CitizenShip in School : Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

1. "Community acceptance requires opportunity for individual participation in the group , but the opportunity cannot exist outside of community acceptance" ... - I really liked this quote from the packet because it made me think. It made me think that basically its saying that if there's no community acceptance then opportunity wont arise for individuals with down syndrome or any other disabilities. The act of having opportunities starts with the community acceptance. If community acceptance doesnt happen then the individual with a disability wont be able to participate . They could end up feeling like they dont have a place to belong in the society they reside in.
2. "The first time i tried reading "where the wild things are" , which is issac's favorite book, he couldn't sit. He had to be up, dancing in the middle of the circle, acting it out. He just couldn't resist. He could not help himself. It got all the kids going. we were all Wild things and it just came alive . - I liked this passage because it was showing the audience that even though this child has down syndome and has poor language skills he can still find ways to communicate that he is enjoying this book being read to him. He communicates his hyperness, his affectionism, his brightening personality by dancing like a "wild thing". Little children ; especially special needs children amaze me.
3. ...."Here they have her educating America's future, but they're scared to let her work at a movie place" This quote is from the passage on page 78. Shayne was trying to get her classroom associate Anne a job at a video rental store because Anne has a love for movies, film  making and hollywood. There is huge amounts of Irony in this text example. There's irony because Anne who has Down syndrome , helps Shayne in her classroom with teaching and tutoring the children. The irony goes to say , america allows Anne to teach these children who are the future of america , but they doubt her ability to work in a video rental store? That's just really wrong. If you are going to let a woman with down syndome teach children , and you're not going to doubt her ability to do that successfully then why doubt that she can grasp the concept, job requirements and the work surroundings in a video rental store. I would think that teaching children in a school would be the career or job that the world is resistant and hesitant to allowing a "disabled" woman work not a video rental store.

I feel this article had many great points made. I really liked what shayne was doing with her classroom , with the "Where the wild things are" production. This was a form of learning that seemed to be very valuable . The children came up with the script, the costumes, lighting, writing the play and props. The children had no idea that Shayne and her teacher assistants were actually maintaing indiviual focus on each child's goals . They had no idea that they were comparing where the child was to where people said the child should be. They also had no idea about the portfolios that came of this phenomenal production.