My name is Deedy Payne.

I believe that all children can learn in a general education classroom.

My niece Bridget and my sister Nancy have been inspirational to me in my journey as an educator. I have always known that differentiation and individualization are good for all students. Bridget and Nancy are true examples of how this can work from pre-school through higher education.

Deedy Payne has been a educator in a general education classroom for over 24 years. She has held many leadership positions as a teacher and was chosen as one of the top five finalists for Arizona Teacher of the Year in 2005. She has been an Intel Teach to the Future Master Trainer and has worked with hundreds teachers to assist them in integrating technology into their teaching and learning. Deedy believes we need to educate ALL students to develop their own learning skills and to advocate for themselves in the classroom and in life. We need to make sure they can use technology, work collaboratively, and think creatively.  Our job is to prepare them to be 21st century learners and productive citizens. Currently Deedy is teaching a wonderful group of 5th graders and is proud of the way her students include special education students in the general education classroom. She is currently working on her latest publication, Sailing through 5th Grade, a handbook for students, parents and teachers.

Everyday in classrooms all over the world students are expected to do what the teacher tells them to do. Some students can do that. They are able to write a story, do the math problems, and read the book that is assigned. They are like a nice strong book that is able to stand up without falling over. Other students need help. They need help from the school, their teachers and their peers. They also need help from their parents. They are like a floppy paperback book that needs two strong bookends to hold it up. Each bookend has to exert pressure to make sure the book does not flop to one side or the other.

We can think of the “school and the teachers” as one of the bookends and the “parents” as the other bookend. The problem is that often times parents do not know what to do to hold up their end of the job. Deedy has created HELP a book to give Handy Examples for Learning Progress. This mini-book gives just a few ideas for parents. As more ideas evolve, we will add them to our collection. Please email Deedy with your ideas for inclusion support.

Deedy's undergraduate degree in elementary education is from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. She earned her  Masters degree in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University in 2003.

Publications:

HELP - Handy Examples for Learning Support DOWNLOAD a copy HERE