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While creating the artifacts I wanted to find a way to make a least some of them interactive. Because the first artifact was fairly simple to demonstrate I created a simple graphic using the information presented on Understood.Org(Lee, A M.) Using this graphic, it is easy to see and reference the thirteen disabilities, however now that I have at least a decent grasp of the concepts covered in this course I wanted to use the second artifact as something I and others could study from. Looking back on the beginning of the semester it’s interesting to see how I have gone from baseline knowledge to a better understanding of teaching students with disabilities.

The website Quizlet not only allows you to make your own flashcards, but also to engage in different learning games with them. The different modes allow for a certain amount of individualization for the student to better help them learn. These modes vary from Learn which gives you the definition and asks you to name the disability, traditional flashcards, Write which gives the student a fill in the blank answer, Spell which has the added benefit of having the computer read aloud to the student, and Test which mixes all the modes. Using this website, I think, at least in some ways makes using this artifact more inclusive for students.

The third artifact deals with legislation and while all of the laws leading to the Individuals With Disability Act(IDEA) are important, as a class we seemed to focus on the IDEA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and No Child Left Behind. Because of this, I focused on those in the brief synopsis I typed and also created a timeline highlighting important points from the three for easy reference. I personally think when teaching the history of special education it helps to begin with these three and then go further in depth with the other legislation that helped make education as inclusive as it is today.

With the IEP I found I learned it best when I paraphrased the steps of the IEP process along with other Special Education steps. I think, as a beginner myself who is still learning about the process, it helps to have someone break it down in simpler terms than many of our texts did. Aside from that, I also included a video What is an IEP?(The National Center for Learning Disabilities) which gives a more thorough explanation from a trained professional.

The fifth artifact related to positive behavior and supports is something that I really became interested in over the semester. I reminded of the quote at the bottom of the artifact from The Catcher in the Rye because this competency really stresses how educators make a very real and lasting change in student's lives. Educators can help students realize how much they can do and guide them towards being successful, but only if they manage their classrooms well and understand how to best work for the students.

The final artifact, related to co-teaching I chose to do simply as audio with the script presented as well. I had used video and images, and although the video includes audio, I wanted to touch all the bases. One thing I learned throughout the class and especially from the presentations is how helpful having a script to reference can be.

Looking at this holistically, I think it’s a useful tool and portfolio not only for myself, but also for anyone who is beginning to educate themselves on special education. It’s easy to look at something as large as the topics we covered in class over a semester and not know where to begin, but these artifacts give some information and allow for exploration in more than one way and often with more than one sense. As a first semester graduate student I sometimes get the picture of traditional lecture classes in my head which I think is what the first artifact about categories portrays, but as you progress you notice there’s so many more ways to convey and communicate ideas. It’s important to allow students the modifications and accommodations they need such as a video that teaches or desks with tennis balls on their feet to avoid loud noises. Simplified aids to texts such as timelines can help reinforce important information as well as interactive study aides like flashcards. Educators need to be cognizant of what their students require, which the IEP should inform them of, but they also need to be up to date on current special education methods and actively seek to make their classrooms as inclusive as possible for all students.

Lee, A. M. (n.d.). The 13 Conditions Covered Under IDEA. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/conditions-covered-under-idea

(The National Center for Learning Disabilities). 2012, 8/30). What is an IEP?

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2XlAWcMAUk

Anagha Wankhede. (16/07/2016). Insightful Quotes (Infograph) Retrieved from https://reacho.in/discover/10-insightful-quotes-from-the-catcher-in-the-rye-thatll-make-you-want-to-devour-the-book-rightaway

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Lee, A. M. (n.d.). The 13 Conditions Covered Under IDEA. Retrieved December 07, 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/conditions-covered-under-idea

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Identification and Remidation (Artifact 2)

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Identification and Remidation (Artifact 2)

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Using the link below I have created flashcards for identification and remediation of the 13 categories of disabilities under the IDEA

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Identification and Remediation Flashcards | Quizlet

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Start studying Identification and Remediation. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

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The Individuals with Disabilities Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Response to Intervention (Artifact 3)

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The Individuals with Disabilities Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Response to Intervention (Artifact 3)

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Response to Intervention is a tiered approach to identifying and supporting students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. RTI uses universal screening in general education by identifying struggling learners and providing them with interventions. These interventions may be provided by general educators, special educators, and specialists. Progress is monitored and assessed by the student’s response to these interventions.

In Tier One all students receive instruction. Periodically, all students are screened to help identify students who are at risk. These students then receive supplemental instruction in the general education classroom. Students who do not show adequate progress move on to Tier Two.

Tier Two students are introduced to increasing intense instruction. These interventions are presented in small group settings as well as in the general education setting. Students who continue to show no progress in this setting are moved to Tier Three.

At Tier Three students receive individualized instruction. This instruction targets the student’s deficit skills. If students still show no progress they are then referred for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Act.

The IDEA was signed into law originally by President Ford in 1975. This law made free and appropriate education available to all students and ensures these students have special needs services. The IDEA also ensures a Free and Appropriate Education(FAPE) and an education in the Least Restrictive Environment(LRE).

The Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) is another law which states that employers may not discriminate against employees with disabilities. Employers must also provide accommodations for the employee. Additionally, the ADA requires public buildings to make accommodations for those with disabilities such as physical barriers being removed and buses being accessible.

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Individualized Education Plan

An Individualized Education Plan(IEP) is a document created so that educators can follow and deliver a student’s educational needs. The IEP is created for students between ages and three and twenty-one.

There are 7 steps to to identifying and referring a student. As in RTI the first step is Pre-referral.

Pre-referral, Referral, Identification, & Eligibility

During Pre-referral parental consent is obtained and then there are a series of interventions that happen which aim to document student difficulties, test accommodations and modifications, and monitor student progress. These are used to screen students and check that changes in behavior and emotions can be solved in the general classroom before referring the student for special education. Educators should consult with specialists during this time to modify and accommodate their practices for the student. If none of this is successful the student is then referred.

Once this happens steps will be taken to determine whether the student has a disability. Many things are taken into account for this such as relationships, performance in school, and home life. These are monitored to collect data. This data is then used by a multidisciplinary team to decide the student’s needs.

Assessment is important. Here, it is determined whether a student has a disability, if they require special education, and what services the student needs. A team of specialists evaluates the student using many different data sources including interpersonal relationships, school assessments, and less formal assessments. Here, one result can be that the student does not have a disability. If it is determined that the student does have a disability the data found here is used to determine what services are needed and individualize it for the student. This ensures the student will receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

Development and Implementation

At this stage, the parent and the IEP team use the data collected to determine services the student needs. This includes resources that will help the student access the general education classroom. The IEP works like a road map for the the educational goals of the student. These goals should reflect greater success in the curriculum or preparation for the student’s later life. Once developed, the student’s IEP is implemented. This states exactly what is appropriate for the student, the accommodations the student will receive. If a student is not within the general education curriculum the IEP also states alternative assessment procedures. If major changes to the student’s goals are made the IEP should be modified and the parents must be notified in writing.

Evaluation

In most states, student’s IEPs are reviewed annually. The purpose of these reviews are to ensure the student is meeting their goals. Accountability is used to measure the student’s success. Because of this educators are very careful to describe the skills the students need to learn.

(The National Center for Learning Disabilities). 2012, 8/30). What is an IEP?

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2XlAWcMAUk

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National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)

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PBIS(Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a system that aims to prevent unwanted behaviors. It is used as framework to analyze behavior and organize integrated interventions. It is not part of the curriculum. It's a way for educators to organize evidence based practices. Effective classroom management has been shown to lead to better learning for students and less stress for the educator. PBIS is related to RTI(Response to Intervention) and also takes a tiered approach. They both use Universal Screening, Progress Monitoring, Data-based decision making, Fidelity, and Evidence based interventions. It is important to intervene early, and know that you can teach all children proper behavior.

PBIS will be implemented in my future classrooms starting with open discussion and the creation of a classroom constitution. Unlike the traditional approach, educators cannot force children to learn behaviors. They can only create a space where students are more likely to learn behaviors. As the educator I want to make sure my students understand the core principles of the classroom and, to be the most transparent, I think it's best to create the core principles of behavior with the students so they cannot claim the rules are unfair. Rules should be clear and concise. Because PBIS is geared towards preventing unwanted behaviors, progress monitoring is important. The first step is identifying the skills that will be assessed. Next, the educator must analyze the data that was collected for at least 6 weeks. Educators can use this information to see how students are responding, choose interventions, and then try a different intervention. If another intervention does not work students can receive more focused interventions from tier 2.

After making sure the students understand the behaviors, finding multiple ways to model the wanted behaviors is important. On the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions site I found a link to an article on the US Department of Education's page calling for an end to corporeal punishment in schools. In the article the quote:

"While some may argue that corporeal punishment is a tradition in some school communities, society has evolved and past practice alone is no justification."

It's been shown to increase aggressive and defiant behaviors. Literally the opposite of its intended outcome. This reminded me of the atmosphere Lori Sinclair created in her classroom in Caring and Control Create a Safe, Positive Class. Instead of punishment, Lori focuses on the positives and creating a dialogue with her students. She states that she doesn't want the students to feel afraid to come to school or like they're the troublemaker. It's interesting to note that through conversations with her students she notices things like the student with the confused face wasn't actually confused but instead was just imitating their pet's face. Having the students rate how they feel in the morning, and how they believe their comprehension is doing is also something I would like to implement in my classroom. It's a good way to provide quick feedback, and shore up weaknesses. This can also be used to create collaborative learning by having the students who have a good understanding work with the others. Sinclair's class contract was similar to my idea to create a classroom constitution with my class and demonstrates the strength of a classroom that's centered around positive learning experiences.

Anagha Wankhede. (16/07/2016). Insightful Quotes (Infograph) Retrieved from https://reacho.in/discover/10-insightful-quotes-from-the-catcher-in-the-rye-thatll-make-you-want-to-devour-the-book-rightaway

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Collaboration within the classroom between educators is key to them serving better in the classroom. There are six co-teaching models

1. One Teach/One Observe

2. Team Teaching

3. Alternative Teaching

4. Parallel Teaching

5. Station Teaching

6. One Teach-One Assists/Drifts

In One Teach/One Observe, as the name suggests, one teacher leads and the other collects data from the classroom. Here, the observing teacher can collect data for the IEP or check to make sure students have appropriately understood the material before moving on to the next topic. This model uses less co-planning time and is often used in secondary school. The observing teacher can also support positive behaviors while the students work.

In Team Teaching both educators share the job of planning, delivering, instructions, and assessment. Co-teachers should plan sections of the lesson that each will teach to be better prepared. They should be prepared to jump in to clarify concepts and pose questions.

Parallel Teaching involves splitting the students into two groups each taught by one teacher. The groups cover the same content but because there are fewer students per teacher the students have more opportunities. These groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous and it’s important to recognize each group’s goals and allow for movement between them. Groups that are heterogeneous can be split in many different ways such as students who need remedial help and students who need more complex work.

Station Teaching is a model which is also sometimes known as Centers. It is often used in Primary Education but can be used at all education levels. In this model, the educator teaches smaller groupings of students different content. As with Parallel teaching, the groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous.

One Teach/One Drifts is often used as a support role. In this model one educator teaches while the other floats. The floater can be used to distribute supplies, check for understanding, and aid the students.