Daniel P. Morgan

Teacher-Student Interaction Patterns in Classrooms with Mainstreamed Mildly Handicapped Students

Teacher-student interaction patterns in 12 third-grade mainstreamed classrooms were observed with four groups of students: (1) nonhandicapped high achievers, (2) nonhandicapped low achievers, (3) learning disabled, and (4) behaviorally handicapped. Teacher-student interaction was defined using 16 dependent measures derived from the Brophy-Good Teacher-Child Dyadic Interaction System. Multivariate and Univariate Analysis of Variance procedures demonstrated that statistically the groups were significantly different on 8 of the 16 dependent measures. Although the behaviorally handicapped students were treated differently by their regular classroom teachers more frequently than students in the other three groups, no group was given consistent preferential treatment. Most student initiations were nonacademic, and almost one-half of teachers’ feedback and initiations were nonacademic. Furthermore, teachers used more disapproving than positive feedback. The results indicate a need for teachers in mainstreamed classrooms to devote more time to academic tasks and to use better classroom management techniques.

Teachers' Attitudes toward IEP's: A Two-Year Follow-up

Boston, April 1980. Wormwood, R.J., Schriber, P.E., & Allen, R.G. Maryland statewide assessment of the knowledge, readiness, and attitudes of vocational instructors as they relate to handicapped students. Amherst MA: National Evaluation Systems, 1979. R. BRIAN COBB is a doctoral candidate, and L. ALLEN PHELPS is Associate Professor, Office of Career Development for Special Populations, College of Education, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Urbana.

Teaching Behaviorally Disordered Students to Increase Teacher Attention and Praise in Mainstreamed Classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to substantiate the findings of previous research regarding the efficacy of training behaviorally disordered students to recruit reinforcement and assistance from teachers. This study extended those findings by investigating the effect of systematically fading external experimenter reinforcement of students for prompting and praising teachers in the regular classroom. Utilizing a multiple baseline design across subjects, three behaviorally disordered students were systematically trained to prompt teachers for help, praise teachers after receiving help, and prompt teachers for approval on their academic and social performance. Results indicated that all three subjects were able to modify the amount of teacher help they received in the regular classroom. After experimental interventions were removed, both student and teacher behaviors were maintained over baseline levels.

Using Multiple Open-Source Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for 3D Photogrammetry and Distributed Wind Measurement

Small, low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has made data acquisition more convenient and accessible for many applications. Using multiple UAVs (a coven) brings even more advantages like redundancy and distributed information. The objective of this paper is to show how a coven of UAVs can help two applications: measuring wind and 3D photogrammetry.Copyright

Teaching Conversation Skills to Behaviorally Disordered Children.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an instructional package designed to teach conversation skills to behaviorally disordered children. A multiple baseline design with a reversal was employed to assess the effectiveness of this package. Six children were taught in two groups of three. The teachers were taught to use the package prior to implementation to insure standardization across both groups. Data were collected in a contrived setting with a peer trained as a conversant. Observation also took place in the school cafeteria to assess generalization of the training to a naturalistic setting. Social validation data were collected from teachers and children to evaluate their impressions of the instructional package. Results indicated that the instructional package was effective in increasing conversational skills above baseline levels in all children and in both settings.

TEAM OSAM-UAV'S DESIGN FOR THE 2008 AUVSI STUDENT UAS COMPETITION

This paper, was originally prepared for and presented at the 2008 AUVSI Student UAS Competition, it provides the OSAM-UAV (Open-Source Autonomous Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) team’s design of an unmanned aircraft system for remote target recognition missions. Our OSAM-UAVs are designed to be small in size with strong airframes, and low-cost using open-source in both autopilot hardware and flight control software. A robust EPP-based delta wing airframe is used to prevent damage to the airframe during landing or even crashes. Autonomous navigation is achieved using an open-source Paparazzi autopilot, which gives special attention to safety during operation. Our system has been further enhanced by using the Xbow MNAV Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in place of the Paparazzi’s standard infrared (IR) sensors, for better georeferencing. An array of light-weight video cameras have been embedded in the airframe, which stream video to the ground control station through wireless transmitters in real-time. The ground control system includes a computer vision system, which processes and geo-references images in real-time for target recognition. Experimental results show the successful autonomous waypoint navigation and real-time image processing.© 2009 ASME

Substance Use Prevention and Students with Behavioral Disorders: Guidelines for School Professionals

The use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is a serious problem in the United States today. Some groups of individuals are more vulnerable to illegal substances than others; one such group is students with behavioral disorders. The purpose of this article is to describe what we know about preventing substance use among students with behavioral disorders. The extent of the problem of substance use is examined first. Second, the reasons why some students are at risk for substance use are explored. The effectiveness of different types of substance use prevention programs is reviewed, and several school-based curricula that have potential for use with students with behavioral disorders are highlighted. Finally, recommendations for research and practice in the area of substance use prevention for students with behavioral disorders are offered.

Traditional Teaching vs. Individualized Modular Instruction: An Aptitude Treatment Interaction Study.

Daniel Morgan is Head of the Department of Special Education, Utah State University, Logan, Utah . Education research studies have generally revealed that students differ from one another in terms of interest, personality traits, rate of learning, memory, motivation, and general intellectual ability. Recognition of the wide disparity in student characterisics has caused some educators to move from the concept of group-based instruction on a common curriculum toward instructional programs which attempt to meet the individual differences and needs of students. The fundamental