EDSN 520 - Cultural Competency in Special Education

Becoming a culturally competent educator is one of the best ways to respond to the unique needs of a diverse classroom. To become culturally competent, you must first seek to understand the impact of culture on students’ learning, including the intersection of special education and other aspects of students’ culture. Only by identifying the biases and needs associated with this unique culture can you find the right teaching strategies to best respond to your students.

In this course, you will learn about cultural competency as a whole, as well as its implications in the special education classroom. You’ll identify inequities often present in special education and the factors that lead to them, including disproportionality and overrepresentation of certain student populations. In addition, you’ll explore specific teaching strategies and lesson plans you can use to foster a more positive, culturally responsive environment. Finally,you’ll examine how to involve families and the school community to become more culturally competent to enhance students’ experience in the special education classroom.

By the end of this course, you will have the self-reflection and pedagogical skills youneed to continually grow and respond to the needs of your special education students.