Discussion: Response to colleagues’ postingsCourse Reflection and Self-Assessment
As this course draws to a close and the rest of your advanced graduate program lies ahead, take this opportunity to reflect on what you have discovered and where your journey now leads you. Consider the concept map you created, beginning with the end in mind, and write a course reflection.
To prepare:
Reflect on the course experience and what you have learned from the resources, discussions, and assignments.
Revisit the Disposition: Self-Assessment document you completed in Module 1 and complete column C.
Review your short- and long-term professional goals.
Consider how you would like to continue to build relationships within your community of practice.
As you reflect on what you have learned throughout the course, provide a summary sharing the following:
Progress you have made towards your short- and long-term goals and/or any changes/enhancements you would like to make. How have your short- and long-term goals evolved throughout the course?
Any changes in your positions/attitudes related to the field of special education?
Any changes in your thinking about the issue you chose to focus on throughout this course as a result of newly acquired course concepts and skills?
Why special education leaders must be concerned with issues in the field, ethical implications and issues of integrity, and driving research in the field to affect positive social change.
How you hope to foster a community of practice with your colleagues in the program and your colleagues in the field of special education.
————————————————————————————————————–
By Day 5 of Week 11
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings. As you read their responses, make notes to whom you would like to offer advice, questions, comments, and/or encouragement.
Respond to Kevin Iacoboni Discussion – Module 8 Response
Throughout this course, I have made progress toward my short-term and long-term goals identified in module 1. The short-term and long-term goals are listed below:
Short-term goals:
By February 2022, I will have achieved mastery of application and identify my skillset as distinguished in the area of disposition 3—”the educator understand and uses a variety of strategies to encourage students’ development of critical-thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills” (Laureate Education).
By February 2022, I will have gained a deeper understanding of the history of the field of Special Education, including specific legal mandates and their inception for learners within the field.
By February 2022, I will be able to differentiate theory from practice and understand how to apply theoretical learning to applicable strategies in the classroom.
Long-term goals:
By 2022, I will have identified a problem area or a specific issue in Special Education which I feel passionate about and plan to focus on for the duration of my time in the doctoral program.
By 2025, I will have completed all necessary coursework as well as a dissertation for a specific problem within the field of Special Education.
For my short-term goals, I feel that I have grown in improving my professional practice through conceptual and tangible learning and instructional strategies. Specifically, I believe that I have achieved mastery of Walden professional disposition 3, which reads “the educator understands and uses a variety of strategies to encourage students’ development of critical-thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills” (Laureate Education). In my practice, I have utilized skills and attributes acquired in this course to benefit my students’ learning and achieve the highest levels of learning possible. Through collaboration with my course colleagues and material found with the course texts and scholarly research, I have gained valuable insight and understanding into the history of the field of special education and have successfully implemented methods for applying appropriate instruction with fidelity to my learners.
In addition to my short-term goals being achieved, I have made significant progress toward my long-term goals. One of my long-term goals is to identify a problem area or a specific issue of interest to me which I can use as an area of focus in the doctoral program by the end of 2022. I have conducted significant research on the impacts of trauma-informed teaching and plan at this time to utilize this topic as a specific area of focus during my time in this program.
Much of the information I gained during this course supported my practice in how to most appropriately educate learners in special education and how to lead professionals within the field. I also gained valuable new insight, including how to most effectively become an advocate for learners, their families, and the field as a whole. My positions and attitudes in the field remained the same; however, I gained a deeper understanding of evidence-based practices and how to most appropriately implement various instructional/leadership strategies for my students and professionals in my immediate setting.
As a current leader in special education, I can attest to the importance of leaders and their involvement regarding issues, ethics, integrity, and research in the field. Every action school leaders take enact some sort of social change, and when approached with care and fidelity, school leaders should impose nothing but positive social change in their immediate setting and within the field as a whole. Morgan (2015) supports the provision of appropriate special education practices as a transformational, relatively newly adapted principle throughout public education in America, yet that it has consistently changed the landscape of the field as a whole.
One way I plan to foster a community of practice is by taking the reinforced and newly found knowledge from this course and applying it as a school leader for my colleagues and subsequent student learning. One tangible effort for ensuring appropriate practice is collaborating with various professional learning communities within m district to support inclusive efforts for learners in special education. Florian (2014) supports the notion that inclusive efforts for special education learners is imperative for ensuring fair practices aligned to legislative efforts of the federal government. This course has benefited my professional practice as well as my personal growth as a colleague and as an individual.
References
Florian, L. (Ed.). (2014). The SAGE handbook of special education (2nd ed.). London, England: Sage Publications Ltd.
Laureate Education. (n.d.). Walden Professional Dispositions. Retrieved from https://content.waldenu.edu/561baab73db5fea18ffc862bad198f3d.pdf
Morgan (2015). Values and Ethics in Educational Administration. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1186309.pdf
———————————————————————————————————-
Respond to Darcel McCullough ( I agree with her and feeling I learn so much)
My emotions ran high as I started this course. I was embarking on a deeper understanding of researching scholarly articles. I was excited about exploring the various sites and resources that would offer me the background, evidence, and facts I needed to begin my journey of exploration into the subjects concerning Special Education and the specific areas that matter most to me. I felt Dr. Clark understood my passion and was with me every step. We are all aware that federal, state, and community-based agencies need to be met with and worked with to bring about changes for students with disabilities. After reading many of the articles, I am more convinced of this.
Each assignment drew me closer to a better understanding of how the infrastructure of placing children with learning disabilities was designed. My concern is not with how and why SPED was formulated but how we can improve on the areas of CCSS assessments and timely placement of students displaying deficiencies in their learning abilities. I believe my goals of making changes to these policies have been justified even the more with the research I have to gather to this date.
I have learned a wealth of information along this journey, and yet I know I have only tapped the surface. I have seen hundreds of articles that I have yet to utilize, read or peruse, but I know I will before this adventure is completed.
I have implemented strategies such as working with colleagues to help students in need and have met with professionals other than educators to help with challenging situations involving my students. I am consistently working on self-reflection and exploring ways to better my pedagogical craft for the good of my students.
Thank you, Dr. Clark, and my classmates for the shared experiences and learning opportunity. If some of you noticed, I have been MIA. Unfortunately, I was hit with heavy “Life Happens” issues and am doing all I can to cross the finish line with you all. Dr. Clark has been in my corner, encouraging me all the while and that I will never forget, neither do I have the words to express my gratitude. Dr. Clark is walking out all that we learned about engaging, respecting, and getting to know your students. Thank you again, Dr. Clark!