Refer to Claxton's IEP text and a Journal Article on IEPs (this journal can
be used for your JA Review) and explain two pros and one potential con of
a student's Individualized Education Plan. Include your own experience
with these (have you written one, been a part of an IEP meeting, read
one, never have seen one, etc.), and explain what you foresee your role
to be in the future with IEPs.
As a classroom paraprofessional, I didn't have that chance to attend a full
IEP
meeting but I got the chance to read some of my student’s IEP to get
familiar
with my student needs and behaviors. As I notice in the current
teaching
practices there is a strong focus on implementing differentiated
instruction
that is student-centered on their individual needs that fosters progress
and
achievement. This has evolved education that it’s no longer “one size fits
all”
and there are various channels to provide the information and
different
paces for the students. There used to be general teaching to all without
the
consideration of prior knowledge or academic strengths (Green,2013).
When
it comes to students with special needs, this differentiation is beneficial
that
an individualized education plan will help address specific interests and
capabilities. In special education, individuals differ with disabilities and
gifted
capabilities, so strategies are really customized for the learner and can
even
differ between subjects. One pro with the IEP is that through substantial
time
it takes a thorough evaluation of data, evidence, and assessments that set
a
foundation for well-developed learning goals for that individual student
to
achieve in the general education curriculum (Claxton, 2018, p.42).
Special Education IEP Pros: In any classroom, there often are
significant
learning gaps between individuals. The challenge is to assist struggling
students while simultaneously engaging gifted learners, but that is
exactly
what individualized instruction aims to do: delivering material at an
References
https://specialedresource.com/resource-center/special-education-iep-defined
http://www.dreambox.com/blog/pros-cons-individualized-instruction
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/iep-team-members
IEP, Claxton 2018
talk with students, assess where they are academically, and how their
individual learning plan can be tweaked to achieve maximum results.
Special Education IEP Cons: With the many changes associated with
the transitions to individualized instruction, personalized and blended
learning, many teachers are questioning where they fit in the modern
classroom. Are they being replaced by machines? Will they still get to do
what they really love: teach? This is an understandable fear as technology
has entirely displaced many other professions (remember the typing
pool?). However, with class sizes growing past 30 in many districts,
teachers are finding that the amount of time they have to spend with each
student is being dramatically reduced. Rather than being replaced by
personalized learning programs, many educators are finding that they are
excellent teaching partners. The use of technology is designed to free the
teacher to spend more time with individuals or small groups while the
remainder of the class is enabled to work at their own pace with the
program. And by leveraging the detailed student information many of
these programs provide, the interactions between the teacher and the
students can become even more productive. However, additional
professional development will likely be required to fully realize these and
other benefits of a move to a blended or individualized learning program.
Mine foresee to my role to be in the future with IEPs
I should gather all the aids, and services to the educational program
that would help the child learn and achieve. Also, I will put in my
consideration the strategies to help the child with behaviors and how to
modify the general curriculum to help the student learn and how to
modify testing so that the student can show what she\sh has learned. In
my opinion, the most important thing to make the IEP effective for the
student with a special need is to work with all other school staff to
provide expertise about the addressive the child unique needs.
