This semester I took my very first course for special education. SPE 400 was a class on the general characteristics, definitions, assessments/identifications, causes/prevalence, effective instruction techniques, and least restrictive environments (LRE) of each type of learning exceptionality. We also covered topics such as laws governing the education of exceptional children, the components of IEPs, supports for parent and family involvement, and transitioning services into adulthood.
Some of the exceptionalities covered during this course included mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, autism, communication disorders, physical disabilities, various health impairments, AD/HD, traumatic brain injury, giftedness, blindness and low vision, and deafness and hearing loss. I learned so much in this class about each exceptionality! One very important lesson I learned from this class is that each student is as unique from one another as each of the exceptionalities! This makes evaluation difficult sometimes when trying to determine exceptionalities. This is also important to remember as a general education teacher. Sometimes we must think outside of the box to reach each child!
Towards the end of this course I was required to attend a one hour field experience in a special education setting. I chose to visit the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB.) Here I was given a tour of the classrooms and shown the various types of equipment made available for the deaf and blind. The classrooms were for early intervention classes for pre-school aged children that are blind, have low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, or are developmentally delayed because both parents are deaf. The equipment displayed for these people were for children, adults, and seniors with hearing or visual impairments, and ranged from basic tools to highly advanced technology.
Although my trip was short, I learned a lot at AIDB. I also found out that AIDB will also be offering several six week long American Sign Language courses this summer for a low price of only $40! After I take the course this summer I will make a post on what I learned. In all, SPE400 was a very enjoyable, interesting, and fulfilling class.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Other technologies/social networking tools for education I have learned in EDM 310
As an assignment for my EDM 310 class, I have been researching and navigating twitter for the past couple of days. This social networking program is the hardest to navigate, in my opinion, out of all the other networking systems we have learned about. I can see, however, by viewing other people's profiles and posting questions, how useful it can be for educators. Often it is just an open discussion on ideas and a way to post helpful sites. After a while of navigating, I found a feature called monittor that allows you to type in a subject and receive immediate hits from local people. Here I found a twitterer called "AutismTweetes" where I found tons of informative, useful information and websites about autism. Twitter seems to be a great tool to "meet" other people around the world that have the same interests whether it be music, career oriented, or educational. It also seems to be a good way of receiving news and updates on companies and even musicians/bands. However, I do feel that the way twitter is set up could be a little more simplistic and easy to navigate. Twitter is something that I will certainly continue, and try to learn more about in order to be a well informed teacher in the future.
Youtube is another great tool used for worldwide education. I was an occasional youtube user before my EDM310 class, but I didn't know that educators and students were using it in such a positive way. When searching youtube for educational videos, I found certain videos that struck my attention as a future special educator. Education Techniques for Autism was particularly interesting and helpful. Another couple of great vidoes I found for those interested in autism education are Mild Autism and Education, and Understanding high fuctioning kids. I think the greatest part about finding videos on youtube such as these is how easy youtube makes them to share. You can choose to post videos from the youtube page directly onto your personal myspace, facebook, or twitter accounts. You don't even have to copy and paste the link! I will use youtube as a tool throughout the rest of college and when I become a teacher so I can have the most extensive and updated knowledge available about autism and early childhood education.
Youtube is another great tool used for worldwide education. I was an occasional youtube user before my EDM310 class, but I didn't know that educators and students were using it in such a positive way. When searching youtube for educational videos, I found certain videos that struck my attention as a future special educator. Education Techniques for Autism was particularly interesting and helpful. Another couple of great vidoes I found for those interested in autism education are Mild Autism and Education, and Understanding high fuctioning kids. I think the greatest part about finding videos on youtube such as these is how easy youtube makes them to share. You can choose to post videos from the youtube page directly onto your personal myspace, facebook, or twitter accounts. You don't even have to copy and paste the link! I will use youtube as a tool throughout the rest of college and when I become a teacher so I can have the most extensive and updated knowledge available about autism and early childhood education.
Communication, social skills, and behavior management techniques I learn at the Little Tree
As a special education major, I was required to take SPE205 along with my SPE400 class this semester. This class was specifically for observing a real classroom for children with special needs for a duration of four hours a week. I was required to complete various assignments and a weekly report form for each visit, and include any other interesting events or lessons I learned that day. Some of the assignments focused on Applied Behavior Analysis, others on individual programs or group activities, safety procedures, helpful materials used, collecting data, and general surveys of the teacher that I worked under.
The Little Tree, the school I was assigned, is an early intervention school that focuses on autism. The classrooms, however, consisted of half typical children, while the other half were of the autism spectrum. Here, the importance of early intervention became very clear to me (more so then I already assumed.) All people learn more in their first five years then they will learn for the rest of their lives! There are several major techniques and lessons I learned observing at this school, and I feel very lucky to have been able to gain this experience and learn from these very talented teachers. In this blog, I will discuss communication skills, social skills, and behavior management techniques.
One of the greatest and most obvious characteristics of autism is poor social interaction and communication skills. The teachers at the Little Tree do a great job working on these skills all day long. Nonverbal children are taught to sign certain basic needs, wants, and objects. If the child is verbal or partially verbal, the teachers require the child to (as best as they can at the time) form the most complete sentences possible when requesting something or running through their individualized programs. For example, one child may want a teacher to push them in the swing. Their first reaction may be to gesture towards the swing or cry. This is not an acceptable way of requesting. The teacher will ask, "What do you want?" The child must first either sign or speak, "I want push, please!" the best way that they can. Teachers also teach communication skills and social skills by requiring eye contact and prompting speaking in any way possible. Autistic children also benefit socially from being around typical children in the classroom from a young age.
Another interesting technique used at the Little Tree for behavior management is what they refer to as the WASSD (wait, ask, say, show, do) checklist. The first step of directing a child to a task is stating the task. (i.e., "It's time to wash your hands.") You then WAIT for the correct behavior for 3 seconds. If the child complies, praise them. If the child does not comply ASK, "What do you need to do?" Again, if the child complies, praise them. If the child still has not completed the task the next step is to SAY, "You need to wash you hands." If the child does not comply, SHOW the child what to do by modeling or gesturing with no verbal prompts. As with the previous steps, if the child then completes the task, praise them. If the child still has not complied, DO by providing gentle assistance in helping the child perform the task with no verbal prompts. After this is done, praise the child for completing the task. The word "no" is never used at the Little Tree when directing a child. I found that this checklist provides each student an opportunity for decision making, independence, and for those who may not process information quickly, time to understand the task given. Teachers do not use this behavior plan for all children, however. WASSD is the first approach. If certain behaviors do not improve after an extensive trial with this plan, that child's case manager will form a different proceeder to try. This also leads me to another great point about special education that I learned from the Little Tree. Record EVERYTHING! It is especially important to record negative behaviors such as head banging or screaming each time it happens. With so many very different children in one classroom, it is hard for the teacher to know whether or not they are making progress with a certain child without recording everything. This is also a good way to have concrete evidence legally of all techniques and proceeders attempted in case of a legal issue that may occur.
In all, the Little Tree taught me more then I could have ever learned from a book or lecture. It was a very eye opening experience and I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit there again for my student teaching or practicum. I will talk more on what I learned from the Little Tree in latter posts. To learn more about the Little Tree, please visit: The Learning Tree Website.
The Little Tree, the school I was assigned, is an early intervention school that focuses on autism. The classrooms, however, consisted of half typical children, while the other half were of the autism spectrum. Here, the importance of early intervention became very clear to me (more so then I already assumed.) All people learn more in their first five years then they will learn for the rest of their lives! There are several major techniques and lessons I learned observing at this school, and I feel very lucky to have been able to gain this experience and learn from these very talented teachers. In this blog, I will discuss communication skills, social skills, and behavior management techniques.
One of the greatest and most obvious characteristics of autism is poor social interaction and communication skills. The teachers at the Little Tree do a great job working on these skills all day long. Nonverbal children are taught to sign certain basic needs, wants, and objects. If the child is verbal or partially verbal, the teachers require the child to (as best as they can at the time) form the most complete sentences possible when requesting something or running through their individualized programs. For example, one child may want a teacher to push them in the swing. Their first reaction may be to gesture towards the swing or cry. This is not an acceptable way of requesting. The teacher will ask, "What do you want?" The child must first either sign or speak, "I want push, please!" the best way that they can. Teachers also teach communication skills and social skills by requiring eye contact and prompting speaking in any way possible. Autistic children also benefit socially from being around typical children in the classroom from a young age.
Another interesting technique used at the Little Tree for behavior management is what they refer to as the WASSD (wait, ask, say, show, do) checklist. The first step of directing a child to a task is stating the task. (i.e., "It's time to wash your hands.") You then WAIT for the correct behavior for 3 seconds. If the child complies, praise them. If the child does not comply ASK, "What do you need to do?" Again, if the child complies, praise them. If the child still has not completed the task the next step is to SAY, "You need to wash you hands." If the child does not comply, SHOW the child what to do by modeling or gesturing with no verbal prompts. As with the previous steps, if the child then completes the task, praise them. If the child still has not complied, DO by providing gentle assistance in helping the child perform the task with no verbal prompts. After this is done, praise the child for completing the task. The word "no" is never used at the Little Tree when directing a child. I found that this checklist provides each student an opportunity for decision making, independence, and for those who may not process information quickly, time to understand the task given. Teachers do not use this behavior plan for all children, however. WASSD is the first approach. If certain behaviors do not improve after an extensive trial with this plan, that child's case manager will form a different proceeder to try. This also leads me to another great point about special education that I learned from the Little Tree. Record EVERYTHING! It is especially important to record negative behaviors such as head banging or screaming each time it happens. With so many very different children in one classroom, it is hard for the teacher to know whether or not they are making progress with a certain child without recording everything. This is also a good way to have concrete evidence legally of all techniques and proceeders attempted in case of a legal issue that may occur.
In all, the Little Tree taught me more then I could have ever learned from a book or lecture. It was a very eye opening experience and I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit there again for my student teaching or practicum. I will talk more on what I learned from the Little Tree in latter posts. To learn more about the Little Tree, please visit: The Learning Tree Website.
Blogging-An important tool I learned in my EDM 310 class this semester
Blogging is becoming increasingly popular in all areas of education. It is used as a networking tool for students, teachers and parents to communicate with one another and the world. Many teachers use blogging as a way to update parents and students on lessons and activities in the classroom and as a way to communicate with other teachers around the world involving topics and projects that may be useful to them in their own classrooms. Students use the tool for staying updated in their lessons and projects, and as a way to portray what they have learned to other students and teachers, and their parents who may view their blog. Education is no longer limited to the classroom and local community! As Dr. Strange calls it in my EDM310 class, we are now involved in we can imagine as class space, not classrooms!
I just started following a couple of blogs dedicated to early childhood education, and look forward to learning how other teachers manage and educate their students. Some of these blogs also include updates in research done on early childhood special education, specific teaching strategies being used, and what changes are taking place with the government involving early childhood education services. I hope that my blog can be helpful to other perspective and current teachers in the future. These blogs are giving me a greater understanding of how blogging can be used and creative ways to utilize my own.
A few helpful blogs I have found include: Reginald Williams blog, edweek blog, and The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion blog. Feel free to explore these blogs and comment on them!
I just started following a couple of blogs dedicated to early childhood education, and look forward to learning how other teachers manage and educate their students. Some of these blogs also include updates in research done on early childhood special education, specific teaching strategies being used, and what changes are taking place with the government involving early childhood education services. I hope that my blog can be helpful to other perspective and current teachers in the future. These blogs are giving me a greater understanding of how blogging can be used and creative ways to utilize my own.
A few helpful blogs I have found include: Reginald Williams blog, edweek blog, and The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion blog. Feel free to explore these blogs and comment on them!
My background and experience with the special needs population
Camp SMILE is a summer camp for the mentally and physically disabled children and adults. It is here that I knew that special education was my passion and purpose. I have volunteered as a counselor here for 6 consecutive years, and plan on returning this summer. At Camp SMILE, campers participate in outdoor activities and sports, swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, cooking activities, and for the first time this summer there will be a handicap accessible ropes course available. All activities accommodate to each campers abilities and needs. As for the counselors, each volunteer is expected to complete a CPR course and attend a counselor training period before campers arrive. Each counselor is assigned one or two campers, and their safety and experience is the counselor's responsibility. Camp SMILE is the most special place in the world to me because here I realized an innate sameness in all individuals....everyone needs love and attention, and EVERYONE can learn.
For those interested in learning more about Camp SMILE, visit: Campsmilemobile.
Another job that I feel I really learned from was my job as a personal care assistant for a young man with multiple disabilities for nearly seven months. My responsibilities included bathing and clothing him, transporting him to school in the mornings, conducting his exercises with him, feeding, reading and other educational activities and games, taking him on field trips, and moving him from one place to another (i.e. his bath chair, wheelchair, the couch for changing, the floor for his range and motion exercises, his bed, and sometimes in and out of a pool). As you can probably tell, he was quadriplegic. This was caused by extensive brain damage induced by a lack of oxygen from a drowning accident when he was two years old. He was also nonverbal and required a feeding tube. I learned from this experience proper positioning for those that are wheelchair bound, certain techniques used by physical therapist for those with tight muscles and limited range of motion, and about brain damage as a disability. The most important thing I learned from this job was that I can work hard! By challenging my body (he wasn't a small guy!), trying new ways to engage and educate people with disabilities, and working at odd times of the day, I know that I can handle physical and mental challenges.
These experiences along with an incomplete education in Special Education have inspired and encouraged me in my choice of becoming an early-childhood special educator. I look forward to completing my bachelor's degree in the next two years and continuing my education and acquiring a master's degree while beginning my career as a teacher. I am confident that my past experiences will prove to very helpful in the future.
For those interested in learning more about Camp SMILE, visit: Campsmilemobile.
Another job that I feel I really learned from was my job as a personal care assistant for a young man with multiple disabilities for nearly seven months. My responsibilities included bathing and clothing him, transporting him to school in the mornings, conducting his exercises with him, feeding, reading and other educational activities and games, taking him on field trips, and moving him from one place to another (i.e. his bath chair, wheelchair, the couch for changing, the floor for his range and motion exercises, his bed, and sometimes in and out of a pool). As you can probably tell, he was quadriplegic. This was caused by extensive brain damage induced by a lack of oxygen from a drowning accident when he was two years old. He was also nonverbal and required a feeding tube. I learned from this experience proper positioning for those that are wheelchair bound, certain techniques used by physical therapist for those with tight muscles and limited range of motion, and about brain damage as a disability. The most important thing I learned from this job was that I can work hard! By challenging my body (he wasn't a small guy!), trying new ways to engage and educate people with disabilities, and working at odd times of the day, I know that I can handle physical and mental challenges.
These experiences along with an incomplete education in Special Education have inspired and encouraged me in my choice of becoming an early-childhood special educator. I look forward to completing my bachelor's degree in the next two years and continuing my education and acquiring a master's degree while beginning my career as a teacher. I am confident that my past experiences will prove to very helpful in the future.
Monday, February 16, 2009
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