It's natural to not trust large groups of people -- natural to be uneasy

when you can't get a read on it all

Have you ever felt comfortable speaking in front of a large group?

Trust difficult to define

Can't blanketly trust large groups of people, can trust individuals

If we look at our peers as individuals, rather than a group of classmates -- look at is as 20 individuals, rather than a goup of 20 people -- maybe that could allow for more trust

Have a conversation, then greet each other on campus

individual relationships make it easier to trust the group as a whole

A lot to ask is bringing personal stories into the classroom, beginning with smaller groups, then to the whole group

From week 1 in the semester:

Guidelines for our Learning Community -- Draft amalgam of group work (+ last cluster is Alice’s)

• No interrupting/being rude/disrespectful
• Open-mindedness
• Respect
• Honesty
• Confidentiality
• Flexibility
• Respectful of people’s time
• Be present
• Be open to questioning your assumptions
• Remember that you’re not being targeted if you’re being questioned

Neoliberal Pragmatism: (New word-makes sense in context of the book)

Perhaps this refers to contemporary discussions surrounding neoliberal forms of education. While many people are finding that nontraditional, alternative forms of education are more effective and innovative, maybe what neoliberal pragmatism means is that we can still be innovative and practical in the more traditional space. Maybe training and systematic learning might be considered outdated now. But, in the name of practicality, traditional forms of education, what might be considered dry right now, might actually contribute to our neoliberalist, innovation-oriented goals in the long run.

Cultural Identity: (Two familiar words used in a new way together)

Conscientization: Understanding your place in the world/your reality/socially through reflection and action 

Evaluation: assessment of own reality 

1st Placement 2/29/16

Enrique (international 5 year old visitor)

Sorry for the delay in posting this--I'm coping with hand injuries at the moment that are making communication difficult. 

Some threads for discussion I'd like to address for tonight are, as we've continued to discuss, about who gets to represent whom within disability--I'm constantly reminded of the phrase "nothing about us without us". Especially in the case of intellectual disability, this very frequently simply does not happen. 

This post, however, is a fantastic step towards remediating that. http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/downsyndrome/