COURSE DESCRIPTION

Issues, policies, and methods in teaching secondary students with disabilities in general education classrooms

This is a 2 credit online class.  You should expect to spend 6-8 hours each week completing assignments for this course.  This is equivalent to the amount of time you would spend attending and completing assignments for a 2 credit face-to-face course.  Please set aside this time and plan accordingly to be successful.  

PREREQUISITES

• Enrollment in Secondary Education Program
• Sec Ed 276 (may be concurrent enrollment)
• FBI Fingerprint background clearance

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Demonstrate sensitivity to individuals with disabilities.
• Describe the effects of cultural, ethnic, and language diversity on the education of individuals with disabilities.
• Describe the steps in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, including Individualized Transition Plans for students aged 14-22.
• Use research-supported methods for academic instruction of individuals with disabilities including explicit instruction, learning strategies, task analysis, and active participation.
• Describe models and strategies of consultation and collaboration including co-planning and co-teaching.
• Define special education and describe the legal structure of services for individuals with disabilities, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Develop a personal philosophy of special education which includes an understanding of the implications of Least Restrictive Environment as defined in IDEA.
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic classroom management theories and an understanding of teacher attitudes and behaviors that influence behavior of individuals with exceptional learning needs.
• Describe the characteristics and educational implications of students with high and low incidence disabilities.
• Demonstrate ability to identify and prioritize areas of the general curriculum and provide accommodations for individuals with exceptional learning needs.

TEXTBOOK INFORMATION

No textbook is required for this course. All materials are online.

Do not post any content from this course on another website without direct consent from the professor.

ASSIGNMENTS

• PLC Assignments: Professional Learning Community Assignments will be completed in your professional learning community groups with peers from your content area. Each PLC assignment is different and will require you to work in different ways.  These may include

1. Meeting together in person with your PLC group members
2. Working virtually through the virtual meeting rooms provided on the home page
3. Working together on a Google Doc

Please read directions carefully for each PLC assignment to understand how to work with your group.

• Participation:  There are several assignment on the first lesson that are considered participation assignments.  These assignments will help you get signed up for an organized for taking the course.  They will not take a lot of time.  There are a few other participation assignments throughout the course.
• Discussions: Discussion boards will give you the opportunity to collaborate with other classmates and express your opinions and ideas about the concepts you are learning. Discussion board assignments will require you to post about a topic and return later to the discussion to comment on ideas from your peers. Please watch for due dates for both the initial post and the comments on your peers' posts.
• Quizzes: Quizzes will assess your knowledge and completion of the readings for various lessons. A study guide is provided in each lesson to help you prepare for the quiz. Make sure you can answer the study guide questions for each lesson before you begin the quiz. Quizzes are closed book, closed notes and taken in one sitting.
• Disability Characteristic Assignments:  There are a few assignments under disability characteristics that will help you understand more about different types of disabilities.
• Field Experience: You will complete 12 hours of field experience during this course. You will gain valuable experience interacting with students with disabilities, observe how students and teachers interact in classrooms and see the benefits and concerns with addressing the needs of students in inclusive settings. During your 12 hours of field experience, you will complete 3 assignments of your choosing. These assignments will be turned in at the end of the semester.

You must complete the 12 hour field experience to pass the course. If you complete 12 hours you will earn the grade you receive in the course. If you complete 9-11 hours, you will lose 5 points off your final grade for each hour you did not complete. If you complete less than 9 hours, you will not earn a passing grade in the course.  

Late work will be counted off 10% each day it is late.

Grade Breakdown

PLC Assignments	24%
Discussions	9%
Reading Quizzes	32%
Disability Characteristic  Assignments	8%
Field Experience	7%
Final Exam	12%

GRADE SCALE

 

A	100 - 95%	B	86-83%	C	76-73%	D	66-63%
A-	92-90%	B-	82-80%	C-	72-70%	D-	62-60%
B+	89-87%	C+	79-77%	D+	69-67%	E	59-0%

University Policies

Honor Code

In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the university. Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working environment. It is the university's expectation, and every instructor's expectation in class, that each student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847 if you have questions about those standards.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The materials used in connection with this online course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated. Any copying or further dissemination of these materials may be subject to applicable U.S. Copyright Laws. For questions or more information, please visit the BYU Copyright Licensing Office website.

“Members of the BYU community who willfully disregard this Copyright Policy or the BYU Copyright Guidelines place themselves individually at risk of legal action and may incur personal liability for their conduct. The unauthorized use or distribution of copyrighted material, including unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing, may subject individuals to civil and criminal liabilities, including actual and statutory damages, costs and fees of litigation, fines, and imprisonment…

Violations of the Copyright Policy may result in university disciplinary action including termination of university enrollment or employment.” (Emphasis added. Excerpt taken from the BYU Copyright Policy)

University Policy - Title IX Statement

Preventing & Responding to Sexual Misconduct

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Brigham Young University prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The university also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, university employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in university policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by the university.

University policy requires all university employees in a teaching, managerial, or supervisory role to report all incidents of Sexual Misconduct that come to their attention in any way, including but not limited to face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment or paper, class discussion, email, text, or social media post. Incidents of Sexual Misconduct should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu or (801) 422-8692. Reports may also be submitted through EthicsPoint at https://titleix.byu.edu/report or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours a day).

BYU offers confidential resources for those affected by Sexual Misconduct, including the university’s Victim Advocate, as well as a number of non-confidential resources and services that may be helpful. Additional information about Title IX, the university’s Sexual Misconduct Policy, reporting requirements, and resources can be found at http://titleix.byu.edu or by contacting the university’s Title IX Coordinator.

Accessibility Notice

BYU is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates persons with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to participate in BYU's programs and activities. In this spirit, BYU Independent Study aspires to improve web accessibility for users. While not required by law, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Levels A and AA provide a wide range of helpful recommendations to make Web content more accessible. BYU Independent Study strives to apply WCAG 2.0 recommendations where feasible, but may deviate from any recommendations that would result in an undue hardship to BYU Independent Study or alterations to program and course content and objectives. If you have questions about accessibility, or if you need to report problems with any accessibility features please see our Accessibilities and Accommodations Web Page.

Academic Honesty

The first injunction of the Honor Code is the call to "be honest." Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life's work, but also to build character. "President David O. McKay taught that character is the highest aim of education" (The Aims of a BYU Education, p.6). It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

Deliberation Guidelines

To facilitate productive and open discussions about sensitive topics about which there are differing opinions, members of the BYU community should: (1) Remember that we are each responsible for enabling a productive, respectful dialogue. (2)To enable time for everyone to speak, strive to be concise with your thoughts. (3) Respect all speakers by listening actively. (4) Treat others with the respect that you would like them to treat you with, regardless of your differences. (5) Do not interrupt others. (6) Always try to understand what is being said before you respond. (7) Ask for clarification instead of making assumptions. (8) When countering an idea, or making one initially, demonstrate that you are listening to what is being said by others. Try to validate other positions as you assert your own, which aids in dialogue, versus attack. (9) Under no circumstances should an argument continue out of the classroom when someone does not want it to. Extending these conversations beyond class can be productive, but we must agree to do so respectfully, ethically, and with attention to individuals' requests for confidentiality and discretion. (10) Remember that exposing yourself to different perspectives helps you to evaluate your own beliefs more clearly and learn new information. (11) Remember that just because you do not agree with a person's statements, it does not mean that you cannot get along with that person. (12) Speak with your professor privately if you feel that the classroom environment has become hostile, biased, or intimidating. Adapted from the Deliberation Guidelines published by The Center for Democratic Deliberation. (http://cdd.la.psu.edu/education/The%20CDD%20Deliberation%20Guidelines.pdf/view?searchterm=deliberation%20guidelines)

Plagiarism

Intentional plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft that violates widely recognized principles of academic integrity as well as the Honor Code. Such plagiarism may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action administered through the university Honor Code Office, in addition to academic sanctions that may be applied by an instructor. Inadvertent plagiarism, which may not be a violation of the Honor Code, is nevertheless a form of intellectual carelessness that is unacceptable in the academic community. Plagiarism of any kind is completely contrary to the established practices of higher education where all members of the university are expected to acknowledge the original intellectual work of others that is included in their own work. In some cases, plagiarism may also involve violations of copyright law. Intentional Plagiarism-Intentional plagiarism is the deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one's own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote. Inadvertent Plagiarism-Inadvertent plagiarism involves the inappropriate, but non-deliberate, use of another's words, ideas, or data without proper attribution. Inadvertent plagiarism usually results from an ignorant failure to follow established rules for documenting sources or from simply not being sufficiently careful in research and writing. Although not a violation of the Honor Code, inadvertent plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct for which an instructor can impose appropriate academic sanctions. Students who are in doubt as to whether they are providing proper attribution have the responsibility to consult with their instructor and obtain guidance. Examples of plagiarism include: Direct Plagiarism-The verbatim copying of an original source without acknowledging the source. Paraphrased Plagiarism-The paraphrasing, without acknowledgement, of ideas from another that the reader might mistake for the author's own. Plagiarism Mosaic-The borrowing of words, ideas, or data from an original source and blending this original material with one's own without acknowledging the source. Insufficient Acknowledgement-The partial or incomplete attribution of words, ideas, or data from an original source. Plagiarism may occur with respect to unpublished as well as published material. Copying another student's work and submitting it as one's own individual work without proper attribution is a serious form of plagiarism.

Respectful Environment

"Sadly, from time to time, we do hear reports of those who are at best insensitive and at worst insulting in their comments to and about others... We hear derogatory and sometimes even defamatory comments about those with different political, athletic, or ethnic views or experiences. Such behavior is completely out of place at BYU, and I enlist the aid of all to monitor carefully and, if necessary, correct any such that might occur here, however inadvertent or unintentional. "I worry particularly about demeaning comments made about the career or major choices of women or men either directly or about members of the BYU community generally. We must remember that personal agency is a fundamental principle and that none of us has the right or option to criticize the lawful choices of another." President Cecil O. Samuelson, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010 "Occasionally, we ... hear reports that our female faculty feel disrespected, especially by students, for choosing to work at BYU, even though each one has been approved by the BYU Board of Trustees. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be. Not here. Not at a university that shares a constitution with the School of the Prophets." Vice President John S. Tanner, Annual University Conference, August 24, 2010