Trisomy 21: Another drawing in the "Genetic Lottery"

Citizenship in School :Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

Talking Points #9-Quotes

 

Down syndrome/trisomy 21, is caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.

Quote #1

We need to stop trying to fit students into boxes much like this kitty it doesn't work.

Society itself is hurt when schools act as cultural sorting machines- locations that "justify a competitive ethic that marginalizes certain students or groups of students".  

This quote is a short but powerful statement. A cultural sorting machine is the perfect complimentary analogy to the idea of the public school system being a "large machine". A machine rolling on no matter what is in front of it. The school system could be thought of as a tractor traveling along to a work site or goal (in this case to educate the masses) however because it is so large it tramples everything in it's path grass,flowers(or in our case students) .In this concept the idea of individualism is lost along with something of equal importance; the wonderful gift that each child brings ,no matter their perceived intelligence.  Down Syndrome students are similar to the flowers in our analogy, beautiful and special however like many other students for various reasons can get trampled by the "machine". It is not one size fits all. Down Syndrome students should be celebrated and not segregated from the mainstream classroom. Integration into classes as well as letting them choose what they would like to learn is something that would give these children an environment to thrive.  The idea of perceiving a young person's intelligence based on having Down Syndrome is no better than making that judgement based on race. The population effected by this syndrome should not be made to seem all the same. They are individuals just like anyone.

                                                   Quote #2

It's not like they come here to be labeled, or to believe the label. We're all here-kids,teachers,parents,whoever-it's about all of us working together,playing together,being together,and that's what learning is. Don't tell me any of these kids are being set up to fail.

Children go to school to learn and feel safe. No matter what their condition children want to feel like they have somewhere to belong. As future teachers it is our responsibility to show children yes we are all individuals,however were not that different in many ways.Children that have Down Syndrome want to fit in just like any other. When working with children it is important to teach acceptance of everyone. A teacher wants to feel like all of their students are being given the same tools to succeed. There is a hard enough time between schools and districts being on un-level playing fields. As a teacher we should not want to create any more of a divide then children are already facing.

   Quote #3 

The Wild Things production was not an add-on to a preexisting curriculum. Within the web of activities ,Shayne and her co-workers systematically develop opportunities for their students to engage with literacy and numeracy skills , problem-solving and critical thinking processes , and interpersonal capacities. Though the children may not have been aware of it,learning was always the central concern.

This is one of my main dogmas for being a future teacher. I feel learning can be in anything. Any opportunity/activity can teach us something. Learning does not have to be necessarily sitting in a classroom being "talked at" by a teacher , it can be found in many environments. The Wild Things , play that the students partook in became a fortune of experiences. The creation of the set,costumes,script these are all lessons. Children sometimes do not even realize that they are learning skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives ;found in simple activities. Real world learning I believe is the best form. Children benefit from seeing things first hand. This does not just apply to children with Down Syndrome but all children.

Question for the class.

What are some of the benefits of having students of all learning stages in classes together? What are some of the down sides to separating children based on "perceived intelligence"?