January 23, 2012
New Maryland Learning Links offers special-ed resources
Maryland families and educators seeking early intervention services and special education information now have a user-friendly resource at their fingertips with a new website created through a partnership of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services and the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Center for Technology in Education. MarylandLearningLinks
.org provides information about the Individualized Family Services Plan and Individualized Education Program processes, family involvement and other topics and trends related to special education. The site features a number of interactive tools, blogs and newsletters aimed at administrators, teachers, service providers and parents.
Developed through Maryland’s State Improvement Grant, the website offers helpful information for families and educators working with children with disabilities, from birth through age 21, and provides the benefit of an online community. Parents and educators can join, participate and share in an ongoing conversation, all designed to strengthen student learning.
“We’re proud that our partnership with MSDE’s Division of Special Education and Early Intervention has produced a premier destination for educational resources,” said Jackie Nunn, director of the Center for Technology in Education. “From its content to design, Maryland Learning Links serves as the bridge between research and practice, linking general and special educators, parents and professionals. We look forward to teachers from across the state sharing their resources and advice and for parents to connect with professionals to better understand and inform the process and practice of educating their children.”
Bernard Sadusky, interim state superintendent of schools, said, “We know that students thrive when their support system is equipped with the best information.
MarylandLearningLinks.org provides users with critical ideas and resources, all free of charge and available just a click away.”