TeachingLD.org's E-Announcements
June 2005
Contents
New on TeachingLD.org!
 Another
round of hearings! The Department of Education is again asking for feedback
on IDEIA-2004 regulations. Find out if the Dept. of Education will hold
a public meeting in a city near you. See the announcement in the Children
and Youth Action Network (CAN) page updated regularly by Judy B. Engelhard.
http://www.teachingld.org/can_reports/
The
2005 DLD Conference will be held on November 7 and 8 in Charleston, South
Carolina. Presenters will include Barbara Bateman, Steven R. Forness,
Margo Mastropieri, Tom Scruggs, Steve Graham, Karen Harris, Paige Pullen,
and others. For more details about the upcoming conference, go to http://teachingld.org/conferences/ If
you know full time students who would like to attend the DLD conference
in Charleston, South Carolina and need help with funding, encourage them
to apply at
http://teachingld.org/about/print/roads_scholarship.html
Yes...No....Don't
Know? Our latest online poll is posted on the home page. Vote on the topic
of highly qualified teachers and see how you align with other educators
who voted. Watch for a new poll soon.
Three
articles have been added to Teaching Hints: "Assessment that drives
instruction" by Pokey Stanford and Stacy Reeves, "No more Friday
spelling tests? An alternative spelling assessment for students with LD"
by Kelly A. Loeffler, and ""I Said that?" How to improve
your instructional behavior in just 5 minutes per day through data-based
self-evaluation" by Cassandra L. Keller and Mary Lou Duffy. Read
them at http://teachingld.org/teaching_how-tos/
Professor
Bonnie Billingsley explains in the latest Expert Connection what "highly
qualified" means. The explanation begins at the bottom of the homepage
and continues on http://teachingld.org/expert_connection/highly_qual.html
An Alert! (#11) on cooperative learning written by Kristen McMaster, University
of Minnesota and Doug Fuchs, Vanderbilt University is available. See http://teachingld.org/ld_resources/alerts/
Coming soon to TeachingLD.org!
TLD's
parent organization, the Division for Learning Disabilities, welcomes
newly elected officers and newly-appointed committee chairs. Read about
them beginning in July at http://www.teachingld.org/about/officers.html
Members
may read the minutes of DLD's Annual Meeting in Baltimore at http://www.teachingld.org/business/
Read
the new President's message at http://www.teachingld.org/about/president.html
Coming
soon for members of DLD, there will be a teaching tutorial on monitoring
reading comprehension using the maze technique. Later in the summer there
will be another tutorial on promoting fluency in reading.
A new Expert Connection is in the works. It will examine how response-to-intervention
models affect special education teachers. Watch for it over the summer.
Don't Forget
The
Current Practice Alerts is a resource for educators who want to implement
effective, research-based practices in the classroom. Alerts on phonological
awareness, social skills instruction, class-wide peer tutoring, mnemonic
instruction, formative evaluation, direct instruction, reading recovery,
co-teaching, and high-stakes assessment are at your disposal. Find them
at http://www.teachingld.org/ld_resources/alerts/
Get
new ideas for your classroom by reading the Teaching How-to's section.
The categories in this section include: Content Enhancement and Adaptations,
Reading, Written Language, Math, Transition & Technology, and the
newest Teaching Hints.
Members
may access Teaching Tutorials on curriculum-based measurement, mathematical
problem solving, mnemonic instruction, self-monitoring of attention, and
oral reading fluency at
http://www.teachingld.org/members_only/teaching_tutorials/
Members have the privilege of reading the LDRP Abstract Database. Find
out what's coming in Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. Search
the database of abstracts for topics of interest at
http://www.teachingld.org/ld_resources/ldrp/search_form.cfm
Got a great idea but need some seed money? Know of someone doing great
things that you would like to recognize? Check out DLD's grants and awards
list at http://www.teachingld.org/about/awards.html
Reflections
of TeachingLD.org
Ending Misrepresentations of Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities has had more than its share of shams.
They are everywhere in our culture.
Some of them are pretty obvious. One Web site recommends
spinning children in special chairs to resolve imbalance in the inner
ear and, thereby, improve reading. Similarly, chiropractors appear on
TV recommending acupressure, muscle therapy, and special head massages,
and homeopaths pitch herbal remedies for LD. They often adopt actual scientific
terms as diagnoses (e.g., "cerebellar-vestibular dysfunction"
or "cranio-sacral disorder") and scientific sounding names for
therapies (e.g., "Neural Organizational Technique" or "syntonics")
as part of the appeal. They even refer to research using fMRI techniques
or demonstrating the benefits of their therapies.
These examples of the misrepresentation of LD are pretty
easy to debunk. A careful reader can shoot holes in the research--when
there is any--without much trouble. In addition, there are reputable sources
that show the problems with some of these therapies.
Other diagnoses and therapies are a little less obvious.
For example, sensory integration therapy and optometric training have
been the focus of research. Few rigorous studies have been conducted,
and those that have been done provide equivocal support, at best. Anecdotal
evidence sustains these practices. Those with a scholarly bent will find
the book "Controversial Therapies for Developmental Disabilities:
Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice," edited by John
W. Jacobson, Richard M. Foxx, and James A. Mulick [Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum,
2005] informative.
Some myths are virtually unsinkable. For example, there
is no credible evidence that reversals are a diagnostic indicator of LD,
but that view is repeated so often that the general public uses the concept
to explain mistakes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just transposed those numbers.
I must be a little bit LD."
These misrepresentations are discouraging when one realizes
how much we actually know about LD these days. Thanks to rigorous and
sustained research, we have very solid ideas about fundamental reading
instruction ("phonemic awareness" and "phonics"),
the importance of providing adequate practice trials ("opportunity
to respond"), teaching students to approach and complete tasks systematically
("learning strategies"), and etc.
So, before we have our students staring through colored
overlays at blinking lights while strapped into chairs that rotate or
while balancing on alternating feet, let's remember what we do know about
teaching students with LD: It takes hard work over extended periods of
time with careful attention to the quality of the instruction.
We need to communicate these ideas to parents, our colleagues,
and the general public.
JohnL & Peggy
WebEditor@TeachingLD.org
Guide
Here's a brief overview of TeachingLD.org so that you can explore the nooks and crannies of the site or simply jump to your favorites easily.
Home
About Us: Find information on activities and initiatives from the Division for Learning Disabilities.
http://TeachingLD.org/about/
Understanding LD: Get the basics on characteristics, assessment, and diagnosis of learning disabilities.
http://TeachingLD.org/understanding/
Teaching How-to's: Read about methods for enhancing content instruction and teaching reading, written expression, and math.
http://TeachingLD.org/teaching_how-tos/
Find a Colleague: Build your professional profile then connect with others to exchange strategies, successes, questions, concerns, and more.
http://TeachingLD.org/find/
LD Discussions: Take part in online dialogues about the latest in instruction, research, and more.
http://TeachingLD.org/ld_discussions/
LD Resources: Keep up to date with our selection of the best resources for professionals who teach students with learning disabilities.
http://TeachingLD.org/ld_resources/
Conferences: Learn the "who, what, when, and where" about DLD conferences.
http://TeachingLD.org/conferences/
Expert Connection: Read experts' responses to your questions about common problems in teaching students with LD.
http://TeachingLD.org/expert_connection/
Members only
Teaching Tutorials: Learn effective, research-based teaching techniques with our exclusive multimedia tutorials.
http://TeachingLD.org/members_only/teaching_tutorials/
Grants: Discover a host of ways you can fund creative projects, conferences, and more.
http://TeachingLD.org/members_only/grants/
Publications: Get full text from DLD publications: DLD Times, Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, and Current Practice Alerts.
http://TeachingLD.org/members_only/publications/
Joining DLD
To enjoy all of the great features available at TeachingLD.org, become a member of the Division for Learning Disabilities today. Joining is quick and easy. Call toll free at 888/232-7733 Monday-Friday from 9 am to 6 pm Eastern Time or visit http://www.cec.sped.org/mb/new_members.html for online membership.
Accessing the Members-Only Section
To gain access to the members-only section of the Web site, you'll need to (a) be a member and (b) know your membership identification number and password. If you're already a member of DLD and need your CEC member ID or password so that you can enter the members-only sections of TeachingLD.org, here's how to get help. Call CEC's Constituent Services Center toll free at (888) 232-7733 [TTY (703) 264-9446] and ask the operator to look up your membership number (which is the same as your user login). If you do not know your password, call CEC's Constituent Services Center at the number above and provide your name, CEC ID#, mailing address, and daytime phone number. For security purposes and to protect your privacy, CEC must verify your member record information before your password can be released to you.
Fine Print
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