is an enjoyable and effective strategy to improve your language skills. Don't stress yourself too much! Just enjoy watching movies, re-watch, listen and mimic your favorite movies and scenes. The subtitles and transcripts are also a great help. By so doing, you may be amazed at your language improvement as time goes by!
Learning English can be very fun and effective if you take ELICOS course at Scots English College (Scots). As a government registered ELICOS provider, Scots offers various premium quality ELICOS courses right in the heart of Sydney's CBD. We also have practical tips and useful resources to help you learn English quickly, easily and effectively. Check out these helpful tips to improve your English through English movies.
By Suri Do
A Brief History of Special Education
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
When Learning Doesn't Come Easy
From the moment we find out we are expecting a child, our minds and hearts overflow with hopes and dreams for them. My child will be the most beautiful, brilliant, talented little person to ever walk the Earth, right? And they are that to each of us!
But sometimes, we discover there is a "problem." The last thing we want to admit is there is something different or wrong with our child. It's a hard thing to do. Not that we love them any less! But let's be honest, we would rather sit around other moms and share how our 4 year old can read a chapter book, do multiplication at age 6 and paint like Rembrandt by age 7. Not to mention, they are also on their way to the Olympics in two different sports. Or at least it seems that way when you are the one quietly listening to all the achievements of other people's children!
So, let's get a few things straight... Most likely those other moms are exaggerating a wee bit! And there is nothing wrong with your child! Even if your child has a learning disability. She or he simply learns differently than the mainstream! And really, that is kind of cool!
I didn't always feel that way though. After struggling to teach my daughter to read for 3 years with little progress I was getting pretty frustrated and so was she. Each school session ended in tears and some days started in tears with the mere mention of reading. She had always loved books and being read to and was excited to learn how to read by herself. So, why was it such a struggle? Was I just a bad teacher? Was she too easily distracted and not self motivated enough?
We finally decided to get testing done at age 7. I had noticed a lot of letter and word reversal while reading and writing as well as in math. She complained of her head and eyes hurting when reading (and a vision test found her to have 20/20 eyesight). I needed to know what was holding us back. I knew she was extremely intelligent in so many ways but we were hitting a brick wall. Since we homeschool, we decided to have her tested with a private therapist. It took 4 hours to complete and when finished we were told she had visual and auditory processing disorders.
I then went into mom research mode! And as I read and searched the internet and library, I became more and more confused and overwhelmed! There did not seem to be any truly helpful book or website and those I found seemed to tell me different things! We did decide to go to vision therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance, are any of us surprised? But we felt it was worth a try and worth the money. In therapy, she worked on re-learning phonics using A Time for Phonics. We also did assigned therapy at home. After 6 months she finished and I could definitely see a huge improvement! We did not do auditory therapy with the therapist because of cost, but I did use a program called Earobics for at home. I also found the book, The Out of Sync Child and When the Brain Can't Hear very helpful.
My search continued to find other ways to help her learn in a way that fit her learning styles. You see, processing disorders and dyslexia do not have to be a roadblock! There are so many ways to learn. The point where I realized this was when I happened to find a book by Ben Foss, The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. I encourage everyone to read it! Check out his website also! I kind of hate the word accommodations. It makes it sound like you need extra or special help, sort of like you are being allowed to cheat. There should be no shame in learning differently. Figure out what your child's strengths are and harness those skills. Don't focus on the standard way most kids are taught to read. I have been so incredibly thankful that we chose to homeschool because my daughter did not have to compare herself to others or be labeled in any way. But even if your child is in public or private school, remember your child is not broken, but the system may be. Advocate for your child to have the resources they need to excel and feel connected.
What resources can you use? Oh, there are so many! This is where I got overwhelmed! I am going to list some of the resources I felt were the best. But look around more and explore the options available!
-Audiobooks are your friend! Don't get behind learning because you can't read the material fast enough! If your child learns well by listening, give Audible a try. Amazon has audiobooks as well and so does your local library.
-A reading focus card. You can make your own or buy one. Also try printing your pages on yellow paper, or try other colors other than the usual white.
-Use a text-to-speech app such as Speak It or Talk to Me, and also a speech-to-text app such as Dragon Dictation. Another helpful app is Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.
-I love Snapwords for learning sitewords! There is also an app for Snapwords now!
-Fonts and background colors: Software that is regularly used in schools, such as Microsoft Word, is a good resource for fonts and background colors. Changing the background color to green, for example, can help with reading as can wearing green glasses. Fonts can also enable reading and understanding; teachers can download free specialist fonts, such as OpenDyslexic, which are free and can run on Microsoft software.
-All About Spelling, this curriculum is great for all children but the multi-sensory approach based on the Orton-Gillingham methods clicked with my daughter! We have not tried All About Reading but I would bet it is a good option.
-We used Rocket Phonics after we had finished vision therapy. It was developed by a dyslexic man, and it is fun! There are many games involved and interesting stories to read, not the usual boring books that are your typical easy reading.
-Math has been a struggle for us as well as reading. Memorizing facts is a challenge. I found a math program that uses learning by association, employing fact and process mnemonics called Semple Math.
-Get HANDS ON! Use clay, paints, blocks, magnets, etc. to practice letters, spelling, and sounds. Learn to write letters correctly first in sand with index finger, then move to writing with a pencil. Make it FUN! Use all the senses!
-Play games! Some we have used and enjoy are Sum Swamp, What's Gnu?, Scrabble, Very Silly Sentences, Boggle Jr. even card games like addition war (lay down two cards each and add together), or Alphabet Go Fish (you have to say the letter sounds), search Pinterest and the internet for fun games to practice math facts and letter sounds or spelling and sight words. Even if your child is older, there are hands on ideas that are fun and multi-sensory
Moms (and Dads), my point in writing this is to give you some starting points. And to let you know that you are not alone! I know it can be disappointing at first to learn your child is struggling in some way. But it can also feel like a weight has been lifted to know how your child learns and that there are ways to help and empower your little one. I know if you are in a school setting, you will have to explain to your child why they may go to a special class or take tests differently than the other kids. You have to trust yourself to know how to talk to your child. There are books for kids that talk about dyslexia and learning issues in a positive light such as, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, The Alphabet War by Diane Robb, and for older children May B by Caroline Rose or Niagra Falls, Or Does It? By Henry Winkler (yes, Fonzie from Happy Days!)
Try to emphasize his/her strengths and affinities and do not simply focus on his/her weaknesses and difficulties. Remind your child that he/she can, indeed, learn but that he/she learns in a unique way, and that is OK! We all are unique and have our own strengths and weaknesses. Love your child for who they are and hopefully, they will find the right tools to make learning soar!
I never thought I would see the day when my daughter's favorite activity was to read! Chin up, keep plugging away, lighten up and make it fun, and love them no matter what!
http://www.hardlifeforthefarmwife.wordpress.com
But sometimes, we discover there is a "problem." The last thing we want to admit is there is something different or wrong with our child. It's a hard thing to do. Not that we love them any less! But let's be honest, we would rather sit around other moms and share how our 4 year old can read a chapter book, do multiplication at age 6 and paint like Rembrandt by age 7. Not to mention, they are also on their way to the Olympics in two different sports. Or at least it seems that way when you are the one quietly listening to all the achievements of other people's children!
So, let's get a few things straight... Most likely those other moms are exaggerating a wee bit! And there is nothing wrong with your child! Even if your child has a learning disability. She or he simply learns differently than the mainstream! And really, that is kind of cool!
I didn't always feel that way though. After struggling to teach my daughter to read for 3 years with little progress I was getting pretty frustrated and so was she. Each school session ended in tears and some days started in tears with the mere mention of reading. She had always loved books and being read to and was excited to learn how to read by herself. So, why was it such a struggle? Was I just a bad teacher? Was she too easily distracted and not self motivated enough?
We finally decided to get testing done at age 7. I had noticed a lot of letter and word reversal while reading and writing as well as in math. She complained of her head and eyes hurting when reading (and a vision test found her to have 20/20 eyesight). I needed to know what was holding us back. I knew she was extremely intelligent in so many ways but we were hitting a brick wall. Since we homeschool, we decided to have her tested with a private therapist. It took 4 hours to complete and when finished we were told she had visual and auditory processing disorders.
I then went into mom research mode! And as I read and searched the internet and library, I became more and more confused and overwhelmed! There did not seem to be any truly helpful book or website and those I found seemed to tell me different things! We did decide to go to vision therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance, are any of us surprised? But we felt it was worth a try and worth the money. In therapy, she worked on re-learning phonics using A Time for Phonics. We also did assigned therapy at home. After 6 months she finished and I could definitely see a huge improvement! We did not do auditory therapy with the therapist because of cost, but I did use a program called Earobics for at home. I also found the book, The Out of Sync Child and When the Brain Can't Hear very helpful.
My search continued to find other ways to help her learn in a way that fit her learning styles. You see, processing disorders and dyslexia do not have to be a roadblock! There are so many ways to learn. The point where I realized this was when I happened to find a book by Ben Foss, The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. I encourage everyone to read it! Check out his website also! I kind of hate the word accommodations. It makes it sound like you need extra or special help, sort of like you are being allowed to cheat. There should be no shame in learning differently. Figure out what your child's strengths are and harness those skills. Don't focus on the standard way most kids are taught to read. I have been so incredibly thankful that we chose to homeschool because my daughter did not have to compare herself to others or be labeled in any way. But even if your child is in public or private school, remember your child is not broken, but the system may be. Advocate for your child to have the resources they need to excel and feel connected.
What resources can you use? Oh, there are so many! This is where I got overwhelmed! I am going to list some of the resources I felt were the best. But look around more and explore the options available!
-Audiobooks are your friend! Don't get behind learning because you can't read the material fast enough! If your child learns well by listening, give Audible a try. Amazon has audiobooks as well and so does your local library.
-A reading focus card. You can make your own or buy one. Also try printing your pages on yellow paper, or try other colors other than the usual white.
-Use a text-to-speech app such as Speak It or Talk to Me, and also a speech-to-text app such as Dragon Dictation. Another helpful app is Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.
-I love Snapwords for learning sitewords! There is also an app for Snapwords now!
-Fonts and background colors: Software that is regularly used in schools, such as Microsoft Word, is a good resource for fonts and background colors. Changing the background color to green, for example, can help with reading as can wearing green glasses. Fonts can also enable reading and understanding; teachers can download free specialist fonts, such as OpenDyslexic, which are free and can run on Microsoft software.
-All About Spelling, this curriculum is great for all children but the multi-sensory approach based on the Orton-Gillingham methods clicked with my daughter! We have not tried All About Reading but I would bet it is a good option.
-We used Rocket Phonics after we had finished vision therapy. It was developed by a dyslexic man, and it is fun! There are many games involved and interesting stories to read, not the usual boring books that are your typical easy reading.
-Math has been a struggle for us as well as reading. Memorizing facts is a challenge. I found a math program that uses learning by association, employing fact and process mnemonics called Semple Math.
-Get HANDS ON! Use clay, paints, blocks, magnets, etc. to practice letters, spelling, and sounds. Learn to write letters correctly first in sand with index finger, then move to writing with a pencil. Make it FUN! Use all the senses!
-Play games! Some we have used and enjoy are Sum Swamp, What's Gnu?, Scrabble, Very Silly Sentences, Boggle Jr. even card games like addition war (lay down two cards each and add together), or Alphabet Go Fish (you have to say the letter sounds), search Pinterest and the internet for fun games to practice math facts and letter sounds or spelling and sight words. Even if your child is older, there are hands on ideas that are fun and multi-sensory
Moms (and Dads), my point in writing this is to give you some starting points. And to let you know that you are not alone! I know it can be disappointing at first to learn your child is struggling in some way. But it can also feel like a weight has been lifted to know how your child learns and that there are ways to help and empower your little one. I know if you are in a school setting, you will have to explain to your child why they may go to a special class or take tests differently than the other kids. You have to trust yourself to know how to talk to your child. There are books for kids that talk about dyslexia and learning issues in a positive light such as, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, The Alphabet War by Diane Robb, and for older children May B by Caroline Rose or Niagra Falls, Or Does It? By Henry Winkler (yes, Fonzie from Happy Days!)
Try to emphasize his/her strengths and affinities and do not simply focus on his/her weaknesses and difficulties. Remind your child that he/she can, indeed, learn but that he/she learns in a unique way, and that is OK! We all are unique and have our own strengths and weaknesses. Love your child for who they are and hopefully, they will find the right tools to make learning soar!
I never thought I would see the day when my daughter's favorite activity was to read! Chin up, keep plugging away, lighten up and make it fun, and love them no matter what!
http://www.hardlifeforthefarmwife.wordpress.com
Renewing A Student Visa
There are lots of things to consider when you are going to study in another country. Quite apart from the practical considerations involved with planning where you will live for the duration of your stay, you will also need to pay proper attention to legal matters, including the need to make sure your passport and visa are fully up to date.
It is quite common for a student visa to expire during your stay abroad, especially if your course is running for a year or more, so it can be a good move to find out in advance what you need to do when it does. This is likely to vary from country to country so the best idea is often to go to the relevant source of information for the country you will be staying in to make sure you know what to do and when you need to do it.
You can meet with problems if you forget to get a new visa and you suddenly find your old one has expired; while you won't automatically be sent home you will have to seek advice as soon as possible in order to try and solve the matter. You can see why getting some information well in advance is clearly the best solution.
Some countries, including the UK, offer a service which is designed to deal especially with student visas. This type of service ensures that a renewal happens in the fastest possible time with the minimum of hassle for the student. The USA is different again; their visa allows entry into the United States but nothing else. You will need other documentation in addition to this which is known as your 'Duration of Status'.
The best way forward is to check what you need before you go and apply for your visa in plenty of time. Make sure you are aware of exactly how far in advance you need to start the renewal process - it may be a very simple procedure or it may be best to allow a couple of weeks or more to complete it. Find out what will apply in the country you are visiting - the institution you are studying at should be able to tell you what to do and when. Most importantly visit your country's immigration department situated in your city to discuss and find out the best approach for renewal.
You should also find out whether the renewing authorities need to see any other documentation. For example in Spain you will have to provide a valid residence permit too. Passport photos and an application form are also required in many countries.
Remember though that in the end it is your sole responsibility to renew your student visa at the right time in order to be able to remain in the country and carry on studying. Forgetting to renew your visa is not generally viewed as a mere oversight; it is usually a criminal offence and as such you can be sent home. Forgetfulness is not an excuse to cover not having a valid visa, and if you are careful and you know in advance what to do and when, you shouldn't have any problems at all.
Academia International is a leading international college providing cooking courses, hospitality management training, hairdressing courses, and beauty courses. For a free brochure please visit Australia College.
It is quite common for a student visa to expire during your stay abroad, especially if your course is running for a year or more, so it can be a good move to find out in advance what you need to do when it does. This is likely to vary from country to country so the best idea is often to go to the relevant source of information for the country you will be staying in to make sure you know what to do and when you need to do it.
You can meet with problems if you forget to get a new visa and you suddenly find your old one has expired; while you won't automatically be sent home you will have to seek advice as soon as possible in order to try and solve the matter. You can see why getting some information well in advance is clearly the best solution.
Some countries, including the UK, offer a service which is designed to deal especially with student visas. This type of service ensures that a renewal happens in the fastest possible time with the minimum of hassle for the student. The USA is different again; their visa allows entry into the United States but nothing else. You will need other documentation in addition to this which is known as your 'Duration of Status'.
The best way forward is to check what you need before you go and apply for your visa in plenty of time. Make sure you are aware of exactly how far in advance you need to start the renewal process - it may be a very simple procedure or it may be best to allow a couple of weeks or more to complete it. Find out what will apply in the country you are visiting - the institution you are studying at should be able to tell you what to do and when. Most importantly visit your country's immigration department situated in your city to discuss and find out the best approach for renewal.
You should also find out whether the renewing authorities need to see any other documentation. For example in Spain you will have to provide a valid residence permit too. Passport photos and an application form are also required in many countries.
Remember though that in the end it is your sole responsibility to renew your student visa at the right time in order to be able to remain in the country and carry on studying. Forgetting to renew your visa is not generally viewed as a mere oversight; it is usually a criminal offence and as such you can be sent home. Forgetfulness is not an excuse to cover not having a valid visa, and if you are careful and you know in advance what to do and when, you shouldn't have any problems at all.
Academia International is a leading international college providing cooking courses, hospitality management training, hairdressing courses, and beauty courses. For a free brochure please visit Australia College.
How to Get University Scholarship
The opportunity for scholarship has always been life time ambition of many students. A lot of folks have been trying fruitlessly for loans to study but their effort has always been in opposite direction.
First of all you must have access to information which is a problem for many students; because many do not have access to information that will enable them have access to grant for their studies. But thank for internet; anybody can get the information now. To apply for the University of your choice. The University will then ask you to either fax, or scan and mail your credentials to them.
These are some of the Universities you can apply to for scholarship:- We have commonwealth foundation, we have Ford foundation that gives 100,000 Dollars to students, there is the University of Edinburgh that offers free Master program online.
There are very many others like the Africa Development Bank, Desmund Tutu's Masters, Edinburgh Global Master, Gordon Meculloch(MBA), Indian Government Scholarship Scheme for Africa. Commonwealth Scholarship, PhD fellowship for Developing Countries, Ford foundation Scholarship, Eric Bluemink Scholarship, Deroty Hodgkin PHD scholarship.
Other are Hubert Humphrey fellowship, International Fulbright service, PhD Scholarship from developing Countries at the ICCD, ACLS fellowships, Talent for governance Triangle etc.
It is the University that recommends you to these Organizations for sponsor. Like the one of Desmond Tutu, which is managed by a University in London. So all you need to do is to contact the University of your choice to process your application.
Their course duration is usually four years for undergraduate and a year or two for Masters. These Universities are mostly in UK. But we also have some in the U.S.A.
If you are oversea student, Educational studies provide you an opportunity to travel and study abroad for free without worry about visa and traveling expenses. Even at Embassy, they do not request for many documents because you are a student. Once you present your admission letter, they stamp your visa, and your visa is free.
Basically, what is required to qualify to study for degree programs is College education or their equivalent, while for Master Degree, you need a BSC.
So Watch out when these Universities will open their Scholarship position, so that you will apply. Do not forget somebody is paying all the bills including your accommodation, feeding, flight ticket, etc. Thanks, God bless.
He is the CEO, Zion Mensula International, an Entrepreneur, Internet Business Pioneer, He is earning a living from legitimate internet business opportunities, and he has trained lots of people on how to make a living online. He is making a difference being useful to his community.
First of all you must have access to information which is a problem for many students; because many do not have access to information that will enable them have access to grant for their studies. But thank for internet; anybody can get the information now. To apply for the University of your choice. The University will then ask you to either fax, or scan and mail your credentials to them.
These are some of the Universities you can apply to for scholarship:- We have commonwealth foundation, we have Ford foundation that gives 100,000 Dollars to students, there is the University of Edinburgh that offers free Master program online.
There are very many others like the Africa Development Bank, Desmund Tutu's Masters, Edinburgh Global Master, Gordon Meculloch(MBA), Indian Government Scholarship Scheme for Africa. Commonwealth Scholarship, PhD fellowship for Developing Countries, Ford foundation Scholarship, Eric Bluemink Scholarship, Deroty Hodgkin PHD scholarship.
Other are Hubert Humphrey fellowship, International Fulbright service, PhD Scholarship from developing Countries at the ICCD, ACLS fellowships, Talent for governance Triangle etc.
It is the University that recommends you to these Organizations for sponsor. Like the one of Desmond Tutu, which is managed by a University in London. So all you need to do is to contact the University of your choice to process your application.
Their course duration is usually four years for undergraduate and a year or two for Masters. These Universities are mostly in UK. But we also have some in the U.S.A.
If you are oversea student, Educational studies provide you an opportunity to travel and study abroad for free without worry about visa and traveling expenses. Even at Embassy, they do not request for many documents because you are a student. Once you present your admission letter, they stamp your visa, and your visa is free.
Basically, what is required to qualify to study for degree programs is College education or their equivalent, while for Master Degree, you need a BSC.
So Watch out when these Universities will open their Scholarship position, so that you will apply. Do not forget somebody is paying all the bills including your accommodation, feeding, flight ticket, etc. Thanks, God bless.
He is the CEO, Zion Mensula International, an Entrepreneur, Internet Business Pioneer, He is earning a living from legitimate internet business opportunities, and he has trained lots of people on how to make a living online. He is making a difference being useful to his community.
How to Change Status From Student F1 Visa to H1B Visa?
F1 Visa is non-immigrant student's visa. To attend college and universities in U.S.A., international students would need F1 Visa to enter U.S.A.
H1B Visa is non-immigrant temporary work visa. Employers in U.S.A. can hire foreign workers who meet minimum requirements set by United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Minimum Requirements are further divided into two categories
Students can apply for specialty occupations. If student is hired, employer will typically apply for H1B Visa. Application process for the employer will be usually handled by Employer's Immigration attorney.
Before applying for H1B Visa, one has to ensure H1B quota is still available. USCIS have total of 65,000 H1B Cap under General category and 20,000 exclusive for students who obtained Masters or higher degree from U.S. Universities.
USCIS accepts H1B visa application starting April 1st every year for the next Fiscal Year. It will take 15 days to few months for USCIS to approve the H1B Visa application. Fiscal year for USCIS started October 1 of each year and runs till September 30 of next year.
Student can start working for the employer with approved Employment Authorization Card. Visa application can be then submitted to USCIS. After H1B approval, F1 status will change to H1B from the start date in approval document.
In most cases, it's not required to get H1B Visa stamping to start working, if the student is already residing in U.S.A.
Visit Happy Schools Blog to know if USCIS is still accepting H1B Visa 2011 applications and why it takes over 4 months get approval notice.
H1B Visa is non-immigrant temporary work visa. Employers in U.S.A. can hire foreign workers who meet minimum requirements set by United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Minimum Requirements are further divided into two categories
- Employer Job Requirements
- Employee Requirements
Students can apply for specialty occupations. If student is hired, employer will typically apply for H1B Visa. Application process for the employer will be usually handled by Employer's Immigration attorney.
Before applying for H1B Visa, one has to ensure H1B quota is still available. USCIS have total of 65,000 H1B Cap under General category and 20,000 exclusive for students who obtained Masters or higher degree from U.S. Universities.
USCIS accepts H1B visa application starting April 1st every year for the next Fiscal Year. It will take 15 days to few months for USCIS to approve the H1B Visa application. Fiscal year for USCIS started October 1 of each year and runs till September 30 of next year.
Student can start working for the employer with approved Employment Authorization Card. Visa application can be then submitted to USCIS. After H1B approval, F1 status will change to H1B from the start date in approval document.
In most cases, it's not required to get H1B Visa stamping to start working, if the student is already residing in U.S.A.
Visit Happy Schools Blog to know if USCIS is still accepting H1B Visa 2011 applications and why it takes over 4 months get approval notice.
US: Why Should You Choose to Study There
As per a survey conducted named "The Value of Education Foundations for the future" by HSBC, Indian parents have the USA as the most preferred educational destination. The average fee of tuition for a student is almost 33,215 US dollars per year. The parents are equally eager to send their students to foreign destinations for education so that their wards could benefit from international exposure and getting an education in the most reputed of universities. But parents are also worried about their child getting homesick in a foreign environment.
The students also have the option of pursuing their education along with part-time earning opportunities. These part time earning opportunities are available to the student under OPT (optional practical training). The students can work up to a duration of a year if they are from a non-science background. But when they are pursuing a degree in the science, engineering, technical and mechanical backgrounds, they are eligible to pursue an OPT of up to 36 months. The students get different benefits like becoming a part of a culture that is different than their own. Apart from that, they also mingle with students from different backgrounds, which also, helps in developing essential life skills.
The USA has the most top notch universities in the world like University of Harvard. The country also allows complete flexibility to its students. They don't need to pursue the entire 4 years in the same institution. They can change after pursuing two years of academic education in a single university.
For pursuing the rest two years of their academic degree, they can shift to a different university. Every course in the US has a certain number of credit hours associated with it. A single credit hour is associated with 12 and a half hours with a teacher in a class over 15 weeks. It also includes a minimum number of 25 hours devoted by students to student work outside the class distributed over a 15 week time period. Every subject has 3 credits which, implies devoting 37 hours in a teacher's class over a 15 weeks time and 75 hours during the same time span. So, this requires students on a US student visa to expend at least 2 ½ hours per week in a 15-week time span and 5 hours in additional work outside the class during the same time.
The students need to devote hours as per the number of credits linked to their subjects. Some subjects have more credits linked with them like 4 or 5. They have to devote 1 hour extra over the 15-year time span in class.
Visa House can help you in getting a US student visa. Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant and author. She can offer complete guidance on various issues like F1 visa.
The students also have the option of pursuing their education along with part-time earning opportunities. These part time earning opportunities are available to the student under OPT (optional practical training). The students can work up to a duration of a year if they are from a non-science background. But when they are pursuing a degree in the science, engineering, technical and mechanical backgrounds, they are eligible to pursue an OPT of up to 36 months. The students get different benefits like becoming a part of a culture that is different than their own. Apart from that, they also mingle with students from different backgrounds, which also, helps in developing essential life skills.
The USA has the most top notch universities in the world like University of Harvard. The country also allows complete flexibility to its students. They don't need to pursue the entire 4 years in the same institution. They can change after pursuing two years of academic education in a single university.
For pursuing the rest two years of their academic degree, they can shift to a different university. Every course in the US has a certain number of credit hours associated with it. A single credit hour is associated with 12 and a half hours with a teacher in a class over 15 weeks. It also includes a minimum number of 25 hours devoted by students to student work outside the class distributed over a 15 week time period. Every subject has 3 credits which, implies devoting 37 hours in a teacher's class over a 15 weeks time and 75 hours during the same time span. So, this requires students on a US student visa to expend at least 2 ½ hours per week in a 15-week time span and 5 hours in additional work outside the class during the same time.
The students need to devote hours as per the number of credits linked to their subjects. Some subjects have more credits linked with them like 4 or 5. They have to devote 1 hour extra over the 15-year time span in class.
Visa House can help you in getting a US student visa. Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant and author. She can offer complete guidance on various issues like F1 visa.
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