Microgrant: It's time to vote!!!

Remember that Microgrant?

The voting for the WAT microgrant begins today and runs through December 1st.

I have a student that has a Cortical Visual Impairment and he is starting a new vision therapy to re-train his brain to process images. We are using very basic Cause and Effect activities in this therapy. In order to help the student focus, there will be no outside stimulation beyond any noise he creates. This basic training in Cause and Effect will help the student begin to utilize the vision he has.

The $200 would be used to purchase two items. The first item is a Luminidisk from Enabling Devices. The second item is a switch-activated Classical Violin, also from Enabling Devices. These two items are perfect because my student prefers things that light up, play music and vibrate over anything else.

I teach Life Skills to students that are considered to have more intensive disabilities. Rather than focusing on what my students CAN'T do, I like to focus on what they can do. I have found that my kids can do just about anything once they put their minds to it. I feel that the most important aspect of my role in special education is that I advocate for my kids and teach them how to advocate for themselves. I know what my kids are capable of, do you?

TO VOTE:

1) Go to http://www.weareteachers.com/web/602148/semg
2) Go to page 10
3) Click on view: Jaimie Goeble to look at my application.
4) If you feel that my classroom should be awarded this grant, please click on: Vote - on the right hand side

You will need to put in your first/last name and your email address in order to vote and you can only vote once.

Please help me by voting and spreading the word to everyone you think might be interested in helping my classroom out!!!


Thanks!!

Jaimie

More about Catherine!

Wow, 2 posts in one night! This 2nd post about Catherine is courtesy of Amy again - she ROCKS.


Catherine sounds absolutely WONDERFUL...what a precious little one. Listen to this additional information:

Catherine is: sociable, calm and affectionate

Age: 5 years old in December

More about visits with Catherine:

"She was very sweet. When she came up to me, she was smiling and I just wanted to scoop her up in my arms. She listened well to her caregivers and was very well behaved. This orphanage that she was in is very nice. The caregivers really love these children. I am confident that she would bond well with a family of her own. I just can't state enough how sweet this little girl was. I pray that a family will come forward to adopt her. I believe she would be a BLESSING to any family.
She is in a very beautiful region, very friendly people there. Everywhere we went, people would make such a fuss over Elijah.:) I would love to travel back there again."


Will YOU be the one to put a smile on this little girl's GORGEOUS face?


Goodnight,

Jaimie

Catherine

Some information about Catherine from an adoptive parent:


"When I adopted Elijah from Eastern Europe earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting Catherine. She was in Elijah's orphanage. The orphanage director asked me to find a family for her. She was being transferred to an institution the following day and you could tell it was really tearing at this woman's heart. Catherine is very smart, and very adorable. She came right up to me and looked right at me as I talked to her.:) They asked her if she was a good girl and she smiled and said "Da!" She is a very precious little girl! I asked if she could be adopted from the institution and my facilitator said "Yes!". Catherine is just the sweetest little girl. She may have Mosiac Ds."

(from Amy, who has two sons with DS that she adopted from Eastern Europe)


Take care all,

Jaimie

my little girl

Even though I have no idea if/when I'll be able to go get her, I know in my heart that this little girl (Paty) IS meant to be my daughter.

The question is: will I ever be able to bring her home and give her the life full of love that she deserves?

And the scary thought is:

Will I be too late?

Will she languish so long in her prison that her legs bend in and cross over? Will she ever know how much she is loved and cherished? Will she continue to be left in her crib, physically cared for but little to no stimulation, socialization, emotion or love?

How can I stand it?

How can I know that MY baby is suffering and know that there is NOTHING tangible that I can do right now?

The worst question I can ask myself is: what if I never get to bring her home? To be selfish, what will I do if I never get the chance to spend my days with her?

I've held her, I know her laugh, her smell, her beauty and I have to live with the fact that I don't know if I will ever be able to bring my daughter home.

I'm sure many of you know this feeling.

How do you stand it?

Microgrant

Hello all!

I've applied for a Microgrant through We are Teachers. The grant is for $200 and a Flip video camera to be used in your special education classroom. The theme of this grant is: Individual Attention, Collective Impact.

Here is a condensed version of my grant application:

I have a student that has a Cortical Visual Impairment and he is starting a new vision therapy to re-train his brain to process images. We are using very basic Cause and Effect activities in this therapy. In order to help the student focus, there will be no outside stimulation beyond any noise he creates. This basic training in Cause and Effect will help the student begin to utilize the vision he has.


The money would be used to purchase two items. The first item is a Luminidisk from Enabling Devices. The second item is a switch-activated Classical Violin, also from Enabling Devices. These two items are perfect because my student prefers things that light up, play music and vibrate over anything else.

I teach Life Skills to students that are considered to have more intensive disabilities. Rather than focusing on what my students CAN'T do, I like to focus on what they can do. I have found that my kids can do just about anything once they put their minds to it. I feel that the most important aspect of my role in special education is that I advocate for my kids and teach them how to advocate for themselves. I know what my kids are capable of, do you?

Anyways, I thought I'd put this out there for all of you to take a look at. Voting goes from November 18-December 1.
Once the vote begins, I will post a link to the specific place you go to vote.

If you would like to help me enhance instruction for my students, please vote!!!


:)


Jaimie

Christmas Angel Tree

I've finally gotten around to posting the Christmas Angel Tree button and the precious little button Lu made for my precious Catherine here!

In the process, I had to sift through all my other buttons and DELETE A TON OF THEM!!!! Want to know why that excited me?!?!

THOSE CHILDREN ARE HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES.


Thank G-d :)


Anyways, I've committed to be Catherine's prayer warrior this year. I'm not what you'd call a very good pray-er (prayer? hmmmm), but I will do my best. I'm considering how I might set up a little mini fundraiser in the teacher's lounge at school. We've got another teacher who knows of and supports RR at our school - she's FAB! I got her a car magnet, so we both have them up in our classroom for all to see.

Stay tuned for a post about my yearning to go back to Guatemala...and how I plan to try and do so this summer.

Jaimie