Nancy Mamlin, Ph.D.

Monday and Wednesday
1:00 - 2:50 p.m.
Edwin Duncan Hall, Room 227

3 semester hours credit

Associate Professor
Special Education
Room 127H, Edwin Duncan Hall
ASU Box 32085
Department of Language, Reading & Exceptionalities
Reich College of Education
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608

828-262-6059 (office)
828-262-6767 (fax)
mamlinnl@appstate.edu

Printing this syllabus: Please use "print preview" in your browser before printing, and adjust left/right margins as needed to make sure you get all the information!

Syllabus updated on 9/13/06. (changed Word to PDF files)

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Office of Disability Services, 222 D.D. Dougherty, 262-3053/262-3056 (TTY) as early as possible in the term.

Office hours:
By appointment, generally before or after class time. Check calendar on office door.

Required Texts:

Mercer, C. D., & Mercer, A.R. (2005). Teaching students with learning problems, (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill, an imprint of Prentice-Hall.

Council for Exceptional Children. (2005). Universal design for learning: A guide for teachers and education professionals. Arlington, VA: Author. {This should be shrink-wrapped to your other textbook if you purchase it new from the ASU bookstore. Otherwise, you will have to purchase it separately.}

Packet of required readings/handouts available from SOS Printing.

Also refer to:
Mastropieri, M. & Scruggs, T. E. (2004). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. (Text from SPE 4205, Spring 2006)

Course Description:

This course addresses scientifically-based methods used in the implementation of the general curriculum, K-12. This course is required for students majoring in Special Education with a concentration in General Curriculum K-12, and must be taken concurrently with SPE 4215, SPE 4405, and SPE 4496.

Course Objectives:

write short and long-term behavioral objectives
knowledge of service delivery options in special education
write and implement lesson plans using a direct instruction approach
knowledge of tools such as cooperative learning, graphic organizers
activities for modifying instruction
North Carolina's Standard Course of study
use the world-wide-web to gain information about teaching students with diverse needs

The following competencies will be addressed in this course. The standards in bold have an accompanying assignment that will be part of the special education major’s final portfolio. Some of the assignments will be completed in conjunction with other courses, and the practicum experience this semester.

Diversity Standard 1:		Teachers understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline they teach and can create classroom environments and learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter accessible, meaningful, and culturally relevant for diverse learners.
Competencies for initial certification in special education:
Standard 1:		Teachers have a knowledge base for each of the basic skills in language arts and mathematics.
Standard 2:		Teachers have a broad and working knowledge of research-based learning strategies and their relationship to the learning of individual students
Standard 4:		Teachers organize effective student learning environments.
Standard 6:		Teachers explicitly teach research-validated instructional and behavior strategies to facilitate learning across the curriculum.
Standard 7:		Teachers use systematic, explicit, multi-sensory methods to teach reading, written expression, and mathematics.
Standard 8:		Teachers use knowledge about cultural, socio-economic and family dynamics to guide instructional and/or management planning and selection of teaching techniques
Standard 10:		Teachers collaborate and consult with general education teachers, parents and other professionals.

All written work must be typed and double-spaced unless otherwise noted. You must use at least a 12-point font for all assignments. Attach all pages with either a staple or paper clip. LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor, and will carry a “late fee”. Assignments will be considered late if they are incomplete in any way (and must be handed back ungraded), including, but not limited to:

Lack of peer review (if required).
No name on the assignment.
Using a smaller font than 12-point.

Gateway: In order to pass this class with a grade of C or better, each student must demonstrate the ability to write clear, meaningful behavioral objectives. This will be determined by performance on lesson plans or on additional assignments given by the instructor.

Specific requirements:

1. Attendance is mandatory. Your grade will be lowered by 10 points for the second and each subsequent absence. Two tardies equal one absence. I know that parking is difficult on campus. It has been that way since at least 1955. Plan for it. If you must be absent, then you are responsible for getting any missed work from your classmates. (See “Important Concepts” link)

2. Participation in classes is also mandatory, and is part of the grade. All reading assignments are to be completed by the date shown on this syllabus. Aside from the text chapters, you will be assigned readings from the packet from time to time. Participation points can be lost for not coming to class prepared (hint: bring your book and packet to every class!), not having done the readings, and/or by not being a participant in class discussions and activities. 75 points

3. At various points during the semester, students will participate in “workshops”, designed to give hands-on experience with specific methods for teaching. These are indicated on the schedule. See the notebook description for point values.

4. Completion of various in-class activities and occasional brief homework assignments will be expected beyond what is currently listed in the syllabus. These will be worth 5 - 10 points each.

5. Quizzes on-line. Students will be required to complete four on-line quizzes available on the textbook webpage. Quizzes are due in my email box on the days indicated. Your “sent” time should be no later than 8:30a.m. to receive credit. Please send the file to me as “attached html” and be sure to send yourself a copy as well. Do not leave this till the last minute, in case there are difficulties with the website. You must use either Netscape/Mozilla or Internet Explorer (i.e., not the aol browser) in order for the quizzes to send. 20 points (5 points each)

6. Students will complete independently four lesson/unit plans prior to beginning internships. The lesson plans will be peer reviewed and revised before being handed in on the due date. Each assignment must have a UDL checksheet attached. More details on these assignments will be given in class.

a.                  Lesson plan #1: Plan a lesson for a group of 4-6 children, in an elementary school setting, who are attending your resource room for extra help in reading/language arts. (20 points)
b.                  Lesson plan #2: Plan a lesson for you and a general education teacher to co-teach in a middle or high school setting. You may choose the area of the high school curriculum. (20 points)
c.                  Lesson plan #3: Use one of the general education lesson plans that you have in your packet, along with the description of the students who are in that class (both those who are and are not receiving special education services. Modify the lesson plan in the ways you feel are appropriate to help all the students meet the goals that the general education teacher has for them. (20 points)
d.                  Plan #4: Unit plan – Take one of the first two lessons above and create a unit plan – minimum five days. You may also use a plan from one another block class you are taking this semester as a basis for your unit. (50 points)

7. Case studies. Twice during the semester, students will complete assigned case studies available at http://cases.coedu.usf.edu/default.htm. Due dates are indicated in the schedule at the end of this syllabus. The first case study will be done in groups which the instructor will assign. The second case study will be in groups of the students’ choosing. Additional details will be given in class and/or posted on the class webpage. 25 points each for 50 points total.

8. A notebook (cd format also accepted), described in detail on the course homepage, will demonstrate your mastery of course content in relationship to your internship, the rest of the block, and/or other assigned experiences. The notebook will include assignments completed both before and during your internship.

9. The four lesson plans completed (in #6 above) prior to the internship must be reviewed by a peer before they will be graded. Peer checksheets are in the packet from SOS. Each class member should serve as a peer reviewer on at least 3 assignments. There must be “proof” of the peer review in order for the peer to receive credit. Proof can take the form of a draft and revised assignment being handed in, or of the reviewer's marks on the copy handed in. 10 points (for peer reviewer).

The following assignments and forms are detailed on other pages. Please print them from there. If you have any questions about them, please bring them up in class.

Information about notebook completion
Lesson plan format.
Important concepts (including professionalism, attendance and snow policies, etc.)
Apostrophes page.
Behavioral objectives page.

A = 95 – 100%	B = 84 – 86%	C = 74 –76%	D = 63 – 66%
A- = 90- 94%	B- = 80 – 83%	C- = 70 –73%	D- = 60.0 – 62%
B+ = 87 – 89%	C+ = 77 -79%	D+ = 67 -69%	F = 0 – 59.9%

Grades round from the tenth position using standard practices of 0 – 4 rounds down and 5 – 9 rounds up with the exception of “F”; students must achieve a solid 60% to receive a “D-“. A grade of “C” or better is required for the special education program.

On some dates, we will be meeting all or in part with students in SPE 4220, who are meeting in O1A. Announcements will be made in class about where these meetings will be.

Date	Agenda	Assignments due
8/23	introductions professional ethics
8/28	effective teaching writing behavioral objectives	CEC ethics Read: ch 1, 3*
8/30	effective teaching writing behavioral objectives	Teaching activity
9/6	Task analysis	Read: ch. 2 Read: UDL book
9/11	Universal Design for Learning principles Questioning	Read: ch 4*
9/13	Lesson Plan Workshop
9/18	Writing instruction and Writers' Workshop	Read: ch. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
9/20	CAST workshop Meet in Lab 215
9/25	Graphic organizers and other study aides	Lesson plan #1
9/27	CBM Workshop Meet in Lab 215	Case study #1
10/2	Cooperative learning.
10/4	Modifications Workshop, part 1	Lesson plan #2
10/9	Modifications Workshop, part 2 - IMC
10/11	Visit Charlotte
10/16	Direct Instruction – Dr. Matuszny, guest speaker	Lesson plan #3
10/18	Multi-sensory methods	Case study #2
10/23	Multi-sensory methods
10/25	Working with paraeducators, general ed teachers, others	Unit plan

This schedule is subject to change. Assignment due dates are firm.

A friendly note:

Students who have taken this course/the block in the past will tell you that there is a lot of work to do in a short amount of time! However, if you stay organized and keep track of what is required, I am confident that you can get everything done! Even though it may not seem so now, I have only included assignments that I think are essential to help you in your careers as teachers. Teaching, and perhaps especially teaching students in special education classes, is a complex, demanding job. It is also one of the best- and you can do it!