Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates and that of your instructor. Respond to at least two peers. Discuss with your peers how their ideas and suggestions will assist with Mr. Franklin’s work, and also your work together. How will understanding these terms and concepts ultimately help the students in your classes? You are encouraged to provide additional resources that will assist with your explanation. Chemiqua EllingtonI would first introduce myself to Mr. Frankin as the special education teacher and converse about things we both have in common and things that are different. I would then explain to him that just like he and I, these children are able to learn and are willing to learn in the best environment for him or her. I would then ask Mr. Franklin if there are any laws that he knows of have heard of and explain in greater detail what they are and how the laws benefit and protect each child. The first that would be expained is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA (1). This law was enacted to prevent discriminations against people with disabilities. It prohibits it as well. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, better known as (IDEA)(2), is about how free public education is provided to children with disabilities. The third law that would be covered is the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) (3) where a team composed of parents, administrators, teacher(s), and student(s) work together as a group to create a plan for that child with a disability or disabilities that will enable them to receive the all resources and services to them for his or her educational needs. Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (4) protects individuals from discrimination because of a disability which ranges from cognitive to physical. I would also point out because of these laws, mainstreaming(4) is seen more in schools. Mainstreaming is when children with or without disabilities are taught together which is a Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) where these students are placed with other students that don’t have diagnosed disability.After the explanation of the laws, I would leave room for questions and open discussion. I would state to Mr. Franklin that we all have had our biases and placed individuals in categories but when dealing with special education, it is always best to have an open mind for all possibilities.Reference:Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Vivian YbarraI would meet with Mr. Franklin and explain what the different acronyms meant before the class started such as; IEP- Individual educational plan , ADA- Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discriminations against people with disabilities, IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is about how free public education is provided to children with disabilities, LRE- Least Restrictive Environment- is the area in which students are placed with students with non-disabled peers. 504 Act Rehabilitation Act-which enables all people with disabilities to have access to services as anyone else. Once I explained the acronyms, I would have him shadow me for two weeks to give him a better understanding of how we could meet the goals of students with disabilities. I feel once Mr. Franklin has a better understanding of the Special Education terminology he will be able to be an effective teacher. If a teacher is not understanding the terminology it’s going to be hard to meet the student’s needs and objective. Because as teachers we have to follow the laws and the IEP Goals that are written for the students. Reference:Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson
