ESE 315 Week 1 DQ 1 Inclusion

Inclusion. In Chapter 2 of your text, the concept of inclusion is discussed. As Powell and Driver (2013) state, “In an inclusion setting, students with disabilities are instructed alongside peers without disabilities for some or all of the school day” (Section 2.1). Complete the Inclusion Chart (available in your online course) and view the article, “Regular Educators on the IEP Team.”

Imagine you are a teacher getting ready for your first IEP/504 meeting for one of your students who has a mild hearing disability (you can choose any age range from the Inclusion Chart you completed).

As an integral part of the IEP/504 team, how will you prepare yourself for this meeting?

What are three important items to consider about this student before making any recommendations to the

committee (e.g., what needs might this child have)?

What are two accommodations that might be beneficial for this student and why (see table 2.1 in your course text)?

What is one modification that might help this student and why?

Lastly, what are the differences between accommodations and modifications?

Please also include your completed Inclusion Chart as an attachment.

c. What information is important to know about a mild hearing disability and how will that information affect performance/learning/behavior in the classroom?

ESE 315 Week 1 DQ 2 Teaching Approaches Debate

Teaching Approaches Debate. According to the text, when students with disabilities are placed in the general education classroom, there are three widely used teaching approaches that provide a starting point for helping students participate in the general curriculum (Section 2.2). While there are many other approaches, the three most widely used teaching approaches are: explicit instruction, differentiation, and universal design for learning (UDL). For this post, you will provide support for one of these approaches outlined below and explain why it is a valuable approach and should be used in the teaching of students with disabilities.

Find your assigned debate group below (by first letter of last name):

A-H: Explicit Instruction

I-Q: Differentiation

R-Z: Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Develop a cohesive and research-based argument for the position you have been assigned. Be sure to include the principles that guide each approach and set it apart from the others, as well as in-text research that supports this approach.

ESE 315 Week 1 Journal Reflection and Preparation

Reflection and Preparation.
Part One: EAHCA Reflection. The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA or EHA), or PL 94- 142, “was the first to mandate that schools provide education to students with disabilities” (Powell & Driver, 2013, Section 1.3). Reflect on how key aspects of this law such as FAPE, LRE, IEP, and due process will specifically impact you as a teacher or caregiver. What is your role in ensuring that each portion of this law is upheld in your classroom? What concerns do you have regarding your role and why?

Part Two: Interview Preparation. In preparation for the Week Two assignment, you will need to identify, reach out to, and confirm the contact information for the person you will interview.

Research early childhood education programs in your area and/or online.

Contact a professional at a preschool, Head Start, or Early Head Start program via email or phone, and

inquire about the possibility of setting up an interview.

Confirm a date and a time for the interview. The actual interview needs to be completed by the end of

Week Two.

Include the contact information of the person you will interview and the date and the time of the interview at the bottom of your Journal.

ESE 315 Week 2 DQ 1 Response to Intervention

Response to Intervention. Mary Quest, an early childhood teacher of 15 years, has shared two narratives of her experiences with response to intervention (RTI). After reading Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and the two case narratives below, describe what you see as both the strengths and challenges of RTI. How do you see children getting the support and services they may need through RTI? As you read the following case studies what would you like to learn more about? If RTI is new to you, what have you learned? If you have experience with RTI, what can you share about your experience with RTI?

ESE 315 Week 2 DQ 2 Environment

Environment. Read the article on creating supportive environments, “Including Children With Special Needs: Are You and Your Early Childhood Program Ready?”

Often in early childhood programs, the environment is seen as the third teacher as it guides and invites children to interact in various ways. As you reflect on this idea of the environment supporting children's play, list and describe in your discussion three ideas that you would implement from the reading into your classroom that will support all children (e.g., smooth and predictable transitions).

ESE 315 Week 2 Interview

Interview. Parent involvement and the relationship parents have with their child’s teacher/school are important for all children. This is especially true for children with disabilities. For this assignment, you will be asked to contact a local preschool, Head Start, or Early Head Start program. You will interview a director, teacher, or parent coordinator to find out how they collaborate and communicate with families who have children with learning differences. Be sure to describe the type of program you gathered information from and the role of the practitioner that you interviewed. Find out the following information:

How do families get information at the time of enrollment? Is there a handbook for the center? What resources does the center offer to families?

What services are available to families in their community and do families get information about these services from the program or school?

How does the center communicate on a day to day basis? For example, is there a family notebook that goes to school and home each day for teachers to touch base? Do they use email? Newsletters?

How does the practitioner view the effectiveness of these communication techniques? What does he/she feel works well? What does not work well?

ESE 315 Week 2 Journal Choice Topic

Choice Topic. Choose one of the following topics to write about:

When creating appropriate, individualized curriculum, it is important to remember that “fair” and “equal”

are not the same thing. In other words, if all children are given the same thing, it might be fair, but when children are given what they need, it is fair. For example, if a child is unable to sit at circle time, that child has the option to move outside the group and do something that will not disturb the group, or perhaps use a fidget toy during meeting time. In thinking about this, what does the idea of fair not being the same as equal mean in a classroom? Generate an example of a fairness issue and explain how you might resolve it.

Write about the first time you met a person with learning differences. As you think back to this experience, what did the adults say to you? What was implied and not spoken? What was spoken? How did their comments or actions affect how you saw or understood that person? How might your own biases and possible fears of people with differences been shaped by some of these early experiences? What are some of your current fears or possible biases? What are some ways you can work to overcome these biases and fears? What is important for adults in classrooms to think about as they support all children in their classrooms?

It is important to think about how we frame or view all children. Therefore the idea of naming the person first and the difference second affects how we view children. For example, instead of saying “challenging children,” we move to the idea of “children whose behaviors challenge our skills.” This shifts from the idea that children need to change to how we support each child and engage in a process with them. As you think about this, how do you see this idea affecting your work with children? If you are in a classroom, talk about how this idea might help to support a child with whom you are currently working?