Fall, 2005
ED 660 Introduction to Exceptional Children
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Instructor: |
Pamela Ann Puryear |
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(732)
614-0960 |
Course
Description:
This
is a foundational course in the basic tenets of special education and
individual learning differences. The course will provide knowledge in and
examples of many categories of exceptionality in students, and useful
educational approaches, services, and supports for working with them. Students
will also gain knowledge in approaches to transition services, inclusion
models, and methods used in collaboration. Case studies, debates, and personal
reflections will be used to enhance the course content areas.
Catalogue
Description:
ED
660 Introduction to Exceptional Children (3): Overview of categories of students
served in special education including mentally retarded, learning disabled,
emotional and behaviorally disturbed, speech and language impaired, visually
and hearing impaired, and gifted and talented.
Location:
Time:
The
time for this class is flexible as it is held online. The week for this class
begins and ends on Mondays. Weekly reflections are due each
Wednesday. Weekly debates are due each Friday.
Textbook:
Hardman,
Michael; Drew, Clifford; and Egan, M. Winston. Human
Exceptionality: School, Community, and Family, 8th edition.
Course Goals:
By
the completion of this course, students will be able to achieve and demonstrate
the following goals and objectives:
GOAL #1: Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of many categories
of exceptionality found in students, and chose appropriate learning strategies
and interventions for each. Hawaii Teacher Standards
Board (HTSB) standards: I, II, III, V, VI, VII, and IX; Council for Exceptional
Children (CEC) standards: 1,2,3,4,5,7,9, and 10.
Objectives:
1. Students will
demonstrate a thorough knowledge in and understanding of all of the major areas
of exceptionality including causation, statistical prevalence, characteristics,
and remediation.
2. Students will analyze
and compare interventions and learning strategies for each category of
exceptionality.
GOAL #2: Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of diversity in exceptional
learners. HTSB standards: I, III, IV, V, VI, VIII, IX, and X; CEC standards: 1,2,3,5,6,9, and 10.
Objectives:
1. Students will analyze
the importance of the role of multiculturalism and diversity with exceptional
learners.
2. Students will be able
to explain the influences of families, culture, ethnic origin, and native
language on exceptional learners.
GOAL#3: Apply a thorough knowledge of diversity in learning
styles and exceptionality into classroom teaching strategies and practices.
HTSB standards: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X; CEC standards 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able
to identify and recommend appropriate learning strategies and educational approaches
for each category of exceptionality.
2. Students will be able
to identify appropriate informal and formal assessments for each category of
exceptionality.
3. Students will
demonstrate a variety of teaching techniques that incorporate flexibility in
teaching strategies, and that promote inclusion for exceptional learners.
Course Requirements:
All of the assignments
for this course are used for assessments toward the final grade. All students
must communicate at least online two times a week as this is the foundation of
the course and our method for personal contact. Please be observant of the
following university rules and policies as they also apply to online courses.
1.
2. Academic Conduct- Please refer to and
follow all the policies and procedures included in the Student Handbook
which is available in hard copy and online, and carefully read all areas.
Please pay attention to the sections that discuss plagiarism, classroom respect,
student conduct, freedom of speech, and all academic policies regarding
grading.
3. Grading- Students will earn the
final grade through an accumulation of points received for assignments throughout
the term. The distribution of points for each assignment is as follows:
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Assignments |
Points |
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Weekly Reflections @
3 points/9 weeks |
27 |
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Weekly Debates @ 3
points/9 weeks |
27 |
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Research Paper |
25 |
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Final Exam |
25 |
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Total Points |
104 |
4. Grading Scale-
A
= 90- 100
B
= 80- 90
A
grade of C or below will not be credited toward the graduate degree. The
student will have to repeat the course if a grade of C or below is received.
Course Assignments:
All written course assignments
must follow the American Psychological Association (APA) standards for
professional writing. Students must read and edit all assignments prior to
posting their comments online.
A detailed description
of the course assignments follows.
1. Reading Reflections- Each week students
will respond to the assigned readings from the text. Use the information from
the text to formulate your ideas, reactions, and analyses of the concepts and
issues. Your responses will be posted for the other students and the professor
to read. You will receive from 0- 3 points weekly toward your final grade for
your reading reflection essay. Reflections are due by Wednesday of
each week.
2. Weekly Debate- Each week students
will respond to the assigned debate issue derived from the weekly readings. Use
the information from the weekly readings, your own ideas and personal
experiences, other online research sources, and other texts and research to
respond to the debate issue. Your responses will be interactive with other
students in the class. I encourage you to read your classmates’ views and
respond to them. You will receive from 0- 3 points weekly toward your final
grade for your debate response and the quality of your interactive responses to
the other students in the class. Debates are due by Friday of each week.
3. Research Paper- This assignment will
give students the opportunity to demonstrate a thorough investigation of the
etiology, formal and informal assessments, teaching strategies, interventions,
and supports used for students with one category of exceptionality. Choose and
research one area of exceptionality discussed in class. Thoroughly discuss all
the areas addressed above, and include your ideas on the most significant
contributions and salient issues in the field. Include 3- 5 other references to
research, readings, and/or Internet research sources other than the text used
for the course. Zero to twenty-five points will be given toward the final grade
for this assignment. This paper is due by Friday midnight Hawaii time of Week #7.
4. Final Exam- These are
scenario-based questions that will require you to integrate theory with
practice. This will be graded from zero to twenty-five points.
Syllabus:
Week #1:
Topics: Understanding Exceptionality; Getting to Know Each Other
Weekly Reflection: Give a brief overview of who you are, and give your
reasons for why you are interested in exceptional children. Due: 1/11
Weekly Debate: Leveling the Playing Field or Creating Advantage? Page 14 Due: 1/13
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 2 and 3; Research
Paper due in week 7.
Week #2:
Topics: Education for All; and Inclusion and Collaboration
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 2 and 3 Due: 1/18
Weekly Debate: Perspectives on Full Inclusion of Students with
Disabilities, page 60 Due: 1/20
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapter 4; Research Paper
due in week 7.
Week #3:
Topics: Transition and Adult Life
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapter 4
Due: 1/25
Weekly Debate: Students with Disabilities and the Meaning of a High
School Diploma, page 103 Due: 1/27
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 5 and 6; Research
Paper due in week 7.
Week #4:
Topics: Multicultural and Diversity Issues; and Exceptionality and
the Family
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 5 and 6 Due: 2/01
Weekly Debate: English only or Bilingual Education? page
121 Due: 2/03
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 7 and 8; Research
Paper due in week 7.
Week #5:
Topics: Learning Disabilities; and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 7 and 8 Due: 2/08
Weekly Debate: Is Medication Being Appropriately Used as a treatment for
ADHD?, page 224 Due:
2/10
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapter 9; Research Paper
due on week 7.
Week #6:
Topics: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapter 9 Due: 2/15
Weekly Debate: Parents of Mentally Ill Children Trade Custody for Care,
page 254 Due: 2/17
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 10, 12, and 14;
Research Paper due on week 7.
Week #7:
Topics: Mental Retardation, Intellectual Disabilities, Severe and
Multiple Disabilities; and Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury, PAPER DUE by
Friday of this week!!!
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 10, 12, and 14 Due: 2/22
Weekly Debate: Can Special Schools for Students With Mental Retardation
be Justified?, page 298 Due:
2/24
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 11, 13, and 15
Due: Research Paper 2/24
Week #8:
Topics: Communication Disorders; Autism; and Hearing Loss
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 11, 13, and 15 Due: 3/01
Weekly Debate: To Treat or Not To Treat?, page
327 Due: 3/03
Assignment: Read Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 16, 17, and 18
Week #9:
Topics: Vision Loss; Physical Disabilities; and Health Disorders;
Gifted, Creative, and Talented
Weekly Reflection: Hardman, Drew, and Egan, chapters 16, 17, and 18 Due: 3/08
Weekly Debate: AIDS and The Public Schools, page 488
Due: 3/10
Assignment: Study for final exam
Week #10:
Topics: Final Exam
Weekly Reflection: Fill out course evaluation Due:
3/17
Access Information for
Online Courses:
The
course is located at http://webct.chaminade.edu.
Choose “login to my WebCT” and enter your student
password. The course will be listed on the left side of the screen. Follow the
commands.
If
you have any questions about the format, or if you have any technical
difficulties, please contact [email protected].
Rubric for Weekly Reflection and Debates
Point values can be given in increments in between those
points listed
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3 |
Most responses are
accurate. Multiple sources of evidence were cited to justify
responses. Responses had insight and were thoroughly discussed. |
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2 |
Only some responses
were accurate. Only one or two sources of evidence were
cited. Response lacked thorough discussion and insight was
lacking. |
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1 |
Most responses were
not accurate. No evidence was cited. |
Rubric for Final Exam
25- Each theory
discussed is addressed adequately. Responses connect background and theory
to observations and make a strong case for the connection between theory and
practice. Paper is well organized with headings and subheadings,
appropriate transitions are clearly made. Correct APA formatting.
15- Only some
components were adequately addressed. APA was only used
marginally. No or weak connection between theory and practice topic
is made. Paper organization is only somewhat clear. Responses did
not fully address the question.
5- APA is consistently
used incorrectly. There is no or little organization to the paper.
Most of the components are not adequately addressed. No connection
between theory and practice is made.
Research Paper
25- Thorough analysis
of relevant literature. Literature comprises of multiple sources (not
just abstracts please). Paper addresses the significance of the articles
to overall subject of paper. Paper develops clear connections between
articles and the theoretical foundation for which the paper addresses.
Correct APA format is used and the information is well organized. The
literature and its subsequent analysis is insightful
and thought-provoking and is clearly relevant to the topic. Creativity is
used. Additional support material is added. Clear connections
between theory and practice are made.
15- APA usage is not
consistent or mostly correct. The literature is not adequately described
or connections to its relevance to the topic are not clearly discernable.
Theory is used incorrectly or only somewhat correctly in practice. Little
or no creativity is used.
5- APA usage is mostly
incorrect. Articles used are not relevant to the paper’s topics.
Discussion of literature is only surface discussion without any analysis.
Theory and practice do not line up.