Transition Plans & the IEP
Designer: Jennifer Bruce, Tara Coleman, Kathryn Carbonell, Christopher May
This tool should be used to compliment a course on the roles and responsibilities of the special education teacher in the inclusive or self-contained classroom setting. More specifically, this course should focus on the following areas: functional behavior assessments, behavior intervention plans, screening and classification of students with special needs, knowledge of programs and services within the school and community, and the development of individualized education plans (IEPs). The tool should be used when teaching the section on IEPs.
Target Population
College students who are currently enrolled in a special education program.
Teaching Standards
There are no specific standards set by the PA Department of Education for teaching transition planning. However, under IDEA ‘97, every student with special needs requires an IEP which includes a transition plan by the age of 16. Therefore, we feel that it is necessary to educate future special education teachers in developing successful transition plans.
Teaching & Learning Theory
We will be using a blend of theories for our project, including constructivism and information processing.
- Constructivism – We will have students take an active role in their learning by building on prior knowledge and having them work together to solve case study scenarios.
- Information Processing – Throughout our presentation, the learners will be asked to apply prior knowledge of special education practices to the current study of transition planning. We will facilitate their learning to help them make connections between new information and prior knowledge. We will use a variety a techniques including a visually stimulating and organized presentation of new material. We will also guide and support their learning using a variety of techniques such as highlighting, mnemonics and imagery.
Products
Multimedia Design Tools
- MS Word
- PowerPoint