Hi,
Have to say “G’day from down under”.
I am sorry it has taken so long to reply to all of your postings.
I work full time and have 3 boys aged 3,6 and 10 so life is busy however I have committed myself to keep in touch with the special ed group.
I have many examples to share and will do so soon.
My Qualifications are BA Applied Science Disability Studies (Developmental Educator – develop programs for people with disabilities). I will post a website for you all to view on what is a developmental educator soon.
I no longer work for Seaford 6-12 as I was working under my qualifications and had aspirations to move forward in my career. At present working as a senior vocational consultant at Heta In (hhewish@heta.com.au )assisting people with disabilities into the work force. I still use the quality learning tools in my current employment. During my short time with Heta I have been asked to present on QLT’s for students with special needs to the Horticulture training team and have derlivered training on job readiness at my own site (disability employment) utilising the quality tools. The RTO Compliance & Development Coordinator has developed a great interest in my work utilising the QLT’s and has asked me to work with her to combine the QLT’s into the job readyness traininig.
I would like to thank David for posting examples of the capacity matrices I developed at Seaford 6-12 School.
My position at Seaford 6-12 School was as a School Service Officer 2 . I began working in the special unit and went onto perform the following duties;
• Special Ed Unit 2002 to 2009.
• Negotiated Education program support in middle and senior school 2003 to 2010.
• District Quality Learning consultant – Australian Government Quality teaching programme. Quality learning for students with special needs.
• One on one support developing alternative learning programs for Level I (Intense) students 21006 to 2009.
• Group support 2003 to 2009.
• Member of the Quality Learning Community of practice 2006 & 2009.
• Member of the Occupational Health and Safety committee 2009.
• Organizer of Whole School activity – Wheel chair basketball 2006, 2007 and 2008 ( a item on the special class Adapted Parking lot that developed into a whole school program).
• Data collation / Flow charting – NEP Process 2007.
• Presenter to National and International visitors to Seaford 6-12 School on Quality Learning for Students with Special Needs 2006 to 2009.
In 2008 I won a National Quality Schooling Award for “Excellence as a support staff member”.
When I attended David Langford’s 4 day training in 2006 I was inspired and thought to my self this is what I have been looking for especially the capacity matrices. The main highlight in regards to capacity matrices to me are the evidence of learning for students. Because I am trained as a developmental Educator I knew what I could do to adapt the capacity matrice for students with special needs. I was working with students with ODD and Autisum who were not engaging in any special ed or mainstream education. One Ievel I student I supported spent his time at school walking around the school (with me following him ) threw stones at the cars in the car park and on the roof of the class rooms. One day he spent some time stabbing a tree with a pen knife. After I introduced the parking lot and then developed capacity matrices (that were not mainstream / special ed / curriculum) developed from the individuals interests submitted on the adapted A4 parking lot such as searching locations on Google earth the student for the first time of his school life began to develop a folder of capacity matrices that reflected his time at school.
During my time supporting special class with PE the PE teacher was a mainstream teacher with no experience working with students with special needs. The teacher was asking what theory work do the students do. No theory work had ever been implemented with the students in the special class and no evidence of learning was ever obtained for the students. After introducing the adapted parking lot the students had input to what sports they played and then I developed class and individual capacity matrices for the students covering the sports they played in PE. The students for the first time had a folder of capacity matrices reflecting what skills they had learnt and developed in PE. The parking lot provided the students with a voice and input to what they learnt and sport played. One of the items on the parking lot in specail class PE lesson was wheel chair basketball which became a whole school pprogram for 3 years. Additional item on the specail class parking lot was an excursion, rock climbing. During the excursion rock climbing I took photos of each task the student needed to perform to rock climb. I then developed a capacity matrice for rock climbing. This was the first time the class had any evidence of learning in regards to an excursion. I reckon the parents would have been pretty happy when they saw a folder of capacity matrices on their childs learning where in the past they had nothing to view on their childs learning. When on this excursion the teacher and I was informed that one of our students was the first to rock climb at their facilty who had spinal bifita. All of these wonderful experiences from just attending David’s four day training. The class began to look out for each other and teach other students in the class.
In regards to the capacity matrice on music that David has subbmitted as an example I developed for a student in the Unit who has severe disabilties. I was really excitted about developing this capacity matrice. Students with severe disabilities have no evidence of learning.
I believe that what ever the student can do at school is meaning full. Such as moving his hands across a keyboard and making sounds. However the special ed teacher did not implement this capacity matrice. My ideas are out there and not special ed / curriculum orientated they are individual interests and strength orientated and I ruffle feathers.
In June I had the pleasure of working with Jane from Quality Learning Australia asssiting with the specail needs students. This reminded me how teachers atitudes effect the students quality of life. At the begining of the day I asked the special ed teachers to think about how their students are going to comunicate their whants, ideas to answer the questions. One of the response’s I recieved was “our students cannot communicate” their level of understanding is like a 2 year old. Funny my 3 year old was very capable of communicating to me when he was 2 and now when he is 3. I cringe when I hear the word cannot. Students of all levels of intellect can communicate. A smile, frown, pointing, making a sound, moving toward a particular object, drawing a picture is communication. As educators we just need to know our students to know how to obtain information from students with special needs. We can adapt the quality learning tools to meet the individual students needs.
Look forward to keeping in regular touch with you all now I am on board.
Take care.
