Finally - a Project!

Today was my confrence, and I feel 1000 times better about this whole thing. I came into my confrence with the same idea I had for the peer review, but no idea how to relate it to language, or place, or really any concrete plans whatsover. But, while talking about the project, David asked some really good questions and all of a sudden, lightbulb!, project... So, here goes:

Place: Avalon Therapuetic Equestrian Center and Special Education Classrooms
Project: I plan to compare the language used with Special Ed. kids in both settings. While I feel like the authority figures use approximately the same language in both settings, the peer language is different. I plan to study the language aspect of both settings to help discover why hippotherapy is so helpful.

-Having worked in both Special Ed. classrooms and instructed lessons at Avalon (sometimes with the same kids!), I've seen a pattern established. Kids in the classroom have to be poked and prodded into recieting the alphabet, for example. Kids on horseback at Avalon will recite the alphabet, as well as name 3 words starting with a letter, giggling and smiling the whole time. The attitude toward learning on horseback is substancially improved. What causes this difference?

-I believe the difference is a result of several factors:
*Empowerment - kids who were formally in wheelchairs, or were coddled by authority figures as a result of their disablility, on horseback are in charge. They control where they go (steering), and are required to do things for themselves.

*Height - as simple as this is, kids who are used to looking up at the world from their chairs are now looking down at the people helping them.

*Peer/Authority Associations - In the classroom, special education students are kept separated from those deemed "normal" by society. They spend all day in a room with kids of varying ability, and often those who are mildly disabled are caught up in the pace of a classroom too slow for them. While they learn what they need to learn, their peers aren't at their level, and the language used to communicate is often far more elementary than necessary. At a hippotherapy session, each client is surrounded by 2 to 3 volunteers, and an instructor. Their "peer group" here are all "normal" young adults, who communicate with the client as though they were in fact normal. Volunteers work consistantly with the same clients and form bonds; they discuss everyday things like boyfriends, parent troubles, and school. This can make all the difference in forming an attitude ready to learn. In addition, when this attitude is formed, the authority figure (at Avalon, the instructor), can instruct without fighting with the student, becoming frustrated or offering ultimatums, (as is often seen in the classroom.) In this way, even the authority figure uses a different language. Of course, this language change on the authority's behalf is a direct result of an attitude change in the clients.

For my project, I plan to analyze this third aspect in particular. I plan to sit in on both Special Education classrooms and volunteer and journal my observations. If possible, I also would like to possibly record a session or two at Avalon and a session or two in the classroom for comparison. In addition, I plan to conduct interviews with:
-A Special Education instructor, particularly one who has had students who've done hippotherapy (Mr. Middleton)
-Jenny Stamm, Sandie Petersen, or Sarah (both instructors at Avalon. I'd prefer to interview Sandie Petersen, former instructor currently opening her own facility in North Carolina)
-A client or two. Specifically, I'd like to interview high school senior Anna Z, and 6th grader Diane E. (Names changed to protect privacy)

Research done in the library will include:
-Educational theroy (focus on Special Ed perhaps?)
-Hippotherapy (defining, describing, theories on why it works)

Structurally, my paper will begin with a general discussion of what therapy is. I'll then move into define hippotherapy, and what makes it different. I'll discuss the benefits and theory behind it. During this discussion, it should become implicitly clear that we do need more knowledge regarding the differences between education in the classroom and education on horseback. This is the area that I plan to discover.

There are obviously a lot of holes in this, particularly in how I'll put my proposal together. I just dont understand that, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.
*Karen*