{"id":1358,"date":"2009-09-18T14:58:05","date_gmt":"2009-09-18T19:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ezing.me\/transfer\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2014-09-23T08:36:03","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T13:36:03","slug":"harper-memoir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/harper-memoir\/","title":{"rendered":"Against Great Odds, Maxine Harper Excels, Pens Memoir ‘Journey of Hope’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nEducator plans book signing Sept. 23 in Oxford<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOXFORD, Miss. – Quadriplegic cerebral palsy dealt Maxine Harper
\na devastating blow that robbed her of most of her physical abilities
\nbut not her spirit and keen intellect. A faculty member at the
\nUniversity of Mississippi since 2000, Harper uses a computer, with a
\nkey guard and word prediction software program, to type around 10 words
\na minute.\n<\/p>\n

\n\"harper-book.jpg\"<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nAside from her work as clinical assistant professor of education and
\ninterim director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation
\nat UM, Harper has penned – one key at a time – an inspirational book,
\n“Maxine Harper’s Journey of Hope.”\n<\/p>\n

\nIn the heart-tugging
\nstory, she shares her dreams, struggles, triumphs and faith, showing
\nhow she has faced life confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak
\nclearly and with limited use of her hands.\n<\/p>\n

\n“It isn’t easy to open up your life story to the world,” she
\nsaid, adding that she hopes it will inspire parents, teachers and
\nothers to help children with disabilities live up to their fullest
\npotential.\n<\/p>\n

\nHarper is scheduled to sign copies of her book at Off Square
\nBooks in Oxford at 5 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 23). The book was published
\nby Lantern Publishing Co., Harper’s self-created business.\n<\/p>\n

\nHarper’s presence on the Ole Miss campus has inspired many, including education Dean Tom Burnham.\n<\/p>\n

\n“Maxine is a brilliant, amazing lady,” Burnham said. “She is an
\ninspiration to all of our students, faculty and myself. I have
\ntremendous respect for her. She is both a fantastic educator and role
\nmodel.”\n<\/p>\n

\nAs a young child growing up in Greenwood during the early 1960s
\n– long before the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act –
\nHarper had no legal grounds on which to enroll in public school. A
\nprincipal even told her that she would never be able to attend.\n<\/p>\n

\n“I wanted so desperately to go to school with my sister, and
\nmany tears were shed over that principal’s decision,” Harper recalls.
\n“I looked at that school as though it was a candy store whose door was
\nlocked to me. I could only see through the windows at something I could
\nnot have.”\n<\/p>\n

\nDespite the setback, Harper began attending a half-day school
\nfor children with disabilities. Then a new public school principal
\narrived in town, and with the collaboration of her teacher and parents,
\nshe started public school in the sixth grade. That same year, she
\nearned top honors in English and literature.\n<\/p>\n

\nWinning more honors along the way, she graduated as
\nvaledictorian of her class. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in
\nspecial education and doctorate in curriculum and supervision, both
\nfrom Delta State University, as well as a master’s degree in special
\neducation from Mississippi State University.\n<\/p>\n

\nOver time, cerebral palsy took a severe toll on Harper’s joints,
\nand doctors implanted a pain pump near her spine to help ease the
\nsuffering. That device broke in half in 2005.\n<\/p>\n

\n“That crisis nearly took my life,” Harper said. “I had the
\ndevice repaired but was told it could break again at any time.”\n<\/p>\n

\nFacing the news, Harper began to wonder about her legacy. She
\nhad taught an online course at Ole Miss for several years, but she
\nyearned to leave behind something of more value. So she embarked on an
\ninnovative effort with a colleague to teach in the classroom. She
\nwanted to show UM students that people with special needs can succeed.\n<\/p>\n

\n“I love the interaction with the students,” Harper said.\n<\/p>\n

\nHarper teamed with Diane Lowry, UM coordinator of special
\neducation curriculum and instruction, to co-teach EDSP 308,
\nIntroduction to Special Education. Demand for the course has grown so
\nthat Harper teaches a section by herself.\n<\/p>\n

\n“Not only are we teaching this information, we’re modeling it,”
\nLowry said. “Students get to see what we teach about in practice.”\n<\/p>\n

\nHarper’s legacy continues to expand as her memoir reaches more
\npeople. Robert Hughes, president and CEO of the National Institute for
\nSchool Leadership in Washington, D.C., commended her achievements.
\n(Hughes lost a brother to cerebral palsy).\n<\/p>\n

\n“Maxine’s story is a powerful force as a case study within our
\ninstitute on students with disabilities,” Hughes said. “Her impact is
\nwide and deep across the nation.”\n<\/p>\n

\nFor more information, visit http:\/\/maxineharper.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Educator plans book signing Sept. 23 in Oxford OXFORD, Miss. – Quadriplegic cerebral palsy dealt Maxine Harper a devastating blow that robbed her of most of her physical abilities but not her spirit and keen intellect. A faculty member at the University of Mississippi since 2000, Harper uses a computer, with a key guard andRead the story …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[222],"tags":[345],"yoast_head":"\nAgainst Great Odds, Maxine Harper Excels, Pens Memoir 'Journey of Hope' - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/harper-memoir\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Against Great Odds, Maxine Harper Excels, Pens Memoir 'Journey of Hope' - Ole Miss News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Educator plans book signing Sept. 23 in Oxford OXFORD, Miss. – Quadriplegic cerebral palsy dealt Maxine Harper a devastating blow that robbed her of most of her physical abilities but not her spirit and keen intellect. 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