Special Education Today Newsletter 2(20)

What's in this week’s news and info for 17 October 2022

Welcome to today’s issue of Special Education Today. This edition covers the week ending 16 October 2022. So, if you dropped a comment by Sunday, the 16th, I should have a note about it here. If not, go for the next week. (I write these dogs on Sunday and I shall return to comments about dogs in the commentary at the end of this newsletter).

Salutes

SET is sponsored by you, dear readers, so thanks to the subscribers. Let me acknowledge readers who interact with Special Education Today.

• Thank you Clay K., Ronnie D., AT5ze, MK, Jimmy the K., drlsgoran, Jane B., Tina C., Betsy T., Mary-Anne L., Ed M., Kimy L., and Kathy M. for the likes and comments. (Apologies to anyone I missed.)

• I want to acknowedge specially Joel M. and Michael G., because they contribute in many ways quite regularly. They are big-time special educators, and readers should watch for their comments!

This week!

Yes, we have a table of contents. Here we go (from the oldest, of course).… And you’ll recognize that there has been a bit of a holiday theme recently.

• Assessing students’ reading comprehension—What’s available to help make instructional changes? https://www.specialeducationtoday.com/p/assessing-students-reading-comprehension

• Why teaching literacy = promoting democracy—What can speducators do to promote comprehension of election materials?

• Jumping toward the ground—What about skydiving? [The first poll on SET. Did you respond?]

• Another NY Times article about reading instruction—What about these popular press treatments?

• Growing up with Down Syndrome—What reflections does a child’s mother have?

• It’s a photo and it’s Friday—How are my neighbors decorating?

• More morbid (teehee) images—Where did I walk today?

Commentary

Now, I am willing to say that I sometimes “dog it.” But, I’m reluctant to tell you that this newsletter is sponsored by some particular dog. But, as I noted “at the top,” this particular farfel (see Farfel the Dog) is sponsored by you, so keep those subscriptions coming!

Farfel was one of the specific cartoon characters from whom I learned some spellings as a child. Perhaps you did, too. A few old-timers will remember Farfel and Jiminy Cricket because they spelled, letter by letter, words with which we kids of the 1950s were familiar.

• “N-E-S-T-L-É-S...Nestle’s makes the very best, choclate” at which point the puppet dog’s (that is, Farfel’s) mouth would snap closed. Here is the original commercial with the justly famous ventriloquist, Jimmy Nelson, but, please see the entry on Behring Center’s National Museum of American History, also.

• “E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A,” as Jiminy Cricket (not to be confused with SET’s pal, Jimmy the K or Jimmy the Red) told us spelled encyclopedia and that allowed us to solve our curiosity.

• Some character boasted of being able to spell “Mississippi.” Who was that? And what did that have to do with special education. Add your answer in the comments!

These notes might start us down a road about media and their effects on our kids’ knowledge and behavior. There are many subscribers who know a lot more than I do about this topic, so let me bow away and introduce them. So let’s do a bit of crowd-sosurcing. Here’s the big question: Have media made important, valuable contributions to education of children with disabiliites.

I’m looking forward to your answers. Meanwhile, wear your seatbelts (and encourage other passengers in your vehicle to wear them, too). Wash your hands frequently. Prefer gathering in well-ventilated spaces and wear masks in crowed, closed spaces. Get vaccinated and help others to do so. And, of course, teach your children well. ‘Till next time....

JohnL
SET Editor guy
Charlottesville

SET should not be confused with a product with the same name that is published by the Council for Exceptional Children. SET predated CEC’s publication by decades. Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization.