Collaboration & Inclusivity
Ultimately, according to Vanderbilt University's IRIS Module: "In a school's efforts to make families feel welcome, the importance of showing proper respect cannot be overstated." How, therefore, can we show-case respect towards the families of our students?
What is: We can show-case respect towards the families of our students by . . .
1) Recognizing the families (i.e. the legal guardians/parents) as the ultimate decision-makers
2) Respecting differing cultural view-points
3) Acknowledging the strengths of our students
In regard to differentiated instruction, according to the Week 12 PowerPoint, what are the three (3) parts or steps to "backwards design"?
What is:
1) Identifying your desired results
2) Determining your acceptable evidence
3) Planning learning experiences and instruction for your students
According to the Week 3 PowerPoint, a 504 Plan is NOT Special Education. Instead, a 504 Plan is a part of . . .
What is: The Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA
According to the Week 6 PowerPoint, what are the three (3) different "types" of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD?
What is:
1) Predominantly Inattentive Presentation
2) Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
3) Combined Presentation
For a student who has dyscalculia, for example, how could an educator or a teacher better support this student?
What is:
- By using graph paper in order to help a student with dyscalculia to better organize their ideas and their thoughts on paper
- By practicing estimation as a way to begin solving a math problem
- By introducing new concepts, ideas, and skills by beginning with a clear, concrete example
In regard to collaboration and inclusivity, according to Causton and Tracy-Bronson (2015), who needs to be considered and be involved in the "collaboration process" in a school-wide context or setting?
What is:
- The Family (i.e. the legal guardians/parents, etc.)
- Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants
- School Psychologists
- School Social Workers
- Audiologists
- Paraprofessionals
- STUDENTS!
According to the "cone of learning," the top half of the cone represents passive listening and the bottom half of the cone represents active listening. After a time-span of two (2) weeks, ultimately, we tend to remember . . .
What is: 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear or listen to, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we hear or listen to AND see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we do AND say!
If it is decided that a 504 Plan is not going to be appropriate for a student, Special Education should then be considered. Special Education, ultimately, is guided by . . .
What is: Federal Law!
According to Causton and Tracy-Bronson (2015), when an educator or a teacher is speaking to a student with "disabilities," they should speak by using (p. 60) . . .
What is:
- Age-appropriate language
- People-first language or person-first language
According to the Week 6 PowerPoint, how could an educator or a teacher better support a student who has dysgraphia?
What is:
- By providing the student with a "cloze" activity (instead of expecting for the student to write out an entire set of notes by hand)
- By allowing for the student to write by using a laptop computer or a tablet
- By assigning shorter assignments (quality vs. quantity), and by providing additional time - if necessary - for the student
- By becoming a "scribe" for the student
Ultimately, according to Causton and Tracy-Bronson (2015), "Although we know you cannot conjure up a 25th hour for your day, there are many ways that teams can more effectively include families in the collaboration process," (p. 89). How, therefore, can teams more effectively include families in the collaboration process?
What is:
- By consistently communicating
- By "seeing the whole child"
- By building-up and carrying-out trusting relationships
Overall, differentiated instruction should follow a set-up of: content, process, product. What are the key "norms" or principles of differentiated instruction?
What is:
- The teacher should appreciate, build upon, and understand the differences between his or her students
- The teacher should adjust the content, the process, and the product in response to the interests, the readiness, etc. of his or her students
- The goal of differentiated instruction, ultimately, should be to maximize both the personal growth and the personal success of a student on a daily-basis
In the United States, Special Education is guided by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. Who is covered under IDEA?
Who is: Students from 0-21 who have disabilities that "adversely affect" their ability to learn and their education
According to Vanderbilt University's IRIS Module, in what ways are our students "diverse"?
What is: They are . . .
- Culturally diverse
- Linguistically diverse
- Diverse in regard to their "exceptionalities"
- Diverse in regard to their "socioeconomic statuses," or SES
Ultimately, what is the most common Specific Learning Disability, or SLD? What, therefore, could an educator or a teacher do in order to better support a student who has this specific Specific Learning Disability?
What is: Dyslexia!
- By using images and pictures in order to supplement written materials and resources
- By providing additional time (if necessary) for a student, and by allowing for a student to listen to a book on a CD or as an MP3
- By allowing for a student to practice or to rehearse a reading before asking for a student to present a reading in front of the entire class
How can educators and teachers make the time to collaborate and to communicate in a face-to-face context?
What is:
- By carrying-out independent work time
- By using a paraprofessional, a parent volunteer, or a "teacher team"
- By meeting-up either before school or after school
According to Chapter 6 of The Educator's Handbook For Inclusive School Practices, what are the "general strategies" for differentiated instruction (p. 118)?
What is:
- Keep your expectations high (for all students)
- Focus on the strengths of your students, not on the weaknesses of your students
- Ask the student if you have a concern/question
- Break an activity or an assignment into smaller "chunks" or steps
- Provide a student with extended time on an activity or an assignment (if necessary)
Overall, what is the importance and/or the purpose of an Individualized Education Program, or an IEP?
What is: Essentially, an IEP is a "road map" for a student that establishes the student's goals, how the student's goals are going to be achieved and surpassed, and the services and supports that a student is going to need in order to be successful on a daily-basis. It is re-visited and updated annually.
Overall, what does "cultural responsiveness" refer to?
What is: ". . . an ability to learn from and respectfully relate to other cultural backgrounds, heritages, and traditions. It comes from acknowledging and knowing one's own culture and values, while respecting those of others," (Vanderbilt University's IRIS Module).
Essentially, in order to better support a student who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, an educator or a teacher should . . .
What is:
- Use "cueing words" and gestures (i.e. "Let me see your eyes, please . . ."), and use smooth transitions between activities and assignments
- Give directions with both a demonstration and a visual
- "Chunk" activities and assignments between familiar tasks and new tasks
How can educators and teachers make the time to collaborate and to communicate in a NON face-to-face context?
What is:
- By creating a "communication notebook" (i.e. a "dialogue journal")
- Through a classroom mailbox or through Email
- By lesson-plan sharing
According to Causton and Tracy-Bronson (2015), what "environmental adaptations" or "instructional adaptations" can be made in order to differentiate your instruction (p. 120)?
What is:
- Change your materials and your resources
- Make things both clear and concrete
- "Pre-teach"
- Teach key organizational skills to everyone
- Use movement in your lesson-plans
- Use a stop-watch or a timer
- Use "anchor activities" and/or engaging transitions
What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
What is: According to the Week 3 PowerPoint, "accommodations" do NOT alter or lower the expectations or the learning standards for a student. "Modifications," on the other hand, are the practices and the procedures that fundamentally alter or lower the expectations for assessment or for learning.
How, therefore, can educators and teachers be "culturally responsive" on a daily-basis, according to Vanderbilt University's IRIS Module?
What is:
- By discussing the contributions, histories, experiences, points-of-view, etc. of those from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- By making relevant connections between the background knowledge of their students and the content standards of their students
- By teaching their students how to respect their own cultural identities, as well as how to respect the cultural identities of their classmates and peers
- By using multicultural literature
According to the Week 8 PowerPoint, in regard to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, what should educators and teachers keep in mind when providing support to a student with an EBD?
What is:
- The differences between the externalizing behaviors and the internalizing behaviors of the student
- The duration, the intensity, and the age of the student