Piedmont College

Piedmont College

School of Education

Spring 2003

Preparing Proactive Educators to Improve the Lives of Children

I. Course

Title: SPED 656, Collaborative Practice, 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: None

II. Instructor

Dr. Gene Pease

Office Location:

Office Hours:

Phone: 706 778 8500 ext. 1279

Email: gpease@piedmont.edu Fax: 706 776 9608

Fax: 706-776-9608

III. Time and Place: Spring Semester, 2003: 1^st Session . Room S 104, Wed. 5:00-9:30 January 15-March 7

IV. Text(s)

Required:

Mastropieri, M., Scruggs., (2000). The inclusive classroom: strategies for effective instruction. Columbus, OH: Merrill.

V. Piedmont College Mission:

Inspired by the liberal arts tradition and a historical association with the Congregational Christian Churches, Piedmont College cultivates a diverse, challenging, and caring intellectual environment to encourage academic success and spiritual development.

To accomplish this mission, the college offers a number of major fields of study that are informed by the liberal arts, including specialized professional programs and selected graduate programs. Instructional opportunities are also provided at distant locations to meet student needs.

School of Education Mission & Philosophy:

The theme of the School of Education is “Preparing Proactive Educators to Improve the Lives of Children.” Reinforcing the mission of Piedmont College, the School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators. These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.

Specific ideals under-gird our conceptual framework. We advocate the democratic ideals of equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity; openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.

We endorse the following processes as a means of striving for our democratic ideals:

1. Engaging in participatory decision-making.

2. Collecting information from all constituencies.

3. Examining options and projecting consequences.

4. Nurturing open discourse.

5. Providing for field experiences.

6. Assessing processes as well as products.

7. Modeling democratic ideals in the classroom.

8. Forming communities of learners.

9. Constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and understandings.

Further, we endorse the development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind (e.g., reflectiveness, persistence, clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback).

Conceptual Framework:

As a facilitator of environmental management who is familiar with models of best practices for effective education of the diverse population of students with EBD, the candidate will prepare students to successfully manage their own behavior in the home, school, and community. This course introduces the candidate to curricula and instructional/behavioral methodology for educating students in the public school setting and to transition them into post-school opportunities including employment and community living.

Graduate MA and MAT Program Goals:

The goal of the Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs at Piedmont College is to provide the graduate candidate knowledge in the social and educational development of students. Through an individualized program of study based on the candidate’s undergraduate program, experience, and professional goals, the program seeks to:

-encourage and equip program participants to become scholarly, reflective, practitioners;

-provide the candidate with the ability to communicate and teach effectively using

an interdisciplinary knowledge base and understanding of multidimensional classrooms;

-use and facilitate critical thinking skills;

-enhance candidate’s content knowledge, integrating it with instructional technology;

-enable candidates to interpret and assess educational research, and conduct their own

classroom-based research; and

-provide experiences that enable candidates to assume roles as scholarly

practitioners and develop their skills and abilities as professional teachers.

VI. Course Description & Purpose

In recent years, the delivery of services and supports to students with special education needs in general classroom settings have expanded significantly. Research indicates that inclusion practices benefit students with and without disabilities. This course examines various aspects of educating students with disabilities in inclusive settings, such as issues related to instructional strategies, curriculum modification, assessment, and other accommodations.

VII. School of Education Outcomes Addressed in the Class

Core Candidate Learning Outcomes (CCLO):

The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC (Interstate New Teacher

Assessment and Support Consortium) standards, are addressed in this course:

1) Learning Environment: The candidate uses an understanding of individual and group

motivation to create a caring learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-regulation. The candidate additionally fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom by treating students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting students as they pursue knowledge and understanding.

2) Subject Matter: The scholarly candidate understands and can model the central

concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

3) Student Learning: The reflective candidate understands how students develop and

learn and can provide well-managed learning opportunities that support students’ intellectual, social, and personal growth.

4) Diversity: The candidate committed to the ideals of the democratic classroom

understands that learners are the products of their innate talents/disabilities, preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences and can adapt instruction to meet diverse needs.

5) Instructional Strategies: The candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional

strategies to encourage the development of students’ critical thinking, problems solving, and performance skills.

6) Assessment Strategies: The candidate understands and uses a variety of assessment

strategies to encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal growth of students.

7) Communication and Technology: The candidate uses knowledge of effective verbal,

non-verbal, and media communication techniques and technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

8) Planning Instruction: The candidate plans and manages instruction based upon

knowledge of subject matter/pedagogy, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

9) Reflection and Professional Development: The candidate is a reflective practitioner

who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and actions upon others, and who actively seeks opportunities for the continual development of a personal pedagogy.

10) Collaboration and Relationships: The candidate communicates and interacts with

other educators, parents/families, and the community to support students’ learning and well-being.

In addition to the Core Candidate Learning Outcomes identified by the School of

Education, this course will address the following standards in alignment with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Professional Standards for teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders:

1. The candidate will understand the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education.

2. The candidate will identify the major social characteristics of individuals with E/BD.

3. The candidate will have knowledge of formal social assessment instruments and will be able to prepare accurate reports based on formal social assessments.

4. The candidate will have knowledge of research supported instructional strategies and the skills necessary for implementing the strategies.

5. The candidate will be able to construct a functional classroom design that is effective for students.

6. The candidate will develop and implement a systematic behavior management plan.

7. The candidate will utilize behavior management/counseling techniques in managing student behavior.

8. The candidate will be a consumer of professional publications, journals, and development opportunities provided by membership in professional organizations.

9. The candidate will have knowledge of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Code of Ethics for Educators of Persons with Exceptionalities.

VIII. Course Outcomes

This class will operate as a democratic classroom. Candidates will engage in shared decision-making and in taking responsibility for making the classroom the best it can be. Interactive discussion and problem solving will be emphasized. All ideas and contributions will be explored and respected.

Upon completion of this course, candidates will:

1) Discuss methods that enhance inclusion of students with disabilities.

2. Describe the dimensions of inclusive classrooms and how to create and maintain them.

3) Identify programming needs for students with disabilities.

4) Implement strategies for curriculum and instruction for students with disabilities.

5) Address issues specific to teaching students with special needs in elementary, middle, and secondary schools.

6) Describe the use of technology as an inclusion strategy.

7) Describe and demonstrate appropriate co-teaching methods.

8) Demonstrate approaches for working with families of students with disabilities.

IX. Course Policies & Procedures

a. Class Attendance & Participation

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are required. The School of Education policy states that more than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in a failure of the course. The allotted number of excused absences is as follows:

• Day classes meeting 3 times a week for an entire semester: 6 absences

• Day classes meeting 2 times a week for an entire semester: 4 absences

• All eight week classes: 1 absence

• Evening classes meeting for an entire semester: 3 absences

Only absences due to illness or emergencies will be excused. Work missed due to an excused absence may be made up. It is the candidate ’s responsibility to inform the professor in writing of his or her plan for making up the work. Any candidate who misses more than the allotted number of classes will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of the semester. Please contact the professor prior to an absence when possible.

Active participation is required. It includes (a) preparing for class by reading the text and/or other assigned readings, (b) actively participating in class discussions, and (c) contributing to group activities.

All work for the course is to be in on time, or handed in on an agreed upon future date. Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course. If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification.

B. Academic Honesty

Written Work:

Use APA style (4th ed.). All papers for the course are to be typed using 12 point print. Papers should be error-free and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.). Candidates should make good use of writing resources. Each paper should have a cover sheet with the candidate’s name, course number and name, assignment title, and date.

Academic Integrity:

By accepting admission to Piedmont College, each candidate makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the “Academic Integrity Policy” without compromise or exception. This class will be conducted in strict observance of the policy. Refer to the Piedmont College Student Handbook for details. All work submitted must be original, appropriately referenced, and created in and for this course.

C. Special Consideration:

Candidates with any special needs should make these special needs known to the instructor during the first class session. Please provide appropriate documentation.

X. Course Outline & Student Expectations

a. Schedule & Topic Outline

Week 1: 1-15-03 Introductions, Syllabus Review, Collaboration Overview:

Week 2: 1-22-03 Chapter 6,7,8

Week 3: 1-29-03 Chapter 3,4,5

Week 4: 2-5-03 Chapters 9, 10,

Week 6: 2-12-03 Chapters 11, 12

Week 7: 2-19-03 Chapters 11,12,13,

Week 8: 2-26-03 Chapters 14, 15, 16

Week 9 3-7-03

b. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Many schools are struggling with issues of diversity, inclusion, special education and collaboration among constituents. Considerable staff development time and money have been spent trying to solve local difficulties in order to meet the requirements of the law and the educational needs of students. This class will operate as a local school system problem solving committee. The committee has been charged with the task of finding solutions to the following questions their colleagues have identified:

1. How do we, as a faculty, enhance the inclusion of all students in our schools, classrooms, and extracurricular activities; everywhere in this school?

2. How do we create classrooms that embrace all kinds of diversity, of which students with disabilities are only a part, and maintain that atmosphere past the first 1, 2 or even 5 years?

3. What are the types of diversity, including people with disabilities that we might have in our school? What are those populations like?

4. What are some strategies to work with the various types of students?

5. How do we deal with these issues at the elementary level, middle school level, and high school level?

6. What technology is available to help us?

7. What co-teaching methods are possible. What does the federal or state government require?

8. How can we communicate with faculty, administration, staff, students, parents and our community? Better? More frequently?

Each committee member must…

…work from the basic questions the faculty assigned.

…provide at least 3 solutions to each question or assigned component.

…document work, in and out of the meetings.

…reflect on and document committee actions

…reflect on and document personal actions

…collaborate to provide 1 complete document at the end of the course. This document will include information that answers questions 1-8 above and references. APA format is required.

Evaluation Criteria:

Collaboration rating by each student 50 points

Student self-rating 50 points

3 Solutions to each question/component 30 points

Professional and participation Rubric 40 points

Thoroughness and quality of final document 50 points

MAT candidates interview classroom teachers 100 points

MA candidates interview administration 100 points

Professionalism and Participation Rubric

	10		0
Attendance	Candidate attends all classes, is always on time, and stays for entire class		Candidate missed more than maximum allowable classes, is frequently late, or frequently leaves early.
Contribution	Candidate contributes effectively and appropriately to a variety of topics in class.	Candidate nominally contributes to the class discussion in an effective and appropriate manner.	Candidate contributes very little. Candidate contributions are inappropriate, ineffective, or nonexistent.
Collaboration	Candidate willingly and fully enters into a supportive role with other members of the learning community, and is actively involved in all class activities.	Candidate sometimes enters into a supportive role with other members of the learning community, offering and is sometimes actively involved in class activities	Candidate does not engage in supporting other members of the learning community. Candidate does not actively participate in all class activities.
Mechanics	Candidate uses appropriate grammar when speaking and writing. -------------------------- All assignments are complete. -------------------------- Assignments are always in on time.	Candidate makes occasional grammar errors when speaking or writing. --------------------------- Some assignments are incomplete. --------------------------- If assignments are late, candidate has discussed it with the professor.	Candidate frequently uses incorrect grammar when speaking or writing. ----------------------------- Most assignments are incomplete. ----------------------------- Assignments are frequently late and no discussion has been initiated by candidate.

X. Resources

Coutinho, M. & Repp, A. (1999). Inclusion: The integration of students with disabilities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Gallagher, P., Floyd, J., Stafford, A., Tabler, T., Brozovic, S., & Alberto, P. (2000). Inclusion of students with moderate or severe disabilities in educational and community settings: Perspectives from parents and siblings. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities,35 (2), 135-147.

Gresham, F., & MacMillan, D. (1997). Social competence and affective characteristics of students with mild disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 67 (4), 377-413.

Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., Egan, M. W., Wolf, B. (1993). Human Exceptionality, (4th ed.).Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Huefner, D. S. (2000). The risks and opportunities of the IEP requirement under IDEA ‘97. The Journal of Special Education, 33 (4), 195-204.

Kameenui, E. & Carnine, D. (1998). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kauffman, J., Lloyd, J., Hallahan, D., & Astuto, T. (1995). Issues in educational placement: Students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. (2000). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Oswald, D., Coutinho, M., Best, A., & Singh, N. (1999). Ethnic representation in special education: The influence of school-related economic and demographic variables. The Journal of Special Education, 32 (4), 194-206.

Phelps, L. A., & Hanley-Maxwell, C. (1997). School-to-work transitions for youth with disabilities: A review of outcomes and practices. Review of Educational Research, 67 (2), 197-226.

Smith, J. D. (1998). Inclusion: Schools for all students. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

b. Websites

Piedmont College Webpage: www.piedmont.edu

• Library ../library/homepage.html

• Galileo http://www. galileo.peachnet.edu/Homepage.cgi

• Bookstore http://www.piedmont.bkstore.com/

Georgia Professional Standards Commission: www.gapsc.com

Educational Testing Services/Praxis: www.ets.org/praxis

Georgia Department of Education: http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/

QCC http://admin.doe.k12.ga.us/gadoe/sla/qccopy.nsf

Public Schools Report Card http://168.31.216.185/

U. S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/

Georgia Association of Educators http://www.gae.org/

Education World http://www.education-world.com/

Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org/

Education Website Clearinghouse http://library.ucf.edu/internet/Education/webed.htm

c. Praxis Information

All candidates seeking initial certification in the state of Georgia must pass Praxis I in order to be admitted to student teaching. Candidates may exempt this requirement by providing either SAT, ACT, or GRE scores which meet the following criteria:

SAT: 1000 total with a minimum of 480 verbal and 520 math

ACT: 22 composite with a minimum of 21 verbal and 22 math

GRE: 1030 total with a minimum of 490 verbal and 540 quantitative

Candidates who are seeking initial certification must also pass Praxis II in the appropriate content area in order to be recommended for certification. Candidates who are currently certified and are adding a new field must also pass the appropriate content exam. Information on Praxis I & II may be found at www.ets.org/praxis and on the Piedmont College website at ../advise/MAT.htm .