Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Schooling

So, with chapter 3 talking about the decline in residential schools for deaf children, what with the laws mandating free and appropriate education in mainstream schools, I was wondering what everyone's opinions were? Say if you were to have a deaf child, would you prefer a residential or a mainstream school?
I think I would want to send my child to a residential school, or at least one that was geared specifically towards teaching deaf students. That way they would be exposed to other deaf individuals and would be taught deaf history/ more about Deaf culture.

14 comments:

  1. I don't know what I'd do. If I had other hearing children and they went into general education classrooms then I'd have to listen to my child to see where s/he would desire to be. I'd like to start in a residential school. To make strong friendships in the deaf community would be vital.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Amy, if I had other children in a General Education school I would lean toward putting them in a mainstream school. If I did so I would be sure that they still had access to learning about Deaf culture inside and outside the classroom. On the other hand if my child showed desire to attend a residential school I would make accommodations to do so.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a really hard question. You always want to do what's best for your child, but it's hard to tell at a young age. I think it would depend on where we lived and if there was a residential school near by. Without bringing up our proximity to the school with my child, I would ask them unbiasedly where they wanted to go. If they wanted to go to a general education school with their siblings so that they wouldn't feel so lonely, I would respect their wishes. However, if they decided that going to a school that is specifically geared toward children who are deaf, then I would honor their wishes in that way. It's also different because I am a Deaf Education major. As a mom, I might actually want my child in my class, regardless of where I am teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think that building relationships and language are very important for the child, making this difficult. As for what I would do, it would depend. If I lived near a very good mainstream school that also had numerous Deaf students attending, I would have my child attend there. If that wasn't an option, I would move close to a residential school and have my child attend there. It would be a difficult decision.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would not want to send my kid to a residential schools because I want them to be home with me. But I think It would be good for them to go to a school where they are with other deaf kids so the can be around people that understand them more and be more apart of the community but I would let them pick when they got older where they would want to go.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I definitely agree with Amy that it is important to do what the child wants and what is best for the child however a residential school in the beginning schools years I think would be a great idea to develop those ties with the Deaf community and make sure they have the best of both worlds, even if they just go for day school until they're old enough to say whether or not rhey want to attend a residential school or a mainstream school.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This was a really hard question. I'm not exactly sure on what I would do. Part of me would be selfish I believe and not want to send my child to a residential school because I would miss them being home with me. If there was a a residential school near me where I could drive them to it everyday then I would be very happy to do that. I know that at my high school there was not a very promising education for children who were deaf. I do want my child to get the very best education.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree with Sharon that I would want my child to attend a residential school during their early years of schooling. I believe that once they are old enough if they express interest in attending a mainstreamed school then I would allow them to change schools. I would want the best for my child and I believe in the early years the best is an environment that improves language and vocabulary and instills a sense of community. I believe that this would be best received at a residential school where there are many other deaf children all learning together. I would also want my child to live at home, therefore I would most likely move closer to a residential school so that my child could commute from home and get to experience both the hearing and Deaf worlds.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would have to answer this question first by thinking of what I would want for myself. If I was Deaf, I would want to attend a general classroom and have an interpreter. I would want to be able to have general interactions with other students and teachers and live as normally as possible. However, if I had a child who was Deaf, I would want to try this first. If they were not handling it well, I would want the to attend a residential school. I think trial and error is important and at the end of the day, you have to do whatever is right for your child and make sure that they are getting the best out of their schooling.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I also think this is a hard question, and I feel like it really depends on each individual. I would just have to see what my child felt most comfortable with and what others recommended.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am curious students, how much of this would depend upon the actual school(s) or programs available? What questions would you ask or things would you actually do before you simply made your decision or went along with what a 5, 7, 10 or 13 year old told you they wanted to do? Do you have examples of other decisions you would or would not let a child that age make on their own?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think I would go with whatever program has the best education for my child. I would be comfortable with either type of school. In all seriousness I would move to wherever would provide the best experience for his/her to experience the deaf world, the hearing world or a combination of the two and whatever one they did not get I would make sure I provide that for them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Crazy question, but do you pay for your child to go to KSD like you would a private school? And if so, is it unaffordable to many?

    ReplyDelete
  14. This would be a difficult decision for sure, I feel like either option would be a great choice. Like others have been saying I honestly would depend on what my child wants and is most comfortable with. Also could depend on the severity of their deafness and the age of my child, as well as the area. I've heard of options such as going to a residential school for half a day, then going to a mainstream school for the other half, or could consist if alternating days. It really just depends on what the child truly wants!

    ReplyDelete