What is F.A.T. City? In the assigned four part series, a workshop is conducted by Richard Lavoie to a group of participants who experience what it is like to have a learning disability within a classroom environment. Mr. Lavoie is the program director of the Eagle Hill School Outreach Program in Greenwich, Connecticut. He informs participants that 6 to 10 percent of children in the United States suffer from learning disabilities. His key points during the workshop focus on three issues that students with learning disabilities struggle with on a daily basis which he identifies as F.A.T. F.A.T. stands for Frustration, Anxiety, and Tension. Mr. Lavoie speaks to the group at the beginning about what they will experience. They will have anxiety,
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The participants each had a booklet in which they were instructed to turn pages only when told. Judging by the hairstyles and clothing, the video was created in the mid to late 1980’s. The desks were arranged in a U shape which positions the teacher in the front of the classroom, and all of the students behind a barrier of desks. This arrangement does not promote a classroom environment with a teacher that is approachable. The students consisted of a myriad of different backgrounds and ages from approximately 10 years to 65. There were approximately 15-20 women, two children (one learning disabled and one non-disabled), and three men. There was not a diverse mix of ethnic backgrounds represented. All participants were white and mostly women. The group was represented by educators, parents, students, social workers, healthcare workers, siblings of students with learning disabilities, and business …show more content…
The more nervous they got, the less they were able to answer. The teacher also did not praise or acknowledge correct answers. If the answer was wrong, he was relentless with his criticism. He illustrated how students shut down once they did not know the answer, and how the rest followed because he had accepted the first “I don’t know”. The second activity illustrates the visual perception problems students have during the writing process. First, he had students turn to a page in their booklet with a picture and asked them what it was. Some said they knew what it was, but most said they did not. Once he told them what it was, they could see it. He also asked them to write a title for the next picture he held up. It looked like a skull at first glance which is what everyone saw. However, if you looked close enough it was an optical illusion of a woman looking at herself in a mirror. They were all shocked because once they knew what it was they could not see anything else. This was a great explanation of how some children perceive things that we think are obvious. Next, he demonstrated visual motor coordination and asked the students to draw a “term” which he called a letter. It was a strange
The participants each had a booklet in which they were instructed to turn pages only when told. Judging by the hairstyles and clothing, the video was created in the mid to late 1980’s. The desks were arranged in a U shape which positions the teacher in the front of the classroom, and all of the students behind a barrier of desks. This arrangement does not promote a classroom environment with a teacher that is approachable. The students consisted of a myriad of different backgrounds and ages from approximately 10 years to 65. There were approximately 15-20 women, two children (one learning disabled and one non-disabled), and three men. There was not a diverse mix of ethnic backgrounds represented. All participants were white and mostly women. The group was represented by educators, parents, students, social workers, healthcare workers, siblings of students with learning disabilities, and business …show more content…
The more nervous they got, the less they were able to answer. The teacher also did not praise or acknowledge correct answers. If the answer was wrong, he was relentless with his criticism. He illustrated how students shut down once they did not know the answer, and how the rest followed because he had accepted the first “I don’t know”. The second activity illustrates the visual perception problems students have during the writing process. First, he had students turn to a page in their booklet with a picture and asked them what it was. Some said they knew what it was, but most said they did not. Once he told them what it was, they could see it. He also asked them to write a title for the next picture he held up. It looked like a skull at first glance which is what everyone saw. However, if you looked close enough it was an optical illusion of a woman looking at herself in a mirror. They were all shocked because once they knew what it was they could not see anything else. This was a great explanation of how some children perceive things that we think are obvious. Next, he demonstrated visual motor coordination and asked the students to draw a “term” which he called a letter. It was a strange