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December 2010 Talks on Tuesdays
- 1. we suggest using a real phone Talks on Tuesdays Please Call 866-842-5779 Enter Code: 4636619330#
- 2. Cori Deana Dana Talks on Tuesdays
- 4. December January February 7 4 1 12pm-1pm Talks on Tuesdays
- 5. Phone Are Muted Use Chat to Ask Questions Great Idea! Talks on Tuesdays
- 6. Chat is Seen by EVERYONE!! Use Chat to Ask Questions Type message in box on (lower right corner) Test Chat Now Click into box, type message, press enter Talks on Tuesdays
- 7. Esc. Key to Return to Normal View View Slides in Full Screen Mode locate this button on bar below slides click to view slides in full screen Talks on Tuesdays
- 8. Complete a Survey Talks on Tuesdays
- 10. What Professional Development Sites or Resources Do You Subscribe to or Check Regularly? Use Chat to Respond Question
- 11. www.eipd.vcu.edu open a new browser window Bookmark
- 15. December February eLearning! IFSP 101 Autism and Sensory Processing Social-Emotional Development Prematurity Data Analysis for System Improvement Training Modules
- 18. The prevalence of children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically in recent years. With these increases come the companion need to identify high quality, evidence-based resources for administrators, practitioners, and families. This landing pad highlights research, policies, and position statements (Why Do It?), print materials (Read All About It), videos and DVDs (See for Yourself), and Web resources (Find It Online) to support those efforts. Featured resources are high-quality, readily available, and no-cost or low-cost. A special section (Virginia Guidance) features Web sites, organizations, and other state-specific resources. Autism Landing Pad Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 19. Evidence-Based Practice Briefs The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has identified 24 evidence-based practices for children and youth with ASD. For each practice, the Center’s Web site offers a brief that provides a general description of the practice and how it can be used with learners with ASD, step-by-step directions for implementation, an implementation checklist, and a list of references that demonstrate that the practice is effective. http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/briefs Why Do It? Stansberry-Brusnahan, L., & Collet-Klingenberg, L. (2010). Evidence-based practices for young children with autism spectrum disorders: Guidelines and recommendations from the National Resource Council and National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 2 (1), 45-56 . The National Research Council has identified goals, areas of need, and basic recommendations for educational programs serving children with autism spectrum disorders. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has identified evidence-based practices for early childhood and elementary programming. Highlighting the work produced by these two organizations, this article provides professionals with guidance in setting up educational programs that use effective, research-based interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders in early childhood special education. http://www.int-jecse.net/V2N1-ARTICLE4.pdf Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 20. Autism Internet Modules The Autism Internet Modules were developed to make comprehensive, up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support individuals with ASD. Written by experts from across the U.S., modules are currently available to download on reinforcement, self-management, pivotal response training, time delay, and visual supports. Each module has a pre- and post-assessment for the content covered, an introductory video, a description of the topic, and information on how to implement the strategy. Case examples, step-by-step instructions, and the evidence-base for the strategy also are included. To access the modules, register for a free account at http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/ See For Yourself Autism Speaks This Web site features online video clips on a variety of topics related to autism spectrum disorders, including diagnosis, causes, and coping strategies. http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/index.php Show Me How to Learn This site is the place to explore a free online video modeling library that addresses daily living, language, motor, play and social skills can be found at this Web site. After signing up, members can watch and share videos and connect with other families and professionals. http://www.showmehowtolearn.com Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 21. Autism Online Information, books, and other resources on autism in 18 different languages including Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Hebrew are available at this Web site. A portion of the income from purchases from this site is donated to other autism organizations around the world. http://www.autismonline.org/index.html Autism Society of America The Web site for this national organization provides current information regarding treatment, education, research and advocacy in both English and Spanish, links to educational resources, and access to the journal Autism Advocate. Members can sign up for a free newsletter . In addition to providing information on autism, there are links to over 200 local autism society chapters which have trainings, social events, and excellent support systems. http://www.autismsociety.org/ Autism Speaks: ASD Video Glossary This Web site provides information for parents and professionals on the “red flags” that indicate a possible diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Video examples of the behaviors that could indicate characteristics of the disorder and comparisons to typical child development are included. http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/glossary.php Do2 Learn Children with autism can benefit from visual cues. This Web site includes ready to use picture cards, worksheets and other educationally relevant activities to purchase. The Web site also offers free picture symbols that can be customized and printed for personal use. In addition, the Web site has a link that specifically addresses the creation and use of visual schedules. http://www.do2learn.com Find It Online Lord, C., & Bishop, S. L. (2010). Autism spectrum disorders: Diagnosis, prevalence, and services for children and families. Social Policy Report, 24 (2), 1-21. A summary of selected recent studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, prevalence, and intervention is provided in this publication. The authors also include strategies for developing social policies to help improve the outcomes and independence of children and adults with ASDs. http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=930&Itemid= 99999999 National Autism Center . The National Autism Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting evidence-based practice for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Center promotes best practices, serving as a vital source of information, training and services for families, practition-ers and policy-makers. The Center is the home of the National Standards Project, an effort that identified research-validated educational and behavioral interventions that effectively target the core symptoms of ASD. http://www.nationalautismcenter.org The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders . The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders is a multi-university center, funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, to promote the use of evidence-based practices for children and youth with ASD. Available resources include evidence-based practices for children and youth with ASD, internet modules, and online course content. Information for states on how to partner with the Center is also available at this site. http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu Sandbox Learning. This Web site includes child monitoring materials to record behavior and to document progress towards meeting individualized education plan (IEP) goals. Communication skills, academics, social skills, fine motor skills, daily living skills, and behavior skills are covered. The sheets are available online and in Excel so they can be customized to address each child’s IEP goals. A one year subscription costs $29.99. http://www.sandbox-learning.com Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 22. Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Theory to Practice. (2009). Laura J. Hall’s text describes current approaches to increasing the skills of learners with autism organized by theoretical perspective. Descriptions of typical development in the areas of communication and social skills can be used as a guide to selecting goals, and quotes from professionals, parents and young adults with ASD provide information from multiple perspectives. This book is available from Pearson Education. http://www.pearsonhighered.com/product?ISBN=0132275341 Teaching Social Communication to Children with Autism: A Manual for Parents. (2010). This user friendly manual, by Brooke Ingersoll and Anna Dvortcsak, provides information on how to use interactive teaching techniques (follow child’s lead, communicative temptations) with a young child with ASD. Based on knowledge of typical child development and the principles of applied behavior analysis, this manual supports an approach that builds the foundational skills needed for successful social-communicative interactions. This resource is available from Guilford Press. http://www.guilford.com Teaching Social Communication to Children with Autism: A Practitioner’s Guide to Parent Training. (2010). Grounded in developmental and behavioral research, the Practitioner's Guide, by Brooke Ingersoll and Anna Dvortcsak, provides step-by-step guidelines for conducting parent training individually or in groups. It takes proven techniques for promoting the social-communication skills of young children with autism (up to age 6) and breaks them into simple yet effective steps so parents can learn how to do them. The DVD, for use in the training sessions, features video clips of parents implementing the techniques with their children, as well as PowerPoint slides. The Practitioner's Guide also features 30 reproducible handouts and forms. This resource is available from Guilford Press. http://www.guilford.com Read About It Maurice, C., Green, G., & Luce, S. C. (1996). Behavioral intervention for young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals. Austin, TX: Pro-ed . A growing body of research shows that many young children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders can derive significant, lasting, and sometimes dramatic benefits from early intervention based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. This manual, inspired by that research, provides practical information for parents and professionals. It gives the reader concrete information on how to 1) evaluate treatment options and differentiate scientifically validated interventions from fads and “miracle cures”; 2) assess children’s skills, needs, and progress objectively and systematically; 3) teach children a wide variety of important skills, ranging from basics such as listening and looking, to complex language and social skills and 4) determine who is competent to deliver and supervise behavioral intervention. Topics in Autism Series Woodbine House has published a number of relevant and practical publications that address different aspects of ASD. Examples of titles in the series include 1) Reaching Out, Joining In: Teaching Social Skills to Young Children with Autism , 2) A Picture’s Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies in Autism, and 3) Teaching Conversation to Children with Autism . The publication Activity Schedules for Children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior may be of particular interest to families who are interested in fostering independent engagement with toys and activities at a young age. A list of titles and topics is available at http://www.woodbinehouse.com/autism-table.asp Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 23. Autism Society of America – Virginia page. The Autism Society of America (ASA) was founded in 1965 by a small group of parents working on a volunteer basis out of their homes. Over the last 35 years, the Society has developed into the leading source of information and referral on autism. Today, over 20,000 members are connected through a working network of over 200 chapters in nearly every state. This site is an excellent resource for finding local chapters across Virginia, as well as other resources (e.g., information on advocacy, public policy, waivers, community resources, etc.). http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=virginia Commonwealth Autism Service. The Commonwealth Autism Service (CAS) mission is to provide leadership in the implementation of a statewide system of services to maximize the potential and quality of life of each Virginian with autism across the lifespan. CAS offers information and referral, consultation, and training opportunities. http://www.autismva.org Communities of Practice in Autism (CoPA). The Communities of Practice in Autism (CoPA) share knowledge and information about evidence-based strategies in natural environments, focusing on infants, toddlers, and young children diagnosed or suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families, to enhance supports and services in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The CoPA Web site is a rich resource, highlighting activities across Virginia. It also provides resources and information, including PowerPoints and handouts from CoPA conference presentations on topics related to autism. http://www.infantva.org/pr-ITC-CoPA.htm Creating Connections 2008 . Resources from conference sessions are available online. Those related to autism include: New Autism Screening Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics –Colleen Kraft, M.D. http://www.infantva.org/documents/wkg-VICC-Autism.ppt Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Early Identification and Behavioral Indicators in Young Children – Stacy Shumway and Audrey Thurm http://www.infantva.org/documents/coag-37-AutismSD.pdf Virginia Guidance Creating Connections 2007. Resources from conference sessions are available online. Those related to autism include: The DIR® Foundation for the Future: Strengthening Developmental Capacities, Integrating Individual Differences, and Using Relationships as the Vehicle for Learning and Emotional Development – Serena Wieder http://www.infantva.org/documents/pr-ITC-2007Conf-DIR-Foundation2-VaRoanoke0307.ppt Building Capacity for Serving Infants and Toddlers Suspected of Having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – Adrienne Frank and Beth Pruitt http://www.infantva.org/documents/pr-ITC-2007Conf-EI-bp3-ASD-HO.ppt T/TAC Online / Autism Resources Page. This site highlights an array of online resources related to autism spectrum disorder. Each entry includes a description of the resource and a “hot” URL to make connecting as easy as possible. http://www.ttaconline.org/staff/s_resources/s_resources_subcontent.asp?dis=2 Virginia Autism Council. The Virginia Autism Council is a state-supported council of autism experts seeking to define needed skill competencies and to advance higher education, training and educational opportunities for personnel and caregivers supporting individuals of all ages with autism. The Council’s Web site is a clearinghouse on best practices and research-based education and training opportunities to advance personnel development and knowledge regarding autism in Virginia. Listings range from competencies and professional development opportunities to support groups. http://www.autismtrainingva.org Virginia Autism Resource Center. The Virginia Autism Resource Center (VARC) at Virginia Commonwealth University is a statewide resource center dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Through research, outreach and collaborative initiatives, VARC promotes and facilitates best practices for those diagnosed within the autism spectrum. Information, resources, and professional development help parents, educators, service providers and medical professionals provide effective support from early childhood through adulthood. http://128.172.18.193/index.html 1-877-667-7771 Why Do It? Read About It Find It Online See For Yourself Virginia Guidance
- 24. December February Landing Pad Topics Assistive Technology Cultural Competence Linguistic Competence Social-Emotional Development Transition Landing Pads
- 30. December February Mini-Lesson Topics Completing the IFSP Form Implementing Early Intervention Supports & Services Mini-Lessons
- 39. Check website often! Stay Tuned! Talks on Tuesdays
- 40. Opening Poll Screen Will Change
- 41. Opening Poll Screen Will Change
- 43. open a new browser window http://community.fpg.unc.edu/connect-modules Bookmark
- 58. Thank You! Don’t Forget to Complete a Survey Talks on Tuesdays
Editor's Notes
- Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining today’s webinar. We will start in 1 minute.
- Hi Everyone: I am Cori Hill and I am joined by my colleagues, Deana Buck and Dana Childress from the Partnership for People with Disabilities. Thank you for joining us for our first Talks on Tuesday, sponsored by Virginia’s Integrated Training Collaborative also called “The ITC.”
- The ITC is funded by Virginia’s Part C Lead Agency, the Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (or DBHDS) to coordinate and administer VA’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development for the early intervention workforce. The DBHDS contracts with VCU’s Partnership for People with Disabilities to administer two contracts related to professional development. Today’s “Talks on Tuesday” is one of a variety of activities included in that contract.
- “ Talks on Tuesday” is a new professional development forum for us to explore evidence-based research and to share information and knowledge. We will be holding these “Talks on Tuesdays” on the first Tuesday of each month from 12-1pm through February. Our speakers will include national consultants, Part C staff, the EI training staff and experts in the field. Each webinar will be recorded for anyone who is not able to join us during the live call.
- Before we begin, we will take care of a few housekeeping pointers. Lines will be muted throughout the call. Using the chat feature on your screen, you can submit questions as we proceed through the content.
- To use the chat feature, click the mouse in the box in the lower right corner of your screen, type a message and hit enter. Let’s try that now by saying hi to other participants. As a reminder, anything you type in the chat box is public and will be seen by all. We will try to answer as many questions as possible and similar questions may be grouped together. There will be time for questions submitted using the text box located here (click to right spot) on your screen.
- Another feature you might want to take advantage of, is the ability to full these slides in full screen. They are best viewed in this format. To go into full screen mode locate the button with 4 arrows on it. You can find it on the bar below this slide. When you’ve found the button, click it. When you go into full screen mode you do lose the view of chat, but we will always guide you back to chat when necessary. To get out of slide view, hit the escape key on your keyboard.
- Following each Talk on Tuesday, participants will be asked to complete a brief (5”) survey to determine efficacy, his/her desire to continue the webinar series, and to provide input on additional topics. You will receive the survey via email following the webinar today. Your feedback is very important, as we continue to expand our professional development opportunities.
- Today we are delighted to start our Talks on Tuesdays with a field trip to the new Early Intervention web portal or website. This website has been designed as a central holding place for all of Virginia’s Part C professional development materials. The goal of the training portal design is to serve as a mechanism to provide live, interactive, current information on a wide array of topics that directly impact the work you do on a daily basis with families. Our goal is to have a variety of sustainable materials including online training modules, tools for supervisors to assist with staff development, tips and tools from your colleagues in the field, evidence-based research on topics of interest to early intervention providers and various resources including books, journals, webinars, and links to other sites. We are building the website to be a long-term, ongoing resource for families, EI providers, administrators, and higher education faculty.
- Before we begin, I’d be interested to know what other professional development sites or resources you currently subscribe to or check regularly. Take a minute to list some of the sites you access regularly in your chat box. Please spell out any acronyms so that everyone will understand the name of the resource. Some ideas: Say only if we don't get responses. Mention a fewInternational Society of Early Intervention’s Professional Development LibraryCenter for Early Literacy and LearningCEED (Center for Early Education and Development - Minnesota)Natural Resources (from Camille Catlett) Rethinking AutismARC-FIP List-servCEC or Council for Exceptional AT this time I’m going to turn it over to Dana to begin our tour.
- Before we begin our tour, I’d like for you to open up another window and link to the training portal website. Be sure to open up a new window so that you don’t get disconnected from webinar. The address for the portal site is www.eipd.vcu.edu . When you pull up the site, be sure to bookmark it so you’ll be able to find it easily later. Once you’ve bookmarked the site, minimize the portal site window then rejoin us back here with the webinar. I’ll pause here for a minute to give you time to bookmark the site. There will be silence on the line while we pause.
- I hope everyone had a chance to pull up and bookmark the site for future reference. Today we’ll be taking our tour using the webinar powerpoints you see on your screen. You won’t actually have to go back to the live training website for this tour, but if you have any trouble viewing the webinar, you can follow along on the training website. The first stop on our tour will be the training portal’s home page, which you can see here on your screen. On the homepage you’ll find a welcome message, featured resources, and a column on the left side of the page that lists headings for topics that we’re currently building. The list is organized mostly in alphabetical order and resources are grouped by topic.
- Here you’ll find information about Early Intervention Certification and Recertification, EI Topics & Trends, information about the Integrated Training Collaborative, Resource Landing Pads, lists of State and National Initiatives, resources for supervisors in the Supervisor’s Toolbox, information about Talks on Tuesdays, resources for practitioners in Tools of the Trade, a Training Calendar, and information about how to contact any of us on the training team.
- Now, let’s look under the Early Intervention Topics & Trends heading. Here you will find a list of important topics for which we are building a variety of training resources, such as online modules, webinars, and other activities.
- We are very exciting to be building several online training modules. Topics for these modules include: IFSP 101 (an introductory level module) Autism and Sensory Processing Social-Emotional Development Prematurity Data Analysis for System Improvement These modules should be ready in the coming months. We have several other great resources to show you today. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
- Now let’s visit the Autism heading, where you will find several resources, including a module about autism in infants & toddlers that is being developed, information about CoPA (which refers to the Communities of Practice in Autism), Resources and a Landing Pad, and a place to post video clips as we gather them. Let’s look at the Resources & Landing Pad page in more detail.
- Here you will find websites and other general resources related to autism, as well as what we are calling a Resource Landing Pad. Let’s take a look at the Autism Landing Pad.
- Resource landing pads are designed to be a one-stop place to find resources about a specific topic, in this case autism. The items listed on the landing pad are all evidence-based materials that provide the most current information on the topic. Here you can see that the landing pad has some introductory content plus icons at the top that you will be able to click to take you to the type of resource you need. Let’s move through the landing pad to see these resources in more detail.
- On the “Why Do It?” page, you will find information about evidence-based practices.
- Under “See For Yourself” you will find sites where you can view videos or take advantage of online training opportunities related to the topic.
- “Find It Online” houses lots of resources that can be accessed online, such as books, videos, resource centers, advocacy organizations, journal articles, etc.
- When you want to “Read About It,” you can find resources for books, guides, and journal articles here.
- Finally, under “Virginia Guidance” you will find resources related to the topic that are specific to Virginia.
- That’s an example of one of our Resource Landing Pads. You can also find other Resource Landing Pads on the portal website relating to Assistive Technology, Cultural Competence, Linguistic Competence, Social-Emotional Development, and Transition.
- So, for what other topics would you like to see a Resource Landing Pad developed? You can share your idea by typing it into your chat box at the bottom right side of your screen.
- The next stop on our tour will be the IFSP and Outcome Development topic. We’ll visit another new training resource: a Mini-Lesson. Mini-lessons are a set of prepared activities that are designed to support individual or group learning about specific topics in the field. Each mini-lesson is designed as a “mini lesson plan” and includes practice/application and reflection activities to help you broaden your knowledge of the topic.
- Here you can see we have the Outcome Development Mini-Lesson. In the mini-lesson, you’ll find an introduction then a series of activities and handouts.
- If we look at the first activity guide for this mini-lesson, you’ll see information about the purpose of the activity, materials needed, and instructions for using the activity guide with a group, like at a staff meeting, or on an individual basis.
- All handouts that are needed for a mini-lesson activity have also been developed. Here you can see the handout for the first activity guide under the Outcome Development Mini-Lesson. We hope that the mini-lessons will be quick, accessible staff development resources for you. Everything you will need to explore the mini-lesson topic has already been developed and is ready to use.
- Other mini-lessons are also in the works for topics such as completing the IFSP form and implementing EI supports and services.
- I’d like to hear from you about how you might use the outcome development mini-lesson that we just visited. Take a moment to answer this question by typing your ideas into the chat box. (Polling question) – How do you think this could be used in your work or your program?
- Next on our tour, let’s visit the Integrated Training Collaborative page. Here you will find the ITC’s mission statement and purpose. If you are interested in learning more about the ITC, please let us know.
- Moving right along, now let’s check out the Assistive Technology heading. Under AT, you can see that we have another set of Resources and a Landing Pad. We also have an archived webinar. Let’s look at that page.
- Our first archived webinar on assistive technology is posted here and can be watched at any time for those of you who were unable to join us in September. Dr. Pip Campbell presenting a webinar on “Using Assistive Technology to Promote Children’s Participation.” This webinar was followed by a second training that was broadcast to several regions across the state. As a follow-up to this training series, we’re now trying to set up regional assistive technology teams to support EI practitioners and families as they explore AT options. We will also soon be applying for a grant to hopefully expand our AT training and technical assistance opportunities through Dr. Campbell’s program, Tots ‘n Tech. If you’re interested in participating on your regional AT team, please let Deana know.
- Next stop on our tour is the Supervisor’s Toolbox. As you can see, we plan to post the mini-lessons, training modules, and other resources for supervisors here. We envision posting checklists, spreadsheets, and other resources that supervisors across the state are using to manage program operations and support staff. We’d love to share the wealth here by sharing the great tools you and your colleagues are using, so if you have a resource that might fit here, please email us!
- Supervisors aren’t the only ones who have great tools to share. Under Tools of the Trade, we would love to share tools that those of you that work with families have developed and used. Whether you are a service coordinator or service provider, we know that you have checklists, handouts, and other resources that you use that others could benefit from. Let’s look at an example of a great Tool of the Trade.
- Here is a fantastic letter that the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia Beach uses to help families understand the differences between the medical and developmental models of intervention. This letter could easily be edited for use in other local systems and is available under Tools of the Trade. If you have resources like this that you use, please consider sharing them with us. A special thanks to the ITC of Virginia Beach for sharing such a fabulous resource!
- As you can see, lots of great things are being developed. Before we move on, are there any questions about the training portal website? Again, you can use chat to ask your questions.
- The website will be growing and changing so remember to check back often! We’ll be sending out emails to let everyone know when new resources are added and we’d love to hear from you if you have more ideas for training needs. Thanks so much for taking this part of the tour with us. I’ll now turn things over to Deana to take us on the second part of our tour to look at the CONNECT modules.
- Deana Start So, based on the information you’ve seen thus far… Polling Question: Which portal feature will be most helpful in your work? Modules for recertification hours Mini-Lessons for practice & application on a specific topic Resource Landing Pads It all looks great to me! Now I’m going to turn it over to Deana to take us on a tour of the CONNECT Modules.
- I’m curious. Have you ever heard of Project CONNECT or the CONNECT Modules? Yes No Have you ever visited this website? Yes No
- For today’s webinar, we also wanted to share some information with you about another on-line professional development resource, CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge. CONNECT, a collaboration of FPG Child Development Center at UNC-CH and several other universities, is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, US DOE, to develop and post on-line modules on topics of interest to the early childhood community. The rationale is that r esearch shows that many early childhood practitioners do not have the confidence and competence they need to serve young children with disabilities. From the CONNECT website, here is the purpose of CONNECT. CONNECT is developing web-based resources and modules on effective practices to help professional development providers fill that void. The modules are designed to build early childhood practitioners’ abilities to make evidence-based decisions. They emphasize a decision-making process, realistic problems to solve, the importance of integrating multiple perspectives and sources of evidence, the relevance and quality of content, and feedback.
- Open new window and navigate to this website and bookmark. I will wait a minute for you to do this.
- At your leisure, you might want to visit this address and watch a short (5 minute) video about the design and purpose of the CONNECT modules, as well as hints for navigating the site. I encourage you to bookmark the CONNECT site (you can also visit by googling “CONNECT modules”).
- So far, 4 modules have been developed (Rebecka, can we show the part that says “module dashboard”?) *Embedded Interventions *Transition *Communication for Collaboration *Family-Professional Partnerships
- Each module is designed using an evidence-based practice framework. Each module has an introduction.
- The first step is a discussion of a “dilemma” that is the issue to be addressed. In all of the modules, they start with a dilemma that is presented using video clips
- The dilemma is then discerned into a answerable question in the second step that can help guide the search for general evidence on effective practices.
- The third step is “evidence”, when you look for general evidence related to the dilemma, including research, policy, guidance/practices.
- In step four, the “decision”, you integrate information from various sources to reach a decision about action to take to address the dilemma.
- The final step is “evaluation” when you figure out how to evaluate the plan you’ve developed.
- For discussion purposes, I thought it might be helpful for us to look at one of the modules in greater detail. I selected the Transition one, because the topic is relevant for all of us in early intervention.
- The module begins with a dilemma, that includes video segments from an early childhood preschool teacher (who is the receiving teacher for a child transitioning from early intervention) and the parent of the child who is making the transition. In the short video clips, you become aware of key issues that are occurring during the transition planning, including worries and concerns.
- Under step three, “evidence”, specific information about research and policy issues are presented and discussed.
- Each module has supplementary resources, activities, and handouts so that users can put these materials and resources to use as effectively and efficiently as possible. In the handouts for the transition module, samples include a child transition profile, a home visiting guide, an observation guide, and sample transition plans. All of the forms are pdf s that can be filled in. There is also a summary of research practices and a policy summary related to transition.
- Through the CONNECT project, there are opportunities for practitioners and professional development providers to share their ideas and comments with the faculty who are developing these materials. Discussions groups are currently live on 8 topics. In addition, a wiki group is live to solicit ideas from folks to better define different kinds of professional development. Not familiar with a wiki? A wiki allows users to contribute or modify content on a webpage in real time. In order to use this function on the CONNECT site, you will need to sign in as a user (free).
- How might you use this resource in your work?
- Thank you!