James Forgan

Using Bibliotherapy to Teach Problem Solving

Students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., specific learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, mild mental retardation) can benefit from using bibliotherapy by learning how to become proactive problem solvers. Often students with high-incidence disabilities are characterized as inefficient in recognizing and solving problems. By learning a problem-solving strategy and applying it to childrens literature titles, students with disabilities can learn to become independent and effective problem solvers.

If You Build It and They Still Don't Come: Effective versus Successful Alternative Teacher Preparation

Abstract The continuing shortage of special education teachers, combined with increased ideological critiques of teacher education programs, has spurred the growth of alternative models of teacher preparation. Only recently have professional standards for alternative models been proposed. This paper summarizes two years of a program based on professional standards. External influences, internal design, and implementation elements are presented. Results suggest that there is value in distinguishing between the effectiveness of alternative programs and their success.

Software Evaluation for Special Needs: Preparing the Preservice Teacher from an Inservice Perspective.

For most experienced educators, choosing software for children with disabilities is challenging as the number of programs in our technology rich marketplace increases dramatically. Purchasing titles for entertainment is much less complicated than selecting effective educational materials based upon sound instructional objectives through a systematic review of characteristics of learner and learning environment. This study was designed to investigate the software selection process engaged in by special education teachers. Questionnaires were completed by 144 respondents with a return rate of 69% to (a) identify characteristics perceived as important to consider when determining which programs to select for use by students with high incidence disabilities, and (b) ascertain a list of software titles used in special education classrooms currently. Based upon qualitative data analysis, results indicated ten themes inservice teachers consider when selecting software titles. Those themes include: (a) welcoming; (b) sensory stimulating; (c) learner program design; (d) learner empowerment; (e) technology adaptation; (f) diversity; (g) individual instructional integration; (h) narration; (i) curriculum encompassing; and (j) teacher functionality. Additionally this paper provides a list of software titles used in classrooms currently and describes implications for integrating a software evaluation component into a methods course.

Value-Added Models for Teacher Preparation Programs: Validity and Reliability Threats, and a Manageable Alternative

Abstract High-stakes standardized student assessments are increasingly used in value-added evaluation models to connect teacher performance to P–12 student learning. These assessments are also being used to evaluate teacher preparation programs, despite validity and reliability threats. A more rational model linking student performance to candidates who actually teach these students is presented. Preliminary findings with three candidate cohorts indicate that the majority of their students met learning objectives and showed substantial pre-to-post learning gains.