JesseHodgeTIAProject

My Teachers in Action Project @ Space Coast Early Intervention Center: 

Jesse Hodge hodgedog@knights.ucf.edu November 17 th 2011 EEX 4070 OW58 My Teachers in Action Project @ Space Coast Early Intervention Center

Space Coast Early Intervention Center: 

Space Coast Early Intervention Center SCEIC is a preschool in Melbourne, Fla. that serves students with and without disabilities. Founded in 1988, SCEIC is APPLE approved which means it is fully accredited by the Florida Association for Child Care Management. Teacher/Student ratio is kept low while also maintaining a 50/50 ratio of typical/disabled students in classrooms.

Engagement Activities: 

Engagement Activities The community need I addressed was two-fold. I volunteered in the classroom and helped with an after-care Fall Fest. I spent the majority of my hours at SCEIC in the classroom working with disabled and typical students alike. The remaining hours were spent with after-care students while they enjoyed a Fall Fest put on by the after-care program. My 15 hours were spent as follows: 12 hours in the classroom (Once a week for 3 weeks, 4 hours each); 3+ hours at Fall Fest.

Demographics: 

I spent most of my time with in a Pre-K class with students of varying disabilities along with non-disabled students. While I wasn’t privy to many of the students’ details, some were on the Autism spectrum, some had speech limitations, and many were typical students with no known disabilities. My project involved assisting approximately 25 students between the classroom I served in and the Fall Fest I participated in. Demographics

Classroom Service: 

Classroom Service

Fall Fest: 

Fall Fest Students were encouraged to attend Fall Fest. They were able to trick-or-treat and do crafts at each table.

Perceptions of Differences: 

Perceptions of Differences I gained a new awareness of students with disabilities while at SCEIC. I wasn’t sure what exactly I would learn from my experience. I didn’t expect the level of expertise it takes to effectively meet the learning needs of so many diverse students in one classroom. Seeing the classroom teachers tailor their lessons to so many IEPs all at once was amazing to watch. Also, it takes a teacher that is comfortable with organized chaos to do this job, something I will admit I am not.

Connections to Your Course: 

Connections to Your Course The course I am enrolled in is EEX 4070. I have a better understanding of the autism spectrum after having spent time with one student in particular. I hadn’t realized there was an entire spectrum for the disorder. (Autism, Wood p. 66) I was not aware of the technology being used for students with disabilities. One particular student in the class has great difficulty vocalizing and used a picture to speech machine. (Technology, Wood p. 297) Finally, I gained a real appreciation for the value of an involved parent. I saw many parents in the school volunteering and conferencing. It seemed like the percentage was higher than in a typical elementary classroom. (Parents, Wood p. 48) My experience at SCEIC helped me tie the concepts learned in this course with real life situations. I will be able to take the things I learned while at SCEIC and apply them to my own classroom. Understanding the diverse needs of disabled students puts differentiation of instruction into a whole new light. Text cited is Teaching Students in Inclusive Settings by Judy W. Wood, 5 th edition.

Civic Engagement: 

Civic Engagement I now have a better appreciation for why volunteering and civic engagement is important in the community. Civic engagement meets the needs of a community. We participate in various acts of volunteerism to add something of value to our community. For me, this has been a wonderful learning experience. It allowed me to learn more about disabled students and provide some much needed help in the classroom. This experience did motivate me to be the best teacher I can be for all students. I would encourage others to become active in service-learning to expand their own knowledge and contribute something to their community.

Final Thoughts & Reflections: 

Final Thoughts & Reflections Getting out there and finding an organization to volunteer with is the first step to gaining better understanding and empathy for persons with disabilities. Teachers play one of the most important roles in educating the public about community involvement. We should be educating not only in the academic realm but in the civic involvement realm.