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Special Ed Expert is UW-RF Visiting Prof
MARCH 24, 2005--Victoria Perselli, a professor from the School of Education
at Kingston University in England, will be on campus April 3-10 as part
of the College of Education and Professional Studies Visiting Professor
Program.
Perselli will discuss how teachers, educators and administrators can devise
research projects to respond to the diverse needs of learners, at a presentation
April 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Davee Library breezeway on campus. The presentation
is free and open to the public.
The recipient of a Promising Researcher Fellowship from the Higher Education
Funding Council for England, Perselli will spend part of her six-month
fellowship to develop ideas for her new book, "Diversity and Method."
The book aims to celebrate the advances that have been made in the field
of inclusive education, drawing from case studies she gathered when working
as a special educational needs coordinator in mainstream infant and junior
schools in England. In addition, Perselli will collaborate with COEPS
Associate Dean Mary Manke to investigate how teachers and teacher educators
might research their own practice in relation to enhanced participation
in education, for students with disabilities for inclusion in the book.
Youth with conditions ranging from mild language or developmental difficulties
from Autism Spectrum Disorders to Down Syndrome are increasingly being
taught in mainstream schools. "The biggest challenge is to enable
these pupils to participate in school life as purposefully as their classmates,"
says Perselli. "Teachers might modify their language so they are
understood by children of all abilities. They should also take into account
individual physical or learning requirements when planning lessons."
Perselli will use her trip to the United States to determine the best
way to present her findings. "Wisconsin has a strong reputation for
teacher education research," she said. "I shall be looking at
methods of inquiry that help us to explore our professional practice in
relation to enhanced participation for learners."
Perselli leads practitioner research method modules on Kingston's Master
in Education and Doctor of Education programs. "Many of my students
teach children with special needs, so I am always keen to learn from them
what the latest challenges and issues are. I hope my work will positively
influence their day-to-day experiences," she said.
Perselli will also present papers at the American Educational Research
Association Annual Meeting in Montreal in April and to the Self-Study
of the Teacher Educational Research Practices Special Interest Group of
AERA.
For more information on Perselli's visit, contact Manke at 715/425-3774
or mary.p.manke@uwrf.edu.
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