Issues of cultural identity and cultural heritage are at the heart of contemporary discourses in many parts of the world. They are used to identify and address the inequalities by marginalized groups; however, they also feed the re-nationalization and ethno-purist fantasies. But what exactly is culture? In this volume, the authors explore how culture is conceptualized and practised by young people in eight countries in numerous and very diverse contexts - schools, interest clubs, organizations and informal youth groups. The chapters show that concepts of culture vary widely within and across sites, regions and countries, highlighting the common, as well as particular, challenges that notions of identity and heritage pose for young people who often aspire to an inclusive and open society

This updated edition of the bestselling All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome provides an engaging, gentle introduction to autism. All-new cats take a playful look at the world of autism, and these fun feline friends will strike a chord with all those who are familiar with typical autistic traits, bringing to life common characteristics such as sensory sensitivities, social issues and communication difficulties. Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes all the joys and challenges of being on the autism spectrum, leaving the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality and the potential of autistic people.

This much-needed volume is an edited collection of primary sources that document the history of bilingual education in U.S. public schools during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Part I of the volume examines the development of dual-language programs for immigrants, colonized Mexicans, and Native Americans during the nineteenth century. Part II considers the attacks on bilingual education during the Progressive-era drive for an English-only curriculum and during the First World War. Part III explores the resurgence of bilingual activities, particularly among Spanish speakers and Native Americans, during the interwar period and details the rise of the federal government's involvement in bilingual instruction during the post-WWII decades. Part IV of the volume examines the recent campaigns against bilingual education and explores dual-language practices in today's classrooms. A compilation of school reports, letters, government documents, and other primary sources, this volume provides rich insights into the history of this very contentious educational policy and practice and will be of great interest to historians and language scholars, as well as to educational practitioners and policymakers.

In 1987, when Pat Linkhorn found herself raising two daughters with special needs, she had to rely on letters to get the information she needed. These days, the process of finding information for children with disabilities is much more straightforward. In this collection of writings, Linkhorn shares a personal account of her experiences and offers advice on dealing with the various issues that she encountered through the years.Linkhorn hopes to help parents of special needs children find the humor amid the absurdity of life. Join her as she recalls navigating the choppy waters of serving as an advocate for her children and others with special needs. She offers advice on making decisions that benefit special needs children; dealing effectively with agencies, committees, and people; and telling your story in a way that generates attention.As the mother of one autistic daughter and another who was born prematurely and is blind, Linkhorn has dealt with and worked for numerous social and educational agencies devoted to helping special needs individuals for more than twenty years. No longer constrained by agency rules and guidelines, she is off the fence and she tells her tale of survival and victory and explains how the system really works.

In this revised edition in the popular New Ways Series, teachers have once again been given an opportunity to show how they do assessment in their classrooms on an everyday basis. Often feeling helpless when confronted with large-scale standardized testing practices, teachers here offer classroom testing created with the direct aim of helping students learn. Consequently, this collection of teachers' contributions looks more like assessment activities than like tests because they are thoroughly integrated into the language teaching and learning processes. Each activity provides scoring and feedback that enlightens both students and teachers about the effectiveness of the language learning and teaching involved. More than 100 activities offer alternative ways of doing assessment organized around methods, feedback perspectives, task-based assessment, classroom chores, written skills, and oral skills.

Although there has been an increase in literature regarding children of color with disabilities, it mainly focuses on their experiences in one social context. Crises of Identifying: Negotiating and Mediating Race, Gender, and Disability within Family and Schools includes narratives on the familial and educational experiences in public, private, and institutional educational settings of five African American adults who have disabilities associated with blindness, cerebral palsy, and speech impairment. As a deaf African American female, the author and researcher also highlights her familial and educational experiences throughout the book as a frame of analysis. This book can serve as a literary resource to academics and educational programs and/or institutions as well as an informational guide to parents, teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals/ caregivers of children with disabilities regarding the significance of leadership, advocacy, activism, and identification development within familial and educational contexts on the experiences of children including the impact of complex dynamics that exist within and between families and schools. Hopefully, this book will provide parents, teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals with an understanding and comprehension of complexities concerning disability, gender, and race within family and schools including their association with crises of identifying, essentialist discourses, as well as power and privilege dynamics. This book consists of nine chapters which are organized into three parts. Part I focuses on background, rationale, theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the research this book is based on. Part II introduces the reader to the narratives of five African Americans with disabilities. Each narrative provides insights into the lived experiences and leadership qualities of two males and three females. Part III presents the concluding chapters of the book and highlights the significance of this research for the educational field including disability studies, teacher education programs, and special education.

Preparing multilingual students with diverse learning needs and abilities to meet the demands of the Next Generation Learning Standards and the 21st Century workforce requires a re-envisioning of teacher preparation and classroom instruction. Multilingual learners with disabilities must be acknowledged for the assets they bring and engaged in classroom learning that is rigorous and relevant. This book addresses the historical context of the field, while also delving into the programmatic and pedagogical practices that will prepare students for success. It explores aspects of general education, special education and bilingual education, and how these fields intersect and overlap in districts, schools and classrooms. From the culturally and linguistically sustaining multi-tiered systems of support necessary in the general education and bilingual classroom, to the referral and identification processes, to appropriate service delivery models, this book addresses the apparent as well as the nuanced considerations that will assist educators in providing educational services to some of our most vulnerable students. This book particularly addresses the complex intersection of bilingual education and special education. It provides practical solutions to current dilemmas and challenges today's educators of multilingual learners with, without, and at risk for disabilities, face in the classroom. Addressing the needs of these students through an intersectional lens is paramount to closing the achievement gap that exacerbates the negative academic outcomes of culturally and linguistically diverse students with and without disabilities. It provides a comprehensive introduction to bilingual special education in today's educational landscape.

A volume in Literacy, Language, and Learning Series Editors Claudia Finkbeiner, University of Kassel; Althier M. Lazar, Saint Joseph's University and Wen Ma, Le Moyne College This book is about the learner sideof the teaching and learning equilibrium, centering on the educational experiences and perspectives ofChinese students in the United States. These students ranged from kindergarteners, adolescents, undergraduate, graduate, toadult learners, across the educational spectrum. Because Chinese students are the largest cohort among all international students in the U.S., and their prior educational experiences and perspectives in China are so different fromthose in the U.S., exploring who they are, what their learning experiences have been, and how their learning needs can be met, may notonly help us better understandthese culturally different students, but also allow U.S. educators to teach them more effectively. The chapters in the book examine the constructs of learner privilege and responsibilityin the teaching and learning equation, cultural and linguistic challenges and transitional adjustments, self-concept, learning strategies, comparison and contrast of differences and similarities between Chinese and American students, and/orcritical reflections on significant issues confronting Chinese learners. While each chapter is situated in its own research literature and connects with its own teaching and learningpractices, all of them are united around the overarching themes of the book: the experiences and perspectives of diverse learners from Chinese backgrounds in the United States. The chapters also flesh out some of the larger theoretical/ pedagogical issues between education in China and in the United States, provide useful lenses for rethinking about and better understanding their differences and similarities, as well as offer pertinent suggestions about how the educational communities in both countries may benefit from learning about and from each other.

This second edition provides teachers with practical information and support for meeting the needs of advanced learners in today's classrooms. Included is research about the definitions of giftedness, identification procedures, and the various types of programs developed to specifically address gifted learners needs. Featuring classroom scenarios, suggestions for diverse learners, and a variety of lesson ideas, this resource supports the purposeful differentiation of the curriculum across the content areas. A useful guide for all grades, this book will cut through the confusion surrounding what to differentiate and how to differentiate.

A Mysterious Girl Puts the Future of a Kingdom in the Balance
One icy-cold winter night, everything changes: a young girl shows up at the king and new queen's castle doorstep wearing little more than a purple jacket and carrying a black pouch. The king recognizes the mystery girl's identity as the long-lost princess without her uttering even a single word. However, the new queen refuses to believe the king's claims. In turn, a devious plan is hatched... and, the results are quite fitting
This new twist on Hans Christen Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea" is surely to be loved by all fairy tale enthusiasts. "The Princess and the Ruby: An Autism Fairy Tale" adds to much-needed age-appropriate literature for girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Both fun and education are cleverly weaved in this magical tale, teaching children to be comfortable in their own skin and to respect the differences of others.
Acclaim for The Princess and the Ruby
"As someone who has a couple of friends with Autistic kids, I understand the challenges these families have. This modern day twist on The Princess and the Pea not only shows how others judge something they do not understand, but how someone with Autism can see, feel and do things one might not expect."
--V.S. Grenier, "Mom's Choice" Silver Honoree and award-winning author
""The Princess and the Ruby" is a heartwarming narrative; a tale that beautifully depicts several unique characterizations of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Jewel Kats has refreshingly shed light upon a daily struggle to redefine 'normalized behaviors', in an admirable effort to gain societal acceptance and respect."
--Vanessa De Castro, Primary Residential Counselor with Autistic Youth
Learn more at www.JewelKats.com
Book #2 in the Fairy Ability Tales from Loving Healing Press
JUV039150 Juvenile Fiction: Social Issues - Special Needs
EDU026020 Education: Special Education - Learning Disabilities
EDU026050 Education: Special Education - Social Disabilities

This book was written for every parent who has ever struggled with that uneasy, anxious, apprehensive gut feeling. You are convinced something is wrong or perhaps different with your child but you just can't put your finger on it. You talk to teachers, administrators, anyone who will listen. They suggest this or tell you to do that. You know deep down inside that it probably isn't the solution, but you are not the expert, so you do what you are told. Slowly, the school year goes by, then the next and the next and nothing changes. Sometimes you start to feel like you are going crazy, that you are obsessing.

This book is for any parent, who has lost hope, to know that you are not alone. It is for the parent who needs to ask questions, but does not know where to find answers. Most of all, I hope, through our story, some parents will feel empowered enough to fight for their child, no matter what it takes, without fear of retribution, from their school system. You are your child's best advocate. You need to speak up

Whatever issues you might be having with your child, there is something in our story for everyone. Included are actual emails, transcripts and more. I want to share the pain, the fear, the joy, the uncertainty, some direction and hopefully some insight.

You must look beyond the report cards but prepare yourself. You might uncover your own incredible, mind-boggling, unbelievable stories that may seem absurdly unREAL

Acquired brain injury (ABI) describes damage to the brain that occurs after birth, caused by traumatic injury such as an accident or fall, or by non-traumatic cause such as substance abuse, stroke, or disease. Today's medical techniques are improving the survival rate for people of all ages diagnosed with ABI, and current trends in rehabilitation are supporting these individuals returning to live, attend school, and work in their communities. Yet strategies on the best way of providing community participation vary among rehabilitation experts. Because many of survivors of ABI do not and will not return to the status quo of their former lives it is important to examine what constitutes best and promising practices in this area. This casebook is the world's first compilation of evidence-informed programmes that foster community participation for people of all ages with brain injury. With this review, the authors elicited and carefully examined existing programmatic efforts that combine emphasis on the individual, the social, and the service systems in a way that captures community participation as a complex process of interactive change in the person-environment relationship - programmes that do not divorce ABI survivors from their contexts, and where participation efforts facilitate positive change in the social and political context. They considered community-based programmes to be programmes where individuals and families actively participate in their own therapy (rehabilitation) and take responsibility for their own health or that of a family/community member. Each case study chapter depicts a programme chosen on its extraordinary merits to provide community participation to its clients. The chapters are cowritten by the stakeholder and a researcher, giving a complete perspective of how the programme was established and continues to operate, and provides evidence of excellence.

This book on service-learning provides a current view of service-learning research in the second language classroom and practical applications for the acquisition of both cultural knowledge as well as the different language modalities. This book helps in understanding how using service-learning in the language classroom can facilitate language acquisition. The author addresses many of the challenges faced by teachers in the second language classroom as they try to implement service-learning programs in their curriculum. Based on the research as well as the experience of the author and other practitioners in the field, suggestions are given in each chapter as to how to maximize student learning and acquisition of specific aspects of a language as well as on the formation of successful programs and service-learning experiences. These suggestions are integrated into the individual chapters based on the focus of the unit. This text shows how service-learning allows students real world application of the language they are learning in the classroom. This text discusses how service-learning assists students in contextualizing their learning and seeing the reality of their field of study and the applicability of their language classes to settings that they encounter in their own communities. Finally, at all levels teachers, professors, and administrators are being asked to provide standards and assessments to demonstrate achievement and excellence in their different fields. This text addresses how service-learning aids students in meeting these proficiency standards and helps them achieve many of the goals set forth by national and international foreign/second language learning organizations.

Helps educators develop the specific gifts and talents of the gifted students they serve Includes a yearlong plan for professional learning communities seeking to transform their programs Demonstrates how educators can utilize the wealth of data they have at their disposal.

This book focuses on practical and productive techniques that can be used in a variety of behaviour crisis situations that may occur in a classroom. Teachers have told us that one of their major concerns has been dealing with severe behavior problems in the classroom. While there are many different types of crisis situations that may occur having the proper ""tools"" can prevent a situation from becoming even worse. The Classroom Teacher's Behavior Management Toolbox provides a variety of crisis tools for all types of situations. These tools have been gathered over the years and have been very successful in actual classroom situations.