Welcome to the #NT2t chat!
Today’s topic is “Making Education Special thru Twitter”
Questions for today’s chat are here & on the photo cards to come. #NT2t
Join us today for the first #nt2t of 2018! Topic: #SpecialEducation. 9 a.m. EST, 2 p.m. London, 7:30 p.m. India.
* nt2t = New Teachers to Twitter. As always, the chat is open to all.
Stephan, one of the co-founders and co-moderators of the #NT2t chat. Teacher coach based in Rio de Janeiro. Education is special because it's where everything starts and ends in and out of the classroom
Jeremy in Connecticut, parent, #nt2t team member and more. I’ve been talking about education forever, including with my future wife long before we were married and had kids. Wondered how to make things better than my experience.
Hi #nt2t Ines from Germany, teacher and teacher trainer. Education is always special because it's an individual process with special conditions, wishes, ways and results.
Clarissa from Springfield, MO. I am a classroom teacher at a Juvenile Justice facility. Education is special because EVERYONE can do it. I tell my boys that education is everything because no one can take it from them. #Nt2t
We will be using Q1, A1..... Q2, A2 (Question 1/Answer 1) format. Please include the A + question number in your reply (A1, A2, etc) and don’t forget the hashtag #NT2t
A1) Education that serves an individual’s particular needs that extend beyond the needs of General Education. Not sure it makes sense to be labeled “special,” but that’s the system we have. #nt2t
A1 Special Education is meeting the needs of those who have mental, physical, social or emotional disabilities. My Special Education page https://t.co/Wk224efchJ#nt2t
A1 Special Education is meeting the needs of those who have mental, physical, social or emotional disabilities. My Special Education page https://t.co/Wk224efchJ#nt2t
A1) Meeting their needs where they are and teaching in a way that they understand. I am lucky that I can do that for every student...not just my "special ones". #Nt2t
My classes are very integrated so I don't really make distinctions unless necessary. Also, the problem I have found is that there are some kids who are classified who don't use any mods and then tons of kids who need the mods but aren't classified. #NT2t
A2: tools I use a lot are @edpuzzlehttps://t.co/yeku6vxpNO to adapt reading instruction to include audio options or to simplify very complex text #nt2t
A2: One thing I like to do is take time to talk with a student when he/she is having difficulty. Can be hard when there is little time but I do try to fit that in. Student needs to know that you do care. #NT2t
A2: As my classroom has changed, so has my differentiated instruction. Where is preferential seating when the Ss are working in groups and the Ts are going around the room constantly? #NT2t
A2: Google Classroom allowing to assign students different work with different directions or end products has been helpful. Flexible small groups based on changing needs... #nt2t
#nt2t A2: Modified instruction, various modes of learn, option to choose project assignments, strategic seating, and lots and lots of collaboration. Builds classroom culture when Ss help each other.
A2: One thing I like to do is take time to talk with a student when he/she is having difficulty. Can be hard when there is little time but I do try to fit that in. Student needs to know that you do care. #NT2t
A2: Having a lot of ESOL Ss at varying ability levels leads to a lot of creative diff. including pictures, songs, motions, extensive modeling, and repetition until I'm murmuring things in my sleep! #NT2t
Mostly the everyday DI. I feel like all of our IEPs say "preferential seating, provide study guides, extra testing time, reinforce goals" ... which are things available to all Ss most times #NT2t
This is so true! A lot of the IEPs get repetitive, and the sorts of things that are really specific to a student (i.e. using race cars in every problem bc they love race cars) don't make it into the IEP. #NT2t
That’s great. UDL does speak to me. Love how a kid learning on an iPad looks like a kid learning on an iPad, regardless of how we label the kid. #udlchat#nt2t
I feel a bit awkward in IEP meetings when speaking of accommodations (some anyway)... they seem like just good teaching practices that should be available for all Ss as needed #nt2t
I guess what it comes down to is what every Ss needs at the time. So if a student is struggling with content and takes a test and does horribly, and they come in for extra help and want to retake it, should they not be allowed to because they don't have an IEP? #NT2t
Yes - the question I have is what are we trying to represent? "Equal" access, "equitable learning," or education for liberation? I agree with others who suggest the original image is too narrow in scope #Nt2t
I feel a bit awkward in IEP meetings when speaking of accommodations (some anyway)... they seem like just good teaching practices that should be available for all Ss as needed #nt2t
That's why it can be so hard at the beginning of a new year with a new student with an IEP. Sure, it's a start, but really you need to talk to the teacher from the previous year to start somewhere, then see what works for you. #NT2t
In reply to
@JeremyDBond, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH
#NT2t Personally I think it's important not only to have available equal access for all students, but also to have high expectations for all students equally.
It is definitely more time consuming. But at least at the HS level, even when offered a retake if you show effort and real desire to understand the material, most Ss at the average level won't go for it. But those few students, that's worth the extra time. #NT2t
A1: #NT2T Special education is a specially designed teaching method to provide students who are in both ends of the bell curve meaningful instruction. It is the ultimate in differentiation. #inclusive
It's a hard balance between trying to get a million IEPs done quickly and efficiently, but also making it worth the while by them actually being helpful. #NT2t
In reply to
@cmgideon, @BeckettHaight, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
I had a student moved out of my room into a self-contained room (at another school) and I wish I could have met with the new teacher to share what I had learned in 4 months. #NT2t
In reply to
@MrsDamianoWH, @cmgideon, @JeremyDBond
#NT2t A4: Games such as Quizlet, Kahoot and especially Quizziz offer great formative assessment feedback while the kids are having fun. Quizzes allows for differentiated instruction by providing a place where students can work at their own pace.
I don't remember if I knew who it was. I also was a first year teacher struggling to keep my head above water for 100 reasons...that thought never occurred to me! #NT2t
In reply to
@gwena_walker, @MrsDamianoWH, @cmgideon, @JeremyDBond
Definitely! I remember when I first started we would use the Organization for the Blind (?) to help with books on tape...now you can find the book on Youtube! At the end of the day, the audio is super helpful #NT2t
So true. And the sad thing is it would be so much more useful to get a doc that says "This student really has trouble concentrating, but they are very interested in ABC and highly motivated by XYZ. Tough home life, show support" #NT2t
In reply to
@hturk139, @cmgideon, @BeckettHaight, @JeremyDBond
A4: I’m still trying to find a good balance honestly. Our school is 1:1 and sometimes the laptop is a distraction. Also trying to move up the SAMR model #nt2t
#NT2t A4: Games such as Quizlet, Kahoot and especially Quizziz offer great formative assessment feedback while the kids are having fun. Quizzes allows for differentiated instruction by providing a place where students can work at their own pace.
And pictures! With ESOL students, we did a lot of wordless books to show the importance of reading a book with the pictures. YouTube books-on-video are engaging that way as well. #nt2t
A4: Having everything in one place like a LMS helps. We use google classroom and interactive notebooks to take the organizational component out of the equation. #NT2t
Yes! I know a student with ADHD who writes excellent papers when he can play around while dictating them, and then gets to type them (using the computer being a treat). #NT2t
Because only certain things will stand up in court. Sad but true. It's like there needs to be a separate doc that teachers can all contribute to about specific students, that is separate from an IEP. But that probably goes against some other law lol. #NT2t
In reply to
@hturk139, @cmgideon, @gwena_walker, @JeremyDBond
Is there a reason why it has to be ONLY legalese? I understand that it needs to be standard across the board, but couldn't there be a place for a more personal touch? #NT2t
In reply to
@gwena_walker, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
I also think that education generally (UDL/special education in particular) are also politically & ideologically grounded, just not as transparent #Nt2t
A5) There are not! I share it as if there is nothing different going on. Due to where I work...I don't ever share faces...just products and works in progress. #Nt2t
A5: Always special considerations. However we do showcase our transition Expo, our Track and field and Special Olympic on our websites. In TX we are required to have parent permission for pics and stories. #Nt2t
If a school has a tech policy that allows for Ss images to be shared in the educational environment, would you still need to do that? Would a classroom teacher? #NT2t
Because only certain things will stand up in court. Sad but true. It's like there needs to be a separate doc that teachers can all contribute to about specific students, that is separate from an IEP. But that probably goes against some other law lol. #NT2t
In reply to
@hturk139, @cmgideon, @gwena_walker, @JeremyDBond
No, I'm wondering why it is that it needs to be so jargon filled, and why can't we have a space for personal comments. Just lamenting what we don't have! #NT2t
In reply to
@gwena_walker, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
@BeckettHaight
A6: we can use social media to share sites like @TheLeaderinMe as well as use activities to have students post something positive they saw today. And a goal they have for the week to help others. #Nt2t
THIS TIMES A MILLION. Especially in schools with high ESOL populations, parents often have no idea what an IEP is, or what the process looks like. I try to explain in a personal sense (no jargon) in the meetings, but it's still hard for them. #NT2t
In reply to
@ChristieNold, @gwena_walker, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
Interesting. I'm firstly inclined to say 'go parents!' for fighting for their child (something I don't see often), but I also am not the teacher on the other end of that and don't know the whole situation. #NT2t
In reply to
@gwena_walker, @ChristieNold, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
Yes because we explain it in plain terms but the follow-up paperwork is jargon! And the next year's teacher just gets the jargon. It is systemic, totally not in the hands of the special ed Ts at this point #NT2t
In reply to
@hturk139, @ChristieNold, @gwena_walker, @cmgideon, @JeremyDBond
A6: Inclusion doesn't have to be just in the physical classroom. Twitter can help oft underrepresented students tap into all kinds of ideas and ppl out there
#NT2t
Yup, I have seen this as well. I have also seen IEPs be modified weekly to adjust to a certain problem in a certain classroom. Which is helping who exactly? #NT2t#onthinice
In reply to
@gwena_walker, @hturk139, @ChristieNold, @cmgideon, @JeremyDBond
I feel like this whole topic, while focused on SpEd and Ss with IEPs, could just as easily translate to all Ss. Every year there are challenging Ss that are hard to reach, and you wish you had prior knowledge of...is there a solution? For 18-28 Ss a year? #NT2t
There are great sites out there that are doing some really cool things about teaching Empathy. I find a lot of these resources when they are shared on Twitter. @soulpancake has an awesome series called "The Science of Empathy"... my students really enjoyed and took it in. #Nt2t
I’d have to think on this more. Always thought the point was working toward equity (and liberation for that matter) and not equality, if that’s defined as getting the same thing. #nt2t
In reply to
@stephwurking, @ChristieNold, @JuliePJones
I feel like this whole topic, while focused on SpEd and Ss with IEPs, could just as easily translate to all Ss. Every year there are challenging Ss that are hard to reach, and you wish you had prior knowledge of...is there a solution? For 18-28 Ss a year? #NT2t
THIS TIMES A MILLION. Especially in schools with high ESOL populations, parents often have no idea what an IEP is, or what the process looks like. I try to explain in a personal sense (no jargon) in the meetings, but it's still hard for them. #NT2t
In reply to
@ChristieNold, @gwena_walker, @cmgideon, @MrsDamianoWH, @JeremyDBond
I was a 1st year T last year and my school did seem to have RTI qualities, but there were just SO MANY Ss who needed such things, and not enough resources that I feel many of the 'lesser' (but still needed!) issues were neglected. #NT2t
