Rationale

= Rationale for Unit =

For EDEX 750, Technology for Special Populations, each candidate will complete a technology-integrated thematic unit. The purpose of the unit is to integrate principles of Universal Design for Learning into a technology enhanced curriculum unit that provides multiple means of engagement, presentation and expression. The candidate will create lessons that incorporate different software, productivity or web-based programs. In the process of developing the unit, each candidate will develop knowledge and skills related to CEC standards 4, 6, and 7. These three standards are now included in the new Standards 5 and 3. Specially each unit will use principles of universal design for learning, incorporate state standards, address Assistive Technology, list web sites and software related to the topic, and consist of eight lessons that integrate technology and address specific strategies for individual disability areas. Throughout the semester we will review new assistive and augmentative technologies that can enhance learning and communication skills. Individual lessons should include strategies that promote challenging learning. In addition, for each skill candidates will create a lesson plan that can be included in the final unit. The theme for the unit will provide engagement for the students to learn standards, enhance abilities, and focus on individualized plans. Each week, candidates will learn about new technologies or how to apply certain technology for students with exceptional needs. Each skill activity will then relate to the unit so that the unit will be developed throughout the semester.

CEC Initial Preparation Standard 5 Instructional Planning and Strategies
// Instructional strategies, as used throughout the standard include intervention used in academic and specialized curricula. //

5.0 Beginning special education professionals select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities. Key Elements 5.1 Beginning special education professionals consider an individual’s abilities, interests, learning environments, and cultural and linguistic factors in the selection, development, and adaptation of learning experiences for individual with exceptionalities. 5.2 Beginning special education professionals use technologies to support instructional assessment, planning, and delivery for individuals with exceptionalities. 5.3 Beginning special education professionals are familiar with augmentative and alternative communication systems and a variety of assistive technologies to support the communication and learning of individuals with exceptionalities. 5.4 Beginning special education professionals use strategies to enhance language development and communication skills of individuals with exceptionalities 5. 5 Beginning special education professionals develop and implement a variety of education and transition plans for individuals with exceptionalities across a wide range of settings and different learning experiences in collaboration with individuals, families, and teams. 5.6 Beginning special education professionals teach to mastery and promote generalization of learning. 5.7 Beginning special education professionals teach cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills such as critical thinking and problem solving to individuals with exceptionalities.

CEC Initial Preparation Standard 3 Curricular Content Knowledge
3.0 Beginning special education professionals use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities.

Key Elements

3.1 Beginning special education professionals understand the central concepts, structures of the discipline, and tools of inquiry of the content areas they teach, and can organize this knowledge, integrate cross-disciplinary skills, and develop meaningful learning progressions for individuals with exceptionalities

3.2 Beginning special education professionals understand and use general and specialized content knowledge for teaching across curricular content areas to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities

3.3 Beginning special education professionals modify general and specialized curricula to make them accessible to individuals with exceptionalities.

** Standard 4: Strategies **
Special educators posses a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to individualize instruction for individuals with ELN. Special educators select, adapt, and use these instructional strategies to promote challenging learning results in general and special curricula [|3] and to appropriately modify learning environments for individuals with ELN. They enhance the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills of individuals with ELN, and increase their self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem. Moreover, special educators emphasize the development, maintenance, and generalization of knowledge and skills across environments, settings, and the lifespan. Special educators understand typical and atypical language development and the ways in which exceptional conditions can interact with an individual’s experience with and use of language. Special educators use individualized strategies to enhance language development and teach communication skills to individuals with ELN. Special educators are familiar with augmentative, alternative, and assistive technologies to support and enhance communication of individuals with exceptional needs. Special educators match their communication methods to an individual’s language proficiency and cultural and linguistic differences. Special educators provide effective language models, and they use communication strategies and resources to facilitate understanding of subject matter for individuals with ELN whose primary language is not English. Individualized decision-making and instruction is at the center of special education practice. Special educators develop long-range individualized instructional plans anchored in both general and special curricula. In addition, special educators systematically translate these individualized plans into carefully selected shorter-range goals and objectives taking into consideration an individual’s abilities and needs, the learning environment, and a myriad of cultural and linguistic factors. Individualized instructional plans emphasize explicit modeling and efficient guided practice to assure acquisition and fluency through maintenance and generalization. Understanding of these factors as well as the implications of an individual’s exceptional condition, guides the special educator’s selection, adaptation, and creation of materials, and the use of powerful instructional variables. Instructional plans are modified based on ongoing analysis of the individual’s learning progress. Moreover, special educators facilitate this instructional planning in a collaborative context including the individuals with exceptionalities, families, professional colleagues, and personnel from other agencies as appropriate. Special educators also develop a variety of individualized transition plans, such as transitions from preschool to elementary school and from secondary settings to a variety of postsecondary work and learning contexts. Special educators are comfortable using appropriate technologies to support instructional planning and individualized instruction.
 * Standard 6: Language **
 * Standard 7: Instructional Planning **

Main Integration Points of the Unit
The final unit will be graded on three aspects:

1- Technology
The use of technology within each lesson, the toolbox of web sites and software listing are all appropriate and effective uses of technology to enhance learning. Did you include technology to differentiate instruction or meet UDL considerations or AT needs? Finally did you make good use of the technology in producing the actual unit and formatting?

Relationship to the new standard 5 5.2 Beginning special education professionals use technologies to support instructional assessment, planning, and delivery for individuals with exceptionalities. 5.3 Beginning special education professionals are familiar with augmentative and alternative communication systems and a variety of assistive technologies to support the communication and learning of individuals with exceptionalities.

2- Overall unit – long range planning
This includes your overall idea and rationale, the big picture idea for your unit. It also includes integration of standards and general comments about UDL as well as how the unit topic applies to students in your area of disability. Also part of this is your overall evaluation of how students did in the unit- do you have a rubric for big idea skills and knowledge related to the unit.

Relationship to new standard 3 3.1 Beginning special education professionals understand the central concepts, structures of the discipline, and tools of inquiry of the content areas they teach, and can organize this knowledge, integrate cross-disciplinary skills, and develop meaningful learning progressions for individuals with exceptionalities 3.2 Beginning special education professionals understand and use general and specialized content knowledge for teaching across curricular content areas to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities

3- Lesson plans
__UDL – multiple means of engagement included in anticipatory set or motivation__ You should include in each lesson a motivational opener to the students relating the skill to real life experiences that they can understand – not that it will be something that you tell them is important but something that know they can use. __ UDL – multiple means of presentation __ Lesson clearly indicates how you are going to present material in different ways using technology or other means, how the students will have different ways to access materials __ UDL – multiple means of expression __ Lesson clearly indicates how you will differentiate the evaluation. So for example the objective might be to write a paragraph with an opening statement, three supporting sentences and then a conclusion. The multiple means might be: student can type response, student can write response , <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">student can vary in the type of sentence they write so for some you require more extensive sentences. Some might require only 3 sentences. Some might dictate sentences to the computer or to an assistant. Some might use a talking word processor or word prediction. __ Relationship between objectives, standards, student characteristics and evaluation: __ <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">Again make sure that the actual objective is a real life skill. So you don’t want student to memorize <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">information but can you use information to **contrast, compare, evaluate, organize**, etc. Make sure the evaluation matches the objective and is meaningful. Review your text about writing objectives and relating them to standards. Remember that your TOPIC is possibly the motivation for your lesson and unit, and that the technology is the tool, so then the objective can focus on the actual skill you want them to gain. Even if the skill is <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">affective you can consider it in terms of academic as even in <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">learning cooperation and collaboration skills students have to listen and make decisions which is all part of ELA standards. Remember that objectives should be written in this format: The student will <VERB (that can be measured)> <CONDITIONS/TASK > <DEGREE<span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark">>. A=audience, B=Behavior, C=conditions, D=degree.