Discussion Forum Unit 3

Week 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=119&v=O0xdaCEqrU0&feature=emb_title
Watch the video 'Accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities'.
a)      In the video, parents interact with teachers on behalf of their children.  What is your
reaction to the parents' role in this video? Does this interaction between parent and teacher
happen in your school district?
b)      In the video, students sit around a table.  Do you prefer to teach in a classroom where
students sit around a table or do you prefer to teach in a classroom with rows of desks?  Analyze
the reasons and implications of your preference.
Support your ideas with citations from articles and videos and provide classroom examples
where possible.

a. Parents are their kids first teachers. When children join the school, their social and educational
world expands. However, it is still essential to involve in the educational process. In the video
we watched this week, parents work together with teachers on behalf of their children in the IEP
team. I think this interaction is very vital because parents are one of the experts of their children.
They make decisions and address issues for students together. When parents participate in these
meetings, they can follow the specific tasks which were given by teachers at home, and they can
apply the skills children have learned. For example, parents share how students act at home,
favorite subjects or activities, etc. This information helps teachers to create an effective plan to
improve special education student's academic behavior and also social development. Parents can
provide on the child's history and development. They also share information that is very
important for teachers on any family factors that may affect the child's learning process
(Logsdon, 2020).
Unfortunately, we do not have IEP meetings in my school, but school gives importance to
parental involvement. There are online communication (via texts, emails, or social networks)
methods,parent-teacher conferences. When it is necessary, school administration arrange face to
face meetings with parents. Parents can also involve in activities like volunteering in the
classroom (party organizations, reading books during reading time) or chaperone field trips.
b. The classroom seating arrangement is a crucial element in a positive classroom environment
because it affects students' interaction and the link between teacher and students. Arrangement of
chairs, tables, and boards affects students learning. According to Babey (1991), the first problem
area in classrooms was the lack of attractive aesthetic qualities. In the learning process, there is a
"need to create environments that are suitable for living and working" (p 3). I prefer where the
students sit around a table. Students face each other and work efficiently. Especially it is good
for group works. Students share ideas and interact with each other. The teacher easily walks
around and address the problems.
References
Babey, Evelyn R. (1991). The Classroom: Physical Environments That Enhance Teaching
and Learning (An Investigation of the Teaching/Learning Environment at the University of
California, Davis. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for
Higher Education (Washington, DC, March 26, 1991).

Logsdon, A. (2020, February 28). Why Parents Have Such an Important Role in Special
Education. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/parental-importance-special-
education-2162701