"YOU ARE WHAT YOU LEARN"
The ability to learn is older and more widespread than is the ability to teach.
Margaret Mead |
Check out this wisdom from the blog of Scott Adams, the creator of “Dilbert” (www.dilbert.com):
"You are what you learn. If all you know is how to be a gang member, that’s what you’ll be, at least until you learn something else. If you go to law school, you’ll see the world as a competition. If you study engineering, you’ll start to see the world as a complicated machine that needs tweaking. A person changes at a fundamental level as he or she merges with a particular field of knowledge. If you don’t like who you are, you have the option of learning until you become someone else. There’s almost nothing you can’t learn your way out of. Life is like a jail with an unlocked, heavy door. You’re free the minute you realize the door will open if you simply lean into it."
Wow! His words leave me breathless; the message is so commonsense and so very profound, and—it seems to me—so doable!
Many of us have reinvented ourselves in employment: some by choice and some out of necessity, as we learn new skills and embark on a new career. Some people take something powerful in their lives—from a hobby to a life-threatening situation and everything in between—and turn it into a wage-earning career.
Now let’s think about children and adults with disabilities and the words of Scott Adams: “You are what you learn.” Read more...
Copyright 2012 Kathie Snow, www.disabilityisnatural.com; all rights reserved. You may make copies of the PDF of this article to share with others as a handout. Do not republish in newsletters, blogs, websites, etc., without permission. Click here for the Terms of Use and permission request form.
THINK ABOUT IT . . .
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.
Mark VanDoren
What we truly and earnestly aspire to be, that in some sense we are. The mere aspiration, by changing the frame of the mind, for the moment realizes itself.
Anna Jameson
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
Alvin Toffler
Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.
Thomas Szasz
NEWS
Vaughn Lauer, an educator of 30 years, has launched Educational Learning and Training, a helpful site for parents and educators. Check out Vaughn's site and his one-of-a-kind books!
A class action lawsuit has been filed in Oregon, seeking an end to segregated sheltered workshops. Learn more at Oregonlive.com.
Ed Roberts, an extraordinary activist, was inducted posthumously into the California Hall of Fame. Ed Roberts Day was celebrated on January 23rd. Visit the MN Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities to see a series of conversations between Ed's son, Lee Roberts, and Ed's colleague, Dr. William Bronston.
POSTERS, BOOKS, AND MORE!
Jazz up your home, school, or office with our posters—many sizes to choose from, in more than 30 bright, colorful designs—and they all promote new attitudes!
Other affordable goodies are also available in 30+ designs:
--badges $2.00
--bookmarks $1.00
--magnets $3.00
--sticker sheets $3.00
--note cards (set of 10) $6.00
--T-shirt transfers $4.00
The People First Language bookmarks are a handy way of helping others learn new ways of thinking and talking.
New Books! We're "retiring" our 101 Reproducible Articles book, replacing it with two new books of articles—both are bigger and better:
144 Reproducible Articles: How You Can Create Positive Change for Children with Disabilities (for parents, teachers, therapists, child care centers, and/or anyone who cares about children with disabilities—includes a section on inclusive education); $30.00 book only or $36.00 book and CD.
153 Reproducible Articles: How You Can Create Positive Change for People with Disabilities (for provider agencies, disability organizations, and/or people who work primarily with adults with disabilities); $30.00 book only or $36.00 book and CD.
Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities ($30.00) provides effective strategies that can ensure children with disabilities of all ages live more natural lives, included in all areas of society—disability does not have to be a barrier to living a wonderful, normal, successful life!
My Apple-Bites book ($10.00) is a little book full of big ideas!
While you're visiting Disability is Natural:
PRESENTATIONS
I'll be presenting in Mississippi, Missouri, Toronto, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisiana, Virginia, New Mexico, Iowa, Delaware, Florida, and Sydney, Australia in the coming weeks and months, and presentations are pending in other locations. I'd love to see you at any of those events, and I'd also love the opportunity to present for your organization! Click here to learn more.
THANK YOU!
Thanks for your interest in Disability is Natural! You're welcome to share the link to this newsletter with others. Before using the contents of this E-Newsletter on websites/blogs, in newsletters, etc., please review our Terms of Use.
Remember to always Presume Competence in people with disabilities!
Kathie
Copyright 2012 Kathie Snow, All Rights Reserved, BraveHeart Press, www.disabilityisnatural.com |
Newsletters 
DisabilityIsNatural.com RSS