Incorporating High-Leverage Practice 7 in Classroom/Behavior Management Courses

In a joint effort, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR) published instructional practice guides for special educators called High-Leverage Practices (McLeskey et al., 2017). These High Leverage Practices focus on four areas of practice (collaboration, assessment, instruction, and social/emotional/behavioral). High Leverage Practice 7 (HLP 7) is under the social/emotional/behavioral domain and guides teachers to establish positive and constructive learning environments for students. For special education training programs, opportunities to focus on HLP 7 can be presented in classroom/behavior management courses as a function of setting up classroom structure (atmosphere, rules, and procedures) that support developing positive, culturally responsive learning environments and student-teacher relationships. This paper provides support for why topics should focus on HLP 7 and how topics of structure, culturally responsive teaching, student-teacher relationship development, and social emotional learning should be included in classroom/behavior management courses in special education training programs.

Special Education Training for Preservice School Librarians

This study analyzes the course listings of ALA-accredited school librarian training programs and their inclusion of special education training for preservice school librarians. Fewer than a quarter of school librarian training programs require special education training. Of those that do require it, three-quarters require it only for students without a teaching credential. Only two of the recommended or required courses address special education in the school library setting specifically.

O Aprendiz Surdo e a Química / Deaf Students and Learning of Chemistry

A educação inclusiva é um assunto cada vez mais discutido atualmente e a educação especial enfrenta o grande desafio de promover a inclusão. No caso de alunos com deficiência auditiva (surdos), está sendo respeitado o aspecto legal da disponibilidade do profissional Tradutor e Intérprete de Libras no acompanhamento aos alunos, o que não necessariamente está garantindo o acesso às aprendizagens, pois há dificuldades de comunicação entre professor e aluno surdo, falta de conhecimento sobre a surdez e adaptações metodológicas isoladas na sala de aula. O Tradutor e Intérprete não apresenta conhecimentos específicos de todos conteúdos programáticos de um curso, constituintes de diversas disciplinas. A área de Química apresenta especificidades em seus conceitos que requerem habilidades para suas transmissões e nos casos envolvendo estudantes surdos, parece clara a importância do professor possuir também competências para lidar com essas transmissões de conhecimentos. Este trabalho objetivou ministrar um curso de média duração para pessoas surdas de Barbacena/MG, tornando-as capazes de compreender os processos químicos, em seus aspectos descritivos, em laboratório e sua atuação sobre esses, visando conseguir os efeitos desejados em sua vida cotidiana. Houve promoção de inclusão dos alunos surdos, bem como a formação e a qualificação de recursos humanos, colaborando com a capacitação em educação especial de todos os envolvidos, em particular as futuras professoras.________________________________________________________________Inclusive education has been increasingly on debate at present and special education faces the great challenge of promoting inclusion. Regarding to hearing-impaired students (deaf students), the legal aspect relating to providing a Translator and Interpreter of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) to be with students has been carried out, which does not necessarily guarantee learning access, since there are communication barriers between teachers and deaf students, lack of knowledge on deafness and isolated methodological adaptations in the classroom. The Interpreter does not have specific knowledge regarding course syllabus from a variety of disciplines. Chemistry presents specificities in its concepts that require abilities for its transmissions and when it comes to involving deaf students, it seems clear the importance of teacher’ competences to deal with that issue. This work aimed at teaching a medium-term course for deaf people in Barbacena / MG, enabling them to understand chemical processes in the laboratory, in their descriptive aspects, as well as their action on them, in order to provide desired effects in their daily lives. The deaf students’ inclusion has been promoted, as well as training and qualification of human resources have been provided, which collaborated with special education training of all those involved, particularly to pre-service teachers.

Teacher Preparedness in Implementing Inclusive Education for Pupils with Hearing Impairments in Mombasa County, Kenya

Inclusion is a philosophy that focuses on the process of adjusting the home, school and the larger society to accommodate persons with special needs. The success of provision of inclusive practices is contingent upon the quality of teaching in an inclusive setting. This study was conducted in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study investigated teacher preparedness in the implementation of special needs inclusive education in primary schools with pupils with hearing impairments. The study focused on teachers’ academic qualifications, professional qualifications, teaching experience and whether the teachers had undertaken pre- service or in-service special education training. The prospective study was carried out between 2018- 2019 including 60 teachers and 20 head teachers. The findings revealed that although most teachers had the necessary academic qualifications to teach pupils in primary schools, they lacked adequate special education training to effectively teach pupils with hearing impairment and majority of the teachers had not undertaken any pre-service or in-service special education training to prepare them to effectively teach pupils with hearing impairments. Recommendations suggested that teachers should be adequately prepared during their pre-service education programme to effectively teach pupils with hearing impairments within the mainstream classroom setting. Recommendation was that teachers should enhance their special education skills through in-service special education training.

PROMOTING IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT OF LEARNERS WITH VISUAL PROBLEMS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS, CENTRAL KENYA

Visual impairment in childhood has implications in all aspects of the child’s development. It posses educational, occupational and social challenges, with affected children being at risk of behavioral, psychological difficulties, impaired self-esteem and poor social integration. Moreover, visual problems are an important contribution to poor school performance. Visual problems are known to deteriorate and become visual impairments if they are not identified and treated early. Despite this realization, high risk learners in primary schools remain unnoticed, undiagnosed and do not benefit from special education services and interventions. The purpose of this study was to document challenges that teachers in public primary schools experienced in identifying and assisting children with visual problems. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, a study involving 36 teachers was conducted in 12 public primary schools in Central Kenya. Questionnaires and observation schedules were used. The study established the major challenges faced by teachers in identifying learners with visual problems as: lack of knowledge and skills in special education and visual screening as well as lack of school visual screening programs. Strategies suggested to address the challenges included special education training and special education seminars for teachers and introduction of school visual screening programs for all the learners.