EDN 319

MEETING NEEDS OF SPECIAL STUDENTS

IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SUMMER, 2002

Texts:*

• Lewis, R.B., & Doorlag, D.H. (1999). Teaching special students in the mainstream (5th). Columbus, OH: Merrill.
• Evertson, C.M., Emmer , E.T., Clements, B.S., & Worsham, M.E. (2000). Classroommanagement for elementary teachers (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Course Packet (Handouts)

Course Description:

This course focuses on strategies for meeting needs of individuals in the regular classroom. Students will study alternative methods for dealing with pupil differences that have an impact on learning. Characteristics of children with academic, intellectual, social-emotional, physical, cultural, and language differences will be examined. Classroom management and behavioral development techniques which apply to all children, those with disabilities and those without, will be examined.

Course Requirements:                                         Point Value:

Grading Scale:

A = 500-460 points

B = 459-410 points

C = 409-360 points

D = 359-325 points

F = below 324 points

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Describe and differentiate between key elements of various recognized models of managing student behavior in the classroom.
2. Identify and describe effective behavior management techniques used for teaching, increasing, restricting, decreasing, maintaining and transferring social behaviors in the classroom and school.
3. Develop an appreciation for special needs in the areas of academic, social and motoric skills.
4. Describe characteristics of special needs students and identify selected teaching strategies for addressing these needs.
5. Discuss considerations for teaching learners with diverse multi cultural backgrounds.
6. Delineate strategies for consulting and collaborating with parents and other educators who are interacting with special needs and multi cultural students. 7. Locate, evaluate, select and utilize, through the use of computer based technology, appropriate teaching or learning resources in the areas of behavior management and educating special needs children.

DESCRIPTIONS OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS

INTERNET RESOURCE FILE and READING/PRESENTATION

You will be assigned one specific area of exceptionality from which you will conduct a web search focusing on relevant, current information regarding that exceptionality. At least three (3) sources of information are required which you can print out or summarize in your own words in a brief abstract. During a designated class, you will discuss what you've found with your classmates, supply A ONE PAGE LISTING of your web sources to each member of the class and turn in YOUR ENTIRE INTERNET RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT to the professor. At the conclusion of the semester, each student should possess an extensive Internet resource file on several areas of special needs. (ALSO, SEE READINGS/PRESENTATION)

Application Tasks

        I    on Classroom/Behavior Management

        II    on Exceptional Students

NOTE: Specific requirements for the Application Tasks are provided in the assignment sheets at the end of the syllabus.

READINGS/PRESENTATION:

You will be assigned a chapter in Doorlag/Lewis for which you will be responsible for reading and then presenting the major information from the chapter to your classmates in a lesson format. This should be done in conjunction with your web-based research assignment.

Examinations

I     will cover behavior management

II     will cover the introductory material and exceptional children

NOTE: The examinations will contain a combination of objective and essay questions.

Attendance and Participation

As future educators you are held to a high standard of professional behavior. The expectation of this course is that you will e an active participant in each and every class. What you are learning now is important to your future and the future of the many children you will teach. The following is the attendance policy for this class.

A minimum of 90% of class sessions must be attended in order to receive course credit. Attendance and punctuality will be monitored at the beginning of class each day. Participation in class discussions and small group activities is strongly encouraged.

To earn the 20 points for attendance and participation only one class may be missed and all assignments MUST be completed by the due date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Writing Expectations

Organization, clarity, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and neatness are very important in any type of professional writing, and adequate performance in all of these areas is expected in the written products required for this course.  All written assignments, with the exception of the perception checks, should be typed and stapled together.

Due Dates

All readings should be completed by the date listed on the schedule. Assignments are due on the indicated date prior to the beginning of class, and those submitted late (after the beginning of class on the due date) will be penalized 10% per day. Absolutely no papers will be accepted after the last day of class.

Undergraduate Academic Honor Code

Students are expected to adhere to the Honor Code as described in the UNCW Student Handbook and Code of Student Life. Documentation of violation of the Honor Code may result in a failing grade in the course.

Disability Accommodation

If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing accommodations of any type in order to participate in this class, you must notify Disability Services (Westside Hall, 962-3746), provide the necessary documentation of the disability and arrange for the appropriate authorized accommodations. Once these accommodations are approved, please identify yourself to me so that I can implement these accommodations.

EDN 319: TASK I

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

THE FOLLOWING TASK IS TO BE BASED LARGELY ON YOUR EVERTSON ET AL. READINGS, ALTHOUGH OTHER READINGS AND EXPERIENCES MAY BE USED.

    You have just received your first teaching job and you are very excited, and yet apprehensive, at the same time, You want to design and implement and excellent classroom and behavior management plan. It is now August 15, 200?- and the students will arrive on September 1. You have two weeks. Your assignment is to design a proposal stating exactly what you will do to prepare for the year. I want to know what you will do during the first two weeks before school begins, then what will you do afterwards to manage your classroom and individual behavior management throughout the year.

    I want you to pull from your Evertson readings for this task. At least two ideas from each chapter IN THE ENTIRE BOOK should be taken from the text and REFERENCED WITH CITATIONS in your plan. Your plan should be detailed regarding the first two weeks of preparation, then, more general as to how you will manage the rest of the year. You may use any other resource you'd like, including your field experiences, but, the great majority of your planning should be based on your Evertson et al text. By the way, You have an unlimited budget to work with.

    Approximate length of your plan should be four (4) to seven (7) pages. You do not need to type your plan if you will write neatly. Good Luck.

EDN 319: TASK II

    Task II is a narrative report discussing methods, strategies, etc. for integrating exceptional and culturally diverse students into your regular class. In this task, you will also discuss how collaboration/teaming would work to improve the education of exceptional/culturally diverse students. You will also generate a list of websites that would be helpful in educating exceptional and culturally diverse students.

    For this task you will assume the role of a regular classroom teacher. In this "hypothetical" classroom you will have two students that you have identified as being exceptional and one culturally diverse student. Using the following format you will describe these students and discuss the best educational plan for each:

1. Description of your classroom: Grade level, Demographics, Physical layout etc.
2. Description of each student's characteristics (two exceptional and one culturally diverse. IMPORTANT - One of your exceptional students must be from the following categories: LD, EMD, BED (BEH)
3. Academic and behavioral needs of each student.
4. Academic and Behavioral Strategies you would incorporate in your classroom to meet the academic and behavioral needs of these three students.
5. Strategies you would use to promote social acceptance and appreciation of cultural diversity in your classroom.
6. Ways you would work with other professionals to meet the needs of these students. (Collaboration)
7. You are to list two websites that would be good resources to use in determining the best way to meet the needs of the students you have chosen for this task.
 

Use this space for Assignment Notes:

EDN 319 -----SCHEDULE

SUMMER, 2002