Course credit
3 credit hours
Course description
Learning and behavior problems of students with focus on issues of identification, etiology, assessment, development changes, and intervention including consideration of personal, social, cultural, historical and economic contexts.
Delivery
This course is available in a web-based format, utilizing web pages and WebCT, a computer conferencing program. WebCT requires Internet access and a web browser — no additional software is required. Students may need access to someone who can assist with computer set-up.
Prerequisites
UNI students: junior standing
Students should have had at least one course in educational psychology or psychology and understanding of basic concepts in assessment.
Instructor
Barry Wilson, Associate Professor
Office: 611 Schindler Education Center
Office Phone: 319-273-2767
Email: barry.wilson@uni.edu
Evaluation
12 assignments, 1 web resource project
Overview
The course is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who intend to work with individuals with learning and/or behavior problems. These problems are viewed as serious enough to warrant special education assistance. The course provides a broad view of the field for present and future teachers, school psychologists, administrators, speech and language professionals, counselors, and others preparing to work with individuals described as disabled.
Course topics include definitions of learning disabilities, mental disabilities, and behavior disorders, a brief history of the treatment of individuals designated disabled, the physiological and neurological basis of learning disabilities, service delivery issues, investigation of specific learning and behavior problems and the interaction of disability with gender, culture and social class. The course is also intended to develop an appreciation of the controversial issues that affect every aspect of practice. Political, economic, and social forces are recognized and discussed.
Students are encouraged to use library as well as Internet resources to further understanding and communication about disabilities.
The course content will help you meet several INTASC Standards for teachers. Specifically:
#3: To understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
#5. Understand individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
#8. Understand and use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
#9. (Be) a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of your choices on others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
The course also addresses content standards of the Council of Exceptional Children Professional Standards and the training standards of the National Association of School Psychologists. (for more information, contact your instructor)
Course goals
General Goal
The principle goal of education is to create persons who are capable of doing things, not simply repeating what other generations have done-- persons who are creative, inventive, and discoverers.
The second goal of education is to form minds which can be critical, can verify, and not accept everything that is offered. The great danger today is of slogans, collective opinions, ready made trends of thought. We have to be able to resist them individually, to criticize, to distinguish between what is proven and what is not. So we need students who are active, who learn early to find out by themselves, partly by their own spontaneous activity and partly through material we set up for them; who learn early to tell what is verifiable and what is simply the first idea to come to them. (Piaget Rediscovered: A Report of the Conference on Cognitive Studies and Curriculum, 1964)
More Specific Goals
to acquire important knowledge and understanding critical to the education of individuals with exceptional learning needs
to articulate an informed personal philosophy about special education
to think critically about disabilities and disability issues
to improve communication with others on disabilities and disability issues
to learn how to locate, evaluate, and use information available on disabilities using available technology
to refine skills in communicating on disabilities and disability issues using carefully selected resources
Finally, I encourage you to stay in touch after you complete the course. The course web pages will continue to be resources available to you. It's always great to get suggestions and ideas from alums of the course!
Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Send them to: Barry Wilson
Organization
Written Assignments
Before completing the written assignments, you should
1. read the corresponding material and text assignments,
2. take notes on what you have read as appropriate,
3. explore the linked web sites.
4. take notes on what you found on the web sites.
5. give the questions careful thought
Your written assignments for the course typically consist of several questions about what you have read, about personal experiences you have had related to the topic, and your opinions on various issues.
It is possible for you to complete your assignments by typing them directly into the Assignments tool. This is not, however, a very good way since it can be slow and you may lose what you have typed if the system goes down or gets overloaded.
The best way is to complete your assignment using your favorite word processing program. If you are using a word processing program other than Microsoft Word, then please save the file as Rich Text Format. Submit your assignments to the Assignments tool.
Grading
Completion of Written Assignments = 15 pts. per assignment = 180 pts. total
Assignments will be graded "outstanding" (14-15 pts.) "commendable" (10-13 pts.) or "deficient" (<10 pts.) Assignments should: 1) Be complete and respond to each part of each question; 2) reflect a good understanding of the reading assignments; 3) incorporate both personal experience (if you don't have direct personal experience, information learned from other classes or sources is very acceptable) as well as information gained from text, instructor's notes/lectures, and web source material. Check the scoring rubric for specific details.
Web Resource Project- 40 points total
Pick a topic within the course, it has to be related to learning disabilities, surf the net for the very best information you can find. Additional information is provided on the Web Resource Project document.
Total Points 220
| Grade Scale | % of Max | Total Points (220 max.) |
| A | 90-100 | 198-220 |
| B | 80-89 | 176-197 |
| C | 70-79 | 154-175 |
| D | 60-69 | 132-153 |
Textbook(s)
Henley, Martin, Ramsey, Roberta, & Algozzine, Robert (1999) Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities (Third Edition) Allyn & Bacon: Boston.
Rodis, P., Garrod, A., & Boscardin, M. L. (2001) Learning Disabilities and Life Stories. Allyn & Bacon: Boston.
Delpit, Lisa (1995) Other People's Children. The New Press: New York.
Course packet
Texts are available from the vendor of your choice or
University Book and Supply
1009 West 23rd Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Phone: 319-266-7581 or 800-728-7581
Fax: 319-277-1266
E-mail: bookstore@panthersupply.com
To enroll
ONLINE
GIS enrollment information
IN PERSON
UNI Continuing Education
2637 Hudson Road (corner of 27th St. and Hudson Rd.)
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0223
Campus map (Look for Building 31)
For more information
Cindy Klodt, Guided Independent Study
UNI Continuing Education
319-273-2123 or 800-772-1746
ContinuingEd@uni.edu