Interesting

[Teachin'Mine]

http://news.yahoo.com/nj-college-prof-defends-treatment-stutterer-105619626.html?bouchon=501,ny

 

I'm going to see if I can find a more informative article as a lot of details are missing. Thought it might be a topic of interest here. Clearly it could have been handled better, but as in most issues, I can see both sides.

 

I would think that he could be better accommodated by being given the ability to send questions to the professor via an online chat during class. Then he'd just have to type and she could stop at appropriate times and address some of his questions.

[Teachin'Mine]

Here's more info:

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/14/national/main20120434.shtml

 

Sounds like the professor should have enlisted the help of special services at the CC. I wonder if this is his first class there, or if this issue has come up before. I wonder if it's an issue in his high school classes or whether he's homeschooled.

 

ETA: He is homeschooled and has had speech therapy.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/12/national/main20119117.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Edited October 14, 2011 by Teachin'Mine

[Teachin'Mine]

Apparently I did the title a disservice. :lol:

[Amy in TX]

In the NY Times this morning, the professor responded. She contends that she asked the student to submit his questions in writing, not so much because of the stuttering, but because he monopolized the class, wanting to answer every question. She portrayed the situation as rudeness or ignorance of classroom etiquette on the student's part.

 

I have no idea whose version (student's or professor's) is accurate. It may just be damage control on the professor's part. But it is a possible alternative explanation of events.

 

(Although, didn't they interview some other students in the class who supported the boy's version? Now I forget...)

[Teachin'Mine]

Yes I read that another student, or students, said that his questioning wasn't any more monopolizing than the other active participants in the class. As with most situations, each have their POV and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Just can't imagine that the professor didn't think that the e-mail, as written, wouldn't be a problem. This is something that should have been taken to the head of the department at the least, and probably special services should have been involved in helping to resolve this. Sounds like it was more about asking any questions during the lecture portion, than about his stuttering, but obviously that played a part too.

 

I guess one thing we can take from this is to make sure that we teach our children how and when to raise their hand and ask questions. Non-homeschoolers have problems in this area as well, but it's usually much less of a problem by the high school age as they've been taught to restrain themselves in younger grades. Then again, he may have been using appropriate questioning in class and it was more just an annoyance for the professor.