My epic padlet by Jennifer Demjen

IEP

jenniferdemjen — 2024-05-10 17:38:39 UTC

I am moving to Ontario and currently have a position on two school boards as an OT. Unfortunately, my knowledge about IEPs is very limited. In my previous places of work for the last 9 years they have not been created and implemented in the same way. I heard from peers that Spec Ed is a valuable place to start when inquiring about how IEPS are created and implemented. When looking ahead in this course I can see that we will study an IEP and learn more about them which I know is a topic I need to gain more knowledge about.

Personal Growth

jenniferdemjen — 2024-05-10 17:39:12 UTC

Personally, I want to intentionally keep learning and keep an open mind throughout my teaching career and within my personal life. I want to challenge myself to always inquire, research and never stop intentionally gaining new knowledge. I know that Spec Ed has so much to offer me inside and outside of my career life and that is one of the reasons why I chose to take it as an AQ and will likely take Part 2 as well.

Career Growth

jenniferdemjen — 2024-05-10 17:39:27 UTC

As I am currently an OT on two boards I have heard and seen that Spec Ed experience is very much needed in classrooms for various reasons and is an AQ that is very sought after by employers. I hope that completing this AQ will help my career growth as I will have research, readings, peer experience and input, alongside my own years of experience to make me a teacher that is deserving of a full time position.

Differentiation

jenniferdemjen — 2024-05-10 17:39:43 UTC

With the diverse learners we all have within 1 classroom, I think Spec Ed is a necessity for teachers to have. It has so much to offer about UDL, differentiation, collaboration, programming, assessing, and implementing all of the above is a lot of work and needs training. We gain a lot through our experiences and those years of experience are priceless, but there is so much to gain from professionals who have done the research and can help us help all of our students in meaningful ways that meet their individual needs.

jenniferdemjen — 2024-05-10 17:40:09 UTC

I have decided to separate my answer into a few categories. IEPs, career growth, differentiation and personal growth.