Special Education Today Newsletter 3(7)

What's to report for the week past?

Here comes another week. In this edition of Special Education Today’s Newsletter, In this message, I am taking a look back at the week that began 7 August 2023.

As usual, there are some updates, a list of previous posts, and some comments. I’ll aim for a bit less of a rant than last week.

Before I go sideways into the accompanying photo, I want to sadness about th horrible events on Lahaina, HA. I feel for the lost loved ones and also for the survivors who will surely remember the horror for the rest of their lives. Peace to y’all.

Although it’s been hot as blazes here, it’s been nothing like PHX, for example, or Onslow last summer in western Australia, Those were hot places. Regardless of current conditions, one (at least those who are in the northern hemisphere) has to prepare for the coming winter. Accordingly, I started loading my old pick-up truck (AKA “The Rust Bucket”) with some firewood that a neighbor offered me. I’ll finish loading the truck and then… well, truck the load to our daughter’s house. She uses wood for a lot of her winter heat.

The beginning of a load of wood for spring heating. I broke a sweat moving just this little bit. It’s maple, so once it is seasoned it should burn pretty well. Labor and photo by John Wills Lloyd.

Table of contents

This past week, I added five posts to the site. Most everyone received email notices about them, but one of them was just published without any notice (and, therefore, it’s like to be viewed way less often that the others).

Here’s the list of those posts:

• Special Education Today Newsletter 3(6): There was something happening this past week?

• Knowledge Matters podcast: Can we comprehend something about which we know nothing?

• Friday photo #20-11: Dan W. and JohnL: What do you mean, "He's lost track of how many times he's posted photos?"

• Some early reading approaches yield fewer failing students: Which approaches have fewer learners a year or more behind?

• Objectives and seahorses: What did Mager have to say on this topic?

Status

SET pretty much held steady this past week. One paid subscriber switched to free, but that’s about it. There were a few more than 2700 views of pages on the site last week. Greater than 5% of the readers of SET also read one of more of the following stacks:

These folks continue to interact with the site (and, therefore, with you, dear readers): Mike G., Jane B., and Dan H. Others visit right dang frequently: Lazarusbb, Gwen D., ARL, RBlack, CBauman, David B., and many more loyal readers. And that’s to say nothing of many of the usual suspects (e.g., Clay K., Ed P., Ed. M., et al.).

Thanks to everyone who’s helping make the site active.

Comments

I have been awash in ideas for posts recently. Sadly, I’ve not been generating them rapidly enough to make them available quickly.

Many of the thoughts are about topics that require some detail and, therefore, research.

1. I hope to discuss how some particular structures in the brain are associated with functions that have lots to do with learning and, no surprise, instruction. For example, the way the hippocampus works makes, in my view, a strong case for programming that is an explicit component of Direct Instruction. (I also hope to connect this point with some 20th-century philosophy!)

2. I’ve been monitoring new developments in companies where young adults with disabilities have central roles, often in collaboration with their parents, in creating and selling products and services.

3. I’ve come across some other folks’ recommendations about beneficial practices. I’d like to shine a light on those methods and add some supporting notes and amplifications.

4. I realized that I have a minor collection of statements I’ve gathered over the years. I used to put these aphorisms at the beginning of my course syllabi as a form of guidance to students about my thinking. I thought it might be nifty to drop a post in which I present (and discuss) some of them.

If any of these topics sound interesting, please let me know. You can drop a comment in which you underscore your interests or you can write to me directly (just reply to the newsletter).

Okay, please take care of each other and of yourselves. Of course, please be sure to teach your children well.

JohnL

SET editor guy
Charlottesville, VA, USA, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way…Snickers?