Mahler,+Haley,+504+Plans

My name is Haley Mahler and I am an Accelerated Baccalaureate student. This means that I will graduate in three years with my Bachelor's instead of four. This also means that I am still a teenager for a few more months. I am an Idaho native, and I have one sister. My mother, two of my aunts, my grandmother, my uncle, and two of my cousins are all teachers. My mother pushed my sister and I go to college as she had waited to finish her degree until my sister and I were in school which was not easy for any of us. My father also motivated me to go to college as he did not have the opportunity to. One thing that people may not know about me is that I love to cook and bake.

 What brings you joy? Many things in life bring me joy. Working with children brings me great joy and I am hopeful that it will for many years to come. I also enjoy the outdoors and playing with my two miniature schnauzers who are back home. Two things that bring me the most joy in my life are my friends and family. I am blessed to have a great family and a great group of friends! I also truly enjoy being creative in any way I can.

 What is your greatest fear about being a teacher? My greatest fear about being a teacher is letting a child slip through the cracks. I want to ensure that I provide as many resources to the children who are struggling in my class whether it be academically, socially, or emotionally. I would hate to think that I could have done more for a child that would have helped them in the future and not put them in a situation that was detrimental to them,

Did you ever experience a time when something was extremely difficult to learn? Math has always been hard for me to learn. When I was a junior in high school I took Algebra 2 and I had an extremely difficult time learning the material. This was the highest math class I had ever taken, and there was a lot of formulas to learn. I have a hard time learning abstract ideas and these formulas all seemed very abstract to me. In the end I finished the class and somehow passed but it was a rocky road that made me dislike math even more.

 How might this piece of your history help you connect to your students with learning differences? This piece of my history can help me connect to students who get frustrated or don't understand a concept. Having a hard time has allowed me to realize what study methods work best for me and I can use that to help my students. I can tell them about my experiences and show them that you can work through it and even the teacher struggles some times.

 What do you want to gain from this course? I want to gain a better idea of special education procedures as well as the best ways to foster an inclusive classroom. I have a lot of hope that this class will be extremely beneficial and will make me a better teacher.

Introduction to 504 Plan: The reason I chose the topic 504 plan for my Wiki, is because they are a way that teachers can assist students who do not qualify for an IEP. When I chose this topic I had no idea what a 504 plan was, but I have learned a great deal about them and how they differ from IEPs. Because I want to eventually go into Special Education learning about 504 plans will be very helpful in the future. The resources below very from parent to teacher resources but are all very informative. If you would like to know more about 504 plans look at the links below :)

Top 5 Things Learned: 1. 504 plans and IEP plans can vary greatly. 2. 504 plans can be used for a wide variety of impairments as long as they affect one or more of the students "major life activities". 3. 504 plans came from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 4. 504 plans, like IEP's, are binding legal documents. 5. Accommodations that are used with 504 plans are varied depending on the student!

Top Resource: <span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">"Section 504 Online Introductory Tutorial ." Florida Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">This is a great resource! It has so much information regarding 504 plans. It includes seven different modules which all include varied information about 504 plans. There is an introduction, a pre-test, then the information and a test. In each module there are myths that you can dispel and what the reality of the myth is as well. Any teacher who is working with 504 plans should look at this information <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">.

<span style="color: #6824c9; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Additional Resources: <span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> "504 Plan vs. IEP." Education Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012. [|ED Center 504 Plans] <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This resource gives a detailed comparison between and IEP and a 504 plan. It is written in an easy to read table and includes more information about what is included in a free and appropriate education. The first part of the table talks about the different details of the laws and the similarities as well. The second part of the table talks about the differences from an educators point of view. This website also provides example documents that may be helpful for parents and teachers to look at.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Renwick, George. "Section 504 Frequently Asked Questions." Trenton School District. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is a fabulous resource! It answers over 20 questions regarding the basics and more advanced information regarding 504 plans. The questions are broken up into sections of: Basic Requirements, Evaluation, Eligibility Determination, Individual Accommodation Plan, and Miscellaneous. This resource would be great for educators to refer parents to. I think that as a parent a 504 plan may seem uncomprhensible with all the law and wording involved but this resource breaks it down simply.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"504 Plans and the Teacher." Garvey Education Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. [|504 Plans and the Teacher] <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This website gives a look at the 504 plan from the point of view of the teacher. It gives teachers information on what students qualify as well as what to do if they do not agree with the 504 plan. One of the best things on this website is the discussion of the teacher's role in each step of the 504 plan process. It is very informative but would not be a suggested resource for parents.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> "Student Access Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ." Oregon Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2012. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is a 55 page document published by the state of Oregon. It includes description of what is in a 504 plan. It also includes sample forms that schools in Oregon use. There are also more resources that my be helpful to parents and educators. The reason I chose this resource if because it is used across Oregon, it is lengthy but also has a lot of information that would be helpful. Every state works 504 plans differently so this resource shows the Oregon way.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Billings, Judith. "Meeting the Needs of All Students." The Teachers Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://www.theteachersguide.com/504.html>. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating 3 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This is a rich document full of information for parents and educators. One part of the document that I thought was very creative was the possible classroom and facility accommodations that can be made based on different concerns of the parent or teacher.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Student Services- 504 Plans." Mt. Diablo Unified School District. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://www.mdusd.org/Departments/studentservices/Pages/504Plans.aspx <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This website includes all examples of all documents that are used in a 504 plan meeting and process. One document that would be beneficial for the teacher and the parent is the codes for accommodations document that explains all codes related to accommodations that can be made in the classroom. There is also a document that is the evaluation worksheet so parents and teachers can understand what the students is being evaluated on.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">King, Erin. "504 Plan vs. the IEP." Newideas.net. N.p., 13/02/2012. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://newideas.net/504-iep-adhd>. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This website gives pros and cons for both IEP's and 504 plans. It is brief but ways in on the authors opinions of both.

<span style="color: #00e5ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973." Illinois State Board of Education. N.p., 06/2009. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/pdfs/parent_guide/ch15-section_504.pdf>. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. <span style="color: #e90e93; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This website presents the top 5 myths about 504 plans and the truths to these myths as well. It presents them in a clean and organized way. The document also shows parents how to file a compliant about their student's 504 plan.