Special Education Today newsletter 4(15)
Here's an update for the week that began 30 September 2024
Another week of posts on Special Education Today began 30 September 2024 and now that week has elapsed. Here is the usual weekly newsletter recounting those posts and other developments with the usual sections: (a) a photo, (b) some admin notes, (c) links for the previous week’s post, and (d) a commentary.
Warning: If you might be upset by seeing a photograph of a spider, scroll quickly past the photo in this week’s photo section.
Photo
One recent morning as I was about to open a door from the mudroom out to the side of the house, Pat delayed me. She said she had something to show me. She opened the door slowly and pointed to a spider on the jamb, just above the keeper for the latch.
Neither the arachnid nor the faint egg sack (case?) had been there the night before. I thought it rather beautiful. The spider didn’t seem bothered by me closing in for this photo.
She stayed next to the egg sack for another hour or so. I haven’t read enough arachnology to know details about the reproductive actions of spiders. Could it be she was exhausted from delivering the eggs and protective case? Might she be guarding it?
Anyway, given Pat’s penchant for observing nature, I suspect the case will stay there undisturbed for many days. I also suspect that she’ll study about such insects and protect this case.
If any readers are knowledgeable about spiders and their egg sacks, please let me know and help me learn more. I
More coverage to come! Watch future issues of SET.
Status update
SET is creeping near 750 sure also greater than 120 “followers” (people who just see my Substack Notes, the Twitter like feature of Substack).
I offer a special salute to Nancy M., Keith L., Judy V., Kristen A., George S., Melody T., Luann D., Hill W., Anita A., Paula C., Dimitris A., Christine T., Jean S., Michael K., Bev J., Tom Z., Sally B., and Nancy Y. All these people are among the folks who provide support for SET, helping to make it possible for the project to exist. (This list is not exhaustive. I just sorta picked names out of a hat.)
As I have mentioned previously, I’m especially honored that Kathy M., Mike G., and Li-Yu H. provide sustaining support for SET.
Department of Shout outs and thanks: Comments: Michael K., Tom Z., and Betsy T. for taking the time to drop comments on posts the past week. Restocks: Sandra D. and Katie D.
I suspect that most new subscriptions to SET come from people who heard about the project from a colleague or friend. That is, new subscribers probably learned about SET from you, dear readers. Please keep on sharing!
The posts from last week (the “ToC”)
Here’s a list of posts from the past week. If you happen to discard the email version of a post, you can go to the Website https://www.specialeducationtoday.com/ to see what I’ve published. Paid subscribers can read any and all posts listed there. Free subscribers can read the posts that appeared in about the previous 8-10 days. Notes and comments
Special Education Today newsletter 4(14): Might a few readers like to have an update for the week that began 23 September 2024?
Ingvar Lundberg 1934-2012: Lundberg was influential in promoting understanding of reading problems
Marty Kaufman award nominations open: Who is a deserving early career researcher for this prestigious award?
ASAT Newsletter 21(10): The latest from the Association for Science in Autism Treatment is available
Standardized tests: Lovitt's Lines: How far ahead of the curve was Professor Lovitt when he critiques standardized tests in his column for SET for January 1985?
Does TBI --> antisocial behavior?: What light does study of a large cohort of children shed on the idea of a causal relationship?
Lloyd Family Awards: Who are the recipients of these awards in 2023-24?
Commentary
The appearance of the egg case shown in the photo was temporally close to a ceremony for the interment of the body of Jim Kauffman. I was honored to be able to attend the event.
Although many reflections by people at the ceremony were about Jim’s personal-social relations with others, one of the ideas that people at the ceremony mentioned was Jim’s prolific contributions to what is often called “the literature” of special education. There are two major forms of these professional contributions: He taught a lot of people about writing professional prose and, of course, he wrote a tremendous amount himself (see the list here).
I am pleased to note that one of the last articles Jim published during his lifetime—others will surely appear posthumously—appeared right here on SET. I published it 30 August 2024 and it is entitled “Fix or buy new: How should US educators respond to problems with special education?”
Readers shouldn’t be surprised that Jim appeared in other SET posts, too. He may not have written them himself, but he was featured in multiple posts, including one about his birthday (7 December 2022), another about his views on multiple topics (08 April 2022), and others with photos (7 September 2024; 12 March 2024). [All of these are available to readers with paid subscriptions; some are open to all readers.]
There’s a lot that can and will be said, no doubt, about Jim in future publications here and elsewhere. I hope that future discussions of his ideas will recognize the abiding, humane, and compassionate concern about children with disabilities and their families that Jim brought to his work.
Jim’s passing does not excuse us from taking care of others, nor does it absolve us of our duty to teach our students well. Indeed, his actions during his life exemplify efforts to fulfill those goals.
Peace & love,
JohnL
John Wills Lloyd, Ph.D., UVA Professor Emeritus, and Founder & Editor, https://www.SpecialEducationToday.com/