January 18, 2008
Blogging is a new experience for me but I am excited about using this new tool. My
hope is that I can use this technology with preservice and inservice teachers with whom I work. I can see how it could be useful as a reflective journal to capture insights from experience.
It is often hard to balance the demands of professional life which include teaching, research, writing, and presentations with everyday demands of personal life. I have spent years in the field of early childhood special education in various positions (administrator, state consultant, home visitor, itinerant teacher, and teacher) to name a few, and have remained "alive" through the contact that I have had with children and families. My passion for making the lives of children with disabilities and families better --provides the fuel that keeps this vehicle running.
Interaction with families who have young children with disabilities is close to my heart. Many families do not have the adequate resources or support services necessary to care for themselves and their child. It is alarming to know that many of our families who live in extreme poverty also have children who have disabilities. Early Intervention plays a vital role in the overall success of families and their children, however children are not always linked to these services.
Research that I have conducted in inclusive preschool environments also provides me with the incentive to work with teachers who are entering the profession (preservice) and those who are in classrooms (inservice) where inclusion poses a challenge to them on a daily basis. Most of the challenges result from the lack of knowledge or skills to implement appropriate intervention. A big part of that is, of course, assistive technology.
Anyway, this is what I live and breathe. I also have a husband, a cat (Twinkle), and a familiy of 4 daughters and 4 step children. All of them are extremely valuable to me as an individual. In addition, I am working on a text that will blend strategies from special education into early childhood education.
About Me
- Dr. Mitch
- Early Childhood Intervention Specialist: I am an Associate Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Child Development and Family Relations in the Birth through Kindergarten(BK) licensure program. My challenge is to assist students who are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate to understand the needs of young children who have diverse abilities. Adaptive curriculum, assessment, equipment, and materials are a big part of my life through the courses that I teach and the interactions that I have with area service providers and school districts.