History of Special Education

Chapter 2 of Legal Aspects of Special Education, provides an overview of the historical development of special education.  These major events did not occur in isolation and the chapter explains the role that special education advocates have had on the growth of special education services.  

You will be focusing on the following main bullet points today:

• The field of special education is rooted in the work of physicians- not professional educators.
• Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard is credited with the first notable, recorded attempt (in the early ninteenth cenury) to educate a child with severe limitaions in a structured manner.
• Edouard Seguin continued Itard's work with children with mental challengers into the latter half of the ninteenth century.
• Itard's and Seguin's ideas and pratices are integral components of current special education practices.

You will be visiting three resources: one video and two websites.  After visiting the resources, you will answer 5 questions. I would highly encourage you to look over the questions before visiting the resources and taking notes while going through the resources. You must answer all questions in complete sentences with correct grammar and spelling. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Here are your three resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FawKORkfrSE   (Please watch 0:00-0:33 and 5:35-10:00)

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/reference/champions/pdf/JeanMarcGaspardItard%20.pdf

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Edouard_Seguin

Answer the following questions in a separate word document:

1. Two examples of how Itard's and Seguin's ideas formed the foundation for special education today are: ________________________________________ and ___________________________________.

2. What is NOT a benefit of Seguin's physiological method in treating mental retardation?

a. strengthen the bodies of indviduals with MR

b. allow individuals to gain control over their bodies

c. increase brain function

d. help patients function in society

3. ESSAY  Summarize Victor of Aveyron's life and how Itard helped him. Describe the progress, if any, and what Victor became capable of due to Itard's work with him.

4. Who was greatly influenced by the teaching methods of Seguin?

a. Itard

b. Maria Montessori

c. Victor the Wild Child

d. Phillipe Pinel

5. Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard contributions's to special education were: inventor of ______________ __________________, creator of ___________
education for the ____________, and ______________ of special _______________ for the mentally and physically
handicapped.

ESSAY RUBRIC

Thanks for visting the WebQuest, I hope you were able to learn more about the History of Special Education.

Here is a reminder of what you learned about today:

Chapter 2 of Legal Aspects of Special Education, provides an overview of the historical development of special education.  These major events did not occur in isolation and the chapter explains the role that special education advocates have had on the growth of special education services.  

You will be focusing on the following main bullet points today:

• The field of special education is rooted in the work of physicians- not professional educators.
• Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard is credited with the first notable, recorded attempt (in the early ninteenth cenury) to educate a child with severe limitaions in a structured manner.
• Edouard Seguin continued Itard's work with children with mental challengers into the latter half of the ninteenth century.
• Itard's and Seguin's ideas and pratices are integral components of current special education practices.

May we all hold a view like Itard and Sequin- that those who are labeled as "incapable' or "idiots" CAN be trained and learn how to function effectively. May we never hold a child back from learning and growing.

Resources:

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/reference/champions/pdf/JeanMarcGaspardItard%20.pdf

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Edouard_Seguin