Module 4: Commander Troy - Dog in Space

Introduction

In this module you meet Commander Troy. Rogue's Gallery stars this mighty mutt, moving through the Special Education universe, enlightening those who do not understand the power of teaming and collaborating.

Read the Commander Troy Prologue now:

Troy has three objectives:

1. To point you in the right direction so that you can develop a community resource list. That increases your professional power by letting you know what's available to support your students and encourage family growth and resilience. The more you know about the community and how to help parents and clients or students access those programs, the better team player you can be. Besides, when you know what's out there, you can develop a relationship with caregivers and find yourself able to chat like friends with those who offer services, it's almost as good as if you are providing the services yourself. You know that the clients - students as well as parents will have a warm reception.
2. Change the actions of IEP rogues by coming up with ways to alter spacey or mean-spirited viewpoints and thus build a stronger IEP team. After all, this individual education plan is only as good as the weakest link in the process. When you come together, you want to serve that student and family in an ideal way. . . and when the district or teachers offer to provide specific kinds of therapy or work on common goals, you want that to be just the beginning of the good things for the student and family. You never want to help develop an IEP or an IFSP that just looks good on paper. No siree, space buddies, when the team agrees to do something, it's as good as done!
3. Scope out culturally sensitive issues and ways to encourage respect for everyone. Lots of people are just beginning to conquer ignorance about people with special needs. A special part of deinstitutionalization and inclusion has been our opportunity to become personally acquainted with people who have disabilities. That's the beginning of learning tolerance and building acceptance for those who are different from us. The easiest way to find out that students with special needs are more like us than different from us is for us to get to know them, spend time with one another and recognize the things we have in common - the ways we are alike, rather than only seeing differences.

So, with a series of activities, you will come through this module with new insights - new vistas. You will:

• Know more about community resources and how to locate and utilize them
• Feel more comfortable in building and utilizing the IEP process to help students
• Have a set of skills for building team and encouraging mutual respect.

Know what's really exciting? Each time you help Commander Troy feel successful in working on one of these tasks, a game spot will come hurtling out of inner space. You get a lot of immediate gratification and playing time as you learn the moves that will help you be a better educator for special needs children.

Later, in the classroom, you will find out just how rewarding it is for everyone when they discover and correctly utilize support services in the community. You will be likely to feel stronger in pursuing personal relationships with the relationship and community building tools you have, and you will have great game sites to pass on to all your buddies, and take into the classroom, as well.

Commander Troy is tireless in his efforts, and you will follow his adventures and misadventures as he seeks to discover new information about the following course objectives:

Open the Textbook Reading link to see how the readings relate to the objectives above.

Topics

This module is divided into 4 topics. To complete this Module successfully, please complete the topic that corresponds with your persona.

1. Linear Lou
2. Pensive Pat
3. Busy BJ
4. Caring Kit

Go on to Module 5: Carrot Head - No Size Fits All
or
Go back to Introduction to Exceptional Children

E-mail J'Anne or Martha Ellsworth at Janne.Ellsworth@nau.edu

Course developed by J'Anne and Martha Ellsworth

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED