Justin Cunningham

Breaking down procedures into small incremental steps is an important part of memorization. When someone is explaining something to me that will take me over a series of days to complete, I without fail will not remember anything they said past the first several steps. I may figure it out but won't remember. This is something I will keep in mind when explaining long procedures to students. 

Showing students how to learn and not just what they need to learn is an important aspect I have not thought of. I will incorporate studying techniques into my classes so they can understand the information and how to retain it.   

Preparation for delivering course material will not only help you with instructing but also allow you to be more comfortable in your class with your students. Showing up early and being prepared is what I plan on doing to be successful. 

Modeling what you expect out of the students is key for a healthy classroom environment. My professionalism will set the tone for them to understand my expectations and have them naturally follow them. I am putting out what I expect to receive. 

When assisting students with disabilities you don't need to understand every aspect of their situation unless you are the individual designated to coordinate the assistance. I will make sure I keep the healthy balance of knowing what I need to know. 

Section 504 details the requirement for accommodations for individuals with mobility issues. This ensures that students and employees at universities have access to applicable building and meeting rooms. It is important to know so that so as an institution we can make sure we are not hindering learning. 

Understanding the limitations of students as it pertains to their specific disability is important for institutions to be aware of. There is not a one size fits all and individual concerns should be addressed by a case by case basis. I will apply this by ensuring I know exactly what my students may need to make them successful. 

The module does a good job of explaining the accommodations that are available for individuals with disabilities as well as made me realize how much technology plays a part to enable folks with disabilities to continue education and pursue fields that they may not have been able to before. Even as simply being able to take courses from home if you have a mobility issue is a big improvement in quality of life. 

Understanding FERPA and what you can and can't do is not only important but the law. For instance, you cannot post videos online of your students doing a presentation. Thankfully these are in-place to protect students, employees and institutions. 

One of the "Knowledge Bytes" questions had an interesting scenario about what if an employee is also a student at the same school and ensuring there are practices in-place to make sure they cannot access their own record. Something that probably does happen from time to time but I and I assume most folks don't think of.