DYSTEFL 1: ΓΑΜΒΡΕΛΛΗ ΘΩΜΑΗ

Task 5.1

I will start by mentioning two points of view : a. Us teachers are not given the motives and the means to accommodate our dyslexic learners’ needs b. a dyslexic student should get a one-to –one teaching or at least be in a class with few students of similar needs

Such being the case, I will only focus on some of the suggestions which are implausible and unfeasible in my teaching context.

Use of technological devices

at my school the computer lab is used as a regular class so it is rarely available. Moreover the appropriate software would be hard or almost impossible to buy.

Encourage use of graphic organisers

there is not enough time for a student with difficulty in writing to keep such a record during the lesson

Provide additional practice

when? I work in two schools and I have to prepare material for different classes of different level and needs. Also the two-hour lesson per week is never enough
how? How can I provide additional practice when my dyslexic students have not even acquired the basics ?

Use peer-mediated learning / note sharing

My students do not have the background for peer learning. They do not know how to work in groups and usually are unwilling to help each other especially now that they are in their teens. Needless to say the dyslexic student feels stigmatized and will most probably be reluctant to be part of this learning procedure

Thank you Thelma. I will agree that there are tremendous practical difficulties in implementing the proposed accommodations . Class size, few teaching hours and lack of facilities are some of them. However, please allow me some comments and questions as "food for thought".

1. What do u mean when you say "teachers don't have the motives"? I do not understand that. To my knowledge and belief, we all have our ups and downs during our career path. However, it is our obligation as professionals to try and learn how to deal with an issue when it appears. Did we all know anything about coputers at the beginning of our careers? NO. But we learned. At least most of us. The same principle goes for SPLDs. Having such children in our classrooms and feeling helpless because we do noth have either the knowledge or the skills to do so SHOULD be a motive, don't u think?

We cannot prepare additional material at once. If we are sensitisized to dyslexic student needs, we can prepare a few things each year that pile up and , in this way, we create a file. Moreover, we can replace certain book tasks with more dyslexic friendly ones where possible.

Students can be trained in peer and group learning.

As for Gymnasio, yes it is late to help if there was no intervention in primary education. And maybe , in these cases, we need intervention and not inclusion. But, in any case, separating these students from the rest of the class IS intervention.

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Thank you for the feedback. You have definitely given me “food for thought” which is one of the aims of our course anyway.

Let me begin by saying that the question in task 5.2 was which of the suggested accommodations cannot actually be implemented in my teaching context . In other words I had to isolate some more specific "difficulties" and this is what I have commented on . Undoubtedly most of these suggestions are beneficial for the whole class not just for the dyslexic ones and I already apply them (as I wrote in task 2.2).

However, how can the "tremendous practical difficulties" , that you yourself mentioned, not hinder my intrinsic interest to teach? Where does theory stop and the real thing begin? This is what I meant by "we are not given the motives", the motivation in other words (these two words are used interchangeably as far as I know). You know ,personally, I cannot work efficiently when practical matters constantly stand in my way or when I am "underestimated" by the state itself. And allow me to say that it is not my obligation as a professional to be able to deal with every problem that appears. I need substantial support and guidance ,especially when it comes to SPLDs, and I need things to be done the right way so as I can be effective . It should be a give and take process, don’t you think?

As for peer work I absolutely agree that students can be trained although it will take time because it is not in our mentality . Nevertheless in the task we had to do this is not the question, the question is if peer work can accommodate dyslexic student needs in my current teaching context.

Thank you for your time.

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I agree that we are not educated to teach learners with SPLDs. In fact, we are not educated to teach at all on an undergraduate level. But that's the reason we are "talking" on this platform, isn't it? My seminar, your study, my feedback, your feedback to colleagues and your reflection.

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I agree that this is why we have joined this seminar in the first place. It is a whole new world, at least for me, and I already feel that I react differently in class.

Have a pleasant evening

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Dyslexia for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

Task 5.1

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