Syllabus for Educating Exceptional Children

1

Term:                            Spring 2005 (042)

Course Number:             EDU 430

Instructor:                      Tony Franco

Cell Phone:                   (219) 718-1948

E-mail:                         ccsjtf@yahoo.com

Office Hours:                 By Appointment Only

 

Instructor Background:  Tony Franco holds Masters degrees in the fields of Psychology and Management, earned from Valparaiso and Purdue University respectively.  He has over 13 years experience in the mental health field, with positions held as Counselor, Therapist and most recently, Vice President.  Mr. Franco’s healthcare experience encompasses both inpatient and outpatient settings, with client age ranges from childhood to geriatric.  Primary populations served included: head injury, mental retardation, mental illness and physical rehabilitation.

 

Mr. Franco has also been an adjunct instructor at Calumet College of St. Joseph since 1990, in addition to teaching at two other Chicagoland colleges.  He has great faith in his students and strives to provide them quality educational services.  With firm beliefs in personal strengths held by all, Mr. Franco actively seeks to aid students develop a sense of empowerment related to their educational and career pursuits.  In short, his stance in the educational process can be summarized by the following quotation, “Faith in the learner leads some teachers to find strength, where others see only weakness and failure.” – unknown author.

 

Course Time: Wednesdays  -  4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

 

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:  Kirk, Gallagher, Anastasiow (10th Ed.) Houghton Mifflin

 

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:

01/12/05

Introduction to special education perspectives

01/19/05

Chapter 1:  Educating the Exceptional Child

01/26/05

Chapter 2:  Exceptional Children and Social Institutions:  Schools, Govt. & Cts.

02/02/05

Chapter 3:  Early Intervention:  Priorities and Programs

Review for Exam 1

02/09/05

EXAM 1

02/16/05

Review Exam 1

Chapter 4:  Children Who Are Gifted and Talented

02/23/05

Chapter 5:  Children with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

03/02/05

Chapter 6:  Children with Learning Disabilities

03/09/05

Chapter 7:  Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Review for Exam 2

03/16/05

Exam 2

03/23/05

Review Exam 1

Chapter 8:  Children with Communication Disorders in Speech & Language

03/30/05

Chapter 9:  Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

04/06/05

Chapter 10: Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

04/13/05

Chapter 11:  Children with Visual Impairments

Review for Final Exam

Oral Reports

04/20/05

Final Exam

Written Reports and Extra Credit Due

 

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 (Kirk, Gallagher, Anastasiow, 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.  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 30 minutes unless people in the class want to discuss ideas. 

 

 

FIELD EXPERIENCE: 

 

Two observations of special education teachers, accounting for 10% of the grade will be required. Students are required to identify criteria and evaluate the teaching effectiveness of the classes observed.  This document will be due by the last day of the class. 

 

 

FINAL ASSIGNMENT:

 

The student will pick two of the case studies mentioned in the book.  On the basis of the information contained in text, 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.

 

Assessment:

 

Exams (Midterm, Final, Quizzes)                                                     35 % of grade

Projects and field experiences                                                         35 % of grade

Class participation/collaboration/attendance/assignments       20 % of grade

Class presentation                                                                              10 % of grade

 

Class Policy for Assignments:

 

Students will be given no less than one class notice for assignments due.  Any assignment turned in later than the due date will only be accepted as such with the instructor’s permission, and may be subject to a reduced maximum grade (score).

 

Grading Scale:

 

A: 93-100                A-: 90-92               B+:  87-89            B: 83-86             B-:  80-82            C+: 77-79

C: 73-76                 C-: 70-72              D+:  67-69            D: 63-66             D-:  60-62            F:  59 & below

 

 

Class Policy on Attendance: and Conduct:

 

Class attendance is very important.  Lectures and discussions will include material not covered in the text.  Further, there will be ongoing class exercises, whose material and outcomes may be presented in exam format.  Attendance for scheduled exams is mandatory, and any ‘makeups’ will be considered only in cases of extreme personal hardship.  Students will be allowed two unexcused abscences and one with advanced permission of the instructor.  Beyond this total, a reduction in points will be assessed, as detailed in class.

 

Class Policy on Electronic Devices:

In recognition of Calumet College of St. Joseph being a ‘non-traditional’ provider of education, it is understood that many students may have outside obligations requiring the use of pagers and cell phones.  If such devices are required by the student during classes held, it is expected they be turned to a ‘silent’ or ‘vibrating’ position or to the ‘off’ position, if possible.  Any calls received or made are to be made outside of the classroom.

 

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:

 

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http://www.EmergencyClosings.com

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Phone: 219.473.4770

 

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