1. ACTION RESEARCH PLAN PROPOSAL PRESENTATION Tracie Shehan EDU671 Instructor: Holley Prescott May 28, 2015

2. AREA OF FOCUS The purpose of this study is to seek a way to provide the teachers at the center more resources and trainings on how to successfully teach and nurture students with special needs or disabilities in the classroom. Also, to discover a way to make the educational experience more enjoyable and less stressful for both the students and the teachers. In general, teaching and working with children is not an easy career choice. It is important that the teachers are equipped with both the knowledge and tools to make the education experience the best for everyone involved.

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What are the best practices for teachers working with children with special needs? 2. What resources are available that would be cost efficient and beneficial for the programs? 3. What variables are involved in offering a quality educational experience for students with special needs?

5. LITERATURE The websites that I found with resource lists will be easy to use and implement in the research action plan to provide tools, videos, activities, handouts, and information. Since my main focus is to see what resources and trainings are available to teachers, networking with others through the websites and blogs will open up more doors. Two of the websites I will be using are: 1.Teacher Vision. (2000-2015). Special Needs- Teacher Resources. Retrieved from Teacher Vision: https://www.teachervision.com/special-education/teacher-resources/6640.htmlhttps://www.teachervision.com/special-education/teacher-resources/6640.html 2.Courduff, J. (2011, June). One Size Never Fits All: Tech Integration for Special Needs. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(8), 16-19. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ935415.pdf http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ935415.pdf

6. To the left you will see a brief screenshot of the TeacherVision website. Notice that all of the information is neatly organized and accessible. Further down on the page, the information is broken down into ‘needs’ such as ADD?ADHD resources, Behavior Modification, and Autism & Asperger’s Resources.

7. VARIABLES The only variable that I would have to consider during my research would be the age of the students. The targeted student population is very young (3 to 5 year olds) and a lot of the research and methods presented online and in trainings are geared toward older school-age students. Another variable that I may have to consider would be funding. Since the program that I work for is government funded and based on InKind, any additional materials or tools we may need to implement any of the techniques will have to be donated or very low in price to get approved.

9. DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION By providing more access to resources and trainings, both teachers and students will benefit by hopefully reducing stress and providing a better educational experience for the children. During the first week, My co-teacher and I will do some internet research to find online resources, tool-kits, and techniques that we can utilize in our classroom to help our students with special needs. Over the next four to five weeks, my co-teacher and I will implement some of the tools and resources that we have found into our daily routines and lesson plans. At the end of the time period, we will review and determine whether or not the techniques and resources have made a difference in our classroom and the stress levels for the students with special needs.

10. DATA COLLECTION & CONSIDERATIONS Research Questions Data Collection ToolWhy this tool? Justify its use in your study. How does it match to what you are attempting to find and to measure? 1. What are the best practices for teachers working with children with special needs? Internet Search I would begin by doing research through online databases and the local library to find studies that were completed on quality education for children with special needs. 2. What resources are available that would be cost efficient and beneficial for the programs? Internet Search I would do an internet search to compile a list of possible trainings or services to provide the center and then complete a cost/benefit analysis to determine whether they would be beneficial for the program. 3. What variables are involved in offering a quality educational experience for students with special needs? Questionnaires I would use questionnaires to gain feedback from administration and my co-teacher to get information about the obstacles or variables that are presented in offering quality education for these students.

11. DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION Throughout the study and at the end of the intervention, data will be collected through individual and classroom observations, Galileo assessments, and student/teacher interactions. At the end of the time period, the data will be analyzed to see if the resources, trainings, techniques were beneficial to the students and the teachers.

12. ACTION PLAN My co-teacher and I will use lesson plans, daily routines, transitions, and observations to implement the approaches, methods, and techniques we find during our research.

13. THANK YOU