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Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editors' Message

Leaping into Uncertainty: Teaching and Learning beyond Logic and Reason

In 1846, Soren Kierkegaard set forth the limits of logical systems and objective truth, neither of which can shed light on the important questions of life. “In logical systems,” the nineteenth century Danish philosophy argues, “nothing may be incorporated that has a relationship to existence, that is not indifferent to existence” (141) because a logical system is purely speculative. Existence is an actuality, a doing. Logical systems cannot account for the necessary leap in life between almost doing something—thinking about doing something (and Kierkegaard’s example is taking the …

The Missing Body–Yoga And Higher Education, Judith Beth Cohen

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Using her own yoga practice as a basis, this author argues for more bodily involvement in learning and offers several exercises she has used to accomplish this.

Inclusion Of Students With Mild Disabilities: Accessing The General Curriculum, Cecily Ornelles Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusion in general education classrooms is generally believed to have many benefits for students with disabilities. However, relatively little is known about the process of successful inclusion. The broad purpose of this study was to explore the process of inclusion. It sought to discover the variables that may have contributed to the learning experiences and outcomes of two students with mild disabilities in a general education classroom. The intent was to document the students’ experiences as they related to instruction, their peers without disabilities, and teacher supports in an effort to aid teachers and others in implementing inclusion in classroom …

Spotlight On Inclusion: What Research And Practice Is Telling The Field, Emily C. Bouck Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusive education needs continued exploration, as current research is ambiguous. This paper presents data across three related studies regarding inclusive education for secondary students with high incidence disabilities. One study represents a survey of curriculum and instructional environments for secondary students with mild mental impairment and learning disabilities, another presents data that explored interactions across inclusive and pull-out educational settings between students with mild mental impairment and their peers and adults, and the final study explored education in pull-out educational settings for students with cross-categorical disabilities. Overall the studies revealed that inclusive education is not a clear solution and must …

Toronto's Korean Canadian Community: 1948-2005, Cam Cobb

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Ethnicity, the influence of stereotyping – whether it is overt or not - and personal identity intersect on a daily basis. But what is ethnicity? One could argue that it is a flexible idea, or as Weber (1968) notes, a matter of “subjective belief” (p. 389). According to Troper and Weinfeld (1987) “the definition of an ethnic group involves a sense of shared history, real or imagined (p. 106).” I include these two definitions of ethnicity because they both acknowledge the subjective nature of ethnic identity. Reflecting on subjectivity, however, raises questions concerning the interplay between ethnicity and stereotyping. To …

Special Education Students' Placement Preferences As Shown In Special Education Journals, Maurice Miller Ph.D., Pamela Garriott Ph.D., Deanna Mershon Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this review was to determine what has been found about placement perceptions and preferences of those who are most impacted by LRE placement decisions—the students themselves. Eleven studies were found in recent issues of most frequently-read special education journals. While a variety of preferences were found, the number who expressed strong preference for the general education classroom was noteworthy. Student preference is considered to be an influential variable in the performance of the students.

A Study Of School Headship In The Context Of Inclusion Of Learning Disabled Students As Perceived By School Staff In Mainstream Secondary Schools In Israel, Tsafi Timor Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The study aims to investigate staff perceptions of school headship in relation to the inclusion of learning-disabled students. The main question is whether head teachers perceived to be leaders develop an inclusive vision towards learning-disabled students more than those who are perceived to be managers. The study relies on the perceptions of head teachers, counselors and teachers in five secondary schools in the Tel-Aviv area, Israel. The method of enquiry that was applied was the interpretive approach which allowed for an analysis via interviews, and elements of the survey approach and documentary analysis. The analysis and conclusion indicated that an …

Efficacy And Perception Of Inclusion At The Secondary Level For Students With Mild Disabilities: A Review Of The Literature, Tracy Blankenship Ph.D., Cecil Fore, Iii Ph.D., Richard T. Boon Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the published literature on the efficacy and perception of inclusion for students with mild disabilities at the secondary level. In this review, ten studies were obtained, reviewed, and synthesized. The studies reviewed indicated mixed results have been found regarding the differential efficacy of an inclusive environment to a resource environment on a number of different dependent variables. Further concerns and challenges are raised regarding aspects of implementation of inclusive programs. Future research issues and implications for both teachers and students with mild disabilities at the secondary level are discussed.

Inclusion: Where We've Been, Where We Are, Where We're Going, Marie S. Farmer Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted and its pressure to have all students achieve academically has caused many teachers and administrators to reconsider whether mentally retarded children should be included in regular classes. The purpose of this study was to survey experienced professionals in the field of special education to get their insight about the future role of inclusion for students with mild intellectual disabilities. Members of the Georgia Council on Exceptional Children members were surveyed to find out their expectations for the future of the education of mentally retarded children in the next ten years. While …

Jaepl, Vol. 11, Winter 2005-2006, Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Linda T. Calendrillo

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Kami Day. We Learn More Than Just Writing.

In a composition class, students learn a great deal more, for good or ill, than just strategies for writing. This article shows that, as students and teachers learn to recognize and value their own inner teachers, they can also develop relationships with each other that nourish their spirits as well as their intellects.

Gina DeBlase. 'I Have a New Understanding': Critical Narrative Inquiry as Transformation in the English-History Classroom.

This case study highlights what roles classroom discussion and activity around literature, history, and society play in developing one student’s …

Headstands, Writing, And The Rhetoric Of Radical Self-Acceptance, Geraldine Deluca

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

By emphasizing the importance of patient practice as an end in itself, yoga offers a model teaching and learning writing that can help students move forward in a context of self-acceptance and find the sources of their own talents and values.

Front Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editors' Message

Inner Work: Teaching and Learning (from) Within

”There lives the dearest freshness deep down things,” Gerald Manley Hopkins writes in God’s Grandeur, capturing in this line, as he sought to reveal through the marvelously unique sounds and rhythms of his poetry, the “inscape” or the unique inner essence of all natural things. “The dearest freshness deep down things” is also Parker Palmer’s focus in The Courage to Teach, where he argues for a teacher’s and a learner’s inner work: exploring “the inner landscape of the teaching self” because “[t]he more familiar we are with our inner …

What Happens When We Read: Picturing A Reader’S Responsibilities, Laurence Musgrove

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

A graphic representation of reading as a process enables students to respond more fully and responsibly to literature by attending to what they contribute to the act of reading, what the world to the text can offer, what kinds of responses are available to them, and what they can do to make sure they have responded as thoughtfully as possible.

Poetry And The Art Of Meditation: Going Behind The Symbols, Stan Scott

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Combining reader-response theory with spiritual teachings, this article explores how reading poetry may serve as an introduction to the art of meditation.

“I Have A New Understanding”: Critical Narrative Inquiry As Transformation In The English-History Classroom, Gina Deblase

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This case study highlights what roles classroom discussion and activity around literature, history, and society play in developing one student’s understanding of complex social issues, and what ways of talking and thinking develop over time.

Reviews, Edward J. Sullivan, Gabriele Rico, Megan Brown, Kim Mccollum-Clark

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Reviews

Edward J. Sullivan. Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion. (Frank Visser, 2003).

Gabriele Rico. A Way to Move: Rhetorics of Emotion and Composition Studies. (Ed. Dale Jacobs and Laura R. Micciche, 2003).

Megan Brown. Living the Narrative Life: Stories as a Tool for Meaning Making. (Gian S. Pagnucci, 2004).

Kim McCollum-Clark. Personally Speaking: Experience as Evidence in Academic Discourse. (Candace Spigelman, 2004).

We Learn More Than Just Writing, Kami Day

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In a composition class, students learn a great deal more, for good or ill, than just strategies for writing. This article shows that, as students and teachers learn to recognize and value their own inner teachers, they can also develop relationships with each other that nourish their spirits as well as their intellects.

Back Matter

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Idioms As Cultural Commonplaces: Corporeal Lessons From Hokkien Idioms, Sue Hum

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay uses idioms, especially Hokkien idioms, to counter the western predisposition of separating mind and body, arguing that they underscore the mind-body shift that occurs with the acquisition of academic discourses.

Mindfulness, Buddhism, And Rogerian Argument, Alexandria Peary

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Use of Buddhist mindfulness practices with Rogerian argument highlights Roger’s ideas of empathy and conscious listening which help develop a rhetorical imagination in the student.

Connecting, Helen Walker, Louise Morgan, Amy Wink, Marcia Nell, Gergana Vitanova, Judy Huddleston

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Louise Morgan—Street Science: An English Teacher’s Introduction to Street Life.

Amy Wink—'In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity'— Albert Einstein

Marcia Nell—The New Partnership

Gergana Vitanova—Negotiating an Identity in Graduate School as a Second Language Speaker.

Judy Huddleston—A Cat in the Sun: Reflections on Teaching.

Diversity And Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (Kin), Cam Cobb

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN) explores issues relating to ethno cultural identity and special education. The paper outlines potential needs within the Korean-Canadian community, and identifies a source of support that has been developed by the community itself. Cobb concludes that agencies, such as the Korean Inter-Agency Network, can provide a vital link between schools and communities as educators and parents work together to dialogue, and develop formal and informal sources of support for children.

General Education Teachers' Attitude Regarding The Use In Their Classes Of Assistive Technology By Students With Learning Disabilities, Kimberly D. Garcia, Randy L. Seevers Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the general education teachers’ attitude regarding the use in their classes of assistive technology by students with learning disabilities. A five-point Likert scale was used for this study. The participants were general education teachers from elementary and secondary schools in a southwest region on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The survey helped gather information to determine the attitudes of general education teachers regarding the use of assistive technology by students with learning disabilities in their classes. The hypothesis was that general education teacher’ attitudes would be positive towards students with learning disabilities …

Making Inclusion Work In Rural Southeast Texas, Fara M. Goulas Ph.D., Lula J. Henry Ph.D., Kimberly Griffith Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Inclusion is a common term and everyday practice in two rural schools in Southeast Texas. A consortium based on a collaborative endeavor between the regional educational service center, the local university, and two rural school districts was established with a common goal, an effective general education environment, and pedagogical sound instruction for students in inclusive settings. Data was collected to assess the impact of the Inclusion Project. Results indicated an increase in positive attitudes toward the concept of inclusion.

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the 7th edition of the Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This particular edition is devoted to the papers presented at the Oxford Roundtable: Addressing the Special Education Needs of Children, convened in March 2003 at Oxford University in Oxford, England. The Oxford Roundtable is a think tank gathering of administrators, college professors, and teachers who come together by invitation to present research and conduct conversations about issues and trends in the field of Special Education. This international assembly provokes thought, shares ideas, and engages in, sometimes spirited, discourse concerning the needs of children with special needs. The following …

If It Takes A Village, Then We'd Better Educate The Villagers: Preservice Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs About The Inclusion Of Students With Severe Disabilities, Pamela Pruitt Garriott Ph.D., Lynne Snyder Ph.D., Lilly Tennant Ph.D., Ravic Ringlaben Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs of preservice teachers concerning inclusive education for students with severe disabilities. Individual interviews were conducted with 35 preservice teachers to determine their attitudes and beliefs concerning inclusion of students with severe disabilities and to examine the factors that influenced these attitudes and beliefs. Following qualitative data analysis procedures, findings indicated that the preservice teachers were relatively evenly divided on their opinions about where students with severe disabilities should receive educational services. The most significant finding of this study was that the preservice teachers attributed the underlying basis of …

Poems By David Keiser, David Keiser

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

A collection of six poems by David Keiser: The Possibilities of Eggs, American Disability, Energetic Elizabeth, No Notebook, Ugly Blues, and Principal Poem.

Attention Deficit Disorder: Are Schools And Physicians Working Together?, Paul Koulouris

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Over the past twenty years, the existence of Attention Deficit Disorder has been documented through hundreds of scientific studies. Schools play a vital role in the early in the early identification of children which ADHD and, in many cases; school personnel coordinate efforts among teachers, parents, physicians, and community resources in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD (Sloan, Jensen & Hoagwood, 1999). In their research, (Satterfield and Cantwell 1981) viewed the classroom teacher as the major determining factor in whether a student with ADHD succeeds or fails in the classroom.

Despite the documented importance of close …

Welcome, Patricia R. Renick Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Welcome to the 8th edition of The Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. This edition has an international flavor because we welcome two articles written by authors in New South Wales Australia and Japan. This edition ends with a book review and some wonderful poetry concerning individuals with disabilities. The issues concerning inclusive education continue to challenge professionals and excite interest and efforts in a growing body of literature concerning these efforts.

Dr. Fara M. Goulas, Dr. Lula J. Henry and Dr. Kimberly Griffith collaborated to produce a research piece concerning Making inclusion work in rural school system. Their writing addresses …