Central SLN Group Begins Training

Thanks to all of the great educators who worked collaboratively last Friday to begin the Special Learning Needs Institute at Parkland.

Sign up now for SLN Institue beginning this fall

Be sure to check out the application for the the Institute to Credential Special Learning Needs Resource Specialists beginning this fall all around Illinois. Click the link on the right side of the blog to learn about training at Waubonsee, Parkland, and Olney Central. Choose the one closest to you!

Academic Writing Strategy

The strategy instruction idea I use is from the content area of writing.  It is very important students learn how to write academically.  Learning to create content that flows is critical.  I like to teach using the analogy of a car without a driver.  A car without a driver is going no where.  Students have to learn to approach writing considering the reader.  Where are you going?  What is your opinion?  How can you support your opinion?  Opinion plus three topics = your thesis statement.  The thesis statement tells your readers what you are going to write about.  

Thanks for this post from Venise Haynes, South Suburban College, from the Institute to Credential Special Learning Needs Resource Specialists Training fy14

Archived Assistive Technology Session Now Available

The archived session highlighting free and low cost assistive technology resources is now available on the ICCB iLearn site. Send an email to sipdctrainer@gmail.com or email Sarah at sgoldam@siue.edu to be able to access all of these valuable resources. Special thanks to Christopher Lee for sharing his wealth of knowledge with us!

Check out Christopher's book, "What About Me? Strategies for Teaching Misunderstood Learners."

Archived Assistive Technology Session Now Available

Accessing free and low cost assistive technology is now archived on the ICCB iLearn site. Just send an email to sipdctrainer@gmail.com if you want access or write Sarah at sgoldam@siue.edu. There are a ton of resources! Thanks to Christopher Lee for sharing his knowledge with all of us.

Check out Christopher's book, What About Me? Strategies for Teaching Misunderstood Learners.

Matching Mainstream Technology Solutions to Assist Adults with Learning

Join Christopher Lee, internationally known expert and author of "Faking It: A Look Into the Mind of a Creative Learner" and "What About Me?: Strategies for Teaching Misunderstood Learners" as he explores free and low cost technology solutions for reading and writing. 

Topics include computer operating system access features, application support options (e.g. Microsoft Word), speech-to-text, text-to-speech, useful apps and resources. 

Have an opportunity to ask questions and be exposed to mainstream technology solutions to help your students learn and cope. 

Online session: Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:00-11:00am

Registration limited to the first 25 registrants.

To register, follow this link and complete the registration form.

https://student.gototraining.com/r/1521039456008543488

AND COMPLETE THIS SURVEY (link below) BY JUNE 13^TH!

The data will be collectively summarized at the SIPDC Tech Match: Matching Mainstream Technology Solutions to Assist Adults with Learning Webinar hosted on June 26, 2014 with presenter Christopher Lee

Here is a link to the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zMkFpXGJIGR_2b2_2bN9zo7NfA_3d_3d

This link is uniquely tied to this survey and your email address. Please do not forward this message.

Thanks for your participation!

Ideas from the Field

A teaching strategy that I used was instructing students on how to study for test. It is important to have learned how to take effective notes in order to prepare to study. 

Preparing to study should be compiled of three components: main idea, reviewing, and practice self-testing. All of my students were special education and seeing that my strategy only involved three steps made them more willing to try it.

Main Idea: Very important: students must have already identified with being successful in knowing main idea. The main idea is normally listed within the first paragraph of any lesson. Once this has been established, moving forward to small and large details of the main idea should be identified. Most of this information should be highlighted, written, placed in order of action, etc.

Reviewing: Once information is complete, reviewing should take place as soon as possible. This is what I call the train brain; this gives the brain a slim chance at being allowed to disremember any new information that is expressed as being important. After reviewing is performed within days (2 to 3) revisit prior to self-testing. 

Self-testing: Self-testing which is speaking questions out loud and then writing and speaking answers aloud, the brain will 90 percent of the time store information giving brain the ability to recall more swiftly. Most of my students who were presented with these tips identified them as being effective when used to prepare for testing in most subjects. 

Please note that when studying for math, students would perform self-testing by writing down problems while speaking aloud as they would write and then writing and figuring answers/solutions while speaking aloud as they would write. Almost like a check and balance sequence. This really worked well for students that learned better visually/hands-on. This gave students the opportunity to utilize written out/spoken aloud notes continually while preparing for test.

Submitted by:

Gail Bonds Carpenter

Manager, Services for Students with Disabilities Office

South Suburban College