7K1: Theories and research that form the basis of curriculum development and instructional practice.
In my Learning Center placement, we did not use a curriculum that was separate from the general education curriculum. However, to successfully give my special education students access to the general education curriculum, my MT and I spent a lot of time researching effective instructional strategies that could be used to help our student's learn. Many of the instructional strategies I used throughout the semester came from resources I obtained in CEP802A. For example, visual cueing such as using boxes to isolate math problems to reduce anxiety and attention difficulties, color coding multi-step problems or directions, and using lines to separate problems were simple instructional strategies I used every day with all my students to support them in the special education and general education settings. Another instructional practice I used in my placement was to touch on the three levels of learning, concrete, communication, inner/self thought, with my students throughout the semester. In my math groups, I used a lot of concrete material earlier in the semester. As the semester went on, I began to see the need for communication and discussion on a daily basis so I tried to integrate the use of concrete materials and discussion to build math and language skills together.
In my Learning Center placement, we did not use a curriculum that was separate from the general education curriculum. However, to successfully give my special education students access to the general education curriculum, my MT and I spent a lot of time researching effective instructional strategies that could be used to help our student's learn. Many of the instructional strategies I used throughout the semester came from resources I obtained in CEP802A. For example, visual cueing such as using boxes to isolate math problems to reduce anxiety and attention difficulties, color coding multi-step problems or directions, and using lines to separate problems were simple instructional strategies I used every day with all my students to support them in the special education and general education settings. Another instructional practice I used in my placement was to touch on the three levels of learning, concrete, communication, inner/self thought, with my students throughout the semester. In my math groups, I used a lot of concrete material earlier in the semester. As the semester went on, I began to see the need for communication and discussion on a daily basis so I tried to integrate the use of concrete materials and discussion to build math and language skills together.
7K2: Scope and sequences of general and special curricula.
For math instruction, I work with my first grade math group following the scope and sequence of Mastering Math Level A by Steck-Vaughn. This scope and sequence moves through six chapters that focus on writing numbers, early addition and subtraction, and number sense which fit the IEP goals of our first grade special education students. Each day of instruction involves through a series of activities that involve teacher instruction, guided practice, individual practice, and review. Mastering Math Level A chapters are as follows:
Ch. 1: Writing Numbers 1 Through 10
Ch. 2: Addition Facts Through 10
Ch. 3: Subtraction Facts Through 10
Ch. 4: Place Value Through 99
Ch. 5: Addition and Subtraction Facts Through 12
Ch. 6: Adding and Subtracting Two-Digit Numbers
In order to effectively teach my first grade special education students who require one-on-one instruction for all math content, I must have a solid understanding of the scope and sequence of this curriculum before I introduce it to my students. Throughout the semester we talked about characteristics that struggling learners need in a teacher, and among these are teachers that know and understand the content.
For math instruction, I work with my first grade math group following the scope and sequence of Mastering Math Level A by Steck-Vaughn. This scope and sequence moves through six chapters that focus on writing numbers, early addition and subtraction, and number sense which fit the IEP goals of our first grade special education students. Each day of instruction involves through a series of activities that involve teacher instruction, guided practice, individual practice, and review. Mastering Math Level A chapters are as follows:
Ch. 1: Writing Numbers 1 Through 10
Ch. 2: Addition Facts Through 10
Ch. 3: Subtraction Facts Through 10
Ch. 4: Place Value Through 99
Ch. 5: Addition and Subtraction Facts Through 12
Ch. 6: Adding and Subtracting Two-Digit Numbers
In order to effectively teach my first grade special education students who require one-on-one instruction for all math content, I must have a solid understanding of the scope and sequence of this curriculum before I introduce it to my students. Throughout the semester we talked about characteristics that struggling learners need in a teacher, and among these are teachers that know and understand the content.
7K3: National, state or provincial, and local curricula standards.
All of the IEP goals and objectives created for our special education students are based on content expectations for the Common Core Standards. A resource that I used frequently throughout the semester was from the Common Core Standards website Student Activities section. This resource has a variety of activities in reading, writing, and mathematics for all elementary grade levels that are aligned with the Common Core Standards. Something I learned throughout this semester is that instruction needs to be differentiated depending on the abilities of each student, therefore the activities I chose reflected that. Also, in class 4 we discussed the importance of creating assessments that are measured against some kind of norm, which for my students was the Common Core Standards.
7K4: Technology for planning and managing the teaching and learning environment.
Technology is undoubtably filtering through our schools at an extremely fast rate, so it is my job as a teacher to follow that trend and stay knowledgable about how to use technology in the classroom. However, in class discussions and throughout the lesson planning each of us did in the semester, we talked about the importance of using meaningful technology rather than simply incorporating technology to engage students. Truthfully, this is not something I had thought about prior to this class, and I myself am guilty of using "meaningless" technology. A few times this semester I found the MathWIDS resource in, Teaching Mathematics Meaningfully, an extremely useful tool to gain a better understanding of how I can use technology in a meaningful way in my own teaching.
7S1: Identify and prioritize areas of the general curriculum and accommodations for individuals with exceptional learning needs.
An approach that my MT taught me this semester was how we can service our special education students, while also allowing them maximum time in the general education setting with general education peers. For some students, receiving instruction in the Learning Center was the best choice for them, but others could remain in their general education settings if appropriate accommodations were put in place for them. Many of our certified students should characteristics of ADHD, therefore we use many of the accommodations discussed in the 10-19-12 lecture. For example, individual schedules are used with one of my students in his general education class to make sure he is completing one part of the assignment before moving on to the next. We also provide our students with colored coded steps, boxes or lines around key words, clear work spaces free from distraction, as well as visual and physical cues to redirect their behavior in the general education setting.
7S2: Develop and implement comprehensive, longitudinal individualized programs in collaboration with team members.
This semester I developed a two-week consecutive lesson plan for my first grade special education students in the area of basic reading skills. Initially, I followed a specific scope and sequence to plan for this subject, however I had to make many adjustments to my lessons throughout the two-week period so that I could work at my students instructional pace. To be sure I was teaching my students at the appropriate level, I used the asses, instruct, reflect model (featured below) that we talked about many times throughout the semester. The assess and reflect parts of this circling model allowed me to see that I needed to make changes in my plans so that I could accommodate my student's strengths and weaknesses and revise my teaching. Doing this made me see how important it is to be flexible as a teacher, which is a characteristic that struggling learners need in a teacher.
7S4: Use functional assessments to develop intervention plans.
In our class discussion on 9-21-12, as well as throughout every class this semester, we discussed various means of assessment. Those assessments should occur as an active, reflective process, tap into multiple intelligence, be student-centered, engage students in authentic, purposeful, and meaningful activities, occur holistically, and most importantly be appropriate fort that student. When I did my Assessment Report, I created a variety of informal assessments for my student that I then used to develop an intervention plan in one content area of math. To be sure the lessons I created were going to be effective, I had to create assessments that I felt were appropriate for that particular student. Additionally, I needed to use a variety of assessment so I could truly understand what my student's strengths and weaknesses are and how I could develop and intervention plan that fits that.
7S5: Use task analysis
In Bley & Thornton Chapter 2, Problem-Centered Teaching and Learning, I learned about problem solving strategies for students with disabilities. One of those strategies was to break down problem-solving into 7 steps which I incorporated in my Lesson 1. As part of my lesson 1, I explicitly taught my case study student the 7 steps Bley referred to as, "Inner Language." In looking at my assessment report, I understood that my student had difficulty with problem-solving, however I it wasn't until I broke it down into individual steps that I realized which specific area of problem-solving my student struggled with.
7S6: Sequence, implement, and evaluate individualized learning objectives
This standard directly relates to the assess, instruct, reflect model pictured below. In my placement, I used the three phases of this model constantly. In my daily lessons, I was constantly assessing my students learning as I taught the material to make instructional changes as necessary. If I felt a topic needed to be retaught in a different way, I adjusted my teaching to fit that need.
All of the IEP goals and objectives created for our special education students are based on content expectations for the Common Core Standards. A resource that I used frequently throughout the semester was from the Common Core Standards website Student Activities section. This resource has a variety of activities in reading, writing, and mathematics for all elementary grade levels that are aligned with the Common Core Standards. Something I learned throughout this semester is that instruction needs to be differentiated depending on the abilities of each student, therefore the activities I chose reflected that. Also, in class 4 we discussed the importance of creating assessments that are measured against some kind of norm, which for my students was the Common Core Standards.
7K4: Technology for planning and managing the teaching and learning environment.
Technology is undoubtably filtering through our schools at an extremely fast rate, so it is my job as a teacher to follow that trend and stay knowledgable about how to use technology in the classroom. However, in class discussions and throughout the lesson planning each of us did in the semester, we talked about the importance of using meaningful technology rather than simply incorporating technology to engage students. Truthfully, this is not something I had thought about prior to this class, and I myself am guilty of using "meaningless" technology. A few times this semester I found the MathWIDS resource in, Teaching Mathematics Meaningfully, an extremely useful tool to gain a better understanding of how I can use technology in a meaningful way in my own teaching.
7S1: Identify and prioritize areas of the general curriculum and accommodations for individuals with exceptional learning needs.
An approach that my MT taught me this semester was how we can service our special education students, while also allowing them maximum time in the general education setting with general education peers. For some students, receiving instruction in the Learning Center was the best choice for them, but others could remain in their general education settings if appropriate accommodations were put in place for them. Many of our certified students should characteristics of ADHD, therefore we use many of the accommodations discussed in the 10-19-12 lecture. For example, individual schedules are used with one of my students in his general education class to make sure he is completing one part of the assignment before moving on to the next. We also provide our students with colored coded steps, boxes or lines around key words, clear work spaces free from distraction, as well as visual and physical cues to redirect their behavior in the general education setting.
7S2: Develop and implement comprehensive, longitudinal individualized programs in collaboration with team members.
This semester I developed a two-week consecutive lesson plan for my first grade special education students in the area of basic reading skills. Initially, I followed a specific scope and sequence to plan for this subject, however I had to make many adjustments to my lessons throughout the two-week period so that I could work at my students instructional pace. To be sure I was teaching my students at the appropriate level, I used the asses, instruct, reflect model (featured below) that we talked about many times throughout the semester. The assess and reflect parts of this circling model allowed me to see that I needed to make changes in my plans so that I could accommodate my student's strengths and weaknesses and revise my teaching. Doing this made me see how important it is to be flexible as a teacher, which is a characteristic that struggling learners need in a teacher.
7S4: Use functional assessments to develop intervention plans.
In our class discussion on 9-21-12, as well as throughout every class this semester, we discussed various means of assessment. Those assessments should occur as an active, reflective process, tap into multiple intelligence, be student-centered, engage students in authentic, purposeful, and meaningful activities, occur holistically, and most importantly be appropriate fort that student. When I did my Assessment Report, I created a variety of informal assessments for my student that I then used to develop an intervention plan in one content area of math. To be sure the lessons I created were going to be effective, I had to create assessments that I felt were appropriate for that particular student. Additionally, I needed to use a variety of assessment so I could truly understand what my student's strengths and weaknesses are and how I could develop and intervention plan that fits that.
7S5: Use task analysis
In Bley & Thornton Chapter 2, Problem-Centered Teaching and Learning, I learned about problem solving strategies for students with disabilities. One of those strategies was to break down problem-solving into 7 steps which I incorporated in my Lesson 1. As part of my lesson 1, I explicitly taught my case study student the 7 steps Bley referred to as, "Inner Language." In looking at my assessment report, I understood that my student had difficulty with problem-solving, however I it wasn't until I broke it down into individual steps that I realized which specific area of problem-solving my student struggled with.
7S6: Sequence, implement, and evaluate individualized learning objectives
This standard directly relates to the assess, instruct, reflect model pictured below. In my placement, I used the three phases of this model constantly. In my daily lessons, I was constantly assessing my students learning as I taught the material to make instructional changes as necessary. If I felt a topic needed to be retaught in a different way, I adjusted my teaching to fit that need.
7S9: Incorporate and implement instructional and assistive technology into the educational program.
During class session 6 on 10-5-12, we discussed how technology can be integrated into instruction and assessment in various ways. Because technology is becoming such an important piece in student's daily lives, I tried to incorporate technology in my teaching as much as possible; not just for engagement purposes but for meaningful instruction and assessment. While some of the technology I incorporated in my teaching provided my students with accessibility to the curriculum such as using Dragon to dictate writing, most of the technology I used had an educational purpose such as the calculators I used in my Lesson 2 Plan (see shanahan_802a_lesson-2.docx file below)
During class session 6 on 10-5-12, we discussed how technology can be integrated into instruction and assessment in various ways. Because technology is becoming such an important piece in student's daily lives, I tried to incorporate technology in my teaching as much as possible; not just for engagement purposes but for meaningful instruction and assessment. While some of the technology I incorporated in my teaching provided my students with accessibility to the curriculum such as using Dragon to dictate writing, most of the technology I used had an educational purpose such as the calculators I used in my Lesson 2 Plan (see shanahan_802a_lesson-2.docx file below)
7S10: Prepare lesson plans
I created two mathematics lesson plans that were focused on discovery learning and exploration in the areas of place value and problem solving. Although my reading lessons were very structured and guided, I created math lessons that allows for more risk taking and problem solving skills that could be applied to real life situations, which is something I have learned is very important in mathematics instruction. Bley and Thornton's chapter on problem-centered teaching and learning discusses the emphasis shift from finding one single answer to showing students that it is okay to take risks and come to a wrong answer.
I created two mathematics lesson plans that were focused on discovery learning and exploration in the areas of place value and problem solving. Although my reading lessons were very structured and guided, I created math lessons that allows for more risk taking and problem solving skills that could be applied to real life situations, which is something I have learned is very important in mathematics instruction. Bley and Thornton's chapter on problem-centered teaching and learning discusses the emphasis shift from finding one single answer to showing students that it is okay to take risks and come to a wrong answer.
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7S13: Make responsive adjustments to instruction based on continual observations.
As part of my assessment report for my case study student, I conducted multiple informal assessments and observations to determine my case study student's strengths and weaknesses in the area of mathematics. By the date the report was due, I collected a lot of useful material that gave me incite to my student's skill level, however I did not stop collecting classroom-based assessment and taking observation notes just because the assignment was due. Knowing that I would need to continually observe my student's strengths and weaknesses when I have a teaching job, I made it a point to continue to look for changes in my case study student's performance so that I could make instructional adjustments as necessary. About a week after the assessment report was due, I noticed another area of weakness that I did not address in my assessment report; problem solving. I ended up making a problem solving activity to formally assess those skills, and after analyzing those results I noticed problem solving was something my student really struggled with. As a result, I created both of my lesson plans to incorporate the use of problem solving skills to help strengthen that area for him.
As part of my assessment report for my case study student, I conducted multiple informal assessments and observations to determine my case study student's strengths and weaknesses in the area of mathematics. By the date the report was due, I collected a lot of useful material that gave me incite to my student's skill level, however I did not stop collecting classroom-based assessment and taking observation notes just because the assignment was due. Knowing that I would need to continually observe my student's strengths and weaknesses when I have a teaching job, I made it a point to continue to look for changes in my case study student's performance so that I could make instructional adjustments as necessary. About a week after the assessment report was due, I noticed another area of weakness that I did not address in my assessment report; problem solving. I ended up making a problem solving activity to formally assess those skills, and after analyzing those results I noticed problem solving was something my student really struggled with. As a result, I created both of my lesson plans to incorporate the use of problem solving skills to help strengthen that area for him.