Timothy Adams: Tim is a doctoral candidate at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. His research interests include special education, science curriculum, and alternative education. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology from The United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and a Master of Arts in School Administration from Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina. He has taught high school and middle school science, middle school math, career and technical education courses, as well as driver's education, and served in various different leadership and administrative roles in public schools over the past 20 years. He currently is a Principal in the Catawba County School District in North Carolina. He has future career aspirations to both teach aspiring teachers at the undergraduate level, teach graduate-level teaching or administration, as well as working as a curriculum developer for districts.
Jessie Kong: Jessie is a doctoral candidate at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. Her research interests include best practices for language immersion and bilingualism. Jessie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics from The University of Melbourne, Australia with Sociolinguistics work done at The University of California, Berkeley, USA, a Graduate Diploma in Interpreting and Translating from Deakin University, Australia, a Master Degree of Arts in Biblical Counseling from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She has taught at institutes of education, high school and middle school English, elementary school and kindergarten Chinese in Australia, Hong Kong, China, and the US. She has been a translator, language teacher and family counselor in both the private and public sectors for over 20 years. She is currently a Lead Teacher in a language immersion school in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has future career aspirations to both teach at college or administration, as well as working as a curriculum developer.
Mike Lefko: Mike is a doctoral candidate at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. His research interests include special education self-efficacy and ways to transform teaching and learning for students. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from The State University of New York at Geneseo, and a Master of School Administration as a N.C. Principal Fellow from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has taught special education and served in various different leadership and administrative roles in public, private and charter schools over the past 30 years. He currently teaches middle school students with Autism in the Union County School District in North Carolina. He has future career aspirations to both teach aspiring teachers at the undergraduate level as well as to move back into a school leadership position, another of his passions.
Rachelle Peterson: Rachelle is a doctoral candidate at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. Her research interests include disproportionate discipline for minority students, school to prison pipeline, and culturally responsive and trauma-informed teaching practices. Rachelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Teaching-Special Education, both from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina. Rachelle earned her advanced certification in K-12 Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina. Rachelle has taught middle school math and language arts as a special education and general education teacher. Rachelle has served in various leadership roles throughout her 17 years in public education. Rachelle currently serves in the role of Dean of Students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, North Carolina. Rachelle’s future career aspirations include teaching both aspiring teachers at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as working for the district as a Curriculum Specialist or Student Accountability Specialist.
Description
This professional learning module was designed to help teachers of students with disabilities (SWDs) who are navigating the issues related to virtual learning. The authors have experience in being teachers of SWDs, administrators, and lead teachers. We witnessed the struggles teachers had during the pandemic in engaging SWDs and their parents in virtual learning. This module was designed to help teachers alleviate some of those struggles. Districts might find it beneficial to use this PLM in training all teachers about engaging SWDs virtually as the world of education is leaning in the direction of blended learning, virtual academies, and traditional face to face learning.
Subjects
The following words and phrases can be used by potential users to search for this PLM:
Students with Disabilities, Virtual Learning, Engaging Students with Disabilities, Engaging the Virtual Learner, Helping parents and teachers engage students in virtual learning, Exceptional Children, EC and Virtual Learning, Online Learning and Students with Disabilities
Terms of Use
The learning cycle featured in this project is based on the STAR Legacy Cycle developed by the IRIS Center (2013; http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/) and based on the work of Dr. John Branford and colleagues (National Research Council, 2000).