Research Wall: The Effects of Building-Based Interactive Professional Development on Inclusion Education by Catherine Hertzog

Research Questions

catherine_hertz — 2015-04-13 18:19:20 UTC

The central research question is: how can schools implement more effective PD for teaching differentiated instruction
in inclusive education learning environments?Three key questions drive this research:

1. How does site-based, teacher-led professional development affect general education
teachers’ effectiveness in inclusion classrooms?

2. How does individual experience impact inclusionary practices?

3. How do higher levels of interaction and engagement during PD affect teacher
responsiveness to inclusive practices?

Overview

catherine_hertz — 2015-04-13 18:36:40 UTC

I am going to research building-based interactive professional development, and I will explore its effects on special education accommodations provided by general education teachers.

Week 4 Comments from Peers

adrelick — 2015-04-20 22:25:40 UTC

Cathy, your topic is something I am very passionate about. As a special education teacher, I have witnessed the struggle to include my students with special needs into the general education class due to the reluctance of my colleagues. Training is key to a successful inclusive environment. I have a suggestion for your research questions. If you recall from 804, research questions should not have a yes/no answer. You can make this adjustment by changing "Do higher levels of interaction and engagement...increase ...buy-in?" to "To what extend does higher level of interaction....increase buy in?" I am looking forward to learning more about your topic. (Alicia)
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I love the topic. In these tight budget times more and more students are returning from alternate placements and general education teachers are finding themselves inexperienced in dealing with students with unique needs. I think great PD is so needed in our public schools. I felt that an area that you may have overlooked revolves around climate of the building and the track record for supplying good PD and how that effects future delivery and buy-in on PD. I know when we have chatted that our schools are similar in some ways and wonder if there is any literature supporting how climate affects the delivery or efficacy of PD. (Julie)
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Hi Catherine,

Can you clarify the term "building-based professional development?" Is that simply professional development that occurs within an organization that is planned by and executed by members of that organization?

At my school, we have different mentor programs around technology, but we are also encouraged to present at conferences. One other interesting thing that we do is have a student-driven technology team that helps teachers and students integrate technology into the classroom. Once teachers let down their guards and let the students help figure things out, the climate of experimentation is built.

I don't know if this post helps, but as I was reading your descriptions and the other peer posts, I was thinking about the student involvement in the general education class. Are students trained to help a teacher with a student with special needs, or are the adults the ones who have to solve the problems? (Matt)

Catherine E. Hertzog

catherine_hertz — 2015-04-21 17:45:34 UTC

Special Education Teacher
Ed. D. Candidate
Drexel University
Catherine.Hertzog@gmail.com

Concept Map (Update 2)

catherine_hertz — 2015-04-27 22:13:54 UTC

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0j7NXb0DVGK http://vocaroo.com/i/s1ULRTR47BCb

Literature Map

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 15:46:01 UTC

The organizational framework will begin with
an overview of inclusive practices, including the history and the relevant legislature. Next, the literature will review the role of general educators in inclusive environments, with specific focus on their dispositions toward inclusion and the legal obligations of teachers in such roles. Finally, the
literature review will focus on professional development for general education teachers in inclusion classrooms, identifying current trends and needs. These findings will be synthesized with research on effective professional development strategies to provide insight on preparing general educators to teach students with special needs.

Introduction

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 17:45:06 UTC

Students with disabilities are increasingly scheduled into mainstream classrooms; however, some general education teachers express feeling unprepared to teach diverse populations, despite being legally obligated to do so. When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) declared that students with disabilities would not only be educated in the general education environment, but also held to the same educational standards, the role of the general educator shifted. General education teachers are responsible for the success of students with disabilities, some students they may not have originally anticipated teaching, and it is necessary to prepare teachers for this charge.

Problem Statement

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 17:58:32 UTC

Years of research and advocacy efforts coupled with changes in
legislation have culminated in students with disabilities being educated in
general education classrooms; however, many general education teachers express
feeling unprepared to teach these students, resulting in individualized
education programs that are not being implemented with fidelity.

Significance of Study

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 18:08:50 UTC

When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) declared that students with disabilities would not only be educated in the general education environment, but also held to the same educational standards, the role of the general educator shifted, and general education teachers are now also responsible for the academic success of these students. However, professional development models have not shifted to address how general educators are to meet these goals. Effective teacher preparation is necessary to ensure that inclusionary models are implemented with fidelity.

Annotated Bibliography

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 18:11:51 UTC

Audio Reflection - Week 8

catherine_hertz — 2015-05-22 18:16:08 UTC

Week 8 Comments from Peers

adrelick — 2015-05-24 13:33:25 UTC

Cathy, I really like the way your are organizing your literature review. It is really going to helpful for you when you begin writing. I did not go into making as many formal subsections while organizing, however while writing, I broke my sources down into an outline and linked similar sources into paragraphs and determined some good "bridge" articles to use for transitions. I also see that you used some articles for foreign journals on Special education. I did as well but I was leery about this as law and public view vary so greatly. I would love to hear your thoughts of this. As for your voice reflection, you have come a long way as a writer. Our conversations have gotten much deeper and our feedback more critical. Thank you for all your support this quarter. Looking forward to seeing the final product. (Alicia)

Week 8 Comments

jmshaw70 — 2015-05-24 20:55:04 UTC

Cathy,

I too like the way you have organized your literature and think it will help when writing the final literature review. I also appreciated your strong reflections within your annotations, it gave me a sense of the arguments you will be making in your literature review. Again, along with your great organization within themes I like how even within annotations you connected authors and pieces of literature together. I appreciated the international articles and look to some of their models for future suggestions for change. I agree with Alicia, that the policy aspect of IDEA law is so stuck where it is that international viewpoints while interesting may not be helpful in the long run. I too still struggle with the 80/20 rule that you mention in your audio reflection. I feel that I have erred on the side of being too scholarly. I look forward to seeing this research continue to develop and so glad I am in your writing group. (Julie)

Week 8 Comments from Peers

mwn28 — 2015-05-26 02:04:40 UTC

Cathy,

I am very impressed with your organization. I like the streams of literature and then the subsections. I am going to reconsider my approach based on your

Concept Map (Update 1)

catherine_hertz — 2015-06-05 17:20:24 UTC