From Landlocked Films . . .
Now showing on PBS Stations nationwide
(see below for current listings)
Winner of the 2005
CINE Golden Eagle Award,
the 2005
NAFDMA
Insight Award for Excellence,
and the Community Shares' "Social Justice Film of the Year" award
We are thrilled that Fanlight Productions will now be the exclusive distributor for "Song of Our Children." Fanlight is a leading international distributor of independent films addressing the social issues of our time. To visit Fanlight's webpage featuring the film, click here, or email anthony@fanlight.com
How do schools successfully include children with disabilities in classrooms with non-disabled peers? In SONG OF OUR CHILDREN, we meet teachers, parents, and students whose daily routines exemplify what “educational inclusion” means and what it takes to make it work. This moving portrayal of four memorable children -- preschool through high school -- reveals the challenges, strategies, and benefits of inclusion for all.
Aaron, a Colorado high school junior, drives his motorized wheelchair to
chemistry class with Shauna, a non-disabled fellow student who receives academic
credit for helping Aaron participate. Though he cannot read the textbook, Aaron
studies and participates alongside his college-bound classmates. SONG OF
OUR CHILDREN vividly portrays the struggles and triumphs of inclusion through
the voices of teachers, administrators, parents and students as they build a new
educational vision, day by day and class by class.
Three decades ago,
Congress mandated that American children with disabilities be educated in the
“least restrictive environment.” In 2000, the National Council on Disability
determined that none of the 50 states had complied with the law. Today,
families and schools are still struggling to achieve the vision of educating all
children together while attending to each child’s unique learning style and
needs.
Early proponents of inclusion predicted that kids with disabilities would benefit from learning alongside their non-disabled peers. Experience has now shown that non-disabled peers also benefit from learning alongside kids with disabilities. SONG OF OUR CHILDREN journeys from our past, where children with disabilities were often institutionalized for life, to a present full of innovation, experimentation, and effort. Along the path, teachers have discovered new ways of teaching, parents have learned new ways of thinking, and children have discovered that all people have different abilities and have something to teach one another.
SONG
OF OUR CHILDREN has aired on these PBS stations:
KBDI Denver CO
- WNYE New York
- WYBE Philadephia PA -
KCSM San Francisco -
KQED San Francisco CA -
KTEH San Jose CA -
WFPT Washington DC -
KAWB Minneapolis MN -
KRMA Denver CO -
WBCC Orlando
FL -
WGPT Pittsburgh PA -
WMPB Baltimore -
WIPB Indianapolis IN -
WNPT Nashville TN -
WXXI Rochester NY -
KLRU Austin
TX - WJCT Jacksonville FL -
KWCM Minneapolis -
WGVK Grand Rapids MI -
KUEN Salt Lake City -
WXEL West Palm Beach FL -
WLAE New Orleans, LA -
WNIN Evansville IN -
WNED Buffalo NY -
WJCT Jacksonville FL -
KTSC Colorado Springs CO -
WCMU Flint MI -
KPTS Wichita KS -
WCNY Syracuse NY -
WTCI Chatanooga TN -
WCPB Salisbury MD -
WCFE Burlington VT -
KTSC Colorado Springs CO -
KRWG El Paso TX -
WNIN Evansville IN -
WFWA Ft. Wayne IN - KRMJ Grand Junction CO -
KSMN Sioux Falls SD -
KEDT Corpus Christi TX -
WDSE Duluth MN -
WCML Alpena MI -KRSC
Tulsa OK
If you would like to see "Song" broadcast on your local PBS station, contact the station and ask them to air it!
SONG OF OUR CHILDREN has been selected to screen at the following events:
-Peak
Conference on School Reform and Inclusive Education,
-Golden
Film Festival,
-Hearts
and Minds Film Festival,
-Artivist
Film Festival,
-Continuing
the Circle: Ability and Culture Conference,
-6th
International Soul in Education Conference,
-Istanbul Children's Film Festival
-TASH Annual Conference
-River's Edge Film Festival
-Ohio
Independent Film Festival
Reviewers' Comments on SONG OF OUR CHILDREN:
I have never been so moved by a film. I would recommend that all people everywhere watch this amazing, moving portrait of students with disabilities included in the everyday work of learning inside an inclusive environment that fosters an understanding and respect for all students.
Kathy McBride
Special Education Parent Liaison
Boulder Valley School District
This compelling documentary “reveals the challenges, strategies, and benefits of inclusion” by focusing on four students (ranging in age from preschool to high school) with disabilities. Following them on their daily routines both inside and outside the classroom, the camera captures the youngsters coping with their special needs. Archival footage and black-and-white photos depict exclusionary tactics in the 1950s that contrast sharply with current educational practices. Thanks to accommodations (one student drives a motorized wheelchair), the youngsters attend regular classes and easily interact with others. Students, parents, and educators talk about the important of providing a safe environment and meeting the diverse needs of all students. The advantages of inclusion and individualized learning help everyone. A persuasive springboard for discussions about cultural respect, diversity, inclusion, and the importance of differentiated learning.
Booklist
I believe that every parent, every educator, everyone, should see this film. Song of Our Children powerfully communicates the positive outcome and experience that can result for all children involved when inclusive education occurs.
Judi Morosohk, M.A.
Early Childhood Educator and
Consultant
The film Song of Our Children is a
wonderful example of how some schools are fostering inclusive school communities
for a diverse population of children and youth. The intention of the film
is to share examples of the inclusion of students with disabilities at the
elementary through senior high school levels. The film does this
extraordinarily well. The images and stories are clear and strong. The
infusion of the historical treatment of people with disabilities and the
changing legislation are clear and accurate. However, the aspect of the film
that I appreciated the most was the reflection of the whole community. The
inclusion of both traditional and non-traditional families, children of color,
families where English is a second language all came together to portray the
best of what can be in our nation.
Mary Beth Doyle, Ph.D.
A
solid discussion starter on the controversial issue of inclusion for
special-needs children, this is recommended.
*** (3 stars) Video Librarian
"Any teacher, parent, or administrator looking for a way to begin a discussion about what it really means to be diverse, and to truly educate, include, and honor children with disabilities should watch this film."
-- David Bond
Windrush School
"Strong and Tweedy’s film helps to narrow the gap between what we know through evidence-based research and what we do. It’s encouraging to see families and educators working through the challenges together. This film will have an immediate impact on policy and practice. **** (4 Stars)"
-- Anastasia Lawhead
Parent and Advocate
For more reviews, click here.
SONG OF OUR CHILDREN AVAILABLE
on DVD or VHS from Fanlight Productions.
To place an order, click here!
ALSO
AVAILABLE:
the "Song of Our Children"
Resource and Discussion Guide --
click here!
•