Special Needs Research Results
The expert opinions of both classroom teachers and Salisbury State University professors were utilized to answer interview questions regarding students with special needs in the science classroom. The Maryland State Department of Education bulletin volume 10, number 6 states that 12% of all Maryland students require some form of special education service.(1999). Teachers from schools in various areas around Maryland were asked four questions regarding these students; the results of which were combined in order to create a background of information for this paper. On-line versions of ERIC digests were also consulted to gather more information about this topic.
Question number one asked, what does the state recommend for working with special needs students in the science class? All teachers responded that although there are no certain state regulations for science classes specifically, science is a regular classroom period that all students must have in school, and they must be fully included. Students with learning disabilities are not pulled out for science class: this method is only reserved for reading and math, generally. It is the classroom teacher's duty to see that every student is working and participating in science. All teachers also said that it is helpful to obtain lesson ideas from the special education teacher to be sure that all of the students will have a beneficial science lesson. Mrs. G. added that team teaching with the special education teacher is also a good way to be sure that all students are learning in the science classroom. This way, a mainstream teacher can make the adaptations necessary for the science lesson, and there is another helpful adult in the classroom that i...
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...nning Science Programs for High Ability Learners.
ERIC Digest. [Online], 1-6. Available: http://erices.org/digests/e546.htm
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The field expert was Mrs. Brenda Williamson, who taught various grade levels and subjects for special education. Mrs. Williamson has been teaching for twenty years. Currently Mrs. Williamson is a principal in a private school. Mrs. Williamson was chosen for this interview because after working with her I have learned many strategies to enhance learning and classroom management.
Bryant, D. P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2008). Teaching Students with Special Needs in
Field Experience Description (Preamble/Introduction/Background): the following field experience observation took place at Plainfield Connecticut’s Shepard Hill Elementary School, 234 Shepard Hill Rd, Plainfield, CT 06374, herein S.H.E., during the fall of 2017, and was conducted by Sacred Heart University M.Ed. candidate Peter Scott Harmyk, Esq. Because of confidentiality requirements per request of the interviewees, specifically the classroom teacher and the special education teacher, herein “Ms. Teacher” and “Ms. Special Ed” the two students observed for the purpose of this essay shall also remain anonymous; further, this candidate was respectfully denied access to the appropriate IEP and 504 documentation corresponding to the two first-grade
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children with disabilities in a Least Restrictive Environment to not have their needs met adequately. Some parents think that teachers do not have the proper skills to help their child with disabilities flourish in the classroom. Two concerns/challenges are that typical developing students will imitate inappropriate behaviors made by students with disabilities and students with disabilities could potentially get teased about their disabilities and inappropriate behaviors. As said by Virginia Buysse and Donal B. Baily, Jr. (1993) “… the opportunities for young children with disabilities to interact with peers in integrated settings must be carefully
Dillon, P., & Grammer, E. (2001). Success stories of students with disabilities noted in new book. Science, 294(5543), 879.
Michael, S.et al. (2008). Prospects for improving K-12 science education from the federal level. Journal of Education 69(9): 677-683.
Adults with Learning Disabilities The field has not quite reached consensus on definitions of LD, and there are professionals as well as members of the public who do not understand them or believe they exist. For example, in a Roper (1995) survey of 1,200 adults, 85% associated LD with mental retardation, 66% with deafness, and 60% with blindness. In Rocco's (1997) research, faculty "questioned the existence of certain conditions or if they existed, the appropriateness of classifying the condition as a disability" (p. 158). However, most definitions describe learning disabilities as a group of disorders that affect the ability to acquire and use listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or math skills (Gerber and Reiff 1994; National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center 1995a; National Center for Learning Disabilities 1997).
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
Special Education was one of those things I never truly understood as a student in the public school system. Who were these children that had to be taken out of the class for reading and math or who remained in a separate class all day? What was so “special” about them? Believe me, I could have tried to find out what was different about them and how they were taught anytime I wanted; my mom teaches Elementary Special Education. I always heard her throwing around terms like resource room and inclusion when she talked about work. But being the typical self-involved child that I was, I never listened to what she said about teaching or asked her more about her students. What I do know is that teaching Special Education involved a lot of ups and down. As a Special Education teacher, the specific tasks of my mom’s job change frequently. She has taught full-time special education classes, has worked with individual students in an inclusive setting, and most recently she teaches resource room. Now that I don’t have to listen to her work stories all the time, I find myself wanting to know more about what special education entails. What I discovered is that none of the methods utilized in Special Education are entirely right or wrong in addressing the educational needs of children with LD. Children with learning disabilities should be educated in the most appropriate way to meet their specific educational needs.
One obstacle that I believe many special needs students and families will face is understanding and dealing with the disability itself. Speaking from experience, this process can take time to understand and accept. This is where a special education teacher plays a significant role, assisting the student and family with information and support for understanding the student’s disability, facilitating education programs, and most importantly hope and progress for a bright future. Another obstacles that students with disabilities may face, is social interaction and acceptance. It is vital that all special education teachers and programs, try to incorporate strong social connections with their regular education peers and other community members and
Special education is no longer restricted to schools that cater for specific disabilities. Increasingly mainstream classrooms must cater for a diverse range of abilities and be inclusive of children with disabilities, therefore providing special education (Heward as cited on Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010). In catering for all children within a class, teachers also need to provide intervention as necessary. Intervention according to Heward (as cited on Education.com, 2011) intends to reduce, eliminate and/or limit the hurdles faced by students with disabilities that may prevent them from maximising their learning and becoming productive members of society. This essay will discuss how teachers can provide all three kinds of intervention; preventive, remedial and compensatory on behalf of individual students who may require it (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010). Each type of intervention will be explored with examples to demonstrate the possible use of each one and the potential issues that may be associated with them.
This class has opened my mind to the incredible impact that STEM Education can have on our society. I do not work in an institution that has a STEM program. I work at a preschool; this makes my practice of any type of STEM program extremely limited. However, it is a private school. All my students come from households where one or both of their parents are professionals. These professionals want their children to be academically prepared for school. This means we must academically, mentally, and emotionally prepare them for their future schooling. I teach my students how to be a functioning participant in a classroom while exploring mathematics, science, art, history, literature and pre-writing. Puzzles, counting, shapes, measuring, etc. are on the daily agenda. Science is a huge part of our curriculum. Science in the
Parke, B. (n.d.). Challenging gifted students in the regular classroom. Retrieved March 1, 2004, from http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/Challenging_gifted _kids.html
Special education is an incredibly important, but often underappreciated aspect of education. There is a stigma around individuals with disabilities, that leads people to assume those in special education are less capable or smart as their peers in in a strictly traditional classroom setting. That could not be farther from the truth though, and the individuals in special education are just as capable of learning and maturing in to successful adults. As a future teacher, I was not really aware of how little I knew about special education until I enrolled in this course. This course has helped change and shape my views of special education, and helped me gain a better understanding of what exceptional children are and how I can better serve them
As a prospective secondary mathematics educator, I felt that it was unfair that I would have special education students in my classes. I would rationalize my attitude by saying that I signed up to teach “normal” students, and that the special education students were not my problem or responsibility. I did not want to deal with them. I did not see them as individuals who seek meaning through learning.