Hopes & Fears for Final InternshipMy attendance at the 2016 Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference proved that there is nothing more empowering than a room full of educators, administrators and authority figures applauding a single scholar. The closing of the 3-day workshop and presentation experience included a video in which a thrilled student with Autism received their university acceptance letter. The conference focused on inclusion practices for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This semester, I am engaging in the inquiry process to determine and practice effective strategies for students with disabilities to succeed in the general education classroom. Making content area learning accessible to all students can be accomplished through accomodations and Universal Design for Learning practices that further every student's ability to master material. Professionally, I am striving to include data-based decision making while executing and planning engaging lessons. Through multidimensional lessons that appeal to a variety of learners, I will further my pedagogical knowledge that will benefit my future students. Personally, I expect this experience to grow my own admiration for and ability to capitalize on individual learners' strengths. Although I expect there to be unforeseen challenges in the inquiry process, most likely involving the limited amount of time available in the school day, any perceived hurdles will only build my strength as a teacher researcher. As part of my final internship, I hope to showcase my own learning and build my teaching pedagogy knowledge while ensuring student academic achievement. With a support system including outstanding peers, an inspirational University Supervisor and a wise Collaborating Teacher, I am sure that my experiences with the University of South Florida will continue to lead me to success this semester. Last semester my wondering was...In order to best meet the needs of learners with disabilities in the general education classroom, I am seeking appropriate and effective accommodations and strategies to promote student success and academic achievement. I believe my inquiry topic is important for student learning because about four of every five students with disabilities in the United States spend 40% or more of the school day in a general education classroom (McLeskey, Rosenberg & Westling, 2013). Traditional classroom instruction and materials may not make the general education curriculum accessible to students with disabilities. In order to offer an equitable access to the curriculum, educators should provide accommodations so students of all abilities will be included in the lesson. In my opinion, every child is entitled to being part of a learning community with opportunities to further their attainment of knowledge with consideration for individual needs, interests and strengths. The key forms of data I hope to collect to more deeply understand student learning related to my inquiry are research-proven literature reccomendations for effective practices, practitioner articles, professional development experiences, student work examples, progress monitoring of students' scores, as well as interviews with students and professionals. The most important changes I hope to make/actions I hope to try related to my practice are the inclusion of Universal Design for Learning principles in lesson planning and the implementation of effective strategies and accomodations for diverse learners. The key forms of data I hope to collect data to more deeply understand myself and my teaching are reflective conferencing with mentors on my observed lessons, suggestions for improvement in practice from my peers, Collaborating Teacher, the school's ESE Specialist and my University Supervisor, as well as professional development experiences, like attending SCATTER workshops and presenting at conferences. One thing my supervisor needs to know to help me "create a space" for inquiry in my classroom is I am open to constructive criticism, as well as highly receptive to expert knowledge from professionals in the field. I am willing to work outside of the classroom to grow as an educator. One thing my course instructor needs to know to help me write-up and share my inquiry with others is that I am my own biggest critic. Do not ever hesitate to push me beyond where I am currently performing, I hope to be my absolute best at everything I do. I value the revisions and suggestions for improvement from professionals in the field, especially the professors I have worked with at USF. ReferencesMcLeskey, J., Rosenberg, M.S., & Westling, D. (2013). Inclusion effective practices for all students (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
0 Comments
|
Categories
All
Archives
March 2017
|