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Students learn about special education |
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Tuesday, 13 February 2007 |
 | Lambert
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Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a three-part series on Appalachian’s disability initiatives.
by LAUREN LAWSON
News Reporter
Appalachian State University students who study special education are taking steps to improve the shortage of teachers in North Carolina.
“Appalachian
State has long been recognized as an outstanding teacher preparation
institution, and special education is one of the college’s strongest
programs,” Dr. Monica A. Lambert, special education coordinator, said
in a letter to prospective special education students.
The special education program at Appalachian recently split into two different types of certification.
“Our undergraduate program prepares future teachers to work with
students with disabilities,” Lambert said. “Completion of this degree
leads to certification in either general curriculum K-12 or adapted
curriculum K-12.”
General curriculum prepares students to teach grades K-12 who will
likely go into career prep, college/tech prep or college prep diploma
in public schools, she said.
Adaptive curriculum concentrates on those K-12 students who will
require more significant assistance, modification and adaptations and
may not be candidates to go into the public school system past high
school, Lambert said.
These include students with mental retardation, Autism,
emotional/behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, or other health
impairments, Lambert said.
Maranda R. Maxey, assistant director for the office of student
disabilities, graduated with a major in communication disorders and
then took add-on teaching for her license in special education.
“I worked in public-school system for three months - changing over to college is completely different,” Maxey said.
“In high school, teachers are aware of the student’s disability …
however, in college it is completely the student’s responsibility and
choice to tell their professors and work with them,” she said.
Many special education students at Appalachian appreciate the program for its close-knit qualities.
“The professors in the special education department are very helpful
and very close because the classes are small, and you get to know your
professors,” Elizabeth A. Cheek, senior special education major and
president of the Student Council for Exceptional Children, said.
The Student Council for Exceptional Children tries to create awareness for people with disabilities, Cheek said.
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