Webfolio Defense Presentation

1. Webfolio Defense Presentation Beatrice Futch

2. Introduction • Academic • B. S. in Elementary Education (K-8) – May 2005 • B. S. in Psychology – December 2008 • Began the M. Ed. in Special Education the Summer 2009 • Access to general education opportunities is the right of every student. Special education means specially constructed instruction supported in the least restrictive environment (LRE), free of cost to the parent/guardian, to meet the unique individual needs of a child with a confirmed disability comprised of classroom instruction, home instruction, instruction in hospitals, institutions, and in other settings, and instruction in physical education. The term includes travel training, vocational education, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy if the service consists of specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents/guardians, to meet the unique individual needs of a child with a disability.

3. Outcome One: Philosophy and Educational OrganizationsSpecial Education Masters degree graduates have a comprehensive understanding of the philosophical, historical, social, political, and cultural understanding of schools and society.

4. Heuristic View • Artifacts • Curriculum Evaluation: Focusing on Reading First; Current Issues and Policies for Infants and Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School-Aged Children – PowerPoint; Abe’s Anecdote • Fit with the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Focus on building a cooperative, inquisitive, and respectful classroom. • Motivating each student as an individual. • Encourage students to transfer their knowledge outside of the classroom and exist within this world proud of who they are. • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Clear programmatic vision integrating subject matter pedagogy with educational theory and field experience within the special education arenato meet the educational needs of students with disabilities and those at risk academically or behaviorally. • Professional Posture • Continuous discovery of my tendencies, my strengths, and indeed my weaknesses.

5. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Defined professional knowledge and skills to individualize access to learning in both specialized and general curricula for individuals with special needs. • Increased Alignment with the College of Education’s Vision/Mission • Innovative, vital, and current information on addressing the educational needs of students who vary in culture, language, physical abilities, and many other characteristics. • Effect on my Professional Activities • Foster cultural understanding, safety and emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and active engagement where all students are welcomed, supported, and provided with the best possible opportunities to learn.

6. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Addressing all of my students cultural and ethnic needs, as well as their social, emotional, and cognitive needs was beyond reach. • Frustration at not being capable of responding effectively to every students individual needs. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Ability to meet my students variable needs, skills, talents, interests, and learning styles is attainable by integrating multiple techniques of pedagogy and methodology. • Prepared and inspired to daily stimulate and engage my students. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • The M. Ed. in Special Education has provided me the academic opportunity to establish a productive learning environment for each students’ diverse cultural, physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. • Language • The skill to communicate effectively alongside learners in the community whereby anticipating the achievement of attaining our schools expansion as a knowledgeable center within our community, a site of energetic intellectual inquiry, to the substantial benefit of each student.

7. “Education is a social process… Education is growth… Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” - John Dewey

8. Outcome Two: CurriculumSpecial Education Masters degree graduates understand that curriculum and interventions should be relevant, inviting, challenging, integrative, and exploratory. They know how to design, select and adapt curriculum for individuals in light of curriculum standards, theories, and models. Special Education: When every child is welcomed and valued regardless of ability or disability. Curriculum: Curricula is based on the instructional needs (academic, affective, motor, and vocational) of each student with a disability.

9. Heuristic View • Artifacts • Curriculum Evaluation: Reading Mastery Plus, Curriculum Development Process, Curriculum Development UDL • Fit with the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Creating curriculum and interventions that are significant, engaging, challenging, integrative, and investigative. • Design, modify and adapt, and select an individualized curriculum for students with special needs that correlates with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Provide students with disabilities access and opportunities to participate and progress in the general education curriculum through collaboration employed between the special and general education teachers, and other professionals in curricula planning and intervention services. • Professional Posture • Expand my general education curricula knowledge and skills to create a culturally informed, academic, strategic, social, emotional, and independent objective curricula that is individualized, meaningful, and challenging, employing learning and performance accommodations and modifications for individuals with special needs.

10. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Devise an individualized education program for a child based on that child’s individual needs (not on the school’s staffing or budget problems) that is reasonably calculated to confer a meaningful curricula educational benefit. • Access to the general education curriculum ensured through a continuum of special education services consisting of inclusion, pull-out, or self-contained programs (resource rooms) depending upon the individual needs of the student. • Increased Alignment with the College of Education’s Vision/Mission • IDEA 2004 provisions relating to “access, participation, and progress” within the general education curriculum to ensure that there are no significant modifications of how these terms are currently being utilized. • Effect on my Professional Activities • Reinforcement that professionals need to agree on what constitutes the general education curriculum - as approaching the curriculum without specialized instruction is nonfunctional within the learning arena. Consequently, accomplishing this requires technical assistance and training for administrators, general educators, and other school personnel to improve the curriculums effectiveness and also the schools environment.

11. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • The ability to modify and adapt the general curricula to make the material accessible to individuals with special needs. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • The confidence and tools to teach students with special needs within the curriculum context and make a significant difference in student learning. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • The capability to create, adapt, innovate, and modify a curriculum employing culturally informed, academic, strategic, social, emotional, and independent teaching and learning strategies for students with special needs whereby facilitating their achievement at their highest level and preparing them to function as independently as possible. • Language • Communicate effectively to students with special needs, their parents /guardians, and my colleagues regarding curriculum adaptations (content, methodology, or delivery of instruction) and modifications within the learning environments to provide for the maintenance and generalization of acquired skills across environments and subjects displaying accountability for language, family, culture, and other significant contextual factors.

12. “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” - Kahlil Gibran

13. Outcome Three: Instruction Special Education Masters degree graduates understand the principals of developmentally appropriate instruction, know a wide variety of teaching and learning strategies and interventions and use technologically sound practices to teach core concepts, skills of inquiry, problem solving, collaboration, and communication.

14. Heuristic View • Artifacts • IEP Sunny, IEP Luke, PLT Focus on Early Childhood – Shape Walk, PLT Tale of the Sun plus PowerPoint, “Call of the Wild”, “Elmer” • Fit with the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Creating a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to individualize instruction for individuals with special needs. • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Understands and demonstrates a respect for the worth and contributions of all learners and designing instructional opportunities that are adapted to the diversity in learning to meet the needs of all learners. • Create and implement an IEP outlining the curriculum accommodations, goals, and services that a student needs to receive a FAPE within the LRE. • Professional Posture • Knowledge of and experiences with diversity and exceptionalities utilizing instructional strategies that reflect an understanding of various models and approaches to learning.

15. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Identify, design, and apply instruction appropriate to a students’ stages of development, learning styles, strengths, and needs. • Incorporate within instruction the awareness of a students’ family language, culture, and community whereby providing a basis for connecting instruction to individual experiences and enriching the learning environment. • Formulating and documenting appropriate instructional accommodations and/or modifications for a students’ IEP/504 plan. • Increased Alignment with College of Education’s Vision/Mission • Demonstrating the belief that all students can learn by differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners. • Effect on My Professional Activities • Creating diversified instructional materials that individually meet every learners needs accounting for interest and motivation levels designed with opportunities for social interaction.

16. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Instructional practices that were reflective of current research on best practices utilizing technology (all academic subjects) and a combination of commercial (basal readers), universal design for learning (UDL), BALANCE (blending all learning activities nurtures classroom excellence), and teacher created lesson plans. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Ability to create instructional materials and activities incorporating achievable learning goals accomplishing the opportunity for students with special needs to master learning. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • Instructional ability to enhance every learners critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills, as well as increase self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem. • Language • Communicate the premise that “all children can learn”. • Effectively communicate to professional colleagues individual multiple instructional approaches to promote challenging learning results so that students from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, language, and ability groups have an equal opportunity to learn.

17. “Our greatest contribution is to make sure there is a teacher in every classroom who cares that every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being.” -Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D.

18. Outcome Four: Assessment and Evaluation Special Education Masters degree graduates analyze and understand the roles of multiple assessments for identifying, monitoring, and evaluating students learning in order to modify instruction; they can develop and critique formal and informal, and performance assessment techniques, including local, state, and national assessments systems.

19. Heuristic View • Artifacts • PBS, RtI, ED Assessment, ASD Assessment, Idaho SLD Criteria, Behavior Observation, Wechsler Individual Achievement, BDI-II and IDD, Teacher Inservice Document and PowerPoint • Fit with the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • The use of multiple assessment tools and strategies that are research-based and culturally and linguistically valid. • Understand the legal policies and ethical principles of measurement and assessment related to referral, eligibility, program planning, instruction, and placement for individuals with special needs, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse environments. • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Identify and interpret assessment [CBM, behavioral, cognitive, adaptive, achievement, and receptive (understanding) and expressive (using) language] information for a variety of educational decisions. • RtI school-wide academic and behavioral tertiary intervention involving individualized and intensive services for the identification and evaluation of students for special education. • My Professional Posture • Ability to conduct an individualized evaluation, or assessment, of a student to determine if they are eligible for classification under one of the 13 areas of exceptionality for special education and related services. • Competently implement and interpret a wide variety of instruments to appropriately evaluate instruction and intervention decisions.

20. Service View • Progression of Teaching • The continual exploration of research, dissemination, and technical assistance related to the assessment and identification of students with disabilities. • Increased Alignment with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Effectively use multiple and appropriate types of assessment data to identify student learning needs and to develop differentiated learning experiences. • Committed to theethical use of various assessment instruments and assessment data to identify student strengths and needs to promote student growth. • Effect on My Professional Activities • Confirm the significance of congruency between life experiences and the skills needed for testing. • Demonstrate my competency with regards to assessing students using both formal and informal measures. • Consistently utilize data collection to assess my own teaching strengths and weaknesses. • Understand, utilize, and employ multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to document learner progress, and to guide ongoing planning and instruction.

21. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Used a range of assessment strategies that provided students from diverse environments opportunities to demonstrate their mastery and skills, including the opportunity to share what they know in their native language, if they wished. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Conduct both formative and summative elements of assessment along with formal and informal measures of behavior, learning, achievement, and environment to design learning experiences that support the growth and development of individuals with special needs. • Capability to proficiently assess and evaluate students with special needs and adeptly formulate the IEP components essential for academic, strategic, social, emotional, and independent achievement. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • An adept examiner who proficiently assesses the students ability, aptitude, and/or intelligence; whereby assuring that the examinee has had exposure to the experiences (verbal and non-verbal) assumed in the design of the chosen assessment, the opportunity to develop the requisite skills, and the circumstances necessary to value a successful test performance. Subsequently, testing accommodations must balance the need to reduce construct irrelevant variance with the simultaneous goal of maintaining construct representation, or the risk of invalidity of the testing results is significant. • Language • Fully understand the assessment process and the ability to clearly communicate vital information to colleagues, professionals, parents, and students.

22. Large conceptions of evaluation cannot go forward without a larger conception of teaching. If teaching is skill sheets, textbooks, basal readers, and simplified explanations, a larger view of assessment is not likely to take root. Who wants, for example, a portfolio of skill sheets? We have a chance to construct something better” ~ Vito Perrone Director of Harvard’s Teacher Education Program

23. Outcome Five: Research Special Education Masters degree graduates, as critical consumers and producers of educational research, appreciate the role of educational research for collecting, analyzing and sharing data.

24. Heuristic View • Artifacts • Fighting Stigma, DTCA • Fit with the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Identify effective strategies drawn from the foundational sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology for improving the performance of my teaching and the learners in ways that increase reading, writing, language, mathematics, science, social, behavioral, or secondary transition outcomes, as well as functional skills that improve the educational outcomes of students with disabilities or at risk for disabilities from “scientifically-based research” (NCLB; PL 107-110). • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Create an array of tools and strategies that have been empirically demonstrated to be effective for improving and assessing the performance of my teaching and the learners in ways that are linked to improvements in student outcomes. • Participate in educationally funded research and evaluation in order to provide reliable information about the condition of education, education practices that improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of federal and other education programs (IDEA ‘04; PL 108-446, Part D). • Professional Posture • Conduct research addressing my own questions to benefit students with disabilities. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110, § 115, Stat. 1425 & 1965 (2002). Retrieved February 2, 2013, from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

25. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Empowered to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate assessment and instructional practices that impact the delivery of services to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. • Increased Alignment with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Augmented my previous educational foundations by enhancing my understanding and ability concerning various evaluation instruments utilized when determining or supporting the identification of a disability and/or to help guide program development. • Effect on My Professional Activities • Facilitate sharing the results of scientifically based studies that are supported by the “gold” standard [rigorous and scientific data (high quality) and have a body of studies that demonstrate positive outcomes (high quantity)] to improve curriculum and instructional practices, and student achievement.

26. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Knowledge of research backed by “strong” evidence of effectiveness. • Randomized controlled trials that are well-designed and implemented. • Trials showing effectiveness in two or more typical school settings. including a setting similar to that of your schools/classrooms. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Encapsulating the research relationship. • Working together and learning together. • Faculty – Critical insight, sharing current research, advice and guidance. • Teacher – Access to relevant articles, journals, tests and support. Trying things out in the classroom. • Student – Involvement in research, student researchers, student voice, self-esteem. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • Improved classroom teaching/learning through my inquiries to become a more accomplished professional ensuing a positive impact on student learning. • Utilize knowledge generated from research to inform local policy decisions by providing the evidence to back up colleagues’ claims regarding best practices. • Language • Articulately formulate evidence-based decisions whereby providing a format for sharing and disseminating research findings.

27. “Education is influenced by human ideals, ideologies, and judgments of value, and these things need to be subjected to rigorous - scientific and otherwise - examination.” - Scientific Research in Education, 2002, p. 11 National Research Council (2002). Scientific research in education. Committee on Scientific Principles for Education Research. Shavelson, R.J., and Towne, L. (Eds.). Center for Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

28. Special Education Masters degree graduates use a variety of communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in and beyond the classroom. Outcome Six: Communication

29. Heuristic View • Artifacts • Collaborative Process, Current and Future Status of Inclusion, Conflict Resolution, Collaborative Role of the Special Education Teacher - PowerPoint • Fit With the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Communication is the key to effective working relationships with teachers and other members of the school team, and is essential for successful interactions with parents and families. • Appreciate the cultural dimensions of communication, model effective communication strategies, and recognize the importance of nonverbal as well as verbal communication. • Fit With the College of Education Vision/Mission • A collaborative parent-school relationship is based on parents and teachers understanding each other’s perspectives and realities. • Understand communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning. • Professional Posture • A variety of partners are critical for the success of school and community programs. These partners include parents, families, general educators, paraeducators, administrators (e.g., principals, assistant principals), other teachers or specialists (e.g., bilingual, transition specialists), related service providers (e.g., speech-language pathologists, counselors, school psychologists, social workers, occupational and physical therapists, and assistive technology specialists), community and state agency personnel, and job coaches. Accordingly, the key to success in working effectively with these and other partners is through communication and collaboration.

30. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Collaboratively solve problems utilizing the expertise of different persons in systematic and satisfactory ways. • Increased Alignment With the College of Education Vision/Mission • Effectively communicate and collaborate within an instructional coactive cooperative teaching and team teaching environment. • Work proficiently alongside paraeducators sharing instructional support and responsibilities. • Sincere willingness to collaborate and share knowledge, skills, and energy with other staff and families to benefit the students and the community that I serve. • Effect On My Professional Activities • Collaborate with general education partners in designing and providing appropriate culturally informed academic, strategic, behavioral, social, emotional, and independent instruction and supports for students with IEPs. • Knowledge to communicate efficiently to teach the students, their parents, and school staff how to use various modes of assistive technology on a daily basis to enhance learning within the classroom and other school contexts.

31. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Require the additional tools to build on the collaborative, cooperative, and communication skills necessary to competently address the diverse needs of our students and our community. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Ability to communicate effortlessly with the general educators, specialists, and paraprofessionals within a collaborative school environment to cooperatively and proficiently meet the needs of all students with disabilities. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • Prepared for a solid educational and academic progression accentuated through communicative enhancement to effectively collaborate with students, professionals, parents, and community members. • Language • Ability to articulate the collaborative partnership qualities necessary to facilitate cooperation, which entail the practice of effective communication, a shared sense of commitment and equality, competent skills, trustworthiness, and respectfulness.

32. To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all differentin the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communicationwith others. – Anthony Robbins

33. The special education teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Outcome Seven: Positive Learning Environment

34. Heuristic View • Artifact • Navajo Peacemaking Plan, Emotional or Behavioral Disorders, Schizophrenia Presentation PowerPoint • Fit With the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Demonstrate respect for and responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds and differing perspectives learners bring to the learning environment. • Establish positive and supportive learning environments for all students. • Fit with the College of Education Vision/Mission • Foster respectful communication and multiple perspectives among all members of the learning community. • Develop safe, inclusive, culturally, and socially responsive learning environments for all students. • Professional Posture • Structure environments to encourage student independence, self-motivation, self-direction, personal empowerment, and self-advocacy. • Behavioral management skills and knowledge to intervene safely and effectively when students are in crisis.

35. Service View • Progression of Teaching • Learning environment that encourages positive social interactions, active engagement in learning, compassion, and self-motivation. • Increased Alignment With the College of Education Vision/Mission • Behavioral, social, and academic reforms are implemented with sensitivity toward the learning needs of students who vary in culture, language, physical abilities, and many other characteristics. • Ability to use student motivation and behavior management principles in the process of creating, conducting, and assessing learning opportunities. • Effect On My Professional Activities • Knowledgeable about a students’ culture and community by visiting students in their home environment. • Collaboration with the community to assist in developing standards for addressing the needs of students and their families from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, language, and ability groups.

36. Learning View • Thoughts and Feelings Prior to the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Knowledgeable about differences in cultural practices that might impact student behavior. • Developed shared values and expectations for student interactions, academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility that created a positive classroom climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry. • Thoughts and Feelings Upon Completion of the M. Ed. in Special Education Program • Understand how social groups function and influence students, and how students influence groups. • Understand the principles of effective classroom management and can use a range of strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom. • New Skills, Dispositions, and Concepts • Ability to develop effective, individualized interventions for individuals with challenging behaviors including strategies to prevent the behavior from occurring, the teaching of new skills to replace the negative behavior, and appropriate consequences for desired behaviors. • A foundation in effective classroom practices depicting a positive presence and the ability to make the necessary modifications to ensure that each learner feels treasured and engaged. • Language • Articulate a positive learning environment supported by an established research base to obtain a classroom culture conducive of the best practice in education by acknowledging learning differences positively, accentuating commonalities, embracing diversity, teaching tolerance, promoting acceptance, and celebrating community.

37. “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” - “The Lorax” (Dr. Seuss)

38. Thank you for attending.