Learning while Teaching

500 Words Per Day: Television

So many things have changed in the few years I have been privileged to walk this earth. I just heard a guy on television ask, 'Guys, what is the number one problem in the world today?' Since the commercial was advertising KFC, I'm not sure the answer was any more meaningful than the question. One of the best things to have changed is the television control. It's long since been remote and features a mute button.

Now I'm watching a commercial for Midas car parts store featuring a talking golden hand. Now an athlete. Before that it was Pinnochio in a Geico commercial. Now Dairy Queen. There's always someone on television trying to make me laugh or make me hungry or make me thirsty. Mostly all of it just aggravates me.

You know it's a sad day for writing when the best you have to offer is a commentary on the commercials being played during the breaks of an NBA game on TNT. The Lakers, by the way, are the worst team in the league this year but they still get more airtime than other teams that actually have winning records. I like watching the NBA but I'd like a little more diversity in the broadcast schedule. I haven't seen the Atlanta Hawks once this year. Nor have I seen the Sacramento Kings, the Toronto Raptors, the Washington Wizards, and a couple of  others. The Association has an agenda I guess and the assumption they make is that people would rather watch a lousy Lakers team starring Pau Gasol than to watch an exciting Wizards game starring John Wall of the Cavaliers featuring Kyrie Irving.

The viewing habits of people must be exciting for those who make the broadcasting schedule. I mean that must be some amazing statistical data to interpret.

The NBA wants us to believe they care. This time they want us to know they care about the killing of African Rhinoceros' and Elephants. It's important that the NBA is so globally minded.

I'm using my 500 words to talk about television and how mind-numbingly banal it is. I mean seriously, with as much revenue as the NBA generates on a yearly basis, it is safe to say they could invest a small percentage of that money and buy Africa and evict all the killers of Rhinos and Elephants and Hefalumps and Woozles.

Seriously, rich athletes amaze me because they go out of their way to find these causes and to heighten our awareness of these causes so that we won't sit around wondering at the injustice of grown men making millions of dollars per year throwing, catching, shooting, hitting or slapping a ball made from cow hide or pigskin. Athletes are the new politicians: distract my eyes with charity so I won't see your hands stealing cookies. 

I wonder how much money the Association donates each year to end the illegal ivory trade in Africa? Or to stop a genocide? Or to end the slave trade?

I wonder. 

Raising Awareness for People with an ASD

I saw these links in my Twitter feed today and thought they were important enough to repost links here.

The first deals with suicide and isolation among people with Asperger's.

When I googled the terms "suicide" and "asperger's", I was surprised at how frequently the subject seemed to be treated with confusion - why would a person with Asperger's feel driven to suicide? To me, the answer to this is obvious. The need to bond with others is a basic human need. The very definition of Asperger's is to have trouble fulfilling that need. So why is it surprising that someone with these difficulties might fall into despair?

As educators, it is important that we take time to note when our students might appear a little or a lot out of sorts. It is not always easy to help our student through difficult times, but paying attention and being aware of changes in their routine or demeanor might mean the difference between life and death. 

The second article, 15 Workplace Behaviors that Exclude, also help us see that we do need to be sensitive to people who have an ASD. Certain behaviors that we might think are innocuous might create a hostile workplace environment. The bottom  line to this article, is that we should simply be courteous. Frankly, it really doesn't matter if the person has an ASD or not, most of the behaviors the author speaks of are just plain rude. 

The third article, What Does it Mean to Have Asperger's Syndrome?, is a brief introduction of sorts to Asperger's Syndrome:

In general, people with Asperger’s generally have trouble with social interaction, communication, as well as regulation of the motor skills and sensory systems.They also can develop obsessive and compulsive tendencies, which manifest themselves in various ways.

We can look around and see that perhaps we have been just a bit unfair or unkind to people who might be on the spectrum. So as educators we need to continually raise awareness of Asperger's and Autism in order that people will be a lot kinder and slower to judge. Knowing can lead to understanding and understanding can lead to more compassionate responses towards those who are on the spectrum. 

This is one of my main 'job's as a special educator. I mean this sincerely when I say I am sometimes left flabbergasted at the ignorance of the general education teachers. I think a large part of our work is to help keep the general education teachers informed (or at bay) when it comes to our students who are on the spectrum. This in and of itself is a monumental task--one would never imagine that people so educated could be among the worst offenders when it comes to students in special education. 

Hopefully you will find something interesting in these three short posts. Again, it is important that we, as educators, continue to raise awareness and advocate for our young friends (students) who happen to be on the autism spectrum or who happen to be differently-abled. I believe it starts with us--eradicating ignorance and snuffing out the flames of discrimination. Our goal is, as always, to help out students move about in the real world as fluently, frequently, and freely as possible.