Practical Access Podcast

S:2 E:1: Role of multiple professionals online and Season 2 soft skills and social emotional learning

April 27, 2020 Season 2 Episode 1
Practical Access Podcast
S:2 E:1: Role of multiple professionals online and Season 2 soft skills and social emotional learning
Show Notes Transcript

Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker, UCF Faculty members, share their thoughts on the role of speech, PT, OT, and other professionals as they end their discussion from Season 1 about online teaching and move into season 2 (May to mid-June) talking about social emotional learning and the importance of soft skills for all students, but especially students with disabilities. In this episode they discuss the importance of what is the target of learning to be shared by all professionals and share tools and strategies to work together in this online environment while highlight future topics. Remember questions can be shared on Twitter @accesspractical.  Follow us on itunes or iheart podcasts. 

spk_0:   0:05
welcome to practical access. I'm Lisa Dieker.

spk_1:   0:08
I'm Rebecca Hines. I know that we're kind of closing things up for this season. What's today? Stop it.

spk_0:   0:17
Well, you know, we plan to start on soft skills and social emotional learning, but we kind of got a plea for a question that I feel like we should maybe answer in the online and the face to face world to kind of in season one and transition us into Season two. So the question is, and it's a good question is how do we take the greatest advantage of the beautiful skills from those service professionals who can push into a total class such a speech. Second language teachers OTs, and  PTs. And what would that look like and be most effective? And so, you know, I I immediately got that question. I thought, All right, well, I'm gonna start really, really simple and just say that you know what? If we all could coalesce whether it's face to face or online around what we want a kid to learn at the end of the lesson, I think we all could do a better job of using everybody in the environment, no matter where it is when it is including parents, even the student. But you know, if the what is to write a complete sentence or the what is to understand my toast us of what is to share the conflicts of the revolution where I don't care what it is? But I think if we could get the general a teacher to leave the what then I think we can use lots of tools to put people around and swirl around that big idea. But I think it's when we act in isolation, whether it's face to face or in an online world without a clear what I like to call the bull's eye. I think it doesn't matter who we have in this space. I think we all could be Duke, making it more confusing instead of more synergistic. So that's kind of my very beginning. Simple place to start.

spk_1:   1:56
Well, I agree. I agree with that that big picture view. So let's think about some practical things that, parents, teachers, anyone can do, and I will start in the online environment, since we're kind of signaling away from that. But even though right now of it, a couple of thoughts. One is, you know, we've been doing Aziz, you know, some live streaming of different different types of Its lessons and they've been very intentionally inclusive. And an example of something that somebody took kind of an OT mindset but shared it with the broad audience was to create this table top tennis game where kids created out of cardboard their own little ping pong ish racket. And the instructor showed them how to make a, you know, blow a little balloon and how you could use this for Ping Pong. So So you could if you were teaching a language arts lesson and you were collaborating with somebody who was perhaps in OT. Because you knew you had kids with physical needs. You could do that pre planning just to say, Hey, I wonder we've been a little movement device because you've got, you know, Horatio in your class. And he's working on these skills. And so maybe we could come up with students reading, you know, instructions following written instructions to create something so they're doing some reading. But then this student who needs to really work on his OT is creating something that literally, you know, he can practice those those types of skills. So it's fun for everybody. But one student specifically needs that type of work because of his IEP and his needs

spk_0:   3:32
well. And I like that that example that it that it wouldn't be bad for everybody to be exposed to some of the great tools hotspot speech provide. And that's where I think we have to goes. We have to do better of recognizing ratios. The kid that's getting the need met. But it's not going to hurt everybody to have that great skill that that next professional provides. And I do think that's what we have to remember. It's not that one professional is more of a professional than another of the general, a teacher and the PTR equal professionals. So how do we make sure we use equal balance of their their expertise? I always go back to, you know, if they are in a coach hot situation and a face to face world. I'm a real big believer in that alternative teach. I just think we underutilized that where we do some pre teacher reteach But again, I think if we don't do that a lying to the what we're just doing it in a vacuum. So climate table balloon cardboard tennis ping problem. That's great. But if it doesn't have anything to do with sequential order of the language arts class and missing an opportunity, vice versa. General Ed Teacher doesn't know what just happened in that PT session. We're missing that opportunity. So I love that. And then I think, if if on an online environment, But even in a face to face, if there's a separate time, I'm gonna be any room. Becky and I'm a specialist. I want to do something special for that student that maybe they stay at my station a couple of times, but other students can rotate in and out. So again, I think it's really aligning that service, whether it be online or face to phase by using that expertise but not assuming only what is a benefit to one. It could be a bit of too many.

spk_1:   5:12
I've seen so many speech therapists use that model almost a state teach model and kids rotates. Um, the thing that the great thing about that is all of us. Learn from that speech teacher when she's in my room doing a mini lesson at the station. All of the kids are learning some great tools that really are tied to language arts standards. If if she's planned that way. And the other great thing about that is there also hearing how this professional talks to the student with the speech language need so that everybody can support that student even when this big speech language teachers not there. And that's what I've seen happen really often specifically with speech language.

spk_0:   5:59
Yet I'm gonna go really low tech, no texts and old school. And I do think one of the greatest things any professional can provide Inco presence might actually be more in that facilitated role. Where they're looking at my lesson plans their pre recording a mini lesson. Here's a great way to make sure you're holding your pencil. Parents and teachers and students triple check. Do you have a good pencil grip? Here's a great large but muscle movement. Let's all do that. So I think often times adding those layers between it goes back to your earlier podcast on Universal design for learning, but I think adding those really simple layers to the lesson plan. And again, though it goes back to access, I think sometimes we know people who think the online world made you just show up and fly at the seat of your pants. Really good. Teaching period has some kind of targeted plan. We all know that target then adding those layers. So fixed five service providers in a kid's life, all five of them. Being in an online environment the same time with the kids isn't going to be helpful. But if we go back to that early intervention model where one person is doing but all are observing and coaching, you know, wildly. So that was great to see that large physical movement. But now we'd like to see a fine motor movement or, oh, I love it. You got movement. But now let's see if they can tell you what that movement was Paul Okon they say the work ball. So now we have this more of arena type of assessment arena type of co teaching so that the General Ed teacher isn't saying seriously. I need to plan for five adults to be in my room at the same time. I think families, they're feeling that way too

spk_1:   7:33
absolutely. And you mentioned you were going low tech. I'll go a little higher tech. kind of summarized my thoughts, and that idea of of little video recorded many lessons that any teacher could use. And are specialists record or even popping in to see if people are having real time discussions with kids and doing a little mini lesson there? If if you Google, you know, occupational therapy apps, for example, if a gen ed teacher were to look at those or occupational therapist, you will find so many. There's looking at the website called OT Cafe that just has links to different types of apps. So once people start looking at things together, they can understand how they can apply across settings and across students. But if if the occupational therapist took the lead and identified a few great tools, did a little mini lesson in in a class, then all students might you want to use those tools and some kids again, I need them,

spk_0:   8:34
Yeah, so you know, I'm thinking, kind of my last thought goes back to tech, but again. It doesn't have to be a paid version. I know several districts were using something called Gold Book, where families and PT, OT, and  speech can see each other. But even if it's a Google doc, even if it again, it goes back to that consistency. If there's somewhere we can share that simple and easy, maybe it's a texting each other once a week. Here's the theme for this week online. It's gonna be animals in their natural habitat that at least gives us all a place to start. And I think it provides what meaning more than any time now online is synergy. But honestly, what we need any more ever is in a brick and mortar is synergy. It's that synergistic piece of that. Whether it's station teaching, alternative teaching, team teaching, I don't think it matters which type. It matters that we all are kind of have synergy and what we're

spk_1:   9:26
doing. It really does revolve around thinking not so specifically about the language of co teach, but at at its core, it's just collaboration. I bring my best. You bring your best in together. The kids are getting twice as much.

spk_0:   9:40
Yeah, you know what I think, bringing our best. Let's transition a little bit. And to maybe giving some a preview of what we think season TV will be something. Our plan is to do this for about the next six weeks, and then we might take a little summer break ourselves is kind of in our discussion. So we're gonna talk about social skills. I think that alone is hilarious coming from two very different people who have the same core values. So you got any thoughts about how we're going to kick this off on what might be some things we're looking for people to ask about?

spk_1:   10:08
Well, I you know, I'm always interested in behavior and behavior. Doesn't have to. I don't I don't mean that from a behavioral, if I mean literally. You know what behaviors  our kids are exhibiting, even if it's just being on task off task, etcetera. So I do think, you know, I really want to continue some discussions about different types of behavior that people might have questions about. But I also think some of those things like, dialogue, teaching kids to have conversations, helping to understand the needs of kids who are really feeling isolated right now how we mentioned in stuff advocacy this round. But I think areas in it advocacy still to explore transition skills. And I think there's a lot that we can think about under this category because we're often thinking just of those academic skills on, and I think that continuing to look at the bigger picture is the real opportunity

spk_0:   11:09
here. Yeah, you know, I think I hope people will pose questions. But I know one that you and I both at our heart, we really want to bring up is this whole issue of sexuality and people with disabilities. And this is safety of theirs. You know, I think we're looking for a guest speaker. We're hoping toe have there because I think that's one you know, protecting body and mind of people with disabilities extremely important because it's a such a vulnerable, possible population. And I think going along with that is is his money. I think we're in a financial world where there's a scam popping up by the second on, and I think helping understand not just cybersecurity, but really, how do how do you set up finances and What does that look like for that person to the level of independence they have, Whether it's they're going to live in a group home, they're gonna live with your family forever, or they're gonna leave your house and be on their own. Either way, there's worries because of their body and their mind and their economic value. So we see this being wide open. We hope you oppose lots of questions for us. Any last thoughts as we end,  Season one in transition to season two?

spk_1:   12:14
No, just. Well, I say no. And then I start talking, Yes, my overall, but his first. I appreciate people taking a moment to listen in, and I think that this is an opportunity for all of us right now in this really unusual time to rethink our profession in to rethink what we bring in, what we can bring and what we should bring to the profession, because there's a lot of changes at so those of us who have been, for whatever reason, feeling like we haven't had our foothold because things change so often, especially in the field of special education, it does feel like it always changes. I think this is a chance to really redefine ourselves as true experts and spend some time over these last few weeks of the traditional school year and into the summer thinking about what do we want the future look, to look like for special Ed?

spk_0:   13:05
Yeah. And I think you know, that's what I really like about this season Two is to me summer is a great time to say what is missing. We're not gonna be hitting about academics, but what do you miss it in your curriculum about, you know, mind, body and spirit To really make sure we're thinking about people with disabilities having the future they want, not the ones we want for them. And I think that's value. And then I think we have to acknowledge were both pretty excited. 1000 people have downloaded our podcast. Now we're on iTunes. I heart, which means more than our own mothers have listened to it. This one because I wasn't quite sure of Anybody would listen. But we do encourage you to share this as it's helpful. And we really appreciate you being with us, Please, you Twitter s questions or tweet us questions. Whichever you like, can I have this discussion on Twitter and is my favorite word? And I know it's not a word of a due to eat is some question to have practical access. Thank you. And we look forward to having you listen to Season two.