Librarian's Word

Happy Disability Awareness Month! There are so many exciting things going on this month. We can’t wait to watch the Paralympics taking place in Vancouver, not to mention all the local programs to celebrate awareness. If you are in the Bloomington area, stop by and see us at the Disability Student Services Fair on March 1st at the Wells Library and at the “Inspiring Abilities Resource Fair” on March 6, 9:30am-12:00pm at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. Do you have a program you’d like us to mention on our calendar or blog? Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to!

We are pleased to announce the “Friends of CeDIR Library” Book Sale site. Here you can purchase older titles that have been withdrawn from the collection. All proceeds will go towards buying new books for the collection. You can find it online at:

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/cedir/friends/index.php

Have a great spring!

Spotlight On: 2010
Winter Paralympics

Are you basking in the after-glow of the hundreds of gold, silver, and bronze medals handed out to Olympic athletes in February? Or are you feeling the Olympic spirit still coursing through your veins and hungering for more? Well, you’re in luck! The 2010 Winter Paralympic Games will be held March 12-21 this year. The venues for the games will be shared between the cities of Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia.

Coverage of the Paralympics Games has yet to be announced for television viewers, but Internet users can watch live coverage on a few sites:

• Official coverage will be broadcasted from CTV Olympics including live and archived events: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/paralympics/index.html
  
  
• Paralympic Sport TV is another site that will provide both live events and archived ones. A specific plug-in is required to view video on the site, so be sure to navigate there before the games begin to see if you need to install it. Just point your browser to: http://player27.narrowstep.tv/assets/players/4304/html/player.html
  
  
• Don’t forget to check YouTube for clips of highlights from the Games!

Books

For Children:

For Teens/Adults:

For Parents/Teachers:

Web Resources

Book Review:

Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs

Darlene Mannix has authored 195 worksheets to teach teens how to interact with peers and elders in many common settings. The large paperback, perfectly sized for photocopying to letter-sized paper, is divided into two parts. Part one outlines twenty-seven essential skills with five worksheets each, while part two divides everyday situations by setting (at home, at work, with peers etc.)

Each section of worksheets begins with an instructor’s guide and, most innovatively, the “Rationale” behind the skill. The Rationale helps teachers explain to students what each social skill means (e.g., “Someone with a good work ethic is someone who...stays on task until it is completed satisfactorily.”) and why it is important to master (e.g., “Being able to negotiate with others is a way to keep relationships going well.”).

The book contains too many potential lesson plans to fit within a single course, but the variety of worksheets will allow teachers to pick which are best for their students’ learning style. Some are strongly text-based, consisting of short stories and thought-provoking questions. Others employ lively cartoon characters to encourage students to associate facial expressions or speech patterns with meaning. All will stretch students’ abilities to identify with others and reflect on their own experiences, preparing them for positive social interactions in the future.

Tamara Marnell
CeDIR Library Assistant