I learned about two important subjects this week; collaboration and specific learning disabilities. I studied about collaboration and it’s importance in teaching all children, especially those with special needs. I never thought about the degree of importance that collaborating with others has. There needs to be collaboration between teachers, parents, teams, administrators, specialists, etc. It is like a giant web of people working together to assure that students receive the best possible education. I found it interesting how many characteristics collaboration should have in order to be effective. One thing I learned was what parity is. Parity is the belief that all members contributions are important and valued. I feel that this is especially important while working as a team.

I also watched a presentation on Specific Learning Disabilities. It astonishes me to think about all the different types of learning disabilities. For me it just reinforces the need to be trained in a way that I will be able to help students with special needs to learn and have enjoyable learning experiences in my classroom and throughout their schooling.