Updates

When most people consider the concept of brain training to improve learning, they tend to think of those online game programs or puzzles that are purported to give the brain a “workout” by practicing memory and problem solving skills to sharpen the mind. Others consider more advanced techniques aimed at optimizing brainwave activity through neurofeedback or stimulation therapies.  READ MORE

As students have returned to school, they have been greeted by teachers who, more likely than not, are white women. That means many students will be continuing to see teachers who are a different gender than they are, and a different skin color. Does it matter? Yes, according to a significant body of research: Students tend to benefit from having teachers who look like them, especially nonwhite students. The homogeneity of teachers is probably one of the contributors, the research suggests, to the stubborn gender and race gaps in student achievement: Over all, girls outperform boys and white students outperform those who are black and Hispanic.  READ MORE

A bubble machine and a table lined with cookies and coloring books welcomed families coming for a midsummer meet-and-greet at Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning, a new charter school in the Carrollton neighborhood. One new student, a 5-year-old boy wearing an eyepatch, seemed scared by the new surroundings; he clung to his father and made noises of distress. This didn’t faze the school director, Vera Triplett, at all.  READ MORE

The 2018 U.S. Congressional Midterms are approaching. As special educators, it is our job to promote civic responsibility with the needs of children and youth with exceptionalities in mind. It is equally important to be aware of the education positions of each candidate so that you vote knowing how your decision will impact you as a professional and children and youth with exceptionalities. CEC’s goal is to ensure that you have the information you need to become an educated voter and active participant in our society.  READ MORE

WA-CASE members who will be attending the PNW Special Education Law Conference in Portland next week are invited to join your fellow WA-CASE members for an evening of food, beverages and socializing! Feel free to bring prospective CASE members with you to this no-host casual event!

Date:  Monday, Oct 1

Start-Time: 5:30 pm

Location: Wayfinder Beer.  304 SE 2ND AVE PORTLAND OR

As special educators, our primary mission is to provide an exemplary, world class education to our students with exceptionalities. This includes adapting the curriculum, modifying assignments, and providing accommodations to ensure our students have access to the general curriculum and an equitable chance of succeeding. One component of that charge is to increase the inclusion of our students as much as possible. Students with exceptionalities often feel different from their peers who are typical and will isolate themselves as a result. One way to combat this is to increase the acceptance of all students by all students and to expose students with exceptionalities to as many opportunities of inclusion as possible. For some that may be eating in the cafeteria with their peers or moving through the halls during transition, so they feel visible and like everyone else. Read more.

 

What are some ways you include your students into the general education setting? Share with us on Twitter @CECmembership.

 

CEC member, Richard Williams, contributed this content.

A major standardized test-maker is being accused of illegally disclosing students’ disabilities. In a class action lawsuit filed this month, a group of students is accusing ACT, Inc. of sharing information about their disabilities on score reports sent to colleges as well as wrongly selling the information.  READ MORE

With school going back in session all over the country, Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools is so proud to look back at all that was accomplished this past summer. These summer months were a busy time for Special Olympics, with two major events in two months: the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle, Washington and the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago, Illinois!  READ MORE