In class on Monday, I participated in making a group concept map of chapters 4 and 5. I found this activity helpful because I didn't have as much interest in the material for chapter 5 and so most of it was missing from my concept map. It was also helpful to see how well collaboration can work when everyone takes a part in the process and all of the work isn't left to one individual.

For one of the preparation activities this week, I played 5 different simulations to understand writing, reading, math, and attention problems that children with a Learning Disability struggle with. The one that stood out the most to me was the attention simulation because of how hard it was to focus while the other children were disrupting the teacher, and disrupting the child's concentration.

I had an experience with a little girl at the elementary school this week where she was totally off task, making disruptions for everyone else, and disrespecting her group members and myself. After participating in this simulation, it made me wonder whether she was simply showing me her need for a quiet place to read the material and to comprehend a little bit better. My patience was very low that day for some reason and so instead of trying to understand the problem, I simply removed her from the situation. Sometimes I don't know what the correct answer is or how I am going to be able to help some of the students that "act out" in class, for reasons that I don't understand.

On Wednesday, we broke into groups to implement the INCLUDE strategy from the book. I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives of other members of my group and talking about Mark's needs and how we could unify our efforts and to make accommodations for him.

I liked the portion of the text that talked about the classroom environment and how much that effects a students learning. It can be easy as a teacher (working in the elementary school this semester for a practicum class) to just assume that the child is acting out for attention or to avoid doing school work. But certain senses are heightened for individuals with special needs. I like the idea of checking on the lighting and organization of my classroom. Is it too bright? Are the desks too close together? Am I offering enough quiet time for my students to concentrate?

The rest of the week, I focused on preparing the exam on Friday. I have tried to make each IDEA principle personal so that I can remember it more easily and to give it extra meaning. My group worked really well together in preparation for the exam which reminded me of the importance of collaboration. Each member of my group has a different perspective or information they have memorized because it stood out to them. I liked learning from them today and hope to continue to develop the ability to work with others.