Intro to Special Education

Define Universal Design for Learning.

A set of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals equal opportunity to learn.

What is an IEP?

A written plan that tells what a child will learn in a year and the services the school will give.

How often is an IEP team required to meet?

At least once a year

How would you define "Differentiated Instruction"?

Differentiated Instruction is a technique that teachers can use to adjust their curriculum and instruction to better meet the needs of all students. Including average, struggling, and gifted and talented students, along with English Language Learners and learners with disabilities. There is no way a teacher can differentiate her instruction but can use many varied strategies.

What does IEP stand for?

Individualized Education Program

List the six important IEP team members.

Parents, Special Education teacher, General Education teacher, the child, LEA, test explainer

There are three characteristics of students that are important in differentiating instruction. What are they? Include one example of how teachers can learn about and incorporate all three characteristics.

Readiness, interests, and student profile are the three characteristics of students that are important for teachers to be aware of when trying to differentiate instruction. An example of each could be: readiness: looking at past work or a student's academic record. Interests: Talking with students or holding ice-breakers. Student Profile: Having the students fill out a questionnaire on how they like to/prefer to learn new information and continue to observe students in class.

What are the three major learning networks in the brain that UDL is targeting?

Recognition, skills and strategies, prioritization.

Explain each of the three major learning networks.

Recognition: "What" of learning Skills and strategies: "How" of learning Prioritization: "Why" of learning

What are the three principles of UDL?

Representation, action and expression, engagement

Explain each of the three principles.

Representation: Provide information and content in multiple media and provide varied supports like graphics, animation, highlighting and vocabulary activation. Action and expression: Provide multiple means of how students can express comprehension as well as models, feedback and support for each level of progress. Engagement: Students receive multiple options to fuel their interests.

Imagine you are an Elementary Special Education Teacher. If you wanted to teach your students some important strategies to help them self-regulate their learning, what would be four strategies you could use?

Some strategies you could use would be: Self-Monitoring, Self-Instruction, Goal Setting, and/or Self-Reinforement.

Please describe at least four significant ways in which a differentiated instruction classroom varies from a traditional classroom.

Some ways a differentiated Instructed classroom varies from a traditional classroom are: Instruction is student-centered, different grouping formats are used for instruction, teachers employ flexible grouping practices based on students' learning needs and interests, teachers assign challenging and engaging tasks to all students, and instruction is provided in multiple ways, while aligning with grade level standards.

What are the four "Executive Functions" that students overall tend to struggle with? List them.

The four Executive Functions that most students struggle with are: Processing information, retaining and recalling information, organizing materials and time, and using effective learning and study strategies.

What are the tier one components of RtI?

Tier one includes high-quality instruction and frequent progress monitoring in order to ensure that all students are learning and progressing as they should be.

What are the Tier Three components of RtI?

Tier three involves intense, individualized intervention as well as frequent progress monitoring.

What are the Tier Two components of RtI?

Tier two involves targeted intervention as well as frequent monitoring. This tier is small group instruction.

What is transition planning and what age must a child with an IEP begin this process?

Transition planning begins at age 14 and is when a child transitions to higher education and gets help transitioning, applicable with getting a job as well.

List and describe the four components of RtI.

Universal screening which includes testing of all students to determine who might be struggling, Tier one which is instruction to all students and the teacher adapts the curriculum to meet the needs of all the students, Tier two which includes small group instruction and frequent progress monitoring, and Tier three which is individualized instruction and frequent progress monitoring.

List the six stages of the pre-referral process.

• Initial concern • Information gathering • Sharing of information and discussion with the pre-referral team • Discussion of possible strategies to help the student • Implementation of strategies and monitoring • Evaluation and decision making