TM

Department of Special Education
And Communication Disorders
Description of Field Experiences in Mild Disabilities

Within the Mild Disabilities Program, field experiences are sequential in difficulty, progressing from observations in a variety of classrooms, to conducting short activities within classrooms, then experiencing direct teaching experience for short periods of time. Field experience culminates with the capstone student teaching experience where the student gradually assumes full time teaching responsibility in the classroom.

In junior level courses students are provided with observations and short activities conducted in a variety of classrooms. These experiences are designed to introduce the preservice teacher to the profession as well as allow the special education major to select a specialty (mild disabilities or severe disabilities) area at the end of the junior year.

PSYC 3110 Educational Psychology

Students are required to complete 20 hours of field work in the public school system. The field experience setting is a public school classroom that reflects the diversity of the student population in the South Georgia region. The assignment has two functions. The most important function is to allow the student to demonstrate "higher-level" understanding of course material through journal entries about the experience. The secondary purpose is to allow the student to demonstrate proficiency with a word-processing program (use of technology). The content of the entries should describe observed classroom interactions (student/teacher; student/student, etc.) and the student must then relate the interactions to the appropriate concepts and principles discussed in class.

SPEC 3010 Serving Students with Diverse Needs

Students are required to complete at least 20 clock hours of observation and participation in a special education setting or with children or adults with diverse needs. Each student must maintain a time sheet and a log of the experience. Within the log, students are to incorporate the appropriate course objectives and relate those to the observed activity.

SPEC 3020 Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers

Students are required to assess the learning environment of a classroom using a variety of tools such as portfolio assessments, functional assessments, and future-based assessments in order to make recommendations for modifying the environment to prevent/manage challenging behaviors. Students must also complete analyses of a variety of behaviors using multiple direct observational strategies.

COMD 3070 Normal Language Acquisition

Students are required to observe children from the ages of 1-5 and write observations about the child's language, as well as other developmental information.

VOED 3650 Vocational Education for Learners with Special Needs

Students are required to observe a setting that provides services to persons with disabilities (local agencies or local school programs). A summary of observed events must be developed and shared with the class.

SPEC 4060 Application of Applied Behavior Analysis Principles to Ecological Management

Students are required to complete a two hour per week school based field experience during which they design, implement, analyze, and evaluate an applied behavior change project.

SPEC 4140 Clinical Teaching

Students are required to devote a minimum of sixty-four (64) contact hours in a school setting with students. This is an applied experience in which students practice content learned in SPEC 4110 Methods and Materials for Teaching Children and Youth with Mild Disabilities. It entails identification of students with learning and/or behavior problems, planning and implementing data based instruction, collaborating with other pre-service individuals and reflection of the experiences.

SPEC 4180 Language Disabilities and Learning

Students are required to observe and complete a functional analysis of communication on a student with Language and Learning Disabilities in an academic and social setting. Then students must design and implement two language activity plans, each in a different environment.

SPEC 5010 Student Teaching

Students are required to complete a minimum of twenty (20) contact hours per week in a school for an entire semester. SPEC 5010 must be taken twice in order to obtain the required ten (10) credit hours for certification/licensure recommendation.

SPEC 5140 Collaborative Roles in Education

Students are required to choose an infant/child/student to observe and will create a consultative plan to support effective implementation of goals for the child in a natural environment.

 

Also See Form P for Mild Disabilities Program