A poem in Honor of Back to school

   Today is the official start of  School for  local  schools  in the are,  My  Jr college starts back Monday.
 ( This year is   going to be a very special year for my family you will have to wait  a little bit longer to find out why )


Here is to a school year where all children are visible in local  neighborhood schools

 The invisible student

  I am a child  just like you.
  I go to school, and think recess is cool.
  But there is something different  about me.
  I have an disability.

  I  sometimes drool
  You sometimes stare.
   Many people pretend I am not there
  For  I am invisible
 you can’t see me   I have  a disability.

     District personal see  my  education a joke
 so they bus me across town  even though the neighborhood school is not broke.
       there system is.
 At school   I am  sent  down the   hall.
  The classroom door closes and  that is all.
   I  am there all day  down the hall.
     Its not fair,

  Its not  fair
 it can’t be
  I should be treated fair
 as an equal you see
   We  learn about  freedom 
    we learn about  the world, but  we are not there.

 Left out  of pictures
   of social life
    the websites  about the school do not include us.
   Why can’t  I be in the pictures?
  Why  do  my  parents need to fight  for me to be seen?
      Seen  as a  disabled person
  seen  for me.
  Inclusive education that is key.
   Its time to close   separate  classroom.
 Cause Separate is not equal
 We learned that in 1954.

 Its time for  us to become visible-
for us to be seen.
 For us to be in all general education classes
 Learning and living about  Freedom
  Learning  how to read.
  Learning  about  Romeo,  Juliet, and  Huckleberry Finn.
    Discovering our  past
   Exploring through  experiments
                 Its time for all that
                 Its time to presume competence for  all kids
Teach us  everything so we have a chance at learning  about this world.

 Its time to move the desk  from down the hall.
 Into same aged classrooms.
   Open  the classroom
  Let me in
 Now is a good time to begin.





 Have a great year  everyone. 

World CP Day Photo Montage

Its that time of year people  time  to   start  sending in photos of you  or your child with CP.    October  is world CP Day .  So  send in  one photo   to azchapman1991@gmail.com or post it on my   and tune in   October seventh    to see this great  montage.
 Feeling left out? 
    Find a friend with CP and take a photo  and   submit it.


For more information  please  see  the tab  labeled.   World CP day photo montage

25 years later .. we have a long way to go

  

  Hay guys  I have been extremely busy sorry  I have not been able to  blog for you guys.   I am in summer school.   I will try to update soon.

  Next Saturday is  the 25 anniversary of  the ADA.  This is a huge deal  for our nation.  This  law signifies that  people  with disabilities  have access to  life.    It is  cause for  great celebration;however  the work is not over.

    People with disabilities still face large unemployment or under employment .  People with disabilities   still are forced to  work  for less then  minimum wage


People with disabilities  that receive benefits from the government can not get married   because their  benefits   will evaporate.


      Parents of disabled kids  still have to fight  to ensure  that there child  revives a  fully inclusive   education. 

 25  years ago  things changed for the better for people with disabilities.  We still have a long road  ahead to ensure that people with disabilities are given  equal access.    We should celebrate  how  far we have come  but  realize that this is just  a pit  stop.      We  will have to get back on the road for  access equality  and inclusion.

Spring Quarter 2015

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  Back in November    my philosophy  teacher told me about these trees.  He  said that  they are the same tree planted at the
same time but  one is different then the others.   I am like a red  tree .  I still want to graduate  asap  though :)

   The year is winding down.  I am  almost done as I begin  writing this  I  have finished  two out of three classes at   my new university.  I  decided in   late November to  apply  to another school a public university  about an  half hour from my house.  I got in there.  Ironically I  got into this school way back when I  graduated from high school.   I would not trade those times at my Second home for anything though.

 First day of Spring Quarter 

            These first six months of 2015 have been rocky but  my life has always been a series of ups and  down.    January and February were filled with  depression as    I   was not able to go  to school because my private school kicked me out.   In  late March  I  decided to  try something new.  I had  a great philosophy teacher,  B,  who encouraged me to drop his class and try  the school I got into .


B  gave  me an incentive for me to finish my  BA.    B  also  helped me  by  telling me about a program called  Open  University. This  is a program at Cal  State schools where  anyone can pay a fee to  take classes. This  is what I am  doing so I can  gain credits that count towards my  major  before the fall term.   Anyone  can  enroll in   Open University  there is a form you  fill out but there is no need for transcripts or  grades.   I am  so happy that B  recommended  this program.  The only  downside is that the units cost more.

 I had to go  karting for a class project. I made a video  which got  100 percent 

     I  was able to  take  three  classes.   Thats right  THREE classes  or  12  units which means that I went  full time.  Something  I had  earn at my private school.    Two  online classes and one in person class.    My  behavior in those classes has been  great    and    I have learned a ton.   I  felt a part of the classes  instead of  an outsider.    I  do not  feel  like a trained  seal when i do well  on assignments;therefore, I have excelled.  The only downside  is  I had to take a leave from work.  I  may  be able to work  again  next week though.


  What has changed in ten weeks

 Confidence  and a new found  belief in myself that I can   finish my  BA.

 Units  After  I  pass  all my classes  I will double the upper   division   units  that I took  at the private school.

 I  made a  worksheet  for a class  project.

     Me  yesterday  after finishing finals

I do my own laundry

 I do my own Landry at home 

 So  for those of you that do not know  what is happening  read here.   Then come back, then read here.



                                                                           HOW 
                                       IS 

  THIS 

OK?

  HOW  IS OKEY FOR ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE   TO BECOME SERVANTS TO THE OTHER?

      ITS NOT 

   WHAT MESSAGE  DOES IT SEND TO THE OTHER  STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL.

  THEY ARE SEPARATE, THEY ARE SPECIAL THEY DO NOT BELONG.

     THIS IS  TOOO IMPORTANT.    WHEN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE GIVEN   THE DIRTY  JOBS   AT  11 OR 12 , WHAT MESSAGE  DOES THAT SEND TO THEM.  WHERE IS THE  PRESUMPTION OF COMPETENCE?   its not there.    WHERE ARE  THE BOOKS, MATH BLOCKS,   EGYPTIAN TUMS  WITH MUMMIES,   WHERE ARE THE  SCINCE EXPERIMENTS.    

  THOSE THINGS MATTER.  Reading matters because information is  in these  books. Stories   of our past.  Explores   Dragons    Shakespeare they matter .

  Writing  to be  able to connect  with people over social media  is important.   Sharing our own stories  so that future generations  will know us.

 History   the stories of the past  are a light to  understanding our future.

Science   to discover  how the world works,   It is also fun,  

 So in short  why are you wasting precious learning time  doing laundry in middle school when  most kids don't. 

   There was a  time in American history where one  group  of people  did the dirty  work in America.   They  did the laundry.  They   cleaned up the house, They   worked  the  fields  and picked cotton too,    They were slaves in America.  We now  look down on this  as a  society . Although this isn't slavery. Its  still dehumanizing.

Blogging against disablism day 2015 : My ideal classroom

           


 This quarter  I am venturing into  my field of choice,  special education,  my  goal: to become a special education teacher  who provides  inclusive services to high school students with intellectual disabilities .

 image of and empty classroom. The classroom has desks  a flag and Television

      My  program would  have  kids with intellectual disabilities included for English, History, and Science and  elective with modifications and  support.  They would  be doing work that  is connected to what the other  students in class are doing  modified to their  level.

 My students  would have math and life skills  in a special education class that I would teach.  I say math because some of my students might need  life skill math.     The math would be temporary   I would reach out to general education  math  teacher with the hope  of  having students with intellectual disabilities included. I would  try to offer life skills for general education students because  all kids need to learn life skills,   Life skills would be one period.

  A lunch time sandwich shop  which  students with and without disabilities would get work  experience,

   Office Aids  and on campus jobs for  my students.

  A chance to participate in sports and  plays or anything else that students are interested in.

  Homework every night  to reinforce learning concepts.

   Special Olympics  practices that would be healed  AFTER SCHOOL  once a week and compete in the community program.

  Independence jars where  students  can do things both at school and in the community and then  get  tokens  to earn  for their jars.

     Presumed  Competence

    Fun club  which would take place monthly. Students  with and without disabilities would be invited  to do fun things in the community.  Events would include   activities in their communities.   This would be done after school.

  Lofty  goals  and high expectations.

   My  main goal for my  students would be to learn and have fun. (in that order)



  Who  knows  as I go through my  teaching maybe  I will  add more things to this list. One thing that will not change in my mind is  inclusion in core subjects.   I am a die hard inclusion fan for life.

 My high school  graduation photo. 

The best word in a human development textbook

 my textbook 

     So  Monday night  was  spent  reading   a  textbook about Child Cognitive Development.  It was a long   chapter. Forty pages about the  brain development.   The chapter was very fascinating  , especially about  the brain. The best part though  came with a little word. It was not very long only  one vowel and three consistences.  Th word was
Most.  The sentience talked about the fact that most babies  who are over two walk.  This was music to my ears, literally  I read out loud to increase my comprehension.

       The  reason why  most is such a great word it that it leaves room for people who are different.  I had to read  a text book  that was so exclusive  and ablest  it was hard to read.  That  text book   said that all children learn language without ever being taught. This cut like a knife because learning to speak clearly is something I  struggled with at 22  and continue to   try to learn at 23.   I am not  delusional, I know that many people speak clearly without thought and do not have to think about walking or use their hands, but to deny  the experiences of those of us who struggle to do these things is not fair.  By including most it  allows for the diversity of the human experience.  It is allowing for  the disabled  to be included   as people.    One small word goes a long word in telling all people that  there experience is  valid.   They are still people  and  they matter.