Helpful Resources

As an educator it is my professional responsibility to stay in the know about knew techniques, strategies, and best practices. However, as a special educator it is not only my professional responsibility, but my way of life. It is imperative that I am privy to new and innovative ideas to help support my ever changing students and their unique learning needs. 

You might think to yourself that that sounds logical, and maybe you're thinking that there is one home base for special educators to go. For example, there might be a main page that special educators can go to with their secret special education passwords to stay on top of laws, best practices, and disabilities; that would be awesome! BUT there is no such thing. Instead, I have to sort through websites, blogs, and books to determine what is relevant and reliable. This process can take quite some time, which, as an educator is a hot commodity. So, if you are like me and are looking for helpful resources here are two that I use frequently!

I. Reality 101

• http://cecblog.typepad.com/cec/

This blog is maintained by the Council for Exceptional Children and a few teachers that share their everyday practices and experiences. I love that this is a blog is a mix of reality, (hence the name), and reliable sources. The Council for Exceptional Children is a recognized professional special education group that participates in active research and experiments to help better the education of all students with disabilities.
This site has many resources that are supported by research and other experienced teachers. The blog is organized in sections and by dates. They took some time off from writing, but all of the sources are still there and they just recently picked back up. The type of things that they blog about are co-teaching, classroom management, and accommodations. I have used this site to learn more about organizing my resource room, better use technology to support my students, and to even solidify that teaching is my passion. This site is the best of both worlds being research based and rooted in raw true classroom experiences. I have namely used this site to help me in my co-teaching environments, but it can be used for so much more. Check it out for reliable ideas and up to date laws and best practices!

II. Learning Disabilities

• https://www.verywell.com/learning-disabilities-4014696

This blog is supported by research as well, but it does not have as many personal stories. I mostly enjoy that this site focuses on the disabilities that our students have. The main things that it provides information on are all related to making content more accessible to students with disabilities and also making their lives just as fulfilling as anyone else's.
I have learned how to identify different disabilities, how to support each child in different subjects, and stay in the loop about most recent laws. The best information that this website can offer is seen in the sub categories on the side. Anything that you can think of in relation to learning disabilities is there. For example, I have learned about learning disabilities in relation to math application and reading. The better that I understand the areas of need the more that I can provide support for my students. I would suggest this site not only to special educators, but to general educators and even parents! The website describes, in depth, certain diets and foods to stay away from to enhance learning abilities for students with ADHD and other disabilities.  It is a wealth of information for all willing to read!