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Working With Special Needs Populations Chris Carter, Assistant Director, VSGC

Working With Special Needs Populations Chris Carter, Assistant Director, VSGC Nick Koltun, Educational Programs Specialist, VSGC Mark Riccobono, Director of Education Jernigan Institute National Federation of the Blind Gail Henrich, Vision Teacher, Norfolk Public Schools.

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Working With Special Needs Populations Chris Carter, Assistant Director, VSGC

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  1. Working With Special Needs Populations Chris Carter, Assistant Director, VSGC Nick Koltun, Educational Programs Specialist, VSGC Mark Riccobono, Director of Education Jernigan Institute National Federation of the Blind Gail Henrich, Vision Teacher, Norfolk Public Schools

  2. Hearing Impairments Including Deafness Visual Impairments Including Blindness Speech or Language Impairments Mental Retardation Emotional Disturbance Orthopedic Impairments Autism Traumatic Brain Injury Other Health Impairments, Multiple Disabilities, Deaf-blindness, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Developmental Delay Disability Groups under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

  3. Scope of Need • Children and youth served under IDEA by age group in the 50 States (2004) • Ages 3 – 21 • 6,718,619 • Ages 5 – 18 (school age children and youth) • 5,716,119 Source:  U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System "Report of children with disabilities receiving special education under Part B of the Individualswith Disabilities Education Act," 2004.  Data updated as of July 30, 2005. https://www.ideadata.org/tables28th/ar_1-1.htm

  4. Inclusion of Students With Disabilities in Regular Classrooms

  5. Diverse Learners in Classrooms Students with Special Needs English Language Learners Auditory Learners Visual Learners Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners Struggling Readers Gifted Multiple Intelligences

  6. Universal Design The GOAL of UNIVERSAL DESIGN is to create flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences. Close captioning assists beginning readers, struggling readers, English language learners and the deaf Access is the key Visual learners learn best with demonstrations and reading Science lectures and dialogues help the auditory learner and the learners with vision problems Tactile learners perform best taking notes, hands-on projects Kinesthetic learners learn best being actively involved

  7. SERCH serves as a broker and facilitator of services between the region's educational community and researchers involved in SMD missions. • Purpose is to promote space science awareness and enhance interest in science, math, and technology through the use of NASA's mission data, information, and educational products • SERCH works with 14 Space Grant consortia (AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, and VA)

  8. Exceptional Needs Workshops (ENWS) • 6 workshops • Outcomes of ENWS • Special Needs Resource Group (SNRG) • Exceptional Needs Working Group (ENWG) • Tactile and Technology Focus Group (TTFG)

  9. ENWG-Outcomes Identified need to adapt existing educational materials and to encourage NASA product developers to provide educational methods/products that will involve the exception student population.

  10. Special educators Science educators Product developers Parents NASA Space Grant Web developers Teaming Scientists Administrators Technology Specialists Assistive Technology Specialists Community

  11. VSGC Work in Special Needs • One regional and two statewide conferences • For teachers of science to blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing students • Mission Space Science: The Tactile Frontier • Regional Conference • One-day • Held at VSGC offices • 30 teachers and educators

  12. Space Science the Special Way(With a Twist from Assistive Technology) • Seed Funding from SERCH • Additional funding from NASA LaRC, VA DOE, Department of Blind/Visually Impaired and Department of Deaf/Hard of Hearing • Statewide Conference held in February 2004 at Science Museum of Virginia • 131 participants • Response was overwhelmingly positive!

  13. Evaluation Summary • 97% of participants ‘agreed’, or ‘strongly agreed’ with statements related to: • gained new information • changed the way I feel about assistive technology • motivated to share this with others • accommodations and agenda met my needs and expectations • “The energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge were wonderful! Great conference!” • “I am so very impressed with the efforts and connections of the team!”

  14. Teaching Earth and Space Science the Special Way • Seed funding from SERCH • Additional funding from NIA/NASA Center for Distance Learning, VDOE, Department of Blind/Visually Impaired, Department of Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Canon • Conference held at VSGC in November 2005 • For teachers of science to students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing

  15. Teaching Earth and Space Science the Special Way • Attended by 108 attendees • “The conference was inspiring as well as informative. The best practices and hands-on technology workshops were helpful.” • “Thank you for your effort to put together an informative, interesting, and engaging conference.” • “I was impressed with the diversity of the people attending…information will be shared across the city with teachers! This was a wonderful conference for finding others with similar interest.”

  16. National Federation of the Blind (NFB) NASA Langley NASA Johnson TERC Braille Authority of North America Proposal to NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Weather and Climate Education for the Blind Sonification and tactile graphics Proposal to NEC, Inc. STEM Education Program Adapting Visual Science News for Blind Students Partnerships Developed/Outcomes

  17. Partnerships Developed/Outcomes • SERCH and partners awarded NSF Planning Grant • College of Charleston • South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania Space Grants • SMILE (Science and Mathematics Integrated in Lifelong-Learning Experiences) • Broaden the Special Needs Initiative from the K-12 to higher education. • Strengthen and expand network of educators, scientists, and resource developers working to make STEM accessible to students with special needs.

  18. Virginia Students Attending SCIVIS • Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS). • A week long camp at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville coordinated by teachers of the visually impaired. • All materials and equipment are made accessible to allow students to fully participate. • $3,200 contributed over 3 years to fund travel for 12 students

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