Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates.  Respond to at least two peers by adding value to their ideas and suggestions regarding how having an electronic manual will assist you in your coursework and career.  Be sure to comment on how this activity has complimented or supported your current professional work. 

I’m glad I signed up for this class I believe the work was manageable, and the projects actually made you learn unlike other classes I have taken recently regarding special education which almost had nothing to do with the topic. I was really confused about the portfolio project but glad I watched How to make a winning teaching portfolio on Youtube they really broke down the how and why each part of the portfolio was important. I think having an electronic version of my portfolio will be really helpful because I will be able to update as I progress through the program and I start producing more advanced projects. I would like to really get into how to manage special education children. I use to volunteer for a program called Best Buddies and know that I can be a handful. I know the paperwork part is important but its the in class situations I would like to learn.

Reference

Henley, X. (2017, March 13). How to Make a WINNING Teaching Portfolio! Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Nu_dSsQco

During the last six weeks, I have learned a lot in this class. As many of you know, I have a child with special needs on my own, and I am quite familiar with some Special Education topics. However, I have learned new things not only from the text/additional resources but from my peers. As of right now, I feel confident in many areas that I wasn’t before. Something that made a significant impact on me was the mainstreaming part because I think that many educators need to accept this. According to out textbook, Mainstreaming, a term used to promote the integration of school-aged youth with disabilities into classrooms with their peers without disabilities, followed on the heels of successful efforts to deinstitutionalize programs for adults and children with disabilities (Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R., 2009).

In my point of view, organization is the primary key to maintain and update a portfolio. In my case, I will save all my work in different ways to ensure that I will always have access to it. In the updating part, I will take into consideration all the feedback received from the instructors. After watching the video How to make a WINNING Teaching Portfolio! I got a total understanding of how to create a fully complete professional portfolio because Ms. Xica talked about important things such as cover letter and resume that can be added to the portfolio.

I am extremely excited to get my Master’s Degree in Special Education that everything that I learn in the future will be great. However, I would love to learn more about Early Childhood Education mainstreaming since I haven’t seen a preschool that offers that type of services in my area. 

References:

Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson

Henley, X. (2017, March 13). How to Make a WINNING Teaching Portfolio! Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Nu_dSsQco