1. Student PowerPoints For IEPs
In this PP are examples of the fun you can have with PowerPoints.
They are also completely effective with none of these effects.
All staff needs to know is WHERE TO FIND AND SAVE

2. Value of doing an IEP PowerPoint
Process of creating it with students is a great learning experience
Excellent for building relationship
Provides teachers a good opportunity to discuss goals strengths, weaknesses with student.

3. Value of Doing IEP PowerPoint Continued
Research identified that students spoke less than 2% of meeting time. In just delivering this information, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes, the student has set the tone that the meeting is about him/her.
General ed. teachers really like viewing these because they gain insight about how to help these students. Keep the audience in mind.

4. Instructions for Teachers/ Assistants
Open PP to do with student. Save immediately as “Doe, John PP 9/08 9th”
Save at the end, and be sure to send as attachment immediately – class computers erase nightly.

5. Instructions Continued
Explain WHY you are doing this with them, and that it will start their IEP meeting.
If any slide stymies a kid, delete it!
If this conversation opens up another idea, add a slide.

6. Instructions continues
Ask the student questions and give examples to get good information
If you want to let the student start independently that’s ok, but ALWAYS review and edit before showing.
This isn’t about their language skills, so either type for them or edit the spelling.
Put it in their own words – but make it appropriate.

7. Instructions continued
If you don’t have time to add design or clip art, give the student the option of finishing themselves later. Not required.
as attachment to:
Student
Yourself
Case Manager
Person who will collect and be backup for all PP done???

8. Template There is a template available
Following is a “script” to follow when doing the PowerPoint's with students.

9. (Students Name)
About me!

10. Some things about me… SUGGESTIONS
Where do you live? Where are you from?
What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?
Do you have pets? Have you travelled?
Who’s in your family? Are you in sports?
Is there anything that you’d like to share?
The purpose is to give the IEP team the sense of the life this student has outside school.

11. Something I dream of doing is…
What would be the coolest (greatest, most awesome) thing you could imagine you could do in your life?
Delete if the student just can’t come up with anything
We hope this gets the student using his/ her imagination and thinking of the future.

12. My personality is…
Hopefully there has been information gathered. If not ask how their friends would describe them.
Holland Personality
Learning style
Any other inventory results that is appropriate to share.
When students understand their individual traits and personality they can be better learners

13. My strengths are… What are you good at?
What would your friends say “John is really good at ……”
Examples might be:
Being a friend
Making people feel better
Sports
Helping at home
Babysitting
Making people laugh

14. What I like about school is…
Freshmen always say being able to leave campus for lunch.
Many say seeing friends
Teachers – qualities?
Questions you could ask are:
When you’re looking forward to coming, what is it that you’re excited about?
Are you involved in any activities that you enjoy after school, or during school?

15. What is hard for me in school is…
“You are in resource because there is something about school and learning that is hard for you. What is particularly difficult?”
Reading, writing, math, organization, remembering to turn in assignments, getting good grades, taking tests, understanding directions, what is expected of you in class
Give them lot’s of suggestions. Don’t put words in their mouth. Lead with, “Some kids I know think taking tests is really difficult” or similar statement.
This can be an extremely meaningful information

16. What I don’t like about school is..
Classes
Subjects
Social problems
Bus ride
Difficulties with understanding work
Not interesting
Fish for ideas, but don’t offer your opinions.

17. I have these problems with learning…
“You have an IEP because of some problem that makes learning difficult for you. What is it?”
“Is it reading, writing, math, organization, grades, understanding what you read, remembering?”
“Describe how this causes you difficulty”
Try to get specific information. Can be very helpful for the IEP team.

18. I have an IEP because of my learning difficulty which is…
Use their own words.
Most kids will say “I don’t know”, or “I don’t have any problems”. If they do have an answer, see if they can describe it.
For those students who don’t know, pass on this information to the case manager. It’s a discussion that needs to happen, but carefully.

19. Accomodations that help me in school are…
Give examples of accomodations. Most kids will recognize what they use from a list.
Extra time for assignments or tests
Leaving class to do work
Books on tape or CD
Helping organize work
Making big assignments into smaller assignments
Helping keep track of assignments
Using reading software
Having a reader
Someone reading tests
Shorter assignments
Getting teacher notes
Writing on a computer
You might keep a list of possible accomodations on hand to discuss.

20. Things I’ve tried that don’t work are…
Usually comes from the above question.
I use students own words to describe
Get their thoughts on why it didn’t work
Many students have tried things that they’ve forgotten about. It’s good for them to be thinking about helping themselves by understanding what helps.

21. I could be more successful in classes if…
I don’t let “try harder” be enough. Try to get specific examples from the student like:
If teachers explained things with pictures more
If I had a better way to know what I was supposed to do and when
Used my planner
Didn’t sit by my friends
Didn’t socialize so much
DON’T USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER YOUR OPINION! Save that for another time. Also, don’t’ let them “teacher bash”. Ask for specifics about what the teacher might be doing that doesn’t work. “Are his directions confusing?” “Does she talk too fast?”

22. Three things I would like to do in high school are…
When you’re ready to graduate, what do you want to be able to say you accomplished?
Sports?
Jobs
Activities done
Classes taken
Successes
Home
Get ‘em thinking. Might be a chance to discuss school activities and opportunities.

23. The year after high school I see myself doing…
“You’ve graduated, and summer is over. What will you be doing? “
Working
In college. If college, where and what do you think you’d be studying?
In technical or vocational college,
Living at home or on your own
Travelling or living somewhere else

24. Five years after high school I see myself doing…
“What career do you think you could have?”
“How will you be living?”
“What will you have?” (cars, houses, sports equipment)
Get them to think about what they would be proud to be able to say in the future.

25. The ultimate career I can imagine would be…
“Think of the person you know or know about who is doing something that you think is a great job. It’s so wonderful you can hardly imagine they get paid.”
Most kids can come up with something good. Imagination is okay here.

26. I will be happy in 10 years if…
Use their own words. Most kids have a good answer by this point in the process.

27. Additional slides for 10th, 11th, 12th
Add these in at the end if you judge it appropriate.
Describe the jobs you’ve had. What did you learn from working?
What are careers you are interested in now? Why?
What classes would you like to take before you graduate?
Where do you think you want to go to college and why?
What help do you need to reach your goals?