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Unit 1: What is Co-Teaching

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Return to: Co-Teaching Mini-Course

Unit Objective: By the completion of this mini-course, participants will recognize the challenges of co-teaching and utilize strategies that reduce such challenges, given a database of resources

What is Co-teaching?

Opening Exercise:

  1. Start by opening up a new Google Doc. You can title this Google Doc "Unit 1." If you are looking for instructions on how to create a new google doc, please visit the attached link. You will need to be signed into your Google Account for this. We will be using Google Docs for the majority of the units for this mini-course. Every time you are asked to "reflect" please do so on your Google Doc...it will act as a running record of your interaction with the course. https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/.
  2. Put a timer on for 5 minutes
  3. Free write about your purpose and goal for this mini-course. Write about why your decided to take this mini-course, what you hope to accomplish, and why it is important for you to learn about this subject. Grammar or length is not important, just truthfully think. We will come back to this reflection at the completion of this course.
  4. When the timer goes off, finish up your last thought. Read over your work and acknowledge your personal objective.

Activity 1:

Answer true or false to the following questions on your own. Take note of what you believe is true and what you believe is false.

  1. Both teachers must be credentialed professionals
  2. Both teachers do not have to be present in the classroom
  3. Teachers do not need to plan instruction together
  4. Students may not ever be taken to a separate location
  5. The special educator's main role is to circulate among the classroom
  6. General Education teachers should never modify materials
  7. One teacher should remain as the "in charge" teacher
  8. One teacher should be responsible for the grading
  9. One ICT mode is a General education teacher and a Paraprofessional

How do you feel you did? Were you confident in your answers? Why do you think this is?

Activity 2:

1. Start by reading the formal definition of Co-Teaching by the New York State Department of Education:

"Integrated co-teaching services, as defined in regulation, means the provision of specially designed instruction and academic instruction provided to a group of students with disabilities and nondisabled students."

For more information, please visit: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/continuum-schoolage-revNov13.pdf Scroll to page 11 to find the beginning of ICT information.

2. Read through the Table adapted from: Murawski, W.W. (2002). Demystifying coteaching. CARS+ Newsletter, 22(3).

File:Co-Teaching Is.pdf

For the whole text, please refer to: http://www.cfn107.org/uploads/6/1/9/2/6192492/co-teaching_at_the_secondary_level.pdf

3. Reflect:How did you do on your entrance slip? What do you think about this? Do you find any part of this surprising? Does this differ from your own experience with co-teaching?Why or why not?

Rationale for Co-Teaching

Check out the link Adapted by Helen Barrier, T/TAX@VA Tech from: Dover, Wendy (1994) The Inclusion Facilitator. The Master Teacher, Inc.: File:5-advantages-to-coteaching.pdf 

(Find the full text at: http://www.masterteacher.com/Books-Guides-and-DVDs/Book-Inclusion-Facilitator)

Reflect:How does this confirm or disagree with your personal opinion? What part of this resonates with you the most?

The Challenges of Co-Teaching

  1. Reflect:Free-Write about your personal challenges with ICT. If you haven't co-taught yourself, imagine what some challenges might be
  2. Read the following two texts:

The Challenge of Co-Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms at the High School Level: What the Teachers Told Us Elizabeth B. Keefe and Veronica Moore American Secondary Education Vol. 32, No. 3 (Summer 2004), pp. 77-88

Case Studies in Co-Teaching in the Content Areas Successes, Failures, and Challenges Show less Margo A. Mastropieri, Thomas E. Scruggs, Janet Graetz, Jennifer Norland, Walena Gardizi, Kimberly Mcduffie First Published May 1, 2005 Research Article

Reflect:What surprised you? What resonated with you? How do you think you would combat these challenges? Which do you feel is the biggest challenge for you personally? Why do you think this is?

Strategies to Know

Reflect:Develop what you believe are the 5 best tips to be a successful co-teacher

For example, you may include "open communication" as one of your 5 top tips.

Afterwards, use the following resources to modify, edit, or add to your list to best suit your personal needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pnxst7dkLk

http://www.rm.com/blog/2014/october/8-steps-to-really-successful-ict

https://techpoint.ng/2017/10/02/career-in-tech-tips/

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/15/ctq_sacks_coteaching.html

http://www.nea.org/tools/6-steps-to-successful-co-teaching.html 

Print this list and place it somewhere you will see it! Keep this list in mind for the remainder of the mini-course.

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