Remote learning during lockdown was abrupt, unplanned, and incredibly challenging for all, especially those with unique learning needs and their families. Despite this, creative solutions have emerged, building on inclusive practices from their in-person classrooms. As we move toward an uncertain resumption of school this fall, how to do so in a way that supports all our students is one of the biggest unanswered questions. In this three-part series, sponsored by TASH New England, educators will learn practical tools to use in the online, remote teaching, or hybrid classroom, and collaborate and connect with educators across the country.
| When: | 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern, Thursdays, July 30 – August 13, 2020 |
| Registration: | Participants can purchase recordings of the complete series for $25. |
Workshop Format
Each interactive workshop will be co-taught by PreK-12 teachers and a university professor. They will highlight evidence-based inclusive practices on the topic and frame the conversation. A panel of teachers will share how they implemented these practices in their individual classrooms in person and during remote instruction. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect and discuss implications for returning to school in break-out rooms. Each workshop will inspire and remind us that we can support all learners in these uncertain times.
Objectives
In these workshops, participants will:
- Learn about evidence-based practices that promote inclusive education
- Hear from classroom teachers who implemented these practices in-person and during remote instruction
- Connect and reflect with educators across the country who are grappling with these issues
The Framework that Guides Us: Universal Design for LearningSession 1: July 30, 2020
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a process of designing curriculum to accommodate all learners from the beginning. Because UDL is focused on creating lessons from the ground up, remote learning provides an opportunity to rethink what guides us as we create and teach lessons that meet the needs of all our students. This workshop will enhance your ability to use principles of UDL in person and through remote teaching.
University Presenter
Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Ph.D. is a teacher educator, researcher and associate professor at Stonehill College, where she serves as director of graduate teacher education. Her research focuses on teacher education and special education teacher preparation, as well as teacher education policy initiatives and reforms. Stringer Keefe has more than 20 years’ experience in public and private education settings, as a teacher, consultant and critical friend to various non-profits. She is co-author of Remixing the Curriculum: The Teacher’s Guide to Technology in the Classroom (Rowman & Littlefield) and the award winning Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education (Teachers College Press). Stringer Keefe is president of Massachusetts CEC.
Educator Presenters
Emma Fialka-Feldman, 2nd-grade teacher
Kate Egnaziak, Elementary art teacher
Samuel Texeira, High School History teacher
You Can’t do This Alone: Strategies for Collaborating to Meet IEP Goals and ObjectivesSession 2: August 6, 2020
How do we ensure that students with disabilities receive specially designed instruction that includes access to grade-level standards? By prioritizing collaboration, both in person and remotely, we can truly ensure that students with IEPs are learning and achieving at high levels. Learn tips for promoting collaboration among special education teachers, general education teachers, and related service providers and hear from collaborative teams that did it – in-person AND remotely!
University Presenter
Dr. Jennifer Kurth is Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas, and affiliated faculty at the Kansas University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD). Her research centers on inclusive education for students with extensive and pervasive support needs. This includes examining outcomes of inclusion in terms of skill development and quality of life indicators for students with disabilities, as well as how educators develop skills and dispositions for inclusive practices.
Educator Presenters
Zoë Fahy
Alexis Oosting
Deborah O’Shea
Building Community: Family-School PartnershipsSession 3: August 13, 2020
How do we develop and support family-school partnerships in these uncertain and challenging times? What has worked in the past and what are the current obstacles we face? This workshop will focus on the core principles of collaboration with our students’ families, and consider ideas for outreach for classroom teachers to build community partnerships, in remote and in-person learning. We will examine the concepts of cultural competency, cultural humility, and cultural brokering and connect these concepts with specific examples from teachers. Participants will identify strategies to strengthen communication and build collaboration.
University Presenter
Janet Sauer is a Professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She taught children in Botswana, Africa, on the Navajo Reservation, in Boston, Ohio and Iowa. At the university, Sauer co-teaches with people with disabilities, their family members, and guests from other disciplines to illustrate the complex and interdisciplinary nature of disability. Her research interests focus on examining inclusive schooling contexts and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Educator Presenters
Chantei Alves
Yuki Nishizawa
Liam Rutter Stokes
How to participate
This workshop series was originally presented live as a Zoom webinar. It is currently available as three recordings. When you complete your purchase, you will be e-mailed a ticket that lists the links you can use to access each session.