Class will start at the top of the hour!

1. WELCOME TO EP100Preparing for an Educational Paraprofessional CareerUnit 6Professional Organizations and Public Presence of Educational Paraprofessionals. Class will start at the top of the hour! Please turn the volume up on your computer speakers to access the audio feature of this seminar.

2. Tonight’s Agenda • Reminders/Announcements • Review of Unit 5 • Unit 6 Learning Outcomes • Unit 6 Assignments • Para Roles & Responsibilities • Professional Organizations and Standards • Other Resources • Preview Unit 7

3. Review of Unit 5 • Where do paras work? • What educational laws/principles affect their roles? • What are some skills that can be helpful for paras? • What are some educational issues/trends in the field? • Online resources (LD Online, ESL Teachers Board, Best Websites for Teachers) Questions? Comments?

4. Unit 6: Professional Organizations & Public Presence In this unit you will; • Summarize the benefits of professional organizations for academic and career goals • Explore the public presence of the paraprofessional field Are you ready to begin?

5. Unit 6 AssignmentsDue Tuesday Night by Midnight! Readings • Para Roles & Responsibilities • Para Organizations & Standards • Web Resources (Center for Helping Professions, Ed Studies Facebook page and Career Services* note corrected link in Announcements) Learning Activities • Presentation- "Meet Angelique DeClarke, Elementary School Paraprofessional" Graded Review: No Graded Review! Discussion Question • On Professional Organizations Seminar • Option #1 Attend seminar or Option #2 assignment/review archive

6. Paraprofessional Roles & Responsibilities • The paraprofessional role has evolved over the years • Paras are involved directly with instruction now • Settings range from pre-K to high school • Public, private schools, learning centers, after-school care, special education programs • Supervised by teachers/administrators at all times! • Duties/guidelines/training varies • Qualifications may vary (NCLB, etc.)

7. Take a Field Trip! Teaching assistant talks about what can be done to help today's students at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8thy6B4P68&feature=related How can teaching assistants support students? Educational Assistant (in CA) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-td-Y2eyxY What aspects of the job are appealing to you?

8. Paraprofessional Roles & Responsibilities • Small groups/individualized • Support reading, writing, math • Review/remedial/reinforcement lessons • Enriching, challenging lessons for high-ability students • Clerical duties • Monitor in non-academic settings • Specializations (math, science, technology) • Prepare materials/bulleting boards, organization • Special projects • Gather/record data on student performance • Support students with disabilities/second language learners • Transitional programs

9. Professional Organizations • National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals at www.nrcpara.org • Council for Exceptional Children at http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home • LD Online at http://www.ldonline.org/ • Paraeducator.com at http://www.paraeducator.com/ • National Education Association –Education Support Professionals at http://www.nea.org/home/1604.htm • American Federation of Teachers Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel at http://www.aft.org/yourwork/psrp/ What resources can be found at each of these websites?

10. Professional Standards-What does your state require? Visit NRCP's Report on State Standards at http://www.nrcpara.org/report/appendix3 (scroll down to “States with Credentialing Systems for Paras” and “States with Standards for Supervision and Licensure Requirements”)

11. Professional Standards-What do they advocate? • NRCP’s Standards-Responsibilities for Paraprofessionals at http://www.nrcpara.org/report/appendix2 • CEC’s Professional Standards for Paras at http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ProfessionalDevelopment/ProfessionalStandards/ • NEA’s Paraeducator Handbook at http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/05espparahandbook.pdf • AFT’s Standards for a Profession at http://www.aft.org/pdfs/psrp/psrpstandards1998.pdf • Washington (state) Paraeducator handbook at http://www.paraeducator.com/resources/parahandbook.pdf

12. Other Resources • Nat’l Clearinghouse for Paraeducator Resources at http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/Clearinghouse.html • KU’s Center for Helping Professions at http://www.helpingprofessions.kaplan.edu/ • Facebook—Educational Studies Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaplan-University-Educational-Studies/113857995323708 • KU’s Career Resources ("University Info" tab) https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/UniversityInfo/CareerResources/Index.aspx

13. Preview Unit 7: History of the Para Role • How educational law and history have affected the paraprofessional role, qualifications and training • A Day in the Life of a Special Needs Para • Spartacus Strategies: Critical Thinking • Project: How did historical events/laws impact the paraprofessional role (1950's to present)? • Use a frame matrix to organize (game, study guide)

14. Preview Unit 7: History of the Para Role Write a 2-3 page essay responding to questions: • What events in the 1950s, 1960s-1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s influenced the development of the paraprofessional role? 2. What were some of the major educational laws and how did they impact the field of education? 3. What are some of the current responsibilities paraprofessionals may now perform that have been influenced by these historical events?

15. Unit 7 Project Use the Frame Matrix & template provided

16. Thanks for attending Seminar! A little educational humor….. The little boy wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he made the teacher quite surprised. He tapped her on the shoulder and said ..."I don't want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don't get better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking."