The Mission of the Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University Is

The mission of the Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University is to prepare education professionals to create the schools of tomorrow.

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

College of Education

ESE 380 – Introduction to Exceptional Children

Fall 2004

General Information
Course Description
Course Goals

Course Objectives and Arizona Standards
Text and Supplementary Resources
Grading

Class Assignments

Semester Organizer
Course Policies
Grading Rubrics
Article summary and Review
Accessibility Analysis
Review of Popular Literature or Film
Special Education in Today’s Schools

General Information

Instructor:Chris Lanterman, Clinical InstructorOffice:202M, COE/27

E-Mail:hone:928-523-3575

Instructor/Course Website:

Office Hours:By appointment

Monday/Wednesday:2:00 – 3:30

Tuesdays:12:00 – 2:00

Course Prerequisites: NoneCredit Hours:3

Course Description

The concept of diversity is expanding, and permeates the culture of the United States. From popular literature and film to television advertising, individuals with disabilities are increasingly present in the public view. Consider Sean Pen’s character, Sam Dawson, in I Am Sam, Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt in Rainman, Marlee Matlin’s character, Sarah Norman, in Children of A Lesser God, or Val Kilmer as Virgil Adamson in At First Sight. Perhaps you have been to a grocery store and were assisted by a courtesy clerk with a developmental disability, followed a woman into a restaurant who was being assisted by a guide dog, or crossed the street with a man using a wheelchair. People with disabilities are no different than any one of us, except for the fact that they may do things differently. This awareness can provide a basis for common understanding, tolerance and collaboration in our communities, our schools and even in our families.

The United States government has passed several laws that protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in schools, in the workplace and in the community, at large. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) all share in guaranteeing individuals with disabilities equal opportunities across these domains. Unfortunately, these laws do not guarantee that the people with whom they interact will recognize the strengths and positive attributes of these individuals with disabilities.

This course will provide you with an overview of different disabilities, as enumerated in the IDEA and Section 504, in the context of children attending public schools. Students with disabilities are more prevalent in general education classes than ever before, from pre-kindergarten through high school. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the law that governs special education, requires that students with disabilities be included in general education classes, with their peers who are not disabled, to the maximum extent possible. For this reason, pre-service teachers in the elementary education program, as well as those who are dual majors in elementary and special education, must develop a broad understanding of the strengths, needs and typical characteristics of students with disabilities, while retaining a focus on each student’s individual identity.

This course helps class members to develop a basic understanding of the learning and developmental characteristics, educational service provisions, and common instructional needs of students with disabilities.

This course meets one of the Arizona Department of Education requirements for special education certification. It is a basic overview/survey of all areas and categories of special education. The purpose is to provide an introduction to students with exceptionalities for those who have little to no background in special education, and will help in preparing for the special education component of the Arizona Educators’ Proficiency Assessment (AEPA).

Due to the scope of this course, the depth into which each category of disability is investigated will be limited. In addition, the pace of the course is rigorous, in order to discuss each of the disability categories covered under the IDEA, along with legal foundations, the individualized education program (IEP) and students who are gifted. Classroom interventions are discussed in the text, but are covered in detail in ESE 450 (Methods in Special Education) and ESE 426 (Foundations/Methods in Secondary special Education).
Course goals include...

You will develop a personal philosophy about the education of exceptional students as an underlying rationale for future study;

You will engage in open discussion, exchange, and exploration of ideas surrounding individuals with disabilities, their strengths, needs and common characteristics;

You will acquire factual information necessary for understanding the exceptional learner, including statistics, definitions, and common characteristics;

You will broaden personal experience with exceptional individuals through readings, activities, discussions, guest speakers, films and personal projects;

You will become familiar with medical, social, psychological, and educational aspects of special education and individuals with disabilities.

Objectives and Arizona Standards:

Analyze the major social, cultural, economic issues in special education.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of P.L. 105-17; the Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 15 A.C.R.R., R7-2-401 through R7-2-405; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Standard 9.2

Analyze legal responsibilities of schools, parents, and students. Standard 9.2

Demonstrate advanced knowledge and an understanding of the characteristics and etiologies of the various disabling conditions. Standard 9.1

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the educational implications of possible deficits and deviations from normal child growth and development. Standard 9.1

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the physical, nutritional, cultural, and environmental factors related to learning problems. Standard 9.1

Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the roles of parents with children who have disabilities.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of cultural and ethnic issues related to education/special education. Standard 9.1

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the unique needs of culturally diverse exceptional individuals and their families. Standard 9.1

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of career and vocational education and employment of individuals with disabilities. Standard 9.2

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of community and agency resources serving persons with disabilities.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the history and philosophy of both regular and special education.

Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of current issues and trends in special education service delivery systems including the Regular Education Initiative and the consultation/ collaboration model.

Demonstrate respect and sensitivity toward all individuals.

Demonstrate an understanding of the role of technology, including assistive technology, in providing appropriate special education services. Standard 9.3

Course Structure/Approach

An overarching perspective of this course is the child as an individual, rather than the child as her disability. The content, discussions, lecture, guest speakers and films that comprise the course will help class members to recognize special education as an integral component of a child’s educational experience, rather than the child’s complete educational experience.

This course will be taught using a mixture of lecture, discussion, and small group activities. Class participation is required. Course readings will be assigned to supplement in-class activities and students must complete each assignment prior to the scheduled class meeting.

Text and Supplementary Resources

Students must complete reading assignments prior to class meetings. Materials covered during class may not duplicate reading content. In many instances, class activities are designed to supplement and expand upon concepts presented in readings.

Required:

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R, Shank, M, & Smith, S. (2004). Exceptional lives: Special Education in today's schools. (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Available at NAU Bookstore, 928-523-4041: You may also look for this book direct from the publisher at

A web-page has also been assembled for ESE380 on the Cline Library Website. This page is meant to supplement your text with information about the topics covered in class and links to various websites that contain helpful and important information. The web-page can be accessed at:

You can also find the course page by following these steps:

•Start at the library home page (

•Click on “Course Resources”

•Click on “For Students”

•Enter “ESE 380” as a search

•Click on aa. ESE 380 Course Resources

•and finally, click on VIEW COURSE RESOURCES

Additionally, the Prentice Hall Company has a “Companion Website” for the Turnbull text, which provides practice quizzes, case study information, additional resources, and more, to supplement your readings, if you choose. The Companion Website is located at:

Grading

The following table summarizes the assignments, due dates and point values for the course. A description of each assignment can be found in the next section of the rubric.

Assignment

/ Date(s) / Points
Article Summary/Review / 9/21 / 45
Exam I / 9/28 / 80
Exam II / 10/26 / 80
Accessibility Analysis / 11/16 / 100
Film Review / 11/23 / 100
Special Education in Today’s Schools / 12/7 / 50
Practice Quizzes / 9/14
10/19
11/30 / 15
Class Participation / 12/7 / 50
Final Exam / TBA / 80

TOTAL

/ 600

Overall Grading:

You will receive a grade based on accumulated points accrued on assignments as a percentage of the total points possible for the class. Grading will be as follows:

92 – 100%=A

85 – 91%=B

76 – 84%=C

69 – 75%=D

Below 69%=F

Class Assignments:

All assignments must be submitted on, or before, the designated date due. No assignments will be accepted more than seven calendar days beyond the date due, unless exceptional or mitigating circumstances are discussed with the instructor prior to the assignment due date.

All assignments must be typed and proof read for spelling and grammatical errors prior to being submitted. Assignments submitted as a requirement for another course may not be submitted for this class. All assignments should reflect independent effort. Although students are encouraged to use all resources possible to complete their assignments, all submitted work should exhibit no similarity to another class member’s work (see Academic Dishonesty below).

Assignments will be submitted in print form. In exceptional circumstances, permission to submit an assignment via e-mail may be given, provided the request is made prior to the class meeting during which the assignment is due.

Article Summary and Review

(45 points)

With the “highly qualified teacher” and “evidence-based education” requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), it is increasingly incumbent upon practicing educators to stay current in educational research. Subscribing to publications, such as Education Week, Teaching Exceptional Children, Preventing School Failure, or others, can keep teachers aware of research-based practices in their particular area. It is important to be able to take the key ideas from a research study, then summarize and synthesize them into a working understanding of the material presented.

Students will be responsible for identifying, reading, and providing a summary and review for an article about educational interventions for students with the type of disabilities covered in chapters of the text, or other topics covered in the text (e.g. multicultural education, IEP’s, etc.). The article you choose should be a research study and should be from a reputable, refereed journal (not a website, such as ldonline.org, aamr.org, neuroskills.com, etc.). Please follow the rubric provided at the end of the syllabus for details on the requirements for this assignment. Your paper should be double-spaced with one-inch margins, and should accurately summarize the methods and results of the study.

Please include the citation for your article at the beginning of your review using APA style. (Note: An APA publication manual is available at the reference desk at Cline Library. You may also find notes for electronic source citations on the APA website at:

or you can access information on APA citations styles at:

or

You must include a copy of the article with your review.

This assignment must be submitted in print form on or before the class meeting during which it is due.

Accessibility Analysis

(100 points)

The application of knowledge and skills developed in the classroom is a true test of learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a paradigm in curricular and instructional design that will facilitate the inclusive model of educating students with special needs. Class members will explore the principles of UDL through readings and class discussions, then evaluate hypothetical classroom situations for their use of UDL.

In groups, class members will evaluate a hypothetical classroom for its accessibility, based on the principles of universal design, as presented in Chapter 2 and other course materials. The group will work together to identify what components of the case are already universally-designed, which are not, and present solutions for any design deficits.

A more specific grading rubric is found at the end of the syllabus, including the requirements for evaluating group member participation.

Review of Popular Literature/Film

(100 points)

The difference between having a disability and not can change in a matter of seconds, and noone is exempt from a twist of life circumstances. Life experiences do not always discriminate between individuals who have disabilities and those who do not. We can witness this in our popular culture, through music, literature and film. However, misconceptions about disabilities can be perpetuated by misguided or stereotyped portrayals in these media. Class members will apply what they have learned in the course about disabilities, and the individuals affected by them, to analyze a work of literature or film that portrays a person with a disability for its accuracy and for its similarity to our own life experiences.

Read a popular press book or view a film that depicts individuals with disabilities and write a reflection based on information presented in class.

Your reflection should summarize the book/film, thoroughly compare its content to course material, and express your view of the book/film, relative to your personal experiences. The review should be double-spaced with one-inch margins.

A grading rubric is provided at the end of the syllabus.

This assignment must be submitted in print form on or before the class meeting during which it is due.

Some possible titles (you do not need to use these titles, but you may wish to consult with the instructor if you are unsure about the book or film that you would like to review.):

Books / Films
Murphys Boy / My Left Foot
Ghost Girl / Children Of A Lesser God
One Child / Butterflies Are Free
Don’t Shoot the Dog / If You Could See What I Hear
There Are No Children Here Anymore / Lorenzo’s Oil

Karen

/ I Am Sam
Helen Keller / Mr. Holland’s Opus
Of Mice And Men / House of Cards

To Kill A Mockingbird

/ Finding Forrester

Flowers for Algernon

/ Forrest Gump

Special Education in Today’s Schools

(50 points)

Your role as an educator, related service provider, instructional assistant or other professional in the education system will, in some way, overlap with special education and the students who are served under the IDEA. The extent to which you will participate in the process will vary, depending on your circumstance. Special education and students with exceptional needs, however, are a part of every school and every classroom in the public education system. For this reason, it is valuable for you to assess and reflect upon your perspectives relative to special education and students with exceptional needs.

Each member of this class will be responsible for completing a critical analysis of special education that describes your values and beliefs about special education, your role as a general education teacher, special education teacher or other related professional in special education, the purpose and role of special education in a school system, and what you feel the outcomes of special education should be.

Though this reflection is personal, the evaluation will include a component addressing the appropriate application of knowledge gained through this course. The analysis should be double-spaced with one-inch margins.

A grading rubric is c is provided at the end of the syllabus.

This assignment must be submitted in print form on or before the class meeting during which it is due.

Exams

(80 points each)

Assessment is an integral part of any effective learning process, especially when the assessment provides immediate, corrective feedback to the learner, and information to the instructor on the efficacy of instruction. Some assessment is designed to evaluate knowledge and comprehension skills, which are lower levels of learning or abstraction, while others evaluate application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation, which are higher levels of learning and abstraction on Bloom’s Taxonomy. The tests for this course are designed to evaluate both lower and higher order levels of abstraction.

There will be a total of three exams over the course of the semester, including the final exam. Each exam will consist of multiple-choice, true/false, short answer and essay questions. The multiple-choice and true/false portion will be completed on a Scantron bubble sheet, that you must provide. The essay and/or short-answer items must be completed in word-processed form, and must be submitted on the date due. Each exam will be given as a take-home exam. In completing the open response questions, please keep in mind the policies on academic dishonesty (see Course Policies)

Practice Quizzes

(5 points each)

A total of three practice quizzes will be given over the course of the session, based on course readings, lecture and other course content. Each quiz will be completed on a Scantron bubble sheet, that you must provide, and will consist of 15 true/false and/or multiple-choice questions. The quizzes are designed to provide an insight into the questions that will be asked on the exams, and will be graded based on completion, not on the number correct.

Class Attendance/Participation

(30 points)

Participation in this course, as in many courses, is essential for each class member to make this a successful learning experience. Beyond your own benefit, the active and engaged participant benefits the entire class through personal experiences, valuable and varied perspectives, creative thought and critical reflection. Participation is not simply speaking up in class; it is enthusiasm, emotional and intellectual presence, collaborative spirit and intense dedication to the focus of the course...children with disabilities.