I Speak of Dreams

What Charles Fox Has Learned About Special Education Advocacy From Two Years of Blogging

Link: Special Education Law Blog: Lessons Learned From the Blog at the 2 Year Anniversary.

1. People need, crave and love humor; an especial thanks in this department goes out to my wife, Lori Miller Fox, who is far and away funnier than I can ever hope to be. Laughter is the balm for the profound pain that so many of us experience each day;
2. Too many school people (by no means all) can not laugh at themselves and are incredibly sensitive to rebuke even if expressly not directed at them. The amount of hrrmphing over the years has been remarkable.
3. Parents need and have a right to plain spoken guidance and in many cases will use that information to pierce the veil of misinformation and get a FAPE for their child;
4. There is an ongoing need to uncover the persistant myths of special education:

• cases are brought to due process at the hands of money hungry unscrupulous attorneys;
• special education is draining the education system;
• school people are above reproach and never hit, lie, cheat, perjure or steal;
• to provide a FAPE would bankrupt the system (when so often there are cheap readily available answers and remedies which only require an attitude  adjustment;

The golden rules (among others) have been and remain:

• be creative,
• stay focused,
• look for the win-win answer at all costs, and
• document crucial facts

This post appears at I Speak of Dreams and More Joy in Your Family

Teachers in Danger: The Vendetta Against Nate Fisher

Karoli at DrumsNWhistles has a great post outlining the harm that was done to a young teacher, Nate Fisher, by a student's parents.

First the girl refused to do an assignment (the parents didn't insist that she do it).  Fisher then gave her an alternate assignment, to read an illustrated book.  The parents found "suspicious". 

I could not imagine what this teacher had in mind with my daughter by giving her this comic. I was fearful that I knew what might be on his mind!

Fearful parenting, indeed.  I hope Mr. Fisher is reinstated.

 

BlogHer 08 in San Francisco

BlogHer 08 in San Francisco!

What: BlogHer '08
When: July 18-20, 2008
Where: The Westin St. Francis Hotel on Union Square

details below the fold.  Hotel reservations open soon and conference registration opens November 28.

Horses: Breathing and Breathing

Bora Zivkovic , who writes as Coturnix at Blog Around The Clock, has a great post on how horses breathe in the different gaits, and how a rider can use his or her breath to influence the horse.  Link: A Blog Around The Clock : Running, breathing and being a horse.

One of the most important things in riding horses, something I always did and always taught, although it is rarely taught by others or mentioned in books, is the necessity for the rider to breath in sync with the horse's movement. This is especially important when riding a nervous or spirited young horse who would otherwise explode. When trotting - three steps for inhale, three for exhale. Canter is more complicated.

Bora's post was prompted by Chris Clarke's post, here (with a cool movie!).

A link to all of Bora's horse posts.

You Know What Chaps My Hide?

Poorly constructed multiple-choice tests.  Trick questions (those with two equally-valid answers).  Questions probing for micro detail in a survey chapter.

Just sayin'.

The Carnival of Education, Week 138

Global Citizenship in a Virtual World is hosting the 138th Carnival of Education.  There's lots of juicy goodness.

I was particularly impressed with Evolution>>Life Science Teachers, and particularly depressed by Joanne Jacobs' reports on cheating (one, two).  And The Tempered Radical has a professional development story.

70th Skeptics' Circle: Now with Conspiracies!

Yep, it is Skeptical Atheistic Darwinist Scientific Conspiracy to Conquer All (SADSCCA), meeting at  The Conspiracy Factory!

(if you want some real conspiracy lunacy, go here for a list  Or here for right from the source.  But watch out--the stupid, it burns.)

Somebody Still Needs Her Mommy, and Other Family News

Got a call from Jumper Girl -- she has a rash that's spreading, and a sore throat, but doesn't feel feverish (but she didn't pack a thermometer, so data is sparse).  "What should I do, Mommy?"  It's probably just heat rash and snoring, but she's off to Health Services.  I'm not much good at heat rash, living as I do in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dinner last night at Buck's with my sisters, to talk over a family project.  Who should walk in but my oldest step-son Drummer Man, his girlfriend La Novia,  and La Novia's daughter Laughing Girl.  LG, who is two and a bit,  had her first day at daycare and was a bit dazed, but was happy to cuddle.

Nice evening.

Then this morning, a list of the world's wackiest, most extreme conspiracy theories (via Boing Boing) just in time to lighten up Greg Farber.  Don't miss Iggy Loyola's confession!

Developmental Milestones, Reading, "Academic Kindergarten",

This was prompted by my close reading of Maryanne Wolfe's Proust and the Squid (ISBN 978-0-06-018639-5).

Righteous Indignation Over Immigration Protest

Karoli has a great post over the iniquities of the City of Simi Valley against the United Church of Christ, who is sheltering an illegal immigrant (who, by the way, is married to a U.S. citizen).