looking 4 support for a 21 year old student with TBI. He needs group of peers he can relate to. Email me with ideas. martinkross@gmail.com

Feel strong about California Education? Let her know, and stay informed. www.sen.ca.gov/romero Thanks @autismfamily for the link.

MUSEUMS FREE-FOR-ALL
24 Los Angeles and Orange County Museums
Free Admission Days October 3 and/or 4, 2009
MuseumsLA.org

Parents, Teachers, Friends of, and people with disabilities in the Inland Empire check it out!!!!! www.iedisabilitiescollaborative.org

IE 66er's (Dodgers Minor League) Disability Night 8/29/09 San Bernardino For more information email me or tbaxter@ie66er.com. Pass it on.

Want to kick start your brain? Listen to a TED talk. WWW.TED.Com I love this site.

RT@JoanCelebi Excellent Red Cross guide, "Preparing for Disaster for People w/Disabilities and Other Special Needs." http://bit.ly/LNnbK Thx

If you love documentaries check out snagfilms.com http://ping.fm/7LRSG

I really like these cars I hope they can survive....http://ping.fm/4XOCS

Watch Carly Friday 8/7/09 on 20/20.....

Very helpful links for SPED Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities...Thanks to TLWMSN http://ping.fm/nLOqU

Lawmakers said the state's already struggling schools would be spared by the cuts. http://ping.fm/0LCut

In the IE Harry Potter for people with Autism http://ping.fm/VOmDa #Autism

Off to another great day at school.

Foreign Languages

My students with autism are incredible. We must look at people with autism as we look at people who speak languages other than our own. I have spent a few months learning what incredible people my students with autism are... none speak with words....all speak volumes with gestures, facial expressions....smiles, waves and frowns....I think of them as using a language foreign to me...rather than as them being severely disabled. The skill level and cognitive abilities vary widely as do those without disabilities. Its time we look at people with disabilities as unique and different as opposed to broken.

Bang Pow Pop July Fourth 2009

Reassuring the furry creatures at our house that they are safe and secure despite the loud noises. The fourth of July is kind of tough for our pets. I understand the pride and excitement of firecrackers and neighborhood fireworks...please dont forget our pets who are not devoted to either country or ideology, but just their human careproviders.

Tesla Electric Cars

I like these cars, wish they were more affordable.With everything except the price I think Tesla Motors may be on the right track. Should our government devote dollars to mass market these cars rather than trying to bail out GM and Chrysler? I think maybe so... http://ping.fm/A7De2

Art worth a look http://ping.fm/z3iFb

The older I get the wiser my Dad and Grand dad become.

MJ reminds me that at 50 I need to confirm my thoughts energy and actions are aimed at making a difference for others. no time to lose.

Americans are sleeping in fog with no concern 4 oppressed. Fight for freedom from tyranny. Watch international news. Think,talk, share, act.

Slugger's date with Albuquerque Isotopes ignites enough MannyLove to light up the New Mexico city. :P

Not sure if it is the answer but maybe a start for teachers: http://ping.fm/vKRdE

Guess who is coming back to a hero's welcome...

Manny Ramirez' possible debut with minor league 66ers is a sellout. Do we care he cheated? I do. I am tired of the ball players who are making millions setting examples for our kids. They seem to eqaute stellar success with shaving the rules a little. I am sorry we care about Pete Roses, Kobes, Mannys, Barrys and all the rest. I wish society paid the big bucks to the honorable people who look beyond their personal gain to make the world a better place. Heroes fighting for the greater good.

http://ping.fm/lFOg5 California's historic budget crisis threatens to devastate a public education system

Unemployment hits 13% in Riverside-San Bernardino... Thank God for my job... seems CA continues to spiral down

Check out heavy load http://ping.fm/t3nlw

http://ping.fm/ZDQTr

http://ping.fm/AAhYW A Great Mom. Happy Mothers Day

Teachers should use a camcorder to dupe clips for students. hmmmm I'll just dust off the old betamax and I'm in business. http://ping.fm/WKqr8

When students look to sports stars as role models...

Its hard to teach kids not to cheat....thanks Manny

Looking for family support group for a young lady in Riverside who has taken in her 20 yo brother with autism. Ideas? info? email me. Thanks :-)

Education

I miss spirited talks with Dad. Education was a favorite. The system is broken worse than either he or I imagined. Dad felt teachers have easy 6 hours a day jobs with vacations galore. Teachers needed to be strong on disipline and send home any students who wouldn't toe the line. He felt that the schools had plenty of money but that they weren't spending it wisely. The schools needed no bonds or additional taxpayer dollars. After a year in the trenches I believe He was right about the vacations, and money isn't spent wisely.

For my transition students I am looking for rehab voc ed task analyses of common tasks such as vacuuming, cleaning windows etc. I'm writing my own but an existing data bank would come in handy. Ideas 2 rossm3@csusb.edu thx

My students and I visited this fair at Ramona High School yesterday. What a great event! I love my job.



http://ping.fm/cZOIU

Testing web 2.0 links

Humility, I can reed.

I have videotaped my reading lessons for a few of my students. I have been struck by how well they(my students) have done in spite of my efforts. I have a lot to learn to aid my students in their progress toward long term reading fluency goals. Together we will accomplish a lot. Short term, I need to focus on identifying instructional areas such as phonemic awareness, phonics and sight word recognition as well as supporting my students progress through these areas. I need to celebrate even the smallest of victories and build on my students established reading skills, guiding them into the future they face free from daily supports.

Happy New Year

What is at stake for my students with disabilities this year? Depending on my commitment and effectiveness they can count on from either nothing and wallowing in the world of under served and unrecognized potentials up to the realization of potentials beyond all of our wildest imaginations. The commitment I made as a teacher of students with disabilities was to bring to them the best my education and life and occupational experience have to offer. That commitment continues into the new year, I trust that collaboration with my superiors, my peers, my student's parents and their caregivers will provide them with access to potentials not yet realized. As the year progresses we need to revisit our goals and see to it that as parents, teachers, caregivers, family and friends we are providing our students the very best of us.