Teacher Training and Diversity

Diversity and General Education Teachers

Our general education prepares teachers to:

• teach students with disabilities effectively
• participate as a member of individualized education program teams
• teach students who are limited English proficient effectively

The program prepares general education teachers to teach students with disabilities effectively by providing them with field experiences in regular education classroom who have identified special education students within the inclusion model of the districts we place students in. These students with special needs are part of the regular classroom where modifications are made on a daily basis to provide them with the Least Restrictive Environment.

Field experiences are built in our standards of effective practice courses as well as in each of the major license areas. These experiences are cumulating. In addition, all education students take as part of the standards of effective practice complete ED 3780 Adaptation and Management which addressing diversity, limited English Proficiency, special education Individual education teams, special education students and at risk students.

Students in our block program also are included in cultural diversity and special education in an additional setting field experience of 60 hours at Red Lake Elementary Schools (on campus programs). The online programs are offered cultural experience with the Chinese Emersion program in the Minneapolis/St. Paul school districts. Field experiences vary within this program but they often expand into other areas and do include special education students, process and curriculum modifications.

Diversity and Special Education Teachers

Our program prepares special education teachers to:

• teach students with disabilities effectively
• participate as a member of individualized education program teams
• teach students who are limited English proficient effectively

Our program prepares special education teachers to teach students with disabilities effectively by requiring clinical experience in ten of the twelve courses in our licensed programs. Students are required to complete 20 hours of field experience in a variety of educational settings including regular education, special education, ESL, diversity and within the context of a special setting. These field experiences are directed with clear goals and expectation defined in section 614 (d)(1)(B) of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.

Students are required to complete these experiences at an elementary, middle school and high school level. Collaborative techniques are identified, strategies are implemented and reflections are written in response to each experience. Students take a due process course and they are expected to participate in the IEP meeting for this course as well as others within the program. The program is a two year program so students are involved in these experiences at a minimum two years or longer depending on their enrollment.