Patricia+Kinsella

=**Welcome, new teachers!**:=  Templates for gathering classroom data  for classroom management for contacting families Websites general education sites special education [|Federation for Children with Special Needs] A statewide organization that advocates on behalf of children with special needs. Has a very good pamphlet for parents on understanding the SPED referral and evaluation process; it’s a good read for teachers looking to understand how the whole thing works.

[|National Center for Learning Disabilities] Great site with articles and strategies for educators. Also a good place to recommend for parents to educate themselves. Has materials directed to teenagers with LD. You can sign up here for LD News, an e-journal with concise information on a different topic each month.

[|LD Online] This site bills itself as “the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD.” It does indeed have a large amount of well-organized, easy to read information. Includes sections for parent, kids, and teachers. A good place to go for a quick review of what different kinds of disabilities involve and how to remediate for them.

[|Learning Disabilities Association of America] Many articles organized by type of disability, for different kinds of audiences, plus links to other sites and organizations. Good for some educational browsing.

[|Teaching Exceptional Children] You can download articles here from Teaching Exceptional Children, a journal about special education.

[|Mass Department of Education] Has all the legal documents you want to let you inner policy wonk be happy. Plus links to good organizations.

[|Schwab Learning] A parents’ guide to helping kids with disabilities.” Another place to get answers with a healthy dose of common sense.

[|What's the difference between modifications and accommodations?] Page with a simple, clear explanation of the difference between modifications and accommodations, along with basic info about the implications for assessment.

[|What about kids who are both gifted and have learning disabilities?] For the parents and teachers of kids with disabilities who are also gifted. We have many more of these kids in our classrooms than we have traditionally thought. You can read a few sample issues of the newsletter for free – well worth the time. The Sept. ’06 newsletter focuses on helping kids stay organized – good tips for all students, not just those who are twice exceptional (hence the ‘2e’ title).

 gifted education sample curricula and lesson plans [|national union info]