2016 National Conference for Special Education held in St. Louis, Missouri
Bachelors of education students at William Woods University who have a passion for special education will have the unique opportunity to advance their knowledge of the field and grow as professionals through the upcoming 2016 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) National Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri from April 13-16.
The event offers over 500 various sessions, workshops, town halls and more to choose from. You can browse the sessions online now and establish a game plan, choosing topics that meet your specific interests and allow you to get all that you want out of the experience.
A few of the many issues/topics that the conference will address include:
- Developing proactive plans to improve motivation and behavior
- Preparing students with disabilities for a successful transition in college
- Policy change in special education
- Survival tips for first-year special education teachers
- Social-Emotional learning and the implementation of yoga in special education classrooms
- And many others
Special education has come a long way, with new teaching methods and strategies constantly being developed, new theories being tested, and students with disabilities narrowing achievement gaps and becoming more and more prepared for future success.
As teachers continue to build upon the quality of education given to students with exceptionalities, there are also some hurdles they must overcome.
An article by The Friendship Circle, a nonprofit promoting the support of friendship and inclusion for individuals with special needs, explains the top 10 challenges faced by special education teachers. These challenges span from lack of appreciation and support, issues in data collection, variability of student needs and others.
The goal of the CEC National Conference is to uplift special education teachers, or bachelors in education students preparing to enter the field, and provide tools to better cope with these challenges.
The conference will be full of celebration through awards granted to students and professionals advancing the field of special education, insight into cutting edge practices and advanced learning through educational workshops, and support and rejuvenation for teachers experiencing burn out.
William Woods University education students can gain a better understanding of children with special needs through courses like EDU231 Exceptional Child. Topics covered in the course range from the history and legal basis of special education to assessment and evaluation procedures, characteristics, appropriate intervention strategies and teaching methods and more.