TM
TM
Department of Special Education
And Communication Disorders
Description of Field Experiences in Severe Disabilities
Within the Severe 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 4010 Individuals with Severe Disabilities
Students are required to complete 15 hours of observation and participation in a school program for individuals with severe disabilities. During this field experience, students will complete several activities such as: review of IEPs, observation of group and individual instruction, participation as a tutor implementing the teacher's plans with one child or a small group of children, and the completion of field notes which will be utilized for class discussion.
SPEC 4070 Systematic Instruction Clinical Teaching Lab I
Students are required to complete four (4) contact hours per week in an assigned setting. Students apply content learned in SPEC 4051 Systematic Instruction I: Planning Instruction. This entails the assessment of student learning needs and the planning and implementation of instruction.
SPEC 4170 Systematic Instruction Clinical Teaching Lab II
Students are required to complete four (4) contact hours per week in an assigned setting. Students apply content learned in SPEC 4051 and SPEC 4052 Systematic Instruction I and II. This entails assessment of student learning needs, planning and implementation of instruction, communication with families and other service providers, and the demonstration of effective teaching skills.
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 5100 Nonaversive Behavior Management
Students are required to complete observations of students with challenging behaviors, complete functional analyses of behaviors and develop and implement two positive behavior support plans. Students are then required to evaluate the effects of the implemented positive behavior support plans.
Also See Form P for Severe Disabilities Program
| Submitted by: | Chief Compiler: | Date: |
| Valdosta State University 1500 N. Patterson St. Valdosta, GA 31698-0102 |
Susan R. Worth sworth@valdosta.edu Phone: 912-333-5932 Fax: 912-333-7167 |
February 1, 1999 |
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