SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 1 Discussion
DQ1 In what ways can knowledge of diversity, or the lack thereof, affect your role as an educator? Specifically address diversity as a part of families, cultures, and school.
DQ2 Do you feel there are any students with disabilities who would not be successful in an inclusive classroom? Why or why not?
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 2 Discussion
DQ1 Describe and defend a strategy that positively enhances the relationships between all students within an inclusive classroom.
DQ2 Why is it important, as an educator, to pay attention to the major milestones of development? Explain.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 According to GCU’s Statement on the Integration of Faith and Work, “we are assured that our work within the world matters to God and our neighbors, and that we honor God by serving others in ways that promote human flourishing.” Select a verse or quote that exemplifies your desire to become an educator. Explain how this quote applies to you and your journey towards being a teacher.
DQ2 How is an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) different from an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)? Why are they different?
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 Which stakeholders can identify academic or behavioral concerns? Why?
DQ2 What information can be shared with stakeholders outside of the IEP team regarding a student’s needs?
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 Which of the teacher dispositions relates to the concept of fairness? How do you plan to display fairness in the classroom? Provide two concrete examples in the grade level you would like to teach.
DQ2 How do you plan to encourage your future students to be inclusive of all their classmates? Select a grade level and describe a strategy or activity that promotes learning and well-being of others in the classroom. Why do you believe this strategy would be a success?
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 6 Discussion
DQ1 How does Universal Design for Learning (UDL) promote better teaching practices for all educators?
DQ2 How are the goals for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the Common Core or other state standards aligned to each other? Explain.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 1 Assignment
IDEA Disability Category Comparison
Special education teachers are part of the assessment team that determines eligibility for special education services. There are 14 major eligibility categories defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Special educators must have general knowledge of the guidelines for eligibility, the characteristics, causes, and effects on learning, and how often the disabilities occur within a defined population in order to contribute to team collaboration and consult articulately with staff and parents.
Use the “IDEA Disability Category Comparison Template” to outline information for the categories of disability under IDEA. The first category, Autism, is completed for you.
APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 2 Assignment
Developmental Milestones
Special education teachers often consult and train staff members. Consideration of typical development and achievement of developmental milestones can help staff determine if a student may need a referral for a special education evaluation. This information is often used to select assessments and the effects of a possible disability. When teachers understand the effect of a disability on learning, they are able to prepare the classroom environment and use selected strategies to support students with disabilities.
Use the "Developmental Milestones In-service" to create a 15-20 slide professional development digital presentation for staff members, which outlines the typical cognitive, linguistic, physical, social, and emotional developmental milestones of children pre-K to Grade 3.
Within your presentation, describe what developmental milestones are and why they are important. Include examples of how these milestones may present differently for students without and for students with the six types of disability categories. Include at least one academic strategy and one environmental strategy (how you would change the classroom environment) for each disability.
Include a title slide, reference slide, and presenter’s notes.
A minimum of 3-5 scholarly sources are required.
While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 3 Assignment
Early Intervention Strategies Digital Brochure
One priority for early intervention services is communication and support to families. Families are a young child’s first teacher and lifelong advocates. Parents of young children with a disability may have never had to advocate for services and are often new to navigating the system of supports in public school and other agency settings. Collaboration with parents of young children often involves informing parents of their roles, defining the role of the school, and helping parents understand and navigate the state agency supports available for young children.
Create a 250-500 word digital brochure for families of children in preschool-kindergarten that describes services and supports for individuals with disabilities. Choose one specific disability category from IDEA to complete your brochure.
Describe the following in your digital brochure, keeping in mind your chosen disability category:
Role of the family in accessing early intervention services.
Role of the state in providing early intervention services.
Role of service providers in providing early intervention programs in public schools.
Three early intervention strategies families can implement at home to promote communication skills, social skills, and literacy skills in their children affected by the chosen disability.
One local organization that families could contact to learn more about the disability and community services that might be available.
The brochure should be respectful and appropriate in tone and word choice for the family audience. Support your findings with 2-3 scholarly resources.
While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success enter.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 3 Assignment
Field Experience A: School Psychologist and Administrator Interviews
School psychologists play a critical role in evaluation and determination of eligibility for special education services. They often consult with teachers and families about characteristics of disabilities and types of services and supports available in the school system and community.
This is a Block 1 Field Experience. In this block, your field experience must be completed before or after school, or other designated time when students are not present.
You will interview a school psychologist and an administrator for the first field experience.
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Interview a school psychologist and an administrator, from any K-12 educational setting, about the following:
What is your role in special education?
What responsibilities do you have specific to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities?
Considering the students you have worked with, what disabilities have you encountered? Describe your experiences.
What are the developmental milestones associated with the disabilities you have worked with that teachers should pay attention to?
What is your role in the IEP process?
When should teachers consult with you regarding the needs of their students?
What is the role of the school in early intervention? How do you communicate that to the family, and how do you support the staff?
Additionally, ask the school psychologist the following:
What professional development opportunities related to special education do you feel would benefit staff in your school or district?
Ask the school administrator the following questions:
What are you doing for professional development in terms of implementing interventions before starting the special education process at your site?
In 500-750 words, identify the school setting, summarize, and reflect upon your interviews and explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 4 Assignment
Field Experience B: Special Education Teacher and General Education Teacher Interviews
The role of the special education professional is a collaborative role and requires a specific skill set and understanding of the laws and regulations that prescribe the procedures and processes to ensure a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities.
This is a Block 1 Field Experience. In this block, your field experience must be completed before or after school, or other designated times when students are not present.
You will interview a special education teacher and a general education teacher for this assignment to gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of these service providers in the school setting.
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Interview a certified special education teacher and a general education teacher from a K-12 setting about the following:
What is your role in the IEP process?
What steps need to be followed prior to an IEP being created for an individual with disabilities?
How do you involve parents in the special education process?
What support do you offer parents of individuals with disabilities?
How do you collaborate with the school psychologist and administration in the special education process?
What resources and training does the district provide teachers regarding special education?
How do you collect data for IEP progress monitoring?
Additionally, ask the special education teacher the following
How do you collaborate with general education teachers to meet the needs of your students?
Ask the general education teacher the following:
How do you collaborate with the special education teacher to meet the needs of your students?
In 500-750 words, identify the school setting, summarize, and reflect upon your interviews and explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 4 Assignment
Flowchart/Graphic Organizer of Special Education Process
The process and timelines required for referral, evaluation, eligibility determination, placement, development of the IEP, and implementation of services is prescribed by law and all members of the IEP team are responsible for understanding the process.
Obtain information and materials for families of individuals with disabilities. Based on the materials provided to the families, create a flowchart/graphic organizer depicting the special education process and laws followed within a school. The flowchart/graphic should depict the processes of referral, evaluation, determination of eligibility, placement, development and implementation of the IEP, progress monitoring, and the reevaluation process. Timelines and required parental should be included.
In addition to your completed flowchart or graphic organizer, write a 500-750 word parent-friendly letter about the special education process. In the letter, explain the roles of the school, the parents, and the students.
Support your flowchart/graphic organizer with a minimum of two resources.
While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 5 Assignment
Benchmark - Summative Examination
Part of a special educator’s responsibilities include understanding the characteristics of the major disability categories and how the characteristics affect typical development. When conducting observations and consulting with staff who work with students with disabilities, teachers must be able to articulate the differences in development and prescribe appropriate interventions. Understanding the effect of culture and language development must also be considered in meeting student needs.
Part 1: Short Answer Responses
Evaluate the following case studies and, in 100-250 words, classify the IDEA disability category for each student. Provide a rationale for your identification choice that takes into consideration each student's developmental milestones.
Tomas, Kindergarten
Tomas entered Mrs. Richards' kindergarten classroom at the beginning of the school year with great excitement! He showed great interest in learning and being in the classroom with other students. As the school year progressed, however, Tomas' excitement quickly turned into frustration. He struggled with recognizing the letters in his name, identifying different shapes, and consistently could not follow two-part instructions. He also was dramatically less able than his peers to focus on a task. His frustrations have led to impulsive actions. Mrs. Richards has called a meeting with his parents to address her concerns.
Harper, 3rd Grade
Harper attends Sunset Elementary School and is in a class with 25 other third graders. Harper loves her teacher Mrs. Hernandez and struggles when a substitute takes her place. She excels in math and tends to get bored when the other kids in her class struggle. Harper also loves reading about the weather, somewhat obsessively, and can share weather facts and details for hours. She enjoys going to school, but does struggle with the loud noises a school brings. In school assemblies, for instance, she becomes overly upset about the noise level and tends to rock back and forth to calm herself. She also does not like fire drills and has refused to leave the classroom because of the sound of the fire alarm. Instead, she will flop to the ground, kick, and cover her ears.
Austin, 5th Grade
Austin was 9 years old when he was hit by a car while riding his bike on the sidewalk. He broke his arm and leg and hit his head very hard. When he came home from the hospital he looked just fine, but he needed help. Now back at school, there are changes in Austin that are hard to understand. It takes Austin longer to do things, and he has trouble remembering. He cannot always find the words he wants to use. Math is hard for him now, but it was his strongest academic area before the accident.
Mary, 9th Grade
Mary and her mother recently moved to the school district from Mexico after divorcing her father, who still lives in Mexico. Mary and her mother now live with Mary’s uncle, his wife, and five kids. Mom is working two part-time jobs to make ends meet so they can eventually afford to move to an apartment nearby. Mom can speak and read English, but is often working during times when Mary is home from school. Mary speaks some English, but only reads and writes in Spanish. She is reading at the third grade level in Spanish and has difficulty writing paragraphs. Writing is limited to simple sentences. Mary likes mathematics and can complete simple algebraic expressions, and is close to grade level in geometry. She does struggle with word problems.
Part 2: Essay
Selecting one of the student scenarios above address the following prompts in a 750-1,000 word essay:
Explain how language, culture, and family background influence your student of choice.
Summarize the cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the student described within the scenario.
Identify three instructional approaches that respond to the needs of the student described within the scenario.
Explain why teachers need to be committed to respecting students’ individual strengths, interests, and needs to promote each student’s growth and potential.
Support your response with at least three scholarly resources.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Program competencies and national standards assessed in the benchmark assignment:
COE 1.1: Explain how language, culture, and family background influence the learning of individuals with disabilities. [CEC 1.1, ICSI.1.K4, ICSI.1.K5, ICSI.1.K6, ICSI.1.K7, ICSI.1.K12, ICSI.1.K13, ICSI.2.K8, ICSI.4.S6, ICSI.5.S6, ICSI.6.S6; InTASC 1(e), 2(d), 2(j), 2(k), 2(m); GCU Mission Critical 3,5]
COE 1.2: Use understanding of development and individual differences to respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities. [CEC 1.2, ICSI.1.K3, ICSI.1.K4, ICSI.1.K7, ICSI.1.K12, ICSI.1.K13, IGC.1.K4, IGC.1.S1; InTASC 1(a), 1(b), 1(d), 1(e), 1(f), 1(h), 1(j), 2(a), 2(b), 2(g), 2(h), 2(l); GCU Mission Critical 1, 2, 3, 5]
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 6 Assignment
Universal Design for Learning and Approaches Reflection
Many districts use Response to Intervention (RTI) programs and multi-tier system of support (MTSS) to establish programs that meet many different needs in one setting. Teachers must learn about evidenced-based practices to make decisions about instruction.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to guide evidence-based instructional delivery and practices. Data from tiered support systems such as RTI and MTSS help to steer the UDL framework.
After reading the Universal Design in Education tutorial, and conducting research on UDL, compose a 100-150 word short answer response to each of the following prompts:
Explain how applying UDL principles in the educational setting responds to the needs of all students, including students with disabilities. Describe the UDL guidelines of engagement, representation, action, and expression.
Describe three specific UDL instructional approaches or adaptations that teachers may utilize to enhance the success of students with and without disabilities.
Discuss, with specific examples, how UDL could influence instructional practice.
Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
SPD500 Survey of Special Education-Mild to Moderate Disabilities
Week 6 Assignment
F.A.T. City Video Analysis
Education professionals respond to meet the needs of students from a variety of backgrounds, varied experiences, with different abilities and needs. This video provides important insight into how to respond to meet the needs of students in the classroom and offers important advice to teachers and families.
After viewing the video “F.A.T. City: A Look Back, a Look Ahead—A Conversation about Special Education,” in a 500-750 word video analysis, discuss:
How Richard D. Lavoie defines and explains fairness.
What does he say about assumptions, and why does he discuss them?
What are three key concepts from the video that were especially meaningful to you? How will they affect your professional teaching practice?
Cite specific examples from the video in your analysis.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
