Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates.Provide feedback regarding your shared or differing perspectives and pose a question to promote critical thinking. 

Part 1:

• What did the article suggest was important in helping teachers prepare for instructional planning when including Special Populations?

The article suggested that the opinion of cooperating teachers has a great toll on how student teachers think and react to situations in the classroom and how they plan their lessons. They do this based on the assumptions that the cooperating teachers have been doing it for so long and the assumption that cooperating teachers are doing something that works. However, when it comes down to handling behavioral issues, student teachers do refer back to university coursework.

• What do YOU believe is important to consider when it comes to the student teaching experience and the relationship between student teacher and cooperating teacher?

I believe that the most important thing to consider when it comes to the student teaching experience and the relationship between student teacher and cooperating teacher is that everyone is not always right. We must keep in mind that everyone is not acceptable to change. Education is something like a revolving door and new things appear and develop everyday. What has worked for the previous generation may not work for the present generation. Resources improve and so do our methods of teaching.

• Conduct some research within the Ashford Library and locate an academic resource that addresses special populations and designing assessments with them in mind. Share the resource you find and summarize it within your response.

The resource that I choose talks about how teachers should make alternatives for students with disabilities so that they can also succeed academically. This article suggests that the course design should be beneficial to all students by using multiple channels (Ali, 2018). I think that different lessons will require different assessments but educators have to keep in mind what students they have in their classrooms and tailor assignments to meet their abilities

References

Ali, L. (2018). The Design of Curriculum, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education with Constructive Alignment. Journal Of Education And E-Learning Research, 5(1), 72-78.

Part I

What did the article suggest was important in helping teachers prepare for instructional planning when including Special Populations?

“The aspects of instructional decision-making that participants reported being influenced by these sources were planning, teaching style, teaching methods, behavior management, and handling of a difficult moment” (Cook, 2007, p. 121-122, para. 5). Student teachers need help from their cooperating teacher. The article mentioned that the cooperating teacher was the primary source of influence for all their decisions.

What do YOU believe is important to consider when it comes to the student teaching experience and the relationship between student teacher and cooperating teacher?

As I have gone through a student teaching experience, it is important to be open and communicate with your fellow student teachers as well as your cooperating teacher. The cooperating teacher can be your best friend when it comes to making instructional planning decisions. I always had a meeting with my cooperating teacher before planning a new unit because I wanted her opinion. Not only did she have many years of experience as a teacher, but she also had several years of experience as a cooperating teacher and she helped many student teachers before me. It is important for the relationship between the student teacher and the cooperating teacher to be honest and have open communication. It is also important to consider trust in the relationship and you are going to this person for ideas that you may not think are strong and the cooperating teacher can be the one to reassure you that you have good ideas.

Part II

Conduct some research within the Ashford Library and locate an academic resource that addresses special populations and designing assessments with them in mind. Share the resource you find and summarize it within your response.

Hager, K. D., & Slocum, T. A. (2011). Using Alternate Assessment to Improve Educational Outcomes. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 30(1), 24–29. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1148007&site=eds-live&scope=site

This article is about specific assessments that are designed with special populations in mind. They are aligned with the state content standards just like general assessments used for the general education.

References

Cook, L. (2007). When in Rome…: Influences on special education student-teachers’ teaching. International Journal of Special Education, 22 (3), 118-130. Retrieved from ERIC Digest. 

Hager, K. D., & Slocum, T. A. (2011). Using Alternate Assessment to Improve Educational Outcomes. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 30(1), 24–29. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1148007&site=eds-live&scope=site