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EDSP 484: Special Education Practicum: Elementary Level

Spring 2014

Online

1 Credit

Instructor: Bonnie Hofland Ph. D.

Email: Webcampus (preferred)

Phone: 801-626-7856 (office- DAY) 801-992-3976 (home- EVENING)

Fax: 775-753-7534 (GBC Education Dept)

Office hours: By appointment through phone, FaceTime, Google Hangout, or Skype - use the email for daytime hours. Use for evening hours.

Catalog Description

Clinical and Field Experience in an elementary special education setting. Students will spend approximately 30 hours observing and teaching in a special education setting in the public schools. P/W

PrerequisitesEDSP 301

CorequisteEDSP 443

Required Materials

  • CEC Standards for Special Education (File in Webcampus)
  • Student Teaching Rubric for special education (File in Webcampus)
  • Person First Language Articles (Weblink in Webcampus)

Requirements

Students must pass the Regional Policy Check and FBI Fingerprint Check required by the state of Nevada. After receiving results, secure a GBC photo ID to wear during each school visit.

Method of Instruction

This course combines written assignments, classroom discussions, reflections, and observation in the field. The course is taught through Canvas.

Course Expectations in the Classroom

  • Complete at least 4 visits to an individual classroom.
  • Work with a learner or a small group of learners under the teacher’s supervision (DO NOT OBSERVE- BE A PARTICIPANT!)
  • Teach a minimum of two lessons created by you AND preapproved by the cooperating teacher.
  • Complete two case studies for the EDSP 443 under the supervision of your cooperating teacher. This assignment will focus on teaching strategies and accommodations. It will be turned in through the EDSP 443 class.
  • Dress appropriately for the classroom--NO JEANS!
  • Display professional attributes: act professionally, communicate appropriately and effectively, comply with procedures and rules, encourage learners, maintain a positive attitude, be prompt, respect learners from diverse backgrounds.
  • Keep an accurate time sheet; it will be signed by the cooperating teacher at the conclusion of your field experience.
  • No food or drink in the field experience classroom.

Policy of Academic Integrity

GBC subscribes to the traditional policy of academic integrity: students are expected to be honest. Students are expected to do their own work. Students who plagiarize or commit academic dishonesty are violating the standards of academic integrity and are subject to consequences ranging from failing the assignment or course to dismissal from the institution.

Accommodations

Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. The Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (Julie G. Byrnes) will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 775.753.2271.

Outcomes and Measurement

Learner Outcomes Correlated with INTASC

Expected Learner Outcomes
When in the field, the student will . . . / InTasc
Standard / Measurement
display professional attributes including, but not limited to, dressing appropriately, attending as scheduled, respecting confidentiality, and exhibiting general behaviors that give a professional impression. / Principle 9 / Teacher evaluation
reflect upon the suggestions given to improve teaching performance and consider how decisions are made in the classroom based upon this reflection. / Principle 9 / Teacher evaluation
Reflections
effectively communicate with the cooperating teacher and students considering the power of word choice, grammar, and verbal as well as nonverbal messages sent. / Principle 6 / Teacher evaluation
maintain confidential communication about individuals with exceptional learning needs and communicate in person-first language. / Principle 10 / Reflections
Teacher evaluation
Expected Learner Outcomes
When in the field, the student will / CEC
Standard / Measurement
Use understanding of development and individual differences to respond to the needs of individuals with exceptionalities. / 1.2 / Lesson plans and reflection
Engage individuals with exceptionalities to work toward quality learning and performance and provide feedback to guide them. / 4.4 / Lesson plans and reflection
Consider an individual’s abilities, interests, learning environments, and cultural and linguistic factors in the selecting, development, and adaptation of learning experiences for individual with exceptionalities. / 5.1 / Lesson plans and reflection
Use professional Ethical Principles and Professional Practice Standards to guide their practice. / 6.1 / Teacher Evaluation

Course Requirements- (must complete to pass)

Use the due dates in Canvas for each of these assignments.

Classroom Visits

Each student will spend at least 30 hours in the assigned class. Professionalism needs to be adhered at all times.

Reflection Journal

Each student will complete a reflection journal (blog) on the discussion board. You will post to yourself and keep an ongoing discussion. You must keep your blog up-to-date. You also must read your classmates and make comments on their postings/ reflections.

Goals

Each student will submit her goals through Webcampus. Remember to make them SMART- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. They need to be aligned to the CEC Initial Level Special Educator Preparation Standards or from the Initial Special Education Individualized General Curriculum Standards.

Final Reflection

A final reflection of the entire semester showing insightful thoughts about your placement will be used to summarize your field placement. It is not to be used as a journal to state what happened but as a tool to think about and reflect about student learning.

Written lesson plans and reflection

You will consult with the special education teacher in which you are assigned. After discussion and agreement of an objective for a specific learning group, you are to prepare two to three lesson plans thatfollow the attached format. After preparing the lesson and having it preapproved by the teacher, you will teach the lesson to the students on the agreed upon date. You will submit the lesson plan and the reflection on how the lesson was taught.

Discussion Regarding CEC Standards

Read the attached standards- take notes, highlight…These are the standards in which all beginning special education teacher should be able to do. In your own words, paraphrase each of the SEVEN standards and provide an example of each of what it would look like in the classroom. Respond to all of your classmates. This is a threaded discussion.

Grading

Students must complete all assignments. The students must complete ALL assignments satisfactorily to pass. There are three ways in which you will receive a “W” regardless of the number of points earned: 1) a poor evaluation from your cooperating teacher, 2) an unexcused absence in your observation classroom, 3) not using professionalism at all times, or 4) not completing all assignments.

Lesson plan format

(For small group or individual)

Grade

Curriculum Area

Did you need to complete a preassessment? Yes, no, why…

State Standards

  • Utilize the standards provided by teacher (2 is maximum for one lesson- 1 preferable) The standards will be grade level.

Objectives

  • Student will….
  • Be sure objectives are 1) student-oriented, 2) descriptive of an appropriate learning outcome, 3) clear and understandable, and 4) observable.

Assessment

  • How will you know the students have learned the objective?

Procedure

  • Be specific on strategies for transition, arranging students, stating the objective, teaching the lesson, guided practice, independent practice, closure

Differentiation/ Accomodations

  • Based upon the preassessment should the lesson be differentiated? How?

Time Frame

  • How much time will the lesson take? Include minutes on your plans for each task.

Materials

  • What do the students and the teacher need in order to complete the lesson?

Reflection of teaching the lesson

Name ______Date ______

BEFORE teaching, did you consider your learner’s abilities, interests, learning environments, cultural and linguistic factors? How did this impact your lesson?

Were the lesson plans complete and easy to follow?

Did I state the objective of the lesson?

Did the students achieve the objective? How do you know?

Were the students engaged accordingly?

At what point can you tell that the students understood the lesson (or don’t)? What were the signs that indicated the understanding?

What do you think of the pacing? Does it appear, based on student reaction, that the lesson was too long in places, too short, etc.?

What were your successes?

What were your challenges?

How will you alter your teaching based on the lesson you taught?

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FIELD EXPERIENCE TIME SHEET

EDSP 484

Special Education Field Experience: Elementary Level

Teacher Candidate’s Name:______School:______

Cooperating Teacher:______Date:______

Date / Time In / Time Out / Daily Total
Total Hours (Must complete at least 25 hours)

______

Teacher Candidate’s Signature Cooperating Teacher’s Signature

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Dr. Seuss’s IEP (Uses the rhythm from Green Eggs and Ham)

Source: Anonymous

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Do you like these IEPs?

I do not like these IEPs

I do not like them, Geez Louise

We test, we check

We plan, we meet

But nothing ever seems complete

Would you, could you like the form?

I do not like the form I see

Not page 1, not 2, not 3

Another change

A brand new box

I think we all

Have lost our rocks

Could you all meet here or there?

We could not meet here or there

We cannot all fit anywhere!

Not in a room

Not in a hall

There seems to be no space at all

Would you, could you meet again?

I cannot meet again next week

No lunch, no prep

Please hear me speak

No not at dusk. No not at dawn

At 4pm I should be gone

Could you hear while all speak out?

Would you write the words they spout?

I could not hear, I would not write

This does not need to be a fight

Sign here, date there

Mark this, check that

Beware the student’s ad-vo-cat (e)

You do not like them

So you say

Try again, try again!

And you may

If you will let me be

I will try again

You’ll see

Say!

I almost like these IEPs!

I think I’ll write six thousand three

And I will practice day and night

Until they say

“You’ve got it right!”

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Copied from

Churchill, L. R., Mulholland, R., & Cepello. M.R. (2008). A Practical Guide for Special Education Professionals (p. 41). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall