Reading

I have a love hate relationship with reading. I love reading because it expands my vocabulary, and helps me feel involved. I hate reading because it takes me forever and makes me tired. I can read about 30 pages in 70 minutes, and thats if i do not fall asleep before than. When I complete a book I feel proud and i know i have done something. I enjoy being able to participate in conversations about books and know why people find certain books so interesting. I find it easiest and most enjoyable to read comedic books where you do not need to remember every single detail. I have loved reading John Greens books and the Adrian Mole series. During the summer i read 3 books, that is my new summer record. I pushed myself to read the great Gatsby for school which ended up taking me three weeks to finished, i read it on iBooks so i highlighted and made notes along the way. My parents have always wanted me to read more and would buy any book that I showed an interest in but after a long and hard day at school i never had the energy to read a book at night. I know how important it is that i read, and i am starting to read at least 4 nights a week, but many nights i am just to tired to try reading because it requires so much energy. I wish i could read faster and find it more enjoyable but i understand the more i read the easier it will become and the more enjoyable it will be. I tend to read pages multiple times when i am somewhat distracted or i know the page is somewhat important to the plot of the story. When i was younger i enjoyed reading fact books because i would learn something fast and their was usually a picture to explain the article. I am transitioning, i am trying to enjoy reading, i know how important it is, but it will take time to change old habits.   

The Resource Room

Great idea but does not play out well. In theory a resource room sounds great but in reality it kind of sucks. There is a bunch of people who all have different needs and all need help, everybody who has something wrong is sent up their. Because i have ADD i need a quite room which never really happens, their is too many distractions in the room. Their is usually only one teacher in the room and at times up to 25 students in the room. In my school are resource room has turned into a testing room with means their is usually very little room for kids who actually need to be in the room. I go to a school with over 1400 students and i believe we need to have more than one resource room. Their should be a separate testing room for students how do not have an IEP. I resource room for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, i.e. ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, and kids low on the autism spectrum. Their should be a final room for students with severe disabilities, for the reason that these students can be distracting because they are very vocal and they usually need more one on one help. The resource room is for work to be done in a quiet environment, with little distractions. Students are sent up the resource room when they cannot focus in class, but the resource room has too may distractions and too many students. Schools NEED to have more qualified teachers to help students with learning disabilities to ensure that the resource room can serve its purpose. Their needs to be more computers available for students todo their work to ensure that students can get their work done on time. 

Technology

In my schools resource department i would be considered one of the most tech savvy. Which i do not agree with, i use my computer and iPad and no special assistive technology. I use Microsoft one note on my iPad and computer. I use this app to write notes in class and do my homework on, i love that this syncs up so i do not need to print everything. I have been using this app for nearly a year and i like it but i think it needs more advanced options. I would pay for upgrade for more options considering that the app is free. The app is simple to learn and easy to operate, i would suggest it for anybody that is looking for a app to take notes on. I also use the app FlipCards on my iPad to make flashcards. I love this app, i use it for recording all my definitions and to help me prepare for tests. I paid for the upgrade, and i have no regrets. With this app i cannot lose my flashcards or spell anything wrong, it helps keep me organized. I love the option it has to check off flashcards that you know, that you can change the colour, add pictures, and translate the language. In general i love how customizable this app is and how it helps keep me organized.  I an always open to suggestions for new apps, and i have tried many of them but when it comes to choosing an app that i use i am very picky. I have read about a multitude of different apps but once i start off the school year i need to stay with the same program, i do not need school to be any harder for me. Please leave suggestions of the apps you use.

High School

I am in high school, and I sometimes enjoy it. I am finding that high school is easier for me than elementary school. I do have to admit that school is my life, and it consumes most of my life, but that is the way that i want it. School is where i can excel and bet the odds, I have chosen to take all academic class so i can attend university. Many of the people i know are surprised when i tell them i am dyslexic and i have ADD, they make presumptions about how intelligent i am. When i go up to write exams in the resource room i am usually surround by boys, last year i was the only girl in my resource class of 8. This made me feel very isolated, but it also makes me want to do better. I was made fun of in my resource class because i tried, because i was actually using my time to do something. I was a keener because i had ambitions and goals, and did not want to waste my time texting. It is unfair that i was bullied because i was trying, but in the end i got 96% in that class and passed all my class that year which is not something that everybody did in that class. I know that these kids had many other struggles in their lives but it is not fair that we are grouped all together because we are the same. It can be very discouraging but lucky i have a good support system.

Hello

I have started this blog to record all the troubles and triumphs of a being a girl with many issues, from my dyslexia to anxiety. Be warned i am terrible at spelling and sometimes write in the wrong tense but please over looked that and look for the main message. I will address all the stupid questions i get asked and how to best answer. I am not normal, i have many issues, but i am proud of all of them.