Phase 1

During the Inspiration phase, you will be required to brainstorm and describe the topic of your
choice. The following parts need to be included in your submission of the Inspiration Phase. 

 Title: Meeting Students’ Academic Needs in Special Education Virtually Using Boom
Cards
 Statement of Purpose: 
o What is ONE real life problem that you identify and would like to solve?
 Students with special needs need more support in the classroom and it may
be more difficult to attain that support while school is virtual.
o Why do you think it’s important to solve this problem?
 It is important to solve this problem because students in special education
need more support, and if their needs aren’t met during Distance Learning
they will most likely regress. Most special education students have a
harder time regaining knowledge lost than general ed students, this is why
there is Extended School Year (summer school) offered to many special
education students.
o What are some possible solutions to your problem?
 Using Boom Cards to meet students’ individual needs
 More one on one time with teachers and/or service providers
 Individualized plans between parents/caregivers and teachers/administration
for each student
 Teacher giving virtual instruction with a parent/caregiver giver in-person
instruction.
 Teacher coaching parents how to work with their child
o What is the ultimate impact you would like to see or determine to achieve? 
 Our impact is being able to support each and every student and their specific
needs through different resources while they are learning virtually. 
 Literature Review: Find 3-5 research resources (or more) related to the problem.
For each resource, please report: 
o Interview with a Special Education teacher Mr. Wayne Richardson (personal
communication, September 16, 2020)
 The problem was addressed by the Special education students, teachers,
and parents working together to use technology to help students in Special
Education
 Technology was used to meet the needs of students in Special Education
by converting classes and real-life experiences to online.
 Technology was involved by having lessons and real-life experiences in a
controlled online environment.
 The pros were still being able to have lessons and learn,, but the cons are
being completely online and the teachers not being able to directly address
or help any specific student.

o https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-strategies-special-education-kids-learn-
home (Fleming, 2020)
  Problems:
  “One huge hurdle, teachers say, is determining if both the learning
and services students are accustomed to receiving in school—
things like gross motor remediation and behavioral therapy—can
even be offered in a home-based setting or through digital
resources.” (Fleming, 2020).
 How well will caregivers or parents at home be able to help special
education students?
 Students in special education strive on the structure of the school
day, and without that rigid structure how will they succeed?
 Solutions:
 Establishing an appropriate home learning environment for the
student.
 Reevaluate which IEP goal are achievable in a home setting
 Proactively engage with parents and caregivers
 Work together with parents to create activities that resemble what
they would be doing in a classroom setting
 Have great structure and routine
 Meet sensory and movement needs using items available at home
 Pros/Cons
 Cons of these solutions are that not all families have items or the
means to buy items that will help regulate their students during the
day. Without appropriate materials, parents/caregivers can only do
so much.
 Pros if all of these solutions can be implemented, this might
provide some regularity for the students. This will help them meet
their goals and be successful.
 Fleming, N. (2020, March 27). New Strategies in Special Education as
Kids Learn From Home. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from
https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-strategies-special-education-kids-
learn-home
o https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/special-education-
paraeducators-navigate-distance-learning (Long, 2020)
 The problem was addressed by bringing up an interview with a special
education teacher and has her address her concerns.
 The solutions provided include having team socials with students and
teachers, and giving more “shout-outs” or recognition for students, and
overall connecting more to social-emotional learning.
 Technology was involved by having these solutions over ZOOM and
through the class meetings they have through the app.
 The pros include having more social and emotional growth with the
students, but the cons include students not being able to pick up on verbal
cues or facial expressions as easily online as they can in person.
 Long, C. (2020). Special Education Paraeducators Navigate Distance
Learning. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from
 https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/special-
education-paraeducators-navigate-distance-learning

 Project description: Explain/describe your project in detail by answering the following

questions:
o Who is the audience? What are their characteristics? 
 Our audience includes parents, teachers, administration, service providers,
and families. Some of their characteristics include a desire to help students in
the special education population.
o Their grade level
 K-6
 English proficiency level
 If we were to be using our tool in Fresno Unified School District, we would be
working with an audience with various English proficiency levels. The 3 main
languages in FUSD are: English, Spanish, and Hmong. We want to create
something that benefits everyone in our audience, not just people that speak
English.
o Their learning needs (i.e. learning styles, learning disabilities, etc. ) 
 Since our project focuses on meeting special education students’ needs,
we will be working with a wide array of learning styles and learning
disabilities. 
o What subject area(s) would you like to focus on and why?
 We would like to focus on the main subject areas (Math & ELA)
o What technological tool(s) would you like to use and how does it help solve the
problem that you’ve identified? 
 Technological tools we would like to use include:
 https://wow.boomlearning.com
 ClassDojo, to communicate with parents/families
 Tablets, laptops, computers
o How is your project unique/significant? 
 Our project is unique and significant because it focuses on a specific group
of students. This group of students in particular require a lot of help and
support while in person. So, while we are doing Distance Learning and in
the virtual world these students' needs are even more complicated to reach.
 Questions/Concerns:
o What are some questions and/or concerns you are having right now about the
project? OR
o What are the contexts and constraints that you are facing? 
 (You will try to find answers to these questions/concerns later)
 Students who struggle with looking at a tablet/laptop
 Connecting with Nonverbal students virtually
 How to address students with severe behaviors virtually
 Students/Parents with technological difficulties
 About you 
Every member of our group has a personal connection to special education and how
important it is to give these students the help they need. Jaiden: I chose this topic because I am a
1st/2nd Moderate/Severe Autism Teacher and am looking for ways to better help my students while
we are doing virtual learning. Janelle: I chose this topic because I have worked with students with
special needs throughout my school career and hope to become a Moderate to Severe Special
Education Teacher. Kylie: I chose this topic because I want to become a special education teacher.
Also I am currently a special education instructional aide. And I want to take part in having better
resources for our students. Courtney: I chose this topic because I have worked with special
education students before and am interested in learning more in depth about different teaching
methods. I also hope one day to become a special education teacher and to work in the school
environment.

 Settings
    Our project would be operated virtually over a laptop, computer, tablet, or whatever devices
that are available to the student. The setting would be any virtual classroom where one or more
special education students are present. Our setting is very limited due to COVID-19 and Distance
Learning. 

Resources and Guidance

Fleming, N. (2020, March 27). New Strategies in Special Education as Kids Learn From Home. 

    Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-strategies-

    special-education-kids-learn-home

Long, C. (2020, June 17). Special Education Paraeducators Navigate Distance Learning | NEA. 

    Retrieved from, https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/special-

    -education-para educators-navigate-distance-learning