Over the course of 2015-2016, I attended in the following Effective Teaching Seminars (ETS):
Communicating Cultural Competence in the Classroom
The Power of Storytelling in the Classroom to Foster Engagement
Making Your Blackboard Course Accessible to Students with Disabilities
Community-Based Learning
Peer Learning Through Group Work
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Mindful Practice
Universal Instructional Design: Getting Started Designing Accessible Course Materials
Creating Rubrics
In addition, I completed three online seminars during the CUTS program:
Teaching Philosophy
Course Design
Learning Technologies
In reflection of attending a series of effective teaching seminars, all seminars benefit the participants to implement knowledge and information learned into their teaching. Three seminars that I mostly implemented into my teaching and learning practices are Communicating Cultural Competence in the Classroom, Universal Instructional Design: Getting Started Designing Accessible Course Materials, and Creating Rubrics. However, I will implement the knowledge learned from the seminar "The Power of Storytelling in the Classroom to Foster Engagement" into practice in EDSP 4540 Counseling in Special Education Course that I will co-teach as a Parent Co-Instructor.
To teach the future teachers how to communicate, to collaborate and to support the families of children with exceptionalities is challenging. Learning from text content and coursework is insufficient to enforce students to understanding and feel empathy for families of children with disabilities. Thus, one of the best practices provided for the future teachers in the EDSP4540 course is to bring in the parents of children with disabilities to share their stories in supporting their child's learning at school and at home.
As a parent co-instructor, I believe that the power of storytelling in the classroom will foster student engagement to learning and to better understand the families. I believe that this teaching practice will bring new perspective to the future teachers to become partnerships and support students and their families.