Special Education - General Curriculum

Overview

The Special Education - General Curriculum program of University of West Georgia prepares M.A.T. teacher candidates to teach students with mild disabilities who receive instruction using the general education curriculum and who participate in general statewide assessments. Specific categories of mild disabilities include learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, other health impairments, and mild intellectual disability. Teacher candidates are also prepared to teach students in special education preschool settings (ages 3-5 years).

Objectives

• Candidates understand how exceptionalities can interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 1 - Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences).

• Candidates create safe, inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments so that individuals with exceptionalities become active and effective learners and develp emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and self determination (CEC Standard 2 - Learning Environments).

• Candidates use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 3 - Curricular Content Knowledge).

• Candidates use multiple methods of assessment and data-source in making educational decisions (CEC Standard 4 - Assessment).

• Candidates select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 5 - Instructional Planning and Strategies).

• Candidates use foundational knowledge of the field and their professional Ethical Principles and Practice Standardds to inform special education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession (CEC Standard 6 - Professional Learning and Ethical Practice).

• Candidates collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with exceptionalities, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with exceptionalities across a range of elarning experiences (CEC Standard 7 - Collaboration).

• Candiates demonstrate knowledge and skills related to effective instruction of learners with disabilities.

• Candidates demonstrate appropriate professional dispositions.