Time Management and Organization

In the high school Mild Cognitive Impairment classroom where I am student teaching, I have observed a lot of wasted time during class periods. The assignments the students are given to work on in class do not take most of them the entire period. Some students finish early and either sleep or play with their phones. There are also students who do not understand the assignment and therefore it takes them longer and are usually unable to complete it. There are class periods that make planning and time management difficult for the teacher as well. Some of the students return from Kent Transitional Center halfway into the class, and some students leave early for other assignments in the school. The teacher sometimes has meetings during class as well, during which the students are given tasks to work on individually. Teachers have so many responsibilities, that it can be difficult for them to give the students all the attention they need for instruction.

Blogs Used in the Classroom

Blogs are a useful way to share information with fellow educators. Thinking about my future as a teacher, I see how this blog and continued reading and posting can be helpful. As I gain experience and develop ideas in my own classroom, I can share those on my blog so that others looking for tips can put those ideas to use. In the same way I can search for and utilize tips and ideas other teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists have shared on their blogs. This network helps educators stay connected, updated, and involved in what is currently happening in the Special Education world.

As a teacher, I would also teach my students the advantages of blogging. I may show them that when researching a certain topic, it may be useful to check out blogs related to that subject. I could also encourage older students to create their own and share resources with each other, with my supervision. Before having students create their own blogs, I would teach them appropriate use of blogs and what type of information should and should not be posted, because I can predict how students could abuse this resource. 

Educational Blogs

1. https://specialedandme.wordpress.com/ is a blog written by a Special Education Resource Specialist Teacher who teaches in a high crime, low-income school. She is dedicated to her students and willing to share educational resources on her posts.
2. http://teachersol.blogspot.com/ is written by an Exceptional Needs Specialist. She shares resources from her classroom for Special Educators and updates on her efforts to improve Special Education.
3. http://lifeinspecialeducation.blogspot.com/ is written by a Special Education teacher in an elementary school. She gives good tips on classroom management and provides helpful resources.
4. http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/ has a variety of authors advising Special Educators. They provide information and resources about IEPs and Special Education.
5. http://www.alltogetherwecan.com/ is written by an Assistant Professor of Special Education. His blog posts focus on assistive technology.
6.  http://bilingualspecialed.com/ is written by an Associate Professor expert on Learning Disabilities for English Language Learners. She shares information, resources, and Professional Development related to Bilingual Special Education. 
7. http://specialeducationlawblog.blogspot.com/ is written by Attorney Jim Gerl. In his blog he explains Special Education Law clearly enough for anyone to understand. 
8. http://studentsgrow.blogspot.com/ is written by a Child and Adolescent Psychologist. She writes about her work with student's with Learning Disabilities and their dislike for school. 
9. http://abctherapeutics.blogspot.com/ is written by an occupational therapy company . They provide ideas for helping children with autism and sensory issues. 
10. http://www.breezyspecialed.com/ is written by a high school Special Education teacher. She posts resources and information about her experience in the Special Education classroom. 

Quality Resources on Social Media

1. @devenkblack: he is a NYC public school teacher and librarian who tweets more about everything else, deals, online dating, recipes, etc., than education.
2. @kbconnected: she is an educator who is excited to tweet about educational resources for teachers. 
3. @Mr.MatthewRay: he is an elementary school special education teacher who created his own online newspaper with a variety of resources about education, technology, and politics.
4. @gregoryshea: he is a high school special educator who tweets more about sports than education.
5. @UltimateTeacher: he is an elementary and special education teacher who tweets very little about education and a lot about everything else.
6. @TeacherSol: she is a reading intervention teacher, a journalist, and public speaker who tweets about NBCT (National Board Certified Teacher).
7. @spedadvocacy: she is an advocate for special education who tweets about news and resources related to special education.  
8. @JenLaviano: she is a special education attorney who tweets news about special education legal developments.
9. @janefarrall: she is a speech pathologist who tweets often about AAC, and resources for literacy and assistive technology. 
10. @teachntech00: he is a special educator who tweets about education and technology in the classroom.
11. @teachwtechbrox: she is an intervention specialist who tweets about sports and education.
12. Carolann Cormier is a Speech-Language Pathologist who pins a lot of special education teacher resources on Pinterest. 
13. Carrie Baughcum is a special education teacher who pins resources for special educators and other educational resources on Pinterest. 
14. Cari Sturch is a teacher who pins resources for all grades and subjects on Pinterest. 
15. Erin Klein is a second grade teacher who pins a variety of resources with everything a teacher needs to know.
16. Lauren Enders is an assistive technology consultant who pins resources for assistive technology.
17. Richard Byrne is a speaker, teacher, and advocate for technology in the classroom who pins about free technology for teachers.
18. Tami Brass is a director of instructional technology who pins about educational technology and other education ideas.
19.  Vicki Davis is a teacher who pins about technology integration and other educational ideas and resources.
20. Melissa is a special education teacher on Instagram who posts ideas from her classroom.