Kliewer- "Citizenship in Schools: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"

This author, Kliewer, argues that school citizenship and constructivism is key for providing a welcoming learning environment for all students including those with disabilities. Kliewer's research specifically involved students with Down Syndrome and he included the experiences of Lee, April, Christine, Isaac, and John in their classrooms. Kliewer suggests school citizenship to promote equal participation of all students within the classroom experience. In most cases, students with disabilities such as Down Syndrome are left out of their community and segregated into a special education classrooms with no opportunity to build relationships with others. Kliewer claims that success requires the ability to form relationships and community acceptance is required to receive opportunities. The world is mainly about networking and building a support system. As human being, we rely on those relationships to feel motivated, welcomed, and accepted. Feeling comfortable within our own social spheres will help us perform to our full potential. Teachers should make the classroom a safe learning environment that acts like a community built on individual interests. Isaac loved reading books at home and the teacher made it a priority to read his favorite book in class. Isaac was so happy and excited they were reading his favorite book that he began to dance and act out the book. In any other classroom, his behavior would have been seen as remedial, but the teacher accepted this as a response to his excitement and saw it as his own manner to communicate to his peers. Kliewer argues that the mind is very dynamic and it makes no sense to categorize an individual as defective because the child those not fit the standard forms of normality.

A constructivist curriculum allows the teacher to develop experiences that will spark a students interest. Take for example Isaac, his teacher made it a priority to act out a play to spark the interest of not only Isaac but all of the students in the classroom. When there is a misunderstanding in communication, most people generally blame the less culturally privilege. However, constructivism rejects this idea and claims the issue generated from the web of communication, therefore, it holds no parties accountable.

Have any of you experienced being involved in programs that integrated general education and need based students?

This is a video of an empowering Special Education teacher as she teaches at a High School that integrates school community based students and general education students.