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    Hello, I am Teacher Luisa

     

    I have spent 15 years working with children in different spheres. While living in the US, I worked with special needs children which allowed me to understand the importance of differentiated instruction, and taught me new techniques and methodologies. I’ve also had the benefit of working with students of all different ages, preschool to middle school. About five years ago I received my TEFL certification, completed my practicum and began to travel. I am currently living abroad and have taught TEFL lessons both in person and online for almost 5 years. Living abroad has enabled me to truly grasp the power of English on the global scale. It has made me feel eternally grateful for the gift of language I have been given. It has motivated me to dispense this privilege to others. Another benefit of teaching internationally is that I have been able to learn different techniques to teach students of different cultures. Online teaching has helped me with incidental language and increased my knowledge of different learning strategies to incorporate into my lessons.

    I was inspired to become a licensed teacher, with the ultimate goal being to open my own school in my home country of Colombia. This degree will help me to broaden my education in order to better support students. While doing research for online programs that are compatible with living abroad, I found Moreland University. This program is a great opportunity for me to acquire my teaching license and Masters degree in a year while living abroad. After years of working with children, it’s time to take the next steps to becoming a certified teacher. I believe this program will help me connect my experiences in the classroom with methodologies that will benefit my students. Adding on a Masters degree would also help me harness my skills, deepen my understanding of teaching and make me a more effective teacher.

  • M2 U1A2

  • M2 U1A3

    Teaching Digital Citizenship

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  • M2 U2A1

    Student Data Analysis

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  • M2 U2A2

    Teaching Diverse Students

  • M2 U3A1

    Students with Learning Difficulties

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  • M2 U3A3

    The Future of Schooling

  • Module 3

    Students in the Digital Age

    Differentiated Instruction Strategies

    Game based Learning

    (click the image for more info)

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    Designing a STEAM Project

    (click the image to visit project website)

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  • Module 4

    Observation and Feedback

    Strategies for Managing Student Behavior

    Technology to Manage the Learning Environment

  • Mod 5

     

     

    Mind Map:

    https://app.mural.co/t/morelandugraphicorgs3613/m/morelandugraphicorgs3613/1661250488892/f4f7dd406733fa61561cfe34ee9f98778bdcbd82?sender=uc03f8d6c0e1a2fd104094023

    Planning Formative Assessments

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yxF9nBR6HrmeXeD35k1LuJDLxXPbbMEU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102879468960893710168&rtpof=true&sd=true

  • Evaluations

    Lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2pbPMJkdOkn7miR0wgKFhYpT02hJOqdtl7I7lpJv6k/edit?usp=sharing

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    Teacher Evaluation

     

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    Student Self Evaluation

     

  • Diagnostic Assessments for Differentiation

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hxv_nZ-ggYH2-xdLEjbP5e9lMPI9ioEg_vq8QFerkxQ/edit?usp=sharing

  • Using Assessment Data to Inform Instruction

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/187HU6X-A2wfSijwRKE3fiSuvyHVRAKdp/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102879468960893710168&rtpof=true&sd=true

  • Designing Differentiated Assessments

    Student Profiles and assessments:

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/18RdOM1sFJhVAJBIe2kM0CWhod2hypmE4bzXN6rg1fjE/edit?usp=sharing

     

    Slides:

    https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1o_-qUeW26WMEDD7w6QU7MCqk4esUJIIcmlJVipoJO44/edit?usp=sharing

    Communicating Results to Parents

    Presentation:

    https://www.powtoon.com/online-presentation/fTXouNxDUO0/?utm_medium=social-share&utm_campaign=studio+share&utm_source=copy+link&utm_content=fTXouNxDUO0&utm_po=41654475&mode=movie

  • Mod 6

    Unit Lesson Plan

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wSZFx_v1ypTwU2px5-LR6clntJLjQJsZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102879468960893710168&rtpof=true&sd=true

    Lesson Plan

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eI1gSWpxLk0CZf_WIFEqfKcjpjnj_t2OTDqE3JNfVHY/edit?usp=sharing

  • SEL Benchmark 1B

    Unit plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OtlUGlNhbrAZnUl6R4VJLJ1TAn-ehhvb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102879468960893710168&rtpof=true&sd=true

  • Lessons

    InTASC Standards

    Baseline

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZBJkBTbEMlGNnVAcpm6Sy3pt7_O8hBUaG4YYHruwLV8/edit?usp=sharing

    Standards 1, 2, and 3

    Lesson plan

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1In0W_FZczj2zJdeSd8f8OjKkfp9Gv5fo8Y68VF_cjw0/edit?usp=sharing

     

    Slides

    - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WEv2fHmGeo2etA8CRsYa9CsehEwoP9CdPF09ttt1RDA/edit?usp=sharing

    Standards 4 and 5

    Lesson Plan

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pXwEUDDv69tWCKf_5zP5AfCDRCtFmh8oCe2lZ11K3D4/edit?usp=sharing

     

    Slides

    - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16CJgAuULtNLvDlSngryeRv7ghRP9thrjP1392WfToTQ/edit#slide=id.g1e0fb3e3c08_0_14

    - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C_nFbv5ybqmqeDO4FzYkdHBp1UUGC5eMiCFLFgJjsGo/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g1e12d26fd7d_0_243

    Standards 6, 7, and 8

    Lesson Plan

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYbncGJgqAs89L2QqsIDPfrvxgg_BDHbwDoPq9xVK0U/edit?usp=sharing

     

    Slides

    - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1m2L8Xb1VDPR78aDpo0C2xM-FBDq_9WZF6abTvuDmjmw/edit?usp=sharing

    - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YMXMX29OWrka7mBXCePlzB0I688cNUPP0aWYYSuYA9A/edit?usp=sharing

    Standard 9 Presentation

    - https://quizizz.com/admin/presentation/6453d4bde1d4c9001d3bc154?source=lesson_share

    Scavenger Hunt

    - https://jamboard.google.com/d/1Paqvv1qXWIGs1ZJfDXflnQGsay-nqKY2kUegImdKj2c/edit?usp=sharing

    Tracking Goals

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NBCYz1suK_FmM6PvWGZuvfwG9j6t-3RfqTKHVnZl46s/edit?usp=sharing

    Case Study

    Video

    - https://www.canva.com/design/DAFfEaZ2Z1U/15ny-umvBHA467EdXxvHbQ/view?utm_content=DAFfEaZ2Z1U&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=recording_view

     

    Reflection

    - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zReqzQH12KitfHEAZSVvNIxAF2nt0ZL8sOvQ2yFcXvQ/edit?usp=sharing

  •  

    Virtual Learning:

    Pros & Cons

    M21 U1A1

  • How do I know if an ELL has learning difficulties

    and requires special education support?

    M21 U2A1

  • Blog (Mod 21 Unit 1 Act. 2)

    Speech-Language Pathologist

    What is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

     

    According to speech pathologist Julia K. Hartnett “speech-language pathologists (SLPs), often called speech therapists, are educated in the study of human communication, its development, and its disorders. SLPs assess speech, language, cognitive-communication, and oral/feeding/swallowing skills. This lets them identify a problem and the best way to treat it. SLPs have at least a master's degree, state certification/licensure in the field and a certificate of clinical competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).” (Hartnett, 2019).

    How do Speech Pathologists evaluate and diagnose students?

     

    The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website states the following, “IDEA 2004 distinguishes between the terms evaluation and assessment. Evaluation refers to procedures that determine a child's initial and continuing eligibility for early intervention services and includes identification of the child's current level of functioning across cognitive, physical (including vision and hearing), communication, social/emotional, and adaptive development.” They go on to state,“[t]he roles of SLPs in evaluation and assessment typically are to measure and describe communication and related behaviors,... to share observations on other developmental domains, and to help in the decision-making process related to diagnosis, eligibility determination, and planning next steps for the child and family.” They go on further to explain how screens and evaluations are done. “Screening, evaluation, and assessment will be accomplished through a range of measures and activities, including standardized tests and questionnaire formats, interviews, criterion-referenced probes, dynamic procedures such as diagnostic teaching, and observational methods. Information will be drawn from direct interactions with the child, from indirect means such as parent interviews and report forms, and from observation of the child in natural activities with familiar caregivers. Federal guidelines emphasize that no single tool will be adequate for either evaluation or assessment, and both must be accomplished using a range of tools in varied contexts. Further, eligibility decisions may not rely on the use of standardized measures alone. Rather, such decisions also are based on informed clinical opinion that is derived from multiple sources of information gathered in multiple contexts.”

    Vist cite: http://www.wiu.edu/ProviderConnections/pdf/SpeechGuidelines.pdf

     

     

    How do Speech Pathologists treat students?

     

     

    Referring back to speech pathologist Julia K. Hartnett’s article in Nemours Children's Health, she explains how speech therapists use a variety of strategies, including: language intervention activities, articulation therapy, oral-motor therapy and also feeding and swallowing therapy. She goes on to describe in detail the aspects of each strategy. She states that in language interventions, “the SLP will interact with a child by playing and talking, using pictures, books, objects, or ongoing events to stimulate language development. The therapist may model correct vocabulary and grammar, and use repetition exercises to build language skills.” She also defines articulation therapy as, “exercises involve having the therapist model correct sounds and syllables in words and sentences for a child, often during play activities. The level of play is age-appropriate and related to the child's specific needs. The SLP will show the child how to make certain sounds, such as the "r" sound, and may show how to move the tongue to make specific sounds.” Hartnett lumped oral-motor therapy with feeding and swallowing therapy and describes it as, “a variety of oral exercises — including facial massage and various tongue, lip, and jaw exercises — to strengthen the muscles of the mouth for eating, drinking, and swallowing. The SLP may also introduce different food textures and temperatures to increase a child's oral awareness during eating and swallowing.” (Hartnett, 2019)

     

     

    What is receptive and expressive language?

     

    According to Speech Pathologist Erin Vollmer, “receptive language is the “input” of language, the ability to understand and comprehend spoken language that you hear or read… and expressive language is the “output” of language, the ability to express your wants and needs through verbal or nonverbal communication. It is the ability to put thoughts into words and sentences in a way that makes sense and is grammatically correct. Children that have difficulty communicating their wants and needs may have expressive language difficulties or an expressive language disorder.” (Vollmer, 2020, October ).

    Article: https://therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/expressive-vs-receptive-language/

     

     

    Signs of speech and language disorders:

     

     

    In her article about receptive and expressive language disorders, Chitra Badii states that the following are signs that a student could have a speech and language disorder:

    • reduced vocabulary in comparison to other children of the same age

    • limited ability to form sentences

    • impaired ability to use words and connect sentences to explain or describe something

    • reduced ability to have a conversation

    • leaving words out

    • saying words in the wrong order

    • repeating a question while thinking of an answer

    • confusing tenses (for example, using past tense instead of present)

    She goes on to state that, “some of these symptoms are part of normal language development. However, your child may have a language disorder if several of these issues are persistent and don’t improve.” (Badii, 2018).

    Article: www.healthline.com/health/mixed-receptive-expressive-language-disorder

     

    These symptoms can lead to a diagnosis of a variety of different disorders. For example, looking at a child’s expressive language, if one observes delayed first words, lengthy pauses between sounds or difficulty moving between sounds and syllables, having more trouble with longer words and using the wrong words or nonsense words could be symptoms of both Apraxia (Seladi-Schulman, 2022) or Aphasia (Giorgi, 2022) . Also according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), similar symptoms like lateness to put words together into sentences or struggles to learn new words and make conversation can also be a sign of specific language impairment (SLI).

    NIDCD site: (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/specific-language-impairment).

     

    Signs of speech and language disorders by age range:

     

     

    In her article, The Importance of Tracking Developmental Milestones, Erin Vollmer gives some signs of speech and language disorders based on age range. The article has two basic age ranges: preschool years and elementary school years. For preschool age, you should look out for the following signs: child does not seem to enjoy social interaction, child rarely initiates speech but instead echoes or repeats words during communication, child has difficulty following simple directions or child’s answers to simple questions are either “off topic” or do not seem to make sense. (Vollmer, January 2020). She goes on to list the warning signs of elementary school students: child has difficulty understanding spoken language, many or most listeners have difficulty understanding [the] child, child pronounces words incorrectly, child has difficulty understanding jokes or sarcasm, child does not enjoy play or social interaction more generally and lastly the child has difficulty telling or retelling a story (Vollmer, 2020, January).

    article: https://therapyworks.com/blog/developmental-milestones/tracking-developmental-milestones/

     

     

    The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) also lists some warning signs based on age. The following table is based on information from their website:

     

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  • References

     

    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Early identification of speech, language, and hearing disorders. Early Identification of Speech, Language, and Hearing Disorders. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.asha.org/public/Early-Identification-of-Speech-Language-and-Hearing-Disorders/

     

    Badii, C. (2018, September 17). Language disorder: Symptoms, causes, and treatment. Healthline. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/mixed-receptive-expressive-language-disorder

     

    Giorgi, A. (2022, February 8). Aphasia: Symptoms, causes, types, treatment, and more. Healthline. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/aphasia

     

    Hartnett, J. K. (Ed.). (2019, September). Speech-language therapy (for parents) - nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/speech-therapy.html#:~:text=Speech%2Dlanguage%20pathologists%20(SLPs),best%20way%20to%20treat%20it.

     

    Seladi-Schulman, J. (2022, February 7). Ataxia: Definition, types, causes, diagnosis, treatment. Healthline. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/ataxia

     

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019, July). Specific language impairment. National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/specific-language-impairment

     

    Vollmer, E. (2020, January 14). The importance of tracking developmental milestones. TherapyWorks. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://therapyworks.com/blog/developmental-milestones/tracking-developmental-milestones/

     

    Vollmer, E. (2020, October 23). Expressive vs. receptive language. TherapyWorks. Retrieved February 11, 2022, from https://therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/expressive-vs-receptive-language/

     

     

     

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  • Governing Special Education Laws

    In Colombia

    Regulations that govern educational institutions

    Here are some of the laws on the books:
    -Political Constitution of 1991. Especially articles 44 , 67 and 68 - paragraph 6.
    - Law 115 of 1994, "By which the general education law is issued." Particularly, article 46 .
    - Law 361 of 1997. "By which social integration mechanisms are established for people with limitations [in a situation of disability] [ 1] and other provisions are enacted. " Articles 10 to 17
    - Law 1346 of 2009. "Through which the "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" is approved, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006." Article 24 .
    - Law 1618 of 2013. "By means of which the provisions are established to guarantee the full exercise of the rights of persons with disabilities." Article 11 .
    - Resolution No. 2565 of 2003. "By which parameters and criteria are established for the provision of educational services to the population with special educational needs."
    - Resolution No. 12195 of 2017. "By which the Technical Committee for educational attention to the population with disabilities is created and formed within the framework of inclusive education of the Ministry of National Education."
    - Decree 1075 of 2015. "By means of which the Single Regulatory Decree of the Education Sector is issued." Especially, Chapter 5 of Title 3, Part 3, Book 2.
    - Decree 1421 of 2017. "By which the educational attention to the population with disabilities is regulated within the framework of inclusive education."
    (Jur, 2022).
     
     

    The most important laws are Law 1618 and Decree 1421. Law 1618 of 2013 , ,establishes that the Ministry of Education will design programs aimed at ensuring the pertinent inclusive initial education of children with disabilities in schools. It also states that both state and private educational establishments must identify children who are eligible for comprehensive care to guarantee their access and permanence within the framework of inclusion. Decree 1421 of 2017 moves to inclusive education and educational permanence for people with disabilities. Colombia is in development of an educational care scheme that guarantees services to students with disabilities at all levels of formal education. (Castillo, 2020).

     

    In Colombia, "there are various laws, agreements and policies in favor of inclusive education, including the Political Constitution (National Constituent Assembly, 1991), Law 115 of 1994, Law 361 of 1997, Law 762 of 2002 , Law 1145 of 2007, Law 1346 of 2009, Law 1618 of 2013, Decree 366 of 2009 and Decree 1421 of 2017. But the laws by themselves do not imply radical changes in the social structure that reproduce the dynamics of discrimination and exclusion; The legal obligation did not produce the expected impact on those involved and, instead, it became, as Skliar and Téllez (2017) refer, in one more unfulfilled educational promise." Investigations frequently show that what is promised is different from what is actually being done in schools. (Castillo, 2020).

    Who is in charge of ensuring compliance?

    Not only is the the State responsible but laws also state that society and the family are responsible for ensuring the right to education of children with disabilities. That that state must ensure that this population has a sufficient education options, enters the educational system, receives the necessary conditions to remain in and receives quality education.

    Law 715 of 2001 establishes that the Certified Territorial Entities (Departments, Districts and Municipalities) are to administer the educational service in their jurisdiction, guaranteeing its adequate provision in conditions of coverage, quality and efficiency.. These entities are in charge of directing, planning and providing the educational service in conditions of equity, efficiency and quality. They also organize the provision of the service in each jurisdiction. They provide technical and administrative assistance to educational institutions . Also when required, they exercise the inspection, vigilance and supervision of education in its jurisdiction. (UNESCO, 2021).

    What are the requirements for schools?


    Entities certified in education must:

    • Promote social mobilization that recognizes children and young people with disabilities as subjects of politics and not as objects of social assistance. Children and adolescents with disabilities have all the rights of any human being and, in addition, some additional rights established to guarantee their protection;
    • Promote in their educational establishments an inclusive culture of respect for the right to quality education for people with disabilities that develops their basic and citizenship skills;
    • Guide and accompany educational establishments to identify the barriers that prevent access, permanence and quality of the educational system of children and young people with special educational needs in their environment;
    • Guide and accompany their educational establishments to identify resources in their environment and adjust their school organization and their pedagogical project to overcome the barriers that prevent access and permanence with quality for people with disabilities, within the framework of inclusion.
    • Guarantee the teaching staff for educational attention to the population with disabilities, within the framework of inclusion, as well as promote their training, permanent training, in accordance with the provisions of current regulations;
    • Undertake or promote research and development, and promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communication technologies, mobility aids, technical devices and assistive technologies suitable for persons with disabilities;
    • Guarantee the proper use of resources for educational attention to people with disabilities and report information on the use of said resources, in accordance with the provisions of the Ministry of National Education;
    • Report information on educational care for people with disabilities in the National Education Information System, in accordance with the provisions of the Ministry of National Education;
    • Promote prevention of any case of exclusion or discrimination of students with disabilities in state and private educational establishments;
    • Provide the necessary educational support services for the equal inclusion of people with disabilities. These services include, but are not limited to: interpreters, interpreter-guides, language models, support staff, classroom and institutional staff. (Jur, 2022).

    Decree 1421 of 2017

    Decree 1421 states that all students with some disability condition must access the existing institutional offer, close to their place of residence, with students of their age and must receive the pertinent support and reasonable adjustments (accommodations and modifications) to their educational process be successful.

     

    “This decree marks a path of transformation in the educational system to move towards a model of inclusion, where students with disabilities have the same guarantees of education as the rest of the students. The same right to dream and fulfill their dreams”, assured Minister Giha. (Semana, 2017).

     

    It promotes inclusive education and educational permanence for people with disabilities. It examines the development of an educational system that will be able to guarantee the service to students with disabilities at all levels of formal education. These systems will consider bring permanent changes curriculums, study plans, methodologies and evaluations. Individual Reasonable Adjustment Plans are made to ensure the teaching and learning processes of the students are being meet.

    To achieve inclusive and equitable educational systems three essential dimensions: inclusive practices, policies and cultures. Also look for:

    1. Eliminate all forms of discrimination, related to the obstacles that limit the participation of historically excluded groups or with characteristics that expose them to situations of risk.
    2. Respect and recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity as an opportunity and advantage that requires agreed and articulated policies between families, communities and the educational sector.
    3. The development of a curriculum that respects the identity and characteristics of different populations and communities. (UNESCO, 2021).

    The National Decennial Education Plan 2016-2026

    The National Development Plan want to create guidelines related to flexible educational strategies that support learning processes in line with the needs of the students in conditions of vulnerability, especially those in rural contexts and groups prone to social exclusion. It also proposes to carry out teacher training processes and articulated work with the secretariats of education for the construction of plans for the progressive implementation of Decree 1421 of 2017. It Provides for the creation of provisions and support for the care of students with disabilities, in accordance with the inclusion of people with disabilities. (UNESCO, 2021).

     

    Goals:

    • Regulate and specify the scope of the right to education. This is to help guide public policy that ensures free quality education for all Colombians.
    • The construction of an articulated, participatory, decentralized educational system with effective coordination mechanisms.
    • The establishment of general, pertinent and flexible curricular guidelines.
    • The construction of a public policy for the training of educators. 
    •  Move from the paradigm of information transmission, towards a more dynamic one that seeks integral human development.
    • Promote the pertinent, pedagogical and generalized use of new and diverse technologies to support teaching, construction of knowledge, learning, research and innovation, strengthening development for life. It is not just about connectivity, it is the integration of ICTs in the teaching-learning process.
    • Build a society in peace on a basis of equity, inclusion, respect for ethics and gender equity. Coexistence is one of the biggest moles of our schools.
    • Give priority to the development of the rural population based on education. The city-countryside gap is widening and at the bottom is the educational system in rural areas.
    • The importance given by the State to education will be measured by the share of educational spending in GDP and in Government spending, at all administrative levels. It is necessary to ensure a national purpose in the public agenda of the budget for education.
    • Promote research that leads to the generation of knowledge at all levels of education. Without research, we will not have our education built on firm rock.

    (Plan nacional decenal de Educación, 2022)

    Comparison to the US

    Although Colombia has made a great deal of progress in the last decade and have future plans to continue to grow their special education programs to become more inclusive and allows students more services, it doesn't compare to the laws and safeguards within the USA. "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living." (American Psychological Association, 1990). IDEA allow student to get Individual Learning Plans (IEP), which are legally binding documents that guarantee accommodations and modifications for a student to succeed at school. It also sets goals for the student to help them success in the least restrictive environment. These laws are enforced and can have legal repercussions of teacher, school staff/administration and districts. Unfortunately, there aren't any legal consequences to discriminations of disabled students currently. Dr. Robert Closson spoke a lot about advocating for students' right and was a strong proponent using the law to ensure students get what they need. Without this strict surveillance of compliance, many students do not get the services they need or aren't accepted at schools. Colombia's ten year for education plans strives to fill in many of the gap in the educational system, especially towards those students with disabilities. When I began to do research on this topic, I was a little discouraged at first. I was concerned at how my teaching methodology would fit in and if I would get support. But the ten year educational goals Colombia has set out makes me feel like a could definitely find a future there.

    References

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Aj4yiAqHvUQRQVTtZewvO2tAzXf9kf5XFsqUA2bxzj4/edit?usp=sharing

  • Mod 22 U3A2

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  • Mod 23 U3A2

    Inclusive Learning Environment

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    Kitchen/bathroom/laundry Room

    It is imperative that students with visual, hearing and cognitive disabilities have regular practice with daily routines. Things that would be considered everyday activities can be difficult for these students. This is why my ideal school would have a kitchen, a bathroom and laundry facilities. Having these types of locations on site can help teachers give students life skills to be independent.

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    Center Area

    My classes will be center based and I wanted an area that reflected that. It has lots of space and tables for different centers. It is also next to the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and break area if those need to be incorporated into the lesson or just for easy access.

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    Gym/Pull out area (PT/OT/SLP/etc.)

    This area is for large group activities, inside recess or an alternative to a playground. It is also used for pull out areas for PT, OT, SLP and any other services. This area would have different equipment that could be pulled out to use like: mats, pediatric scooters, exercise balls, sensory swing, balance beams, etc. and it could have other exercise equipment added like treadmills or exercise bikes. There are desks there that the therapists can use or they could be put against the wall for more room.

    I would have a full time:

    • Deaf-blind—interveners

    • Teachers of the deaf-blind (TDBs)

    • Interpreters

    • School counselor/phycologist

    • Speech-language pathologists

    • Physical therapists

    • Occupational therapists

    • Orientation and mobility specialists

    • Assistive technology expert

    • Several paraprofessional

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    Break/Sensory Area

    The break area will have lots of couches and there will be two separate areas. One would be more of a cooling down (be alone) area and the other will be more for sensory needs (sand/sensory boxes/weighted blankets). Both will be available whenever students need them.

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    Assistive Technology Area

    Assistive technology is often essential for many of these students and I would want an area dedicated to technology and ideally there would be an assistive technology expert. This area would not just have computers for the students to use but also any assistive technology needed (stored safely and always charged) and also computers will be loaded will apps that are proven to be beneficial.

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    Playground

    If I could afford any playground, it would be a Magical Bridge Playground. They are a company that focuses on creating playgrounds that can be used by almost anybody.

    “Magical Bridge is currently the only playground also serving the 93% of

    those who have invisible disabilities. Our designs incorporate the

    needs of children and adults with autism and sensory impairments,

    those with intellectual disabilities and visitors with hearing or visual

    impairments while still providing movement and socializing options

    for older adults.”

    https://magicalbridge.org/site/

    They have the following features for all of their playgrounds:

    • Designed for All Ages and All Abilities

    • Auditory Features

    • Flat Soft Surfaces

    • Majority of Equipment

    • Wheelchair Accessible

    • Retreat Spaces

    • Variety of Play Zones/ Organized Layout

    • Gentle Ramping Paths Throughout

    • Secure Perimeter Fencing

    • Dignity Landings on Slides

    • Imagination Play Areas

  • Mod 24 U3A1

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