Wrap-up: a summary of other students' blogs

     Education blogging, in my words, means sharing your ideas about education on a blog. The number of education bloggers is increasing daily. I think that education blogging is a great way to share your thoughts about education and a great way to network with teachers across the country. According to the K-12 Educational Technology Handbook, blogging is a great way to reflect on your lessons and discuss resources. Learning from other teachers can help improve your teaching practices and you can learn new ideas to implement in your classroom. I believe that without an outlet to share your ideas, best classroom practices would not be implemented or discussed.

Teacher with students engaged in discussion.

 One of the topics my peers discussed was standardized testing. This topic was written about by Maggie Kirkland, Brooke Duff, and Emeline Golden. Maggie brings up the fact about how colleges went test optional during the coronavirus pandemic. She also brought up how she could have received more financial aid if she had applied test optional. Emeline states in her blog that it can be hard to find support in schools to increase your ACT score. She talked about that she came from a school district that did not place much emphasis on testing. Brooke brought up the argument about how standardized testing is graded the same for all students. I agree with her point of not liking the idea of students' knowledge being determined by one test score. I believe that students are not defined by one test score. I also learned about flipped classrooms. Maggie's blog discusses how flipped classrooms can cause more work before class. The final idea I learned about was mental health in school. Lara's blog mentions how mental health was not a priority when she went to school. I believe that schools need better mental health services, especially for teachers.

    Although my experience blogging has been short, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I will continue to use blogging as a platform for communication with my students. I will also encourage my students to use blogging as a way of communicating their thoughts about a lesson. Without this platform, I never would have learned my classmates’ thoughts on educational topics. I learned so much through this experience, and I will never take it for granted.  

Standardized testing: what is it, issues, and my personal experiences

 Standardized testing is defined as a method of assessment built on the principle of consistency. This means that all test takers answer the same questions and are graded in the same way. These tests are used all throughout a student's education. They are often used to compare class progress, especially in elementary or high school. Some of these tests are used to apply for college entry, such as the American College Test. Standardized tests can measure readiness of prospective students for professional degree programs, such as the MCAT or the LSAT. This is important in education because the scores can offer an objective measurement of education. However, there are some negatives to standardized testing. For example, an op-ed claims that standardized tests cause stress, anxiety, and sleep problems for students. This is due to the amount of pressure that is put into these tests.

Student feeling the pressure of standardized testing

I have had varying experience related to standardized testing. I first took a standardized test in the third grade, which was the TCAP test. My school gave me the TCAP alternate test instead of the regular test with accommodations. After discovering that I was given the wrong type of TCAP test, my parents advocated for me to take the regular TCAP. Starting in the 4th grade, I took the regular TCAP test. However, I have also experienced some issues with the TCAP tests. In 7th grade, the online system for delivering the assessment would not work. After resolving the issues, I got through the assessment. I took the ACT in my senior year of high school. I had to advocate to receive accommodations for the test. I felt really intense pressure to do well on this test because I thought I would not get into college with a low score. However, after UTK decided to go test optional, I got in with a 22 composite score. Another problem I have encountered is that the scores do not come back in enough time to impact student grades. I believe that standardized testing has a lot of biases that affect people of color and poor people the most. I also believe that standardized tests only determine which students are the best test takers. Students are not defined by a standardized test score because the test does not always show what the student is capable of.

Classroom Management in a special education classroom

 Classroom management is defined as techniques that teachers use to keep students orderly, organized, and focused. Different teachers use different techniques in order to manage their students. Some examples of classroom management strategies include putting relationships first, non-verbal signals, positive communication to and from home, and working backward from student strengths. I think the most important classroom management strategy is putting relationships first. This is a valuable skill because teachers need to establish a good rapport between themselves and their students. Classroom management is important in education because it can directly affect the way students learn. For example, if a teacher teaches exam material poorly, then students will not succeed on the exam.

I have had many experiences with classroom management because I have seen many strategies implemented by different teachers. For example, in my high school peer tutoring class, I saw teachers and teaching assistants use non-verbal signals to communicate with students. These signals were important because some of the students were non-verbal. In terms of behavior, my teachers would often write emails or make phone calls

Teacher engaging students in a classroom

home. This encouraged positive communication to and from home. My school also had a ticket system to tell students how well they were doing behaviorally. Green tickets were for good behavior and yellow tickets were for bad behavior. The most frequent reason for yellow tickets was tardiness. If you got so many yellow tickets, you would lose out on your incentive day. There was also a tier system for behavior. The first three offenses of minor behaviors resulted in a warning. The fourth offense resulted in a conference with your dean. The fifth minor offense led to a referral to the administration. The sixth level was an office referral. My belief in this topic is that classroom management is especially important in special education. With an organized classroom, I can effectively teach students with disabilities. In my classroom, I will send out frequent progress reports to encourage communication to and from home. Without communication, parents will not know how their student is making progress.

 

Special Education: what is it, relevant plans, why is it important, and my personal experiences

Special education is defined as a customized instructional program designed to meet the unique needs of an individual learner. This may necessitate the use of specialized materials, equipment, services, and teaching strategies. Some examples of related services include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological services. The services and accommodations may be outlined in either an Individualized Education Program or a 504 plan. Individualized Education Programs are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, more commonly known as IDEA. 504 plans are required under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To qualify for services under IDEA, the student must fall within one of 13 disability categories. If you do not qualify for services under IDEA, you may qualify for section 504 services. Prior to 1975, special education services were very limited. Students with disabilities were mostly educated from home because legislators believed they had no chance of succeeding in the free public education system. This topic is important in the education field because it has changed the way students with disabilities have been educated, starting with Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954. This case paved the way for parents to advocate for students with disabilities to receive the same quality education as peers without disabilities. There were several special education protests to celebrate both successes and wrongdoings of the public when it came to disability access.

Protesters with disabilities celebrating section 504.

I have had a wide array of experiences receiving special education services. I started in infancy, when I had an Individualized Family Service Plan, also known as an IFSP. At the age of three, I attended Fort Sanders Educational Development Center. During my time there, I was evaluated by the Child Find Staff. The results of the evaluation determined that I required special education because of autism. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and the way that the affected person perceives the world around them. An Individualized Education Program was drafted to help me be successful in school. However, getting my teachers to follow the IEP was a struggle. Most of my teachers thought I would not be mainstreamed until the third grade. My parents advocated for me to be mainstreamed starting in kindergarten. As a result of this advocacy, I was mainstreamed from kindergarten onwards. Oftentimes, my teachers would say "no, we cannot provide that service," even though it was necessary and appropriate. A valuable lesson I learned from this is to stand firm for what is right. My belief in this topic is that we should start acceptance of students with disabilities and include them in school activities with the appropriate supports. This has resulted in my passion for special education law and advocacy for the inclusion of students with disabilities.