Kay Johnson

Johnson's "Lights, Camera, Understanding" project incorporates language arts, creative writing, research and technology to help her special education students learn. The students, in grades K-5, invite community members into their class to discuss their professions, research questions to ask the speakers, use digital cameras to film the visit, and create an infomercial and PowerPoint presentations to show the rest of the school. Through the project, these students develop higher-order thinking skills, build self-confidence, and gain an understanding of technology. Although the modalities used and the time taken to work on these projects may differ from the regular education population, these special education students are able to prove that they can succeed against the odds.