Utilizing Social Media Assignments for Preservice Special Education Teachers as a Disability-Centered Practice

• In Event: Inclusive Innovation: Centering Disability in and Through Technology

Abstract

It is essential that pre-service special education teachers learn to engage about disability from a variety of perspectives (Baglieri et al., 2011); most importantly, from disabled individuals themselves (Berne et al., 2018). In teacher preparation programs, students miss out on opportunities to learn from disabled activists and community scholars operating outside of academia (Kulkarni et al., 2024). This study explores the impact of a social-media focused, presentation-based assignment on pre-service teacher’s engagement with critical disabilities studies concepts. Findings demonstrate that assignments that facilitate student engagement with online disability activists provide students opportunities to learn from a wider variety of disabled perspectives, deepen their ability to critically discuss disability related topics, and learn a sustainable way to engage with disability communities.

Author

• Gabriela Puma, University of Wisconsin - Madison