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Syllabus For Educating Exceptional
Children
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Term: Spring, 2003-2004 (032)
Course Number: EDU 430
Instructor: Stuart Swenson, Ed.D.
Office: Rm. 300, northwest corner
Office
Phone: 473-4262
E-mail:
sswenson@ccsj.edu, Swenson@jorsm.com
Home Phone: 219-865-3306
Office Hours: Tuesdays noon –
4:00; Wednesdays all day; as arranged
Instructor Background: Dr. Swenson has served as an elementary teacher in
regular and special education settings and as a school psychologist in the
Hammond Public Schools. He also served
as the Director of Student Services and Program Assessment in Consolidated High
School District 230, in Orland Park. In
clinical settings, he served as psychologist in physical medicine and
rehabilitation and as a member of the medical staff at St. Anthony Medical
Center in Crown Point. He has an Ed.D.
(1975) from Indiana University.
Course Time: March 29 –
April 15, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Course Description:
Teacher candidates will
explore the physical, psychological and social nature of the various
exceptionalities described in the Federal special education law. Also included is the process of
identification, diagnosis, education and treatment focusing on the continuum of
services. A critical aspect of this
course includes an exploration of the problems in special education labeling and
programming which every serious student must deal with before engaging in the
classroom. These issues will be applied
to every topic throughout the course. Field experiences required.
Prerequisites:
EDU 100, 200, 300, 311, 342 and 370
Learning Outcomes/ Competencies:
The teacher candidate will
gain knowledge, through reflection and practical experiences with the following
concepts associated with meeting the educational needs of students with diverse
capabilities and from diverse backgrounds:
Ø Characteristics of diverse students and their
families
Ø Legal aspects of providing educational services
Ø Instructional planning and accommodations in the
social and educational environments to facilitate learning
Ø Individual differences and assessment
Ø Problems with the special education enterprise
Related INTASC Principles:
Ø Principle 2: The teacher understands how children
learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their
intellectual, social and personal development.
Ø Principle 3: The teacher understands how students
differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities
that are adapted to diverse learners.
Ø Principle 4: The teacher understands and uses a
variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of
critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills.
Ø Principle 5: The teacher uses an understanding of
individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment
that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and
self-motivation.
Textbooks: Turnbull, Rud, Turnbull, Ann, Shank, Marilyn and Smith, Sean J. (2004).
Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools, 4th
Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Learning Strategies: Assigned
readings, lectures, group and individual discussions, collaborative assignments
involving reading, writing and simulations, media presentations and internet
demonstrations.
Assessment:
The final student grade will
be based on attendance, punctuality, classroom participation, assignments,
projects and performance on formative assessments (for the purpose and function
of formative assessment, see Boston, Carol. “The Concept of Formative Assessment”. http://ericae.net/pare/getvn.asp?v=8&n=9,
or go to the web page cited on page 35 in your text à Student Center à Chapter 1 (Go) à Internet Exercises à Question 3 site). These are not mutually exclusive
categories. For example, to participate
in the formative assessments, and understand what is required in the major
projects students must be present in class.
To understand and fully participate in the class discussions and
formative assessments, students must read the assigned materials.
If a student misses a class,
or critical parts of that class, that person will probably miss the assessments
and possible points gained from participation and assessments. Points earned on assessments, presence and
participation are cumulative.
Therefore, the student will not earn the points one can potentially earn
by being present. The opportunity to
take in-class assessments will come only once.
Students who are tardy, and miss the first half hour of class may miss
an assessment. The same applies to
students who choose to leave early.
There will be no exceptions.
Each student will receive a
copy of the grading rubric before the class, but it will be available at any
time to the student who may have misplaced it or erased it from their
e-mail.
Ø Each assignment will combine lectures, reading,
formative and summative evaluation.
The student can expect the following sequence: The reading will be assigned in class, or can be obtained from
the syllabus. Before reading the
assignment, students will proceed to the Prentice-Hall web site (www.prenhall.com/turnbull/) and take
the pre-test in the chapter study guide section. After reading the assignment, students will retake the pretest
and other assessments to determine their strengths and weakness in their
knowledge of the material. On returning
to the class, students will discuss the assignment and formative assessments
with their colleagues to determine their needs during the lecture. They will communicate those needs to the
teacher who will focus on those educational needs through a lecture, in-class
assignments, group work, simulations, etc.
Students will assess their knowledge by retaking the tests in the web
site. A formative assessment, a chapter
test, will follow the next morning. There will be no final exam, but the
posttest points are cumulative and will account for 40% of the course grade.
Ø Attendance/participation
will account for 20% of the course grade.
Ø Two observations of special
education teachers, accounting for 10% of the grade will be required. Students are required to use the Ysseldyke
teaching effectiveness criteria to evaluate the quality of instruction. This document will be due by the last day of
the class, but may be submitted earlier.
This will account for 10% of the grade.
Ø A process paper will account for 15% of the
grade. It is also due between the last
day of this class and the beginning of the next. The student will read Virginia Smith-Harvey’s paper, Best
Practices in Teaching Study Skills.
While this paper is designed to help teachers and psychologists provide
study skills instruction, the student in this course should read it and reflect
on his/her own strengths and weaknesses in the area. The student will then do a “self-diagnosis”, listing those study
skills that need improvement and write a 504 plan for him/herself. During the final week of classes (or
sooner), the student will do a behavioral intervention designed to change one
of those weaknesses, gathering appropriate data to show what was done. In a final paper, the student will file the
504 report plan, the report on his/her weaknesses, the nature of the
intervention, and what happened as a result of that intervention, reporting
appropriate data to show the results.
The paper should not ordinarily exceed two pages, but some students may
need it to be longer. This is designed
to be an exercise in reflection and self-teaching.
Ø In the final assignment accounting for 15% of the
grade the student will pick two of the case studies mentioned in the book or
web site. On the basis of the
information contained in the site, the student will write a short description
of how he/she believes the child will present in the regular classroom and
write a 504 plan and a functional behavior analysis for each child.
While the college notifies
students of the final grade through the regular mail, when the student has a
functioning e-mail account, this instructor will send the grade along with the
Excel calculation sheet/rubric as soon as it is finished.
Exams (Midterm, Final, Quizzes) 40%
of grade
Class
participation/collaboration/attendance/assignments 20% of grade
Projects (2) and field experiences 40%
of grade
Class Policy for Assignments:
Assignments are
due on the last day of class, but may be submitted on the first day of the next
class, approximately a week later.
There will be no Incompletes assigned unless something catastrophic has
occurred in the student’s life that won’t permit him/her from performing their
responsibilities. Family illness, failing transportation, failure to contact
the teacher and difficulties with electronic equipment are not considered
catastrophic. Assignments not submitted
on time will be assigned a zero.
Grading Scale:
|
Grade |
Points |
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A |
100-92 |
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A- |
91-90 |
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B+ |
89-88 |
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B |
87-82 |
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B- |
81-80 |
|
C+ |
79-78 |
|
C |
77-72 |
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C- |
71-70 |
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D+ |
69-68 |
|
D |
67-62 |
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D- |
61-60 |
|
F |
59 and below |
Class Policy on Attendance:
Attendance is
part of the INTASC principles as “disposition”. Students who routinely fail to attend class will no earn points
for that day (for participation) and will miss any opportunity to earn credit
for the test. If you are late, miss the
test and want to take it, don’t even ask.
Class Policy on Electronic Devices:
Students should
turn off cell phones, pagers and other electronic devices which can potentially
cause a disruption in the educational process.
Should a device cause such a disruption, the student will be asked to turn
it off. Repeated problems in this area
can lead to unpleasant consequences and disruption in
the student’s career at Calumet College.
Course Outline:
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Class Dates: |
Topics/Assignments: |
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3/29/04 |
Chapter 1:
Overviewc |
|
3/30/04 |
Chapters 2
and 3 : Universal Design, Inclusion, Collaboration |
|
3/31/04 |
Chapter 4:
Learning Disabilities (journal reading assignments) |
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4/1/04 |
Chapters 5
and 6: Emotional Disorders and Attention Deficit Disorder |
|
4/5/04 |
Chapter 8:
Mental Retardation |
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4/6/04 |
Chapter 9 and
10: Severe and Multiple Disabilities; Autism |
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4/7/04 |
Chapter 11:
OHI, Other Health Impairments |
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4/8/04 |
Chapter 13:
Traumatic Brain Injury |
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4/12/04 |
Chapter 12:
Physical Disabilities |
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4/13/04 |
Chapter 14:
Communication Disorders |
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4/14/04 |
Chapter 15:
Hearing Loss |
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4/15/04 |
Chapter 16:
Visual Impairments |
Class Participation: See attendance
Center for Academic Excellence:
Tutoring assistance is free to all
students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the Center for Academic
Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The Center has
experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who
are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better.
Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Academic Dishonesty:
If an instructor finds that
a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic
dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up
for judicial review. The maximum penalty
for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. Dismissal from the college becomes a
metaphor of what the student is doing to him/herself relative to the community
at large, and is done to send the difficult but necessary message to that
individual that such behavior left unchecked destroys and alienates the person
from society. The procedures for
judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses
student grievances.
The issue of academic
integrity is especially critical in the educational cohorts. Students who engage in deceitful tactics are
usually known by their peers, a situation which places everyone in the class in
a vulnerable position and subtly implicates them in the offense. In essence, those engaging in academic
dishonesty place the entire program, including the collective morale, at risk,
not just themselves. If any student has
any questions about any ethical issue, including the proper management of
information, that person is encouraged to discuss the matter with this
instructor or, indeed, anyone on the faculty until he/she is fully satisfied
with how to proceed in the matter.
Please note: Calumet
College of St. Joseph subscribes to Turnitin.com and all papers can and may be
submitted for checks on plagiarism from the Internet/Electronic
sources/Databases.
Citation Guidelines:
Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to
citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA,
and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).
All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St.
Joseph library or bookstore. These
texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including
electronic media.
Withdrawal from Classes Policy:
After the last day for class changes has
passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which
they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the
course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be
filed with the Registrar. The Registrar must receive written request for
withdrawal by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates
specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or
faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to make note of the
refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the
faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the
request. If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of
official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the
withdrawal is disallowed.
An official withdrawal is recorded as a
"W" grade on the student's transcript. Dropping a course without
written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course
(see Refund Schedule).
School Closing
Information:
Internet: http://www.ccsj.edu
http://www.EmergencyClosings.com
Facility: Calumet College of St. Joseph
Phone: 219.473.4770
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