Innovations HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY The Special Education Department
Fall 2012
Upcoming Events [10/19/12]
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AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS CONFERNCE
Held at the Student Center at Hofstra! Hear from prominent presenters, as well as the keynote speaker, Professor Dr. Rhea Paul, who has been the principal investigator on research projects on language disorders and autism.
[10/26/12]
RTI CONFERENCE
[11/3/12]
SPED COMP EXAM
[12/15/12]
STUDENT TEACHING APPLICATIONS Final deadline
[12/19/12]
SEMESTER ENDS
[12/19/12]
COMMENCEMENT
Special Education Becomes Own Department As of September 2012, the Special Education program became the Special Education Department! We are all very excited about this new advancement and we would love to fill you in on all that is happening. Employment is in your future! According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009, there is an anticipated 21% increase in employment for special education teachers at the early childhood and elementary level through 2020. Recent trends have predicted that special education programs will experience the greatest growth within the next five years. This new department has much to offer and it is all within your reach! Our programs include: Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Inclusive Education, Childhood Special Education programs include Inclusive Elementary Special Education, Elementary Special Education, and Literacy B-6 and Special Education B-6. Our Secondary Special Education program offers three generalist programs: the Generalist Program, the Generalist with Extension Program, and the Combined Secondary General Education and Generalist Program.
(Graduate Students Only!) An organization that provides opportunities for members to participate in activities related to special education, as well as attend various learning events. New members are always encouraged!
Watch for upcoming Student CEC Chapter meetings and events! The NYSCEC Conference is being held in Saratoga Springs, NY on November 1st and 2nd . 1 Pg.
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Special Education Becomes Own Department Continued New undergraduate and graduate five-year
Continued programs have also established: Special Education
and Psychology (Generalist), Childhood Special Education and Childhood General Education (1-6), and Early Childhood Special Education and Early Childhood General Education (B-2). As an extension to our Masters Program, Advanced Certificate programs include: Applied Behavior Analysis, Gifted Education (entirely online), Early Childhood Special Education, AC in Severe and Multiple Disabilities, and in Special Education Assessment and Diagnosis. The future of our new department is very bright, and there are several efforts that we look forward to, including hosting the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) New York State conference in October 2013, the annual Autism conference, the annual Special Education Film Festival, and our partnership with Freeport Public Schools. We continue refining and adding to our program offerings in response to state regulations and student demand.
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Highlights For our first newsletter, we have decided to focus on one of our leading professors here at Hofstra University, Dr. Elfreda Blue. Dr. Blue has worked in the special education field for over a decade, starting out in the public school system, and now teaching at the university level, for nearly twelve years. When asked why she made the decision to become a professor, Dr. Blue stated, “I believed that I could impact more students by training faculty, rather than being in a room with twenty students.” Dr. Blue is the new director of the Childhood Education Program. When asked for her vision for the program, Dr. Blue proclaimed, “It is important to bridge gaps between practice in schools and the university setting.” She seeks to build connections between the colleagues here at Hofstra to explore other options for five-year programs and to work toward developing the doctoral program. Dr. Blue is the incoming president of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) of New York. Her goal is to increase the number of student chapters who are currently involved, and to ensure that Hofstra students become more active. On a large scale, she would like the entire state of NY to address UDL and cultural competence. Her current research interests include Universal Design for Learning, literacy for students from diverse backgrounds, and cultural competence in teacher preparation. She is the professor for SPED 277, SPED 245, SPED 293, and a collaborator with Dr. Pace for SPED 204.
Did you know… PRESS RELEASES v 2/22/12—CEC Joins White House Dialogue on Education of Students with Disabilities. They were delighted to share their expertise and to learn more about President Obama’s initiatives. v 7/12/12—CEC Supports U.S. Ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The treaty seeks to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
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