With technology gaining a significant position in education, my filed of interest is understanding how the education system can incorporate it for lifelong learning and staying current on educational trends and legislation for special education. It is well known that students with special needs require extra support. My concern is how special education can leverage technology to enhance classroom instruction for students with special needs (Cai & Cao, 2021). Further, unlike other teachers, special education teachers need to be allowed greater flexibility for instruction differentiation through blended learning opportunities (Cai & Cao, 2021). Therefore, the main issue is understanding the respective measures to take to leverage technology through web-based and evidence-based practices to ensure lifelong learning and staying current on educational trends and legislation for special education.
The unique teaching process for every special education teacher to familiarize with constitutes ten steps I must know to keep informed on exceptional instruction. In the first step, youngster identification, I will advocate for and mentor students unique and related education needs through a learner fund and evaluation request or referral (Fujita, 2021). In the second step, I will evaluate the child in every student’s suspected disability area. The results will help decide the child’s eligibility for special education and related services. In step three, eligibility is decided, whereas a qualified professional will help the parents decide whether their children are disabled. Step four is where the student is eligible for special needs services. By step five, I will differentiate lesson plans with general education teachers in a meeting, which is scheduled to communicate to the parent about the youngster’s disability status (Fujita, 2021). Step six I will hold a meeting, and together with other special needs teachers to determine the appropriate approach to the student’s needs. Often, both the student and the parent are present at this meeting.
Step seven provides the services for the student to be involved in the classroom, and in the eighth step, I will case manage the student’s involvement, and that of others, within the classroom and report their performance to their parents. The reports must regularly inform the parents whether the child can meet the annual end-of-year goals. In step nine, the lesson plans, I will review it in the presence of parents to incorporate any change suggestions (Fujita, 2021). Lastly, I will reevaluate the child to measure their performance to determine whether the child continues with a disability.
To be a lifelong learner, I plan to practice the following. First, I will engage in reading often and widely, keeping company of like-minded peers, and teach others what I know. Further, I will keep a list of things I desire to explore, start my project, develop and use a personal learning environment, and experiment with new learning ways (Fujita, 2021). Lastly, I will join a study group, find a job that encourages collaboration and learning, and ensure to make learning a priority.
In my future practice, I will use this information to ensure every child’s needs are carefully considered and addressed in my career through the two common ways I can identify the child’s special education and related services. Through this, I will guarantee that every child under my instruction gets evaluated and reevaluated in my future practice to determine whether they can transition to everyday learning. Further, I will use the information in my future practice by continuously engaging in lifelong learning to preserve my desire to obtain new knowledge about special needs teaching through reading often and widely (Fujita, 2021). Through this, it will be possible for me to develop an attitude that will enable me to succeed in the dynamic environment where I practice my career, allowing me to update myself on how best to help my learners continuously.
References
Cai, Y., & Cao, Q. (2021). When VR serious games meet special needs education: Research, development and their applications. Springer.
Fujita, C. (2021). The pedagogy of special needs education: Phenomenology of sameness and difference. Routledge.