New teachers of students with significant disabilities are expected to use evidence-based practices that build academic and functional skills from their first day on the job. Yet, these teachers may struggle with applying information learned in their preservice coursework to their daily instructional practices. One widely accepted means of supporting new special educators is mentoring and coaching. However, geographic and time constraints often limit the amount and quality of mentoring and coaching. This article provides a framework of virtual coaching for supporting new teachers working with students with significant disabilities in a way that addresses these access to coaching issues and describes means of incorporating multiple, integrated online technologies.
This article examined the performance of 57 students with learning disabilities (LD) from four middle schools. Students were followed over the course of a school year in their inclusive science classrooms as they alternated between the use of traditional curricular materials for some units of study and materials that were supplemented with video games and alternative print-based texts to more closely align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines during other units. Findings indicate that video games and supplemental text were effective at providing students with multiple means of representation and expression. The UDL-aligned units led to heightened levels of student engagement. There were no significant differences on posttest scores when students with LD were compared with peers without LD. Students’ performance did not indicate significant differences between UDL-aligned units and those taught using traditional curricular materials. Findings suggest a need for alternative assessments to measure learning outcomes during UDL-aligned units. Implications for practice and areas of future research are discussed.
Mr. Rose, a third grade general education teacher, and Ms. Smith, a special education teacher, co-teach in an urban elementary school with a high number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school integrates computer science and computational thinking into curriculum as part of their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative. Mr. Rose and Ms. Smith have identified several challenges they will need to address to meet the needs of several of their students with learning disabilities. These challenges include difficulty with complex, multistep problem solving, lack of access to and experience with technology, and difficulty with fine motor skills.
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