Resources from the KU School of Education and Human Sciences

Susan Hartz:

All right let's go ahead and get the ball rolling. So tonight, again, welcome and good evening to this special webinar. We are going to have a round table discussion with some KU students and alumni and faculty within the online graduate special education programs. We just want to offer this webinar so that way we can all share experiences from student and faculty perspectives. And then, so now we'll go ahead and do all of our introductions. So first, I'm Susan Hartz. I have been in college admissions for about four years. I have been an admissions advisor on behalf of the University of Kansas for about 10 months. I work with all of the online graduate school of education programs. Before I got into college admissions, I was actually in education in the classroom in various roles for over 10 years. I have a bachelor's degree in elementary education. I have a master's degree in school counseling. So it feels very full circle to be in admissions for education programs. And then now I'd like to introduce my colleague, Jeremiah.



Jeremiah Nast:

Hi everybody, I'm Jeremiah. I've been working in college admissions since the dawn of time, but I just started working with KU about three years ago. And apologies for the late start. I can take responsibility for that. But we are... I went to school initially to be an English teacher and it was a lot harder than I ever thought it was gonna be. So more than a lot of a respect for everybody in this, as they're working with different people in different situations, especially in special education. So with that, we will go on to our next page. Susan, if you'd like to introduce to everybody.



Susan Hartz:

Sure, all right. So our support of our panel tonight is we have an awesome collection of KU students and alumni. So now I figure I'd let everybody kind of do their own little introductions. We can start off with Sydney, if you want to introduce yourself to everybody.



Sydney Castonguay:

Hi everyone, my name is Sydney Castonguay. I graduated from KU's online programs in 2020. I obtained both my master's in special education high incidence and my graduate certificate in autism spectrum disorders from KU, both in 2020. I'm currently a first-grade general education teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts. And I am also a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at Slippery Rock University.



Susan Hartz:

Nice, thanks Sydney. And then Catherine.



Catherine Hansen:

Hi, my name is Catherine Hansen. I'm a KU high incidence special education grad as of December of 2021. I am an elementary special education teacher at Clare Alternative Learning Center in Olathe.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome, thank you. And then Debbie.



Deborah:

See, I was a proud graduate by my picture. [laughter] I graduated with, especially with the autism master's in 2018. I also got my graduate certificate from there. I am now finishing up, hopefully will be done this next May and with my doctorate in special ed with Liberty University. And I'm what they call a teacher on special assignment in Greensboro, North Carolina. And what that means is I go and work with students that basically were not getting their needs met and someone needed to go make sure that was changed and they hired me to do that.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome, thanks. And then Kevin.



Kevin Fulmer:

Good evening, everyone. I'm Kevin Fulmer. So I'm recently an autism certificate graduate at KU. And right now I'm in the program track for the master's in science education, specifically for a transition track. So I'm just trying to stay on top of that to graduate next year. So I am not an educator, but I am a parent with a student on the spectrum and I'm looking forward to completing this master's as it looks to a follow-on career after my full-time career of being an active army officer and looking to get into education. Thank you.



Susan Hartz:

All right, thanks. And then Aleya. Oh, we can't hear you.



Aleya:

Sorry, yeah, I'm muted. I realized I mute myself sorry. My name is Aleya, I graduated in the transition program back in May, so still fresh. My current role is I'm a caregiver family assistant for a young adult with disabilities. So I've been with this family for almost three years now. So not in the education world, but it brought me a unique perspective of the family side this past couple of years.



Susan Hartz:

All right, thanks so much. And then lastly, Kaylee.



Kaylee Wright:

Hi, I'm Kaylee Wright. I graduated in December of 2021 in the High Incidence Special Education's master's program. I was a fifth grade teacher for four years in the North Kansas City School District in Kansas City, Missouri. And I'm gonna be transitioning into being a third grade teacher, a general education teacher. And I welcome students into my classroom who are moving and transitioning between fully enclosed special education classrooms. And I'm excited to have them in my class. And this fall I will be starting my specialist in math education.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. All right, thanks everybody. And then now we'd like to introduce our faculty panelists. So, Glennda, if you wanna go ahead and start off.



Glennda McKeithan:

Hi, my name is Glennda McKeithan. I'm autism program coordinator. I work remotely for KU from North Carolina. I joined the faculty in 2016. Prior to that, I taught at four different institutions of higher learning. I'm also a retired public school teacher. I retired early, so I'm much younger than I look. And then I've also been a teacher mentor. I was an English teacher for a little while and an administrator. I'm the course author for the autism classes. I love, I regularly teach the first five classes. I work with an amazing colleague, Dr. Griswold, who teaches the other classes with me. And we both have a lot of experience and I, we tell our students all the time, if we don't know the answer, we probably know someone who knows the answer. So, we love working for KU and we're so excited to be here tonight.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. Thanks. And Irma.



Irma:

Good evening, everyone, and let me first thank all the students for taking time to join us. It's so great to see all your faces. And Kevin, thanks for your service. We appreciate that. I am in the high incidence program as a teaching professor, and I've been here at KU. I got my PhD here and just never left. Thought I was going to go profess somewhere but ended up staying here and have been here since, in this role since 2008. I first was involved with the special ed department teaching face-to-face classes with the master's program. And then as we began to move over into the online, I just naturally moved over there and have participated there. I come with a wealth of background in special education in the middle school. I do have some high school, so I'm a secondary special educator and found my love in middle school.



And I was there for 15 years and then moved on to get my PhD here at KU. And that led then to me being in the, in this position where right now I oversee our admissions and I work in conjunction with my colleagues, Dr. Suzanne Robinson and Dr. Sean Smith and our other faculty members who are authors to our program, who are well recognized throughout the country. Dr. Jamie Basham, Dr. Kathleen Lane, Dr. Kathleen Zimmerman are a few of the folks that are part of our online program, which is a huge program, and we're really excited to be able to share some of that information with you.



Susan Hartz:

All right. Thanks guys. Okay. So we are gonna go ahead and get started with our discussion. So first we're gonna have our first round of questions for our students and alumni. What was the biggest takeaway from your program and how has the program created any new opportunities for you? So whoever wants to start off can.



Kaylee Wright:

I guess I'll start now.



Deborah:

Okay, go ahead. Sorry.



Kaylee Wright:

You're fine. I guess the biggest takeaway for me from the special education department and especially my master's program, is just how diverse and that we can bring all of that learning into the general education classroom and make sure that all of those students are receiving the help they need and the accommodations they need and the general education classroom as well as in their resource classrooms as well.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. Thanks. And then I think Deborah, you wanted to add something?



Deborah:

Yes. And if it's okay, I'm gonna start with the second question first, which was how the program created opportunities. I'd like to say that the program at KU changed my life. Because I was general ed for many years, was asked as a kindergarten teacher if I was interested in teaching a pre-K class in children with autism, in North Carolina you have to have no special ed to do that. I said, absolutely. They came when they were three. They were precious, three-, four-, and five-year-olds. I loved them immediately, but I realized that it was, I was in my 50s. I realized that I had no idea how to teach them. So, what I learned, which goes to the first question, my biggest takeaway was the support that I got and the help that I got. 'Cause I came in totally brand new in special ed looking for a master's and got my graduate certificate first.



Dr. Glennda McKeithan, and I'll never be able to thank you enough for all she's done for me and supported me. And just, it did change my life. I am, I started out in pre-K, which is where my heart, I think still is, but I moved due to shattering my knee to middle school and also now work with high school students. But the opportunities that it's provided me, I started out as a teacher moving through all of this and getting my doctorate. My goal is to teach future teachers, but also advocate for students. So I just had to let you know how much I appreciate what I've done and what it did to me for me.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. Thanks for sharing that. And then Aleya, what was your biggest takeaway?



Aleya:

Yeah, so my biggest takeaway is kind of odd. I would like to; I'll piggyback off of what Deborah was saying about the support. So I came in as my master's program having no teaching experience. So I got my undergrad in recreation. So I, like my end goal is to be some type of teacher. And so I was, I'll be honest, I was terrified kind of coming in because I'm like, I have no idea what I'm gonna be doing. Am I gonna be able to be like, catch up? Am I gonna be able to keep up with everyone? Am I gonna know what they're talking about? But the support from each teacher that you get in each of your classes is like something I never had as an undergrad. And that was definitely like something that blew my mind, and I was very appreciative of, and what I took away from my program was what, what I can do one-on-one, serving a family since I am a caregiver. And that was a unique experience for me on how can I help families on a respite level, but how can I still put, transition into that since she is a young adult. And I just really appreciated having those teachers that were there for you when like, you're kind of lost. But I think that was very, very good for the program.



Susan Hartz:

Great. And then Kevin, what was your takeaway?



Kevin Fulmer:

So keeping with the trend for creating new career opportunities, I wanted to pursue a graduate degree and really put a lot more emphasis than I did in the master's program than I did for my bachelor's. And I had a life-changing event, which was, my son's diagnosis several years ago. And I wanted to dive holistically into this new chapter of our life and what my, the entirety of our future is with my son. And I never thought that it could end up leading to what's gonna be another career opportunity. I'm over the half way point of a career I'm in right now and seeing, that the end is near for what I'm doing with my service, I'm looking now ahead at taking this opportunity with education and what is all of my life with my son and turning it into a new career, and career, really unpacking that to just capitalize on the education and, being an advocate for other parents and taking all of that experience and knowledge and making sure that it actually is put into a lot of things.



So, I started the program and then I couldn't believe everything I was learning. I was that dumbfounded parent who had a shocking, significant moment with a doctor, learning about, what the future looks like and oh man, just introduction to ASD it was like, why isn't every parent having to take this class? And it's really changed my life where I've come from starting at KU and, and where I'm going. So going back to the first question the biggest takeaway is, a lot of my peers, everyone, the webinar, a lot of educators, but now I'm starting to meet the other parents who then dove into education. And I feel that bond and I appreciate it. And KU is absolutely the catalyst to sharing knowledge and experience. So I don't feel so much alone as a parent trying to worry about the unknown. So I owe a lot to KU and the faculty and the students I've worked with.



Susan Hartz:

Oh, thank you so much for sharing that. And then Catherine.



Catherine Hansen:

Yeah. So my biggest takeaway, again, piggybacking off of everybody, you need, I'm sorry, my dog is like right here [laughter] and wants to be a part of the webinar. Was the support that I experienced from the KU faculty and staff. I teach in an extremely unique setting that, I teach in a psychiatric residential facility. So I actually had not started teaching there until I started at KU. I have been teaching on a waiver as a special education teacher for the last, two years. And so this program definitely created new career opportunities for me in that it got me my job.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. And all dogs are welcome [laughter], so. And then Sydney.



Catherine Hansen:

Go lay Down.



Sydney Castonguay:

So I think for me, I have the unique experience I did both my master's and my master's in special ed program. So I had Dr. Brassar, and I had Dr. McKeithan 'cause I did the ASD grad certificate. And that fell into my lap kind of unexpectedly as I was in my master's program. And as everybody says, the relationships you build, Dr. McKeithan now serves on my dissertation committee. So being a fully online student doesn't prevent you from building those relationships and helping you move to the next step. Former professor, Dr. Elford, was the first person who made me think about pursuing a doctorate and Dr. McKeithan just took it off from there. So in terms of my biggest takeaway, my biggest takeaway is I've felt that my online experience has been the same, if not better than my in person undergraduate experience in terms of building relationships, every assignment you complete is immediately applicable.



I, like Kaylee, I'm a Gen Ed teacher, so I have those students in my classroom, students with disabilities, but you can meet the needs of all students with things that you're being taught. And in terms of new career opportunities, I applied for a doctorate program when I was 24. And I remember one of the first things somebody said to me was, well, what experience can you bring? You've only been teaching for two or three years. And I just started rambling off everything I learned from KU, and they were very impressed. So it just, not only has it given me a solid foundation for future career aspects, but it's helping me in my day-to-day life as a first grade teacher.



Susan Hartz:

Great. Oh, thank you, everybody, for sharing your takeaways and especially all the opportunities that have come about from being a part of these programs. And then now for our next round of questions, it's gonna be for our faculty. First, can you tell us about the program you help support? And then what are the ways that you are responsive to your students? And we can start off with Dr. McKeithan.



Glennda McKeithan:

I have to say that I'm so proud to be a part of the KU faculty because, as Irma was saying, the KU SPED program is the best in the nation. And many of the faculty that were mentioned earlier were my research heroes when I was getting my masters and my PhD. So I'm thrilled to work with this wonderful group. I love being able to focus on autism. The programs, we have a graduate certificate in autism and a masters in science, a masters in... Master of Science in Education, with an emphasis on autism. And what's unique about our program is students can also choose a pathway specialty; transition, behavior, or LSIE, the leadership, and special inclusive education. And so students get expertise in more than one area, and often students decide to go on and maybe get a masters in autism and then they also get a graduate certificate in leadership or in transition. So I love that our students are willing to work harder. It's a rigorous program, but the program is relevant and current, and students don't really complain about the work. So in fact, one of our classes...



I know that our graduates are gonna be a little sad about this. We actually took the test out of the class because we just feel confident that students are gonna read the material and respond anyway. So it's very relevant. Our students, they're just... They've desperately like Deb was... Deb Parker was saying earlier, and Kevin was talking about. They just really are... They need information on how to help their students or help their own children. Our students are parents, teachers, speech language pathologists, school psychologists, administrators, occupational therapists, music therapists, audiologists, just a wide variety of people from all over the world. And they just want to share what they know about autism and learn what they can to help the people that they are working within their own setting.



Susan Hartz:

Great. Thanks so much. And now Irma.



Irma:

Thank you. I'm gonna piggyback, Glennda. I am so honored to be part of this faculty. And we wear our Ku proud here as we are also the national championship basketball team. And I'm in Lawrence, so I get to bring a little bit of extra spirit at times when I have meetings with students because I actually get to go downtown and see some of these folks and I get to rub shoulders with our faculty who are well represented across the nation and internationally, as a matter of fact. So let me tell you a little bit about the high-incidence program. We have two different tracks. You can go teach your track, which includes a practicum which can lead to an endorsement. We are an accredited program that allows us to then meet the standards that are expected through Cape, but we also align with the Council for Exceptional Children. They have standards, and so when we build our programs and design them, we are making certain that we are aligning them with all the standards that would help to lead to an endorsement. We also have a non-teacher track for folks who just wanna get a masters in high incidence disabilities.



In that track, a practicum is not offered. The practicum, in my mind, has been one of the pluses within our program where we really get to build relationships and really get after the idea and the whole purpose about teaching. And you almost get your own little coach, mentor throughout that whole semester and it actually lasts over a year. And it has been pretty powerful in watching what you're learning in courses being applied in the different practicums. So you'll take a set of courses, take the first practicum, take some more courses, take the second practicum. So the way that the course... The way the program has been designed is truly to allow you to do that fact of getting awareness, do a little practice, but then application. And I think that's what's unique about our program is having that one-on-one time, that you're receiving that feedback from the professors and instructors that are leading that. The other thing built within our courses, we designed and built these courses with a look to what's called Universal Design for Learning. So if you're a student and you're in our courses, you'll find often that you have options and different ways that you can meet the requirements within the courses.



And it could be that you are the person who wants to write the paper, maybe you wanna make a video, maybe you wanna interview someone, maybe you are more artistic. So you're gonna use some online tools to represent your learning. So I just wanna make people aware that within that, the engagement in the assignments and activities that are involved, we've really taken an eye to look at the research of what is impactful in an online, excuse me, environment. The other thing is being in special education and doing this work, it's critical that we understand, especially design instruction. So the focus within our program is to that end. That we are designing instruction and helping empower the students that go through our program to understand specially designed instruction that meets the needs of our students who have learning disabilities, who have been identified with dyslexia, who have emotional behavioral issues, that those assignments, activities, readings are all evidence-based practices or research-based.



We also, I believe, strongly empower our students to leave here capable of professional writing with an eye to APA. If I bring that up, some people might cringe there because we get a lot of feedback on that. But also having you explore just different online tools. And I feel it's really important for me just to bring up the fact that we've been through a pandemic and we immediately, because we were all still online, still able to keep the learning going but be responsive and flexible to our students. And I think many of us at KU took on that other hat of we need to be a little bit of a life coach for our students in the program, and we were available and made ourselves available. We were responsive and flexible to make adjustments in assignments and things so that we could help our students continue down that path of being successful and becoming masterful and learning what's necessary to work with our students with special needs. And it's such an important job. And I am proud to say that many of my students have completed and are going to complete, even though they've been through this and are gonna continue to serve in this field. And that, in my mind, says a lot about the program and what it's offered during this time.



Susan Hartz:

Great. Thank you so much. And then, Sydney, I don't know if everybody saw on the chat. Thanks for sharing that... For that high incidence disabilities endorsement that you got in Kansas, transferred to Massachusetts. That is a question I get a lot when I speak with prospective students about endorsements going to other states. So thanks for sharing that experience. And then for our next set of questions, that's gonna go back to our students and alumni. What are some reasons that you chose KU? More specifically, why did you choose online? And then also, have you been able to apply what you learned in class to your work? And then, Sydney, why don't you go ahead and share with us?



Sydney Castonguay:

Sure. So I knew when I finished my undergrad degree that I wanted to do my masters online because I liked that flexibility. And I also just wanted to learn more about online technologies. I ended up at the University of Kansas by chance, really. I went online and Googled online master’s programs in special education. And as many people know, KU is ranked number one in their special education programs. And I have to say, living in Massachusetts, people were saying, "How do you go to the University of Kansas?" And I explained it is fully online. And the fact that they had such a strong program, in person, that they were willing to take it and adapt it and make it available for more people. I'm one of those people that was able to take advantage of it, so I'm very grateful. I know it couldn't have been easy, but it is very helpful to people like myself. How have you been able to apply what you learned in your classwork? I've said it before and I'll say it again, every assignment is immediately applicable to some aspect of my job, both coursework in my high-incidence program and in my ASD program. Any reading, any assignment I had to do.



There's a lot of flexibility in the assignments, too, to target your own students. I remember in particular in a course I took with Dr. McKeithan. If you had a student that fit the requirements, instead of using the case study students they present to you online, you could use one of your own students, obviously with safeguards in place. And it was phenomenal to be able to apply what I was learning in my classroom, get immediate feedback from an expert in the field and benefit myself and my student at the same time. So everything that I've been able to learn, I've been able to apply. And I will say I tell more people every day, even if you live in Massachusetts, look at the University of Kansas because it's worth the experience.



Susan Hartz:

Great. I'm so glad you brought up the fact that being on the East Coast, there's no way you're gonna make that commute for a night class at KU. So that's one of the fun things about this position I'm in now, is speaking to people all over the country and world and that they are able to take that opportunity to apply and get accepted into the number one online special education program. And they can be hours away. And then now, Kevin, I'm curious to know how you've been able to apply what you've learned in the class as an advocate.



Kevin Fulmer:

Sure thing. So lead with that question so I can take holistically all the classes in education and direct apply much like my peers who are educators to their students. But Dr. McKeithan, Dr. Griswold, they have not shied away with, you know, you have your son available to use as a case study example. And I have done that, taking the lessons and the coursework and being able to understand and react better as a parent and then also the side of me that is this graduate student. So it's been applicable to work with my son. And then as far as other work, the education being taken here in Education Department is definitely still applicable to just business practices with... That happened for me in my career with the Army, just understanding behavior and working with others. It has definitely come into play. So it's been really good. I cannot speak more to how much the rewards are, but am I able to answer the question about why I chose KU and online?



Susan Hartz:

Oh yeah, definitely. [chuckle]



Kevin Fulmer:

So yes. It's been mentioned about East Coast, West Coast. So I'm residing now in Kansas, but I'm kind of a student who's been with it for a long time, and it's kind of been a slow road. But back in '19 is when I started, and it was right before deployment. So I took my first class at KU, getting ready to go to the Middle East, and started the second one while I was in the Middle East, and that was originally from my location in Alaska. So online really removes some of the restrictions and can't do much about the time zones, but it really helped with a very active, fully functioning adult life and career. So there's tremendous benefits to that. And then not trying to go back to the original questions, but the support from the staff and faculty at the University of Kansas is tremendous. So I felt like it's been said before a lot more touchpoints in communication than even some of what I've seen in my undergraduate years, so... And then it's hard not to talk about how distinguished the program is. And that isn't just an empty statement. You read it in the syllabus, and you experience how strong the coursework is and it's very rewarding. So no regrets at all applying to KU at this tremendous program with special education.



Susan Hartz:

Thanks, Kevin. And then, Kaylee, why did you decide to go with KU online?



Kaylee Wright:

So in my life, I specifically chose a special education department 'cause I grew up with a younger brother with multiple disabilities and always have been drawn to individuals with disabilities. I helped out with a special needs cheerleading team when I was in high school, and then when I was in college, I had the opportunity to travel to England to teach for an entire month. And there, my professor in my undergraduate was like, "Kaylie, you have to go to KU. They are the best special education program around." And that was my... Going to be my senior... That was my senior year, summer. So I kind of knew then that it's like, okay, the University of Kansas was gonna be where I went. Didn't know when I was gonna start my program. I decided to wait a little bit, so I had some experience within the classroom. But I specifically chose online because it just worked really well with the school that I'm in. My school is very... Our students need a lot of help. And it was best for me to learn this online and always apply what I'm learning to help those students, not just students with disabilities, but our general education students as well.



So I thought that that would allow me to kind of blend in what I'm learning into my classroom. And I really feel like I was able to apply a lot of what the high incidence special education program taught me, and especially the parts where it actually had students who didn't know if they could do things but challenged them to try things out and push their boundaries past maybe where they thought they would be and even where their parents thought they could be. And hearing about them now and now having their siblings in my own classroom, I get to hear about all their successes outside of our elementary school and now they were in our sixth grade and now moving on to our middle school. But I'm excited to use this information that I've learned and applied to my fifth grade classroom, but now apply it to a third grade classroom to especially help those students who... Technically, our soon-to-be third graders are... That was the year... Their kindergarten year was the year COVID hit.



And they didn't get a full kindergarten. So really helping them understand just their emotions, but also understanding the impact of learning and helping also my team understand that what we can do to help in bridging that gap between our special education department within our building and really developing them to come into the room and be an active part of our classrooms rather than just having the pull out section, really pulling them in to be a part of our community, because that was something I learned last year, was the more we pull them into the room, the more they're feeling welcome. And I actually had a parent who told me that at the end of the year saying that you were the first teacher in their entire time at our elementary school from kindergarten to fifth to actually make their student feel included. So this program and University of Kansas really helped me see that no matter the disability, no matter what the child can do, we have to make them feel included and we have to teach them to the best of their abilities.



And if that ability is different than other students, that's fine. We meet them where they need. But I'm really honored to have learned from the University of Kansas and spread to my colleagues at school. They're like, "Hey, if you ever need a special education program, University of Kansas is where to go."



Susan Hartz:

All right. Thanks, Kaylee. And then Deborah.



Deborah:

I ended up at Kansas by just going at the time to get the graduate certificate. As you recall, I was teaching pre-K with no experience. I needed something now and ended up at because University of Kansas is the best and I wanted to learn from the best, so I started out with that. And at the time, that was how it was picked. At the same time though, my son is actually living in right outside Kansas City, and of course I didn't know how far one was from the other, but once I was going out there and found out how close it was, my husband and my son and his wife carried me, and I got to actually go visit the school and see where I was going to school and meet some of the people there. And then later on when Dr. Travers was my advisor and I was telling him I was headed out, he actually got a group of students that were in some of my classes, and we met for coffee. So and I share that because I don't know any place that would have made you know that being an online student, I feel like that I am truly a Kansas alumnus. I'm not just, I didn't just take classes there and that made a difference.



Being that Dr. McKeithan actually lived not too far from me. I got a special visit because she actually came to my classroom and experienced pre-K [chuckle] and we had talked a lot about the different things and everything that I learned was applied immediately. If I hadn't gotten to that part yet, I would email Dr. McKeithan and say, "Help, I need to know what I can do here." And we'd get that support. So as Sydney said, I have recommended university of Kansas to many, many people that have talked about going back to get a master's degree or, and I've even sold 'em for undergrad if you're going online. I was working full-time, so I had to go online. That was the only time I really had. But having taken a few classes here and there online at other places, I can tell you that this is where I truly felt like I was a student and continue to feel that way and recommend it to anyone.



Susan Hartz:

Awesome. I'm so glad you shared your experience of visiting the campus, because I always tell prospective students, you're never required to come, but you're always welcome to visit [chuckle]] So thanks for sharing that. And then Aleya.



Aleya:

Yeah, so I actually, I graduated with my undergrad back in 2017 and at the time I was interested in going into Special Education because that was my original major. And so my dad and I kind of had a deal that I would go to Wayne State College, which is in Nebraska, but they required you to get a teaching license and I'm the oddball and I don't want one for many reasons not because the education world is, I don't wanna be in it. Just I just didn't want that. And so I was, I found KU and I noticed that A, that they had a transition secondary program and that's where my niche was. That's where I wanted to pursue and focus on and that my program didn't require to get a license. So I was like, "Great." But I had just graduated from my undergrad, and I wasn't ready to go into any type of schooling at the time, so I just put it on the back burner.



And then I met my then husband back in 2020 way before COVID and I was talking about it and he's like, "I think you should apply." And I was like, "I don't really know what I'm doing." So I applied, I got accepted, which blew my mind because again, I, my undergrad is not anything education related. And then I realized it was online, which is what I needed. My husband's in the military so I needed something that we could be flexible. We moved many times already, so I needed to be able to pack up my computer and move. And plus I just needed a break from going to campus and I just really found that I liked online programs better than being on campus, which is usually the opposite. So that's kind of how I got started with KU. And how have I been able to apply my classwork? So since I started at the beginning of the pandemic the young lady that I take care of, her program shut down, she wasn't able to go do any of her favorite things in public. And so they kind of really looked to me on, "Can you come up with new things? What can you do? What can we do?"



So I was coming up with all sorts of lists and activities and chores and games and whatever we could figure out. Some of it was an absolute fail, she just didn't wanna do it, which was fine. And then some things she's been doing 'em since I started, which is now three years. And so it's been really cool to meet the family and meet where she's at and adapt kind of like Kevin said using what he has in his own home. And so I kind of had that perspective because I lived in, so I lived in their basement 24/7. So that was just a really unique experience, being able to take what I learned in the classroom, which is a lot of knowledge and a lot of strengths and a lot of things that I didn't even realize what was out there. Like when we say that they support us and that they really show up for us and that they're just like, "Here's this, here's that you can use." If you have someone, instead of using a case study, use someone that you know with safeguards so that you can really gain that experience and really use what you're learning and use that into the real world.



Which I thought is a really unique experience because a lot of places that I talk to other students or alumni from other places, they don't get that. And I think that's why, KU is rated the top one and everyone has said so far, I'm like "Go here. Go here. You won't regret it. It is the best." So it's been a really cool experience.



Jeremiah Nast:

Thanks so much. And then Catherine?



Catherine Hansen:

Yeah, so I come from a long line of KU alumni. I did not attend KU for my undergrad, but I knew that once I was going for my master's that KU is the top and that's where I wanted to be. I chose online because I was working full-time. I had not yet accepted a teaching position. I was a substitute and then the world fell apart and they reached out to me, and my now principal was like, "Hey, I heard that you are in a SPED program." And I was like, "I am." And he's like, "Do you wanna come work here on a waiver?" And I was like, "I would love to." And I've been there ever since. So it really set up my whole future of my dream career with my dream population.



And how I've been able to apply, what I've learned, again echoing what everybody said, I've used readings and assignments taken them directly and put them in my day-to-day. And what Sydney said about being able to adapt a lot of the assignments, Dr. Bruxer knows that we sat on many a Zoom call. I work with an extremely transient population, so there were many assignments that, were actually made up of three to five different students because by the time we would get to a checkpoint, that student would have left me, and I would have no access to any of their paperwork or anything. And so to be able to work with a team who could be as flexible with me as I needed to be with my students was really, really incredible. I just, like everybody else has said, anytime someone is considering a master's in education, I'm like, "Go KU." Like the, it is just, it's, the best. And to be able to do it online, even though I live like 20 minutes from campus, it was so great to be able to have that flexibility of doing it online and being there to support my kids while knowing that I had the support of faculty behind me.



Jeremiah Nast:

I did wanna say really quickly, I personally, I am in the online MBA program, which obviously is not part of the School of Education, but it's part of KU. And one of the reasons that I am in the program is the types of conversations that I had with all of you, as we were, you know, getting people together for this webinar. Deborah, if I could have bottled our conversation and given it to every single student that I speak to I would do that. Your enthusiasm is wonderful. I know that y'all have your own stories kind of moving through, kind of, what it means for you to be a Jayhawk, and that means a lot to everybody that you speak to. I know you all mentioned that you recommend it, and that a lot of that is because of the wonderful work of the faculty members.



Susan Hartz:

Thanks, Jeremiah. And then to, for our last round of questions, they are for our faculty. What is the most challenging part of your program? What do you find most rewarding? And then what advice or tips do you have for success for new students? And then Irma, if you wanna share with everybody.



Irma:

Sure. I get stuck on the word challenging because, I don't know that I typically use that word as I'm in this role. And I know we have challenges and if you think about that over the years, boy, have we been faced with what we could call lots of challenges. So I've tried to change that mindset myself in what we do. So, oh, I would say, I guess I just can't start with that one. I'm gonna start with what you find most rewarding, because for me, that's the place to start. First and foremost is the relationships and the connections across the world. Like I have had students at Ecuador and China, I mean, all of, it's not only within the United States and the partnership that I think occurs within those relationships where certainly we are armed with best practices and research-based practices, and we definitely have our knowledge base and things within our program.



But those of you who are out there in the trenches doing the work, we also learn from you. And when the pandemic hit, I just have to say that we had to come together and say, let's learn together. How do we adapt? What are creative adaptations? What are things that we need to do? So for me, one of the most rewarding experiences is becoming a partner with the students, and sharing our knowledge of what's going on in the field and how we take what we know over here within our program and make it work within your setting. So I think that to me, I get passionate and excited about doing that. And I think about you, Catherine, 'cause that's one of the situations we had. But I do have a student like that is in Ecuador when things closed down, they had nothing, and they immediately had to go everything online. So getting with the students and helping out with that. So I just feel like the biggest reward are the students in my mind, in those relationships that we can share and help them build. I think what makes it really unique is that you get to meet colleagues and other classmates across the country, across the world, on team partnerships. So I think that also is rewarding to see that develop and see those relationships and the opportunities to communicate, really flourish and people stay together and talk with each other you know, even after.



that I find things pretty much challenging. I think for students it could be a challenge when you are, maybe I can look from a student perspective, it's going to be managing your world and your schedule because you're adding on this intensive program because it does push you it. And so I think the challenge is for our students to learn to manage their time well, to map that out and to stay in contact with instructors, and teachers and professors when there are situations that throw you off. Because we've always are willing to work with you along the way. So I think if there's a little challenge, it is that you're adding on something that's gonna be pretty demanding. And so it just requires you to step it up and to really look at what you're doing in your... This isn't just the only thing that you'll be doing is this program. You are teaching, you have life. And so I think a challenging part is more of the management of everything and then ensuring that you're able to meet the expectations and the requirements in a timely manner.



So the tips and advice that I have to be successful is there, it's a mindset going into this is that having the communication and reaching out and connecting and making sure that you're making the effort to advocate for your needs. I've had many students who let me know, gosh, I am one of those people that just need some extended time, or that KU does offer our services here, that if you do have a need that way, our special services program does allow you to work through them, and they inform us as instructors of what some of your needs are. So that is one piece of advice I would get. The other piece is, make sure you have your support team in place because you are going to be working and have family and have a program that's gonna be demanding. So I think that becomes very important because you need to be mentally, physically healthy during this so that you can give your best and you get your best out of that.



The other piece is just if you're getting into the courses, so let me move to that. Each course that is set up has your syllabus, it has a set structure. I think becoming very aware of the structure and the routine within your courses is critical to allow you to have some ease in tackling and learning deeper. And most of us have it set up as modules. In fact, all the programs we meet together, and we share what is the best practices to structure and organize and design the programs. So it's really great because I get to work with the folks, you know, like I get to work with Brandon and I get to work with Stacy, the folks that are in the other programs, and we come together, and we share what is working well. So one of the things I think that stands out for all of us is the structure of how it's laid out in campus and being familiar with that.



That would be, a tip that I would say. The other advice I would have if, if you're working in, like you mentioned, many of our alumnus, shared with us, is thinking ahead about, do I have the population so that I can apply and practice? So keep that in mind as you're beginning to enter the program that those are available because as you've heard, much of the work that we do immediately gets applied with students and or a student or a son or her daughter. So that I think is a tip to keep in mind. And I think just come in with it, knowing that you're gonna have the support and guidance that you need, that you're not expected to come in to be a master of what you're going to learn. That if you can come in being open to being a learner, open to fumbling around, this is the place, it's a safe space, but it's also a place where you can be brave enough to try different things. So I think that would be, some of my tips and advice that I would give to incoming students.



Susan Hartz:

Thanks, Irma. And then, now we are, we're at 07:02, so I don't wanna keep you folks on too much longer. So Dr. McKeithan, if you wanna give some last advice for any new students entering the program, and then we can, wrap it up.



Glennda McKeithan:

So, I think one challenge for students initially is their confidence that they can't think, they don't think they can do it, or they don't trust if they don't understand something, they should just reach out to us or one of their peers. So getting them to open up and understand that we need, we need their experiences and their thoughts and for them to help us, contribute, you know, and contribute to the learning environment, that's really a key challenge. At least initially, I have students from usually the first five classes, so by the middle of the first class, they open up and they really enjoy interacting with their colleagues. But I think at first, they believe online is gonna be a very isolated experience and they don't necessarily think that they have time or that it would be worth their while to spend time developing relationships with their instructors or their peers.



And they, they do, change their mind fairly quickly. So that's an initial challenge. The reward of the program, I think is the relationships. I spend way more time individually with my students in an online setting than I ever did face-to-face. And I know my students, Sydney, has presented at conferences. I've invited her to different conferences to present. Deb and I have presented together at conferences. We've worked on a publication together. We've served on nonprofit boards together. Kevin, when I, because of his experience in the military, so all three of these students are on my phone contact list. [laughter] And when we were talking about making adjustments in his course because of his, because he was moving from Alaska back to Kansas, I was able to give advice to, one of the students support counselors who are amazing resources for students that's also maybe unique to KU.



That we needed to make some changes because this was going on in his life and, you know, he needs to have time to move and here's what's going on. So I know my students on a much more profound level than I did when I taught face-to-face. So, an advice and tip is just to reach out to us and connect and let us know if you have a problem and to use, find out what the resources are. Like if you have a problem with technology or you're not sure about APA stuff like Irma was talking about earlier, reach out to us. One of us, whether I'm teaching you or Irma's teaching you, we will all, we will help all students and also our students help students. So we refer current students to alumni students who, if they need advice on a particular pathway or, you know, let me find out what it's like to teach in a preschool setting or a high school setting or, what's it like to be a parent of a kid on the spectrum. Kevin will let them interview him. So I love that all of the students and everybody at KU just joins together to help everyone.



Susan Hartz:

Thanks so much. And then, I really just kind of what Jeremiah was saying Dr. McKeithan about, alumni's enthusiasm is, Jeremiah and I were just taken aback by how enthusiastic all the students and alumni were that are on tonight to be a part of this. I know with a couple of people when I was on the phone I was like, hi, we've been invited to be a part of webinar. Yes, [laughter], it was just right away a yes. Didn't even wanna know what it was about what they were gonna do, they just wanted to be a part of it. So it just attests to just how amazing the program is and how supportive they are of their students. And then, so that is it for this evening. Thank you again to all the faculty and the students and alumni that were a part of this. Thank you to everybody who's attending. We look forward to seeing what everybody's gonna do in the future with their careers. So, have a good night, everybody.



Jeremiah Nast:

Rock chalk.



Irma:

Thank you all.



Glennda McKeithan:

Thank you everyone.

Krysten Carroll:
Hi everyone. My name is Krysten Carroll and I am in the master's program for autism spectrum disorder. I am currently taking SPED 800, which is a communication course. I have just had such a great time with this class. It's something that I have learned so much from, and I am excited to start working more with the resources that I have been given throughout this course. And throughout the learning that I have gotten from the professors that I have worked with have been absolutely amazing. And have taught me so much, and so much useful information that I can put into my day to day routine with my students. I am a first grade ICT teacher, so I am working in a special ed and general education class, fully remote. I've been working with students with communication disorders, and students who struggle with communication due to their disability. Working in this class has been so helpful in learning different strategies, and different processes and interventions, that I can use. Not only with my students that I'm working on for projects within the class, but for students who I'm working with every single day.

And any student that's struggling with a communication issue, or who is having a hard time expressing something, or showing how they're feeling. Whether it's verbally or non-verbally. I have worked with both sets of students. This course has just taught me so much. The professors have been incredibly helpful. They are so understanding and they are so willing to work with you throughout these projects. To give you so much insight and feedback when you're working on these projects, and teaching you different ins and outs of how to use these strategies. And how to use these interventions in order to help create a successful environment for your student. Something that really stuck out to me about this course was the final project, the project we were working on throughout the entire course, actually. It was our communication project. We had to choose a student who we wanted to work with, and who we wanted to pick an intervention for. And pick a process that we wanted to kind of implement throughout the day with the student, and take data and see how the student reacted to it.

I was working with a student in first grade, who I started using a reinforcement strategy and intervention. I at first was a bit nervous because I know that my student works well towards rewards, but I was thinking that the student might catch on pretty quickly that they were working towards something that I was trying to teach them. That they were going to realize that this was just a teaching process, and that they were getting these rewards because I was trying to change a behavior. My student really struggled to express how they were feeling, and they struggled to express needing help in an appropriate manner. A lot of the time it would become something that was yelling or crying, and really frustration was just taking over the student. I was nervous that at first they would catch on to that being part of the reason why I was doing the rewards.

Even when they did start to realize that it was teaching new behaviors, and teaching them how to ask for help in an appropriate manner. And how to express themselves appropriately, they were so proud of themselves for learning and understanding, that there is a different way to communicate your feelings and to communicate your frustrations, rather than just breaking down. This was something that the student is still working on, but has gained so much knowledge and has wanted to hold themselves accountable for. Meanwhile, these are only students that are in first grade. Working with visuals and working with checklists in order to help the student see, "When I am confused, I should do this." Or, "When I am, I'm struggling to ask for help, this is how I can ask." We would model those strategies and we would work with those students, and showing him how to use a different strategy rather than just shutting down. Because, he was more than capable of expressing how he was feeling in an appropriate way.

Going through this project and seeing the growth from the beginning of working with my student, and trying different processes and interventions. And ending up working with reinforcement and using different checklists to help keep the student accountable, was such a great reward. The student was so proud of himself, and he was starting to realize how he can help himself throughout the day. How it doesn't have to be a big struggle in order to ask for help. This was something that this class gave to me, and I think is just incredibly helpful and useful. Something that I will start to use now with all of my students is, just different strategies and interventions in order to help my students.