Running Head: WEEK EIGHT DISCUSSION 1

Week Eight Discussion

SPED 854: Family and Interprofessional Collaboration in Special Education

University of Kansas

Dr. Irma Brasseur-Hock & Naheed Abdulrahim

Brent Seager

June 28, 2017

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Week Eight Discussion

There were three quotes from the readings and materials from this course that resonated

with me and represent some of the themes and concepts from the course. While there several

other quotes, readings, and ideas that allowed me to see how the themes of this course are

relevant and relate to education, the three quotes highlight some of the most important concepts

and ideas contained in the course. While I would like to mention several other quotes and ideas

from the course, I will keep this brief and highlight just three quotes that I believe highlight the

main ideas of the course. I also would like to mention that having the opportunity to review and

reflect on the key terms and artifacts throughout this course was extremely helpful in seeing how

my perspectives and thoughts have changed over the past eight weeks.

Quote One

The first quote that resonated with me and reflects one major theme of the course was

found in Stella Youngs Ted Talk video in module two. The quote by Stella Young, I am here

to tell you that we have been lied to about disability, yeah, we have been sold the lie that

disability is a bad thing. I believe this quote reflects a major theme of this course, as people

with disabilities are often judged by their disability; instead, people need to be more tolerant and

respectful of people with disabilities. This closely relates to the term culture, which has been an

essential theme in many modules; and the disability culture like other cultures should receive the

same support and respect as other culturally distinct groups. Disability is not a bad thing, it

provides each person with an opportunity to display their differences and diversity that comprise

a culture, and it should be celebrated and embraced (Young, 2014).

Quote Two

The second quote that resonated with me and reflected one of the major themes of the

course was in chapter two of the Friend & Cook Interactions textbook. Friend & Cook define
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human communication as a rich and complex field of study, explored by scholars and theorists

who describe it in diverse ways. Throughout this module, communication with co-teachers,

paraprofessionals, people from different cultures, and communication with family members

served as a reminder of how communication is diverse and complex. I also learned how

communication can impact and influence communication between educators, paraprofessionals,

family members, and community members; which are all major stakeholders in the education

process for each student. Therefore, it is vital that each educator understand and continue to

refine their efforts and knowledge in communicating and collaborating with others. Effective

communication can be challenging in some situations, but this course has shown how to

overcome obstacles and implement effective strategies to promote effective communication

(Friend & Cook, 2017, p. 27).

Quote Three

The third quote that resonated with me about one of the major themes of the course came

from the Co-Teaching Part one video in module five about collaboration. The narrator describes

the nature of the co-teaching environment as a collaboration between two teachers, a general

educator and a special educator come together to teach an inclusive class of diverse students.

The video sends an important message about the mission of co-teaching, in that it should be a

collaboration and an equal partnership in which both educators share in the responsibilities and

accountability for the learning of all students. Collaboration was another important theme of this

course and the video helps to highlight this from the co-teaching perspective, which is vital as

many school districts are adopting co-teaching models to address educational needs of each

student. The collaboration theme was present in many modules, but I believe that the quote from

module five best represents how imperative it is to collaborate with other educators,

paraprofessionals, parents and guardians, and community members. While there were other
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themes within the course, I believe that collaboration is an essential theme that represents a good

portion of the skills and ideas of this course (Maryland State Department of Education, n.d.).
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References

Friend, M. & Cook, L. (2017). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (8th

ed., p. 27). Pearson Education: United States of America.

Maryland State Department of Education. (n.d.). Co-Teaching Part 1 [Video File]. Retrieved

from: https://kuconnect.ku.edu/courses/975/pages/m5-video-clips-on-important-co-

teaching-concepts?module_item_id=62806

Young, S. (2014). Im not your inspiration, thank you very much [Video file]. Retrieved from:

https://kuconnect.ku.edu/courses/975/pages/m2-a-perspective-on-disability-and-

identity?module_item_id=62764