Blog #11

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome by: Christopher Kliewer

First of all, let me just say that this article was very difficult for me to read, so I lost most interest for it. I tried to stay focused and made my way through the article. I'm not to sure if what I got out of it is right...but at least I tried right?

I think what Kliewer was trying to say was that, when we see a person with down syndrome we automatically think that this person cannot function like a normal person in society because of their innability to learn or sometimes innability to communicate. Kliewer shows some examples of stories about children with down syndrome and the citizenship provided in the classrooms for them.

Kliewer talks about how communication is built on ability to listen "deeply" to one another. To communicate with different people gives everyone the oppurtunity to meet new people in our diverse society instead of being quick to judge one another. In this case I think its great because most children don't understand down syndrome and what that person has to live with everyday.
"Douglas Biklen has outlined, society itself is hurt when schools act as cultural sorting machines."(73) If other students are marginalized how are other students going to know what other people are like that live in our society? Why not start with the children in the classroom?

I really liked the passage about the little boy named Isaac who couldn't talk but the teacher encouraged him to tell Chris about his game and the teacher said "That's right Isaac. That's your favorite game." Even though she had no idea what he said. (p.76-77)

When Shaye Robbins was asked about her three students with down syndrome she responded;
"I don't tend to see Down Syndrome as something. If you look at those three kids running around the room, they're incredibly different from eachother. They're different in terms of what their bodies are like, how they best communicate, what they're like socially, their interests. And with those three kids in the room it would be hard to say, "this is how you should teach kids with Down syndrome. " They are not all alike" (p.85)

This shows that the students in her classroom are valued for their differences. Each student is a different citizen, and everyone is different. The three studnets have in common that they all have down syndrome but they are different people, they do function differently. You could have three white people in a room, yes they are the same color but are totally different people.

This article relates to alot of other articles read in class. Our society is different and we need to accept people for their differences, whether it be race, religion, gender, or even learning ability. All that matters in the long run is that everyone is valued as a citizen and is able to function as a citizen.