4K1: Evidence-based practices validated for specific characteristics of learners and settings.
In my placement I serviced three students with varying degrees of ASD, however all of these students are able to participate in the general education setting for at least 85% of the school day. In the in-class discussion on 11-9-12, we touched on various effective strategies for supporting students with ASD in the general education. Among these are antecedent procedures, delayed contingencies, self-management strategies, peer-mediated interventions, and multi-component interventions. All of these strategies are used in my placement to differing degrees for each student depending on their needs because, "the level and intensity of supports required for a given student with autism depends largely on the characteristics of the student's functioning," (Class 11 PPT). For my students with ASD, math instruction must be very explicit and include the use of vocabulary cues, manipulatives, as well as specific connections between the new and old concepts we cover in order for my students to be taught effectively.
In my placement I serviced three students with varying degrees of ASD, however all of these students are able to participate in the general education setting for at least 85% of the school day. In the in-class discussion on 11-9-12, we touched on various effective strategies for supporting students with ASD in the general education. Among these are antecedent procedures, delayed contingencies, self-management strategies, peer-mediated interventions, and multi-component interventions. All of these strategies are used in my placement to differing degrees for each student depending on their needs because, "the level and intensity of supports required for a given student with autism depends largely on the characteristics of the student's functioning," (Class 11 PPT). For my students with ASD, math instruction must be very explicit and include the use of vocabulary cues, manipulatives, as well as specific connections between the new and old concepts we cover in order for my students to be taught effectively.
4S1: Use strategies to facilitate integration into various settings.
Intervention strategies were used by pushing into classroom settings instead of pulling students who needed extra support away from their normal learning environment. We are pushing into first grade math, and kindergarten classrooms to support EI students, as well as certified students with learning goals in math. This year, my MT and I worked hard to create a schedule in which our special education students could receive the accommodations and educational supports they need, while also participating in as much of the general education setting as they could. Many of the supports and instructional strategies I learned throughout the semester in CEP 802A were extremely helpful in allowing me to use this inclusive strategy without compromising my student's individual needs. For example, I provided my students with tactile, kinesthetic, and visual cues that they could access in the general education classroom. Additionally, I taught my 3rd Grade Mathematics students using multiple representations, much like the ones discussed in the Class 5 powerpoint. In order for my students to receive some math instruction in their general education classrooms, my MT and I provided their teachers with manipulatives, cue cards with written symbols, and picture representations of various concepts that work for each of our students.
Intervention strategies were used by pushing into classroom settings instead of pulling students who needed extra support away from their normal learning environment. We are pushing into first grade math, and kindergarten classrooms to support EI students, as well as certified students with learning goals in math. This year, my MT and I worked hard to create a schedule in which our special education students could receive the accommodations and educational supports they need, while also participating in as much of the general education setting as they could. Many of the supports and instructional strategies I learned throughout the semester in CEP 802A were extremely helpful in allowing me to use this inclusive strategy without compromising my student's individual needs. For example, I provided my students with tactile, kinesthetic, and visual cues that they could access in the general education classroom. Additionally, I taught my 3rd Grade Mathematics students using multiple representations, much like the ones discussed in the Class 5 powerpoint. In order for my students to receive some math instruction in their general education classrooms, my MT and I provided their teachers with manipulatives, cue cards with written symbols, and picture representations of various concepts that work for each of our students.
4S2: Teach individuals to use self-assessment, problem solving, and other cognitive strategies to meet their needs.
I focused my Lesson 1 on teaching my Case Study student to use problem solving strategies. Not only did my student display weaknesses in using problem solving skills in my Assessment Report, which made it a good skills area to focus on for him specifically (assessment attached below), but problem solving is also a skill that is useful across the curriculum as well as outside of school as well. One of my favorite articles of the semester was Bley and Thornton Chapter 2 titled, Problem-Centered Teaching and Learning. It was in this article that I learned many strategies to teaching problem-solving to students with disabilities. Those strategies, such as using Inner Language, are incorporated in my Lesson 1 below.
I focused my Lesson 1 on teaching my Case Study student to use problem solving strategies. Not only did my student display weaknesses in using problem solving skills in my Assessment Report, which made it a good skills area to focus on for him specifically (assessment attached below), but problem solving is also a skill that is useful across the curriculum as well as outside of school as well. One of my favorite articles of the semester was Bley and Thornton Chapter 2 titled, Problem-Centered Teaching and Learning. It was in this article that I learned many strategies to teaching problem-solving to students with disabilities. Those strategies, such as using Inner Language, are incorporated in my Lesson 1 below.
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4S3: Select, adapt, and use instructional strategies and materials according to characteristics of the individual with exceptional learning needs.
Each and every lesson I have done throughout my special education placement this semester is built around the specific goals and objectives of each of my certified students. In the Learning Center, my MT and I do not follow the specific scope and sequence of a separate curriculum, but instead we plan our weekly lessons based on the specific needs of each student. This strategy allows our special education students to participate in the general education curriculum, while also receiving accommodations based on their improvement rate for that specific content area.
While some of our students have similar learning goals, the rate at which they learn the material might be unique from another student. Therefore, I had to adapt and change my instructional approach daily, sometimes even in the middle of a lesson. Again, the idea of, "teaching according to how students learn," follows the idea of adapting lessons to fit the needs of each student. In order for my students to succeed, I had to learn what strategies worked best for each of them.
4S4: Use strategies to facilitate maintenance and generalization of skills across learning environments.
There are two math groups, first grade and third grade, that receive all of their math instruction in the Learning Center each day. To facilitate maintenance of skills between the Learning Center and each student's general education classroom, my MT and I collaborate with the general education teachers each week to see what it is the students in the general education setting are working on, and how those assignments and instructional strategies can be modified or accommodated to fit the needs of our certified students. In doing this, the certified students are still learning skills they would acquire in their general education settings, but they are learning them through and instructional practice that support their skill levels. Then, when the students are taking math tests in their regular classrooms, they can use the strategies and practices they learned in the Learning Center to support them on their test.
Aside from our certified students, I have also started taking a first grade math invention group for two half hour sessions throughout the week. The purpose for this group is to reteach skills that are taught in the general education setting, and provide students with alternative strategies that can be used in the general education setting. For example, the first grade curriculum introduces subtraction using the number-line. While this strategy works for most students, there are a group of student's that did not respond to that subtraction procedure. Through intervention, I introduced touch math, counting back, and using picture representations to reteach subtraction so that the students could choose which procedure worked best for them.
Each and every lesson I have done throughout my special education placement this semester is built around the specific goals and objectives of each of my certified students. In the Learning Center, my MT and I do not follow the specific scope and sequence of a separate curriculum, but instead we plan our weekly lessons based on the specific needs of each student. This strategy allows our special education students to participate in the general education curriculum, while also receiving accommodations based on their improvement rate for that specific content area.
While some of our students have similar learning goals, the rate at which they learn the material might be unique from another student. Therefore, I had to adapt and change my instructional approach daily, sometimes even in the middle of a lesson. Again, the idea of, "teaching according to how students learn," follows the idea of adapting lessons to fit the needs of each student. In order for my students to succeed, I had to learn what strategies worked best for each of them.
4S4: Use strategies to facilitate maintenance and generalization of skills across learning environments.
There are two math groups, first grade and third grade, that receive all of their math instruction in the Learning Center each day. To facilitate maintenance of skills between the Learning Center and each student's general education classroom, my MT and I collaborate with the general education teachers each week to see what it is the students in the general education setting are working on, and how those assignments and instructional strategies can be modified or accommodated to fit the needs of our certified students. In doing this, the certified students are still learning skills they would acquire in their general education settings, but they are learning them through and instructional practice that support their skill levels. Then, when the students are taking math tests in their regular classrooms, they can use the strategies and practices they learned in the Learning Center to support them on their test.
Aside from our certified students, I have also started taking a first grade math invention group for two half hour sessions throughout the week. The purpose for this group is to reteach skills that are taught in the general education setting, and provide students with alternative strategies that can be used in the general education setting. For example, the first grade curriculum introduces subtraction using the number-line. While this strategy works for most students, there are a group of student's that did not respond to that subtraction procedure. Through intervention, I introduced touch math, counting back, and using picture representations to reteach subtraction so that the students could choose which procedure worked best for them.
4S5: Use procedures to increase the individual’s self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem. Social Stories are an imperative part of most of our special education student's daily routines. Social Stories are created for each individual student based on his or her social needs. The pictures show four samples of social stories that were created by my MT and I this semester to support student's social and emotional needs throughout the day. The example on the top right is a Social Story created for a student who demonstrates unacceptable behavior on the school bus each day. Before this student gets on the bus each day the bus driver or myself will review this story with the student to be sure he understands what behaviors are acceptable. Social Stories provide student's with the ability to self-manage their own actions, which promotes self-reliance and increases self-esteem. Using these social stories to teach student's how to be aware of their behaviors and improve their self-management skills had to be taught through direct, scaffolded instruction much like the instructional strategies discussed in our fifth class session. I had to explicitly explain and model the behaviors in the social stories, then offer them high support using the behavior management plans until they were able to use respond to it independently on a daily basis. Using corrective feedback and positive reinforcement were also imperative instructional strategies that I had to use to make sure the behavior plans and social stories were being used effectively. |
4S6: Use strategies that promote successful transitions for individuals with exceptional learning needs.
To promote successful daily transitions for my EI student, my MT and I, along with his general education teacher, developed a plan that is similar to the one discussed in Jolivette's article, MakingChoices, Improving Behavior, and Engaging in Learning Much like the case study student in the article, we provide our student with choices during task demands, specifically in the area of writing (the subject in which the most emotional outbursts occur). To promote successful transitions from the previous subject into writers workshop, we incorporated a five minute break that our student can take before he begins writing. He is also given the choice to sit where he wants as well as choose the paper he writes on. Providing him with these choices makes him feel more in control and eliminated the onset of emotional disturbances.
To promote successful daily transitions for my EI student, my MT and I, along with his general education teacher, developed a plan that is similar to the one discussed in Jolivette's article, MakingChoices, Improving Behavior, and Engaging in Learning Much like the case study student in the article, we provide our student with choices during task demands, specifically in the area of writing (the subject in which the most emotional outbursts occur). To promote successful transitions from the previous subject into writers workshop, we incorporated a five minute break that our student can take before he begins writing. He is also given the choice to sit where he wants as well as choose the paper he writes on. Providing him with these choices makes him feel more in control and eliminated the onset of emotional disturbances.