EDPS 491 (Fall 2009, As of August 18th, 2009) EDPS 491 – Topics and Issues in Special Education Wednesdays , 4.30p-7.20p August 26th – December 16th Instructor: Jeffrey W. Gilger. Ph.D. Phone: 494-6542 Email: [email protected] (when sending me messages always put “491” in the subject heading) Office: BRNG 6114 Office hours: By appointment, and before class on Wednesdays, 3.30p-4.25p Classroom: BRNG 255 Required Text: Kutscher, M. (2007). Kids in the syndrome mix of ADHD, LD, Asperger’s, Tourette’s, Bipolar, and More! Jessica Kingsley Publishers: Philadelphia, PA. ISBN 978 1 84310 811 5 Note: This is a small book and a good reference. Additional references can be found in the book’s appendices or by asking the instructor. The book will be available in the bookstore. I will refer to it as the MK book. Other Readings: Other reading assignments will be detailed as the class progresses. These will typically be handed out in class. Course Description: All course materials will be available at http://www.education.purdue.edu/ODFD/courses.html. This site will be updated weekly. This is a seminar-like course that will explore a variety of issues in the general area of special education. Among the areas explored will be dealing with complex children or children with multiple disorders, ethics, classroom management, career experiences, and more. See below for a more complete list. As a seminar course there will be a focus on discussion and interactive learning, more so than rote memorization. In particular, this course has 5 main objectives: 1. Advancing your knowledge of the field of special education. 2. Helping you better understand the complete child (biology and environment) who is under your care as well as his or her family.EDPS 491 (Fall 2009, As of August 18th, 2009) 3. Providing you with information from guest speakers in the field that will help you with career development and job performance. 4. Practice at leading group discussions and contemplating research. 5. Giving you the opportunity to discuss various issues in a forum with your peers and to begin thinking (if you have not already) about how to solve problems in the field. Process and Key Benchmarks: Although we will try and remain flexible, each class session will typically have some sort of lecture or presentation at the beginning. Some sessions will have another portion devoted to student presentations and additional discussion. Finally, for some sessions, time may be set aside of out-of-classroom work or research. There will be two tests (see table below): The first test (midterm) is an in class test focusing on material from the MK book or other readings, and perhaps a little on guest lectures. This test will emphasize vocabulary terms and it will be short answer, multiple choice, etc. No essays! The second test is a take home, similar to the first test, but focusing on material presented in the second half of the semester. There will be group assignments (see table below): Students will be assigned to one of four “groups” during the first class session. Based on your group assignment you will part of the team that researches, presents and leads the discussion on an assigned day for one of the following topics: Group A: Behavior control in classroom Group B: Draw-up a mock IEP based on the case of Sara (Sara is a second grader who demonstrated difficulties with word identification and comprehension. She also demonstrates a slight stutter when reading aloud. The stutter does not appear when she talks with others. Sara’s mother believes Sara is gifted) Group C: All students are in “Group C” and I will discuss how to do parent interviews in class. A form in attached. Group D: Ethics The Group A, B and D assignments require that the groups research and prepare a 30 minute presentation on their topic. They should include a formal presentation with visual/other aids as appropriate. Also required are handouts, reference lists, and etc. for all classmates. Groups should include portions of their presentation that facilitate class discussion or activities. More detail/guidance on this as the course proceeds. A copy of all materials for the group presentations will be turned in to me for grading. Group C will be an open discussion about your parent interview experiences. More on this later. Parent interviews will be turned into me for grading. Attendance: It is important to be present to engage in discussions about the content and issues presented in this course. Thus, attendance is directly tied into the participation grade. Serious absences fromEDPS 491 (Fall 2009, As of August 18th, 2009) class can result in penalties to the final grade. Individual circumstances can be discussed in advance with the instructor and are up to the instructor’s discretion. If you are unable to attend you are still required to submit any assignments for that session. Important Departmental and Purdue Policies: ACADEMIC DISHONESTY STATEMENT. Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty." [Part 5, Section III-B-2-a, University Regulations; see http://www.purdue.edu/odos/administration/integrity.htm. Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that "the commitment of acts of cheating, lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover, knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself dishonest." [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972] ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS STATEMENT. Students with disabilities must be registered with Adaptive Programs in the Office of the Dean of Students before classroom accommodations can be provided. If you are eligible for academic accommodations because you have a documented disability that will impact your work in this class, please schedule an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your needs. EMERGENCY STATEMENT. In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other