History concepts and applications

¶ … Wind

Education: Inclusion Discipline

The purpose of this work is to research Inclusion Discipline. Recently there has been a push throughout the nation for the placement of Special Education students in the regular classroom environments. This work will examine that which an administrator must do in making provisions of ensuring the students not only receive quality education but also to reflect that the IEPs methods utilized are promoting quality behavior in the regular classroom.

Inclusive education has faced many challenges in the classroom that is so diverse in terms of student's needs and accommodations. The Individuals with Disabilities Act was passed with the intent of protecting and integrating disabled individuals. To complicate matters the passing of the "No Child Left Behind Act" by the present administration brought with it what has the feel of a "conflict of interest" in view of the pre-existing IDEA legislation. Through the evaluation of IEP's, or the Individualized Educational Program, the program that evaluates students and assists in the decision making as to whether they will be included in the regular classroom environment, which is termed "inclusion" or if the individual will be contained in the special education class. The general rule of thumb for measurement in the placement of students is that the student be placed in the "least restrictive" learning environment possible.

I. Duties of the School Administrator: Specifically as to Inclusion:

The school administrator has a great responsibility in overseeing the implementation of the inclusive classroom as well as the No Child Left Behind Act. One of the major concerns with inclusion is discipline for children with disabilities Changes of the final regulations under the Act in Sections 300.121(d) and 300.519-529 take very seriously into consideration the concerns that the schools, specifically the teachers and administrators have toward maintaining safety and order within the environment of the school.

Generally, parents, teachers, and administrators are able to congenially find a solution in behavioral problems as to the allotted time for removing the student from classes who has committed a violation against the school code of conduct. There are no limits or regulations that impose a specific amount of time in view of the discipline.

The administrator of the school that educates special education students are in positions that contain "broad and demanding duties."

The administrator in special education must comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This includes making a "determination of educational standards and goals for special education programs, ensuring that those programs comply with federal state and local laws, responsible for setting policies and procedures for special education and staff, motivating teachers and staff, provision of regular reports to parents of disabled children as to the process of the student, reviewing and evaluation of all pilot programs, writing of grants and preparation of budgets, responding to legislative questions and concerns, mediating disputes between parents and school, and attendance at community meetings when critical special education issues are discussed."

According to Laura Clark, Ph.D., Director of Special Education for Kansas City, Kansas:

"Being a special education administrator in a school system that serves thousands of children is sometimes like walking a tightrope. Funding Special Education is usually a public relations nightmare. Parents of children who are receiving special services say the school's not doing enough. Parents of children who don't need special education services say the school does to much or spends too much on the program." (Clark, 2004)

According to Clark her greatest challenge is:

"Handling difficult cases where children have complex challenges to overcome."

In light of the laws that bring governance to the educational system Ms. Clark stated that:

"Administrators must have a desire to understand the law and regulations affecting special education. Carefully studying the fine print of legislation is tedious and time consuming, but one person really can have an impact in a school systems if he or she understands the federal law."

II. Discipline in Inclusive Classrooms and the I.E.P.:

Each public school that receives funding for special education and other related special needs students are required to have an Individualized Education Program. The IEP is individualized in design for each student. The basic steps of the IEP are the identification of the special services required by the students, evaluation, eligibility determined, IEP meeting is scheduled, IEP meeting is held and is followed by the writing of the IEP. The IEP team gives consideration to the student's cognitive abilities in placement. After the services are provided in the IEP the progress is measured and reported to parents of the student. One each year the child's progress is again reviewed. Every three years referred to as a triennial the student is reassessed to determine if the child is still disabled under the definition of IDEA.

III. Special Factors that Affect the IEP:

The needs of the child may give rise to consideration by the IEP Team to that which is termed "special factors." The following are factors that are considered to be within the definition and scope of "special factors":

1. Behavior interfering with learning of classmates and self.

2. Limited proficiency in the subject of English

3. Blindness or visual impairments

4. Communication Needs

5. Deafness, hard of hearing

6. IEP teams must put the child's need for assertive technology services and/or devices.

Conclusion:

The classroom environment that is inclusive is one that will have challenges in many areas. It is vitally important that the school administrator read in journals and articles as well as other sources of new articles in order to keep a hand on the community pulse." The satisfying of both the NCLBA and the IDEA, both simultaneously is a stringent task to be undertaken and requires 100% effort in the successful implementation of inclusion in the classroom.

Bibliography:

'A Guide to the Individualized Educational Program" (2000) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education. July 2000. [Online] available at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS

Special Education Administrator: Practitioner's Profile; Laura Clark, Ph.D.,

(2002) Director of Special Education, Kansas City, Kansas. Spring 2001.

Provisions of Special Interest to Administrators (1999) IDEA Law and Resources:

Idea - Part B Final Regulations, March 1999, Online at: http://www.cec.

sped.org/law_res/doc/law/briefs/administrators.

Discipline Procedures (1999) Idea Part B. Final Regulations Idea Law and Resources [Online] available at:

http://www.cec.sped.org/doc/law/law/brief02.php

DiPaola, Michael Chriss (2003) Principals and Special Education: The Critical

Role of School Learner: February 2003 [Online] available at http://www.copsse.org

Gone With the Wind

Critical Review

Statement of Thesis:

"Gone with the Wind" was written by Margaret Mitchell, a post-Civil War debutante, daughter of Atlanta's Historical Society President who received a college education and worked as a writer for the Atlanta Journal. Little Margaret grew up listening to stories, discussions and conversations of the family elders reminiscing about "The Old South" and the way it was back in the "Good Old Days." Margaret Mitchell with the aid of Victor Fleming and moving film technology presented her story of the old South, it's fall and the beginning of it rebirth and aspiring renewing to the world.

The purpose of this work is to state key discrepancies or paradox behaviors in the movie by characters that were misrepresented or simply underrepresented in the story, specifically the roles of women.

Introduction:

"Scarlet O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were .... Her manner had been imposed on her by her mother's gentle admonishment and the sterner discipline of her Mammy, her eyes were her own." (Mitchell, 1954)

Scarlet O'Hara was, to quote Margaret Mitchell yet again:

"But for all the modesty of her small white ands folded in her lap, her true self was poorly concealed. The green eyes in the carefully sweet face, were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor." Mitchell, Margaret 1954).

I. "Gone with the Wind, The Movie - Produced by Victor Fleming:

The movie version of Margaret Mitchell's book, "Gone With the Wind" stirs a tale deep in the magnolia blooms of the "Old South" where every man has a plantation house complete with large columns on the house, big shade trees, plenty of lemonade and slaves to serve the lemonade. On the surface, there is no blemish in the almost perfect societal land that is created on the silver screen that is, until the deep soulful realities of life catch up to the characters and reveal the substance of each of Margaret Mitchell's characters. Furthermore, "Gone With the Wind" takes a look, although careful not to delve too deep, into the roles of women during that time.

The South is portrayed as a place of lush wealth where everyone had a large plantation, a large house, and was the owner of slaves who carefully tended the plantation and house never appearing unhappy, unfulfilled or in need of anything more than exactly what they had received. In fact the black individuals in the south, particularly the women were characterized as "dumb, devoted, sub-human and were bought and sold as were livestock.

This was a time in the history of the South although even though the South was indeed characterized by an innate gracefulness it was also a time of pretense, facades and lies, mostly the ones told to oneself, a time of a brand of justice that contained none welded by the "Ku Klux Klan" and a time that led the South down a path of death, destruction and decay. The question comes to ones mind upon having viewed the movie as to whether it is the movie producer Victor Fleming or the writer of the book, Margaret Mitchell who so obviously colored the truth surrounding the slavery issue of the time period.

II. The Civil War (1861-1865)

Officially known as the "War of the Rebellion" and in the South known as "The War Between the States" There can be no denying that the clothes and the setting of the movie were absolutely impeccable as adhering to the time period in which the movie is portrayed. It appears that the misnomers are not certainly, in the details of the setting due to in the perfection of the essence in that area according to historians overall. Neither is it found in the accompanying costumes or other time period affectations in the filming of the movie but perhaps in the author's expression of her own feelings toward certain things in society.

"America's westward expansion made slavery a burning issue in the South. Conflict intensified for quiet a few reasons. The industrialization that had occurred in the Northern States combined with slavery in the South, The North wanted to establish an efficient banking system and the South was in opposition to it." How slavery was the one point that could not or would not find compromise." (The United States Encyclopedia of History, 1954)

III. The Roles of Women: Scarlet, Mammy, Ellen, and Prissy:

Scarlet:

Scarlet can best be described as impetuous, full of life and careless. She was a rebel and didn't give one care to conventional behavior, not really although, she did comply to an extent. Smart and quick, she was had a head for business and for social interaction and charmed all that she knew. She was passionate and cold all at once but more than anything she was determined. In the end her love for Tara, the land of her childhood meant more to her than anything and was the only thing that never deserted her.

IV. Ellen O'Hara -- Scarlett's Mother

Black individuals, white women, and poor white people were both hidden and unacknowledged in some cases, chains of the powers that ruled the lives such as those of Scarlet and her mother, Ellen's. Ellen married Mr. O'Hara because her heart was broken. She always treated him impeccably with respect and kindness and he was always happy with her, but her love was broken and died in the war and was not to be hers. She conformed totally to his world but was really and truly the "master" of Tara, although she never expected or wanted acknowledgement and never let on to Mr. O'Hara that she knew.

There was a movement in women's rights prior to the Civil War. It was something "discussed in legal circles" although it was a long time before the movement gained any momentum. The initiator of the feminist movement was an ongoing debate concerning the household labor provided by women and the lack of ownership rights of women in the marriage title.

According to Siegel (1994)

"The history of joint property advocacy presents a record of women's struggles that still reverberates with passion over a century later."

V. Mammy:

The role of Mammy, although she was very cool in her wise way, still was very demeaning. However, Mammy is the central heart of the household of Tara. She stands firmer with Scarlett; real womanhood matched in will was demonstrated in these two roles of Mitchell. Mammy was a strong but silent role, who saw everything in her world, missing not a thing as life went by Mammy was the watcher over Tara.

Prissy was a role that was very stereotyped in a satirical manner. Whatever Miss Scarlet said Prissy would agree. Scarlet called Prissy a black liar and simply replied that that Scarlet was right. Furiously simple-minded this stereotype was better left out although it was quiet funny.

VII. Tara -- The O'Hara Plantation:

Tara stood once again for womanhood and this connection is firmly ingrained as one sees Scarlett rip the green velveteen curtains from the large window of the plantation to make a dress for a business meeting. The meeting where she secures the means to keep from losing her love, that which is left for her, her home Tara. Tara also means earth as it is closely tied to the word "Terra." Terra is earth, the mother "gaia" according to some cultures in the world.

Considering the question as follows: "Was Scarlet a feminist?" The answer is clear that absolutely Scarlet was not a feminist however it appears that she did believe that she had the strength and capability of a man should that be required. That is not surprising when the origins of her Irish father Mr. O'Hara are considered as well. Scarlett certainly didn't care one whit for the idea of eating "prior" to the "party" so as not to appear hungry, nor did she care for many restrictions of "lady-like" behavior. Were there young ladies such as Scarlet in the old plantation days South? History assures one that it must certainly be true.

IX. The Real Low Down on the South:

The reality of life in the South in the plantation cotton field slave labor days was that the minority of the people living in Alabama actually owned slaves. The peoples settled in the South were a mixture of Mayflower, Pioneering, American Indian and that broken down into many tribal nations, there were people of all nations that settled into the Southern states that were poor states and still lag behind in terms of revenue. It is laughable to realize that the majority of the Southern people were poor folks with a mountain cabin living meagerly trying to eke out a means in the foothill lands below the Appalachia region.

X. The Critiques of Others:

Faust, Drew Gilpin (1999) a critique: states that:

"Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone with the Wind' explores interrelationships between racial discrimination, social expectations and subordination of women. Although economic necessity forces Scarlett O'Hara to rely on herself, an assault by a freedman and reject by the man she loves emphasizes the novel's message on the importance of female dependency for cultural cohesion."

Watson, Harry (1999) writes that:

"Gone With the Wind" depicts a world in which the woman takes on the traditional attributes of a man and embraces her worldly career may feed her family in a time of crisis .Faust points out what lovers of Gone with the Wind can never forget that Scarlett O'Hara was a rebel against the Rebellion. Mitchell's heroine was a southern girl who had not patience with the Civil War, who refused to be a lady, and who struggled to profit in the new South when everyone around her was bemoaning a Lost Cause.

Did this make her a liberated woman? No, says Faust. In the end, Mitchell could not imagine Scarlett's liberation because she could not imagine the liberation of southern blacks. Race and gender are bound together, Faust suggests and Southern white women have been prisoners of racial conventions as much as the gender pedestal."

Faust states that, "The shortcoming of men are at the center of Mitchell's novel" and certainly that must be true of what is called the "transformation of Scarlett." Certainly her mother Ellen O'Hara had confirmed that, "It was a man's world, and she accepted it as such." Faust notes the fact that