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N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y
TM
The Uni versity of Values
Field Experience
Special Education
A p r i l 2 0 0 8
Educational Specialist Program
Mild/Moderate Disabilities
Moderate/Severe Disabilities
HANDBOOKfor EXC602A
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Table of Contents
i. Identification Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Course Information1. Syllabus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Placement Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Professional Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4. Advisement Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5. Library Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6. Assignment Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Meeting One Units #1 and #2
Unit #1
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6. Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
7. Self-Regulation through Reflective Practice . . . . . 24
Unit #2
8. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
11. IDEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
14. Observation Form (SDC for M/M) . . . . . . . . . . 33-34
15. Interview Form (k-6, Special Ed Teacher). . . . . 35-36
16. Interview Form (RSP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37-38
12. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
13. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Meeting Two Units #3 and #4
Unit #3
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5. Codes of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45
6. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
7. Medication Dilemma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
8. Observation Form (SDC for M/S) . . . . . . . . . . . . 47-48
9. Interview Form (7-12, Special Ed Teacher). . . . . 49-50
Unit #4
10. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
11. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
12. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
13. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
14. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
15. Interview Form (Speech Therapist) . . . . . . . . . . 55-56
16. Interview Form (School Psychologist) . . . . . . . 57-58
Meeting Three Units #5 and #6
Unit #5
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
2. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
5. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
6. Case Study Charlie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
7. Observation Form (Vocational Program). . . . . . . 65-66
8. Observation Form (Playground/Recreation) . . . . 67-68
Unit #6
9. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
10. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
11. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
12. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
14. Interview Form (Parent). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-74
15. Chart (Specific Disabilities). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75-76
Meeting Four Units #7 and #8
Unit #7
1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
2. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
3. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
5. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
6. Composition (Becoming Culturally Responsible)
7. Discussion Response (Technology in Special Ed)
Unit #8
6. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
7. Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
8. Lecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
9. Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
10. Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8511. Coursework Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86-93
13. Philosophy of Education (Draft)
Verification of Course Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-95
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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
EXC602A
Field Experience: Special Education
Student: __________________________________
ID#: _____________________________________
E-mail: ______________________ Telephone ___________
Name of Instructor:_________________________________
Date Submitted: _____________
Student
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National UniversitySchool of Education
Department of Special Education
Handbook for EXC602AField Experience: Special Education
Course Syllabus
Revised December 2007
Required Text
Obiakor, Festus E. (2007).
Multicultural Special
Education, Culturally
Responsive Teaching.
Accardo, Pasquale J. andWhitman, Barbara Y. (2006).
Dictionary of Developmental
Disabilities Terminology.
Prerequisites
Candidates must be enrolled in
a program that leads to a
Preliminary Level 1 Education
Specialist Credential and/or aMasters degree in the field of
special education.
Course Description
EXC602A is an eight-week
course. The campus-based
course is presented in four 90
minute meetings. Three quarter-
units are earned upon
completion. The course is
graded satisfactory (S) or
unsatisfactory (U).
This course is a special
education field experience
course that introduces the
candidate to all types of
exceptionalities and service
delivery options. Candidates are
shown the importance of
becoming a reflectivepractitioner and a culturally
responsive teacher. There is an
emphasis on the role of the
special education teacher and
the role of the parents in the
education of special needs
students.
Course Objective
This is a field-based course that
will introduce the candidates to
the following:
All types of exceptionalities
and service delivery options
Becoming a reflective
practitioner and a culturally
responsive teacher.
The role of the parents of a
special needs students.
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course,
candidates will be able to:
Describe the basic skills
needed to be a reflective
practitioner and its
importance in educating
students with special needs.
Describe the basic skills
needed to be a culturally
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responsive teacher.
Demonstrate the skills needed to observe and
interview practicing, fully credentialed,
professionals in the field of special education.
Describe and discuss the education programs
and service delivery options available to allspecial education students.
Describe the consumer and professional
organizations, publications, and journals
relevant to the field.
Describe and discuss the major provisions of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA).
Describe and discuss legal, ethical, and
professional responsibilities of the special
education teacher.
Describe and discuss some basic strategiesthat special education teachers use to meet the
needs of students from various cultures.
Describe and discuss basic behavior
commonalties and differences of students
with disabilities.
Describe the basic current issues and trends in
the field of special education.
Describe what is required in the Level 1
Educational Specialists Portfolio.
Develop a draft of their personal philosophy
of education
Course Requirements
General Requirements
Candidates are expected to conduct themselves
in a responsible manner that reflects ethics,
honor, and good citizenship. They are also
expected to abide by the regulations of the
University. It is the candidates responsibility tomaintain academic honesty and integrity, and to
manifest their commitment to the mission of the
University through their conduct and behavior.
Online candidates are bound to the same
policies, rules, and regulations of the University.
(See National University catalog, Policies and
Procedures)
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing is
charged by law with evaluation of the moral
character and fitness of all persons who wish to
teach or perform certified services in the public
schools. Every person who is an applicant for,
or who now holds, any credential, certificate,permit, or license authorizing service in
California public schools is answerable to the
CTC and the Committee of Credentials for his
or her fitness related conduct. California Laws
and Rules Pertaining to the Discipline of
Professional Certificated Personnelis available
on the CTC website at www.ctc.ca.gov.
Candidates are expected to attend all four of the
required class meetings when enrolled in a
campus-based class. Online candidates areexpected to actively participate in all
discussions and activities as scheduled.
Candidates who submit work or take part in
activities after the due date are subject to loss of
points and possible grade reduction.
Specific Academic Requirements
1. Candidates are expected to conduct field
observations in the following four settings:
A Special Day Class (SDC) for students with
mild/moderate disabilities. The teacher of the
class must hold a clear special education
credential.
An SDC for students with moderate/severe
disabilities. The teacher of the class must hold
a clear special education credential.
A vocational program, career education class,
or student work site.
A playground, lunchroom, or recreationactivity.
Upon completion of the observations, the
candidate will complete and submit the specific
form provided for each field observation.
2. Candidates are expected to interview the
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following five practicing professionals with
clear credentials and one parent of a student
currently in special education:
An SDC teacher who is currently teaching at
the k-6 level An SDC teacher who is currently teaching at
the 7-12 level
A Resource Specialist (RSP) who is currently
working in a public school
A Speech and Language specialist.
A School Psychologist who is currently
working in a public school
A parent of a current special education student
Upon completion of the interviews the
candidate will complete and submit the
specific form for each interview.
3. Candidates will complete the Observation
Chart for Specific Disabilities. The chart is
provided as part of the course materials. It
requires candidates to describe all disabilities
that are eligible for special education services in
California. The information needed to complete
the chart can be gathered while completing the
coursework required for the class
Candidates will complete the EXC602A
Coursework Summary that is provided in the
Coursework materials. This summary will be
completed based on the knowledge gained while
completing the required coursework.
Candidates will participate in the discussion of
four specific topics. Online candidates should
post approximately 150-250 words. The post
should include the candidates ideas on the topic
as well as the candidates response to otherpostings. Campus-based candidates must
participate in class at the same level. Candidate
responses should extend the ideas of others and
go beyond simple agreement or disagreement.
Campus-based candidates should be prepared to
submit a response in writing.
Candidates will complete a composition titled
Becoming a Culturally Sensitive Practitioner
that addresses the step to becoming a culturally
sensitive teacher. The composition should be
based on the candidates thoughts as well as
knowledge gained from the required interviews,observations, and reading assignment. It should
be 2-4 pages in length, in APA style and should
be written thoughtfully and subjectively in first
person. Three references are required; one of
which can be a course text.
Candidates will develop a draft describing his or
her personal philosophy of education. The draft
will be 1-2 pages in length, written in the first
person and continually revised throughout the
duration of the course. A final copy of thephilosophy will be included in the Level I
Professional Portfolio that is submitted at the
end of the program in EXC603A. No references
are required.
Candidates will complete a vocabulary activity
for each unit in the course. The activity will
introduce candidates to the most common terms
used in special education.
Specific Advisement Requirements
All candidates enrolled in EXC602A must
complete the requirements for both academic
and credential advisement before a grade can be
posted for the class.
To complete the academic advisement the
candidate, both online and campus-based, must
schedule an appointment for advisement with
the lead faculty member at their home campus.Online candidates who are not in California or
Nevada are required to call the lead faculty
member at the Fresno Center for advisement.
To complete the credentials advisement, the
candidate must complete a credentials packet
provided by the credential analyst. Online
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candidates may request a packet from the online
advisor. (Barbie Hansen, [email protected], 858-
642-8396)
Specific Requirements for Online Classes
Candidates must have an e-mail address.
Candidates must take the online tutorial.
Candidates must have easy access to a
computer.
Candidates must fully realize that online
classes require as much, if not more time, as a
campus based class.
Candidates must agree to contact the help
desk, not the instructor, for technology
problems.
Grading
Candidates completing EXC602A receive a
grade of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U).
To receive a grade of satisfactory (S) candidates
must complete all assignments and earn a
minimum of 85 of the 100 points available.
Points Available for Each Assignment
Coursework summary. (25 points)
Interviews of professionals with clear special
education credentials. (18 points total, 3
points per interview)
Observations in special education classrooms
taught by a professional with a clear special
education credential. (12 points, 3 points per
observation)
Discussions (15 points, 5 points per
discussion) Observation chart for specific disabilities (10
points)
Draft of a philosophy of education (5 points)
Composition on becoming a Culturally
Sensitive Practitioner (15 points).
In addition to the graded assignments listed
above all candidates enrolled in EXC602A must
complete the library orientation at:
http://www.nu.edu/library , keyword ilibrary, faculty
advisement requirement, and a credential packet
prior to receiving a grade.
In specific situations the following is used:
I INCOMPLETE
A grade given at the discretion of the
instructor when a candidate who has
completed at least two-thirds of the course
class sessions and is unable to complete the
requirements of the course because of
uncontrollable and unforeseen
circumstances. The candidate must conveythese circumstances (preferably in writing)
to the instructor prior to the final day of the
course. If an instructor decides that an
Incomplete is warranted, the instructor
must convey the conditions for removal of
the Incomplete to the candidate in writing.
A copy must also be placed on file with the
Office of the Registrar until the
Incomplete is removed or the time limit
for removal has passed. An Incomplete is
not assigned when the only way the
candidate could make up the work would be
to attend a major portion of the class when
next offered.
An I that is not removed within the
stipulated time becomes a U. No grade
points are assigned. The U is calculated
in the grade point average.
W WITHDRAWAL
Signifies that a candidate enrolled in
EXC602A has withdrawn from a course
before beginning the third meeting of an
on campus class and before the sixth week
of an online class. Candidates who wish to
withdraw must notify their admissions
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advisor to discuss withdrawing from a class.
Instructors are not authorized to issue a
W grade.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone elses
ideas or work as ones own. Candidates must
give credit for any information that is not either
the result of original research or common
knowledge. If a candidate borrows ideas or
information from another author, he or she must
acknowledge the author in the body of the text
and on the reference page. Candidates found
plagiarizing are subject to the penalties outlined
in the Policies and Procedures section of the
University Catalog, which may include a failinggrade for the work in question or for the entire
course. The following is one of many websites
that provide helpful information concerning
plagiarism for both candidates and faculty:
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiari
sm.shtml
Ethics
Ethical behavior in the classroom is required of
every candidate. The course will identify
ethical policies and practices relevant to course
topics.
Technology
Candidates are expected to be competent in
using current technology appropriate for this
discipline. Such technology may include word
processing, spreadsheet, and presentation
software. Use of the internet and e-mail mayalso be required.
Diversity
Learning to work with and valuing diversity is
essential in every class. Candidates are expected
to exhibit an appreciation for multicultural and
gender diversity in the classroom.
Civility
As a diverse community of learners, candidates
must strive to work together in a setting ofcivility, tolerance, and respect for each other and
for the instructor. Rules of classroom behavior
(which apply to online as well as onsite courses)
include but are not limited to the following:
Conflicting opinions among members of a
class are to be respected and responded to in a
professional manner.
Side conversations or other distracting
behaviors are not to be engaged in during
lectures, class discussions or presentations. There are to be no offensive comments,
language, or gestures.
Candidates with Disabilities
Candidates seeking special accommodations due
to a disability must submit an application with
supporting documentation, as explained under
this subject heading in the General Catalog.
Instructors are required to provide such
accommodations if they receive written
notification from the University.
Writing Across the Curriculum
Candidates are expected to demonstrate writing
skills in describing, analyzing and evaluating
ideas and experiences. Written reports and
research papers must follow specific standards
regarding citations of an authors work within
the text and references at the end of the paper.Candidates are encouraged to use the services of
the Universitys Writing Center when preparing
materials.
The following website provides information on
APA, MLA, and other writing and citation styles
that may be required for term papers and the
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6 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
like:
http://www.nu.edu/LIBRARY/ReferenceTools/c
itations.html
Library Electronic Resources
The National University Library System
(NULS) purchases access to several databases
of full text articles from scholarly journals. Go
to http://www.nu.edu/library and click on
Electronic Resources.
Resources
Anderson, L. & Krathwohl, D. (2001), A
Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and
Assessing, New York, NY: Addison WesleyLongman, Inc
Baca, L. (2003), The Bilingual Special
Education Interface, Compact Disk, The
Monarch Center, University of Illinois, Chicago
and the Bueno Center, University of Colorado,
Boulder
Caine, R. & Caine, G. (1991), Making
Connections, Menlo Park, CA: Innovative
Learning Publications an imprint of the
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
Coelho, E. (2001), Learning together in the
multicultural classroom, Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann
Coots, J. & Stout, K. (2007), Critical
Reflections About Students with Special Needs,
Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn and Bacon
Costa, A. & Garmston R. (2002), Cognitive
Coaching, Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon
Publishers, Inc
Council for Exceptional Children (2005),
Universal Design for learning: A guide for
teachers and educational professionals,
Arlington VA: Council for Exceptional Children
Gay, G., Culturally Responsive Teaching.
Compact Disk, The monarch Center, University
of Illinois, Chicago IL, The Laser Project,
University of South Florida and the Nationalassociation for Multicultural Education
Goethals, M., Howard, R. & Sanders, M.
(2004), Student Teaching, A process approach to
reflective practice, Second Edition, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education,
Inc.
Hoover, J. & Patton J. (1997), Curriculum
Adaptations for Students with Learning and
Behavior Problems, Austin, TX: Pro-Ed Inc.
Lyles, D. (2000) Winning Ways, New York, NY :
The Berkeley Publishing Group
National University School of Education,
Supervised Teaching Handbook for Interns and
Student Teachers, (2007), San Diego, CA:
National University
Nieto, S. (2005), Affirming Diversity, creating
multicultural learning communities, Compact
Disk, The Monarch Center, University of
Illinois, Chicago, The Laser Project, University
of South Florida, The National Association for
Multicultural Education
Rutherford, P. (2002), Instruction for All
Students, Alexandria, VA: Just Ask Publications,
Attitudes, Skills & Knowledge (ASK), Inc
Sousa, D. (2007), How the Special Needs BrainLearns. Second Edition, Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press
Villa, R., Thousand, J & Nevin, A. (2004), A
guide to Co-Teaching , practical tips for
facilitating Student Learning, Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin Press
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EXC602A Field Experience: Special Education |
CandidatePlacement Policies
1. Preliminary Level 1: EducationalSpecialist(Mild/Moderate and
Moderate/Severe)
a. Student Teachers:
Candidates must student teach for a total of 45
teaching days. The 45-day requirement is
divided into one 25-day teaching experience
(EXC685A or EXC690A), and one 20-day
teaching experience (EXC685B or EXC690B).In most cases all 45 days will be completed in
the same classroom with one supervising
teacher.
Candidates who are currently working under
contract in a public school may continue in their
current special education position with the
permission of their district administrator if the
placement matches the credential they are
pursuing.
b. Interns:Candidates who are interns must be employed
by a district holding an active intern agreement
with National University. A total of 45 days of
supervised teaching is required to complete an
internship. The 45-day period is divided into two
parts: Part I is one 25-day teaching experience,
and Part II is the final 20-day teaching
experience.
c. Candidates Working in Nonpublic
Schools:Candidates, both interns and student teachers,
who are currently contracted in a non-public
school that has been approved for educating the
disabled by the California State Department of
Education, may complete the entire 45 days of
special education supervised teaching in their
classroom, if they satisfactorily complete one of
the following four options:
(1) The candidate has had the equivalent of six
months of experience as a teacher, or as an
instructional aide in a public school. In these
instances, the public school requirement will
be waived. (The candidate should beprepared to show proof of experience).
(2) The candidate completes all observations and
interviews required by field experience
classes in public school. This will include the
following:
EXC602A (4 interviews and 5 observations)
EXC602B (3 interviews and 2 observations)
EXC620 (1 observation)
EXC630 (1 assessment and 1 case study)EXC644A (2 observations, 1 assessment and
1 case study)
EXC660/665A (2 observations and 2
interviews)
Candidates, both student teachers and intern,
who select option #2 to satisfy the public school
requirement are fully responsible for collecting
the required interviews, observations,
assessments and case studies and presenting
them to their University Supervisor for approval
(3) The candidate spends 10 consecutive days in
a public school special education class
during their vacation from their contracted
position. The candidate, with the approval of
the university supervisor, will find a public
school and teacher that will provide
opportunities for them to participate in a
public school program.
(4) Over a 20-day period, the candidate will
teach a minimum day (four hours) in their
contracted non-public school position. The
candidate will spend the remainder of each
school day, including after school meetings
and after school tutoring programs, in a
public school special education program. The
placement is arranged by the candidate and
approved by the university supervisor.
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In addition to completing one of the four
options listed above, all candidates, both
interns and student teachers, must be
prepared to discuss the following procedures
used in a public school where they worked or
observed:
Student Study referral processInclusion of Special Education students
Co-teaching that involves Special Education
and general education
IEP process
General Education involvement in Special
Education programs
School Climate regarding Special Education
d. General Placement Procedures:
(1) All candidates, both interns and student
teachers, seeking a Mild/ModerateCredential must complete supervised
teaching in a special education setting that is
designated for students with mild to
moderate disabilities or for deaf students.
The University Supervisor has the discretion
to assign the candidate to any instructional
setting that requires a special education
teacher. Examples of such assignments are
resource specialist program, inclusion
instructor, team teaching and co-teaching.
The Coordinator of Special Education Field
Experience or Education of the Deaf lead
faculty must approve any special
considerations.
(2) All candidates, both interns and student
teachers, seeking a Moderate/Severe
Credential must complete supervised
teaching in a special education setting that is
designated for students with moderate to
severe disabilities or for deaf students. The
University Supervisor has the discretion to
assign the candidate to any instructionalsetting that requires a special education
teacher. Examples of such an assignment are
community-based placements, vocational
training centers, inclusions instructor, team
teaching and co-teaching. The Coordinator of
Special Education Field Experience or
Education of the Deaf lead faculty must
approve any special considerations.
(3) Any candidate, intern or student teacher,
placed in an assignment that requires the
candidate to teach a significant amount of the
time in a one-on-one situation must be
prepared to teach in a group situation. Thespecifics for this requirement will be
determined by the University Supervisor and
the school where the candidate is placed.
(4) All candidates, both interns and student
teachers, seeking both a Mild/Moderate and
Moderate/Severe Credential are required to
complete 45 days of supervised teaching in
both areas. Interns should be prepared to
complete additional supervised teaching
experiences as a student teacher.
Candidates, both interns and student teachers,
seeking more than one credential must complete 45
days of supervised teaching in each area.
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1. Classroom management plan
The classroom management
plan required for EXC620 will
fulfill this requirement
2. A complete Individualized
Education Program (IEP).The IEP required for EXC630
will fulfill this requirement.
3. A one-month unit of
instruction
The unit of instruction
required for EXC660 and
EXC665 will fulfill this
requirement.
4. Three lesson plans used whilestudent teaching along with a
copy of the University
Supervisors classroom
observation and two samples
of student work for each lesson
that supports the effectiveness
of the lesson.
The remaining six artifacts may be
selected by the candidate.
Each CSTP must be illustrated by
two artifacts. Artifacts may be
selected from the required list or
may be the candidates choice. Aone page reflection for each CSTP
must be included that justified how
the two artifacts selected support
the specific CSTP.
The Professional Portfolio should
be presented in a three ring binder
that contains a title page, a section
for the professional documents and
one section for each of the CSTP.
All work written by the candidatemust be typed.
Completing a professional
portfolio may be one of a career
teachers most challenging yet
rewarding experiences. The
information in the following
sections is designed to increase
your understanding of Professional
Portfolios in several ways: The
purpose; benefits; organization and
contents; artifacts; educational
philosophical statement; reflective
summary; stages of development;
assessment; artifacts suggestions;resources.
What is a PROFESSIONALPORTFOLIO?
A portfolio is a document designed
by each teacher candidate to
demonstrate their competency as a
professional educator.
What is the PURPOSE of
developing a ProfessionalPortfolio?
The purpose of developing a
Professional Portfolio is to enable
candidates to portray evidence of
their competency and to
demonstrate their progress towards
becoming a professional educator.
Professional Portfolio:
Special EducationCredential Candidates
Preliminary Level I Education Specialist Credential
The purpose of the Professional Portfolio is to provide a document, prepared by each credential candidate, which
describes their competency as a professional educator. At the end of the credential program, Mild/Moderate and
Moderate/Severe credential candidates will complete their portfolio during EXC603A. The instructors will
evaluate the portfolios and provide feedback to the candidates.
The portfolio contains two parts. Part one contains the candidates professional documents, e.g. candidatesresume, philosophy on education, etc. Part two consists of twelve artifacts from coursework or student teaching
that support the candidates understanding and competency in applying each of the six standards listed in the
California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). Of the twelve artifacts, the following six are required:
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The Portfolio includes the candidates educational
philosophy. Artifacts are chosen to portray the
candidates knowledge and abilities. The Portfolio
also provides outside evaluators with a factual
document that includes concise, selective
information from a variety of sources and
experiences. Portfolios model the behavior thatcandidates will expect of their own students.
What are the BENEFITS of a ProfessionalPortfolio?
The Professional Portfolio benefits candidates. The
Portfolio process encourages them to keep evidence
of the quality of their teaching and learning
throughout their teaching career.
What is the ORGANIZATION of a
Professional Portfolio?
The following suggestions are provided to assist in
the organizing of material for the student teaching
section of the Professional Portfolio:
1. The portfolio has two parts: Professional
Documents and a selection of documents and
reflections supporting each of the six California
Standards for the Teaching Profession.
2. Professional Documents. Collections include a
philosophy of education statement, rsum,
letters of recommendation, certificates, honors,awards, transcripts, test scores (CBEST,
PRAXIS, CSET), etc.
3. Standards. Two artifacts chosen from either
coursework and/or student teaching should be
organized into the six standards. Artifact
suggestions are found at the end of this section.
A one page Reflective Summary is written to
preface each of the six standards.
What are the CONTENTS of a Professional
Portfolio?There are many ways to construct a Portfolio.
Candidates may include any artifacts that they feel
demonstrate their progress. Artifacts are chosen with
a specific purpose in mind, and might be lessons
and/or units that they have planned, products created
for a lesson taught, or other evidence supporting the
Standards for the Teaching Professional. Portfolios
also have a reflective component. Candidates write a
brief Reflective Summary for each Standard.
In summary, a Portfolio contains:
Title Page
Table of Contents
Professional Documents Coursework and Student Teaching Artifacts
Reflective Summaries
What does an ARTIFACT look like?
A good way to think of artifacts is to imagine
preparing a bulletin board of your professional
experiences. Include photos from your classroom,
field trips or extra curricular activities; evidence of
involvement at professional development activities;
samples of bulletin boards, special projects, lesson
plans, artwork, lesson videotape, etc. Suggestionsare found at the end of this section.
Artifacts usually fall into two categories: Process
and Product. The process artifacts are items such as
planning pages, i.e., something to show your work in
progress. The product artifacts tend to be the
outcome, i.e., a unit plan.
What is an EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHICALSTATEMENT?
An educational philosophical statement summarizesthe candidates values and beliefs. This component
of the Professional Portfolio is important yet
challenging to write.
In EXC602A and/or EXC602B, candidates begin
writing their philosophical statement by sharing
personal insights and views of the education process.
Knowing that the development of a philosophical
statement is an ongoing process that is continually
revisited and revised, candidates in student teaching
review their original philosophical statement and
these questions:
Why do I want to become a teacher?
What will I stand for as a teacher? What is my
philosophy, my beliefs?
What have I learned about myself? What are my
values?
What do I believe about curriculum, learning,
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instruction, classroom activities, discipline,
homework, evaluation and assessment?
What do I want my legacy as a teacher to be?
(Palmer, 1998)
Place the revised philosophical statement in the
Portfolio.
What is a REFLECTIVE SUMMARY?
A Reflective Summary is a key component to the
Professional Portfolio. Learning improves through
reflection; examining how learning takes place leads
to personal discovery where theory takes on
practical meaning.
Reflective writing prompts candidates to think more
deeply on their growth and development. This form
of reflective writing describes thoughts, feelings,teaching insights and questions decisions, and
student reactions. Candidates choose artifacts and
think and write about what they are doing and the
effect it has on student behavior and achievement. A
Reflective Summary describes the artifacts, their
value, and why they were chosen or why the
candidates believe that a specific artifact is required.
A one page Reflective Summary prefaces each
standard. It is a summary of the learning that was
experienced in each standard. When writing the
reflection, the candidate concludes with an analysis
and summary of personal learning (self-evaluation)
and projects how the learning may apply to future
teaching.
What are some SUGGESTIONS forARTIFACTS?
An artifact is intended to provide evidence of a
candidates knowledge and ability in each of the six
CSTP Domains. For each Standard, artifact
suggestions are provided in the following charts.
Each standard identifies understandings, skills, and
abilities that teacher candidates should know and be
able to do in their work as teachers.
Standard and Artifact Suggestions
Standard I: Engaging and SupportingStudents in Learning
1. Sample lesson plan showing a variety of
instructional strategies for diverse learners.
2. Sample lesson plan showing integration of
instructional technology.
3. Sample lesson plan that promote choice,
problem solving and critical thinking.
4. Unit [theme] plan with samples of student work.
5. Plans that show sensitivity to cultural and
language issues.
6. Items that represent successful outcomes from
effective planning.
7. Bibliography / webliography of primary and
supplementary resource materials.
8. Evidence of developed classroom disciplineplan.
9. Summary of readings / interviews showing
understanding of a special needs students.
10. Planning for ELL and special needs showing
differentiated strategies, technology, assessment.
Standard II: Creating and MaintainingEffective Environments for StudentLearning
1. Sample schedule for paraeducators.
2. Classroom rules, procedures, lists, memos,discussions, seating charts, etc. with explanation
of how developed, rationale, and consequences.
3. Notes, comments, and reflections on classroom
observations that identify and clarify how class
time is used.
4. Items that indicate how classroom time is used.
5. Sample of a substitute teachers packet.
6. Class schedules indicating times and ways to
promote social development and self-esteem.
7. Evidence of a variety of instructional strategies
for diverse learners.
8. Collection of emergency activities.
Standard III: Understanding and OrganizingSubject Matter Knowledge for Student
1. Lesson plans incorporating specific state content
standards integrated into the lesson objective.
2. Lesson plans relating learning to real-life
applications.
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12 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
3. Lesson plans showing differentiated instruction
based on K-12 standards and modified for
individual needs.
4. Evidence of infusion of multicultural content
into instruction.
5. Evidence of adaptation of instruction to students
of diverse backgrounds and/or varied learningneeds.
6. Evidence of students thinking and problem
solving skills.
7. Evidence of the use of technology to enhance
instruction.
8. Description of resources available that reflect
diverse perspectives
9. Evidence of integration of subject matter across
the curriculum.
10. Samples of student work from a variety of
levels, styles.11. Video of large/small group instruction using a
variety of instructional strategies.
Standard IV: Planning Instruction andDesigning Learning Experiences for allStudents
1. Description of system for monitoring IEP
goals/objectives.
2. Evidence of technology integrated into
instruction.
3. Samples of IEPs.4. Teacher narrative regarding decisions about
modifying instruction to meet diverse needs.
5. Photographs and/or student profiles that reflect
an understanding of their unique learning needs.
6. Summary of plan for coordinating services with
General Education, and other faculty.
7. Samples of student plans, portfolios and/or
folders used for organizing their work.
8. Items that highlight diversity among students.
9. Narratives describing how the teacher deals with
students individually and collectively.
10. Sample of professional report for an IEPmeeting.
Standard V: Assessing Student Learning
1. Evidence of teacher-made assessments and
analysis of results.
2. Sample observation reports.
3. Evidence of data collection for assessing IEP
objectives.
4. Evidence of alternative assessments with details
regarding their purpose.
5. Designs for student portfolios.
6. Artifacts that represent making student-centered
decisions about instructional plans.
7. Summary of how data is collected for specificstudent.
8. Evidence of student projects and rubrics for their
evaluation.
9. Video showing teacher interaction, observation,
and feedback to students.
10. Video of teacher giving directions clearly stating
expectations and outcomes.
11. List of assessment tools trained to use and
sample protocols.
12. Evidence of specific oral and written feedback to
students.
Standard VI: Developing as a ProfessionalEducator
1. Summaries of classroom and school visits and
observations from EXC602A & B.
2. Sample professional development project.
3. Updated Philosophical statement.
4. Annotated bibliography / webliography of recent
journal articles and videos related to teaching
and professional growth.
5. Reflections of significant / meaningful journal
articles and videos or from participation in
workshops/staff development.
6. Reflection of conversations with teachers to
update expertise in teaching strategies.
7. Evidence of membership in a Professional
Organization.
8. Materials from networks and/or Professional
Organizations.
9. Information about innovations and technology
used in teaching subject area and / or specific
disabilities.
10. Examples of conferences, meetings, with parentsand community members.
11. Description of community work, work with
service providers and with parents.
12. Items from personal activities that contribute to
balance between professional and personal life.
13. Original and adapted versions of the same lesson
plan.
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PRELIMINARY LEVEL I: EDUCATION SPECIALISTMILD/MODERATE AND MODERATE/SEVERE
Advisement Verification for EXC602A
Candidates Name: ______________________________________________________________
ID#: _________________________________________________________________________
Phone(s): _____________________________________________________________________
E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________
EXC602A Instructor: ____________________________________________________________
Formal Meeting Date for EXC602A: _______________________________________________
Academic Advisement
_______________________________ received academic advisement on the following
date:______________.
Signature of Lead Faculty:________________________________________________________
Credential Advisement
_______________________________ submitted a complete credential packet on the following
date:______________.
Signature of Credential Analyst: ___________________________________________________
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Library Orientation Conducted by Student
Students will receive directions from their instructor.
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14 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
Assignment Chart for EXC602A Assignment Possible Points Points Earned
Interview with a Resource Specialist 3
Interview with a Special Education Teacher (k-6) 3
Observation of a Special Day Class (Mild/Moderate) 3
Observation of a Special Day Class (Moderate/Severe) 3
Interview with a Special Education Teacher (7-12) 3
Discussion: Unit #1 5
Interview with a School Psychologist 3
Interview with a Speech and Language Specialist 3
Observation of a Playground 3
Observation of Vocational Training 3
Discussion: Unit #5 5Interview with a Parent of a Special Needs Student 3
Observation Chart for Specific Disabilities 10
Culturally Responsive Essay 15
Discussion: Unit #7 5
Coursework Summary 25
Personal Philosophy of Education (Initial Draft) 5
TOTAL POINTS 100
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The vocabulary building portion
of the class will introduce you
to important terms used in
special education.
You will have four discussion
assignments in this course; three
of which will be graded. The
initial discussion will not be
graded and will allow online
candidates to become familiar
with the discussion board. In the
discussion assignment, you will
introduce yourself to your
classmates and your instructor.
The lecture contains instruction
on conducting the required
interviews and observations, an
overview of the Level I
Educational Specialist Portfolio,a series of power point slides
discussing the benefits of being
a Reflective Practitioner, and
instruction pertaining to
becoming a Culturally
Responsive Educator.
The reading assignment in the
text covers an introduction to
multicultural special education,
bilingualism, and litigation and
legislation pertaining to special
education. It also includes
several pages in the Supervised
Teaching Handbook for Interns
and Student Teachers that
provide information on
candidate placement policies.
You should study these policies
in order to understand your
options for placement. The
purpose and description of
Professional Portfolios is also
part of the reading assignment
including the six standards and
artifact suggestions for each.
Finally, an excellent paper,which appeared in the
Academic Exchange Quarterly,
is provided in the course
documents. It describes the
experience of a new teacher in a
rural school in Mississippi and
it will give you some valuable
insight into personal reflection.
You should begin to schedule
your appointments with
professionals.
Learning Outcomes
1. The candidate will learn the first
steps needed to become a
Reflective Practitioner.
2. The candidate will learn the first
steps needed to become a
Culturally Responsive Educator.
3. The candidate will learn the
procedures for conducting
4. The candidate will learn what is
required for the Level 1
Educational Specialist Portfolio.
5. The candidate will learn the
options for supervised teaching
placements.
Meeting #1, Units #1 & #2
EXC602A FIELD EXPERIENCE:
SPECIAL EDUCATION1.0 Introduction to Unit #1
During this week you will be introduced to the procedures for conducting interviews and observations.
You will study the importance of being a Reflective Practitioner and study the importance of being a
Culturally Responsive Educator. In addition, you will be shown the requirements for the Level I
Educational Specialist Portfolio.
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____ An educator who thoughtfully and regularly examines
his/her teaching practice, philosophy and experience and
uses this information to make improvements
___ A document designed by each teacher candidate to
demonstrate their competency as a professional educator. The
document keeps evidence of the quality of the candidates
teaching and learning throughout their teaching career.
___ Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
___ Knowledge of cultural differences and the corresponding
usage of verbal and nonverbal behavior that optimizes
interactions with people from a different cultural background
___ The worlds largest professional organization concerned
with exceptional (in any respect) children, i.e. those who
have learning disabilities, physical impairments or special
gifts
___ Education designed to meet the individual needs of the
children with disabilities.
Activities Unit #1
1.1.1 Vocabulary Building
Knowing and understanding key terms and vocabulary used in a profession will increase your ability to
successfully communicate with other members of that profession. Every unit in EXC602A will start with
a short matching activity that will include terms and vocabulary that is associated with the assignment
for that week. To complete the activity refers to the Dictionary of Developmental Disabilities
Terminology, which is one of your texts for the course. In addition, you may also refer to the assigned
reading for the week.
Terms: Match the terms with the definitions.
1. Cultural Sensitivity
2. Reflective Practitioner
3. Professional Portfolio
4. Special Education
5. IDEA
6. CEC
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1.1.2 Observations
There are no observations in this unit
1.1.3 InterviewsThere are no interviews in this unit
1.1.4 Discussion
The discussion portion of the unit will be used to
introduce yourself to the rest of the class
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1.2 LECTURE Unit #1
In this course you are required to visit a variety of special education settings and to make observations of
the students and instructors. You will also be required to interview several different professional
educators who have chosen special education as a career and a parent of a special education student. All
professionals that you interview must have a clear special education credential and should be currently
in the field of special education; this should be verified prior to your interview or observation. If you are
not currently working in the public schools and you have no knowledge of who to call for these
visitations, the following are offered as brief guidelines:
1. Start with the telephone
directory of the community
in which you live.
Telephone the Central
Administration of your
home school district and ask
for the telephone number of
either the Special Education
Director or the Director of
Human Resources. Askthem for suggestions of
classes where you could
observe or teachers you
could interview.
2. If your local district has no
special education program,
try a neighboring district.
3. Visit your County Office of
Education. The Special
Education Director shouldhave a list of the Special
Education Local Plan Areas
in the county and a list of
the approved non-public
schools.
4. Call your instructor of
EXC602A for ideas.
When visiting schools and
vocational settings and when
conducting interviews, there are
certain rules of behavior and
ethical standards that apply. You
are representing the National
University as well as yourself;
consequently the following
rules apply:
1. Always sign in with the
School Office. Never walk
around a school unless
someone knows that you are
on campus.
2. Dress appropriately and
professionally for classroom
visitations. You may be back
to apply for a teaching
position at this locationsome day. Remember that
you are representing
National University. Leave a
good impression of both
yourself and the university.
3. In this course you will be
asked to interview several
types of individuals, e.g.
teachers, support personnel
and parents. They will
reveal information to you
that is private. You will
never share that information
with another person,
including your family
members. This is calledconfidentiality. It is the
most important of the
ethical standards that a
special education
professional must uphold.
4. For each interview and
observation you will be
required to complete a form
Prepare for your interview
or observation by
memorizing the salient
points of the form you will
be completing. You may
find, when interviewing or
observing that some
individuals become
uncomfortable when they
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see that you are taking notes. If this happens,
cease note taking and ask the required
questions. Write up your notes after you
leave. Do this as quickly as possible before
you forget what was said.
There are certain characteristics of a successfulclassroom that you should be looking for in your
observations. The following framework will
help you focus your classroom observations:
A Framework for Observing in
Classrooms
Learning Climate organized to provide a
positive environmentLook for:
A classroom structured to support warmth,
concerns and expectations conveyed to
students by the teacher
A physical space organized to promote
cohesion and interaction among students
Activities competition, independence or
competition.
Classroom Management organized to
anticipate and respond to student behavior to
provide an efficient environment for learning
Look for:
A classroom organization matched to
instructional goals
A set of pre-established and communicated
classroom rules
A set of developed and communicated
instructional routines
A system of appropriate incentives and
consequences Techniques for low profile classroom
control
Lesson Clarity speaking directly; presenting
instruction at the students current level of
understanding
Look for:
A method of informing learners of expected
skills and understandings
A set of advance organizers showing students
past and future learning
Reviewing and summarizing Using examples, illustrations and
demonstrations that expand and clarify
lessons
Instructional Variety various instructional
methods which address the learning styles of the
students
Look for:
Use of attention-getting devices
A variation of eye contact, voice and gestures
A use of alternative learning modes (seeing,listening, doing)
A mix of rewards and reinforcers to sustain
student interest and engagement
Task Orientation managing classroom
activities efficiently, handling misbehavior with
a minimum of disruptions, reducing
instructional time spent on clerical duties, and
maximizing time devoted to content instruction
Look for:
Lesson plans reflective of texts, curriculum
guides, state frameworks
Rules and procedures that anticipate and
reduce misbehavior
Student Engagement in the Learning Process
providing activities that allow students to
think about, act on, and practice what they
learned
Look for:
Activities to practice new skill,understanding, etc.
Feedback and correctives
Individualized and self-directed learning
activities
Meaningful verbal praise
Checking and monitoring of classroom
assignments during seatwork
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Student Success presenting material that
allows students to be moderately to highly
successful at completing assigned work
Look for:
Unit and lesson organization reflective of
prior learning Timely feedback and corrections
Gradual transition to new content
Performance Outcomes and Higher Level
Thinking planning, teaching and learning
activities that promote higher thought processes,
such as critical thinking, reasoning and problem
solving
Look for:
Collaborative and group activities
Demonstration of mental models andstrategies for learning
Student projects and demonstrations
Oral performances by students
Independent practice
Performance-based assessment
The only portfolio requirement for completing
EXC602A is a draft of yourPhilosophy of
Education, which will be due the seventh week
of this class. The guidelines for writing your
philosophy are as follows:
Write your philosophy in first person.
Do not site references. Your opinions,
feelings, and thoughts are what are want.
The philosophy should be one or two pages
long.
Read pages 43 through 49 in the Supervised
Teaching Handbook for Interns and Student
Teachers, May 2007. This will introduce you tothe content of the portfolio. There are two parts
to the document. The first part contains your
professional documents that are described in the
Handbook. The second part consists of twelve
artifacts, some of which you will accumulate
during this course. You will be required to
submit your portfolio at the end of EXC603A,
which is the end of the Level I program.
Reading the information now and becoming
familiar with the information required, will give
you an opportunity to save artifacts as you
progress through the program and incorporate
them into the final document.
Reflection is a powerful tool to use in improving
your teaching. Throughout your level I program
you will learn more about the value of reflection
and the reflective strategies that successful
teachers use with their students. Your instructor
may show a brief power point on reflection or
you can read the copies of the slides in your
folder.
The article Self-Regulation through ReflectivePractice which can be found in the course
document section of this class provides an
excellent example of the value of reflection,
especially to a new teacher. After viewing the
power point slides and reading the article keep
some of the key ideas in mind as you complete
your assigned interviews, observations and
reading assignments.
The reading assignment covers the foundations
of multicultural special education and includes a
chapter on litigation and legislation. Each
chapter includes a section on A Culturally
Responsive Educator. Pay particular attention
to these sections and use the traits enumerated to
reflect on the chapter contents. Later in the
course you will develop and write a short plan
describing how you will become a culturally
responsive educator.
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1.3 Reading List Unit #1
Multicultural Special Education Culturally
Responsive Teaching, chapters 1 3
Dictionary of Developmental Disabilities
Terminology, as needed for vocabulary activity.
Supervised Teaching Handbook for Interns and
Student Teachers, May 2007, pp. 11&12, pp. 43
- 49 (available on the National University
website)
Holmes, K, Self-Regulation through
Reflective Practice, Academic Exchange
Quarterly, winter 2005, ISSN 1096-1453 Vol. 9,Issue 4, (In the course documents)
1.4 Assignments Unit #1
1. The interviews and observations are
extremely important elements of the course
content. You should start scheduling the
interviews and observations today. They are
required for this course. Review the course
content and attempt to schedule the specific
professionals for the week that the specific
topic will be covered in the lecture e.g. a
special education teacher (k-6) and an RSP
for Unit #2, etc. Always keep your instructor
informed regarding scheduling constraints
and problems. All of your interviews and
observations should be scheduled by the
second week of class.
2. Complete the Vocabulary Building
assignment in 1.1.1. This is not a graded
activity. Your instructor can provide the
answers to the activity.
3. Complete the reading assignment. Reflect on
the traits of a Culturally Responsive
Educator listed at the end of each chapter.Save your reflections. They will be useful
when completing your writing assignment
for unit 7.
4. Schedule your mandatory advisement this
week!
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Why Become a
Reflective
Practitioner?
when students and teachers make use of
reflection as a tool for learning and
assessment, they are creating an opening
that allows them to enter into students
work, making sense of their endeavors and
accomplishments, and learning how they
judge their success
R. Zessoules & H. Gardner
National University 2008
22 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
Many of you, as you begin your teaching
career in special education, may feel
somewhat at a loss when confronted with the
real world of the classroom. You will be
challenged every day to prepare approaches
and methods to enable you to reach your
students. There will be times when your
preplanned approach doesnt work as well as
you wished and situations will arise that you
will cause you to react spontaneously. Your
ability to reflect on these results and gain
insight into your students and the classroom
environment will enable you to grow and
mature as a professional.
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The transition from theory to practice is never a
straight line. Often the creation of a positive
learning environment takes place in a series of
steps. Reflection is the means by which a new
teacher in special education improves his or herapproach to overcoming the challenges which
directly affect teaching and learning.
Some of the questions asked to achieve
introspection into the teaching results are shown
in this slide.You will note that they involve not
only the teachers self-evaluation but thestudents attitude toward the approach or plan
selected and, equally important, how they will
benefit.
A Reflective Practitioner
Asks...
How am I doing?
Did the plan prove to be
successful?
What would be more successful?
How do I/the students fell about
this plan?
How will this help the students?
Reflection
When and Where
Driving to schoolDirectly after a lesson
While exercising
During your prep period
Establish a habit!
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National University 2008
24 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
Academic Exchange Quarterly Winter 2005 ISSN 1096-
1453 Volume 9, Issue 4
SELF-REGULATION THROUGH
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE.
Kerry P. Holmes, Ed.D. University of Mississippi
Kerry Holmes, a former classroom teacher, is an assistant professor
of education.
Abstract
Teaching today is much harder than it used to be is a commonly
heard refrain. Unfortunately the hardships faced by many of todays
first year teachers have caused too many of them to leave their
chosen field of education. This article describes how reflection can
be used to face and overcome challenges directly affecting teaching
and learning.
Introduction
Every year in August and September eager and idealistic new
teachers arrive at schools ready to make a positive difference in
their students lives. The transition from theory to practice, for
many, is swift and brutal (Ornstein 2003). During their time in
schools of education, most new teachers had plenty of support from
university supervisors and their peers. They go into teaching
expecting the same level of support and are shocked when they
realize they are totally on their own (Ornstein, 2003).
Without moral and practical help, new teachers must look to
themselves to determine how to cope with incidents in order to
create a positive learning environment for their students. This is
how I found myself when I was the new teacher. Hole & McEntee
(2001, p. 27) developed the following protocol for individual
reflection that closely parallels the reflective processes I used and
have described in this article:
* Collect stories. Keep a diary, log, or informal notes on stories of
incidents as they occur.
* What happened? From your notes, expand on a story that requires
further thought.
* Why did it happen? Provide background information surrounding
the story; look for causes and effects.
* What might it mean? Determine whether the incident is worthy of
action. Explore multiple solutions and answers.
* What are the implications for practice? Reflect on the incident incontext; determine how you would monitor and adjust your
practice.
Hole and McEntees protocol enables teachers to move toward self-
regulated behaviors necessary for teaching and learning. Self-
regulation is a metacognitive activity requiring teachers and
students to reflect on their thinking. It is an active process where
participants set goals, take action, deliberately monitor their actions,
and make necessary adjustments to meet articulated goals (Pape,
Zimmerman, & Pajares, 2002). Self-regulation of teaching practices
is coming into its own due to the inclusion of reflective practice in
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
(NCATE NCATE - National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education) Standards and the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS NBPTS - National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards). Attention to reflection has far-
reaching consequences as more than 40,000 teachers in our nations
schools are currently Board Certified (NBPTS, 2005) and 620
colleges of education have met NCATE standards (NCATE, 2004).
Teaching students to think critically about their learning is an
indispensable skill required by good teachers. Just as students
benefit by reflecting on their learning, teachers benefit by reflecting
on their teaching practices. Teachers must learn to identify and set
specific goals for themselves, the same expectations they hold for
their students. John Dewey said, ... thinking enables us to direct
our activities with foresight and to plan according to ends-in-view,
or purpose of which we are aware. It enables us to act in deliberate
and intentional fashion ... (1933, p. 17). Self-regulation is at the
heart of deliberate and intentional practice. Schon (1987) coined the
term reflection-in-action to describe the experience-based
platform that supports teachers and guides their practice. Through
reflection-in-action, good teachers are empowered to elevateteaching to an art form where teachers masterfully connect theory
and practice. Reflection-in-action facilitates the intentional actions
teachers take everyday in response to stimuli from their students.
The following account from a first grade classroom illustrates the
importance of reflection.
Surviving the First Days of Teaching
I was the new teacher in a rural school in Mississippi. Half of my
class had been retained before they even reached first grade. My
first weeks of teaching made me feel as though I had been thrown
into a very deep lake. Almost instantly, I felt physically and
emotionally unfit for the challenge of teaching. My prior experience
and beliefs were being harshly tested. I was plagued by the idea that
if I fail in my job, or do a mediocre job of teaching, my children fail
with me. Above all, my students must not suffer. I left school each
day feeling beaten down from the mental and physical exertion of
teaching. My meticulous plans often lay fallow as I struggled to
create classroom harmony. Not fulfilling my high expectations for
the day was in itself cause for intense dismay and frustration.
The Days Pass
Each day I tried to arm myself with life-saving equipment. I
planned my lessons, gathered all the necessary materials, and set up
everything necessary to teach so each lesson could progress
seamlessly. However, the children had their own needs, the need to
move, poke, play, retaliate for real and imagined offenses, talk, and
a big one, use the bathroom. It appeared that the highlight of their
day was to get to the bathroom. All that water, paper, and quasi-
freedom was a major attraction that drew them away from my
lessons. When the last bus left at 3:15, I savored the quite solitude
before getting ready for the next day. The process of my life as a
teacher began a predictable cycle. As the days alternated between
exhaustion and relief, I knew I had to do something. I still had about
160 days to teach, and this treading water, that was quickly
becoming routine, was not close to my goal of creating a
community of self-confident, self-motivated learners.
The Genesis of Reflection
Though I did not consciously set out to do it, I sought refuge in
reflection. My mind was overwhelmed by the cacophony of the
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sights and sounds of the classroom. My ears rang with the often-
shrill voices of the children. My name had been repeated so often it
became an echo within my head, Ms. Holmes, Ms. Holmes, Ms.
Holmes, Ms. Holmes, Ms. Holmes. Initially reflection came to me
uninvited and unbidden. Thoughts of my children invaded my mind
while I was driving home, shopping for dinner, or trying to relax.
Events in my life did not trigger these thoughts; they were simply
there. I knew I needed to establish a time when I could gather all thethoughts that had been roaming through my head. Early morning,
between the hours of 5:30 and 6:30, became my time for more
focused reflection. I reflected on the content of the lessons I was
teaching as well as classroom management practices; both directly
contributed to the childrens behavior. I made it a practice to review
carefully my plans for the day. This review took the form of writing
detailed notes about how and what I would teach. To organize and
record ideas and insights from my reflections, I used yellow sticky-
notes that I attached to the squares on the weekly lesson sheets. My
yellow-sticky note messages contained ways to set up for the
lesson, how-to information on conducting the lessons, names of
students who needed extra attention, and any other information
pertinent to the days lessons. One memo I frequently wrote to
myself was, Be positive. This one I stuck to the very top of myplans. I learned early on that when I became negative, it was much
harder to recoup the day and provide quality instruction and student
interaction. During these early morning hours I thought about my
children, their backgrounds, their needs and what I as a professional
educator could do for them. I knew that simply getting through the
day was not enough. As I studied and reflected over my plans, I
looked for ways to improve my lessons. I sought ideas from books
and articles, and mentally reviewed how these would support my
lesson. Books provided the ideas; reflection provided the wisdom
for implementation.
My morning ruminations continued every day through the last day
of school. Each morning I gained new insights and thoughts of new
ideas to try. I devoted much of my reflective time to seeking ways I
could help the students control their impulsive behavior. Several of
the children in my class had a short, but notorious behavioral
history. More than two thirds of my children had been retained from
the previous year leaving me with an age spread from six to nine
years. Reflecting led me to develop one over-arching principle of
behavior management that held true throughout the year, positive
reinforcement. My students always responded to praise. When I
phrased my command to an individual student in a positive way, I
like the way LaToya is sitting. The entire class responded. When I
phrased my command to an individual student in a negative way,
Dont get out of your seat, LaToya! only one child responded.
Theory Tested by Experience
The realization that by positively recognizing one group of children,
the desired behavior was immediately copied by the others led me
to develop a simple, non-disruptive way to promote good behavior.
I simply wrote the name of each group on the board (one of the
children thought of naming the groups after days of the week).
When Mondays group behaved appropriately the group earned a
star by its name; the group that earned the most stars had special
privileges such as lining up first for recess and being first to choose
center activities. With so much at stake, students would often urge
others to behave. One of my highly competitive boys, Joseph,
wanted his group to get the most stars. He didnt worry about using
a positive tone. His shrill piercing voice could whip the others into
shape with just one or two urgent commands, Hurry up, get your
books out! or Dont talk! Though this in itself could be
disruptive, I was always happy to shift some of my responsibility to
the students.
The use of a positive approach to discipline is supported by research
on classroom management and discipline. Harlan and Rowland
(1991, 35) state that praise and positive reinforcement are powerfu
and effective for promoting acceptable student behavior. EvertstonEmmer, & Worsham (2006) report that establishing positive
relationships with students is one of the most significant factors
leading to student success. Brophy and Good suggest ways to use
positive language when directing students behavior. By expressing
expectations in a positive way, we establish and model an
atmosphere of respect. Use your own ideas. is a positive
statement of behavioral expectations that leaves the students self
respect intact. Dont plagiarize sends the same message to the
student, but with additional baggage of accusation and disrespect
for the students integrity (1991, 208). Students crave attention. If
we silently take good behavior for granted, and respond with a
passion to bad behavior, students will engage in bad behavior as the
only sure way to get attention. For many students, negative attention
is preferable than no attention at all.
Split Personality of the Classroom
During the school day I had noted a dramatic difference between the
tone of the class in the morning and the tone of the class after lunch.
During the morning my children were easier to keep on task and
were more interested in learning. After lunch they were a boisterous
lot regardless of the activity. I tried to think what caused this daily
behavioral transformation; something had to be causing this
schizophrenic-like personality of my class. Was behavior affected
by eating, an inability to settle down after a break, or were we all
growing weary of trying so hard? How did my lessons differ from
morning to afternoon?
Through Childrens Eyes
The morning lessons were more structured than those in the
afternoon. In the afternoon my children spent part of their time
rotating among math, art, and language arts centers. Many of the
children complained saying, We want to do work. It appeared that
not only did my children have a difficult time handling the freedom
that came with center work, but they did not value the work they
were doing if it did not include pencil and paper activities.
Information about the childrens feelings came in fragments. These
bits and pieces of information were not always welcome. I wanted
to dismiss their complaints by saying, You are working! It was
only through careful reflection that I saw the classroom through my
childrens eyes. They wanted the more familiar paper and pencil
work so they could monitor their own progress. The use of
manipulatives did not give my students the individual specific
feedback they needed. I had to revise my lesson plans to include
goal-oriented activities within the centers. I built in self-assessment
so the children could see progress while engaged in hands-on
activities.
I observed and listened to my children to gather information for
improving my teaching. By charting my childrens behavior during
different activities at different times of the day, I concluded that my
behavior had changed in the afternoon. I was more inclined to speak
to the children more cryptically, Sit down! Be quiet! My carefully
cultivated positive approach diminished as the day wore on.
Positive strokes had to be repeated, often more than my patience
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26 | EXC60A FIeld Experience: Special Education
would allow. When I felt my patience was at an end causing me to
lapse into the feel-good tendencies of lashing out at offending
students, I reminded myself to be positive by glancing at my yellow
sticky-note at the top of my plans: Be positive!
Meeting the Students Needs
To satisfy many of the childrens needs to use pencil and paper, I
ran off a huge assortment of math facts papers. The papers varied inlength and difficulty to meet the needs of the high and low
achieving math students. Initially I distributed one math paper to
each student so I could match the level of the paper to the child.
When the children finished, they were allowed to go to a math
center or choose any of the math papers to work individually or
with a partner. I promised to grade every paper they turned in; for
some children I graded up to six fact-laden math sheets each night.
Many children turned their papers over and wrote and solved their
own problems. Though harder to read, I graded these too. For the
children who turned in papers with many incorrectly worked
problems, I marked the problems that were correct, and wrote the
number they had correctly solved at the top of their paper.
One popular activity that did not require pencil and paper to besatisfying to my children was a math game I found during my pre-
dawn kitchen table sessions, Trading Up. The game consists of a
single die and a pile of realistic play money. After shaking the die,
the student takes the number of cents indicated on the die. If the
child shakes a four, he/she takes four cents. The children have to
trade up for nickels and dimes each time they collect five pennies or
two nickels; they are to have more than four pennies or one nickel
in their possession at one time. The goal of the game is to see who
can collect the most dimes. Perhaps due to the visual and instant
feedback, this became the most popular center. I realized that my
children were seeking recognition and validation of the fact they
could succeed in school. Because so many of my children had
already failed first grade they became anxious if they could not see
their own progress. They needed structure and concrete goals. Once
I developed an understanding of some of the causes behind my
childrens behavior I could adjust my lessons and classroom
management style to meet their needs. Through it all I learned there
are no easy fixes. Afternoons were still more difficult to manage
than mornings, but changes, based on a childs eye view of the
classroom, helped considerably.
Conclusion: A New Awareness Spawned by Reflective Practice
How could learning occur with a teacher who had been fighting for
day-to-day survival? The innate curiosity and spirit of the children
must top the lis