Michael Friedmann

SPED 898

Dr. Sean Smith

Reflection Artifact SPED 841

 

 

Introduction and Explanation:

 

            This is a two-part reflection on artifacts from SPED 841. The first part will be a Blended Learning Unit which I will identify and discuss. The second part will be the final project, which was an Instructional Product, which I will identify and discuss. Both were converted into websites, and I will provide appropriate links within this reflection.

 

Reflection on Blended Learning Unit Artifact for SPED 841

 

Purpose of the Artifact:

            The artifact created for SPED 841 is a comprehensive virtual blended learning unit on the American Revolution, specifically designed for middle school students (grades 6-8) in Resource settings who require tailored instructional strategies and individualized learning opportunities. The purpose of this assignment was to explore and apply diverse instructional methodologies, understand their implications within educational settings, and identify effective models within K-12 online learning environments. By developing this artifact, I aimed to effectively address learner variability, particularly for students with disabilities, through purposeful, research-based instructional considerations.

 

Meeting Assignment Requirements:

            The artifact fully met all stipulated assignment requirements. It provided clearly defined learning objectives, integrated evidence-based instructional methods, and ensured the incorporation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to accommodate diverse learner needs. The artifact included synchronous and asynchronous activities, assistive technology integration, scaffolded support structures, and varied assessment strategies aligned to the standards outlined in the SPED 841 course rubric. The grade received for this assignment was beyond acceptable, reflecting a high level of proficiency in design, depth of instructional strategies, and adherence to inclusive pedagogical practices.

 

Decision Not to Revise:

            Upon reviewing my received grade and thorough feedback, I made a deliberate decision not to revise this artifact. The decision was based upon the satisfactory fulfillment of all assignment criteria as demonstrated by the high-level grade achieved. The detailed, thoughtful feedback affirmed the strength and completeness of the blended learning unit. The assignment was evaluated positively, recognizing the effective integration of pedagogical approaches, assistive technologies, and evidence-based practices that specifically address the educational needs of middle school students in Resource environments.

 

Key Learnings from the Assignment:

            Through creating and implementing the blended learning unit, several critical insights were gained. Foremost among these was the understanding of how blended instructional methodologies, including flipped classroom and differentiated online engagement, can support diverse learning needs. Employing UDL principles significantly enhanced student accessibility and engagement, while incorporating scaffolded instructional strategies supported students in achieving curricular objectives. Additionally, the thoughtful integration of technology not only facilitated content delivery but also empowered students by promoting independence and choice in their learning processes.

 

Contribution to My Development as a Special Educator:

            This assignment significantly enhanced my professional growth as a special educator. Designing the artifact deepened my practical knowledge of instructional planning, differentiation, and inclusive curriculum design. By aligning instructional strategies with the unique needs of students in Resource settings, I became more adept at identifying effective pedagogical practices. The experience of tailoring technology-infused lessons strengthened my capabilities in leveraging digital tools for differentiation, preparing me to effectively support students with disabilities in both virtual and blended environments.

 

Guided Outline for Implementation in a Resource Environment:

            The virtual blended learning unit on the American Revolution (available at https://www.americanhistories.org/) can be successfully implemented in a Resource environment by following a structured outline:

1. Introduction and Overview: Present unit objectives clearly, preview technological tools, and familiarize students with resources and expectations.

2. Asynchronous Exploration: Students independently interact with multimedia content, such as interactive videos, digital readings, and guided notetaking.

3. Synchronous Sessions: Conduct small-group and one-on-one sessions to facilitate discussion, reinforce key concepts, and provide targeted instructional supports.

4. Differentiated Supports: Implement individualized accommodations and assistive technologies, such as speech-to-text, text-to-speech, graphic organizers, and simplified content to support diverse learner needs.

5. Assessments and Feedback: Incorporate formative and summative assessments aligned to learning objectives, providing students with timely, specific feedback.

 

Conclusion:

            The SPED 841 artifact, a virtual blended learning unit on the American Revolution, effectively showcased my ability to design inclusive, differentiated instructional content responsive to the unique educational needs of middle school students in Resource settings. Through careful adherence to research-based strategies and design considerations, this artifact not only demonstrated my proficiency but also significantly advanced my understanding and capabilities as a special educator.

 

Additional Content:

            In addition to the Blended Learning Unit, we were assigned the task to create a Mini-Lesson. I continued to expand upon the Blended Learning Unit American History subject-matter and created an American History Mini-Lesson.

 

American History Mini-Lesson

Title: The American Revolution

Presentation: https://www.americanhistories.org/about-5

 

Issue: 

            Some of the students in the class are struggling with the concepts related to the causes of the American Revolution and understanding the events which pre-dated and/or occurred prior to the American Revolution. This is part of a curriculum-based assessment in middle school, which although modified due to student IEP’s, remains a district-wide and state-level requirement.

 

Student Objective: 

            To help students understand the events which contributed to the conflict which eventually became the American Revolution. Students will, after viewing the visual chronological media, to provide a key event and a key date that contributed to the American Revolution.

 

Targeted Concept: 

            Understanding the events which caused the conflict which became the American Revolution. This is part of curriculum-based assessment required at the district and state level.

 

Concept Design: 

            Students who have struggled with the website and assignments and classroom guided lessons throughout the blended learning unit previously utilized will have the entirety of the lesson condensed into a video platform which can be viewed daily to help support recall and facilitate the processing of events and key dates. The font is specific to how the students process written language, rather than utilizing block letters, more artistic font was used. Music is included to immerse and evoke emotion and connect text to sound. Images are also incorporated to connect imagery to events which are guided by the text. With repetition, the students should be able to begin recalling dates and key events.

 

Lesson and Strategy: 

            (The entire lesson is a visual graphic organizer, as it is a visual chronological presentation). The lesson will be taught by engaging the students in a brief discussion in which the expectations are explained that they need to be able to describe one event that caused the American Revolution. In addition to this, as the goal is to effectively facilitate the ability to recall events, the students should be able to provide a date for an event. The hypothesis relied upon is that through this specific visual chronological intervention, students will be able to recall more than one event and more than one key date because of repeated exposure to the content. The lesson is a 10-minute video lesson which guides the students through the events which caused the American Revolution. The students are then prompted to discuss the answers at the end.

 

            There is no written portion for this lesson plan aside from the Blended Learning Unit already created, and the assignments attached. This specific lesson relies solely upon the visual chronological video intervention and verbal discussion points to engage the students in the process of learning and recalling based upon repeated exposure to the material in the same platform (video/audio). This lesson was created as a unique method of creatively engaging a specific student population in an effective environment for learning. There is no video of me teaching this lesson as it is self-taught by the media created to guide the students through the key events. This is the enhancement and the presentation method.

 

Reflection on Instruction Product (Final Project) Artifact for SPED 841

 

Introduction:

            I developed Tweethearts, an avian-assisted intervention (AAI) instructional product, to support students with diverse learning and emotional needs. This program integrates conures (small parrots) into educational and therapeutic activities, aiming to improve student engagement, social skills, and emotional regulation. The purpose of Tweethearts is closely tied to the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder, emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), intellectual disabilities, as well as those who have experienced trauma, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Research underscores the relevance of such animal-assisted approaches for these populations: animals can act as social facilitators and provide a calming, nonjudgmental presence, which is especially beneficial for individuals with social difficulties or heightened stress responses”​ (Bert, F., et al; 2016).

​

            In my direct experience, the presence of conures created a comforting and engaging environment for learners who often struggle in traditional settings. This introduction outlines the inception of the Avian-Assisted Intervention product, which came to be named Tweethearts, and its significance for students with special needs, including those with learning disabilities and those who struggle with emotional disregulation, setting the stage for a reflective analysis of its development and implementation.

 

Purpose of the Artifact:

            The primary objective behind developing Tweethearts was to create an evidence-based, innovative (and creative) intervention that harnesses the therapeutic power of human-animal interactions to support student growth, interaction, and emotional regulation. “I was motivated by literature on animal-assisted intervention (AAI) showing that integrating animals into therapy or education can significantly improve mental health outcomes​” (Tweethearts.org, 2024). I was also motivated by intimate individual interactions with a student in a Resource setting which prompted the design and creation of this instructional product and its implementation. I wanted to address the social and emotional goals often outlined for students with autism and EBD by leveraging the way animals can naturally draw out communication and reduce anxiety. “For example, studies of AAI in autism have found consistent increases in positive social interaction when an animal is present” (O’Haire, M., 2019). This project’s foundation was built on such research, extending those principles to avian-assisted contexts. Birds were chosen as the co-facilitators both for practical and therapeutic reasons: they are small, manageable in a classroom, and capable of forming bonds with humans. “Notably, emerging research suggests that bird-mediated interventions yield favorable outcomes (e.g. reduced depression and improved social well-being) and are a viable alternative in settings where larger therapy animals may not be feasible​” (Beguin, N., et al; 2024).

 

            With this foundation, I designed Tweethearts to be flexible for both individual and small group interventions. The curriculum and activities developed (such as guided interactions, feeding and grooming routines, and social skills games involving the birds) were tailored so that a single student or a small group of students could participate. This dual design was intentional: one-on-one sessions allowed for personalized therapeutic moments (for instance, a student quietly building trust by holding or talking to the bird), while small group sessions encouraged peer interaction and cooperative learning with the bird as a shared focus. By rooting the product in AAI research and ensuring adaptability, the Tweethearts program was crafted to support student needs in varied instructional settings, from individualized pull-out sessions to small social skills groups. I even experienced a student who I had known for two years, from 5th grade to 6th grade, who was allegedly “non-verbal” begin speaking when I introduced the conures to the classroom.

 

Meeting Assignment Requirements:

            From a coursework perspective, the development and implementation of Tweethearts met and exceeded all the requirements of the SPED 841 Final Project assignment. I carefully adhered to the assignment guidelines, which included conducting a literature review on AAI, designing a comprehensive intervention plan, implementing the intervention with fidelity, and collecting data on student outcomes. Each of these components was completed thoroughly, aligning the project with evidence-based practice standards and the high expectations of graduate-level work. The completed artifact earned an exemplary evaluation — the grade received was well above the minimum acceptable level. In fact, the instructor’s feedback indicated that the project exceeded expectations, and no further revisions were necessary. This successful evaluation confirms that every required element (from theoretical rationale to practical implementation and reflection) was addressed satisfactorily. Furthermore, the Tweethearts project directly met the objectives of the SPED 841 course. The course emphasizes advanced intervention strategies for learners with special needs, the integration of research into practice, and reflective practitioner development. Through this project, I demonstrated my ability to translate current research on AAI into a tangible educational program, implement it with learners, and analyze its impact. In doing so, I not only satisfied the assignment criteria but also exemplified the kind of innovative, student-centered problem-solving that SPED 841 aimed to cultivate.

 

Decision Not to Revise:

            After completing SPED 841, I made a deliberate decision not to revise the Tweethearts artifact for my professional portfolio. This decision was grounded in the artifact’s successful implementation and the positive outcomes observed. Since the initial design and execution were effective, revising the project felt unnecessary. The intervention sessions with students yielded encouraging results — I observed noticeable improvements in student engagement and reductions in anxiety during AAI sessions. For my EBD students, we experienced a complete cessation of aggressive behavior. Students with a trauma background visibly relaxed and began to open up in the presence of a bird, reflecting exactly the kind of progress the intervention was meant to achieve. These real-world outcomes indicated that the core design was sound and achieving its purpose. Additionally, the artifact was comprehensive in scope. It encompassed a full cycle: from research foundation, needs assessment and planning, to implementation, data collection, and reflection on practice. Because I had already refined the approach during the project’s development (making small adjustments in real time based on student responses), the final submitted version represented a polished and tested intervention model. The decision not to revise was further supported by the fact that Tweethearts moved beyond a class project into an ongoing initiative. I founded a non-profit organization, also named Tweethearts, to continue and expand this avian-assisted intervention program in the community. The transition of this project into a functional non-profit program underscores its quality and impact. Any iterative improvements to the program are now part of continuous practice in the field rather than retroactive changes to an academic artifact. In sum, the combination of strong performance on the assignment, evidence of positive student impact, and the project’s evolution into practice justified my choice to preserve the artifact in its original successful form.

 

Key Learnings from the Assignment:

            Designing and implementing the Tweethearts program was a rich learning experience that significantly developed my skills as an educator and problem-solver. One key insight I gained was the importance of flexibility and adaptation in intervention design. Working directly with both students and animals taught me that even the best-laid plans might need on-the-spot adjustments. In early sessions, I encountered practical challenges — for instance, at first some students were hesitant or even fearful of interacting with the birds. I had to think creatively and empathetically, introducing the birds gradually (such as letting students observe from a distance before interacting) and pairing students together so they could support each other’s level of comfort. This problem-solving process reinforced my ability to adapt to instructional strategies in real time, a skill that is invaluable in special education settings where student responses can be highly individual. I also learned how to apply research in a practical, nuanced way. Prior to implementation, I had reviewed numerous studies and articles on AAI benefits, which provided general guidelines and confidence that the approach was sound. I also relied heavily on my previous experience with parrots, dogs and horses (having been a K-9 handler in a previous career, as well as having worked closely with horses). However, translating those findings into application in a living, breathing classroom activity required critical thinking skills and creative innovation. Reliant on the fact that “research suggests that animals can increase social behaviors in children with autism”​ (O’Haire, M., 2019), I incorporated both structured and unstructured interactions between birds and students, and used the interactions as a social skills intervention to facilitate interactions between not only birds and students, but also between students and peers, as well as impacting the constant rigid-thinking that so often accompanies ASD.

 

            In doing this, I observed theory coming to life: students who were typically withdrawn began initiating communication, validating the research in a very personal manner. Students became more open to participating in the activity and interacting with one another in a kind and respectful manner (applicable to students with EBD). I experienced a complete cessation of technology, and witnessed young people engaging, connecting, communicating, and asking for more. Throughout the project, I collected direct observation data on student interactions, attention, and emotional states during the sessions. I kept anecdotal records and simple tally sheets — for instance, counting the number of times a student smiled, made eye contact, or spoke during the activity, compared to baseline sessions without the bird. Analyzing this data helped me see patterns and make informed modifications to how the program was implemented. In one case, the data showed a student’s on-task behavior dramatically improved on days the birds were present, which encouraged me to increase the frequency of my Avian-Assisted Intervention for that student. In another case, I noticed through observation that a particular student with anxiety had a spike in stress behavior when the birds were not present, versus the student’s ability to self-regulate with greater success when the birds were present. Engaging in this cycle of implementation, observation, and adjustment taught me how iterative the development of an effective intervention must be. It also reinforced the principle that interventions should be student-centered: by listening to what the students’ behaviors and data were “telling” me, I was able to fine-tune Tweethearts to better serve their needs. This melding of research knowledge with on-the-ground feedback is a lesson I carry forward into all aspects of my teaching practice.

 

Contribution to Professional Development as a Special Educator:

            My involvement with Tweethearts has been a formative influence on my growth as a special educator, shaping both my instructional planning and broader decision-making. The experience enhanced my instructional planning by encouraging me to be more innovative and holistic. I learned to plan lessons that are not only academically relevant but also address social-emotional growth in creative ways. Now, when I design educational activities, I consider how to engage in multiple senses and interests — much like how the birds in Tweethearts captured students’ attention and hearts. This has led to a habit of thinking outside of conventional methods, always asking, “How can I make this lesson more accessible and motivating for my students?” I also became more adept at individualizing instruction. Working with a diverse group of learners (each with unique needs stemming from autism, EBD, trauma, etc.) when implementing Avian-Assisted Intervention required me to constantly tailor my approach. One student might need a visual schedule to feel secure during the bird interaction, while another might need a social story beforehand to understand how to gently handle the bird. Through this, I honed my ability to anticipate and plan for such individual support in all my lesson plans, even outside of AAI contexts.

 

            Creating and running the Tweethearts non-profit organization further expanded my professional competencies beyond the classroom. It provided hands-on education in program implementation at a systems level. I gained experience in areas such as program development, volunteer training, risk management, and collaboration with stakeholders. For example, to formally establish the program, I had to develop safety protocols for having birds in school settings and ensure compliance with any relevant school or district policies. I also conducted workshops to train staff and volunteers on how to safely handle the birds and facilitate student interactions, effectively learning how to teach others about the intervention. Managing these aspects gave me a deeper understanding of what it takes to implement a new program from scratch — from securing administrative buy-in and funding to measuring outcomes for accountability. This broader perspective has made me more resourceful and confident when advocating for or initiating programs in my professional roles. I understand the importance of clear communication with all stakeholders (students, parents, colleagues, administrators) and the need for thorough planning when introducing an unconventional program into a school. The process of founding the non-profit also reinforced the value of community and interdisciplinary support; I found myself connecting with veterinarians, therapists, and community members who were interested in AAI, which underscored that educating students often involves building a supportive network beyond the school walls.

 

            Ultimately, the Tweethearts project has influenced my approach to working with diverse learners by deepening my commitment to student-centered, compassionate practice. I have always believed in meeting students where they are, but this experience crystallized what that looks like in action. It means being attuned to the quieter forms of communication — a student’s body language around the bird or their gradual increase in curiosity — and responding with patience and encouragement. It means valuing emotional safety as much as academic achievement; I saw firsthand how a student’s ability to learn is enhanced when they feel calm and connected, something the birds often facilitated. This insight now guides me in creating a warm, inclusive classroom environment for all my students, whether or not animals are present. Moreover, seeing the success of an unconventional intervention like Tweethearts has emboldened me to advocate for individualized strategies for my students. I am more confident in suggesting or trying non-traditional supports (for example, bringing in a student’s pet photo for comfort or using interactive play therapy techniques) because I have evidence that these approaches can make a real difference. In summary, the professional development I gained from Tweethearts spans instructional innovation, program leadership, and a reinforced dedication to empathetic, responsive teaching for diverse learners.

 

Conclusion:

            Reflecting on the development and implementation of Tweethearts in SPED 841, I recognize it as a cornerstone experience in my graduate education and professional growth. Through direct experience, I was able to transform a concept – avian-assisted intervention – into a living program that touched students’ lives. In doing so, I grew not only as an educator who can design and execute an intervention, but also as a compassionate practitioner attuned to the profound impact of trust, engagement, and creativity in learning. The success of Tweethearts illustrates the significant value of avian-assisted intervention in supporting students with learning differences. Students who participated in the program showed improvements in areas ranging from social interaction to anxiety reduction, highlighting how an innovative approach can unlock new avenues of progress. Just as importantly, this project taught me about the importance of blending solid research with passion and intuition; it affirmed that educational practice is at its best when it is both evidence-based and heart-driven. In conclusion, the Tweethearts experience was more than an assignment — it was a meaningful journey that enriched my professional toolkit and reaffirmed my commitment to exploring diverse strategies to help every student thrive. As I move forward in my career, I carry the lessons of this project with me, confident that interventions grounded in empathy and creativity, such as avian-assisted therapy, can profoundly enhance the educational experiences of students with autism, EBD, intellectual disabilities, trauma histories, and beyond. The journey of Tweethearts has been a testament to the idea that when we open our minds to unconventional methods, we often find extraordinary opportunities to improve student outcomes​ “and foster growth in both our learners and ourselves” (Tweethearts.org).