Student PowerPoints For IEPs
• In this PP are
examples of the fun
you can have with
PowerPoints.
• They are also
completely effective
with none of these
effects.
• All staff needs to
know is WHERE TO
FIND AND SAVE
Value of doing an IEP
PowerPoint
• Process of creating it with students is a
great learning experience
• Excellent for building relationship
• Provides teachers a good opportunity to
discuss goals strengths, weaknesses with
student.
Value of Doing IEP PowerPoint
Continued
• Research identified that students spoke less
than 2% of meeting time. In just delivering this
information, which usually takes about 3-5
minutes, the student has set the tone that the
meeting is about him/her.
• General ed. teachers really like viewing these
because they gain insight about how to help
these students. Keep the audience in mind.
Instructions for Teachers/
Assistants
• Open PP to do with student. Save
immediately as “Doe, John PP 9/08 9th”
• Save at the end, and be sure to send as
attachment immediately – class computers
erase nightly.
Instructions Continued
• Explain WHY you are
doing this with them,
and that it will start
their IEP meeting.
• If any slide stymies a
kid, delete it!
• If this conversation
opens up another
idea, add a slide.
Instructions continues
Ask the student questions and give
examples to get good information
If you want to let the student start
independently that’s ok, but ALWAYS
review and edit before showing.
This isn’t about their language skills, so
either type for them or edit the spelling.
Put it in their own words – but make it
appropriate.
Instructions continued
• If you don’t have time to add design or clip
art, give the student the option of finishing
themselves later. Not required.
• Email as attachment to:
– Student
– Yourself
– Case Manager
– Person who will collect and be backup for all
PP done???
Template
• There is a template available
• Following is a “script” to follow when doing
the PowerPoint's with students.
(Students Name)
About me!
Some things about me…
SUGGESTIONS
• Where do you live? Where are you from?
• What do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?
• Do you have pets? Have you travelled?
• Who’s in your family? Are you in sports?
• Is there anything that you’d like to share?
The purpose is to give the IEP team the sense of
the life this student has outside school.
Something I dream of doing is…
• What would be the coolest (greatest, most
awesome) thing you could imagine you
could do in your life?
• Delete if the student just can’t come up
with anything
We hope this gets the student using his/ her
imagination and thinking of the future.
My personality is…
• Hopefully there has been information gathered.
If not ask how their friends would describe them.
– Holland Personality
– Learning style
– Any other inventory results that is appropriate to
share.
• When students understand their individual traits
and personality they can be better learners
My strengths are…
• What are you good at?
• What would your friends say “John is really good
at ……”
• Examples might be:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Being a friend
Making people feel better
Sports
Helping at home
Babysitting
Making people laugh
What I like about school is…
• Freshmen always say being able to leave
campus for lunch.
• Many say seeing friends
• Teachers – qualities?
• Questions you could ask are:
– When you’re looking forward to coming, what
is it that you’re excited about?
– Are you involved in any activities that you
enjoy after school, or during school?
What is hard for me in school is…
• “You are in resource because there is something
about school and learning that is hard for you.
What is particularly difficult?”
– Reading, writing, math, organization, remembering to
turn in assignments, getting good grades, taking
tests, understanding directions, what is expected of
you in class
– Give them lot’s of suggestions. Don’t put words in
their mouth. Lead with, “Some kids I know think taking
tests is really difficult” or similar statement.
• This can be an extremely meaningful information
What I don’t like about school is..
• Classes
• Subjects
• Social problems
• Bus ride
• Difficulties with understanding work
• Not interesting
Fish for ideas, but don’t offer your opinions.
I have these problems with
learning…
• “You have an IEP because of some
problem that makes learning difficult for
you. What is it?”
• “Is it reading, writing, math, organization,
grades, understanding what you read,
remembering?”
• “Describe how this causes you difficulty”
Try to get specific information. Can be very
helpful for the IEP team.
I have an IEP because of my
learning difficulty which is…
• Use their own words.
• Most kids will say “I don’t know”, or “I don’t
have any problems”. If they do have an
answer, see if they can describe it.
For those students who don’t know, pass on
this information to the case manager. It’s
a discussion that needs to happen, but
carefully.
Accomodations that help me in
school are…
• Give examples of
accomodations. Most
kids will recognize what
they use from a list.
• Extra time for
assignments or tests
• Leaving class to do work
• Books on tape or CD
• Helping organize work
• Making big assignments
into smaller assignments
• Helping keep track of
assignments
• Using reading software
• Having a reader
• Someone reading tests
• Shorter assignments
• Getting teacher notes
• Writing on a computer
You might keep a list of
possible accomodations
on hand to discuss.
Things I’ve tried that don’t work
are…
• Usually comes from the above question.
• I use students own words to describe
• Get their thoughts on why it didn’t work
Many students have tried things that they’ve
forgotten about. It’s good for them to be
thinking about helping themselves by
understanding what helps.
I could be more successful in
classes if…
• I don’t let “try harder” be enough. Try to get specific
examples from the student like:
– If teachers explained things with pictures more
– If I had a better way to know what I was supposed to do and
when
– Used my planner
– Didn’t sit by my friends
– Didn’t socialize so much
DON’T USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER YOUR
OPINION! Save that for another time. Also, don’t’ let
them “teacher bash”. Ask for specifics about what the
teacher might be doing that doesn’t work. “Are his
directions confusing?” “Does she talk too fast?”
Three things I would like to do in
high school are…
When you’re ready to graduate, what do you want
to be able to say you accomplished?
–
–
–
–
–
–
Sports?
Jobs
Activities done
Classes taken
Successes
Home
Get ‘em thinking. Might be a chance to discuss
school activities and opportunities.
The year after high school I see
myself doing…
• “You’ve graduated, and summer is over.
What will you be doing? “
– Working
– In college. If college, where and what do you
think you’d be studying?
– In technical or vocational college,
– Living at home or on your own
– Travelling or living somewhere else
Five years after high school I see
myself doing…
• “What career do you think you could
have?”
• “How will you be living?”
• “What will you have?” (cars, houses,
sports equipment)
Get them to think about what they would be
proud to be able to say in the future.
The ultimate career I can imagine
would be…
• “Think of the person you know or know
about who is doing something that you
think is a great job. It’s so wonderful you
can hardly imagine they get paid.”
• Most kids can come up with something
good. Imagination is okay here.
I will be happy in 10 years if…
• Use their own words. Most kids have a
good answer by this point in the process.
Additional slides for 10th, 11th, 12th
Add these in at the end if you judge it appropriate.
• Describe the jobs you’ve had. What did you
learn from working?
• What are careers you are interested in now?
Why?
• What classes would you like to take before you
graduate?
• Where do you think you want to go to college
and why?
• What help do you need to reach your goals?