Creative, Yet Practical: 20 Years of Distance Education Teacher Preparation

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-200
Author(s):  
LuAnn Jordan ◽  
Fred Spooner ◽  
Kelly Anderson ◽  
Ann S. Dillon
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Interactive Television ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Major Transitions ◽  
Online Coursework ◽  
Class Meetings

For more than 20 years, distance education has provided an option for prospective special education teachers to achieve licensure and a graduate degree. The program began as a two-way interactive television endeavor located at area community college sites. Over time, the program evolved to include online coursework with synchronous class meetings. In addition, changes in licensure and the graduate program have affected the schedule and offerings. Although changes are part of the story, the mission has remained the same, to provide quality graduate instruction to teachers of students with disabilities in a convenient, connected manner. This article includes a reflection on the original program and highlights of four major transitions over the 20 years of the program.

Interactive Television as a Vehicle for the Delivery of Higher Education to Rural Areas

1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles M. Lyons ◽  
Pamela MacBrayne ◽  
Judith L. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Interactive Television ◽  
Instructional Methodology ◽  
Distance Education Program ◽  
The University

Through the Community College of Maine, the University of Maine System has designed and implemented a distance education program, using interactive television, to reach students statewide. This article describes that system's technology, its instructional methodology, and its effectiveness as reported by students and faculty. The application of this model for areas with sparsely distributed populations is supported.

The Politics of Distance Edcucation

Public Voices ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Mark Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Interactive Television ◽  
Small Population ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Instructional Software ◽  
College Level ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Political Perceptions ◽  
Fiscal Efficiency

"Distance education" at the college level is well over a century old.  It has served the needs of a numerically large, but proportionately small population of learners who have eschewed the campus classroom.  These correspondence school enrollees, educational TV watchers, and audiocassette listeners have had only modest impact on the structure, mission, and strategy of the institutions serving them.  But that is now changing, and changing very dramatically.  The advent of the Internet, interactive television technology, and web-based instructional software, coupled with administrative and political perceptions of educational reformation and fiscal efficiency, may be causing nothing less than a revolution in higher education.  By applying a feminist model of assessment called "unthinking technology," that is to say, exploring the potential, but unthought of socio-political aspects of this technological revolution, this paper raises significant questions about the security of the traditional academic enterprise.  "The Politics of Distance Education" urges a pro-active embrace of these technologies by the academy in order to enable a legitimate "competency for grievance" so that the protection of the validity of higher education, and legitimacy of the academic profession can be ethically defended and publicly respected, rather than being viewed as mulish resistance to the inevitable.

Preparing Special Education Preservice Teachers to Teach Computational Thinking and Computer Science in Mathematics

2021 ◽  
pp. 088840642199237
Author(s):  
Emily C. Bouck ◽  
Phil Sands ◽  
Holly Long ◽  
Aman Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Mathematics Methods ◽  
K 12

Increasingly in K–12 schools, students are gaining access to computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS). This access, however, is not always extended to students with disabilities. One way to increase CT and CS (CT/CS) exposure for students with disabilities is through preparing special education teachers to do so. In this study, researchers explore exposing special education preservice teachers to the ideas of CT/CS in the context of a mathematics methods course for students with disabilities or those at risk of disability. Through analyzing lesson plans and reflections from 31 preservice special education teachers, the researchers learned that overall emerging promise exists with regard to the limited exposure of preservice special education teachers to CT/CS in mathematics. Specifically, preservice teachers demonstrated the ability to include CT/CS in math lesson plans and showed understanding of how CT/CS might enhance instruction with students with disabilities via reflections on these lessons. The researchers, however, also found a need for increased experiences and opportunities for preservice special education teachers with CT/CS to more positively impact access for students with disabilities.

A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses in Special Education: Exploring the Evidence Base for High-Leverage Practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 074193252110634
Author(s):  
Gena Nelson ◽  
Sara Cothren Cook ◽  
Kary Zarate ◽  
Sarah R. Powell ◽  
Daniel M. Maggin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Special Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Intensive Instruction ◽  
Disability Categories ◽  
Meta Analyses

It is crucial that special education teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Despite federal legislation and efforts of the field to identify and disseminate evidence-based practices for students with disabilities, it is uncertain whether all special education teachers provide instruction based on the best available research. To better prepare special education teachers, McLeskey et al. proposed 22 high-leverage practices (HLPs). We conducted this systematic review of meta-analyses to provide an initial investigation of the experimental evidence reporting on the effectiveness of the HLPs for students with, or at risk for, a disability. Results indicated the largest amount of evidence from meta-analyses related to intensive instruction, explicit instruction, and social skills, with few meta-analyses reporting on collaboration and assessment. The results highlighted disproportional evidence according to disability categories. Implications for future research, practice, and teacher education are discussed.

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ With Disabilities Ability, Instructional Needs, and Difficulties Using Visual Representations to Solve Mathematics Problems

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-188
Author(s):  
Delinda van Garderen ◽  
Amy Scheuermann ◽  
Apryl L. Poch
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Mathematical Problem ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Mathematics Problems ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Instructional Needs

In this article, we present findings that examined special education teachers’ perception of students’ with disabilities ability, instructional needs, and difficulties for using visual representations (VRs) as a strategy to solve mathematics problems. In addition, whether these perceptions differed by instructional grade or setting currently teaching was examined. Survey data from 97 in-service teachers revealed, regardless of instructional setting or grade level taught, that they believe students with disabilities have the ability to learn about and use VRs and need to be taught to use VRs. Furthermore, the special education teachers perceived students with disabilities to have difficulty with all aspects related to using VRs in mathematical problem-solving. Implications for teacher training and development are provided.

Technology Tools Available for Implementing Social Skill Instruction

2021 ◽  
pp. 004005992110417
Author(s):  
Maggie A. Mosher
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Social Skill ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Technology Tools ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
Social Skill Instruction ◽  
Research Based Interventions

General and special education teachers report feeling inadequate in providing social skill instruction to students. Yet, researchers and government bodies (ASELA, 2015) report students receiving social skill instruction display marked improvements in: (a) motivation to learn, (b) commitment to school, (c) time devoted to schoolwork, (d) mastery of subject matter, (e) school attendance, (f) graduation rates, (g) grades, and (h) test scores. Numerous technology tools are available to assist educators in providing social skill instruction to students with disabilities. However, determining a student's social skill need and finding tools that utilize effective research-based interventions can be a time-consuming and daunting task for educators. In this article, the authors provide a streamlined process for determining an individual student’s social skill instructional need and present technology tools available that utilize high-leverage and evidence-based practices (EBPs) to provide instruction for these targeted areas.

From Caring to Cared For

2019 ◽  
pp. 102-117
Author(s):  
Lindsey A. Chapman ◽  
Chelsea T. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Retention ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Marginalized Populations ◽  
Practical Application

Special educators dedicate their careers to caring for one of the most vulnerable and historically marginalized populations of students despite often working in environments that do little to reciprocate this care. Amidst an ever-changing education landscape, special education teachers are becoming increasingly stressed, experiencing burnout at alarming rates, and far too frequently leaving the field altogether. In this chapter, caring school leadership is examined in the context of special education. The authors seek to bridge a theoretical stance with practical application to the field. Three necessary conditions for caring are discussed and specific “transactions of care” are recommended. The chapter concludes by upholding the idea that ensuring special educators feel cared for by school leaders has the potential to mitigate issues of poor working conditions, teacher retention, and consequently, promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities.

Strategies for Integrated Collaborative Inclusion Relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 100-130
Author(s):  
Jamie Mahoney ◽  
Carol A. Hall
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Collaborative Teaching ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Alternative Teaching ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Inclusion Model ◽  
The One

This chapter examines the roles and responsibilities of general education and special education teachers in the inclusion model of teaching. Providing students with disabilities services within the inclusion model of services requires both teachers to use specialized strategies and methods such as the co-teaching models ensuring all students are successful within the classroom. These models include the one teach one observe, one teach one assist, station teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, and teaming. Kagan provides collaborative teaching strategies to assist in helping students to learn to work together in during projects and other classroom activities. Students must learn to work in a cooperative manner to be prepared for future essential life skills and jobs. Employers are seeking students who can get along with others and work in group settings to accomplish tasks in a competitive field.

Effects of Tactile Prompting and Self-Monitoring on Teachers’ Use of Behavior-Specific Praise

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Markelz ◽  
Jonte C. Taylor ◽  
Tom Kitchen ◽  
Paul J. Riccomini ◽  
Mary Catherine Scheeler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Behaviors ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Behavior Specific Praise ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Task Behaviors ◽  
Specific Praise

Effectively managing a classroom is crucial in promoting positive student outcomes. Behavior-specific praise is an empirically supported strategy to reinforce desirable student behaviors. Following a review of the literature, we identified tactile prompting and self-monitoring as effective methods to increase teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise while sustaining intervention long enough until teachers contacted natural maintaining contingencies. We created electronic tactile awareness prompting with self-monitoring (eTAPS) by combining two applications on an Apple Watch. Using a multiple-baseline-across-participants design, this study primarily investigated the effects of eTAPS on special education teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise. Secondarily, this study investigated the impact that behavior-specific praise would have on the on-task behaviors of targeted students with disabilities demonstrating frequent off-task behaviors. Results indicated that eTAPS was effective in increasing and maintaining behavior-specific praise rates. Furthermore, significant increases in student on-task behavior occurred. Implications of results and future research are discussed.

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