TO: Dr. Joe Scarcella
FROM: Phil Fournier
DATE: 12/16/2004
RE: 503, WA1, Fournier

The purpose of EVOC 503 WA1 was to prepare an Individual Education Plan for one of the students in a course that I teach. The following six criteria were specified:

  1. Comply with all of the General Criteria for Written Assignments.
  2. Develop an "Individual Education Plan" for a particular "Special Needs Student." The plan should not be more than two pages (typewritten or word processed).
  3. Indicate the name of a student, but change the name of any real students (for this assignment) in order to protect confidentiality and briefly describe the course in which the student is enrolled.
  4. Describe the student with respect to gender, age and both mental and physical development (only observable characteristics: NO SPECULATION)
  5. Describe a specific problem that the student is having (again, only observable characteristics: NO SPECULATION).
  6. Describe an instructional strategy relative to helping the student overcome the problem. Be sure to indicate how and when evaluation will be made to determine if the strategy is working.

The following sources of information were used relative to this assignment:

  1. Fournier, Phil - From my own professional experience.
  2. http://www.msjc.edu/dsps/   This is the website specific to Mt. San Jacinto College’s Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSP&S).

I believe that the attached proposal meets all six of above listed criteria and respectfully request full credit: one point for meeting each of the above listed criteria.

Individual Education Plan for student Jerry Steen

(Name changed to protect confidentiality)

 

Course description – Automotive Engine Performance Level 1 is an intermediate level course which employs both lecture and laboratory educational strategies. 

 

Student description – Jerry Steen is a male, age 35, who is a good student with a real desire to grasp the material and improve his diagnostic ability.  In fact, as he is employed as a technician, his success in this class is imperative to his continued success in his job.

 

Problem description – Jerry is extremely hard of hearing.  Though he wears two hearing aids, he cannot really distinguish words unless he can lip-read.  The difficulty lies in the use of educational aids such as vides tapes and DVD’s and the instructor’s habit of talking while drawing with his face to the whiteboard.  If the multi-media products are not captioned, Jerry gains no benefit from them at all, as he cannot make out the words.  The problem is compounded in the lab, where hearing is a problem even for those without disabilities, due to the noise of the engine running.

 

Instructional Strategy – Mt. San Jacinto College has a very good DSP&S (Disabled Students Programs & Services) department.  Captioning of instructional video tapes and DVDs is available as well as sign-language interpreters and other high-tech listening devices.  The difficulty for the instructor is this from DSP&S “Bring documentation of your disability and functional limitations from a professional; such as a physician or psychologist.” Jerry insists (and to a point this instructor agrees) that a physician’s note about his deafness is entirely superfluous.  His disability is obvious, particularly due the strange way he speaks since he cannot hear himself.  Nevertheless, help for Jerry, and hence for the instructor will not be forth-coming unless Jerry will follow the rules of the DSP&S department and get his physician’s documentation of his condition.  Once that obstacle has been overcome, help in this class and future classes will be readily available and Jerry’s learning can progress at a much faster rate.  The urgency of following through with this request has been made plain to Jerry and he now understands that taking this step is in his own best interests.  In the mean time, as his instructor I have placed Jerry in the front of the class room on the right side so he can see my lips.  Additionally, though I often write on the white board, I have trained myself to not talk to the black board, but rather towards Jerry so he can benefit.  This practice is nearly impossible in the lab, so Jerry’s learning there will be limited until an interpreter is available to assist him.

 

Evaluation – Jerry’s test scores at present are very low as much of the material on the quizzes comes from lecture notes, which he cannot take while reading lips.  Once Jerry has an interpreter or a listening device, he should be able to take notes of his own and study from them.  Jerry’s test scores will be evaluated at that time to see if improvement can be recognized.  If not, steps will be taken to insure he gets additional assistance in note-taking.