That means that general education teachers are more likely to work with students who have special needs. And yet, according to NPR reports, the 10 largest universities in the country have a mosaic of special education requirements for future teachers.
When it comes to primary school preparation programs, which are designed to prepare students to obtain state education certifications, six of these institutions require education students to take only a dedicated course in special education. The remaining four require more than one course.
But teachers’ preparation title paths are evolving. Some of the institutions that only require one course, including the University of Texas A&M and the University of Florida Central, told NPR that the rest of their courses have increased to instill practices aimed at reaching each student, not only typical.
And a new type of title is also becoming more common: double license or “unified” programs aim to prepare students to obtain general education and special education certification. These programs are emerging throughout the country, even in Texas A&M, Wichita State University, the State University of Ohio and the University of Northern Iowa.
Special education lessons not only happen in special education classes
The Teacher Preparation Program of the University of Florida Central has been under a gradual change in the last seven years. Mary Little is a teacher and programs coordinator at UCF. She says that the school has focused on learning from experience, so her special education course is taught together with a internship in the classroom.
“We are very [clearly] Connecting theory and practice, in collaboration, in inclusive environments, “says Little.
When training teachers find questions in their internship classrooms, they can carve them in real time with the expert faculty. According to little, the challenges that arise include discovering appropriate learning adaptations for students with disabilities and working with individualized education programs (IPS), which are legal documents that the scheme is each student.
Little says that the school is also intentional about the infusion of inclusive practices through its teacher preparation program. That includes emphasizing a teaching practice known as Universal Design for Learning or UDL. Prioritize flexible instruction methods to meet the needs of students who can learn in several ways.
For example, in a first degree lesson on basic sum, a teacher could use images, tactile elements and virtual tools not only to describe the mathematical problem verbally, but also tangible and visual.
“What could have been, in the past, have presented numbers and make the students look at those simple numbers, or giving students a worksheet and have the boxes or something has expanded with you,” says Andracation. “You are trying to be accessible to all students.”
That also means not waiting for a child to be identified as a disability before offering specialized adaptations or instructions.
“It is really helping all our [teacher prep] Students to prepare presentations and evaluations of lessons, and ways to demonstrate learning on multiple ways, so that students can access, dominate and demonstrate the curriculum and knowledge knowledge, “explains Little.
Little and Borowczak say that their school is also working on a new dual license program in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.
Currently, at least 4 of the 10 largest universities in the US. They offer “unified” dual or grade degree programs that prepare teachers to work both in general education and special education classrooms.
‘All students are general education students’
Jennifer Kurth chairs the Special Education Department of the University of Kansas, or Ku, who recently debuted a Unified degree Oriented to future teachers who wish to serve in general or special education classrooms. It requires eight special education courses rather than the traditional teaching title of the school.
There is only one capture: for students with disabilities that benefit from double grade programs such as this, people have to choose to register on them, on traditional educational programs.
Kurth says he will require a paradigm shift to a philosophy that “all students are general education students.”
“And if you leave a unified program knowing how to teach all students, you know how to individualize the instruction; she knows how to collaborate with people in all disciplines; she knows how to understand students, IEP and understand the general education curriculum”, Kurth. “You’re going to be a safer and more capable teacher.”
Kurth says it is too early to say if the department would change to a unified education program. But it is a possibility.
“Honestly, I could see a moment in the near future in which we only have one unified program, because I think it has been very well received,” Kurt said. “Maybe we are a bit cautious when trying to make too many great changes at the same time.”
Ku’s assistant teacher, Lisa Didion, is not shy to launch the new unified school program.
The past fall, duration of a special education course that is required for all KU education specialties, told his students to join the unified program, would learn more strategies to reach all students.
“And that is what will really make a difference, is that if we have general educators who are trained as special educators, then we are really going to start moving that [needle]”Didion said.
Benjamin Erickson, a third year student in Primary Education, said he is considering changing the unified program. He said that as someone with disabilities, it is important for him to be part of a “better system.”
