Fish
by Ellen C. Braun
Filed under Get to know Ellen
Due to the feedback that you have given me, I would like to revise the fish slide in the Animal School movie so that no hard feelings are generated.
The slide currently reads as follows at the beginning of the movie:
The fish quit school because he was bored. To him, all four subjects were the same, but nobody understood that because they had never seen a fish.
And at the end of the movie:
The fish is a child who really requires full special education and should not be in the regular classroom.
Please keep your suggestions to approximately the same length, so that the music need not be re-looped!
Many Thanks!
{EDIT Sept 12, 06} Scroll down to comment #318 for the updated fish slide! (You may need to hit “control F5″ on your keyboard after the movie begins to clear your cache and view the updated Animal School.)
Related posts:
The fish quit school because he was frustrated. He tried really hard but didn’t meet requirements
The fish is a child that learns differently and needs to be be taught differently through special education.
The fish hated school because either he knew all about the subject and was bored or didn’t want to look like a fish out of water! But since nobody had ever seen a fish they didn’t understand.
The fish really requires the full support of an adaptive curriculum in three of the subjects. He should have been the showing the class how to make swimming fun, but nobody noticed.
It says: ‘The fish quit school because he was bored. To him, all four
subjects were the same, but nobody understood that because they had
never seen a fish.’
I would suggest “The fish tuned out in school because he was bored. To him, three of the subjects had no meaning, but nobody understood that because they had never seen a fish.
Children with disabilities who INDEED do require full special education are not the ones quitting school. They are the ones whose parents battle with the school on a continual basis to try to see that the child’s needs are met and these kids are in school until they are 21 because that’s when IDEA says the school system has fulfilled its duty. And most of these kids don’t think the subjects are all the same, they are just not taught in a way that’s meaningful to the child.
And each child under the law deserves an opportunity to be a regular classroom, but with APPROPRIATE supports, services and modified curriculum.
It’s not just a matter of being P.C., it’s a matter of law. IDEA says special education is service, NOT A PLACE, and the longer we continue to view it as that classroom down the hall or a separate school, the harder it is for families who want their child, who has special needs, to have a chance to be in the regular classroom.
‘The fish is a child who really requires full special education and
should not be in the regular classroom.’
“The fish is a child who really requires specialized instruction, and too few teachers truly understand how to provide that.
Or “The fish is a child who really requires special education and needs individualized instruction.
I loved what my sister-in-law said about the fish (269) She has spent her childs life understanding and helping her “fish” and you would be amazed to see the child today…she gets calls from all over the country from other Mom’s for advise on how to deal with their autistic children…she has even gone back to school to be a physician!!! Please re-read her reply…269
The problem with your wording is that if you a proponent of inclusion then there is no one who should not be in the classroom.
How about: “The fish is a child who really requires direct one-on-one instruction and should not just be dumped into the regular education classroom.”
The fish is a child who can and will learn at his own pace. Side by side with all children, he can be successful. The keys to his success are quality supports and positive attitudes!
People have become TOO sensitive, leave it as it is. You will never be able to please all of the people all of the time.
Oh the fish…..
The fish has so many different needs. He needs love and acceptance, not to be measured by test scores.
The fish quit school because he could not perform in the envirnments the others could. To him all the subjects were the same–and he did the same motions. But did not appear to advance in the eyes of others.
The fish is the child who might need to be recognized in the environment best suited for his needs, some of which could be integrated.
The fish is the child who is entitled not to be “left behind” and who should be given all necessary assistance so that he can succeed.
A fish is a child who simply drifts along aimlessly until he finally is rescued and discovers success in a small group setting.
Hi Ellen,
I didn’t have a problem with the fish slide, but since others clearly did, perhaps you can see what they suggest and make the changes so that there are no hurt feelings.
I was planning on forwarding the movie to my email list, so if you are going to change that slide, let me know when you have updated it, and I’ll wait to send the movie out until you do.
Again cudos on your wonderful and inspiring work!
For those that are discounting the fish, segregating him from all others, you have just discounted the movie message entirely. It saddens me greatly to read many of the comments, which indicates, some childrens’ problems are worth the time while others are not. God loves all, and we are asked to follow this example. ‘Protecting and helping’ children by educating them separetely only adds to the problem, but including all children together, allows each to know and accept differences.
My suggestion is:
The fish was confused
To him, all four subjects were the same,
But nobody understood that because they had never seen a fish.
The fish is a child who needs a teacher that understands what it is to be a fish.
Like all the animals, he wants to be included and nurtured with everyone else.
I posted this on a Listserv about this video…here are my comments unedited….
I have never commented on this video for when it first
was posted I had to wait a day or two until I got on
DSL in order to view it and by then the listserv had
moved on. When it resurfaced I decided to visit the
comment blog. Something about Ellen’s opening
statement troubled me, then I literally became ill and
angered at many of the comments that were posted, so I
had to let myself settle.
However yesterday as I was observing and documenting
the interactions and the work in the classroom I just
drank in the relationships that were occurring. I
watched as “typical” children joined with their
friends with special rights in this beautiful dialogue
and work, a dialogue that I couldn’t understand a word
of but these children involved had created a language
that each child knew what the other meant. I watched
as hugs were exchanged over small celebrations.
I rejoiced as two of the children who sat with me
during lunch and observed as I worked with Jacob a
child with autism recognized and became excited when
suddenly Jacob uttered new words and even put two
words together, I listened as the children instantly
turned to each other “Jacob said a new word, it was a
brand new word I never heard him say” “Teacher he said
a new word!”
It was a day full of small celebrations!
At the end of the day and with the joy of the day
still spilling over, I began to re-think about this
video again. As I thought more about our day and the
video I logged on to open my email only to find a
newsletter from a company, in this weeks issue it
features a video of a child’s learning.
The article goes to great lengths to share with its
reader and the viewer the learning that this child is
showing to us, the child that is featured, is Chaislyn
a child with Down syndrome, a child from my classroom.
The description of the video clip describes Chaislyn
as “a self-directed and animated four-year-old” not a
word is ever mentioned that she is a child with Down’s
syndrome, for that isn’t what is important, what the
does focus on is Chaislyn the child, and it isn’t
about her “disability’, it shows of this child’s
competence not what she can’t do. A child whose work
is showing teachers across the globe what children
know. She is a child who has gone on into public
Kindergarten and is doing wonderful, a child who
played t-ball with her friends….a child who wasn’t
segregated out of the regular classroom but who
instead the regular classroom enlarged their circle to
allow Chaislyn to be part of and supported in.
So it was this mindset that I began to sort out my
feelings…
First this movie goes against everything I believe in.
Starting with my image of children, why do want to
reduce the rich powerful and competent child to be
represented as animals? It is like putting a cutesy
graphic on a piece of documentation-it devalues the
work and the image of children.
“’The fish is a child who really requires full
special education and should not be in the regular
classroom.’
This statement goes against the rights of ALL those
with special needs/rights. Why should we want to
advocate something that goes against the federal
law-IDEA! I hardly think this wording is in
conjunction with what IDEA advocates as least
restrictive environment. The word SHOULD NOT is
disturbing. So I ask who is going to be the judge of
which children requires full special education- what
does this mean- is it a child in a wheelchair, a CP
child, a child with autism- what is the criteria and
who will decide the criteria of the full special
education child? Who wants to be the one to point the
finger or create the list of who stays and who goes?
So that brings me to the next question when should we
begin to exclude?!! Although this perhaps is aiming at
children who are school age K+, however if this is to
be the rule of our land then what is to stop centers
from separating infants with special rights, or do we
begin in preschool? Do we begin at birth?
The other piece that troubles me is that the animal
school video has a ‘religious connotation” this feels
so wrong with my own beliefs, where all are welcomed,
now we are saying only those with certain criteria are
welcomed?
This statement brings me to tears as it goes against
everything-the families and the children whom I
advocate for each and everyday.
Yes you can say this isn’t an ideal world and this is
the reality of life but I ask do we then just go with
the flow of the current and let things be for it is
always easier to follow the crowd? Tell this to those
who have had the courage to take a stand, Martin
Luther King or Rosa Park, and the many others who
dared to swim against the current and make a
difference in the lives of others.
What was it about the Reggio approach that took your
breath away, wasn’t it the images, the images of
children, children who are just awesome? It goes back
to our dialogue of the image of the child- do we feel
that all children are born rich and competent? Or are
they vessels to be filled? Whichever we believe speaks
of our image of the child…
This video isn’t the image of the child that I share,
for me I will stick with the video images of real
children, children whose stories and work I am
capturing and documenting each day in sharing the true
competence of children.
I like the slide as it is. Our son has ASD and to him I think he feels that a regular curriculum suited to his age is beyond his capacity. He feels overwhelmed and can’t be expected to even attempt to reach the goals set out for the typical child of his age. He needs the IEP set out for him here at home (we homeschool with a teacher’s aid. The slide could read, “to the fish all subjects were the same, beyond his capacity; an untainable goal at present”. I don’t know. I think it’s easy to get offended with anything. My son has the same goals as everyone else, it’s just that it’s accepted that he take longer to reach them and needs more support getting there. I appreciate all the hard work you do and I value this site.
Wow…. Leslie G., that was awesome!
Ellen, I have a fish and he is wonderful, still most people have never seen a fish, and often do not know how to help, or feel they know what is best for someone else’s child. I see that some feel the child should be in the “least restrictive enviornment” however, some do better in a small pond. There are many kinds of fish, so no one solution is going to solve it all. Even an IEP is not a cure all.
I have a special needs child. (A fish)
What should be changed is the the last sentence. Because a special need child can and does function in regular classrooms with indivualized help. So what I would say is this.
The fish is a child who really requires full special education and should have the opportunity for individual specialized education.
I agree with #296…& let’s be real. Some fish can survive in a normal classroom & some can’t. And much like public education, this video can not be all things to all people. (Don’t get me started on the worthlessness of public education, particularly for special needs children, but I digress!)
The video merely provides a presentation to help a wide range of people understand the struggle. Mainly those who do not have special needs children. We parents, relatives, teachers, & the rest of the overly sensitve & personally effected by/of special needs children should remember that when we put on our politically correct sensitivity caps on. We are not the target audience, “the great uninformed” is. This video is an awareness. Leave our personal experiences out of it.
Truly you cannot please everyone. As in any decision, check your heart motives. Why do you do and say what you do and say? In anything?
I believe there is no malice in the video, and
am surely not one for all this political correctness…Perhaps #6 has a softer approach,
but I truly believe @ the heart of the issue,
you spoke truth. These precious fish are not inferior, I don’t believe ANYONE thinks that…
They deserve the very best, whatever it may be
for them. Each situation is unique.
You have many great suggestions. Just sharing my vote that inclusion makes a HUGE difference in the lives of special needs children. My son with Down Syndrome (who has a 6% academic delay according to pre-kindergarten tests given in his pre-K class) learns AS MUCH if not MORE by modeling other regular ed students (and his normally developing sister)than any teacher could ever teach him in a totally segregated classroom. Thank you for your sensitivity to this issue. The video is beautiful other than this line and will be greatly improved when you change it accordingly
I absolutely LOVED the vidoe. I have a child that is ADHD (granted not special needs in this sence) , and agreed with your “fish statement”. If it weren’t for her “special classes” she’d be strugling the whole day. I now homeschool her, becasue I can give her the individualised attention she needs.
I think you should NOT change it. If you try to cater to a few , you’ll end up having to cater to all. The thing is, that I may not totally agree with every little phrase, but I understand what you’re trying to say , and that’s the whole point …right??
Leslie 293
What is your belief. That God created all equally? I think not. You are not here for the same reason that I, or anyone else is. What saddens me, and almost brings me to tears, is that some feel all children should be placed in the the same box. Well as for me, an adult, please don’t place me in the same box as anyone. I homeschool my children because one doesn’t need to be in your classroom, he would picked on relentlessly. This scares me because of Columbine. You should probably think of the differences all children have, not as a disability, but rather a gift that our Father has given them. My experience with children with Down’s Syndrome is that they are the most loving humans walking this earth. How could that be disability in this awful world. No, the fish doesn’t belong in the traditional classroom because God created him for something so much bigger and wonderful that this would only be a hinderance to him!
Hey Girl I love your creation of the slide show. I read your dilemma and perhaps you should change the picture of the fish to some other creature altogether. Since fish travel in schools, I didn’t quite understand why “he shouldn’t be in school at all”. You did a great job on the slide. I am sure if you pick a different creature, God will inspire the words as He did on the other creatures. Trust yourself. You are wonderful and I love ya for all the tips. I am praying for you sister
Hi, I would leave it as it is. People will always ask you to change something. I have a son who is vaccine injured and now classified autistic and pre-verbal. I homeschool Julian, because he imitate normal people so well that I didn’t want him to be babysat in a special day class. I want Julian to blossom to his full potential(BEAUTY). He would be an assest to a regular classroom not a deficiet, because both his peers and himself would build their characters.
Thanx
Blessings from the heart
Diana
Hi,
can we get this movie on CD, DVD, or video? I’d like to have it for my resource and support group for autism and other disabilities. this is a solo progect bringing hope to so many parents.
Thanx for you hard work.
There are so many diverse opinions and yet so many of the threads are similar. Mine is just another opinion.
My first perception of fish that quit because they were bored was that “fish” are children that are catagorized as being talented and gifted (TAG). If your message is to address those children that have unique learning abilities then maybe the wording can be changed to better paint that picture. I didn’t “get it” and was somewhat confused by the fish introduction and conclusion. That is obviously the case with enough of us to show that it is a matter of perception.
As for the last part, I feel as strongly as many of those who have commented that it is harshly worded. I realize that many people believe it is fine the way it is and I respect that but I truly feel that it causes an emotional response in many of us that gets in the way of the real point you are trying to make. I agree with those who have said it is negatively worded. It also brings up uncomfortable feelings of rejection. If you want widespread use of this movie, I feel the issue of the special needs child should be addressed in a realistic way that fits with the way our current school system works. Now, I’m absolutely not talking about being PC; I’m simply encouraging a realistic and sensitive approach to getting the real point delivered effectively. “Messaging” is what it’s called for those that are not familiar with it. My favorite examples from the responses of others are those that give the message that “fish” need an appropriate, nurturing and supportive learning environment that addresses their unique needs and promotes positive growth (wherever that may be). The current message tells me that they need special help and don’t “belong” in a regular classroom.
You have been given many suggestions but the bottom line is that this is ultimately your project and you obviously have the talent to choose the words that portray the message and awareness you want to get out. Whether you change them or not is completely up to you.
I like the concept of using animals to represent diversity in children. After all, children are not adults in small bodies and I think it’s an excellent approach to helping them relate.
I am especially impressed that welcoming feedback and asking for all of our opinions has created so much thought and conversation. It is enriching to all of us to share thoughts and experiences. It is clear that this is still the controversial issue it was when I was in grade school so many moons ago.
I am an active parent leader in a family strengthening organization and I’m glad to have found your website. I think it is a very valuable resource for many parents and, in turn, has a positive impact on children. Thank you!
296&297 have it right. Those of us with fish know how special they are and that they can sometimes show the rest of the “school” that looking at the world differently can often lead to spectacular discoveries and new ways of learning/teaching. I do not believe that special ed should be interpreted as “disabled”…just unique…just requiring truly individualized educational planning I think maybe Einstein, Mozart etc…might have been fish too.
The fish quit school because he was bored. To him, all four subjects were the same, but nobody understood that because they had never seen a fish.
The fish is a child who lives in water when others live on land. He needs assistance from someone who can scubadive.
I saw no critical problem with the text for the fish. You might say, “,… because none of them had ever known a fish”.
My problem is with the speed that the text goes by. It’s just too fast for those whose verbal skills may leave something to be desired, and it’s way too fast to be read out loud (try it!).
I don’t think it needs to be changed. I have 3 diffrent children and they all need difrent things.
if you do change it I liked Sunny’s post best
“The fish is a child who requires a classroom environment that encourages different learning styles.
I think it would only be appropriate to say something about how the fish simply cannot survive (let alone thrive) outside of the special environment (AKA the fishbowl).
The fish never wanted to go to school. Getting through the day was so frustrating that he rather be at home where he felt safe.
The fish is a child who requires special attention and accomodations. He can only be happy in a school where his needs are understood and addressed.
P.S I love the video. Hatzlachah Rabbah in all your endeavours.
P.P.S I have a fish, and she’s taught us alot about the ocean.
The fish never felt like he was a part of the classroom. He quit school because to him, all four subjects were the same.
The fish is a child who is easily overlooked and who needs special attention in and out of the classroom.
I like it in the original phrasing. It makes the point very well.