Newsgroups: bit.listserv.deaf-l
Date:         Tue, 8 Sep 1992 11:02:49 EDT
From:         "Joseph P. Riolo" <riolo@COR4.PICA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject:      We are actually forcing on others...

Cathy,

      First of all, let me say that you have earned my respect for your efforts
to provide the best education to your kids.  However, I am afraid that I have
to disagree or continue dialogue on one or few points.


>Frankly, Todd, I don't know what you are asking me.  I would be more than happy
>to give you my plilosogy of education - deaf, hearing impaired, hearing etc.
>I can't be too specific without you asking me a *specific* question.  But, I
>will make an attempt.  I believe that teaching school means teaching children
>how to be life long learners and how to succeed in life.  I often say I *don't*
>teach school - I teach life.

       How do you define "succeeding"?  Against what will you measure success?
Or, will you not measure success?

       Regardless of what you will answer, I will bet that your answer is
influenced by your culture and value/belief system.  Following that, you
actually influence your kids to follow your way of thinking.  Kids may
eventually choose to follow your way or other's way depending on environment
around kids.

       There is nothing wrong with it.  I really want parents and teachers
to influence good ethic on kids.  That is my belief.  I want them to
reinforce good deeds done by kids.  In that way, I sort of want to force
my value on others.

       So, you do the same.


       Suppose a deaf kid in your classroom refuses to do the pledge on flag,
will you send her to principal or will you let her to exercise her conscience?

       Suppose a deaf kid encourages another deaf kid, who is thinking of having
cochlear implant, not to take it; will you keep silence or will you reinforce
her or will you punish her?

       I do not need to tell you sad stories about oral schools.  The teachers
in these schools were/are (there are still oral teachers) forcing their
philosophy on their students.

       We have heard very often that schools prepare kids for society.  Which
society is it?  Yes, it is western, capitalist, republic, etc. society.  How
do they do that?  By molding them into the society.

       Cathy, you do possess a very powerful position in the U.S.  It is really
a lie (I know that you do not lie - I think that not many people realize that
they are actually forcing their cultures, etc. on others) if you are saying
that you do not force values, beliefs, cultures, etc. on kids.


>I've answered to the best of my ability for now.  If you have further questions
>I'd be more than happy to address them.  I have some for you.  Please fill in
>the blank.  "Mainstreaming is bad because ______________."   I am in that
>setting.  If there are things you believe my children are missing - I want to
>know.  There may be ways for me to include that in my class.

        Regardless of what method you are using, there will be always some
missing things.  Students in mainstreaming will miss some things that are
found only in deaf schools and vice versa.  There is nothing wrong with it.
It is just a fact of life.  All we have to do is to be competent enought to
decide whether these "missing" things should stay that way.  If you do
not want to miss these things, then, revise your method.  After you revise
method, you will lose some things that the older method has.

                                        Joseph P. Riolo
                                        <riolo@pica.army.mil>
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU