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TEAS 4008/5008/6008 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

TEAS 4008/5008/6008 - Specialized Methods of Instruction and Teaching: Mild-Moderate Students

4 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course of academic and adaptations for the inclusive setting is for teaching students with mild-moderate disabilities. The course includes a one-hour practicum or a special classroom project for those currently teaching in a special education setting. 

This course is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate courses are listed as 4000-level courses; graduate courses are listed as 5000- or 6000-level courses according to university policy.

Course Outcomes:

The focus is on general and specialized curriculum and methods used for teaching students with mild/moderate educational needs in the P-12 setting, with adaptations that facilitate inclusion in the school, home, and community. Curricula and intervention strategies, including the use of technology, for the development of cognitive, academic, social, language, affective, career, and functional life skills necessary for independent, community, and personal living and employment are examined. IEP and lesson plans are developed in transition, academic, adaptive behavior, and vocational areas. Field and clinical experiences allow students to tutor students with mild/moderate learning and/or behavior problems.

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

TEAS 4001, TEAS 4003, TEAS 4004, TEAS 4005, TEAS 4006 and TEAS 4007.

Course Topics:
  • Overview of Mild – Moderate Disabilities (Characteristics and Needs)
  • Differentiated Assessment for Students with Mile – Moderate Disabilities
  • Brain – Compatible Instruction and Personal Responsibility for Learning
  • Differentiated Instructions: Individualized Learning Strategies and Solutions: IEP
  • Communication and Social Skills
  • Functional Reading across the Curriculum
  • Functional Math across the Curriculum
  • Assessment in Planning for Inclusion
  • Assessment in Planning for Transition
  • Assistive Technology for Academic and Social Skills
  • Role of the Special Educator: Facilitator of Learning, Advocate for the Student, and Liaison for the School, Home, Community.
  • Home and Personal Living Skills 
Specific Course Requirements:
  • Assigned Readings and Lectures
  • Case Study (included as part of the practicum and observations) Graduate Students must complete a research/power point presentation regarding four national programs that have demonstrated proven results in teaching and learning of students with mild – moderate disabilities.
  • Collection of Internet Learning Objects in the area of Math, Reading, Social Skills, Communication, Writing, etc.
  • Two Interviews with Special Education Teachers regarding teaching strategies and working with mildly and moderately disabled students.
  • Two summaries of recommended videos
  • Observation of an IEP (summary of the identified curriculum goals and instructional strategies) **Adherence to FERPA will be strictly enforced. No students’ names of identity will be presented in submitted reports.
  • Observation of an Assistive Technology Center/School/Agency
  • Final Project based on best practices noted in the readings, textbook, online lectures, videos, and threaded discussions for the developed of the Curriculum Plan:
    ** Curriculum Plan for Mild & Moderate Students with Disabilities (Graduate Students must design a curriculum which includes two units with five lessons per unit and teach one of the lessons to a student. Under graduate students must tutor a student with a lesson that has been designed by the supervising teacher.)
  • Graduate Students: Advanced Research Requirement: In depth research paper regarding differentiated Instructions including Individualized Learning Strategies and Solutions.

Practicum:

  • Students enrolling in a course which includes a practicum can expect to spend 30 hours in a classroom with special needs students in the emphasis area in which the student is seeking the additional teaching endorsement.
  • Students may not enroll in two practicum courses during the same semester.
  • Faculty teaching practicum courses will partner with the students' school district to make sure that students are placed in the correct practicum for their concentration area.
  • Graduate students will design a specialized curriculum for mildly disabled students and one for moderately disabled students (two units with five lesson plans per unit). In addition, the graduate students must design and teach a lesson and provide feedback of the assessment of the lesson. Undergraduate students will tutor a student in and provide feedback of the assessment of the tutoring session. 

 

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Internet Resource Websites

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

To receive a grade for this class all modules must be completed regardless of the total number of points earned.

  • TEAS Orientation (50 pts)
  • Module One (100 pts)
  • Module Two (100 pts)
  • Module Three (100 pts)
  • Module Four (100 pts)
  • Module Five (100 pts)
  • Module Six (100 pts)
  • Practicum (500 pts)

* Graduate Research Paper (for those seeking graduate credit) (100 pts) 

Grading Procedures:
Grading Scale:
Undergraduate Grading ScaleTotal Points
A1035-1150
B920-1034
C805-919
D690-804
FBelow 690

 

Graduate Grading ScaleTotal Points
A1125-1250
B1000-1124
C874-999
D751-873
Fbelow 750

 

Assignments and Projects:
Class Participation:

Students must participate (per module) in all interactive aspects of the course as noted on the discussion board. For example, students must communicate with other students in the discussion area; students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource; students must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.

Late Policy:

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021