Comments: SpeG 621:

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CommentsSpeG 621

• Feedback to Ex A Group,
• The group's slides are quite good! The So What
  slides tend to be your complete sentences rather
  than the "talking points" for a presentation
  using PowerPoint.  Your So What for the Race and
  Ethnicity is a good model to follow in that those
  statements are not the long complete sentences,
  and they contain only the sparse words.  Even
  those could have been reduced in length of
  statement. All else flows well, is quite
  comprehensive, and conveys the individual
  components from each member in an integrated
  fashion.  I particularly like the parallel
  structure of each segment of the presentation. 
  You might want to look again at the list of
  elements of an effective PowerPoint presentation
  on the second page of the rubric for guidance re
  the length of bullets.
• Looking forward to your group's presentation
  where I'll learn the details about your talking
  points, Mary

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SpeG 621 Presentation on Observations

• By (names of group members)

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Overview

• Settings educational, recreational, vocational
• Service Providers Public Schools,
  Collaborative After school Programs, Employers
• Ages Children and Adults

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Evidence of Ethical Practice

• CEC Council for Exceptional Children
• School Settings Elementary/Secondary/Special
• Behavior management techniques in place
• Incorporation of related service providers
• Modification of material
• Certified staff, Teacher training programs
• Safe and effective learning environments

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Evidence of Ethical Practice

• After School Settings
• Coordination with other agencies
• Safe and effective learning environments
• Behavior management techniques in place
• Effective communication with parents
• Adult/Work/Vocational Settings
• Staff training, Professional development
• Independence of participants
• Safe and effective learning environments

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Evidence of Ethical Practice

• Adult/Work/Vocational Settings
• Staff training, Professional development
• Independence of participants
• Safe and effective learning environments
• So What?
• Small sample of practices found
• In all settings the health and well being of the
  students was evident in all aspects of the
  programs.
• The existence of ethical standards helps provide
  guidelines for our interactions with the students
  under our care and with our colleagues.

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SUPPORTS

• CLASSROOM
• Classroom aides
• Student volunteers
• Special Education Support Staff

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SUPPORTS

• Outside of classroom
• For Students
• Specialists OT PT
• Guidance Counselors
• SLPs
• For Staff
• Team meetings and staff supervision
• In Service Trainings

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Supports--So What?

• Students were getting support in the class as
  well as outside of it
• Numerous different types of support available for
  the student in the classroom
• Teachers were also able to get support from other
  peers and training

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Applications of Disability Laws--IDEA

• Modifications called for by IEPs were the
  most identifiable element in classrooms, such as
• Use of adaptive technology
• Preferred seating
• Modified homework and assessments
• Support staff helping special needs students in
  regular classrooms

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Applications of Disability Laws--Least
Restrictive Environment (LRE)

• LRE calls for special education students to be
  educated in the regular classroom as much as
  possible
• Most students in regular education classrooms
  with some time in resource rooms
• Some students in substantially separate
  environment

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Applications of Disability LawsAmericans with
Disabilities Act

• ADA provides civil rights protections for
  people with disabilities in public and private
  life
• Employers may not discriminate or refuse to hire
  people with disabilities, and must make
  facilities accessible
• In professional venues, we saw wheelchair
  accessible ramps in workplaces and hand bars in
  toilets
• In the workplaces visited, we saw
  non-discrimination in the hiring of people with
  disabilities

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Application of Disability LawsSo What?

• Laws provide supports and protections for people
  with disabilities in school, workplaces, and
  public life
• Disability laws ideally gives each child in
  school what s/he needs to succeed
• Some students in separate environments need those
  environments to succeeddoes this always work?

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Diversity

• Race\Ethnicity
• Class
• Gender
• Age
• Language

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Class of 22 children

• Cape Verdean
• Vietnamese
• Dominican
• American, White, Female Teachers

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Race and Ethnicity

• Redbird School
• White, Not Hispanic 81
• Black, Not Hispanic 8
• Hispanic 6
• Asian/Pacific Islander 5
• Amer Indian/Alaskan Native 1

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Race and Ethnicity

• Canary Collaborative. Class of 6
• White
• Black
• Hispanic
• White Female Teachers

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So What?

• Class composition is reflective of neighborhood.
  
• Population of Cape Verde largest growing group.
  
• Bilingual Vietnamese/English program in place.
• Diverse staff need to be hired.
• Bilingual Portuguese program added.

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Diversity Within Setting

• Finch Boys and Girls Club
• Students African American, White, Hispanic. Boys
  gtGirl
• Staff Background varied.M\F Ratio unavail.
• Sparrow Center Youth Program
• Students Rich ethnic and racial diversity.
  BoysGirls
• Staff Background varied. Male Female
• Peacock Public School behavior adjustment room.
• Students African American, Haitian, White. Boys
  gtGirls
• Staff All female. 2 White, 1 Hispanic.

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Diversity Within Setting

• Hummingbird Program For The Blind
• Clients 50 yrs., Men Women, Legally Blind,
  diverse race/ethnicity from serv. area
• Staff White
• Wren School For The Blind Students From all
  around the world.
• Staff White fem, Eastern, African Amer.
• Parrot Elementary School
• Students African Amer., Latino bused.
• Staff Diverse

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So What?

• Program design reflects and draws upon rich
  ethnic and racial diversity in students and
  staff, along with ratios of gender to serve as
  role models for group identity.

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Adaptive Technology

• Jaws/Zoom Text (2 sites) A computer screen reader
  for the visually impaired
• CCTV/magnifiers (2 sites) To magnify text
• PacMate/Braille Note (1 site)
• Reading System/Games (1 site)
• Wood/Metal Mold Self-Threading Needle (1 site)
  To assist in vocational needs
• Scanner/Reading Software (1 site)
• Voice-to-text computer programs (2 sites)
  Transfers voice to word-text
• P.A. system in classroom for hearing impaired (1
  site)

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Adaptive TechnologySo What?

• The items listed, plus many more, are designed to
  help individuals who are visually impaired and
  blind participate in many activities. The market
  has many more items that were not observed in
  field observations.
• Research continues to provide advancements for
  adaptive technologies that make education more
  accessible for people with disabilities

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Conclusion

• We found a wealth of knowledge in each of the
  five areas.
• It is evident that most educational settings
  provide very similar services.
• The only differences were the age and ability of
  the participants.
• We all enjoyed our experiences and learned a lot
  by comparing and discussing what we saw.

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Quiz

• Were there ethical practices in our observations?
  What kind?
• What kinds of supports were observed?
• How does disability law help people with
  disabilities?
• List five factors that encompass diversity in the
  settings mentioned.
• What types of Adaptive Technologies were
  observed?

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Evaluation

• On a scale of 1-5 how clear and concise were the
  slides in general?
• On a scale of 1-5 how would you rate the oral
  presentation of the information?
• Did the presenters appear to be knowledgeable
  about the information presented?
• Was enough detail given to cover each category?