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Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities

Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities

Course Description


In this course Dr. Donna Walker Tileston covers a broad range of topics in the worlds of brain research and special education. Because she ends every unit with a hands-on practitioner's approach to improving classroom strategies, the brain research is an introduction and provides vital background to a classroom teacher who is working to enlarge his or her toolbox for working with students with special needs. Many of the ideas and classroom strategies, however, apply equally to the regular education teacher and classroom.

After presenting a brief history of special education, Dr. Tileston introduces and explains the key legislation that has changed the lives of people with special needs. She discusses the services schools are required to provide and makes suggestions for what schools can do to best implement the standards set in federal and state laws. Dr. Tileston then focuses on three systems of thinking and the roles they play in learning. She then draws a distinction between declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge, definitions that are used throughout her presentations. She offers many examples of mental models that students may learn to construct in order to increase their ability to recall and organize pieces of information. Shifting gears to emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as attention disorders and solutions,

Dr. Tileston looks first at the brain's involvement in emotions and behavior and attention disorders. For all of the disabilities she explores, she recommends a variety of tactics to better engage students, including providing much structure, such as scaffolding in curriculum and behavioral expectations; consistency in every aspect of classroom life; and constant positive and specific feedback. Ultimately, this course's goal is to ensure that all students receive a high quality education and become independent and empowered in their learning.

Syllabus


Course Presenters


Dr. Donna Walker Tileston

Dr. Donna Walker Tileston has been a leader in education, serving as a teacher, administrator, researcher, writer, software developer, and a national consultant. She is the author of 23 books on educational topics. She has been actively involved in brain research and has published her research under the titles Strategies for Teaching Differently (1998) and Ten Best Teaching Practices: How Brain Research, Learning Styles and Standards Define Teaching Competencies (2000, 2005).

This research led Dr. Tileston to write a bestselling series titled What Every Teacher Should Know (2003, 2008). The series has been awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing by the American Educational Publishers Association and is presently being developed into a series of comprehensive state‐ of‐the‐art interactive online courses. Additionally, she has made worldwide presentations on her research. Dr. Tileston received her BA from the University of North Texas, her MA from East Texas State University, and her Ed.D. from Texas A & M University‐Commerce.

 

Partner Profile


Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) is a leading public sector solutions implementation and operations improvement firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has nearly 2,000 professionals in more than 50 offices around the US, in Canada and in Europe. PCG’s Education practice offers consulting services and technology solutions that help schools, school districts, and state education agencies/ministries of education to promote student success, improve programs and processes, and optimize financial resources.

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