‘How I Spent My Summer’: Sydney Butler

We continue our focus on teachers and how they spent their summer with yet another winner of the Atlanta Fund for Teachers grant, Sydney Butler (above right) of Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School. The grant is sponsored by the Atlanta Education Fund.

Ms. Butler traveled to Spain for an international conference on special education. Before the trip, she told the AJC‘s Gracie Bonds Staples, “My desire is to tap into the rich resources of research-based techniques … of professionals from around the world.”

Read her story.

From Sydney Butler (above right) of Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School:

“The Fund for Teachers grant that I obtained allowed me to attend the Biennial Conference for Special Education entitled ‘Broadening the Horizon: Recognizing, Accepting and Embracing Differences to Make a Better World for Individuals with Special Needs.’ The conference was sponsored by the International Association of Special Education at the University of Alicante in Alicante, Spain. The objective was to foster a global exchange of ideas and information in the area of special education.

“The conference consisted of various workshops presented over a four-day period. The presenters were from various countries throughout the world. The workshops addressed such topics as ‘Educating Students with Disabilities’; ‘Special and Inclusive Education in Europe, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal and Other Countries’; ‘ The Growing Prevalence of Autism,’ and many other topics relevant to educating students with disabilities.   Additionally, there were ample opportunities for participants from different cultures around the world to brainstorm and network about relevant issues that pertain to special education.

“Attendance at the International Special Education Conference afforded me the opportunity to build my repertoire of skills to better address the needs of my students, collaborate with special education professionals from across the globe, and to engage in a rich multicultural learning experience. It was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I look forward to attending the next biennial conference in Iceland.”