Learning Disabilities Association of Sudbury

VOLUME 7, I SSUE 2 - F EBRUARY 2010

Celebrating Rising Stars

Mission Going for Gold! Statement Your Personal Olympics for 2010 To support all This Olympic Edition of and positive resolutions. Set goals high-strive to succeed. individuals with our “Working Together for your sights on reaching your Remember you are not learning disabilities in reaching their full Rising Stars” newsletter, is full potential. alone-you have a lot of potential in a about being the best you can Going for Gold doesn't fans cheering you on to community be. For students, it's about just happen! You being the success (team mates, that values their building self-esteem, self- best you can be will not parents, teachers, family and unique abilities and confidence and self respect. happen by chance. Play the friends). Like Olympic contributions. It's about knowing yourself right game-use your athletes, aim for your and setting yourself up for strengths. Practice hard-you personal best. You don't success. will get out of it what you have to reach the podium; Make some personal put into it! Play on a winning just be the best that you can decisions about yourself! team-pick good supporters be. Make some commitments and team mates. Set your

One of the Olympic Venues: The Classroom Inside this issue: This year in the • Increased public • differentiated Do You Believe? 2 classroom, the new rule confidence in publicly instruction and universal I Believe book has been drafted by funded education. design are effective and Get the Right Gear 2 the Ministry of Education. an interconnected ‘Learning for All K – 12’ is (Learning for All K-12 draft means of meeting the Bullies are Not Team 3 based on the 2008 Ontario June 2009) learning needs of Players Government release of: students. Reach Every Student: The following rules and Taking Your Place at 4 the Podium Energizing Ontario principles were identified as Education, in which the essential in order to improve Supporting a 5 Ministry articulated its achievement for all students Champion commitment to ‘raise the from Kindergarten to Grade Top Ten Things 5 bar’ for all students in 12 and to close the Ontario schools and to achievement gap: • On the Road to 5 ‘close the gap’ in student all students can succeed To view the document visit Success achievement. It identified • fairness is not sameness www.ontariodirectors.ca the following three core • Restricted Educator each student has his or 6 priorities in its efforts to Workshop her own unique patterns Thought for the Day meet that commitment: • of learning Coaching a Winning 7 • High levels of student successful instructional “Teaching may be the Team achievement practices are founded on greatest of the arts, since the • Reduced gaps in student Training for Victory 7 evidence-based research medium is the human mind achievement and spirit”.

LDAS 8 John Steinbeck PAGE 2 LEARNING D ISABILITIES A SSOCIATION OF S UDBURY

YOUTH AND STUDENTS

Do You Believe? http:// http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/ parenting.quiz.kaboose.com/25-what-s- general/elemsec/speced/guide/resource/ I Believe! your-child-s-learning-style iepresguid.pdf Like all students and Olympic Once you know your learning style http://www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca/ athletes, students with learning and the accommodations that will help courses/Free_AT_Wkshp.pdf disabilities need to prepare and train for you succeed, you're on your way to Step # 3: Know how to get success. The focus is on you and one of success. No one is good at what you need to succeed. the best exercises is to develop self everything. You need to know your In many ways you are no different advocacy skills. Remember, you're no strengths. An Olympic gold medal than Olympians. You need to self different than all the other students winner in alpine skiing won't do very advocate in a positive way to get what when it comes to self advocacy. well in curling or figure skating. You you need as you strive for success. Talk Everyone needs to know how to self have your strengths and interests, so to your teachers to help them advocate in order to build self- pick your games where you can do your understand your strengths and learning confidence, self-esteem, self-awareness best. style and ask for their support. Work on and self appreciation. Step # 2: Know what you communicating those things that you Step # 1: Know yourself. need to succeed. need. Write down and practice what You have great abilities because you Like an Olympic athlete, you need you're going to say until you’re have average to above average the right equipment to allow you to do comfortable with communicating intelligence. A different way of learning your best. Maybe it is a specific type of verbally. Try sending them an e-mail can lead to success. Like everyone else, assistive technology? You need to outlining how they can help you you have your personal learning style. If practice to be good at what you do. Do succeed. you don't know what it is, ask your you need support to get organized? parents or teachers to help you figure it Maybe you need a little more time and You need to take responsibility for out. Check out these websites for support in the areas that are more getting all of those things that will learning styles. challenging. Check out your Individual lead you to success, just like www.studysuccess.co.uk/ Education Plan (IEP) for some specific Olympic competitors. learning_questionnaire.htm (Grade 9-12) accommodations to support your Adapted from www.wrightslaw.com/ www.educationinsite.com Grade (5-8) learning style. info/sec504.self Get the Right Gear - Assistive Technology: Scanned Books & Kurzweil 3000 By Marlene McIntosh, Cambrian College however, we find it extremely difficult the Kurzweil 3000 program. There may Eighty percent (80%) of students to get this from them. Thus, we have to be errors – text is read out of order or with learning disabilities have difficulty scan the books into the computer may be unreadable. If we need to edit with reading. Since 10% of our ourselves. At our college, we have the book, we hire a student to “zone population is said to have a learning approximately 800 students registered at edit” – put text in the right order and disability, this number has a high impact The Glenn Crombie Centre for correct most of the scanning errors, this on students in our education system disability services. Each term, we get a takes about 1-2 days per book. Finally, (Hasselbring & Bausch, 2005). request for about 250 books to be we are able to burn an edited copy for Consequently, these students will scanned into an electronic format. students, so they can read a much require the use of books in electronic Scanning is not quite as simple as cleaner copy in Kurzweil 3000. format. So, what happens now? you may think. Here’s what happens, a Why would we go through this Kurzweil 3000 is a program that student will drop off a book, we then much trouble? Can’t the student just allows students to scan books and read send it to our print shop where they cut read the book if they took their time and them aloud with the computer. This the bindings and send it back to us. read it slowly? The answer, quite simply, Kurzweil program also has an auditory Next, we separate the book into is no. When students read books with dictionary and thesaurus, word chapters, each chapter is fed into our the Kurzweil 3000 program, they can do prediction, and note taking features. high speed scanner, and it is scanned so quicker than normal. They also can Although it is not the only assistive into the computer. We then use a look up words that they don’t technology software that scans and program to convert these files into a understand with a simple click of the reads, I find it to be the best one that is Kurzweil 3000 format, this usually mouse – this helps with comprehension. available to my students. occurs overnight. Finally, we can burn In addition, students don’t have to waste It would be great if publishers an “unedited” copy for a student, this time trying to sound out words; provided text in electronic format; means the student can read the book in (Continued on page 3) FEBRUARY 2010 PAGE 3

Bullies are Not Team Players!

What is ? Myth : “If I tell someone, it will just Bullying is a conscious, wilful, make it worse.” deliberate, hostile and repeated Fact : Research shows that bullying behaviour by one or more people, will stop when adults in authority and which is intended to harm others. peers get involved .

Bullying takes many forms, and can Myth : “Just stand up for yourself and include may different behaviours, such hit them back” as: Fact : While there are some times • physical violence and attacks when people can be forced to defend Ready Freddy: Don’t Sit on My Lunch • verbal taunts, name-calling and put- themselves, hitting back usually makes (Ready Freddy Series) by Abby Klein, downs the bullying worse and increases the illustrated by John Mckinley (Blue Sky • threats and risk for serious physical harm. Press, 2005) • extortion or stealing of money and Myth : “Bullying is a school problem, Children Ages 9 -12 possessions the teachers should handle it” Stop Bullying Bobby! Helping • exclusion from the peer group Fact : Bullying is a broader social Children Cope with and Bullying • cyber bullying problem that often happens outside of by Dana Smith-Mansell, illustrated by Suzanne Riggio (New Horizon Press, schools, on the street, at shopping centers, the local pool, summer camp 2004) Bullying is the assertion of power Bullies & Victims: Helping Your Child through aggression and/or exclusion. and in the adult workplace.” Myth Through the Schoolyard Battlefield by It’s forms change with age: school : “People are born bullies” SuEllen Fried and Paula Fried (M Evans. playground bullying, sexual Fact : Bullying is a learned behaviour and Co., 1996) and behaviours can be changed. , gang attacks, date Adults From website www.bullying.org violence, assault, marital violence, Bullying at School: What We Know child abuse, workplace harassment and Resources and What We Can Do by elder abuse. (Pepler and Craig, 1997) Children Ages 4 - 8 (Blackwell, 1993) “Bullying is not about anger. It is The Berenstain Bears and the Bully by The Bully, the Bullied and the not a conflict to be resolved, it’s about Stan and Jan Berenstain (Random House, Bystander: From Preschool to High contempt –a powerful feeling of 1993) School – How Parents and Teachers Can dislike toward someone considered to Talking About Bullying by Jillian Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso (Collins, 2004) be worthless, inferior or undeserving Powell (Steck-Vaughn, 1998) Girls Wars: 12 Strategies That Will of respect. Contempt comes with End Female Bullying by Cherly Dellasega three apparent psychological and Charisse Nixon (Fireside, 2003) advantages that allow kids to harm others without feeling empathy, Get the Right Gear compassion or shame. These are: a (Continued from page 2) Students need support to pick out sense of entitlement, that they have important information and to the right to hurt or control others, an Kurzweil 3000 says the word aloud understand material. However, it allows intolerance towards difference, and a immediately, so students can students to become more independent freedom to exclude, bar, isolate and concentrate on meaning, that is just the with reading. segregate others” tip of the iceberg! The Kurzweil 3000 Gone are the days of reading (Barbara Coloroso “The Bully, the program allows students to highlight books to students. It is possible now Bullied and the Bystander”) important information and then extract with some of the wonderful assistive Bullying Myths and Facts: this text. Students can create two technology available today, to allow Myth : “Bullying is just a stage, a column notes or a review sheet, they students with learning disabilities to normal part of life. I went through it can also use this information to create read on their own, for school and for and my kids will too. ” flash cards. They can create practice pleasure. Welcome to the days of tests using the Note features in the independence! Fact : Bullying is not “normal” or Kurzweil 3000 program. They can also Reference socially acceptable behaviour. We give create vocabulary lists using the Note Hasselbring, T., & Bausch, M. (2005). bullies power by our acceptance of feature of the program. Assistive technologies for reading. this behaviour. Is Kurzweil 3000 a quick fix? No! Ed ucational Leadership , 63 (4), 72-75. PAGE 4 LEARNING D ISABILITIES A SSOCIATION OF S UDBURY

P A R E N T S

Taking Your Place at to try anymore. Fortunately, I found a This year Eddie will be graduating reading consultant who we hired to from high school and going on to post the Podium: Eddie’s tutor Eddie. After one year of intensive secondary education. Proof positive of Story work, his reading skills significantly “a different way of learning can lead to improved; however, his writing skills success.” I would like to tell you about my son were still way behind. By grade 5, Eddie’s printing was still Eddie. He was born on a crisp October This story was written by a parent of practically impossible to read, his day with beautiful blue eyes and auburn a child with a learning disability. This spelling was atrocious, his written work coloured hair. He seemed to me to be a child asked that his name be changed to did not compare to his spoken answers, very clever baby because at nine protect his privacy. The parent and and he hated doing his home work. The months, at daycare, he was pulling child have been affiliated with the other thing that made me very sad was soothers and bottles out of the mouths Learning Disabilities Association of that Eddie was still struggling to develop of other babies, apparently just to get a Sudbury for many years and have friendships. reaction. When he began school the benefited from resource and advocacy The situation was taking the fun out SK teacher said how much she support offered by the association. appreciated Eddie because he played of learning and was damaging his self with every child, not just one or two esteem. Soon after this, a psychologist (edited and adapted with permission - for this children. completed a psycho-educational edition of our newsletter) In grade one, Eddie’s teacher assessment with Eddie. seemed frustrated with him. She said The psychologist found that Eddie that he was destroying his pencils and has a learning disability. As a result of Announcement was not able to print like the other the psychologist’s report, Eddie was Looking for resources or children. I told her that I did not think identified at an Identification Placement advocacy support for your that Eddie was performing to his and Review Committee (IPRC) meeting rising star! potential. She did not have any and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) Our satellite office is now suggestions other than to keep working was set in place. Over the next 2 years I open in St. Benedict School hard. I did not know what to do. He watched Eddie transform from a boy by appointment only! with very low self esteem and few told me that he did not have any friends friends, to a confident young man who at school. He sadly told me that he Please call 522 0100 was developing some good friendships. could not colour and with tears in his or email us @ One day in grade 7, Eddie came eyes he said “the kids say that I [email protected] home with a big grin on his face and scribble”. In grade 2, Eddie continued to fall handed me a test. He looked up at me behind. His teacher encouraged us to with an enlightened look in his eye and We are here to help! read more at home. I tried to help him said: “Mommy, I’m smart!” The score sound out the words, but he became on the test was 100%. Now, I was the frustrated and angry. He did not want one with tears in my eyes.

Quotations

“PARENTS MUST BE “CHILDREN ARE “WHEN LIFE TAKES WILLING TO GUIDE , GREAT IMITATORS , THE WIND OUT OF “IF YOU WILL IT , IT MAINTAIN AND …. IF SO GIVE THEM YOUR SAILS , IT IS TO IS NOT A DREAM .” NECESSARY LEAD THE SOMETHING GREAT TEST YOU AT THE HENRY WINKLER PROCESS .” TO IMITATE .” OARS .” RICK L AVOIE UNKOWN A UTHOR ROBERT B RAULT FEBRUARY 2010 PAGE 5

Supporting A Champion

An advocate is a person who speaks up for, acts on behalf • Work with others to reach a common goal. Collaborative of, or supports someone else. efforts make the journey for reaching your goal an easy road to travel. • Being An Effective Advocate Means: Ask questions when you have doubts or require further • Be informed about the Education Act and Regulations, clarification, before making any decisions. • Keep a paper trail - put all communications in writing. School Board’s Special Education Plan, along with the • many resources available regarding learning disabilities. Thank people for their time, even when you don’t get • Be assertive and communicate well without being what you want. • aggressive or confrontational. State your viewpoints Take responsibility for your success, you will create a self- clearly, but also take into consideration other thoughts and determined future. • ideas and then work towards the right outcome co- Most of all allow yourself to be less than perfect operatively. An assertive person also listens! (no one is).

Top Ten Things Teachers Wish Parents Would Do

1. Participate in their children's 5. Concern themselves first with serious as drug abuse. All these can education. Parent involvement helps academic progress, next with students' cause both a student's health and students learn, improves schools and preparation to assume adult classroom performance to suffer. makes teacher's job easier. responsibilities, (work, etc.), then finally, 10. Remember that teachers are people, 2. Provide resources at home for reading involvement in athletics and activities. too. Many are parents, and share your and learning. Supply books and 6. Support school rules, discipline parent challenges. Teachers want your magazines for children and read with policies, and achievement goals. students to succeed: help them. them each day. 7. Call teachers as soon as a problem Reprinted from the National PTA 3. Set a good example. Show your becomes apparent so that prompt action children that you believe reading is can be taken. “Accept the challenges so that enjoyable and useful. 8. Teach basic self-discipline, good 4. Encourage children to do their best in manners and other social skills that you may feel the exhilaration of school. Help them set obtainable goals children need throughout their lives. victory.” George S. Patton Jr., and monitor involvement in other 9. Understand that alcohol, tobacco and World War II General activities. excessive partying are problems as

On the Road to Success ! A Free Orientation Program

• Are you or your child planning on going to disability services that are available Cambrian College next year? • college services that are available Do you have questions or concerns about the support that is available to students with learning disabilities at Cambrian College? Summer Institute provides you with the tools To answer your questions and more, Cambrian College necessary to get a great start to the college offers a FREE orientation program just for you. experience. At the Summer Institute, you will become familiar with the staff, other students, and services available to support you with programs in college. Check out our website at http:// You will learn: www.cambriancollege.ca/Departments/DisabilityServices/ • how to manage college course loads Pages/Default.aspx for more information or contact us at The • Glenn Crombie Centre for disability services at 705-566-8101 applications for assistive technology • extension 7420 or [email protected]. how to self advocate PAGE 6 LEARNING D ISABILITIES A SSOCIATION OF S UDBURY

EDUCATORS:PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING FOR ALL W O R K S H O P S

“Restricted” to Northern Ontario School Boards Only - Educator’s Professional

LearningDisabilities Association Sudburyof Development Workshops 2010

Learning for All K-12 Differentiated and Personalized Instruction in the Classroom Part I - “ I Learn Differently, Please Teach Me Differently” Part II - “Teach Me Differently, With Differentiated & Personalized Instruction” If you missed the premier presentations of these workshops in Sudbury at Cambrian College’s “Pathways Conference” last year; here is your chance to bring them to your School Board before the end of this school year. Now booking for February to June 2010. These two, 1½ hour interactive sessions are motivational, engaging, powerful and fun! Want to experience what it's like to learn differently? Want to get some ideas on how easy differentiated instruction can be? Want to experience how much fun it is to teach differently? Need some strategies for different learning styles? Want to work together for rising stars? Rave reviews from over 500 educators who have benefited from this workshop in 2009. “It's the best workshop I've ever attended!” “It is a must for all teachers.” “It was awesome!” “All teachers need to understand learning disabilities.” “Everyone can learn from this wonderful presentation.” “I know now how to better understand my students.” Special Offer! Save $100 off bookings made before February 22, 2010! Free Bonus - choice of evening workshop for parents/educators “Navigating the System with your GPS” or “Address learning blocks with Edu-kinethetics”

For more information, contact Angie DeMarco, Education Coordinator (705) 522-0100 or [email protected] FEBRUARY 2010 PAGE 7

Coaching a Winning Team - Helping All Students Succeed

LEARNING FOR ALL K – 12 Page 18 (CODE BELIEF # 3" Each student has his or her own Website: www.ontariodirectors.ca) unique patterns of learning” “Students’ learning styles and preferences influence their In order to be a successful coach, you must know your learning profile. Understanding how students learn best students and help each one of them, know themselves. enables teachers to differentiate instruction effectively. Developing an understanding of learning styles and individual Students may be better at internalizing, processing, and student profiles is so important for all students to succeed. It communicating information through auditory, visual, tactile, or will help you build class profiles. kinesthetic modes or learning styles. In his Frames of Mind: Developing class profiles and student profiles can help The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1993), Howard Gardner teachers plan daily instruction that enables every student to identified eight types of intelligence – verbal/linguistic; logical/ learn and achieve success – instruction that is “necessary for mathematical; visual/spatial; musical/rhythmic; bodily/ some and good for all”. kinesthetic; interpersonal; intrapersonal; and naturalist - which strongly influence the ways in which students learn best. Thank you...

“If they don't learn the way you teach, teach the way they learn”. Dr. Jane Bluestein, Keynote Speaker, ETFO Conference, Toronto

Mark Your Calendar Coaching Program Graduation Ceremony March 25, 2010

Training for Victory - The Breakthrough System

2 - Precision In other words, if education partners The Breakthrough system addresses A system that links “assessment for lose sight of the moral purpose of the need to “establish classroom learning” to evidence-informed “serving all students to a high standard”, routines and practices that represent instruction on a daily basis, in the they run the risk of implementing the personalized, ongoing data-driven, service of providing instruction that is three components in ways that may fail focused instruction”. It identifies three precise to the level of readiness and the to bring about the desired changes in core components that must be learning needs of the individual student; education. “synergistically interconnected” if the 3 - Professional learning The success of the large-scale reform system is to succeed: Focused, ongoing learning for every that the Breakthrough system envisions educator “in context”, to link new depends on cooperation and aligned 1 - Personalization conceptions of instructional practice purpose at the level of the school and Education that puts the learner at with assessment of student learning. community, the district or region, and the centre, providing assessment and According to the authors, the state. instruction that are tailored to students’ “The glue that binds these three particular learning and motivational components is moral purpose: Learning for All K-12 document Draft June 2009 needs; education for all that raises the bar as it Fullan, Hill, & Crevola, 2006, pp.16-26, 87 closes the gap” (p.16) PAGE 8 LEARNING D ISABILITIES A SSOCIATION OF S UDBURY

LDAS Services we provide: • We’re on the Web One-on-one resource/advocacy support to www.ldasudbury.ca families as they “navigate the school system” • Development and delivery of workshops and presentations designed to raise awareness through our Community Outreach Program • Extensive resource library offered through our partnership with the Greater Sudbury Public Library • Gr. 7 & 8 Coaching Program in partnership with Laurentian University PO Box 21038 • School Age Presentations: 1935 Paris Street, Plaza 69 Happy Feet Gr. 2 - 4 Sudbury, ON P3E 6G6 LD 101 Gr. 5 - 8 Self-Advocacy Gr. 7 - 8 Phone: 705-522-0100 Fax: 705-522-2289 • Edu-Kinethetics an interactive workshop to [email protected] address anxiety and negative emotions www.ldasudburyca • Newsletters “Working Together for Rising Stars” • Representation on School Board SEAC Committees, RDSB & SCDSB • Web Site: www.ldasudbury.ca From the Heart! Leave have legacy Things will work out I know. At Winston Churchill once said “You make a living by what you get, but least we got on the right path make a life by what you give”. As a charity, “in-memoriam” when we got involved with your donations and bequeaths in remembrance of a loved one can be office. You have been such a offered to our association. blessing with all your help. Jo-Anne (parent) Our Part in the Team Effort for Success From the desk of our Executive Director passion to her role. Don't miss this students with learning disabilities in As we start off this calendar year our opportunity to be a better advocate for developing self advocacy skills. Because organization, like yourselves, must your child. Join the hundreds of parents a learning disability is a lifelong initiate and renew our commitments and who benefited last year from Wendy's challenge, new and exciting resolutions as we seek to meet our goals. knowledge and support. opportunities will present themselves, as Here is our short list: 2. a result of self - advocating. Parents and 1. Teacher goals: we have made a Parent goals: Our Board of resolution this year to continue to teachers play an important role in Directors and staff are committed to support and encourage classroom supporting students in developing these supporting parents and their rising stars. teachers that demonstrating a different skills. This is our primary and most important way of learning can lead to success for As your team at LDAS, we are business and thanks to United Way all students. Thanks to funding from the committed to serving you better and funding, we are able to offer free one- Ontario Trillium Foundation, we have providing support to children and youth on-one resource and advocacy support, developed workshops for educators and with learning disabilities in our to help parents and guardians navigate offer them to the 8 school boards across community. Drop me an e-mail at the educational system. Please contact Northeastern Ontario. Last year Angie [email protected], with any our Resource Facilitator, Wendy DeMarco, our Community Outreach suggestions you have on how we can Larouche, who is here for you. Wendy Coordinator received outstanding meet that commitment and any ideas has received resource facilitation reviews from over 500 educators in 16 you have to increase our support for training and accreditation through the workshops. you. Learning Disabilities Association of 3. Student goals: our most important Ron Lessard, Executive Director Ontario, she also brings experience and new year’s resolution is to support