I have posted this website for students who are thinking about going into the Special Education field. This organization can give you insight into whether or not the Special Education field is right for you. It takes a special person to work with special needs children and volunteering for Best Buddies can help you figure out if this is the right choice for you.
This page gives information on volunteering for Best Buddies. This is a great organization very similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters. It gives teens and young adults the chance to volunteer and spend time with children that have special needs. It is a great experience.

http://www.bestbuddies.org/?gclid=COvu8bm5jqACFRLxDAod0DEbfA


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Assignment: So you want to be a special education teacher?

This article lists 10 questions you should ask yourself before deciding to go into the special education field. Answer the following ten questions before reading the article. If your answers match those in the article, special education is probably the right choice for you!


1. Do you enjoy working with children with special needs? Are you committed to helping those in need achieve their potential?

2. Do you have the required certification? Certification/licenses to qualify you to teach?

3. Do you have endless patience?

4. Do you enjoy teaching life skills and basic literacy/numeracy?

5. Are you comfortable doing the ongoing and what seems like endless paperwork required?

6. Do you enjoy assistive technology?

7. Are you comfortable with the inclusive model and teaching in a variety of settings?

8. Are you able to handle stress?

9. Are you able to develop good working relationships with a wide range of professionals, community service agents and families?

10. Is your main goal to have a positive impact and make a difference is children's lives?

Here is the link to the article. Check how closely your answers match those in the article. http://specialed.about.com/od/idea/a/speducator.htm

Easy lesson plan in the special education classroom

Many classrooms have started Inclusion, which students with special needs are in the same room as regular-ed students. I am including a lesson plan that would help kindergarten student be more accepting of their peers with special needs. This would work great in any kindergarten classroom as a way to open students up to each other and learn about the importance of acceptance and friendship.

Friendship
Grade Level(s): K
By: Amy, Kindergarten Teacher

Uses Eric Carle's Do You Want to Be My Friend? to teach about friendship. Objectives: To teach social skills and how to develop friendships. Materials: Book - Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle. Large piece of butcher paper paints Plan: Discuss the meaning of being a friend and what good qualities are in a friend. Read the story. Discuss the mouse's search for the perfect friend. What good qualities were in each friend he found? Make a friendship rainbow to hang over the entrance way to your door. Use the kids hand prints in each color. Talk about what friends the children have made since they have been in school. What is a good quality about that friend? Why do they like that friend and what activities do they do together? After the rainbow dries hang it over your door with the saying - A Rainbow of Friendship Hand in Hand.

Learning with Blogs and Wikis

Author: Bill Ferriter
Title: Learning with Blogs and Wikis
Source: Educational Leadership

This article describes how easy it can be to create your own blog. Also, it describe how powerful a tool that blogging can be within education. Many educators don't think they have enough time to create and maintain a blog, however, this tool is extremely useful in developing curriculum and instructional ideas while getting direct feed back from your colleagues.