Course Information

Course Description:

Academic and adaptations for the inclusive setting for teaching students with mild-moderate disabilities; includes an one hour practicum or a special classroom project for those currently teaching in a special education setting

Course Objectives:

The focus is on general and specialized curriculum and methods used for teaching students with mild/moderate educational needs in the P-12 setting, with adaptations that facilitate inclusion in the school, home, and community. Curricula and intervention strategies, including the use of  technology, for the development of cognitive, academic, social, language, affective, career, and functional life skills necessary for independent, community, and personal living and employment are examined. IEP and lesson plans are developed in transition, academic, adaptive behavior, and vocational areas. Field and clinical experiences allow students to tutor students with mild/moderate learning and/or behavior problems.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites:

Recommended prerequisites:  TEAS 4/5/6001, TEAS 4/5/6003, TEAS 4/5/6004, TEAS 4/5/6005, TEAS 4/5/6006, TEAS 4/5/6007,

Course Topics:

·         Overview of Mild – Moderate Disabilities (Characteristics and Needs)

·         Differentiated Assessment for Students with Mile – Moderate Disabilities

·         Brain – Compatible Instruction and Personal Responsibility for Learning

·         Differentiated Instructions: Individualized Learning Strategies and Solutions: IEP

·         Communication and Social Skills

·         Functional Reading across the Curriculum

·         Functional Math across the Curriculum

·         Assessment in Planning for Inclusion

·         Assessment in Planning for Transition

·         Assistive Technology for Academic and Social Skills

·         Role of the Special Educator: Facilitator of Learning, Advocate for the Student, and Liaison for the School, Home, Community.

·        Home and Personal Living Skills

Specific Course Requirements:

• Assigned Readings and Lectures (10 pts.)
• Case Study (included as part of the practicum and observations) Graduate Students must complete a research/power point presentation regarding four national programs that have demonstrated proven results in teaching and learning of students with mild – moderate disabilities.
• Collection of Internet Learning Objects in the area of Math, Reading, Social Skills, Communication, Writing, etc. (50 for UG/ 100 for Graduate Students.) (25pts)
• Two Interviews with Special Education Teachers regarding teaching strategies and working with mildly and moderately disabled students.
• Two summaries of recommended videos (2 – 4 pages) (10 pts)
• Observation of an IEP (summary of the identified curriculum goals and instructional strategies) **Adherence to FERPA will be strictly enforced. No students’ names of identity will be presented in submitted reports. (10 pts)
• Observation of an Assistive Technology Center/School/Agency (10 pts)
• Final Project based on best practices noted in the readings, textbook, online lectures, videos, and threaded discussions for the developed of the Curriculum Plan: (25pts)
  ** Curriculum Plan for Mild & Moderate Students with Disabilities (Graduate Students must design a curriculum which includes two units with five lessons per unit and teach one of the lessons to a student. Under graduate students must tutor a student with a lesson that has been designed by the supervising teacher.)
• Graduate Students: Advanced Research Requirement: In depth research paper regarding differentiated Instructions including Individualized Learning Strategies and Solutions.
  
  

Practicum: (part of final project)

• Students enrolling in a course which includes a practicum can expect to spend 30 hours in a classroom with special needs students in the emphasis area in which the student is seeking the additional teaching endorsement.
• Students may not enroll in two practicum courses during the same semester.
• Faculty teaching practicum courses will partner with the students' school district to make sure that students are placed in the correct practicum for their concentration area.
• Graduate students will design a specialized curriculum for mildly disabled students and one for moderately disabled students (two units with five lesson plans per unit). In addition, the graduate students must design and teach a lesson and provide feedback of the assessment of the lesson. Undergraduate students will tutor a student in and provide feedback of the assessment of the tutoring session.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course:
http://rodp.bkstr.com/ 
** [Textbook: Curriculum and Assessment for Students With Moderate and Severe Disabilities by Diane M Browder, Barbara Wilson, 2005.]

Supplementary Materials:

A list of other published material the student is required to purchase for the course including lab manuals, lab kits, etc.

Hardware Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...

Software Requirements:

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. Specific hardware requirements for this course include...(A list of software the student is required to purchase or download for the course, Real Player, Media Player, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office, etc).

Instructor Information

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

Assessment and Grading

Testing Procedures:

The supervising instructor will validate all information regarding the practicum and observation.

Grading Procedure:

A detailed statement of how grades are related to or reflective of the expected learning outcomes. A statement of what constitutes high achievement in the course. 

Grading Scale:

90-100---A
80-89--B
70-79---C

60-69---D

59-and below---F

Assignments and Participation

Assignments and Projects:

A sequenced list of assignments and projects arranged by course section or module with due dates if applicable.

Class Participation:

A statement that students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course if interaction is part of the course design. For example, students must communicate with other students in the

chat room, students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, students must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.

Punctuality:

A statement of course milestones to keep the students on track in an asynchronous environment. 

Course Ground Rules

A reiteration and emphasis of certain rules and course expectations.  For example: participation is required; students are expected to communicate with other students in team projects, learn how to navigate in WebCT, and keep abreast of course announcements; students must use the assigned college or university e-mail address rather than a personal e-mail address; students should address technical problems immediately; students must observe course netiquette at all times. 

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

• Always include a subject line.
• Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
• Use standard fonts.
• Do not send large attachments without permission.
• Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
• Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussion Groups:

• Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
• Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
• Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of others' ideas.
• Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
• Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
• Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
• Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Chat:

• Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session.
• Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements.
• Be concise in responding to others in the chat session.
• Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time.
• Be constructive in your comments and suggestion

Web Resources:

• Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor
• Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses.

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support

Telephone Support:

If you are having problems logging into your course,
timing out of your course, using your course web site tools, or other technical problems, please contact the AskRODP Help Desk by calling

1-866-550-7637 (toll free)

or go to the AskRODP website at:

http://help.rodp.org