INCLUDE DC Online
INCLUDE DC- Special Education for General Education Teachers
This course is offered free to Co-op members. Click here to request an access code.
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As federal mandates continue to emphasize the provision of a free and appropriate public education to students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, ALL educators must be prepared with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully educate exceptional learners. Based on the Co-op's popular, in-person graduate course, INCLUDE DC: Special Education Tools for General Educators, INCLUDE DC Online emphasizes a proactive approach to instructional design and planning for diverse student learners. We will use the history and evolution of special education regulation as a background for understanding why careful, purposeful, and proactive instructional design are essential components of a successfully inclusive classroom.
After engaging in the instructional activities in this course, course participants will be able to:
1) Describe the major tenants of Special Education legislation, including concepts such as Free and Appropriate Public Education and the Least Restrictive Environment.
2) Define the various disabilities as defined by IDEA 2004 and analyze the impact of these disabilities on instruction in the general education setting
3) Explore the Anatomy of the IEP and understand the implications for instructional design.
4) Identify the 3 Principals of Universal Design for Learning and apply these principals to instructional design.
5) Examine high leverage Instructional Strategies for Elementary and Secondary Education.
6) Apply the use of Assistive Technology in the Inclusive Classroom.
Your Instructor
With more than 15 years of experience in the field of education, Meagan’s work has consistently emphasized practical approaches to improving outcomes for all students.
She began her career as a special education teacher at a Secondary school for students with severe emotional disabilities, in Baltimore, Maryland, and was later led to a long-held position as a special education teacher in the Alexandria City Public Schools where she served as a Special Education Teacher at both George Washington and Frances C Hammond Middle Schools, and Samuel Tucker Elementary. Her knowledge of the importance of strong district and school level leadership led her to a position as the Director of Student Support Services at Washington Latin Public Charter School in the District of Columbia. Most recently she has been using her passion for teaching and education in her work with the DC Special Education Cooperative in various capacities as a Director of Professional Development and most recently as a Special Education Program Quality Specialist. Meagan has provided both LEA, school level, and city-wide staff development and technical support on various areas related to effectively serving high needs students in urban school settings. She developed a Graduate Level Course for the Cooperatives INCLUDE DC Program entitled, Special Education for General Education Teachers which has allowed teachers to receive graduate credits from both Catholic University of America and Trinity University, and has impacted classrooms across the DC Public and Public Charter Sectors. She has also served as Adjunct Professor at the Catholic University of America where she taught Secondary Instructional Methods for both graduate and undergraduate students.
Meagan received her Masters Degree in Special Education from Towson University and a Bachelor of Arts, double major in Communication Studies and Women's Studies, from York University, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.