Students served by special education have often been the recipients
of service activity.
General education students often volunteer in special schools for severely disabled students or serve
as peer or cross-age tutors in resource programs where more mildly disabled students may need intensive
one-to-one assistance with assignments or studying for exams. When well-planned and carefully executed,
these are wonderful forms of service-learning that should continue.
In addition to being served, is the notion of students with special learning needs becoming the providers
of the service in appropriate projects that can provide multiple benefits for those students. Students who
have been identified for special education services each have a written Individualized Education Plan
(IEP) that guides the education of that individual with specific goals and objectives in content areas
such as reading, oral communication, and mathematics. By the age of 14, all students served by special
education, by law, need to have a transition plan in place that describes how a student will be transitioned
to the world of work through the development of vocational skills. When we think about the benefits of
service-learning, it is easy to see the connections to the needs of learners with special needs.
Step One: Go to the
Toolbox and read the
curriculum unit, A Day at the Dentist, designed by a credential candidate who was student teaching in a
special day class. A special day class is often made up of students who have a range of learning needs
from mild to severe. Many special day students spend at least 50% of their school day in a
self-contained classroom with little mainstreaming into general education classes. Although this trend
has been changing as schools become more inclusive, this often means that students in a special day
class do not have access to the same enriched core curriculum as their peers who are in general
education classes.
Step Two:
Entry #15:
Read through the following questions, then respond by writing an entry in your journal.
What is your reaction to this unit?
What benefits did these students receive from participating in this unit that would have not been
realized without the service component?
Discuss other ideas for service projects that could be designed for students being served in special
education classes.
Step Three: Go to one of the following websites
and summarize the resources found at the site. Be ready to discuss in class:
Step Four: Email these assignments to your instructor in an attachment.
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