Showcase of Work
Michigan State University's (MSU) Master of Arts in Education (MAED) program pushed me to think critically about the educator and leader I am and the educator and leader I want to be. As a result, I experienced astounding growth and learned so much on how to be an effective educator. I also gained knowledge specifically regarding the effective integration of technology with special education. I gained valuable skills and experience that can be used in my professional practice. This page showcases various artifacts which I created during my time at MSU's MAED program. These artifacts highlight my newfound knowledge, skills and experiences to the educational world.
Special Education
Individualized Educational Program (IEP)This project was completed by myself and two other MAED students. We were given a sample student will all pertinent information. We created our own IEP with throughout the 12 week course. It gave us experience in better understanding how the IEP process works. By completing this project, I can successfully complete an IEP as well as share my knowledge in the process of finding the right tools for the students needs. Writing an IEP is a group effort of educators in different realms of teaching. I can bring my experience of writing an IEP to the table at any grade level.
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Assistive Technology Lesson PlanThis lesson plan was created to show the use of assistive technology in the general education and special education classrooms. It give a breakdown of lesson outcomes, structure and any resources needed to complete the lesson. I am well versed in writing lesson plans, especially those that require assistive technology (AT). The AT can be used for any and all students. I can even use the AT for general education students if needed.
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Assistive Technology ProjectThis project was a collaboration of three educators showcasing what assistive technologies (AT) are available to students. The project covers assistive technologies in math, reading and writing. It also provides information on how to choose the correct AT as well as examples of low and high tech technologies. I covered many different assistive technologies in this project. AT is not limiting. You can use anything that will assist the student with their learning needs. I have many resources available to help me find the right AT for each and every student who needs a little extra help.
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Special Education
Math Lesson PlanThis lesson plan was created with assistive technology in mind. The education level is from grades 6-8. I have honed my abilities to create lesson plans with an assistive technology. The ATs I use can be used by other general education students as well. They key is to understand not every AT will work with every student. All students are unique and may need something different.
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Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance (PLAAFP)The PLAAFP is one of the fundamental components of the IEP. This PLAAFP was created in one of my classes utilizing the resource of a student example. It is key to write the PLAAFP with the students goals in mind. I wrote it to ensure it is brief, clear, specific and accurate statements with enough information to describe the students current skill levels in measurable, objective terms.
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Lessons For Our Future Leaders
ResiliencyThis screencast is a course on resiliency. It has three lessons along with activities and videos. I teach and practice resiliency on a regular basis. This fully online course is adaptable and asynchronous just like many other courses offered for the online platform. I have been teaching resiliency in the military for 12 years. This is something I teach on a daily basis to my subordinates. Even if its not in a traditional classroom setting, resiliency can be taught and learned anywhere at anytime. I am also a Master Resilience Trainer which means I can teach this course to anyone, no matter the amount of people, at any time.
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The Achievement GapThis work was created to show a child's socioeconomic status and the achievement gap. The purpose of this explorative case study is to examine the ways a child’s socioeconomic status can have a negative effect on their educational journey. My knowledge grew tremendously after this class and case study. I had no idea there was an achievement gap or how funding could have such an impact on students. This case study opened my eyes on how funding within the school districts work as well as how demographics come into play. There is a huge problem with this in the United States and hopefully eventually, lawmakers see the issues and allow funding for school to be more fair across the board.
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Police CorruptionThis paper was created as my thesis for my Bachelors Program. It covers police corruption and how it affects everyone. I included it because it is important to teach our future leaders what not to repeat in history. I was military law enforcement for 20 years. Police corruption does also happen in the military. This is something that weighs heavily on integrity. Normally when corruption is happening, it runs deep within the unit. The biggest take away is, if you see something not quite right, speak up.
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