My first week of class

I've spent most of the week just trying to familiarize myself with the wonderful world of online education. This being the first time that I have taken an online class, it was quite cumbersome trying to figure out what I needed to read and do for class this first week. I guess in my educational history I have been so use to being told exactly what to do for every assignment. Nevertheless, I'm sure I will be getting use to this new method of class soon.

I come to class as a behavior therapist at a non-public agency that works in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Not really your typical teacher that takes this course but nonetheless I'm familiar with a class setting as I am in one with a client everyday of the school year. Unfortunately in the school district that I am in and because, in my opinion, the over emphasis of standardized testing, there is very little emphasis in integrated curriculum in the classrooms.

Diving into this subject is a little scary for me. Not being a teacher and thinking about making a lesson plan regarding integrated curriculum is a bit daunting. Hopefully through the reading and working on projects with my classmates will give me the tools to gain a good grasp in this subject.

In my first week of reading I found that the subject of inquiry to be quite interesting. I actually think about my autistic client, the subjects of his interest
and how he will go to the ends of the earth to find information on that subject. How he will look at articles on the internet, look for film on the subject, talk to me endlessly about it and even make drawings about the subject. If only I had his fervor for my academic studies. In the chapter on inquiry I also found great interest in the idea of the Habits of the Mind. I see these products of inquiry in the way that I think and how my mind goes from one process to another.

I found it refreshing that much of the ways that I try and help my client inquire about different subjects, I found in Dewey's, Bloom's, and Taba's philosophy for learning. Though with my client, I have to deal with his frustration and communication barriers, we step through each thought process to form ideas and more questions that will help him learn and realize more of the world around him.

I felt this reading was good starting point into this subject and look forward to build on this foundation that has been laid.