EDCI 5065 Week Two

Florida Center for Reading Research - Student Center Activities and Instructional Routines Search Tool

The Florida Center for Reading Research provides this search tool for teachers to share resources that address specific issues relating to written language development. Dr. Ruby (EPSY 5113) shared this to the Special Education cohort last week. When we explored this tool, I immediately began thinking about how this could be used with my future students, because although I’ll most likely work with high school students, many will not have mastered literacy skills on the third – fifth grade level. The reason this tool in particular seemed to be so useful is that it provides a large number of potential activities and lessons focused on each skill which are useful for appealing to students’ various learning styles. As a special educator, I know that I will need to be flexible and adaptable in order to prepare lessons that best address the content that each student needs on an individual basis. Activities that promote active learning will vary in effectiveness from student to student in a general education classroom, and these differences will be even more apparent in a special education setting based on the varied needs of each student. In this case, a “good teacher” is able to distinguish between the mode of instruction which he or she believes to be the best based on previous experience or preconceived notions about the student, and be open to using a variety of methods and potentially modifying those methods as needed throughout the instructional process.


Wrightslaw

During the spring semester, in a Policy, Law and Ethics class, I learned the importance of self-advocacy for students with Special Needs. In general, students who are able to advocate for themselves are better able to gain access to services and supports they need, and are better able to live independently after their high school experience. However, when I began to research activities related to self-advocacy (and self-determination) I had a difficult time finding comprehensive resources that included ways to incorporate these skill sets into the classroom. As it is difficult (by a “standards” perspective) to quantify these skills, I believe they are best modeled and encouraged by educators similarly to the way classroom decorum was implied by the educators in the article from last night’s reading (Hansen, Teaching and the Moral Life of the Classroom). In these instances, the way the teacher presented her/himself initially gave the students implicit ideas that the classroom and content were worthy of attention and respect. Questioning and most importantly expression of individual learning styles was fostered and encouraged rather than expecting the students to follow arbitrary rules about who is leading the discussions. Self-advocacy values can be incorporated into the classroom environment in much the same way. If a teacher allows a student to speak up for him or herself, then those needs should consistently be addressed rather than discouraged. The resources I found varied greatly by disability (and by the agencies who posted them), so I selected one that could apply to all students with disabilities, and be a resource to parents as well. When I selected the Wrightslaw website, I had the intent of choosing a resource that would provide me, the teacher, with some ideas to incorporate into the classroom, but also that would provide parents with information that could use to encourage growth in self-advocacy skills at home. It also provides information about IDEA and the legal rights which their children have in the educational setting.

iPad iPhone iPod Touch Applications for Special Education

I found this list (and many others) of iPad and iPhone applications targeted for students with special needs. Similar applications also exist on the DROID platform as well. I thought this might be a valuable resource to share with parents and students. In my opinion, “good teachers” make an effort to present students with the opportunity to learn through media that they are already interested in. In my experience, most of the students I’ve been exposed to are very interested in their smartphones (and tablets if they have them) and by giving them the opportunity to utilize them in an educational setting, students would be more engaged in the task. They are tailored specifically to target skills needed by students with specific disabilities such as communication tools (speech to text, text to speech) visual and auditory tools, and speech/language development. Many of the language “games” include multi-player or multi-user functions that can be used to “play” against classmates or members of the public also using that app. It brings an element of fun to learning, which I think is important for students to be engaged. These devices provide a multi-sensory experience that few other technological aids can provide. This would be helpful to appeal to a variety of learning styles.