EXCEPTIONAL LEarners: user-Friendly website project
The purpose of this project is to create a user-friendly website for students, parents, and teachers focused on the intellectual disability Down syndrome.
Group Members: REASON FOR CHOOSING THIS TOPIC/WHY IS IT OF INTEREST AND IMPORTANCE?
For many years before beginning my undergraduate career at UNC I volunteered at a local Special Olympics-style event we called Special Needs Baseball. The majority of our baseball teams were comprised of Kids with intellectual disabilities especially Down Syndrome. I frequently saw parents, adults, and other kids who really struggled interacting with the players. It’s my hope that this comprehensive website will give others the resources to better understand individuals with intellectual disabilities and the challenges they face at home, in the classroom, and at public events. |
I am a current student teacher and became interested in learning more about children with learning disabilities such as Down Syndrome. I have seen students with this disability in my placement school and wanted to help create a website that provided resources and information on the disability so that parents, teachers, and students can better understand what to expect as well as how they can help create the best environment for these learners.
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I am a Middle Grades major and am passionate about learning how to engage students of all ability levels in the classroom. I am particularly interested in students with intellectual disabilities, especially Down syndrome, because of the stigma attached to the word "retarded" and its misuse. I hope that through providing information and resources about Down syndrome on our website, I can help to increase understanding and reduce the stigma for students with Down syndrome.
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As a future educator, I recognize the opportunity I will have to encounter students of all types of learning abilities. Over the years, tremendous strides have been made in Special Education to implement and promote inclusion within our nation's classrooms. With that in mind, I wanted to continue to expand my knowledge about a prevalent condition such as Down Syndrome and share this information with others through our website.
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When I was growing up, my mother used to work with special populations. Through her work I met many interesting people, some of which had Down Syndrome. Interacting with some of these people is what got me initially interested in this condition. Now that I am preparing to become a teacher I am realizing how important it is to understand conditions such as Down Syndrome and the best way to educate students that have these conditions. I hope that students, teachers and families will find our website a helpful place to start learning about Down Syndrome.
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