Special Education Inclusion

Special education inclusion signifies the participation of special education students in regular education classrooms and provision of support services to these students. The main objective of inclusion education is that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths and their weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community. Every student develops a feeling of belonging with other students, teachers, and support staff. In segregated special education, children will not learn how to function in a non-disabled world. For instance, children who are disabled in terms of communication and are emotionally distressed would not communicate and might remain in a more emotionally disturbed state in segregated settings. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) holds it mandatory for schools to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms.

The prime advantage of special education inclusion is that both disabled and non-disabled students are brought together in an environment of togetherness. Children learn to accept individual differences in inclusion education and this would lead to the development of new friendly relationships. Inclusion education also enables active participation of parents in their child's education. The law also states that students with disabilities have a legal right to attend regular classes and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Although the advantages are many, inclusion education creates an uncertainty regarding the roles and responsibilities of regular classroom teachers and special education teachers. However, researches show that inclusion education can be made effective by a healthy collaboration of special education teachers and regular teachers. With the assistance of services that would be available from the health department, physical education department, occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc., the school administration can aid the teachers to develop active lesson plans for inclusion education. Thus schools can create a cooperative learning environment and promote socialization.

Special Needs Education

Special needs is a blanket term used to describe an overwhelming number of diseases and disorders. These disorders are diverse, and can describe mild learning disabilities, severe mental retardation, psychiatric problems, mobility problems, anxiety disorders and any number of other difficulties that must be overcome. What is common to all of these children, though, is that parents and educators should pay extra attention and be sensitive to these needs in order to promote healthy childhood development into adults that are as functional as possible. Often the self-teaching, play-to-learn approach presented by educational toys are a-n ideal means of helping children to overcome the common difficulties incurred by learning and other disorders. Some characteristics are common to many disorders, and many kinds of educational toys can help children overcome these problems.

Frustration

Special needs children often feel a great deal of frustration with the world around them, as they are met with more difficulty than their peers in mastering basic tasks, and because they often struggle to understand their environment. Educational toys provide children with a sense of satisfaction and self-achievement. This positive, rewarding experience can help to soothe the frustration that is understandably experienced by these children.

Anxiety

Children suffering from learning, developmental or psychiatric disorders are often very insecure and unsure of their environment, which causes an extraordinary amount of anxiety. The play-and-learn approach encourages children to become immersed in their work and to develop a positive, more satiated demeanor that helps to offset feelings of insecurity or anxiousness.

Self-esteem

Many times special education children feel insufficient and inferior to their peers, which can cause extremely low confidence and self-esteem. Because children teach themselves and learn independently with educational toys, achievements gained self-sufficiently help these children to build a sense of confidence and self-assurance. This increased self-esteem then allows children to interact more comfortably with their environment, and gives them the confidence needed to approach learning.

Communication

Due to speech impediments, hearing problems, social anxiety or other communication problems, educators often struggle to communicate with special education children. Educational toys allow children to teach themselves through the enjoyable and engaging play-to-learn approach. With this strategy, children are able to learn independently, and their development is no longer hindered by communication problems. Additionally, the visual perception, concentration and self-esteem skills nurtured by educational and self-teaching toys allow for children to be more accepting of their environment. This receptiveness can open the lines of communication, allowing special needs children to learn and to grow.

Special needs children have a very widespread range of difficulty, and the needs of each child are unique. Educational toys' engaging nature helps to keep these children motivated, and the self-teaching approach allows for them to move at their own pace. Ultimately, they are an outstanding means to help children master visual perception, linguistic, critical thinking, reasoning, object recognition, logical thinking, concentration and other vital developmental skills. This helps to provide a framework for special needs children to grow and to move on to live functional, fulfilling lives.

Arts Integration!!

I am very excited!  This weekend I am heading to MTSU to attend a workshop on Arts Integration. Many of the teachers I work with will also be attending and several are presenting.  I can't wait to share with you all of the fun things I learn!  Have a great week!

And the winner is....

Good morning!  the lucky winner of my 400 giveaway is Margaret!  I sent you an email.  I need to know what products you want and I will email them to you!  Congratulations!!


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Education for children with disability - a guide for parents

Education for children with disability - a guide for parents

Welcome to Education for children with disability - a guide for parents. This guide aims to give you a broad understanding of the support available for children and young people with disability in the state school sector.

It will give you a quick tour of:

• schooling for students with disability in Queensland
• the importance of early childhood education
• the specialised support available to children and students with disability
• what you can do to get the best outcomes for your child.

The guide is a starting point to help you understand how the education system works and what is available for students with disability and what supports are available. The guide can provide you with a starting point for your discussions with schools and other departmental staff. It will assist you and your family to make informed decisions about your child's education. It is organised by topics, and provides advice about where you can find more detailed information.

The guide introduces a whole range of people that you might be in contact with over the course of your child's schooling. Some of the people you are encouraged to make contact with from the start are school staff, community agencies and other parents.

Most of the time, the best way to get more detail is simply to ask staff at your school. The Department of Education and Training website also has specific information about special education programs and services, including eligibility criteria.

Visit to – http://special-online-education.blogspot.com/

Source – http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/parentguide/

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100 Best Resources for Educators

Online Masters in Education.org has created a list of the 100 Best Web Resources for Educators in 2012.  I was simply amazed to find out that I made the list for Elementary Resources.  There are many blogs that I stalk follow because of the great ideas they share.  You will find many wonderful blogs on the list.  Check out this great list for some new blogs/resources to help you through your school year.

Educational Toys for Infants and Children

Appropriate guide to help parents choose educational toys for their children

Toys are an integral part of a child's life. The physical and mental development of a child, to a large extent, depends on the right choice of toys. Here is a guide to help parents choose educational toys for their children.

Childhood is that stage of life, where you get fascinated with almost everything under the sun. Right from their birth, children are curious about everything and have an inborn tendency to explore and desire to learn. Toys play a key role in this process of learning and development of a child.

A general view is that a toy is something to be played with. It can be anything - a household item like a kitchen container or a set of building blocks. However, toys, which specifically help a child to learn about a particular subject or to develop a particular skill are known as educational toys. Such toys should be selected carefully, according to the age of the child. As children are curious about learning new things, any toy or game is a learning experience for them. You can tap this natural curiosity and contribute to their knowledge in a better way, through educational toys.

Zero to Six Months

For a newborn, after spending nine months in the mother's womb, everything is new. It may sound absurd, if you talk about educational toys for a newborn, but, toys are a great medium through which you can make the newborns, familiar with their surroundings. At this stage, the primary role of toys is to help the babies develop their senses and reflexes.

It takes at least two months for newborns to adjust to their surroundings. They learn through their senses of hearing, sight, taste and touch. You can stimulate these senses through the right educational toys. A newborn baby has blurry vision and can recognize things within a distance of 10-12 inches. So, while selecting toys for this age group, you should go for colorful ones. Crib mobiles with soothing music, crib music boxes, soft toys and safety mirrors are some good options. Crib mobiles help the movement of eyes, which in turn strengthens eye muscles; music enhances the listening skills, and soft toys or dolls help the newborns in recognizing faces.

As a baby enters his second month, he starts kicking his legs and waving his arms. So, floor gyms with hanging parts, light and music proves to be more appealing for them. It helps to develop motor skills, as the babies reach for the hanging toys. The third and fourth months are characterized by their attempts to grasp objects. Here, they need rattles and toys that make sounds. During the fifth month, you can select toys, which a baby can hold in his hands. Bat-at toys, squeeze toys, musical toys and teething rings. help enhance hand-eye coordination. In the sixth month, babies need toys which encourage them to crawl. Colored balls and action-reaction toys will be perfect for this age.

Six to Twelve Months

A baby starts crawling and takes efforts to sit straight during its seventh and eighth months of age. The thinking ability of a baby starts developing around the eighth month. Toys like building blocks, sorting toys, bath toys and interlocking rings. are good at this stage. During the eighth month, go for toys which enhance confidence and strength of the baby, as he may try to stand up, holding the furniture. Ninth and tenth months witness more physical activity, with the baby trying to walk. Walkers, link-together toys, play-telephones and language development toys, are excellent for this developmental stage of a baby. You can introduce outdoor toys like swings, during this period. Also try some push-pull toys, ride-on toys, simple musical instruments, pop-up toys and balls and see the happiness on your child's face, as he plays and learns.

One to Five Years

Almost all babies start walking between their twelfth and fifteenth month. During this period, they utter their first words, generally associated with food, parents, or pets. Educational toys in this period, should aim at helping them develop these skills. As they enter their second year, you can introduce more such toys to enhance their vocabulary and creative skills. Get them books with pictures, crayons and play dough, during this period. You can also choose soft alphabet blocks, stacking rings, solid letters and large balls.

A two-year-old can walk, jump and hop, has good hand-to-eye coordination and tries to speak full sentences. At this age, kids tend to observe and imitate the speech and mannerisms of the elders around them. So, it is advisable to get them sporty toys, role-play toys, water toys, wagons, dolls, stuffed animals and child-sized tables/chairs. You can also introduce educational toys, which help in counting. As a child enters his third year, he will want more sporty toys, simple board games, play sets, dolls with accessories, story books, picture books, realistic toys like animal sets, model cars and trains, and puzzles. Such learning toys help in preparing them for kindergarten.

During the fourth year, kids become proficient in almost everything expected from them at this age. They can walk well, carry their things, draw, write words, sing, dance, swim and skate. Try to indulge them in more creative projects and in toys that can help them with their reading and writing skills. You can get them educational toys like drawing toys, electronic games, board games and simple musical instruments. These toys help them build self-confidence.

Above Five Years

Kids in this age group, make friends and spend more time playing with their peer group. They are active in hiking, swimming, biking and also start having hobbies. They enjoy board games, art kits, science kits, art materials, marbles, larger bicycles, construction sets, backyard gym equipment and kites. Between the ages of six and nine, you can go for science experiment kits, junior versions of adult sporting equipment, pogo sticks, jump ropes, magic sets, tabletop sports and video games.

Kids in the age group of nine to twelve tend to develop skills and hobbies that usually last for their lifetime. Science kits, jigsaw puzzles, advanced construction sets, chess, playing cards, remote control vehicles, checkers, dominoes and books are beneficial for them.

Things to Remember

• Choose appropriate educational toys for different age groups, considering your child's abilities and interests.
• Always read the instructions before using the toy or game and keep the product literature safely, for future reference.
• Toys for infants/toddlers should not have any sharp edges, and small parts.
• Let the kids play under your supervision.
• Don't allow the younger kids to use toys meant for the older ones.
• Keep these toys in a safe place, away from very young children.
• Check these toys at regular intervals for damage.

Playing, in general, helps children to develop their senses and motor skills in the early stages. It also helps the kids in enhancing their creativity, thinking, problem solving skills and language. So, playing with educational toys means learning and mastering various skills. Every parent should try to choose suitable toys for their children. Apart from buying these toys, it is important to spend quality time with your kids. At times, you may have to sit with your children and explain to them, the working of a particular toy, help them solve a puzzle or simply play with them. All this makes a difference in the overall development of your child, as your child is everything that matters to you.

Visit to – http://special-online-education.blogspot.com/

Source – http://www.buzzle.com/articles/educational-toys-for-infants-and-children.html

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FREE Educational Apps for Kids

FREE Educational Apps for Kids

Just got a new iPad2 or Android tablet for Christmas but can’t pull it out of your child’s hands long enough to use it yourself?

You are not alone. But at least you can sneak in a little learning while the Apps for Kidsy naively have fun playing on Mommy’s new toy. Here are some educational apps that kids will have fun with and may not even realize that they are learning a thing or two!

Language Apps

(letters, phonics, grammar)

Android

50 languages by 50 languages. Learn 50 languages for free using your native language! 50languages.com contains 100 lessons that provide beginners with a basic vocabulary. With no prior knowledge, you will learn to fluently speak short sentences in real-world situations in no time. The 50languages method successfully combines audio and text for effective language learning.

Dictionary.com Flashcards by Dictionary.com. Study, learn and master words on your phone. Create and play fun, tailored study programs anywhere, anytime. Create your own or choose from over 70,000 flashcard decks, customize your study by grade level, standardized test, or subject, select your study method – audio pronunciation or definition matching, sync your online and mobile app progress, and study offline without an internet connection.

Practice English Grammar – 1 by CrowdUni. Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) helps you learn English grammar by practicing interactive grammar exercises. Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) contains many pages of grammar lessons explaining the grammar topics of the tests. With over 500 questions in 16 topics, this app helps you practicing the basic usage of English grammar in elementary level.

Speak Spanish by Holfeld Apps. Most Apps or classes try to teach you 1000s of words you will never need. This App teaches you all the phrases you will very likely need! If you want to save time and money and just learn what you’ll actually need while traveling, this App is ideal for you! Hear & Learn the basics, how to say Hello,Thanks,Goodbye and more.

iPad

Beginning Sounds Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Kids match words that share the same beginning sound! Children just “grab” fun picture balls and drop them into the correct spots on the board. For ages 4-7 years. Free

Letter of the Day Interactive Activities by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Kids explore the whole alphabet—from every angle! Animated lessons cover letter formation, letter sounds and more. For ages 4-6 years.

Phonics Genius by Innovative Mobile Apps. This app is loaded with content. We are talking over 6,000 professionally recorded words carefully grouped into 225 categories by phonics. Ages 1 – 6 Years Old.

Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Children build language skills in a fast-paced game of tic-tac-toe! Fun, interactive game explores vowel sounds, syllables and more. For ages 6-8 years.

Sight Words List – Learn to Read Flash Cards & Games by Innovative Mobile Apps. Help Your Child Learn to Read. Sight Words, also known as the Dolch List are an integral part in learning how to read. The Dolch Word list contains 315 words that are broken down into appropriate age groups. It is important for young readers to be able to instantly recognize these high frequency words in order to be proficient and fluent readers.

Math Apps

Android

Geometry Eye by iauro Technologies. Play this game and see how accurate your eyes can observe the things.GeometryEye shows series of geometry figures which needs to be adjusted to make geometry shapes or to find out some geometrical properties like angle bisector,in-circle of a triangle,line midpoint etc.

Kids Math Lite by Explore in Android. Kids Maths Lite is a great app perfect for preschoolers to learn about numbers and counting. The kid can have hands on following activities: Learn Numbers- Choose from Play mode, previous and next buttons, Count and tell, Find missing number, Find bigger number, Find Smaller number, Learn number names, Find a match- play the popular fun memory game to match numbers, Draw and Learn- Practice to draw the numbers within the stencil with color of your choice.

Kids Numbers and Math by Intellijoy. Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if there was a simple game for children that made learning numbers and basic math skills enjoyable? There is! It’s called Kids Numbers and Math. This app is great for learning numbers, choosing max/min number, addition, subtraction, finding a match, and even advanced exercises.

Math Formulary by anjokes. Simple access to all math formulas with the Math Formulary App! Math Formulary covers all mathematical formulas that are usually used in the school and the university. Where necessary graphics are included to depict and explain the topic better. The content is organized into following groups: Basic Arithmetic, Algebra, Analysis, Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, and Logic.

Pocket Math by synQroid. Pocket Math is a unique quick reference android application that gives the user a list of all basic quant concepts and formulae with brief explanations. Concepts are grouped for easy reference.

VISIT TO – http://special-online-education.blogspot.com/

SOURCE – http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/free-educational-apps-for-kids/

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Wahoo! Freebie for all and a Giveaway!!

I want to celebrate 400 followers by saying thank you to each and everyone of you!  I never thought blogging would make me a better teacher, but I truly believe that it has!  I created some special, olympic themed classroom materials for everyone! One lucky blog stalker will win $25 worth of materials from my TpT store.  I am making this super easy so everyone can participate!  Good luck and thanks to all of you wonderful bloggers/stalkers!  You can pick up the FREE materials HERE!  

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Use of Instructional Technology in PE

Appropriate Use of Instructional Technology in Physical Education

Introduction

The rapid development of technology over the past two decades has provided many new and creative ways for educators to present instructional materials effectively. Until recently, those advancements have focused on desktop technology, which limited their use in physical education. But wireless technology, computer projection systems and physical activity monitoring devices are moving technology into school gymnasiums. The recent development of active gaming or “exergaming” − using video games that incorporate physical activity (Thompson, 2008) − is adding yet another dimension.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) believes that technology can be an effective tool for supplementing instruction when used appropriately. Therefore, the primary purpose of this document, developed by a task force of NASPE’s Physical Education Steering Committee, is to provide guidelines for using technology to help students achieve the National Standards for Physical Education (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004).

Background

Technology has become an important part of work and home environments throughout the country, and that’s apparent among the youth population. In a recent study of families with children between ages 6 and 13, the average family home had four televisions, 99% had a DVD player and/or VCR, 88% had a video game console and 85% had a computer. More than half of the families studied also had Internet access,providing children with exposure to a wealth of information never before imagined.

Currently, children entering first grade are estimated to spend an average of 51 minutes per day playing video games and 14 minutes per day using computers, in addition to 172 minutes every day viewing television. By the time children reach age 12, their average “screen time” has increased to 109 minutes of video gaming and 79 minutes of computer usage (Hersey & Jordan, 2007). Although this high volume of use has been named a contributing factor to childhood obesity (Crespo, et al., 2001; Gortmaker, et al., 1996; Robinson, 1999), it also indicates that, when children enter school, they are accustomed to and familiar with technology as one of the primary tools for receiving information.

This is a key consideration for designing and implementing instruction. Teachers now face a generation of students who have never known life without a computer, video game console, cellular phone or Internet access; and that is changing the scope of education dramatically.

Technology tools and exergames can provide objective data on activity levels and creative methods for individuals to engage in physical activity. Studies have indicated that active gaming can promote higher levels of energy expenditure compared to seated video games, as well as increasing heart rate and oxygen consumption (Graves, Ridgers & Stratton, 2008; Lannigham-Foster, et al., 2006).

Pedometers, accelerometers and heart rate monitors also can be valuable tools, providing objective and accurate activity monitoring (Crouter, Schneider & Bassett, 2005; Eston, Rowlands & Ingledew, 1998; Schneider, Crouter, Lukajic & Bassett, 2003; Tudor-Locke & Myers, 2001).

Online learning in physical education using hybrid or blended models (Kachel, Henry & Keller, 2005; Oblender, 2002), can provide valuable Web-based supplemental content through online assignments, readings, chat rooms and examinations, coupled with faceto-face, activity-based sessions (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2007). All of those technology tools, however, have inappropriate as well as appropriate applications in relation to effective instruction and facilitating student learning.

The 2006 National School Health Policies and Programs Study (Lee, Burgeson, Fulton & Spain, 2007) indicated that 42% of physical education teachers receive staffdevelopment training on using physical activity monitoring devices; 37% on using technology overall. Also, between 17% and 49% of the teachers studied received additional training for administering fitness tests, assessing student performance, and developing portfolios and individual physical activity plans: areas in which technology can supplement instruction and help in managing data.

Those statistics − in addition to the recent release of updated National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (International Society for Technology in Education, 2008) – underscore the importance of developing guidelines for proper technology use in physical education that adheres to NASPE standards and guidelines for appropriate practice at all grade levels (NASPE, 2004, 2009a, 2009b, 2009c).

VISIT TO – http://special-online-education.blogspot.com/

SOURCE–http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/upload/Appropriate-Use-of-Instructional-Technology-in-PE-2009-2.pdf

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Tips and Tricks to Make Alternate State Assessment Easy

I teach a k-5 self-contained special ed class.  Some of my students take the regular state assessment and some qualify for the alternate portfolio assessment.  The Alt is so much better for most of my students since the students are tested over a long period of time and they are assessed on personal growth not mastery of the skill on their grade level.  It is a LOT of work on the teacher.  Here’s a breakdown of how the TCAP-Alt works in Tennessee.

Students are required to be tested in reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies.  For each subject, the teacher chooses 3 standards which are based on the student’s IEP.  For each standard, the teacher has to plan lessons and assessments to take data on for 15 days.  (The days do not have to be consecutive.)  The teacher also has to keep track of which peers the student worked with for each data point and what choice you gave the student.  By the end, that’s a lot of data to keep track of especially when you have several students taking the Alt.

I have 4 folders, one for each subject area.  I keep all data sheets and materials needed to assess that subject area in that folder.  On the outside of each folder, I have a chart that has the students’ names down the left side and the numbers 1-15 across the top.  As I complete an assessment for a student, I check off their name under the correct standard.  I can tell at a glance how many data points I have completed for each student.  (See checklist here.)  I also keep one folder for each student that is being assessed.  I put completed graphs and evidence sheets in the student’s individual folder. I also put all of the other papers that will be part of the Alt in individual folders such as the table of contents and the signature pages.  Here is an example of where I record each student’s scores. (See data sheet here.)  I put the standard at the top and make enough copies so that I have more than 15 data collection days (students are absent and will need to make up days at the end so they still have 15 data days.)

How do you make this manageable?  I try to figure out how to make flashcards for each standard.  The students either identify or sort the flashcards so I can assess daily quickly and easily.  When I make my flashcards, I make them for what I want them to be able to do at the very end of the unit of study.  At the beginning, they may only know 1 or 2 correct answers, but by the end, they are getting more and more correct.  Remember, the goal of the Alt is to show growth, not mastery of the skill. If they master the skill, that’s great, but so often our lower functioning students are not able to master a skill after a unit of study, but they have made progress.   Here is a set of my simple machine flashcards that I use with the students.  I have them sort them into the different types of simple machine it is. Then, I quickly count how many are correct out of how many total and I have a percentage to recored on my data sheet.  I add in any other details that I need such as peers and choice offered and my assessment lasted only 2-3 minutes! 

Some standards don’t allow for flashcards such as writing.  For those standards, I create a rubric.  Here is a sample of a writing rubric that I made for one of my students last year.  The good thing about rubrics is you can customize it to fit each student’s individual needs.  They are quick and easy and allow you to keep several days worth of data on each rubric.

I hope you found some useful tips.  I would love to hear any of your useful tips and tricks.

My blog?

Hi bloggy friends.  My blog was nominated for the Most Fascinating Special Education Teacher blog!  I can't believe it!  I would really appreciate you heading over and sending a vote my way!
Thanks friends!



                                                    

WoW! You can win what?!!

Peace, Love, and Learning is having a huge giveaway!  Three lucky blog stalkers will win an amazing prize!  I have donated my Plant Unit as part of the Awesome Blogger Prize Pack.  Head on over and enter to win.  You have until Sunday to enter. Good luck everyone!