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Human Development & School Services College of Education and P-16 Integration

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Dr. John Lowdermilk III
Department Chair/Professor
Department of Human Development and School Services
Edinburg Campus: EEDUC 1.302
Email: hdss@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-3466
Phone Alt: (956) 665-3358

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Learning Integrated Through Experience

LITE: Learning Integrated Through Experience

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The LITE Program ended during the Fall 2017 semester.

Learning Integrated Through Experience (LITE) is a pilot program with the School of Medicine and the Human Development & School Services Department where a select group of pre-clinical, teacher candidates are given the opportunity to work with local school districts.  LITE participants work with students identified at-risk in the areas of academics, social skills, emotional development, and school attendance. LITE is structured around a combination of inter-professional collaboration (i.e., School of Medicine, Social Work, Counseling, & Special Education) using Referent-based Instruction. Referent-based instruction is broken into three areas, consisting of (a) Structure, (b) Repetition, and (c) Consistency. While these appear simple on their surface, each are based on a history of empirically based neuro-cognitive and behavior research including professional practice with populations from birth though adulthood. This approach starts with introducing teachers and assistants (e.g., participants) to demystification of the student’s disability(s) and the differing ways the student(s) are affected both academically and developmentally – at the same time, instruction on working with parents/guardians and other community resources. Once this baseline has been established, participants are moved to intense, holistic Referent-based Instruction. This is an ongoing process, where teachers work as consultants as well as learn how to become collaborators with each other.

The ongoing goal of the LITE program is to, in addition conducting Field Experience Learning, is to give the special education Pre-Clinical Teacher Candidates the opportunity to spend time with faculty and residents in the School of Medicine, Department of Family & Pediatric Medicine to gain an understanding of the biological basis of disabilities as well as the pharmacological effects of medicine on academic performance and behavior. Additionally, the special education faculty and students will provide an understanding of special education processes to future physicians and residents in both Pediatric & Family Medicine.

The pilot program was completed in the spring 2017 and included a group of seven pre-clinical, special education teacher candidates. These students were interviewed and video recorded using a semi-structured approach in order to elicit their overall reactions to program. This presentation presents the initial findings as well as the video interviews.


 

An Overview of the Lite Program as Described by the students and professors.

 

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