WATSON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON
Field Experience Requirements
Special Education – General and Adapted Curriculum*
*These are the field experience requirements for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 and are subject to change.
Not all courses are offered every semester.
SED 250 001 Introduction To Special Education
Steele
Guest Speakers from 4-5 agencies; students will go out to work with agencies outside of class time.
SED 350 Child & Adolescent Learning Disabilities
Steele
• Type of classroom: Self-contained or inclusion classroom with students with LD
• Total field experience hours: 15
• Description: Required activities include observation, reviewing history of the child, working with one
student labeled LD, and teaching the child individually or in groups.
SED 352 001 Behavioral Development
Lanunziata
• Type of classroom: Special Education – self-contained (ideal) or at least part-time
• Total field experience hours: 12
• Description: Students will collect data on classroom and individual student variables regarding social
behaviors and develop a behavior change plan for at least two different behaviors. Students may also
develop a ten lesson unit on social skills designed for a large group or individual student. Students are
encouraged to teach and interact with students as much as possible under teacher supervision.
SED 354 (-001,-800)
Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Sniffen
• Type of classroom: High school class focusing on the NC Occupational Course of Study
• Total field experience hours: 15
• Description: The UNCW student will select a high school student as a case study. The UNCW student
will become familiar with the type of disability, strengths, weaknesses, IEP goals and objectives. The
UNCW student will create a social skills lesson plan for the high school student based on observations
and the current IEP of the individual. Using the case study identified for the social skills lesson plan, the
UNCW student will also create a transition plan based on the current needs of the high school student.
SED 355 001 Child & Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders
Lanunziata
• Type of classroom: BED/IBS – 1 elementary school OR 1 middle school
• Total field experience hours: 20
• Description: The UNCW students will engage and participate in as much BED/IBS programming as is
permitted and supervised by the classroom teacher.
1
SED 356 001 Severe Disabilities
Mechling
• Description: This placement is coordinated directly with the teacher by Dr. Linda Mechling.
Requirements are discussed in detail.
SED 360 001 Teaching Students With Learning Problems
Steele
• Type of classroom: public school classroom including children with learning problems
•Total field experience hours: 15
•Description: The required activities include assistance with tasks requested by the teacher;
implementing IEP modifications; planning and teaching individual, small group, and whole class lessons
based on standard course of study; and planning and teaching learning strategy lessons. The lessons
should incorporate planning and organizing for the whole class. Optional activities include assisting with
assessment procedures, developing and implementing behavioral interventions, and consulting with
parents and/or professionals. All of these activities should focus primarily on students with learning
problems on the Standard Course of Study.
SED 362 Teaching Students with Social, Emtional, and Behavioral Problems
Lanunziata
• Type of classroom: IBS/BED - elementary or middle
• Total field experience hours: 20
• Lessons taught: 5
• Description: Students must observe, examine, and participate in a public school setting serving
students with behavioral, social, or emotional problems. Students will write a report dealing with
behavior change techniques or therapies used in the treatment of the population, program and
instructional elements, and a private, confidential notebook including IEP reviews, brief summaries of
student backgrounds, record of observations, and record of the UNCW student’s teaching of new
behaviors, including at least 5 lesson plans. The first 5 hours should be observation. Students should
volunteer their services to the teacher and should interact and participate in the program as much as
possible. UNCW students are at all times under the supervision of the teacher and should closely follow
his/her directions. Any and all teachings, interventions, or interactions should be carefully planned in
advance with the teacher and approved before implementation by the professor. Students may team
teach with the teacher and/or aide or lead a lesson on their own (with permission from the teacher).
SED 364 001 Teachin g Students With Severe Disabilities
Mechling
• Description: This placement is coordinated directly with the teacher by Dr. Linda Mechling.
Requirements are discussed in detail.
SED 365 Teaching Functional Academics
Mechling
• Description: This placement is coordinated directly with the teacher by Dr. Linda Mechling.
Requirements are discussed in detail.
SED 366 001 Teaching Of Functional Skills
Mechling
• Description: This placement is coordinated directly with the teacher by Dr. Linda Mechling.
Requirements are discussed in detail.
SED 367 001 Communication and Language: Development and Intervenstion
Mechling
• Description: This placement is coordinated directly with the teacher by Dr. Linda Mechling.
Requirements are discussed in detail.
2
SED 368 001 Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs
Applefield
• Type of classroom: Small Groups of Struggling Readers
• Total field experience hours: 10 hours
• Lessons observed: 2-3
• Lessons taught: 8
• Description: Students will administer assessments (placement tests/diagnostic probes), observe 2-3
lessons, then teach 2 partial lessons and 6 entire Direct Instruction lessons (Reading Mastery, Horizons,
or Corrective Reading) to small groups of struggling readers (i.e., with and without disabilities).
SED 369 Teaching Math Students with Special Needs
Andrews
Total field experience hours: approx. 10 hours
Description:
 Students administer a curriculum-based measurement and use the results to conduct 8 tutoring
sessions (approximately 45 minutes each) with a child who is struggling in math.
 Students implement 5 Direct Instruction lessons in one or any combination of the following areas:
basic facts, place value, counting, problem solving, decimals, fractions, measurement, money, and/or
time.
 Students audio or video tape the first and last teaching session with the child who is struggling in math
(2 @ 50 points each for a total of 100 points) OR students can schedule 2 official observations with the
instructor at the beginning and end of the field experience.
SED 370 001 Assessment Procedures for Special Education
Steele
• Description: Typically this field experience is completed in the UNCW Education Lab. If completed in
a public school in conjunction with other requirements, the student will spend 15-20 hours observing,
administering a formal test battery and informal assessment, preparing and teaching a diagnostic lesson,
and writing a letter to parents (or teacher) of the student being tutored.
SED 374 Applied Behavior Analysis
Moody
Total field experience hours: 20 hours
Description: Students participate and observe in a classroom with students with special needs. This can
be in an inclusive general education classroom or in a special education classroom.
SED 375 001 Collaborating Strategies in Special Education
Sniffen
• Description: This experience may be completed in conjunction with other courses requiring field
experience. The student will need to observe 3 different teams in action to learn about communication
strategies, identification of target behaviors and interventions, and collaboration/teaming effectiveness.
The student will be an observer only, not a participant. Confidentiality must be maintained. The
student must observe at least one of these types of teams: IEP Team, Student Support Team (assistance
team, pre-referral team), and 1-2 of these types of teams: General Education/Special Education Team
(ex: co-teaching, grade level), Special Education/Related Services Team, Site-Based School Team, ParentTeacher Conference.
3