SPD 310 Full Course Assignments GCU

It is not enough to simply feel a personal obligation to include students with disabilities within general education environments. Sometimes, being a special education teacher involves persuading others to see the benefits of inclusion as well as how it can be successfully implemented to create a safe and positive learning environment to promote the well-being of students with disabilities.

Use the “Philosophy of Inclusion Research Support Template” to complete this assignment.

Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Students often arrive to school facing numerous challenges in their personal life. Educators are charged with the daunting task of teaching the student, no matter what challenges are present. It is important to understand what issues a family may be facing, to know where to find resources that may be of assistance, and to communicate that information to families effectively.

Choose three parental/guardian challenges to post on the school’s parent/guardian resource page from the list below:

• Financial issues
• Limited opportunities for recreation and leisure
• Sibling issues
• Constant care and supervision of a child with a disability
• Increased potential for marital problems
• Logistical issues such as transportation
• Difficulty getting time away from job to care for a child with a disability
• Frequent disability-related crises
• Health issues of other family members
• Difficulties obtaining appropriate educational services for child with disability

Design a 10-15 slide digital presentation that describes each of the three challenges you selected.

Include the following:

• Potential solutions
• Strategies
• A mix of five state and national resources that could help parents facing such challenges
• Presenter’s notes, a title slide, a reference slide

In addition, using the resources you identified in your presentation, create a one-page handout that outlines the resources from your presentation for parents.

Include the following in your handout:

• Name of resource
• Link or copy of resource
• Rationale of the purpose of each resource and how it supports the identified challenge

Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Reciprocal and respectful collaboration and communication are important when building an effective team environment for a special education teacher, the general education teacher, and paraeducators.

Allocate at least 2.5 hours in the field to support this field experience.

Observe, interview, and collaborate with a certified special education teacher in a Grade 4-8 public or private inclusion or resource special education setting. Address the following:

• What is one type of co-teaching model have you used?
• Did your co-teaching experience go well using that model? If so, why do you feel it worked well? If not, what advice do you have for someone planning to use that model?
• What strategies have you used that have been effective in co-teaching?
• How do you handle a situation in which a co-teaching model is not working?
• Which co-teaching model do you feel is most effective with your students? Why?
• What advice do you have for someone when first beginning a co-teaching model?

Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.

In 250-500 words, summarize your mentor teacher’s feedback and suggestions, along with your classroom experiences. Explain how you will use all these experiences in your future professional practice.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.

Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.

One way school districts have chosen to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms is by having a general education teacher and a special education teacher co-teach. Co-teaching sometimes presents challenges for teachers who are required to collaborate in entirely different ways. It is important for special education teachers to be familiar with co-teaching models and how they are implemented.

Create a digital brochure or digital infographic that could be shared with your school’s administration and general education teachers as a professional development on co-teaching models and strategies for successfully implementing them.

Your digital brochure or digital infographic should include the following information for the grade level you will be teaching (early childhood K-3, elementary 4-5, middle grades 6-8, high school 9-12):

Support your digital brochure or digital infographic with a minimum of two scholarly resources.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Observing other teachers is important to build understanding for any profession. Observations are particularly important for the field of education because there is so much professional nuance learned on the job. In this field experience, you will have an opportunity to observe and work with a teacher, focusing on how that teacher collaborates with colleagues. Often, a significant portion of the special education teacher’s job is spent in collaboration with paraeducators. This typically includes collaborating on student needs, scheduling, coaching, and supervising.

Allocate at least 2.5 hours in the field to support this field experience.

Observe, interview, and collaborate with a certified special education teacher and a paraeducator in a Grade 4-8 public or private inclusive or resource special education setting.

Address the following:

Talking Points for Interview with Certified Special Education Teacher

• Roles and responsibilities of the certified special education teacher collaborating with co-teachers and para educators.
• Co-teaching models the teacher has used or is familiar with.
• Working with paraeducators, including providing training, feedback, and supervision.
• Advice for a certified teacher who is working with a paraeducator for the first time.
• Advice for creating a collaborative relationship with paraeducators.
• How and to what extent paraeducators are involved in student case management.

Talking Points for Interview with Paraeducator

• Roles and responsibilities of the paraeducator.
• Advice for a paraeducator who is working with a certified special education teacher for the first time.
• Collaboration strategies used between the certified teacher and paraeducator.
• The paraeducator’s recommendations for creating a collaborative relationship between all stakeholders in the classroom.
• Conflict resolution strategies to utilize with various stakeholders.

Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.

In 250-500 words, reflect upon your observations, interview, and collaboration. Consider if what you observed matched the information provided in your interviews. Draw conclusions and explain how you plan to apply your findings to your practice as a professional.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.

Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.

Special education teachers are placed in the position of coaching and supervising paraeducators, often with little direction from school administration. For many teachers, this is an unexpected and challenging part of the job. As a special education teacher, it is important to consider the responsibilities and expectations of your paraeducators while working collaboratively to meet the needs of all students.

In this assignment, a classroom scenario will allow you to practice your ability to foster collaboration between a classroom teacher and an assisting paraeducator. Begin by reading the scenario below.

Ms. Nesser is a first-year special education teacher working in an inclusive classroom of 30 students. Four of her students have learning disabilities and two have emotional disabilities. She is very excited about her placement and is even more excited that there is a paraeducator assigned to her classroom. The paraeducator, Ms. Taylor, has been working for the district for over 10 years and is approximately 25 years older than Ms. Nesser. In their first interaction, Ms. Nesser felt Ms. Taylor was not taking her seriously and seemed to disregard any suggestions she had about organizing the classroom, making comments like, “Oh, that never works!” and “That’s cute that you think the kids are going to listen!”

Based on the scenario, devise a plan for Ms. Nesser to address the situation with Ms. Taylor that fosters collaboration and creates a safe, inclusive, positive learning environment. Describe your plans for Ms. Nesser in a 1,000-1,250 word narrative that includes the following:

• Goals for collaboration
• Roles and responsibilities of the teacher
• Roles and responsibilities of the paraeducator
• How communication will be conducted
• How supervision of the paraeducator will be handled
• How conflicts will be resolved
• Rationalize how your plan is designed to meet the collaboration goals you outlined, as well as how it engages and promotes the well-being of the students and creates a safe, inclusive, and positive learning environment.

Support your plan with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Read “Five Ways to Ensure a Positive Co-Teaching Experience for Co-Teachers and Students,” by Meier and Fisk, from Simon Fraser University (2016).C

Conflict is inevitable in any workplace setting. In schools, the effectiveness of the educational team is important to the well-being of every student. Therefore, it is important for educators to resolve conflict in a professional manner that promotes collaboration.

The following scenario informs the assignment:

Mr. Carson, a special education teacher, has called a problem-solving meeting with a team of professionals who work with his seventh grade student, Melissa. Mr. Jones, Melissa’s science teacher, has expressed concerns about Melissa’s ability to engage in class on a day-to-day basis, both academically and behaviorally. Mr. Carson decided to invite a team to help problem solve as he has been successful working with special education students in a general education classroom setting.

The team includes: Mr. Carson, the special education teacher and case manager; Mr. Kiernan, a math teacher; Mr. Barnaby, an English teacher; Ms. Chamley, a counselor; Ms. Amity, a social studies teacher; Ms. Claire, the assistant principal, and Mr. Jones, the new science teacher.

During the meeting, Mr. Kiernan expressed his gratitude toward Mr. Carson and his ability to guide the team through comprehensive problem solving steps to help Mr. Jones. Everyone participated in the discussion and brainstormed ideas except for Ms. Claire.

When it came time to evaluate the suggestions, Ms. Claire found numerous reasons why each would not work. She specifically cited legal implications and time constraints. Mr. Kiernan offered ways to mitigate these concerns, but Ms. Claire simply said, “No.” Mr. Kiernan was somewhat surprised to hear the others then agree with Ms. Claire, except for Mr. Jones who said nothing. Ms. Claire then referred to one of her original ideas and the others enthusiastically agreed that it would be a good starting point. Mr. Kiernan tried once again suggesting another option, finding a way to incorporate both suggestions, but Ms. Claire vetoed the idea. Mr. Jones seemed to tacitly accept the idea but left without much enthusiasm.

In a 500-750-word evaluation:

• Describe the interpersonal conflicts and conflict management style presented in the scenario by the key characters and how they could potentially affect the learning environment and well-being of students with disabilities.
• If you were Mr. Carson, explain how you would promote better collaboration in this situation to meet the needs of the student.
• Provide potential solutions for meeting the needs of the student.
• Develop a plan including two research-based collaboration and communication strategies to address the conflict and promote healthy peer-to-peer relationships.

Support your response with the topic materials as well as a minimum of three additional scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Special education teachers must use effective collaboration techniques to design and implement complex plans involving many stakeholders to support students with disabilities across a wide range of settings. Review the scenario below to inform the assignment:

Marco is a Mexican-American eighth grade student who has been identified as having an emotional/behavioral disorder, specifically mood disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). Currently, he participates in a general education inclusive classroom. During his annual IEP meeting, the team reviewed recent test scores and determined he qualifies for the gifted program in English language arts (ELA) only. Therefore, Marco will continue to participate in the inclusive classroom for the remainder of his courses.

Marco has continued to be successful in all his inclusive classes; however, he is struggling in his new gifted setting for ELA. Mrs. Stone, the gifted teacher, was not able to be present during the IEP meeting. She has never worked with a student who has an IEP prior to having Marco as a student in her classroom. Marco has mentioned that he is the only Hispanic or Latino student in the gifted class, and this has made him feel uncomfortable. He has stated that Mrs. Stone does not include him in the classroom conversations and speaks abruptly to him, but not to the other students.

After one month of Marco being in the gifted class, Mrs. Stone has requested that a paraprofessional be present to support him. At the IEP meeting, the IEP team had determined that a paraprofessional was not necessary because Marco should be able to be successful in the gifted classroom without this level of support. After meeting with Marco previously on classroom concerns, and the request from Mrs. Stone, as the special education teacher, you completed a walk-through observation of the gifted classroom. You did notice that Marco was isolated in a corner and the teacher did not interact with him. In addition to the walk-through, you just received a phone call from Marco’s parents stating Mrs. Stone told Marco that he does not belong in this class. At this point, Marco no longer wants to be in the class because he does not feel welcome.

The principal has come to you, the special education teacher, for assistance with supporting Mrs. Stone and Marco in being successful. The IEP team is scheduling another meeting to discuss goals and ideas to help Marco be successful in the gifted ELA classroom. The support of a paraeducator is part of the discussion as a possibility for Marco.

Use the “Collaboration and Communication Action Plan Template” to complete this assignment.

Support your findings with a minimum of three scholarly resources on collaboration and communication best practices.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

College of Education (COE) program competencies and national standards assessed in the benchmark assignment:

COE 5.7 

Provide guidance and direction to paraeducators, tutors, and volunteers. [CEC 6.6, ICSI.6.S8, ICSI.6.K13, ICSI.6.K14, ICSI.6.S12; InTASC 10(n); GCU Mission Critical 1, 2, 4, and 5]

COE 6.1  

Use the theory and elements of effective collaboration. [CEC 7.1, ICSI.7.K1, ICSI.7.S3; InTASC 7(o); ISTE-T 3a, 3d, 5a; GCU Mission Critical 1, 4, and 5]

COE 6.2 

Serve as a collaborative resource to colleagues.[CEC 7.2, ICSI.7.S3, ICSI.7.S8, ICSI.7.S9; InTASC 10(k); GCU Mission Critical 1, 4, and 5]

COE 6.3   

Use collaboration to promote the well-being of individuals with exceptionalities across a wide range of settings and collaborators. [CEC 7.3, ICSI.7.K1, ICSI.7.S3, ICSI.7.S6, IGC.7.K4; InTASC 10(b), 10(j); ISTE-T 3b; GCU Mission Critical 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5]

Special education teachers sometimes must build positive, collaborative relationships around negative situations. Despite a situation’s circumstances, it is important to focus on student-centered solutions that offer support for both staff and students with the goal of long-term success.

Review the following scenario to inform the assignment.

Mr. Santiago’s sixth grade classroom is next to Ms. Lujano’s classroom and on some days the walls seem too thin. Ms. Lujano has shared with you, the special education teacher and consultant, her concerns with the tone Mr. Santiago uses in his classroom to redirect Joey, a student who has been diagnosed with an emotional disability. Joey struggles with getting to class on time, controlling his emotions, and understanding personal boundaries.

Mr. Santiago often raises his voice to Joey, which frequently creates a power struggle between the two of them. Ms. Lujano does not feel this is an effective approach and has noticed that even after re-directing Joey, Mr. Santiago seems to continue to yell at him, sometimes for the entire class period, or until he has removed Joey from his classroom.

Mr. Santiago has not shared any concerns with you and up until this conversation with Ms. Lujano, you were unaware that anything was going on. Shortly after talking with Ms. Lujano, you asked Mr. Santiago how things were going with Joey, and he admitted that he is often frustrated by Joey’s behavior. You offered to meet with Mr. Santiago to come up with some action steps that might be more beneficial for both Joey and him, and he agreed. Now you are creating an action plan to recommend to Mr. Santiago.

Use the “Special Education Consultant Analysis Template” to complete this assignment.

Support your choices with a minimum of three scholarly resources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Candidates must complete all programmatic requirements, including practicum/field experience hours defined in the coursework. Additional information about practicum/field experience can be found in the Student Success Center.

To earn credit for this assignment, all required course hours must be completed and the form submitted by the assignment due date.

• Access the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form in the Document Management section in the Student Portal.
• Complete all required fields on the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
• Submit by clicking “Click to Sign.” An email will be sent to the mentor to verify the practicum/field experience hours.
• Communicate with the mentor to request he or she verify the practicum/field experience hours. Once the practicum/field experience hours have been verified by the mentor, the completed form will be available in the Student Portal.
• Save a .pdf copy of the completed Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to your computer.
• Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS.

*The data entered into this document is subject to a verification audit. Candidates who engage in fabricating, falsifying, forging, altering, or inventing information related to practicum/field experiences, internships, clinical practice, and/or any associated documentation may be subject to sanctions for violating GCU academic integrity policies, which may include expulsion from GCU.