Mary Frances Rice

Helping Students with Disabilities Comprehend Text in Online Coursework

T EA C H IN G E xc ep ti on al C hi ld re n , V ol . 46 , N o. 5 , pp . 93 –1 01 . C op yr ig ht 2 01 4 T he A ut ho r( s) . D O I: 1 0. 11 77 /0 04 00 59 91 45 28 32 8 Increases in technological capabilities are enabling more students to complete schoolwork in online learning environments in addition to and sometimes instead of traditional classrooms. Teachers, parents, and learning coaches who are working with students using these online environments need to know about the complexity of the text with which students with disabilities can be presented so that they can employ scaffolding strategies to help the students experience success in comprehending the sometimes textladen world of online learning environments. This article outlines those challenges and offers support materials for meeting them.

With New Eyes: Online Teachers’ Sacred Stories of Students with Disabilities

Abstract Purpose Happiness in teaching, termed Eudemonia, comes from a perception of a relationship with students. Such a perception is vital to sustaining teachers in their work in both on- and offline contexts. While the importance of these relationships has been acknowledged, there have not been attempts to account for how teachers pursue relationships and the accompanying sense of happiness. It is in this frame that we discuss findings from a larger study of online teachers working to support students with disabilities in a part-time program at a large virtual school. Methodology/approach The chapter considers expectations for online teachers and sets up a dialogue between same and different as they relate to on- and offline pedagogy. It then asks more questions about these responsibilities in the context of efforts by teachers to feel legitimate in their claims to relationships with students. Findings Stories that both elicited and threatened Eudemonia are shared and discussed. In particular, the authors learned that online teachers desired relationships with students to such a great extent that they were willing to narrate relationality into most interactions with the students. Research implications These findings suggest the difficult emotional work that online teachers must do in order to consider their work with students as beneficial. More work is needed to think about how relationships between teachers and students online can be leveraged for greater learning and to sustain both teachers and students in their work. Originality/value This chapter offers in-depth insight into the teacher work that online learning requires. It also offers a unique theoretical approach in the juxtaposition of stories of relationships with students online and offline.

Administrator Work in Leveraging Technologies for Students with Disabilities in Online Coursework.

This article describes a study of online educators’ use of technology as part of the accommodations they provided to students with disabilities at their school. Specifically, research focused on four teachers who were members of an interdisciplinary team in a large virtual school program, in a state with established policies regarding online education, and online course work as a requirement for graduation. Data were collected over 4 months in a series of weekly interviews and through a content analysis of stipulated accommodations and modifications in student Individualized Education Program (IEP) documents. The findings of this study indicated (1) providing technologically grounded accommodations and modifications required intensive collaboration with students, parents, and other special education support staff at the virtual school, (2) online teachers struggled to keep up with all of the possible means and methods of enhancing the learning experience and providing accommodations that were stipulated in the IEP while also remaining sensitive to practices and supports that they could provide (using technology that were not mandated), and as a result (3) technology use as part of accommodation was most often relegated to what naturally exists in an online learning environment and is available to all students. The implications of this work are that transferring disability service plans, and IEPs in particular, is no simple matter, and that moving to a technological environment (and the notion that the online environment is inherently accommodating) needs interrogation at every level (practice, research, and policy).

Reviewing Research on Mobile Learning in K-12 Educational Settings: Implications for Students with Disabilities.

Mobile technologies have shown great potential in various educational settings. Moreover, there is an emerging research base demonstrating how students view and interact with mobile devices to learn. As more of these technologies enter inclusive educational settings, an understanding of the extant research base for mobile learning (M-learning) and students with various exceptionalities including disabilities is necessary for technology developers, researchers, educators, and school administrators to support student success. To this end, this study used a synthesis approach to reviewing the literature published on M-learning for students with and without disabilities in formal and informal K–12 educational settings. It provides a comprehensive mapping of 47 studies from 2007 to 2016. The current review revealed that (a) most studies focused on the effectiveness of M-learning on teaching and learning, (b) mixed methods and experimental studies were the most popular methodologies, and most importantly (c) research outcomes were generally positive about the potential of M-learning to support the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Limitations and implications for future research on M-learning are also discussed.

Preparing Special Educators for the K–12 Online Learning Environment: A Survey of Teacher Educators

Pioneering research studies in teacher preparation in online settings have taken place, yet little to no work has been done specifically focused on teacher preparation for special education and learners with disabilities. In the present study, researchers from the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities conducted a web-based survey of special education teacher preparation faculty to determine the level to which they were attending to online education preparation. The survey was developed with a specific alignment to the International Association for K–12 Online Learning (iNACOL) online teacher standards. The results of this survey pinpoint several areas of need in the preparation of teachers who are will be working in online education and attending to students with disabilities in these settings.