On-line Lesson 1 Exploring Distant Galaxies

There are whole worlds of information available to help parents and children, but doggone it, it can be tough to find out who does what. As a teacher, I decided one of my children needed a pair of glasses. After several days of searching, (and a little muttering), I found out that the Lion's Club in our town worked with folks to get glasses.

I had a foster child who needed speech therapy. The school was willing to do everything for the child - until summer time. (In the summer the school basically said "That dog don't hunt!") Then, after looking for a while, I found out that the Easter Seal organization in our town would provide transportation to therapy.

After struggling with a youth in school for six weeks, I came to the conclusion that he was probably a danger to himself, if not the rest of us. I went to the local authorities and hit a brick wall -- too expensive, too many other kids needed support. Mind my own business (what a bow-wow to get that message!)

I decided to call a person in the State Department of Education who I knew from meetings. He really threw me a bone 'cause he had a dozen answers of things to try that took me and this boy beyond our apparent road block.

Knowledge is power! There are so many people who want to say "yes" and who really care about others. The tough thing is connecting to one another. No matter what school you work in - one in the middle of Phoenix or a far flung spot accessible by one road in and one road out, people want to help.

This unit is about finding those connections. Of course, superficially, you can gather phone numbers from the Blue Pages, call information lines and front desks of agencies to hear about the services they will support. You can also collect brochures. Visit health care organizations and talk with service providers in the community.

That is just the beginning! As you continue to become involved and better acquainted with the community leaders, you will find there are little special things that people are willing to do. Sometimes a dentist will clean teeth gratis for a few patients each year. Some optometrists will check for "lazy eye" in a kindergarten class and some therapists will adjust a wheel chair, teach you a way to soothe muscles for a youngster. A nurse in the community may be willing to help you with a feeding tube until you get comfortable doing it.

To really be 'top dog', you will spend the rest of your career collecting and sharing these resources. In this assignment, you just get started. There are a number of suggestions below. Don't try to pursue them all right now, but plan to set up an interdisciplinary network when you begin teaching.

• Make a phone list for the area you plan to serve. Include government agencies, health organizations, community resource numbers, help lines, United Way funded groups. Remember to look at churches and clubs, too.
• Stop at several agencies and ask about the services they provide. Make a list of those and keep the brochures for future reference. Include the hospital in your rounds and plan to stop by the county health department, too.
• Ask special education teachers in the area. By all means stop by the district office and ask the special services coordinator for input.
• Still have time and energy? Write or call the Department of Education and ask for the services they provide.
• Many legal advocates also know about services. You can find those involved in legal aide through the court house or in the phone book. Lawyers often know a lot about "who you need to know" to get things done.
• Churches also learn how to network. Some of them will have great inside information about places to get support for youth.

Rubric

Excellent: The list is organized and specific to one locale. There are at least 20 names and phone numbers from a diverse group of service providers. The student shares findings with others. In the case of the BJ assignment, the names were developed after talking with a specialist in the field and there is a WebCT listing of 20 or more agencies or groups who provide services.

Good: There is evidence of a search with at least 10 agencies and phone numbers represented in the list.

Go on to Assignment 1: A List of Community Resources
or
Go back to Linear Lou

E-mail J'Anne Ellsworth at Janne.Ellsworth@nau.edu

Course developed by J'Anne Ellsworth

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