IDEA/Special Education

IDEA, which stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, protects individuals with disabilities. IDEA was first passed in 1975. If a student has disabilities that qualify them to be protected by IDEA, the school is required to provide the child with special education and any support services like physical therapy or speech therapy. A student can qualify to be protected by IDEA if they fall under one of the thirteen categories. A few examples of the categories are autism, multiple disabilities, and hearing impairment. IDEA protects students with disabilities up until high school. When teachers make lesson plans, they should keep in mind how their lesson will support children with disabilities within their classroom.
I grew up with having a special needs brother. He was born with down syndrome and autism.  My parents were new to the special needs world and IDEA helped my parents find the right tools for my brother. Because of IDEA, my parents were able to find speech therapy that was appropriate for my little brother. My parents also received help by having a bus pick up my little brother, no matter how far away he lived from the school. I have seen first hand how IDEA has helped my little brother by giving him support in school with special classes like how to brush his teeth and go to the bathroom. After doing more research on IDEA, I saw that it covers students up until high school. If IDEA was expanded to college students, how would that look like? What changes would colleges have to make? Can colleges include special education classrooms?

Special needs child doing classwork.

Distance Learning

Distant Learning from Home

Distance learning is something that students all around the world are experiencing together during 2020. Distance learning as defined by Merriam Webster as " a method of study where students and teachers do not meet in a classroom but use the internet, email, mail, etc., to have classes". In other words, students are separated from being in a classroom face to face with the teacher and their classmates.  Because distance learning can be remote, it can allow students to connect to universities all around the world. Distance learning is also more affordable for students which could allow students that could not afford to receive an education on campus to receive their education through distance learning instead. That is why distance learning is important and is considered by some students and professors.  

I am currently a master's student at UTK experiencing distance learning. I have taken online courses before, but never a full-time course load. It has been challenging figuring out group work using only online means of communication, but it has been nice to be at home in my room sipping coffee while speaking to my classmates over Zoom. Overall, I see the importance of distance learning and have personally changed my viewpoint on the subject. Before taking on a fulltime course load entirely online, I didn't think it could be done and be effective. But overall, my distance learning experience has been effective and I have learned perhaps just as much as I might have in a classroom face to face with my professor and classmates.