[IEP_guide] Teens dissolve learning barriers

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from IEP_guide

Teens dissolve learning barriers

Sunday, December 09, 2007

By MARLA A. GOLDBERG

mgoldberg@...

SPRINGFIELD - The longstanding barriers between " normal " and special

education students were quietly breached last week at Central High

School, when teenagers in Holly C. Tuttle's ceramics II class taught

what they know to their peers in the developmental skills program.

" It makes you appreciate everything that you know better, " said

junior Bianca D. Ottaviani, 16.

Tuttle, the chairwoman of Central's fine and performing arts

department, said her advanced ceramics students pretty much came up

with the idea.

Senior Jesuann I. , 17, said she and others noticed the

developmental skills students in the hallways and thought " it would

be cool if they came in, just to hang out with us, " she said.

said she was initially worried about how the classes would function

together, but found the special education students eager to work with

clay. They were shown how to make coils into letters, pots, and other

objects and shapes. " They got it, " said.

Tuttle and special education teacher Anne Marie Corrieri facilitated

the collaboration, pairing Tuttle's eight ceramics II students with

eight in the development skills program. The groups met and worked

together for periods last Tuesday and Wednesday, and Friday when they

had a pizza party and cake.

" Everyone was making snowmen at the last minute, " Tuttle said, adding

that the classes will come back together in a few weeks to glaze and

paint the snowmen.

Tuttle said the overall collaboration was successful. " I think it

went quite well, the kids pretty much took over ... some very shy

kids came out of their shell a bit, " she said, noting that was true

for students in both classes.

Corrieri said she appreciated that mainstream students had a positive

experience with her special education class, which they can describe

to their friends at Central.

Lachelle Brantley, 18, a senior in Corrieri's class, said she made a

teapot, while y , 17, a junior, made snakes and a sun.

" It gives them an opportunity to do something they don't normally do,

and to be with their peers ... it goes beyond making the pots, "

Corrieri said.

Tuttle the ceramics II class benefited from the experience of

teaching. " They have to synthesize everything they've learned, and

explain it in their own words ... their understanding should be

greater, " she said.

Senior L. , 18, said she would like to work with the

developmental skills class again. She and others said they hope other

schools will launch similar efforts, and itwould be interesting to

extend peer teaching into other subject areas, like history and

English.

Ottaviani said there could be greater interaction between mainstream

students and those with developmental disabilities, " but normal kids'

attitudes need to change. "