Syllabus for SPE 523 Dr. Karin Dyke January 13, 2010

Welcome! Welcome to SPE 523 Methods! Top 5 reasons why I believe this class will be important and enjoyable for you: We will together - 1. Describe and discuss research-based methods and strategies for teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities that will help you accommodate and challenge each member of your class 2. Garner information about effective instruction for a variety of disabilities that will improve your instructional effectiveness. 3. Access a variety of teaching methods to enhance the inclusion of students with disabilities, thus provide you with information about how to better assist students in accessing the general education curriculum. 4. Identify a variety of assessment approaches to link assessment with instruction thus allowing special needs students to have better scores. 5. Revisit IEP’s that will allow you to observe and participate in administering proper school procedure and classroom accommodation.

What else would you like to learn? What else is important to you? Take 5 minutes and write a couple of things that you would like to learn from this class (This corresponds with item #6 on your student information sheet). Please take a minute also to fill out the provided student information sheet for this class.

Texts Cohen, L., & Spenciner, L. J. (2009). Teaching students with mild and moderate disabilities: Research- based practices (2 nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson. Available as an etext or on 2 hour reserve in the library. Olson, K. (2009). Wounded by School. New York, New York: Teachers College Press. $14.93 on Amazon.com; a book that will make you think Pollock, M. (Ed.). (2008). Every day anti racism: Getting real about race inschool. New York, NY: The New Press. $13.73 on Amazon.com. You will use this book again! This will be primarily an in-class reading.

Field Placement 20 hours required for this class If you are already in the classroom, that’s your field placement If you don’t have a classroom, I can arrange one if you will sign up on our field placement list tonight (no substitute teaching assignments accepted) Everyone needs to tape one video of a lesson. If this is not possible, you need to let me know by Wednesday, 1/20 so that we can arrange for a visit or an alternative assignment Videos/observations need to be completed by March 17 (Wednesday) The field evaluation forms that I will fill out and the forms for a field placement assignment are on the class wiki

Technology You will need to have access to microsoft word for submission of papers electronically You will need to access a tool for submission of discussion questions & for participating in class discussions on the wiki ( (wikispaces.com) Discussion questions will need to be turned in electronically and on the We will sign up for the wiki and go over to the library tonight so that we can practice our wiki skills. We’ll do that the last half of class this evening

Discussion Questions There are a total of 9 discussion question guides but only 5 (top of pg. 5 should read “5 guides at 6 pts. each) will be turned in on the wiki and discussed, however you are responsible for the information in all 9 guides Discussion guide due dates are as follows: –Discussion guide 1, Due 1/20……6 –Discussion guide 2, Due 1/27……6 –Discussion guide 3, Due 2/3……..6 –Discussion guide 4, Due 2/10……6 –Discussion guide 5, Due 3/3……..6 I am asking that you turn the discussion guides in on the wiki and electronically to account for any “gremlins” that might occur You will turn discussion questions into the wiki by 730 pm You will also make 2 wiki postings where you look at least 2 other student papers and make comments—if you do not do the discussion postings, the best you can get on any discussion guide is 4 points

Class Discussions In addition to the discussion guides, you will be posting comments about 2 other people’s papers (1 comment/paper for a total of 2 comments/week=2 points) Non Examples –Awesome paper (student name)! –I really liked the way you spelled every word correctly on your paper (student name). –Way to go (student name). Examples: The ideas presented in (student name’s) paper really expanded the ideas of (concept) by helping me to think in the following ways: (Student name’s) ideas about (concept) have made me think about my classroom practice in the following new ways: (Student name’s) ideas about our readings have enticed me to think about trying the following new things in my classroom with my students: The ideas presented in (student name’s) paper have helped me clarify the following questions that I had from this week’s readings: The two student papers that I read differ from my interpretation of (concept). They have represented the concept to mean (explain). I thought it meant (explain). Which one is correct? We will practice this tonight with an article and on the computers at the library You will turn class discussion comments into the wiki by Wednesday, 530 pm For doing the discussion questions and class discussion on the wiki, I will give you an hour off of class on the nights that discussion questions are due so we will strive to let class out at 730.

Quick Class Discussion Turn to a partner and answer the following: 1.What is the most important to you about the syllabus so far? 2.What is one question that you have so far? Be prepared to share with the class Take 5 minutes

Other Class Assignments IEP Summary Paper…………,,………………………………..15 pts Selection of classroom method for poster presentation……………………………………20 pts  Poster ……………………………….15  Student presentation to the class… 5 Discussion leader for 1 chapter of Wounded by School…………………………………………… 5 pts Understanding Students with Disabilities …………………………………………………….30 pts  Paper…………………………………..20 pts  Student Presentation to the class ….10 pts Total …………………………………………………….100 pts

Discussion Leader for Wounded by School Essentially, you will read a chapter in the book and then come to class and lead a discussion. This will require you have some planned questions and possibly some thoughts to share. WHILE THERE IS ONLY ONE DISCUSSION LEADER, EVERYONE WILL READ THE ASSIGNED CHAPTER EACH WEEK Some chapters will have 2 discussion leaders, others will be 1 so that everyone can have an opportunity This starts next week Suggested activities available in full copy of syllabus We’ll take 10 minutes to sign up for each week starting next week; 5 minutes to book and 5 minutes to sign up

Attendance You may miss up to 2 classes without penalty; after which, I at my discretion, deduct a letter grade for each missed class If we have a snow day, then I WILL have the material on the wiki. I will also let you know by 3pm on the day class is cancelled via . If you don’t have access to , then get someone who has access to call you Snow day wiki assignments quite likely could have a short response paper due, so please check the wiki on show days If we miss b/c of snow and you have an assignment due, it will be due the following week (for instance, you are a discussion leader, then we will have 2 discussion sessions next time)

Wednesday, February 17 & Wednesday, March 24th February 17 th will be either a work night or a simulated IEP meeting  If you can attend an IEP meeting at your school/in your placement, then you don’t need to attend this class and may work on your paper which will be due the following week  If you CANNOT attend an IEP meeting thru a school, then you will need to come to this class and we will simulate an IEP meeting so that you can provide the assigned paper on the 24th March 24 th at 615 pm will be a meeting at Hopewell to meet with Tommie Libecap. She will be talking to us about communication difficulties and classroom accommodations as well as technology for general classroom use

How will I know how to do the rest of my assignments? The wiki! Paper/assignment samples Rubrics Assignment explanations in the syllabus I will set up posters that I have done for other classes while we take a 10 minute break so that you can see format During the break, you need to sign up for invitation to the wiki, look at posters, and relax! Questions?