# data[].attributes.body
I really enjoyed taking this class because I learned that every student brings their own unique strengths and abilities into the classroom. I will carry with me is that being a good teacher is not about expecting every student to learn the same way, but about meeting each child where they are and helping them grow from there. I also learned to appreciate how important inclusion and having a strong relationship with families, and individualized support are in helping every student feel successful. More than anything, this course has strengthened my passion for becoming a teacher who creates a classroom where every child feels seen, valued, safe, and capable. I hope to be the kind of teacher who helps students believe in themselves and reminds them that they belong, no matter their abilities or differences.

# data[].attributes.body
As I finish this class , I can say that I am truly thankful for the amount of communication and shared growth that the students and especially that the teacher brought throughout this course!! First of all, as we reflect on everything that we learned, from establishing foundational concepts about special education and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in the early modules to jumping straight into practical strategies for students with disabilities, ADHD, and differentiation, I’ve gained a much clearer understanding of what classroom equity really means. Also adding to this, our discussions on supporting reading, writing, mathematics and effective communication brought so much information to me and with all of the all of the different perspectives and encouragement that we all worked together to complete, I feel like it brought forth a great learning community. I’m leaving this semester not only with practical tools to support all learners in general education settings but also with multiple connections. As we all finish this class, I wish everyone the very best as we carry these lessons into our future classrooms and I am so excited to become a teacher!!

# data[].attributes.body
Hi everyone! One of my biggest takeaways from this semester was realizing that engaging lessons and learning can go hand in hand. Designing and teaching my Back to the Future: The Ride lesson reminded me how memorable learning can be when students are fully immersed in the experience. I also enjoyed hearing everyone's different ideas throughout the semester and wish everyone the best as we continue growing as educators!

# data[].attributes.body
Looking back at my time in this class I can say I really appreciate it. I love how much of an learning experience all of this was for me. When thinking about specfic moments from this short semester i think about the posts and discussions we had in the class and seeing other peoples perspectives and witnessing how we are all growing and learning. It bring a smile to my face because we will be able to implement theae ideas into our future classrooms so sharing space with these individuals has been great. Finally I enjoyed the intentionality behind having to create the DLP and having to focus on students different needs. This class was just eye opening and helped me not only grow as a future educatir but as a human. I hope all of you guys go on to great things. Farewell-Jakeisha Gilmer

# data[].attributes.body
As this semester comes to an end, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in this class and especially to Dr. Perlstein!!

I genuinely felt supported from beginning to end. Dr. Perlstein was such a HUGE part of that. You can tell she truly cares about her students and wants us to succeed, not just in this class but as future teachers. Seeing how much she invests in her students is something I really admire, and it's the kind of teacher I hope to be for my own students one day. Creating the differentiated lesson plan was probably the assignment that taught me the most. It really opened my eyes to how much thought goes into making lessons that are engaging and accessible for every student. It's my job to plan with those differences in mind instead of expecting everyone to fit into one lesson. I also loved all of our discussions throughout the semester. Learning about ADHD, autism, communication disorders, and the different ways students learn helped me realize how important it is to see the student before the disability. Those conversations gave me so many practical ideas that I know I'll carry into my own classroom someday. This class made me a more thoughtful future teacher!

Thank you all for a great semester! It was an honor to grow with y'all! I wish everyone the best ever! - Citlali Aguilar-Franco

# data[].attributes.body
As this summer semester closes i want to reflect on how much this class has taught me. Outside of the academic content i enjoyed listening to my peers and seeing their perspective on specific ideas, policies, and topics. I really enjoy open-ended questions because I'm a yapper. In terms of the content in the class, my favorite chapter was the different levels of disabilities and autism and how they are classified, as well as the support that needs to be given. This gave me a deeper appreciation for special education teachers and teams. Although I want to teach general education, I could have students with undiagnosed learning disabilities, and navigating that can be difficult. I have taken an abundance og notes for the future as I move through my teacher journey to make sure I'm prepared. I feel like I've moved a step up after consuming the content in this class. While working on the DLP, another thing that stuck out to me was how much detail I had to pay attention to. This showed me that differentiation should be intentional while still effective and engaging. I couldn't be more proud of myself, and everyone else who has completed this course and found a new fulfillment.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi everyone! I wanted to start this farewell off with a big THANK YOU! Thank you to all of my peers and to YOU Dr. Perlstein. I have felt more supported in this class than any other course I have taken. Dr. Perlstein means it when she says to reach out anytime and is so helpful and understanding. This course was very interesting but because it was a sumemr class, pretty fast pace and rigorous. The support I received made it SO much easier to simply learn... instead of power through assignments just to get them done. The class culture was amazing and I loved getting to learn along side you all. I will take so many things with me from this course into my future years of teaching! Overall though this course made me realize how I need to differentiate my lessons and make my classroom an inclusive space where ALL students can thrive. Through all the discussions, specifically thinking of the ADHD and Communication Disorders discussions, I learned how I can make my classroom and teaching more effective.

Again, thank you guys for an awesome semester and best of wishes on your future endeavors - Morgan Lee

# data[].attributes.body
As this class comes to an end, I just want to say thank you for such a great semester. One thing that will always stick with me is how supportive and welcoming our class community was. It was nice learning from everyone's experiences and seeing different perspectives throughout our discussions.

I also want to thank you for being such an amazing teacher. You were always so mindful, understanding, and flexible with me whenever something came up, and I truly appreciated that more than you know. Your kindness and willingness to work with your students made a huge difference and created a positive learning environment.

Finally, this course reminded me how important collaboration, communication, and building relationships are as future educators. I am leaving this class with new knowledge, greater confidence, and lessons that I know I will carry with me into my own classroom someday. Thank you for everything, and I wish you all the best!

Best Regards,

Brianna Mersan🩷

# data[].attributes.body
As I reflect on this semester, three things stand out the most to me. First, I gained a deeper understanding of how important it is to provide accommodations and differentiated instruction so that all students can access learning and be successful. Second, our discussions helped me recognize the value of collaboration among teachers, families, and support staff in meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities. Finally, I appreciated learning practical strategies that I can apply in my own classroom to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.

I am grateful for the knowledge, resources, and encouragement shared throughout this course. A HUGE Thank you to Dr. Perlstein for your thoughtful contributions and support. Best wishes to all of you as you continue your educational journeys and make a positive difference in the lives of your students!

Monica Henson O'Neil

# data[].attributes.body
I loved taking this summer class and have learned so much! One of the topics that really stuck out to me was lesson planning for different student needs. I liked how we got to lesson plan for students with different learning needs such as ADHD, visual impairments, dyslexia, etc. I think this is a much needed skill when learning to become an educator. The other lesson that stuck out to me was from the very first week. We learned that we have to be mindful and careful about how we address out students. For example, instead of saying "the blind kid" you would say "the kid who has blindness." I think about that from time to time and it made me realize that even though they mean the same thing, there is a nicer way to say it! It was so nice to hear about everyones experiences and good luck on the rest of the semester!

# data[].attributes.body
This semester, I really enjoyed learning from everyone's different perspectives and experiences. The discussions helped me think about teaching in new ways and reminded me that there are many effective approaches to supporting students.

I also appreciated how supportive and encouraging our class community was throughout the semester. It made participating in discussions more enjoyable and helped create a positive learning environment. I wish everyone the best as we continue through the education program and in our future classrooms. Good luck, and thank you for a great semester! - Joemar Perez

# data[].attributes.body
Cory Stansberry

I really enjoyed my time during this course. I am glad I got to work with all of you. I liked reading the discussions post and seeing others' opinions. My favorite was historical deep dive. I can't believe there are so many cases that affected education. Many of them resulted in positive changes. I also liked learning about the many disabilities out there. I have a disability myself. This course open my eyes to my own disability. I even learned some new ones that I want to know more about. This course has better my understanding and help me grow as a teacher. I am glad we get to take this course. I wish everyone the best of luck.

# data[].attributes.body
Min Yang

1.      Collaboration & support

One of the things that stood out most this semester was how supportive our community was. Whether we were unpacking complex topics or sharing feedback, it always felt like a space where everyone genuinely wanted each other to succeed.

2.      Conversations that shifted my thinking

Our discussions – especially around inclusive practice and understanding learners’ needs – pushed me to think more critically and compassionately. These conversations will stay with me as I move forward.

3.      Growing together

I appreciate how much we learned not just from the content, but from each other. Seeing everyone’s perspective helped me grow more than I expected.

# data[].attributes.body
I really enjoyed this class and all the students I met. While I don't like listening to voice recordings of my own voice. I did enjoy listening to other students’ thoughts and opinions on the discussion post. This class really opened my eyes to disabilities I didn't even know about. And it opened my eyes to all the accommodation I can give not just to students with disabilities but students who are struggling. One thing I learned throughout the entire lesson of this class is that the accommodation that you give for students with disabilities can also help students that don't have disabilities. It makes you wonder how we can restructure education with the accommodations for students with disabilities. This class also made me reflect on my own disabilities and ease some of my anxiety. It was a great joy to work with all of you this semester. And I especially appreciate the professor working with me.

# data[].attributes.body
I really enjoyed this class and I really think it is important that we learning about creating a diverse learning environment. I also feel like this class was truly useful.

Best of luck to everyone,

Andrea Wright

# data[].attributes.body
The first things that stuck out to me in this class was finding out how common different learning disabilities and physical disabilities are. It was really eye opening to find out how many students have IEPs or qualify for special education. This really showed how important inclusive education is in every single classroom.

The second thing that sticks out to me is how much I've learned in such a short time. I go into a lot of summer classes expecting to be too overwhelmed with work to really learn anything, but being able to design a lesson plan with particular students in mind (even if they were virtual) really seemed to cement everything we have learned in my head.

Good luck in the fall, everyone!

Brooke Lynn Hicks

# data[].attributes.body
Something that stuck out to me the most while taking this course this summer has been doing the discussions on voice threads instead of typing them out in the discussion board. I enjoyed the voice threads because I felt like I was able to connect and communicate with my classmates better. The last thing that stuck out to me was teaching the Differentiated Lesson Plan in the Avatar Lab, this stuck out to me because I was able to teach my lesson while still getting to experience being in a "classroom" with out actually being in the classroom. I felt like it was a great tool to use especially if someone is new to the program and still figuring out their teaching style. Good luck to everyone! Natalie Stelljes

# data[].attributes.body
INED 3304 Summer Final Farewell: An important aspect to all social activity beyond getting to know each other, is saying farewell. Throughout this semester, you have had an opportunity to work closely with colleagues, engage in discussion on various topics, and learn and support each other throughout the semester. Using Padlet, think back on our back on our community and share 2-3 thoughts that stick out the most for you.

I hope that you all feel a sense of accomplishment in this very condensed summer course. It was a lot of information but it is all so vitally important.

I wish you all luck in your next endeavors as teachers!

Best Regards.

-Dr. Thompson

# data[].attributes.body
One thing that stood out to me this semester was how open and supportive everyone was in discussions. Even though this was an online/accelerated course, I felt a real sense of community as we shared our perspectives and learned from each other’s diverse experiences. I really appreciated how much emphasis this course placed on inclusive practices and culturally responsive teaching. It helped me reflect deeply on my own biases and think about how I can create a more welcoming environment for all students.

Finally, I’m grateful for the encouragement we all gave each other through the assignments and discussions. It was inspiring to see everyone so committed to improving their practice and making a difference for students. Thank you all for being such a thoughtful, kind group to learn with! Best wishes to everyone as you move forward in your teaching journey!

# data[].attributes.body
I would say the first Wow moment that really sticks oout to me when sharing in the community was when we were discussing ASD and everyone was referencing so many different movies and shows about autism and asberger syndrome and how the world saw people. I also loved how everyone loving agreed that most people no longer treat those in that way.

The second Wow moment I loved was all the variety of introductions, I loved getting to know each and one of my fellow classmates whether you posted pictures or not. You all seem like wonderful people and I hope you all do well in the finishing of your journey.

You got this

Amy Woolbert

# data[].attributes.body
As we close out this semester, I’m truly grateful for the supportive and engaging community we’ve built together. One moment that stands out is the depth of our class discussions especially when it came to ASD. It was nice to hear all of the personal stories that connected to the course topics and hearing everyone's insights. It made the learning experience feel more real and meaningful. Another highlight for me was the consistent encouragement and feedback we gave each other. Whether it was through replies on discussion boards or just emails it felt like we were all genuinely invested in each other's growth. I’ll carry that sense of collaboration and mutual respect with me moving forward. Lastly, one thing that stood out to me was learning about everyone through the introductions! Although we aren't in a in person setting, it felt like we all had something in common and allowed us to bond throughout the semester. Thank you guys for an amazing summer semester and I wish nothing but the best for everyone's future teaching career. We got this!