ADA and Rehabilitation Act

Christopher Crouch

June 28, 2016

ETEC 424

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against various individuals with disabilities in public life such as; school, transportation, jobs, and all other open public locations. By making sure all people with disabilities having equal opportunities as everyone else, the ADA is divided into five different titles; Employment, Public Services: State and Local Government, Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities, Telecommunications, and Miscellaneous Provisions.

The employment title is designed to help people with disabilities access the same employment opportunities and benefits available to people without disabilities. The title also states that it requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants or employees, such as wheelchair ramps at the office.

As for the Public Services: State and Local Government, the title indicates that public entities to make their programs, services and activities accessible to individuals with disabilities. The title also states that State and Local Government is prohibited to discriminate on the basis of disability by “public entities,” which are programs, services and activities operated by state and local governments.

Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities, or better known as Businesses, is designed to set the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of commercial facilities and privately owned public accommodations. It also requires public accommodations to remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense.

The Telecommunications title is required to give access to telephone and Internet companies who provide a nationwide system of interstate and intrastate telecommunication relay services, which allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone. The telecommunications title states that it is also required to provide closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.

Lastly, the Miscellaneous Provisions contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, its impact on insurance providers and benefits, prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney’s fees. The title also provides a list of certain conditions that are not to be considered as disabilities.

 Another part of the Disability Civil Rights, the Rehabilitation Act, separately section 508 is a section dedicated to making an accessible information technology system that can be operated in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability of the user. For example, a system that provides output only in visual format may not be accessible to people with visual impairments and a system that provides output only in audio format may not be accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some individuals with disabilities may need accessibility-related software or peripheral devices in order to use systems that comply with Section 508. It also establishes requirements for electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government.

All information used in this paper about the ADA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act can be found at https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor65610.

References

"A Guide to Disability Rights Laws." A Guide to Disability Rights Laws. Accessed June 28, 2016. https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor65610.

Technology Integration Workshop: Unit 3

Peer Review

Plagiarism

Christopher Crouch

ETEC 424

June 11, 2016

As a college, student there are countless opportunities of research papers and article reviews to write throughout the learning career. These responses to critical thinking topics are the building blocks of utilitarian knowledge, and should not be built on someone else’s ideas. Without truly thinking about the tough subjects and writing down your ideas, you are robbing yourself of the challenge and reward of critical thinking. In my opinion, it is more beneficial for the student to submit a “C” quality original paper rather than plagiarizing somebody else’s “A” quality paper.  As for that “C” quality paper, it is greatly significant to acknowledge the creative thoughts and ideas of that student. All of that being said, as a student, the punishment for plagiarizing another person’s ideas is much too devastating. Not only will you get caught and receive a failing grade, you can also be subject to suspension and even kicked out of the university. All in all I hope that I have made it clear that plagiarizing someone else’s work is clearly not worth it, nor is it in the best interest for the student.  

Philosophy of Education

I believe that the purpose of education is to use the knowledge a student gains to further explore their own ideas. My role as an educator is to encourage exploration of experimental ideas and teach students to utilize that knowledge to do so. I understand that students learn in many ways; visual, auditory, and hands on. I will use various teaching styles to implement lessons that incorporate all three areas so the students can be fully engaged within the lesson, and retain the knowledge competently.

Taking a page from Soren Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism, I want to focus my teaching philosophy on the student as an individual, free to explore their own ideas and creativity within the learning process. Constructing a learning environment such as this will reinforce students in a positive way that encourages the students to actively engage in their own ideas and education.

To foster this effective learning environment, I as the teacher, will remain passionate about my own ideas and studies in order to effectively engage my students thoroughly. Looking to the philosophy of Idealism, students can play an active role in learning by participating in their own evaluation. As a teacher of the Fine Arts, assessing my students will be facilitated through peer discussions and critiques of their own work. Creating, discussing, and critiquing artwork is no simple task, students will have to explore new ideas and express the reasoning behind them. I believe that this technique of peer assessment will foster critical thinking and problem solving skills that the students can carry over outside of my classroom.

         My goal as a teacher is to not “mold” a student’s thoughts, but rather facilitate learning and encourage a creative thought process that the students can apply to future educational endeavors.  

ePortfolio

Check out my ePortfolio dedicated to ETEC 424 http://www.portfoliogen.com/Chriscrouch/

Introduction

Hi all, my name is Christopher Crouch and I am currently earning a degree in Studio Art/Fine Art. I enjoy working with my hands creating and crafting in various mediums. I would like to use internet sources and documentation of art and artist within my classroom. What I see getting from this course will be a better understanding of the use of technology in the classroom.