The Paralympics: An Education Opportunity for All

Strategic Technology Management

The Paralympics: An Education Opportunity for All Ron Davis, Texas Womens UniversityCatherine Kearns, Main. St. School, Exeter, NHMichelle Grenier, University of New HampshireStand up for someone who has chnaged your lfeI learned this from Tim 24 hour rule 1

Disuccsion on the question of how much you knew about disability sports. Have them peer share. 2Northeast PassagesAthlete Development Centerat the Univ. of New HampshireProvide Student Athletes the facilities and support to train at a high level.Provide Student Athletes the opportunity for a great education at UNH.Without having to sacrifice one for the other.Northeast Passage

3UNH and the greater community. Many athletes who will be competing in the Paralymics, Taylor Chase as the captain as the 2010 slad hockey team. Northeast Passage

Recreation programs such as power wheelchair, wheelchair rugby, sled hockey team-sled hockey junior team as well as weekly events such as golf, cycling, archery, water skiing. Truly embedded in the community.4Friends in Action program

Normative Discourses

I want to talk about how these programs impact community. What happens when students see individuals on a campus..what happens when you have athletes on a campus. 6Why you think disability sports are important? Hehir (2007) states, Society's pervasive negative attitude about disabilitywhich I term ableismoften makes the world un-welcoming and inaccessible for people with disabilities (p. 9). One of the questions posed to the students. Etraning the brain 7Undergraduate responseI believe disability sport is a great way to bring different aspects into a physical education classroom. For the student, it makes them feel like they are participating fully instead of having to modify other games so they can be included. Disability sport can also help students who are not disabled. It can show them a point of view they have never had on peers that have disabilities.

Discussion of the question of disability sports- goalball reference 8Teaching Disability Sports Fitzgerald and Kirk (2009) outlined some of the primary concerns when using disability sports as an avenue for change. Because having a disability is often associated with a deficit perspective, by default then, disability sports must be a lesser form of sport. Disability Sports-yes/no??? There remain important questions unanswered about how disability sports are used within physical education, how they are valued by young disabled people and others around them, and what this all means for the ways in which disability, more generally is understood (p. 94). Million dollar question.Would you include disability sports in your curriculum even if there werent disabled students?

Emphasizing the abilities of individuals is believed to produce positive, sensitive, and practical [inclusive sport and leisure] outcomes for participants (Little, 1990, p. 7 as cited in Wilhite, Mushett, Goldenberg and Trader, 1997)

Understanding the ways in which teachers enrich the classroom community offers a perspective that moves beyond the functions of adaptation and accommodation. One way to accomplish that is through the ability lens.

Case #1Cultural capital gained through participation in disability sports

Look at research 13Teachers perspective I really did think it [disability sports] was going to be lame because it is not able-bodied and not real; it is non-traditional and for disabled people. I thought it was going to be slow, not exciting and no funI thought there was going to be a lot of griping and whining. These kids, after hearing from the classes they had this week, were very excited about playing.

Other Findings Within the Schools on Student Learning

IMarshwood Middle School; 6th, 7th, & 8th grade P.E. classesTwo week Disability Sports UnitExperimental Group: 6th & 8th gradeControl Group: 7th GradePre and post survey/focus group questionsn this study 15Case #2. Strong Philosophy of the Physical Education Teacher [Mr. ODourn] is not so much for the Jocks being really good.( 6th grade student)

Mr. ODourn already does that. ( 6th grade Student, pertaining to the modification of rules)

When asked whether students with disabilities were could participate in sports and were included-students felt it wasnt a big deal16Working together

Disability as naturalized with peer supports-three children in the class with disabilities 17Recognition of Disability ExperienceYou know that both of us can do the same thing, just in different ways.(Quote from 8th grade student)

When you actually get to experience the sports they play it makes you understand what they have to overcome.(Quote from 8th grade student)Quote is confusing Seanis that how it read18 Increase Knowledge of ParalympicsThe Paralympics means parallel to the Olympics.(Quote from 8th Grade Student)

The Paralympics are for people with physical disabilities.(Quote from 8th grade student)

In all cases, knowledge of the Paralympics increasedinitial thoughts were that Paralympics were the same as special Olympics, some even paralyzed olympicsseeing videos and playing the games improved the sports.19

Case #3: Challenging Sporting Experienceits really hard to get around without using your legs because you really have to rely on your upper body strength and its really hard to move around. (student)

goal ball was kind of scary and like uncomfortable also because you dont know what the ballwhen the ball is coming and where. (student)Control group: 32 fourth gradersIntervention group: 40 fifth graders

20Emphasized the dis in disabled We got to feel how people with disabilities would feel if theyre playing sportsWe can just get up and go away after that but I think it would be really hard for people that have to live that way for their whole life.We have the chance to go back to our class everyday with being able to see or being able walk.Its fun to try it but not to do it your whole life.Lack of connection to their lives

Sports are only for themThey can participate in some sports, like the sports that are meant for them.If you dont have a leg its gonna really be hard for you to play soccerunless you play disability sports.Yeah, they dont play the way we play because of whatwhat disability they haveReinforces what Fitzgerald and Kirk noted about disability sports being only for the disabled. 22Recommendations Teachers should consider the nature of their classrooms and how selected curricula informs students perceptions towards individuals with disabilities.

Use of the Paralympics and disability sports as a tool for examining what it means to be disabled and still lead a normal life that includes physical activity.

Further research is needed on how ability is constructed and enacted within the schools. Within these conversations distinctions should be drawn between the disability itself and the limitations presented by environmental constraints.Unit too short?Longer, more developed unit could contain:More specific information on disabilities through videos and discussion. Given the recent attention to disabled athletes, implementing disability sports within the physical education curriculum encourages a broader understanding of inclusion and sport (Barton, 2009). Playing the sports enhance the sporting experience of refining skill, adhering to rules and engaging in active game play. Assessments to check for student learningDirect contact with disabled individualsOne time detour from the norm?

23Further RecommendationsTeachers play two roles as both GPE/APE teachersExit strategies for sports participationResource and knowledge of extra-curricular sports within the local community Questions to considerWould you implement the disability sports unit as a separate unit or integrate it in with other units (ex. sit volleyball in volleyball unit)?What grade level do you feel would benefit the most from disability sports? 25Case studyA high school student has a disability as defined by Section 504 due to a hearing impairment. The student is interested in running track for the school team. He is especially interested in the sprinting events such as the 100 and 200 meter dashes. At the tryouts for the track team, the start of each race was signaled by the coachs assistant using a visual cue, and the students speed was fast enough to qualify him for the team in those events. After the student makes the team, the coach also signals the start of races during practice with the same visual cue. Before the first scheduled meet, the student asks the district that a visual cue be used at the meet simultaneously when the starter pistol sounds to alert him to the start of the race. Two neighboring districts use a visual cue as an alternative start in their track and field meets. Those districts report that their runners easily adjusted to the visual cue and did not complain about being distracted by the use of the visual cue. Part IIAfter conducting an individualized inquiry and determining that the modification is necessary for the student to compete at meets, the district nevertheless refuses the students request because the district is concerned that the use of a visual cue may distract other runners and trigger complaints once the track season begins. The coach tells the student that although he may practice with the team, he will not be allowed to participate in meets.

After the disability sports unit, students in the fifth grade continued to describe the term disability as atypical; however statements were populated with phrases that suggested some similarities between individuals with and without disabilities. As one student noted: Yeah, I used to think disabled people were a little bit disadvantaged but now that I have played some of the sports, I think they are just like you and I (fifth). While both fourth and fifth-graders felt that individuals with disabilities could participate and actually be good at sports, post interviews with the fifth-graders revealed an association between being good at something through practice and dedication. I think people with disabilities can be good at sports. If you watch the Paralympics, which I never knew about until now, you can see how people have done these things. It is just amazingskiing and sled hockey. It is just amazing watching them (fifth). if they practice hard enough, they can do things very well(fifth).

ConclusionThe curriculum enabled the fifth graders to view individuals with and without disabilities as complimentary entities, rendering a more accurate picture of disability. Moreover, the present study elucidated how beliefs about disability represent different points in ones learning, as evidenced in both the teachers and the students. Limitation of the studyone school, 2 classrooms at different grade levels 30