Week 4 – Assignment: Voices from the Profession
Your written response to this discussion prompt assesses your ability to (a) explain the skills and strategies needed to develop and maintain effective professional partnerships, (b) summarize effective methods to communicate with all stakeholders considering their individual interests, priorities and cultural differences for programming of students with disabilities, (c) clarify the potential challenges in the process of collaboration in the public school setting, (d) critique proactive methods for interactive and effective communication with those of differing perspectives, and (e) specify the essential elements and professional roles for developing a quality collaborative process for the co-teaching model.

In Weeks 2 and 3 you prepared interview questions and conducted interviews with special education and general education teachers. This week, you will summarize the information you collected, reflect on your findings, and use scholarly articles and/or research to provide support for your findings.

Using support from your assigned readings, the Instructor Guidance, and the discussions, submit the following for evaluation. When creating your written assignment, use the guidelines found below. If you have questions about the assignment or the rubric, please contact your instructor before the due date.

Instructions: Note there are three parts to this assignment Part One: Interview (2 points) For each of the teachers, include the following:

· Name, position, job location (name of school, etc.), years of teaching.

· Create a bulleted list of the questions you asked of the interviewees, along with key points of their responses to each question (if you asked them both the same questions, be sure to differentiate between their responses).

Part Two: Findings (5 points) Respond to the following questions, based on your findings from the interview, and use at least two scholarly articles to provide support for your findings:

· What were the greatest barriers identified for communication and collaboration and what solutions can be utilized to overcome these barriers?

· How can problem solving strategies be used to promote effective communication and collaboration with stakeholders (e.g., parents, students, other school personnel, resource specialists, and community transition liaisons)?

· How do the different service delivery models impact collaboration and communication?

· According to the interviewees, what were the greatest strengths and weaknesses of different service delivery models and what solutions can be utilized to overcome these issues?

Part Three: Reflection (3 points) Write a two to three paragraph reflection on what you learned from the interviews. Please including the following:

· Similarities and differences between the two teachers’ responses.

· Responses that surprised you and why.

· How your new knowledge will influence your future practices as a special educator.

Written Communication Expectations:

· Length Requirement (0.25 points): Three to four pages, not including the title and references pages.

· Syntax and Mechanics (0.25 points): Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar.

· Source Requirement (0.25 points): Two scholarly sources, in addition to the textbook. All sources on the references page need to be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

· APA Formatting (0.25 points): Use APA 6th edition formatting consistently throughout the assignment.