SPEDNET NEWS 1 SPEDNET NEWS (VOL. 1, ISSUE 3, 1997) FEBRUARY 21, 1997 Le Ganschow, Coordinator of Special Education ([log in to unmask]) (529-6621) Issues for Remainder of the Year: March 21, April 11, April 25 Please remind your fellow students to check their e-mail for SPEDNET NEWS. We are not reaching all of you! Miller Award Ceremony Will Recognize Outstanding Special Ed Students Outstanding senior special ed majors will receive awards at the annual Miller Award ceremony on Wednesday, April 9, 5:00-6:00, in 207 McGuffey. Several awards will be presented: (1) A special award for the student who exemplifies "what a Miami special ed major can achieve;" (2) the outstanding academic achievement award; (3) the student recommended by SCEC to have contributed the most to this organization; and (4) students whose overall GPA's are 3.5 or higher. Special ed majors and minors are invited to attend this special ceremony. Refreshments will be served. Volunteer Opportunities Student volunteers are needed to assist on Science Day, April 5, 1997. The 50th Annual SW Ohio District Science Day features close to 700 middle and high school students who will bring their science projects to Miami University. 90 UG students are needed to monitor project display areas from 7:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Contact [log in to unmask] or call Dr. Helen Stevenson at 529-1859 if you are interested in helping out. Oxford Parks and Recreation Dept. is looking for a volunteer to do an independent study by helping a 23 year old man with mental retardation. They want this volunteer to spend a couple of hours a week with Michael, who is an "avid Miami Athletics fan. Contact Barbara Thomas at 533-5888 or Troy Rees at 523-6314. Summer Job Opportunities Camp Stepping Stones in the Greater Cincinnati area is looking for camps counselors and lifeguards for June 9-August 15. Call Stepping Stones Center, 513-831-4660. Students Hold Session at Linking Conference Special ed majors, dual majors, and minors were well represented by a panel who did a presentation on teacher training issues for the 3rd annual Linking Conference, held at Mason Middle School on Saturday, February 21. The panel included Foley Bezane, Eileen Egger, Tina Obradouvic, Jessica Grotevant, and Alison Clebes. The room was filled -- standing room only -- with students, classroom teachers, and faculty. The panel raised a number of important issues including: o the issue of overlap in coursework o the need for early field experiences o the need for more general education methods (social studies, science) o the need for general ed majors to have more preparation in special education, including students in elementary and secondary ed, music ed, art ed, and physical ed o importance of work on collaboration and teaming o the need for more collaboration between speech/language majors and other teachers-in-training o the need for sign language for special ed majors SIGN Classes Students in Speech and Hearing offer noncredit informal evening sign classes for interested persons. Classes are on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, 7:00, in 220 Culler. Call Sally Vallquette at 529-2550 or 524-0415. There are generally a few slots available in Dr. Hutchinson's sign courses. If you really want the sign course, contact Dr. Ganschow , who will make your interest known to Dr. Hutchinson. DAARS Check your DAARS regularly. If you see inaccuracies, contact Le Ganschow by e-mail (ganschl@muohioedu) or by phone and leave message describing the problem (529-6621). Fall/Spring Capstones in 1997-1998 Special Education offers two capstones: EDP 460, a research course, is offered Wednesday evenings. EDP 4/597, is a service learning capstone with hands-on-training and tutoring working with children with severe reading and spelling problems. This course is offered in downtown Cincinnati. Students have an option of MW or TR 4:00-6:00 and must sign up with Dr. Ganschow by permission only. See Dr. Ganschow as soon as possible because these spots fill quickly. New Licensure Standards for Teacher Preparation To Go into Effect Fall, 1998 Changes in teacher training are in process here at Miami, to meet the proposed licensure standards that will go into effect in the fall of 1998. In the new licensure standards, there will be three general education certificates: Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, and Adolescence. In special education at Miami four "Intervention Specialist" licensures are being proposed. These licensures will change the current "categorical" certifications to more "generic" certifications and include: (a) Intervention Specialist: Mild/Moderate; Intervention Specialist: Moderate/Intensive; Intervention Specialist: Early Intervention; and Intervention Specialist: Gifted. (These changes do not affect students currently enrolled in our teacher preparation programs.) Meetings on New Teaching Certification Standards Students are invited to attend several meetings on the proposed standards for teacher preparation that are scheduled to go into effect in the fall of 1998. John Nicholson from the Ohio Department of Education will meet with interested persons on March 3 at these times and places: 10-11:30, Open Session in 413 McGuffey; 11:30-1::00, Brown Bag lunch in Mee Room, 304 McGuffey; 1:00-2:30 Open session in 456 McGuffey. There will also be an open regional forum on teacher licensure standards on March 19, 1997, at the Miami Inn, from 1:00-3:30. Special Education Students To Help Revise Teacher Preparation at Miami Special ed students are being invited to serve on several committees to plan for the changes in teacher preparation. In the next issue will inform you about who your representatives will be. News from SCEC (Miami's Student Council for Exceptional Children ) SCEC's next meeting will be on Monday, March 17, at 5:30 in Room 413 McGuffey. All are welcome! We are planning a Disabilities Awareness Week for April 14-19, kicking it off with a spaghetti dinner and a raffle where we have some great prizes and ending the week with a Miami swim and gym for adults with disabilities. Tickets for the spaghetti dinner and the raffle will go on sale after spring break. If you would like to get involved but can't make the meetings, or if you have any questions, call Tina at 524-1439. (Submitted by Tina Obradovik) Vista Workers Needed We are looking for two Vista workers -- students who are graduating this year or by the end of the summer! Two possible Vista positions may be opening up for next year (August, 1997), in downtown Cincinnati. The Vista projects involve working with the Family Literacy Center on training for adults of low literacy and their families and working at the Scottish Rite Masonic Children's Learning Center on helping children with dyslexia. Vista is a U.S. government project. Workers earn minimum wage ($7000 a year for this service and $200 a month for the year following their service. Workers attend a national week-long training seminar in late summer. E-mail Dr. Ganschow ([log in to unmask]) or call 529-6621. UG Student Worker Needed Now The special education Intervention Specialist Committee is looking for a student who can work about 75 hours between now and mid-June (about $450). This person will be responsible for helping us coordinate our work on the new teacher licensure standards. E-mail or call Dr. Ganschow.