College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University

Council For Learning Disabilities Honors Margaret King-Sears With 2014 Service Award

December 3, 2014

Professor Margaret King-Sears

Congratulations to Dr. Margaret King-Sears for receiving the Council for Learning Disabilities 2014 Floyd G. Hudson Service Award. The award is given annually to recognize outstanding performance and commitment to the field of learning disabilities.

Dr. King-Sears, a professor in the College of Education and Human Development, joined George Mason University in 2005. Her research focuses on various areas of the special education classroom, and she is currently at work on a new manuscript called Universal Design for Learning Techniques. Taken from the architectural movement to create buildings that are "smart from the start" so they can be utilized by people with the widest possible range of physical abilities, the concept of universal design in education has existed for several decades.

King-Sears explains, "Intuitively, it makes sense to build in certain accommodations in the way teachers teach all students in order to help all students. In this way, kids with learning disabilities may more naturally receive instruction in regular education courses. There’s less research on the topic than we’d like to see. We would like to see comparable test scores for when UDL techniques are being used."

Dr. King-Sears feels deeply honored to receive this award named for the late Dr. Floyd G. Hudson, whose work relates to her own. "Dr. Hudson did groundbreaking research on the concept of a class-within-a-class. He was ahead of his time by getting kids with and without disabilities into the same classroom. I think that it is very important for youngsters with learning disabilities that we create a balance of specialized instruction on learning how to read and comprehend, as well as opportunities to be with their same-age, typical peers for content learning and socializing experiences. This is to the benefit of all of the children in a classroom."

Dr. King-Sears recognizes the challenges that all classroom teachers face, particularly with high-stakes testing requirements. Special educators also face paperwork requirements that may take more time than they are able to spend providing instruction to their students. She says the reward for teachers who want to be special educators is often found when the students with whom they are using responsive techniques make progress in any realm.

Like many who pursue work in special education, King-Sears was inspired in her career choice because of a family member who had special needs. Her youngest sister was born with Down syndrome but, thanks to the stimulating environment provided by a large and loving family, was learning to read at the same time as her learning typical peers. Though she passed away while still a young child, her sister's life influenced Dr. King-Sears profoundly. "My philosophy about special needs is that students are gifted in many ways. It’s up to us to find those gifts while being aware of each student's particular needs."

 


About CEHD

George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the most comprehensive education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a full range of courses, certificates, and degree programs on campus, online, and on site to more than 4,000 students each year. CEHD is fully accredited by NCATE, and all licensure programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Education. George Mason University, located just outside of Washington, D.C., is Virginia's largest public research university.

For additional information:

Follow CEHD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MasonCEHD or Twitter at @MasonCEHD.