Welcome to Seminar #2 : Quick Review of Unit 1 Unit 2 overview/RTI Class Discussion – Case Study Unit 2/3 Assignments Questions

How was your week? * Was anyone effected by the storms ?

Seminar Reminders If you have any technical issues (sound) try logging out and them coming back in. Call tech support at (866) me to let me know.

Class Announcements Great job in the discussion board this week talking about RTI. Don’t forget to reference your work. When responding to classmates and posting your original answers to the questions, make sure you are insightful and connecting your thoughts to the reading material. As your grades come in please read my comments along with the grade. This week I will let you know if you need to adjust the way you are answering the questions. Don’t forget to check your Kaplan and/or Class Home Page Announcements.

In Unit 1 you…. Discussed different websites that give information on disabilities and special education services. The most important part of the information you learned is that children qualifying for special education, are categorized under different “labels” of disabilities. Once a child is “labeled” they can begin to receive services. Hang on to the websites we researched in unit 1, they may come in handy for research or information later in your careers as a student or teacher.

Unit 1 Reminder “Person first and disability second” Refrain from using “Disabled kids.” Or “Autistic Kids.” Use person first : “My students with disabilities” or “Jason is a kiddo with autism.”

Unit 2 Topics  RTI  Specific Learning Disability ***Your unit 3 project will address these topics***

RTI Response to Intervention :The purpose of RTI is to assess student needs and identify if a student is in need of further interventions to succeed in school. It is not part of “special education” qualifications. It is commonly used in the general education environment. After children are screened in the school, children are placed in different tiers of instruction in order to meet their needs.

RTI Tiered instruction: this week you will identify the different tiers and get to know how each one works. Think of the tiers as different “groups” of kids who need different types of strategies to help them learn. Some kids may require modifications in a large group setting while others may require some one on one instruction.

Tiers

RTI Progress Monitoring: Look at how each child’s progress is tracked. We have to have data to show improvement or lack of improvement. We want to know that what we are teaching, is either helping or not helping a child. What types of data do we look at?

RTI and Learning Disabilities In 2004, amendments to IDEA had changed the way we diagnose and determine if a child has a LD. Prior to 2004, we looked at IQ scores and how well a child performed on standardized tests. If we have too many students labeled with LD, that would require many students to be in special education. Can we serve our students in a more effective way in the general education classroom? (RTI)

Case Study Belinda is a relatively new sixth-grade teacher at the Jefferson Middle School. This is her second year teaching. This year she has four special needs students in her class with such disabilities as a hearing impairment, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), one child who is mildly affected with cerebral palsy, and another student who has Aspergers Syndrome (a mild form of autism). In addition, two of the children have emotional disabilities and another also has speech difficulties. Due to these special needs, Belinda has been assigned an aid, Lorraine, who has been working with special needs students in the school district for 15 years. Lorraine is very confident and very capable of working with special needs students. She is becoming increasingly frustrated, however, because she feels that Belinda is not using her to her fullest potential and seems to be restricting Lorraine's natural ability to relate to and support these children. Clearly, there is a conflict of personalities and an issue of control in the classroom.

Discussion Questions  Why do you think Belinda is resistant to Lorraine being in the classroom? 2. How could Lorraine communicate more effectively to Belinda that she is there to help her? How could Belinda communicate to Lorraine about her needs in the classroom? 3. What issues may be getting in the way of the two ladies communicating effectively?

Unit 2 Assignments  Readings  Discussion Boards  Seminar Participation

Unit 3 Project on RTI Due on May 10 th at midnight

Unit 3 Project * Write a 2-3 page paper, in your own words, about the Response to Intervention (RtI) system. *You should: 1. Define and provide an overview of RtI, 2. Discuss the role of progress monitoring within the RtI framework 3. Explain the impact of RtI regulations on the identification of students with Specific Learning Disabilities.

Unit 3 Project You may consult the archived seminar for Unit 2, the website for the National Center on Response to Intervention ( or conduct your own research. Don’t forget at title page and reference page Double check the grading rubric before you turn it in. Make sure you write it in a Word document, with your name in the title of the document. Barrett.Sarah.unit3.project.doc

How to reach Sarah  me at  Post a question on the course home page  Arrange a phone conference