Want a Confident Child?
Who wouldn't want a confident child? A child who feels good about their choices, their ability to make decisions, and have some freedom...
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DJ Nicholson
- Aug 19
- 2 min
"I know what he means." WHAT?! HOW?!
Every child needs a voice. Every child. That means for a child with a cognitive disability who does not have a voice that...
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DJ Nicholson
- Aug 12
- 2 min
"Where is My Child's Teacher?"
In 2019, 44 states reported special education teacher shortages to the federal government. This school year, that number jumped to 48...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jul 29
- 2 min
Is THAT Cheating?!
Picture this: Your students are taking a 10 question quiz to determine what they have learned about your lesson on the Inner Planets of...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jul 24
- 2 min
Making a Shift in Definition
I would like to think that the definition of words which are often used to define something negative can be reconsidered. To look at the...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jul 13
- 2 min
Can't Calculate?... Let's Investigate... Dyscalculia
Never heard of it? Many of us have heard of dyslexia, a learning disability that affects a child's ability to identify speech sounds and...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jul 10
- 1 min
A, B, C, D, or E for Exceptionality
Brace yourselves... Florida School grades are out... It's always an exciting time to find out your school's grade, right? Is my school...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jun 27
- 2 min
Ready, Aim, Now What?!?!?...
Well... FIRE at the target, of course! For children that need instructional modifications to access grade level content, it is possible...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jun 8
- 2 min
Equity! Louder for the People in the Back...
Equity. A buzz word extraordinaire in the news and social media these days. Some might say "it's trendy". Some might think "it's just a...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jun 1
- 2 min
#wintheday with Tech Tools!
Assistive technology (AT) is an important consideration for any child with a disability. In addition to the consideration needed at...
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DJ Nicholson
- May 27
- 2 min
Once Upon a Time at the Pool...
"I gave up teaching after three years." Yesterday was the first officially hot day of the summer season in Florida, so off to pool I...
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DJ Nicholson
- May 4
- 2 min
How Would You Like to Be Led?
Traditionally, teaching has been teacher-led. The teacher stands mostly in the front of the room, perhaps in front of a board. Students...
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DJ Nicholson
- Apr 11
- 2 min
Is Child's Play Still a 'Thing'?
With all of the demands, expectations and standards thrown at children, I wonder if this is still an active expression. Growing up, this...
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DJ Nicholson
- Apr 1
- 2 min
Flip It.
NO! Not that kind of flip... Flipped learning. Never heard of it? Flipped learning can be a game changer for children that need more...
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DJ Nicholson
- Mar 18
- 2 min
Redefining the Word "Pencil"
As someone who truly appreciates a good #2 pencil, the traditional pencil is my tool of choice when I am writing and has been since I was...
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DJ Nicholson
- Mar 15
- 2 min
The What, How and Why of Inclusion
You actually do know WHAT to do. As an educator, you know what inclusion is. You can define it and talk about it. You can even say "We...
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DJ Nicholson
- Feb 19
- 2 min
What did you say? I didn't catch that...
I am not an auditory learner. I know this about myself, so I am able to compensate by writing things down and making sure that I am...
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DJ Nicholson
- Feb 9
- 3 min
High Frequency Words: It's Time to Differentiate
If they already know the word, why do you keep teaching it?! High frequency words are those that are most common and can be recognized by...
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DJ Nicholson
- Feb 4
- 2 min
Instructional Design: Explicit and Systematic Instruction
Now that we have a handle on how to determine Present Levels of Performance/Function (PLoP/F)s and have relevant goals that align, let's...
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DJ Nicholson
- Jan 31
- 2 min
So... What is Specially Designed Instruction?
It's time to consider how we're addressing academic skill gaps. (Note: For the purpose of this article, the focus will be on academic...
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