PACER Center

The mission of PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of helping parents. (http://www.pacer.org/)


These are some workshops that may be of interest to future teachers!

• IDEA: Understanding the IEP 
• http://www.pacer.org/workshops/flyer/4-5-11IDEAUnderstandingtheIEPlow.pdf
• St. Cloud
• This Individualized Education Program (IEP) workshop explores IEP requirements and components of IEP development, including evaluation, resolving disagreements, and an expanded section on writing measurable goals.
• Tuesday, April 05, 2011 
• 6:30pm-9:30pm
• IDEA: Understanding the Special Education Process
• http://www.pacer.org/workshops/flyer/4-4-11IDEAUnderstandingSpecEdlow.pdf
• Alexandria
• This workshop outlines the basic principles of special education. Topics include free appropriate public education, evaluation, resolving disagreements, and the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• Monday, April 04, 2011 
• 6:30pm-9:30pm
• http://www.pacer.org/workshops/flyer/3-10-11IDEAUnderstandingSpecEdLow.pdf
• PACER Center (Minneapolis)
• This workshop outlines the basic principles of special education. Topics include free appropriate public education, evaluation, resolving disagreements, and the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• Thursday, March 10, 2011 
• 6:30pm-9:30pm 
• Communicating Strengths and Needs with Early Childhood Professionals
• No link
• PACER Center 
• Thursday, April 14, 2011 
• 6:30pm-8:30pm 
• A Life of Hope
• http://www.pacer.org/workshops/flyer/3-2011Benefitmailinglowres.pdf
• PACER Center (Minneapolis)
• Spend an evening with award winning author, speaker, and educator Jonathan Friesen. As a person with Tourette syndrome and epilepsy, Jonathan will share his life journey. He highlights the messages he most needed to receive from his parents in order to move from pain to joy.
• Thursday, March 31, 2011 
• 6:30pm-9:00pm
• IDEA: Blueprint for Special Education
• http://www.pacer.org/workshops/flyer/3-21-11IDEABlueprintPrincetonlow.pdf
• Princeton
• The special education process is like building a house. There is a logical order to both. This workshop will cover how to use the building blocks of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to develop appropriate services for your child.
• Monday, March 21, 2011 
• 6:30pm-9:30pm 

Field Experience: Day 02

Monday, February 28, 2011

Today I learned that the teacher I am working was my best friend's teacher when we were in first/second grade, as well as many of my other graduating class. This started my morning out great, feeling like I somehow knew his a little better, and did not have to be so nervous. After morning announcements, I worked with two separate groups on make-up spelling tests and summer school math request tests. These two groups took up a large portion of my morning. With the last half hour, I worked with individual students on their reading. The students would read a story as I timed to see how far they were able to get. We would read through it together after the first timing, and then they would read again and see if they could get farther. It was really rewarding watching each of the students as they would get farther and farther. They were so proud of themselves when they saw their own improvement!

Class Update

2/22: Today we went over the terms: culture, multicultural, diversity, inter-cultural, and American culture. Many of my classmates agreed that in today's schools, multiculturalism is not part of the curriculum, but a single day dedicated to multiculturalism. In my opinion, it should be part of the curriculum that is engaged in everyday activities. We also took notes on some key concepts, including the inter-cultural development continuum. This continuum went along with the inter-cultural development inventory test we took last week. The continuum ranged from a mono-cultural mindset to an inter-cultural/global mindset, from denial up to adaptation with polarization, minimization, and acceptance all in between.

2/24: Group One, Chapter Four: Student Diversity

• 300 ethnic cultures in U.S.
• minority feel like they have to become "white" students
• multiculturalism allows students to express their identity
• needs to be added into the curriculum
• holiday celebrations
• holiday policy that relates to all families and traditions

3/1: Today we watched a video on immersion programs in the United States. Currently there are thirteen full programs, with six of them being in Minnesota. In the video, many of the parents felt that having their children become bilingual will bring more opportunities for them. These programs start out in kindergarten, only speaking the targeted language, and growing as the years go on. One of the teachers stated that the only struggle was to not be caught speaking English, because she would lose the respect level she has with her students, and it would be hard for her to continue having them speak the target language. She said that many of her students will try teaching her English and that they are so proud when she will repeat whatever it is that they are teaching her. 

3/3: Group Two, Chapter Five: Learners with Exceptionalities

• IDEA Act- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• allows individuals to learn in the least restrictive environment
• protects against discrimination testing
• schools must follow these guidelines
• IEP- Individual Education Program
• legal document for individuals needing their own educational plan
• example handed out (excellent idea!)
• Characteristics and Symptoms
• short attention span
•  hand-eye coordination problems
• disorganization & other sensory difficulties
• remembering & sticking to deadlines
• understanding what info. is important
• keeping materials and assignments organized/neat

We were asked to consider this: do you think that kids with disabilities can be in an immersion program?

I think that depending on the child's disability, that yes they can be in an immersion program. For many students, they have different learning styles, and an immersion programs gives them another learning style. I think it could be a great opportunity for many children with learning disabilities. 

Concerns over Government's new reading test

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/concerns-over-governments-new-reading-test-2220289.html

The Government's plan is for a 'phonics-based progress check,' aimed at helping those who are behind and need extra help. Phonics is based on the sounds rather than the site of the word, and many in the UK are concerned that this test is counter productive. Children would have to recognize 's-t-r-ee-t' versus 'street.' In my opinion, I think it is important for children to be able to not only recognize a word by seeing it, but by having to sound it out. I do not know if this test is the way to go about getting children extra help, but I do think it is important. During my field experience, I am working with a student who is far behind his classmates. He can easily recognize works such as 'job' 'dog' 'log' but when it came to me sounding the words out to him, he was not able to connect the sounds to form the words. In this case, he does need the extra help, and that is why I am working one-on-one with him, but not every child learns the same.

Story repetition 'helps children'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/story-repetition-helps-children-2220368.html

This article was about a study that was done, testing the learning of young children through story time. Those who were read the same book multiple times, versus those who read multiple different books, remembers details and gained a larger vocabulary. By reading multiple different books, the children do not pick up on the details as much as just listening to the story. The study could not explain how the learning happens, but it did!
If you think about it, this really makes a lot of sense. I have read many children's books and the children pick up and can follow along when it is a story that they have heard before. Many can explain in detail exactly what the story means and so on. I never really thought about this before reading this article, but as a future teacher, I think this will be a valuable piece of information.

Class Update

2/15: Today we took an inter-cultural competency test.

2/16: Today there was a speaker, Jamie Tworkowski, with the organization, To Write Love On Her Arms.

2/17: Today we did not have class. Instead, we were asked to attend a Black History Month event. I attended "The Smallest Freedom Fighter" on February 8, 2011. Sheyann Webb-Christburg started her speech by singing 'Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.' She spoke about being a daughter of the civil rights movement, from Selma, Alabama. She also spoke about her encounters with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The way she spoke about him, you could see the admiration she had for him. She made you feel like you were right beside that 8 year old girl that she was. Two minutes turned into an hour, and I was tuned in the entire time!

Share this if you are a teacher, love a teacher or appreciate our teachers.

Right now a teacher in your community is grading and preparing lessons to teach your children while you are watching television. In the minute it takes you to read this, teachers all over the world are using their "free time", and often investing their own money, for your child's literacy, prosperity, and future. 


I found this and thought I'd share! :)