Virtual Co-Teaching: Where to Start and How to Maintain Focus on Student Learning As the unpredictable spread of COVID-19 continues to force school districts across the country to adjust to virtual learning, special educators experience the unique challenge of providing services for students outside of the traditional brick and mortar classroom. For many special educators, this has pushed them into an uncharted ‘virtual’ territory requiring a new set of instructional methods and communication strategies. [More]
COVID-19 School Closures and Special Education: Shifting Instructional Practices to a Digital Environment With COVID-19 moving much of traditional K-12 instruction online, educators across the United States are quickly building their capacity to provide equitable services in a new way. They are researching distance learning, setting-up class websites, reaching out to their students and parents, and becoming familiar with the available free digital tools to help them connect with their students. Television stations in many communities are partnering with school districts to conduct media campaigns to raise community awareness, set expectations, and inform students and their parents on what they need to do to get started with distance learning. The sudden shift presents unprecedented challenges for all teachers, especially for those serving students with disabilities. [More]