Comments: SpeG 621:

1. Comments:SpeG 621: Feedback to Ex A Group:, The group's slides are quite good! The So What slides tend to be your complete sentences rather than the "talking points" for a presentation using PowerPoint.  Your So What for the Race and Ethnicity is a good model to follow in that those statements are not the long complete sentences, and they contain only the sparse words.  Even those could have been reduced in length of statement. All else flows well, is quite comprehensive, and conveys the individual components from each member in an integrated fashion.  I particularly like the parallel structure of each segment of the presentation.  You might want to look again at the list of elements of an effective PowerPoint presentation on the second page of the rubric for guidance re: the length of bullets. Looking forward to your group's presentation where I'll learn the details about your talking points, Mary

2. SpeG 621: Presentation on Observations By (names of group members)

3. Overview Settings: educational, recreational, vocational Service Providers: Public Schools, Collaborative After school Programs, Employers Ages: Children and Adults

4. Evidence of Ethical Practice • CEC: Council for Exceptional Children • School Settings: Elementary/Secondary/Special • Behavior management techniques in place • Incorporation of related service providers • Modification of material • Certified staff, Teacher training programs • Safe and effective learning environments

5. Evidence of Ethical Practice • After School Settings • Coordination with other agencies • Safe and effective learning environments • Behavior management techniques in place • Effective communication with parents • Adult/Work/Vocational Settings • Staff training, Professional development • Independence of participants • Safe and effective learning environments

6. Evidence of Ethical Practice • Adult/Work/Vocational Settings • Staff training, Professional development • Independence of participants • Safe and effective learning environments • So What? • Small sample of practices found • In all settings the health and well being of the students was evident in all aspects of the programs. • The existence of ethical standards helps provide guidelines for our interactions with the students under our care and with our colleagues.

7. SUPPORTS • CLASSROOM • Classroom aides • Student volunteers • Special Education Support Staff

8. SUPPORTS • Outside of classroom • For Students • Specialists OT & PT • Guidance Counselors • SLP’s • For Staff • Team meetings and staff supervision • In – Service Trainings

9. Supports--So What? • Students were getting support in the class as well as outside of it • Numerous different types of support available for the student in the classroom • Teachers were also able to get support from other peers and training

10. Applications of Disability Laws--IDEA Modifications called for by IEP’s were the most identifiable element in classrooms, such as • Use of adaptive technology • Preferred seating • Modified homework and assessments • Support staff helping special needs students in regular classrooms

11. Applications of Disability Laws--Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) • LRE calls for special education students to be educated in the regular classroom as much as possible • Most students in regular education classrooms with some time in resource rooms • Some students in substantially separate environment

12. Applications of Disability Laws—Americans with Disabilities Act ADA provides civil rights protections for people with disabilities in public and private life • Employers may not discriminate or refuse to hire people with disabilities, and must make facilities accessible • In professional venues, we saw wheelchair accessible ramps in workplaces and hand bars in toilets • In the workplaces visited, we saw non-discrimination in the hiring of people with disabilities

13. Application of Disability Laws—So What? • Laws provide supports and protections for people with disabilities in school, workplaces, and public life • Disability laws ideally gives each child in school what s/he needs to succeed • Some students in separate environments need those environments to succeed—does this always work?

14. Diversity • Race\Ethnicity • Class • Gender • Age • Language

15. Class of 22 children: • Cape Verdean • Vietnamese • Dominican • American, White, Female Teachers

16. Race and Ethnicity Redbird School White, Not Hispanic 81% Black, Not Hispanic 8% Hispanic 6% Asian/Pacific Islander 5% Amer Indian/Alaskan Native 1%

17. Race and Ethnicity Canary Collaborative. Class of 6 White Black Hispanic White Female Teachers

18. So What? • Class composition is reflective of neighborhood. • Population of Cape Verde largest growing group. • Bilingual Vietnamese/English program in place. • Diverse staff need to be hired. • Bilingual Portuguese program added.

19. Diversity Within Setting Finch Boys and Girls Club Students: African American, White, Hispanic. Boys >Girl Staff: Background varied.M\F Ratio unavail. Sparrow Center Youth Program Students: Rich ethnic and racial diversity. Boys=Girls Staff: Background varied. Male= Female Peacock Public School behavior adjustment room. Students: African American, Haitian, White. Boys >Girls Staff: All female. 2 White, 1 Hispanic.

20. Diversity Within Setting Hummingbird Program For The Blind Clients: 50+ yrs., Men & Women, Legally Blind, diverse race/ethnicity from serv. area Staff: White Wren School For The Blind Students: From all around the world. Staff: White fem, Eastern, African Amer. Parrot Elementary School Students: African Amer., Latino & bused. Staff: Diverse

21. So What? • Program design reflects and draws upon rich ethnic and racial diversity in students and staff, along with ratios of gender to serve as role models for group identity.

22. Adaptive Technology • Jaws/Zoom Text (2 sites) A computer screen reader for the visually impaired • CCTV/magnifiers (2 sites) To magnify text • PacMate/Braille Note (1 site) • Reading System/Games (1 site) • Wood/Metal Mold & Self-Threading Needle (1 site) To assist in vocational needs • Scanner/Reading Software (1 site) • Voice-to-text computer programs (2 sites) Transfers voice to word-text • P.A. system in classroom for hearing impaired (1 site)

23. Adaptive Technology—So What? • The items listed, plus many more, are designed to help individuals who are visually impaired and blind participate in many activities. The market has many more items that were not observed in field observations. • Research continues to provide advancements for adaptive technologies that make education more accessible for people with disabilities

24. Conclusion • We found a wealth of knowledge in each of the five areas. • It is evident that most educational settings provide very similar services. • The only differences were the age and ability of the participants. • We all enjoyed our experiences and learned a lot by comparing and discussing what we saw.

25. Evaluation • On a scale of 1-5 how clear and concise were the slides in general? • On a scale of 1-5 how would you rate the oral presentation of the information? • Did the presenters appear to be knowledgeable about the information presented? • Was enough detail given to cover each category?