Special Needs Educational Assistant

TAST 114 (Section 557) - Specialized Skills and Practice: Exploring the Development of Literacy Strategies for Supporting Language Learning.

Let the Special Needs Educational Assistant program help you to successfully meet the challenges of being an educational assistant in today's schools. Some of the responsibilities of educational assistant include: assisting students with exceptionalities to actualize their learning potential; observing and reporting student progress to teachers and other educational professionals; reinforcing studetns' learning in one-on-one or small group situations; helping students with behavioral difficulties to manage themselves productively within the learning environment; and preparing instructional materials for teachers.

Completion of the entire program is available by part-time study or distance learning. All evening course offerings are subject to a minimum enrolment.

TAST 114 (Section 557) Specialized Skills and Practice: Exploring the Development of Literacy Strategies for Supporting Language Learning - 2 credits (30 hours)

This course examines the development of language literacy in children and focuses on strategies that education assistants can use to support the development in small groups and one-on-one interactions. Topics covered will include barriers and challenges to learning to read and write, specific strategies that can be employed to foster language learning, and recognizing and attending to diverse mental styles among learners as those affect language learning. Special attention will be given to methods for supporting emerging writers with the generation of material for writing and the shaping of that material into a finished composition. Myers-Briggs TYPE theory will be studied as it applies to student diversity in language development.

This course will be delivered from MacEwan in Edmonton to the Yellowhead Region via videoconference.

DATES: September 15, 2009 to December 15, 2009

TIMES: Tuesdays, 4:00 pm- 6:00 pm 

FEES:     Tuition - $472.00

            Material Fees - $15.00 plus GST

            Registrarial Service Fee - $6.50

The registration deadline is September 3, 2009.

For more information, contact YREC or the program consultant at 1.800.497.4622 ext. 5569.

The TAST 114 (557) course utilizes the following resource:

1. Sullivan, M. (2008). Lessons for Guided Writing. Scholastic Inc. ($20)

Educational assistants who are already working in a school can check to see if the resources are available through their school.  

TAST 117 (Section 551) Working with Students with Exceptionalities 3 credits (45 Hours)

In this course, students learn to implement strategies, as directed by the teacher, in order to realize a student's goals as outlined in the Individualized program Plan (IPP). In addition, specific areas of study include: emotional/behaviour disorders, Tourette's Syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, speech/ language difficulties, hearing loss and visual loss.

This course will be delivered from MacEwan in Edmonton to the Yellowhead Region via videoconference.

DATES: January 5 to April 20, 2010

TIMES: Tuesdays, 4:00 - 7:00 pm
(direct instruction by videoconference will take place between 4:00 - 6:00 pm)

FEES: Tuition - $566.00

         Material Fees - $10.00 plus GST

         Registrarial Service Fee - $6.50

         Textbook - $39.00 (approximately)

The registration deadline. Due to insufficient enrollments this course has been cancelled.
For more information, contact YREC or the program consultant at 1-888-497-4622 ext. 5569.

TAST 117 (Section 551) course utilizes the following resources:

1. Alberta Learning, Programming for Students with Special Needs Book 2: Essential and support skills for students with developmental disabilities ($16)

2. Alberta Learning, Programing for Students with Special Needs Book 9: Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders ($23)