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Syllabus
for Educating Exceptional Children
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Term: Fall
2004-2005 (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 – 7:00 and 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: September 13 – September 30, 2004, 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, scheduled outside
class time, are 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.
What to Expect in the way of Content:
The first
week of the course will be an overview of the context of special
education. Much of what will be
discussed and what you need to know is found in the first three chapters of the
text. Some people might ask why we need
to spend 1/3 of the course on exploring what surrounds the actual education of
children with special needs, rather than looking at disabilities and how to
manage them. Actually, that IS what
special education is about. To understand
what special education is, you need to know about the forces that created it,
the powers that maintain it and how to function with them because all teachers
must understand and operate within that context.
After the
first week, we will begin looking at actual disabilities and trying to
understand them. I say “trying” because
some disabilities are still poorly defined and understood, despite what you may
have heard or been led to think. Once
you know some of the problems, you will know what clothes the king is actually
wearing and why regular classroom teachers need to understand their roles in
light of the continued presence of special education in the educational
environment. The class organization
will be as follows:
|
Class
Dates: |
Topics/Assignments: |
|
9/13/04 |
Introduction
to special education perspectives |
|
9/14/04 |
Chapter 1 |
|
9/15/04 |
Chapter 2 |
|
9/16/04 |
Chapter 3 |
|
9/20/04 |
Chapter
4: Learning Disabilities (presentation and journal reviews) |
|
9/21/04 |
Chapter 5
and 6: Emotional Disorders and Attention Deficit Disorder |
|
9/22/04 |
Chapter
8: Mental Retardation |
|
9/23/04 |
Chapter 9
and 10: Severe and Multiple Disabilities, Autism |
|
9/27/04 |
Chapter
11: Other Health Impairments and Traumatic Brain Injury |
|
9/28/04 |
Chapter
12: Physical Disabilities |
|
9/29/04 |
Chapter 14
and 16: Visual Impairment and Communication Disorders |
|
9/30/04 |
Chapter
15: Deaf and Hard of Hearing |
Along with
readings, THE FIRST PROJECT:
The
Internet has become the ever-present authority. Even when it is wrong, it is still viewed as the authority. Unfortunately, the Internet is also the
venue for people with agendas as well as it is a source of fact. It is also the source of many plagiarized
papers which, in turn, are the cause of many failing grades, some of which lead
to student expulsion from the college.
In this case, you will be assigned to research one of the 8 topics
(handicapping conditions or combination of handicapping conditions) in the
schedule using the Internet. Using your
text as the final authority to determine accuracy, find Internet sources which
purport to tell you about the topic, reading as many sources as you can
find. Every source you use, print it
and underline/outline the parts you use.
Submit all your sources with your final paper. Do not present anything as fact unless it has been checked in
your text (Turnbull, et al.). If you
find controversy or conflicts, or sources that are just plain wrong, report
them. It is also important to report
what appears to be an author’s personal agenda and bring the documents to your
colleagues so that they can discuss how they are probably related to the
difficulties they expect to find in the classroom.
Compile
your materials into an authoritative presentation to your colleagues on the
date specified on the schedule between 9/20 and 9/30. You may use any medium (PowerPoint, overhead projector,
chalkboard, hand-outs, etc) that you may find useful. Your presentation should generally last no longer than an hour
unless people in the class want to discuss ideas. In your presentation, use many of the techniques mentioned by
Marzano, et al (http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/Instruction/5992TG_What_Works.pdf). Submit which strategies you intend to use
before your presentation. Marzano’s publication reviews those instructional
strategies that research shows as having the greatest likelihood of affecting
student learning. (Notice that there is
no mention of “auditory” or “visual” strategies.) This document is free but it is long and not cheap to print nor
easy for me to save on disk.
Your
presentation will be used along with the instructor’s presentation, discussion
and films. To help you organize your
presentation, consult the Student Study Guide Guiding Questions and spot check
questions. Be sure you answer them in
your presentation. Points: 30% of the
course grade.
The day after the discussion, an assessment will be given to determine
what was learned the day before.
Between 2 and 5 questions will be taken from the Guiding Questions
section of the chapter presented. There
will be no final exam, but the unit tests points are cumulative and will
account for 30% of the grade.
Assessment:
The final
student grade will be based on attendance, punctuality, classroom
participation, assignments, projects and learning performance on daily in-class
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. Possible points: 20%
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. Unless a student has made arrangements with
the instructor, if they are tardy, and miss the first half hour of class may
miss an assessment. The same applies to
students who choose to leave early.
The grading
rubrics and grading worksheet are/will be available on Blackboard.
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 should use the
Prentice-Hall web site (www.prenhall.com/turnbull/)
and the Student Study Guide to help them fully understand the material. During class, students will have time to
discuss the assignment 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.
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 which is
available on Blackboard. 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 In the final assignment accounting
for 10% 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 expects the
child will present in the regular classroom and write a 504 plan 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. You will be the first to read the news.
Exams (Quizzes) 30%
of grade
Class
participation/collaboration/attendance/assignments 20% of grade
Projects (2) and field
experiences 50%
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 the assigned 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 |
|
A |
100-92 |
|
A- |
91-90 |
|
B+ |
89-88 |
|
B |
87-82 |
|
B- |
81-80 |
|
C+ |
79-78 |
|
C |
77-72 |
|
C- |
71-70 |
|
D+ |
69-68 |
|
D |
67-62 |
|
D- |
61-60 |
|
F |
59 and below |
Class Policy on Attendance: and Conduct:
Classes conducted in the education dept. ARE different from the liberal
arts because students have declared that they wish to be teachers. The American education establishment has a
conservative social bias for a number reasons, one being that the public is
very concerned that teachers be good models for its children. Whatever that may mean to you, no student
graduating from Calumet College should be surprised about the expectations they
will find in American public or parochial education settings. For that reason, students should become
accustomed to attending all education-related meetings as if they were faculty
meetings conducted by an administrator.
Crude or uncivilized behavior, late arrival or early leaving does not
show positive disposition any more than unfinished or poorly done work. You may be advised to change aspects of your
presentation you never considered needed changing, but those comments are
intended to be helpful to you and your future.
Students who fail to attend class will not earn points for that day (for
participation) and will miss any opportunities to earn other types of
credit. Credit is, after all, cumulative. 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. This applies to text messaging devices,
PARTICULARLY DURING TESTS (when they can give the appearance of cheating). 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.
Academic Dishonesty:
If an
instructor finds that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another
form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other staff member 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
fundamental social relationships 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 and its 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
Radio:
WAKE – 1500 AM
WGN
- 720 AM
WIJE – 105.5 FM
WLS – 890 AM
WZVN – 107.1 FM
WBBM NEWS RADIO 78
TV Channels:
2, 5, 7, 9, 32