Blog B

Autism Podcast

This podcast was an interview with a pediatrician about autism. He talked about how children are diagnosed and also what to look for as far as signs for autism. He also responded to some important questions surrounding autism and what the cause of autism really is. One of the questions that was asked was addressing the mercury issue. Does this play a role with a child becoming autistic? The pediatrician stated that most shots now are mercury free since 2001, but if that is the case then how come children are still being diagnosed with autism? He also explained the genetics aspect of autism. He stated that identical twins have 96% chance of one developing autism if the other twin has it. However, if one fraternal twin develops autism, there is only a 30% chance that the other one will as well. This shows that there is a chance for autism to be genetic, but at this point it is unclear. This pediatrician did a great job addressing some of the signs for autism such as communication as well as social interaction and what age to be aware of these signs. This will directly impact the child's ability in school.

Does autism contribute to violent behavior? This podcast mentioned how the shooter at Virginia Tech had been diagnosed with autism at an earlier age. The reporters brought up an interesting point though. How would we even find this information out because this is a medical condition that should not be released to the public. So when we hear reports blaming such a horrific event on a medical reason they aren't even sure of, it made me wonder what autism really is and how can important is this for educators to be aware of it?

Although autism is hard to define and also hard to diagnose, there are signs that teachers should be aware of. While listening to this podcast I learned that communication and social interaction are the biggest signs to watch for. Out of the two, communication is the easiest one to define. This may be apparent by the age of four or five so this is something that kindergarten teachers should keep an eye on. I also learned that it is tough to separate who really has it and who just hasn't developed fully yet. For the most part, I learned that if they are able to express ideas that others can understand then chances are they won't be diagnosed with autism right away.

While I was listening to this podcast, they were talking about ways to have a quicker diagnosis. The problem with this is that some children take longer to develop than others. There are also differences in gender. If we began to over diagnose there would not be enough professionals to deal with the children who actually need the care and are not just a concern because of developmental issues. Another great point that was brought up was the fact that we need more people to pursue a profession dealing with autism. The pediatrician who was interviewed during this podcast was confident when saying that more people will become interested in autism the more it is talked about and this is a great thing. That is one thing that will help with future students and teachers dealing with the gap in communication because of autism. One thing that stuck out in my mind was that early intervention is key when dealing with autism. If a child is believed to have autism and results show that they are in fact fine, this is only going to benefit the child in the long run.

As a future educator, there are many things I hope to learn about before I begin my career. Autism has always been one. The reason for this is because no two students are alike and no two autistic children are alike. It is very hard to define and I know I will see many different cases before I even get my degree. Podcasts like this are very important for educators to listen to because it gives them a sense of what to look for no matter the age they are working with. Also, even if a child has already been diagnosed, it is important to know some of the reasons they have this diagnosis. If I had not listened to this podcast I wouldn't have known that social interactions and communication are two large factors with autism. As a teacher these are both huge aspects in a child's participation in a classroom and to fully understand your students you must understand who they are no matter their diagnosis. I feel that autism is a current issue in schools around the nation and will continue to be so it is important for educators to be aware of the capabilities and challenges these kids face on a daily basis. This one podcast has really sparked my interest and I know I will continue to listen to these podcasts about autism.

Podcasts can be a great tool to add to a classroom. They will provide not only information to the teacher, but also information to the students on topics that may not have been addressed already. I feel that even a podcast about autism may not be a bad way to help other students understand what their peers may be going through and help them understand the signs for autism. I would of course find one not as dense as this podcast. I am sure that there is one that children will be apt to relate to.

I feel that while listening to a podcast it is a different way of learning. While I was listening to my first podcast it was a completely different feel than picking up and reading a book on the same topic. The issues are brought to life and the children are able to work on their comprehensions skills as well. A podcast dealing with autism would probably be used for comprehension, but if I were to use podcasts for other lessons, it would help students read and write as well as speak.

How would I use podcasts in my practicum classroom?

1. This would be a good way for the students to read their butterfly books aloud and post them online for their parents to view.
2. I would also have them use podcasts for other activities such as reading groups so they would be able to listen to themselves reading and see how far they have come.
3. This would also be a way for me to let the parents know how I am teaching certain lessons. They would be able to listen to instructions to help clarify confusion at home.
4. Since the students all know the ABC's in sign language, I would have them put words to the pictures of their hands making the correct signs.
5. I would also post tips online for parents on how they can keep learning fun at home and some activities they can do during vacations and snow days!

Five Ideas for Unit

Option One: For the first topic, I was thinking about working with a kindergarten classroom and have them create their own butterfly book after learning about the topic. This would give students the ability to create their own work using both their words and their pictures to describe what is happening during the life cycle of a butterfly. I will provide some of the words that need to be incorporated into this assignment that would be beyond them at this level. Once they have all created their books and have helped each other edit, I will record them either reading their books or explaining what they have learned about butterflies. I will then post this on my website for the parents to view so they can see the progress their child has made throughout the unit.

Option Two: Another option for a unit would be working with second graders and their study on dinosaurs. The reason this would be a good unit to spend a good chunk of time would be they really get into learning about dinosaurs and look forward to this part of the day. I would assign a dinosaur to a group of students and their job would be to trace a large picture of their dinosaur. I would them have them each create five sentences on their own that are unique to the other sentences in their group that would inform the others in the class who aren't studying that dinosaur. With these images and words, I would them plan on putting it together in a movie by having the picture of their dinosaur the visual and each student reading his/her part. The final product will be viewed in class and also available on their very own web page found on my website. This would bring the class together by having them all work individually, as a group, and also bring their family together to watch the final product.

Option Three: The next idea I had would be working with third grade students and their solar system study. This is a big topic in third grade, and I would plan on making sure that this unit would be able to cover a lot of material in other subjects besides science. My focus for this unit would be for them to use kidspiration as an introduction to using technology to help with their projects. The main topic would be the solar system and there would be branches coming off of this topic that related to each planet. The students would be responsible for finding an image of each planet to attach as a separate bubble with a caption. They would also be responsible for at least five interesting fact about each plant. This would create a nice web for them to see all of the planets and how different they are. This could easily be turned into an outline for them to use studying before a test at the end of the unit.

Option Four: For this unit project I would be working with fourth graders during their State of Maine study. Since kidspiration is a good resource for children this age, I would have them use this program as a start for a web to begin their research paper. Once they have a web, I will have them change it to an outline format so they have a better grasp of where to begin their paper. I will have a model of both steps as a hand out so they have that to refer back to. They will then be able to use the internet as one of their sources after completing my site evaluation sheet assignment. This will make them more aware as to what an appropriate site is and what is not.

Option Five: For my final unit I plan to work with fifth graders during their Oregon Trail study. As part of the simulation, I will have their journals posted as blogs online so they get used to using this type of technology. This will be the spot where they can react on the day's events and their progress if any. There can also be a simulation map online for them to track their progress and see the progress of the other students. This way other students will be able to log in and see how the other "families" are doing on their trip. I feel that this unit will be a lesson in disguise. I remember doing this when I was in fifth grade and I looked forward to this part of the day more than anything!