Blogs

Post-secondary Opportunities for Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

By DeAnn Lechtenberger posted 04-04-2015
I am the Project Director for Project CASE: Connections for Academic Success and Employment at Texas Tech University's Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research. We are a program that is currently grant funded through the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities and are working towards sustainability once the grant funding is completed. I have attached information about our program and I would love to hear from people who know of or are involved in other College Transition Programs for individuals with autism and other complex disabilities. Our two goals are to help students complete an academic degree or a technical/vocational certification, ...

Weclome

By Peter Rice posted 02-21-2015
The NYS CEC Blog is now active.

5 Easy Organization Hacks for Back to School

By Jennifer Zoglman posted 07-23-2014
As veteran teachers, we know that Back to School often means countless meetings, endless hours of preparation and a great deal of stress. Combat the chaos of the classroom with these quick, easy, low cost tips! Stylish Storage Solution - The space under tables is prime real estate for storage as it can accommodate large plastic containers for backpacks, playground equipment, file boxes and much more. To conceal these unsightly items, use plastic table skirts from your local party supply store. These inexpensive plastic skirts come in a range of colors to complement a variety of classroom décor and the self-adhesive strip makes application a breeze. ...

Relax with a FREE Kindle Fire this Summer!

By Jennifer Zoglman posted 05-22-2014
The countdown to summer has definitely begun for teachers everywhere! What better way to relax and rejuvenate then with your new FREE Kindle Fire! Picture yourself poolside downloading a new juicy read (definitely non-academic) while enjoying beautiful summer weather. Sound appealing? Simply click on this link to enter now: http://tinyurl.com/oehe7z4. Stop by www.astutehoot.com for teaching tips, resources and freebies!

Top 12 Engagement Strategies

By Jennifer Zoglman posted 05-09-2014
Use these tried and true active engagement strategies to strengthen motivation, increase achievement and infuse fun into any classroom: 1. Think-Pair-Share : Students partner up and take 1-2 minutes to think silently about an answer to a specific question. At the teacher’s signal, each student faces his/her partner and discuss questions together. At the signal, students share responses discussed. 2. Quick Write: Students use white boards to write a specific response for an allotted amount of time. This can be used to activate prior knowledge, provide reflection or make connections. 3. 5-10 Word Summary : In 10 words or less, students ...

Favorite Multi-Sensory Sight Word Activities

By Jennifer Zoglman posted 05-02-2014
When learning how to read and spell, children respond best to hands-on strategies. What better way to practice sight words than to use materials that will engage the visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and auditory senses. Here is a list of my students’ and my own boys’ favorite ways to practice sight words and spelling. 1. Sand or Salt Trays: Put a small amount of sand or salt in a shallow container. Students use their pointer fingers to trace word in the sand/salt. Shaving cream can also be used on cookie sheets or trays. 2. Plastic Canvas: Students place the plastic canvas under a piece of paper ...

Test

By Colorado posted 02-16-2014
Test

Congratulations to our 2013 Scholarship Award Winners!

By Colorado posted 02-15-2014
Dear Readers, At the Courage to Risk Conference on February 7th and 8th, the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children announced and presented the 2013 CCEC awards to the winners. We are so pleased to announce the winners on our webpage as well. I can not thank the winners enough for the hard work and dedication that they have shown. Congratulations from the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children! 2013 Colorado Council for Exceptional Children Joe Todd Annual Service Award: Tracy Stegall Joe Todd: Honorable Mention - Patricia Ann Blackburn Joe Todd Honorable Mention - Kim Keith 2013 Colorado ...

Message from the CCEC President 2014!

By Colorado posted 02-05-2014
As the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children President, I wanted to bring you exciting news of what is happening in our community for 2014. If you have not heard already, the Courage to Risk Conference is next week already! Do not miss out on this opportunity to learn from professionals who devote themselves to supporting students with disabilities. Each year that I go, I further my own knowledge and best practices. This conference is truly one you do not want to miss. So, make time for yourself to improve upon your professional development and register today. Speaking of being inspired, I wanted to introduce a person who has touched my spirit ...

Message from the CCEC President 2014!

By Karin Rager posted 01-31-2014
As the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children President, I wanted to bring you exciting news of what is happening in our community for 2014. If you have not heard already, the Courage to Risk Conference is next week already! Do not miss out on this opportunity to learn from professionals who devote themselves to supporting students with disabilities. Each year that I go, I further my own knowledge and best practices. This conference is truly one you do not want to miss. So, make time for yourself to improve upon your professional development and register today. Speaking of being inspired, I wanted to introduce a person who has touched my spirit ...

Colorado Council for Exceptional Children's inspiring events for 2014!

By Karin Rager posted 01-30-2014
As the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children President, I wanted to bring you exciting news of what is happening in our community for 2014. If you have not heard already, the Courage to Risk Conference is next week already! Do not miss out on this opportunity to learn from professionals who devote themselves to supporting students with disabilities. Each year that I go, I further my own knowledge and best practices. This conference is truly one you do not want to miss. So, make time for yourself to improve upon your professional development and register today. Speaking of being inspired, I wanted to introduce a person who has touched my spirit ...

Exciting News for 2014 from the CCEC President!

By Karin Rager posted 01-30-2014
As the Colorado Council for Exceptional Children President, I wanted to bring you exciting news of what is happening in our community for 2014. If you have not heard already, the Courage to Risk Conference is next week already! Do not miss out on this opportunity to learn from professionals who devote themselves to supporting students with disabilities. Each year that I go, I further my own knowledge and best practices. This conference is truly one you do not want to miss. So, make time for yourself to improve upon your professional development and register today. Speaking of being inspired, I wanted to introduce a person who has touched my spirit ...

Thoughts on Education Reform, pt 2

By Jerry Hillyer posted 01-06-2014
In part one of this three part series, I wrote about athletics and academics . My point was not so much that we should eliminate athletics in schools as much as we should deemphasize them. I realize this causes a lot of problems for many people given how much of our national budget is spent on sporting activities yearly, monthly, daily. I have no problem with sports in their proper place. I just think that too many people get too excited about student athletes and not excited enough about student academics. In this second part of the series, I will address the following issue: I believe that if we are going to make any advancement at all in education reform ...

Thoughts on Education Reform

By Jerry Hillyer posted 01-03-2014
Originally posted at my blog: www.specialeducationteacher.typepad.com. Every time there is a presidential election we hear folks asking what the prospective candidates will do about ‘the problems with our educational system.’ It gets old very quickly; nevertheless, it has become a staple of presidential campaign platforms and so it is necessary to talk about education, sadly, from a political point of view. In 2008, then Senator Barack Obama made a speech at a school in Colorado. He was, I suppose, in part laying out his agenda for how to ‘fix’ education. He spoke that day about No Child Left Behind which he simultaneously praised and condemned. Condemned ...

Downtown Greenville Restaurants

By South Carolina posted 10-29-2013
The city of Greenville has dozens of dining options for those attending the SCCEC Professional Development Conference in February. Read about a few of the options to whet your appetite in preparation for the conference that is approaching quickly! These restaurant reviews are strictly informational and do not represent an endorsement by SCCEC. We do not have any discount arrangements with area restaurants at this time. Roost The Roost is conveniently located right next to the conference site. The menu features dishes made from local, organic produce. Insider's tip: If the weather is nice, Roost has nice outdoor seating with great views of downtown ...

Keynote Speaker for Awards Breakfast

By South Carolina posted 10-29-2013
SCCEC is pleased to announce Bryann Burgess as the keynote speaker for the Awards Breakfast at the 2014 Professional Development Conference. Bryann is a graduate of the CarolinaLIFE program, a post-secondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities. Bryann is an adult with Downs Syndrome who is currently breaking down barriers and stereotypes for adults with disabilities. She is a teacher at Kindermusik by Ally in Columbia, SC. She is sure to be an inspiration to all in attendance. You will not want to miss this year's Awards Breakfast. You can make reservations to the Awards Breakfast by completing the online registration and adding ...

Keynote Speaker for Professional Development Conference

By John Romig posted 10-29-2013
We are pleased to announce Bryann Burgess as the keynote speaker for the Awards Breakfast at the Professional Development Conference. Bryann is a graduate of the CarolinaLIFE program, a post-secondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities. Bryann is an adult with Downs Syndrome who is breaking down barriers and stereotypes for students with disabilities. She is sure to be an inspiration for all in attendance. You won't want to miss out on this experience! You can make reservations to attend the Awards Breakfast by completing the registration online and adding the Awards Breakfast to your registration. We hope to see you there!

Conference Registration Open Soon!

By John Romig posted 10-28-2013
Registration for the Professional Development Conference will be open soon. We will have an online application this year and accept credit cards, purchase orders, and checks. We're looking forward to an excellent slate of breakout sessions to enhance your classroom this year!

Welcome to the Colorado CEC Blog!

By Colorado posted 10-27-2013
The Colorado CEC President, Caron Westland, welcomes you to our new and exciting blog! It is here where you will be able to read about thoughts, important updates, and most of all, how we are helping to support our community of exceptional children. Thank you and remember to click on all our links for useful information on Colorado's Council for Exceptional Children.

Pursuing Post Secondary Education

By Monica Rouse posted 08-30-2013
While most people, including parents, would consider a disability of any kind a potential "deal-breaker" for colleges, a different perspective is encouraged. Learning challenges caused by any disability should be viewed as a means to add diversity to a college campus. David Montesano, a college admission strategist at College Match Educational Consultants, indicates that the clientele at his college admission practice includes students with special needs, and he has seen how learning challenges can actually benefit students during the application process. Academically, colleges will often look at an applicant's grades and test scores in a new light if presented ...