College and the Autistic Student
Autism, a neurological-based developmental disability, affects an estimated one in 166 people, according to a 2004 study by the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. Both children and adults with Autism typically show difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities, according to the Autism Society of America. Autism affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.
Experts agree on the following advice upon detection of Autism:
1. Seek immediate treatment for your child.
2. If possible, find someone to work with the child at least 20 hours a week, i.e. a therapist, teacher, parent, grandparent or someone from your church or group. Look for progress after one month.
3. Do not allow the child to sit and watch TV all day. Get them engaged and play as many games as possible that require taking turns.
4. New parents learning they have an autistic child must recognize immediately that they cannot do it all by themselves. They should immediately contact Autism societies or chapters to find resources, join support groups and talk with other families about their experiences. Read the rest of this entry »
College Campus Safety Tips
While out on a date
The unfortunate statistic is that 90 percent of rapes occur between people who already knew each other and that approximately half of rapes happen on dates. This is commonly known as “date rape” or “acquaintance rape.”
While sexual assault and rape by an attacker is never the victim’s fault, there are a few things women can bear in mind:
Take your time in getting to know your companion or “date.” Don’t spend time alone with someone who makes her feel uneasy or uncomfortable. This means following your instincts and removing herself from situations that you don’t feel good about.
Stay with a group of people. Avoid risky areas, such as deserted areas.
Avoid excessive alcohol. According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, more than 70,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 have been victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
Be alert for possible use of “date rape drugs” such as Rohypnol, which is illegal in the United States. Someone can slip it into a drink. It causes drowsiness, a loss of coordination, dizziness and memory loss. Never take drinks from other people and don’t leave your drink unattended.
Tell someone you trust your date’s name, destination and planned time of return. Read the rest of this entry »
Classroom Management for New Teachers
In addition to being highly knowledgeable in the subject matter, teachers also need to know how to manage classroom dynamics effectively. This entails organizational and disciplinary skills that both help make different types of classroom interactions more systematic and aligned with the learning objectives. Otherwise, classes that are conducted by teachers with very minimal classroom management skills tend to produce less favorable outcomes, such as low student achievements. Some studies, in fact, suggest that when teachers are inefficient at managing disruptive classroom behavior, the average pace of cognitive development among all students suffer greatly.
If you are a native English speaker who intend to teach English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL), it will be well to note that the paired factors of 1) disruptive behavior of students, and 2) inability of teachers to effectively manage classroom behavior, jointly cause an alarming number of new educators to leave the teaching profession. This means that in addition to generating mediocre results in terms of the learning goals for students, ineffective classroom management also cause stress, deep resentment and burnout among many teachers, to the point of compelling some of them to consider another profession. In second or foreign language learning, the cultural and linguistic gaps among students and teachers can also aggravate the learning conditions in many ways.
That said, the underlying principle should be obvious: teachers need to develop classroom management skills in order to attain positive learning outcomes. While it is true that managing student behavior is not an absolute guarantee to success, well-managed classroom behavior is a requirement for establishing an environment that is conducive to learning. After all, learning takes place most positively when students are properly motivated to learn. Read the rest of this entry »