Inclusion With Infusion!

Mary Grace PhillipsMarygp@knights.ucf.edu

March 29, 2010EEX 4070

Early Perceptions

Can I really do this?

Okay, I can figure this out and this is going to be a

great experience

But…..where do I go and what

do I do?

I’m a little scared.

Introduction to the Setting304 W. Fountain Street, Fruitland Park, Fl 34731

Our Team:“The Fruitland Park Posse”

We first met collaboratively as a group with the ESE director at Fruitland Park Elementary. She divided us into small groups to begin working with individual teachers. The group included:

Kim EthingtonPaul HollandCarissa KaseKaren MoffettRikki MontgomeryDanielle MooreOlivia MoultonMary Grace PhillipsAnthony RitterCari UrankarTracey Hoff

Two are better than one!

Group One (Tuesdays)

Group Two (Fridays)

(Above)Me and Olivia

Carissa Kase

Me

Karen Moffett

Demographics

Fruitland Park Elementary 2010

WhiteAfrican AmericanMultiIndianHispanicAsian

Total number of students 630White: 202 African American: 72 Multi: 15 Indian: 4 Hispanic: 27 Asian: 7

Personal Demographics

The most important things in my life are my 3 children and finishing my degree in Elementary Education so I can teach.

“To teach is to touch a life forever”

Participant DemographicsMrs. McKibben’s 4th Grade Class

(Right) Team 2: Mary Grace Phillips and Olivia Moulton

• 17 students (4 inclusion) • 6 African American • 11 Caucasians • 7 were boys and 10 were girls.

(Left) Team 1: Mary Grace Phillips, Karen Moffett and Carissa Kase

• 23 students ( 9 inclusion / 2 with accommodations

• 13 Caucasians, 7 African American, 2 Hispanic, 1 Marshalize

• 17 were boys and 6 were girls

Mrs. Vessels 3rd Grade Class

Engagement Activities

• In Mrs. Vessels class she asked that we focus our time and energy on 4 main students offering them various ways of learning. We incorporated movement, working with manipulatives, and hands on learning. We used a trampoline, a smart board, played games and did various activities for engagement. The students responded well with Olivia and I and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Tyler and the “whisper phone.” This was a great idea to make him talk softer and not disrupt the class. (Below)

(Above) SmartBoard

Engagement Activities (cont.)

In Mrs. McKibben’s Class we initiated many hands-on activities including students making posters, giving oral presentations, and we played instructional games to develop listening skills and following directions. Again, all the students and the teacher enjoyed our lessons and activities every week, looked forward to us coming and responded very well.

My Reflection of This Experience

My ending thought is that this was an awesome experience! I thoroughly enjoyed working with the students, learning different strategies to use to reach various students and their varying abilities and that this will definitely play a big part in my future career as an elementary school teacher. My anxieties diminished and my success, and the students success, prevailed. Also, I know our whole team made a difference at Fruitland Park Elementary and the school would like to continue with future UCF students and their service learning projects. I like knowing we made a difference.

In loving memory of Teresa Fordham.

Mrs. Fordham was the ESE Director at Fruitland Park Elementary and the first person I spoke with about my project. She was very excited about the service learning project with UCF and very helpful as well. During the course of our project, Mrs. Fordham passed away very unexpectedly. The school was shocked and saddened, as were all UCF students who met and worked with her. Mrs. Fordham worked at FPE for the past 7 years and worked with the exceptional education teachers. She was a wife and mother of four and a very active member of the community. She was an exceptional lady and will be greatly missed. In her honor the UCF students will be donating a plaque to be placed in front of a newly planted tree at the school. It was Mrs. Fordham’s hope that the service learning project with UCF students would be ongoing for years to come.