Oral Presentations

[Guest guest]

Would they let him do it one to one with one peer at a time? I was also thinking power point but doesn't sound appropriate for that setting. Pam

In a message dated 2/8/2009 1:22:57 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mlndhall@... writes:

Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations. doesn't want to do them. He managed to go to one of his teachers the first semester and request that he be able to do the oral presentation one-on-one with the teacher. That way he was still doing the presentation orally, but without the pressure of having all the kids in the class staring at him. That teacher agreed.He's changed classes now (it's the 2nd semester class), and the teacher wants the kids to read what they've written out loud. This is for the creative writing class. (Update on that... the case manager has taken it upon himself to help get through this class-even to the point of asking if the teacher would allow to write things he knows about as long as they are in the format the teacher is asking-instead of only what she is requesting. Apparently the teacher has agreed to that. So they are pretty much customizing the class around for . However, she still is insisting that do the oral presentation. I will insert a copy of the email she sent back to .Now, my dilema is, do I make hm do the oral presentation (because he was adamant about taking this class-he wouldn't drop it-and he's a junior-he needs to start taking responsibility for his decisions,) or do I insist on the one-on-one. He's already been in major meltdown mode over the idea of having to do the oral presentation. After reading what the teacher wrote back, he was crying about it because he didn't want to do it. So, I need your opinion of what I should do.Here is what the teacher wrote back to him. (This is a creative writing class.)"The creative writing class is a community of writers. Each person wants to practice their art - whatever direction it takes them in - and gain feedback from an important audience - their writing peers. It isn't structured like a typical English class where "the teacher" is the authority and makes all of the decisions. The class is fun and dynamic because the students participate. Without that aspect, and with me as your only audience - you will not gain as much. Over time you will see what I mean... you will see that refusing to share, is refusing to participate and it is refusing to grow. While I don't want to "force" anyone to particpate, it really is essential for growth.For the next several days in class we will be reading some very entertaining work - all written by students."Any ideas?????Thanks,Melinda

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[Guest guest]

My 12 year old AS has had to do several oral presentations so far this year. He is in the Pace program in middle school where they do a lot of presentations of their work. He hates it, but practices for them at home in front of us or his dog. Then when he is at school he imagines that he is only giving the presentation to his dog. He says he just looks more out the window and pictures his dog out there looking at him. When he comes home he goes immediately to her and hugs her. It helps when the teachers gives him heads up and he gets to choose when he does the presentation. Usually he goes first and then sits back while everyone else does their presentation. He tells me that he feels that they will have forgotten about him and he likes to not be the focus. When it is sprung on him to get up in front of the class, he has melt downs.

[Guest guest]

>

> Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations.

Here are my thoughts. For one thing, it sounds to me like this

teacher will let do it one-on-one if he really " can't " face the

class. She just wanted to be heard on why she really really would

prefer he do it with the whole class.

I think he will learn a lot less if he is forced to do something he

simply is not comfortable with at all. I think if he does the

one-on-one thing with the teacher, but participates in listening to

all the other kids give theirs orally and offers feedback if he is

comfortable, that will make him that much more comfortable with the

idea for the future. At some point, if he is introduced to this

gently, he may come around.

If this were me, I would let the teacher know privately 's

reaction to her e-mail, i.e., that it made him so overwhelmed he was

crying. Let her know that just because he needs to learn (get used)

to doing this a different way than the other kids, doesn't mean he

will never do it. Let her know that you very much understand where

she is coming from and totally agree with her (she really did put it

very well), but that DOES have special problems that stop this

from working quite the way she envisions for all the other kids. And

this doesn't mean can't also discuss this with the teacher on

his own.

I think he will be much more in a frame of mind to learn from this

teacher if she accommodates his needs instead of discounting them.

Obviously she is not meaning to discount him, but that is exactly what

she is doing when she tries to bypass something he has expressed is a

need.

He should be rewarded for advocating his needs. This is also very

important!

Just in passing, my 14yo son (8th grade) has been taking theater for a

couple of years at school (a semester each time). He's too shy to

perform much and the teacher has been very patient with him. I'm

hoping he will come around to performing, although he is a skilled

creative writer and they have theater just for " technical " skills

rather than " performance " at the high school, so he may not. And I

let him transfer out of " Life Management " to " Computer Applications "

even though he really " needs " Life Management to reward him for

advocating and handling it all on his own. He needs that real-life

success as much as he needs life management skills.

Hope this helps--sorry so rambling!

Ruth

[Guest guest]

---

Pam,

I'm not sure, but I will at least have that idea to give to the case manager

when I try to figure out the best way to deal with all of this....

I don't know if will go for it, but I don't know who all is in the class,

so that might work if there is someone he knows in there.

Thanks for the idea.

-Melinda

[Guest guest]

I agree with Ruth. Maybe you can talk the teacher into letting him

do them 1:1 with her so he gets more comfortable with her first. Her

feedback IS important to him, whether she feels so or not. And a

goal can be to where he first is comfortable with her and hopefully

will later (with praise and more confidence in what he has written)

be able to eventually present to the class.

I'm okay with oral presentations now but took me until...my 30's I

guess (2nd time around in college) to get that way. Back in high

school I faked " sick " more times to get out of that and, yes, that

included especially creative writing. My stuff seemed so " dumb "

compared to what others wrote & read to class. And maybe it was.

Also faked I hadn't finished assignment too. Teacher and I never

talked about it but she did give me passing grade anyway, points off

for lateness though, without my getting up in front of class. I

don't know about but my voice shook, my whole body actually

shook, knees knocking together - really. Same thing first time

around in college when we had to take public speaking, and yes then I

did have to get up and read what I wrote. Never got easier. But at

least public speaking class was more on factual stuff than what I

wrote with my imagination. ---- There's a thought. Can write

about more factual things other than using creativeness? I just find

that easier. That would still make him stand out in class as writing

differently than the class assignment though, peers will notice.

I always LOVED the teachers that just had those who volunteered to

read their's and the rest of us just handed ours in.

Anyway, I'm 51 and know that it wouldn't have made me any better to

force me to do it, had to work towards it in my own time & way.

My AS son also was nervous, from what he said, but read his papers in

high school. This last year at college he on purpose signed up for

their public speaking class. He told me he knew he needed to get

better at it so he chose to take it. YAY for him!

Do let us know if you reach a compromise!

> >

> > Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations.

>

[Guest guest]

Dylan was in a Teen Leadership class in 6th grade where they did a bunch of presentations. At first he just presented to the teacher (the other students all presented to the class), then she chose a few students she knew would be fair and kind with their critique and he presented to them, and then eventually he presented to the class. I wouldn't guage if he's "comfortable" presenting to others because public speaking causes most people to get anxious. I'm 36 years old and have to present to large audiences through my work sometimes and it still makes me want to throw up! I think slowly moving from one-on-one to the entire class is a good way to handle it. And it sounds like the teacher in this situation would be open to it, too.

"Over-optimism is waiting for you ship to come in when you haven't sent one out."

From: <@...> Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2009 1:52:39 PMSubject: ( ) Re: Oral presentations

I agree with Ruth. Maybe you can talk the teacher into letting him do them 1:1 with her so he gets more comfortable with her first. Her feedback IS important to him, whether she feels so or not. And a goal can be to where he first is comfortable with her and hopefully will later (with praise and more confidence in what he has written) be able to eventually present to the class. I'm okay with oral presentations now but took me until...my 30's I guess (2nd time around in college) to get that way. Back in high school I faked "sick" more times to get out of that and, yes, that included especially creative writing. My stuff seemed so "dumb" compared to what others wrote & read to class. And maybe it was. Also faked I hadn't finished assignment too. Teacher and I never talked about it but she did give me passing grade anyway, points off for lateness though, without my getting up in front of class.

I don't know about but my voice shook, my whole body actually shook, knees knocking together - really. Same thing first time around in college when we had to take public speaking, and yes then I did have to get up and read what I wrote. Never got easier. But at least public speaking class was more on factual stuff than what I wrote with my imagination. ---- There's a thought. Can write about more factual things other than using creativeness? I just find that easier. That would still make him stand out in class as writing differently than the class assignment though, peers will notice. I always LOVED the teachers that just had those who volunteered to read their's and the rest of us just handed ours in.Anyway, I'm 51 and know that it wouldn't have made me any better to force me to do it, had to work towards it in my own time & way. My AS son also was nervous, from what

he said, but read his papers in high school. This last year at college he on purpose signed up for their public speaking class. He told me he knew he needed to get better at it so he chose to take it. YAY for him! Do let us know if you reach a compromise! > >> > Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations. >

[Guest guest]

perfect practice makes perfect. great job. i play the accordion and i read the scriptures for church often.http://www.youtube.com/brianandrewwong1989In my high school freshman year, i was diagnosed with asperger's 299.80Sincerely, A. WongFrom: Tosha Hennigar

<tosha.hennigar@...>Subject: ( ) Oral Presentations Date: Sunday, February 8, 2009, 1:44 PM

My 12 year old AS has had to do several oral presentations so far this year. He is in the Pace program in middle school where they do a lot of presentations of their work. He hates it, but practices for them at home in front of us or his dog. Then when he is at school he imagines that he is only giving the presentation to his dog. He says he just looks more out the window and pictures his dog out there looking at him. When he comes home he goes immediately to her and hugs her. It helps when the teachers gives him heads up and he gets to choose when he does the presentation. Usually he goes first and then sits back while everyone else does their presentation. He tells me that he feels that they will have forgotten about him and he likes to not be the focus. When it is sprung on him to get up in front of the class, he has melt downs.

[Guest guest]

I agree with Pam, ask if he can do it with teacher and one or two peers. I also like Pam's idea of a power point. It might be easier for him to "read" off the screen and perhaps more kids would be looking at the screen and not him?

Teacher needs to learn about AS. I would give her a short "bullet point" paper on AS highlights. I would also explain to her that while everyone needs to grow, some people grow differently because they are made that way. Also, growth is really subjective - taking you from where you are now to a further place down the road of life. (She would probably enjoy that line, lol) Let's "judge" jeremy by his own growth here and not a classroom growth, which he won't be able to do. (Did I mention it's the law to do that?) Start him out slowly and let him grow as he meets with success in the ways that matter to him, not ways that are set for "average" kids.

This is not something to make pay the price for. He may have really wanted this class but he is telling everyone where his limits are. This is because he has a disability. He wants things that are typical or "normal" but he needs supports along the way. THis is one place he needs supports. They are obligated to do that.

If it were me, I would also call an IEP meeting with the team and this teacher present to discuss the situation and make a plan for how we were going to teach my kid to do this in small steps. The school autism consultant would be present. BTW, my ds never could present in front of the class. He would stay home "sick" if he had something assigned like that. I finally realized what the problem was and he gave all his presentations in front of his sped teacher/aides/teacher. He could not do it in front of the whole class.

All situations should not be an "either or" type situation when we teach out kids anything. Not everyone fits in the middle package - the average, the typical - and you would agree our kids seldom do! These kids have a disability and there are places where they need supports provided or a different plan put together to ease them into something that is incredibly hard for them. Many times, I think it's not that they can't do something; it's that they can't jump into it like typical kids do. They need to enter in steps where they meet with small successes along the way. This is one of those times.

RoxannaYou're UniqueJust like everyone else...

( ) Oral presentations

Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations. doesn't want to do them. He managed to go to one of his teachers the first semester and request that he be able to do the oral presentation one-on-one with the teacher. That way he was still doing the presentation orally, but without the pressure of having all the kids in the class staring at him. That teacher agreed.He's changed classes now (it's the 2nd semester class), and the teacher wants the kids to read what they've written out loud. This is for the creative writing class. (Update on that... the case manager has taken it upon himself to help get through this class-even to the point of asking if the teacher would allow to write things he knows about as long as they are in the format the teacher is asking-instead of only what she is requesting. Apparently the teacher has agreed to that. So they are pretty much customizing the class around for . However, she still is insisting that do the oral presentation. I will insert a copy of the email she sent back to .Now, my dilema is, do I make hm do the oral presentation (because he was adamant about taking this class-he wouldn't drop it-and he's a junior-he needs to start taking responsibility for his decisions,) or do I insist on the one-on-one. He's already been in major meltdown mode over the idea of having to do the oral presentation. After reading what the teacher wrote back, he was crying about it because he didn't want to do it. So, I need your opinion of what I should do.Here is what the teacher wrote back to him. (This is a creative writing class.)"The creative writing class is a community of writers. Each person wants to practice their art - whatever direction it takes them in - and gain feedback from an important audience - their writing peers. It isn't structured like a typical English class where "the teacher" is the authority and makes all of the decisions. The class is fun and dynamic because the students participate. Without that aspect, and with me as your only audience - you will not gain as much. Over time you will see what I mean... you will see that refusing to share, is refusing to participate and it is refusing to grow. While I don't want to "force" anyone to particpate, it really is essential for growth.For the next several days in class we will be reading some very entertaining work - all written by students."Any ideas?????Thanks,Melinda

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[Guest guest]

Why can't other students read his work & make suggestions. Or his work could be read orally by another student.Sent from my iPhoneBlessings, DonnaOn Feb 9, 2009, at 7:03 AM, "Roxanna" <madideas@...> wrote:

I agree with Pam, ask if he can do it with teacher and one or two peers. I also like Pam's idea of a power point. It might be easier for him to "read" off the screen and perhaps more kids would be looking at the screen and not him?

Teacher needs to learn about AS. I would give her a short "bullet point" paper on AS highlights. I would also explain to her that while everyone needs to grow, some people grow differently because they are made that way. Also, growth is really subjective - taking you from where you are now to a further place down the road of life. (She would probably enjoy that line, lol) Let's "judge" jeremy by his own growth here and not a classroom growth, which he won't be able to do. (Did I mention it's the law to do that?) Start him out slowly and let him grow as he meets with success in the ways that matter to him, not ways that are set for "average" kids.

This is not something to make pay the price for. He may have really wanted this class but he is telling everyone where his limits are. This is because he has a disability. He wants things that are typical or "normal" but he needs supports along the way. THis is one place he needs supports. They are obligated to do that.

If it were me, I would also call an IEP meeting with the team and this teacher present to discuss the situation and make a plan for how we were going to teach my kid to do this in small steps. The school autism consultant would be present. BTW, my ds never could present in front of the class. He would stay home "sick" if he had something assigned like that. I finally realized what the problem was and he gave all his presentations in front of his sped teacher/aides/teacher. He could not do it in front of the whole class.

All situations should not be an "either or" type situation when we teach out kids anything. Not everyone fits in the middle package - the average, the typical - and you would agree our kids seldom do! These kids have a disability and there are places where they need supports provided or a different plan put together to ease them into something that is incredibly hard for them. Many times, I think it's not that they can't do something; it's that they can't jump into it like typical kids do. They need to enter in steps where they meet with small successes along the way. This is one of those times.

RoxannaYou're UniqueJust like everyone else...

( ) Oral presentations

Okay, need your opinion on the importance of oral presentations. doesn't want to do them. He managed to go to one of his teachers the first semester and request that he be able to do the oral presentation one-on-one with the teacher. That way he was still doing the presentation orally, but without the pressure of having all the kids in the class staring at him. That teacher agreed.He's changed classes now (it's the 2nd semester class), and the teacher wants the kids to read what they've written out loud. This is for the creative writing class. (Update on that... the case manager has taken it upon himself to help get through this class-even to the point of asking if the teacher would allow to write things he knows about as long as they are in the format the teacher is asking-instead of only what she is requesting. Apparently the teacher has agreed to that. So they are pretty much customizing the class around for . However, she still is insisting that do the oral presentation. I will insert a copy of the email she sent back to .Now, my dilema is, do I make hm do the oral presentation (because he was adamant about taking this class-he wouldn't drop it-and he's a junior-he needs to start taking responsibility for his decisions,) or do I insist on the one-on-one. He's already been in major meltdown mode over the idea of having to do the oral presentation. After reading what the teacher wrote back, he was crying about it because he didn't want to do it. So, I need your opinion of what I should do.Here is what the teacher wrote back to him. (This is a creative writing class.)"The creative writing class is a community of writers. Each person wants to practice their art - whatever direction it takes them in - and gain feedback from an important audience - their writing peers. It isn't structured like a typical English class where "the teacher" is the authority and makes all of the decisions. The class is fun and dynamic because the students participate. Without that aspect, and with me as your only audience - you will not gain as much. Over time you will see what I mean... you will see that refusing to share, is refusing to participate and it is refusing to grow. While I don't want to "force" anyone to particpate, it really is essential for growth.For the next several days in class we will be reading some very entertaining work - all written by students."Any ideas?????Thanks,Melinda

No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.19/1939 - Release Date: 02/07/09 13:39:00