Continuing with the thought from the previous post, a video clip like this is short enough to keep student's attention and energetic enough to get them interested in learning. Visual images are vital to educating students with learning disabilities.
Aside from these reasons, I was anxious to try Animoto after hearing about it and seeing the examples of other classmates. I am not allowed to post images of my students on the Internet so I figured I would use my own pictures. I like how this short video turned out and I would definitely use the program again to make introductory videos for my students. I would also not hesitate to make a music video of images of them to be used in the school only. I am really pleased with the ease of using this program and I hope to find more ways I can incorporate its use into my lessons.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Where Do You Want To Go Today?
Fitting with my last suggestion in the previous post, I hope this short video will help make learning more enjoyable. I compiled images from various trips I've taken to take students on a virtual tour of the United States. I think this would be a great introduction to a social studies class.
Turning Words into Actions
With the last several posts I’ve talked about advocacy, accommodations and the issue of fairness. I feel like it’s time now for me to actually talk about the ways in which I have put these ideas into practice in my own classroom. Whether you are a special education teacher or a general education teacher, these concepts can be explored and implemented without much interruption from the daily routine and it’s well worth the benefit to the student.
Tips for accommodating students with special learning needs:
· Provide Visual and Auditory examples at all times. Rather than expect students to copy notes off the board, provide them with a copy so their full attention can be on you while you are teaching. Help students identify what is important by using colors, stars, circles, underlines, etc.
· Unless the test is in reading, read tests to students. You cannot know what a student really knows if they are being held back by a reading disability. Also, accept oral answers and refrain from using bubble sheets which can be very difficult for students with fine motor skills problems.
· Allow students to dictate work to the teacher or another student who can write it for them. So many students with difficulty writing and forming letters have wonderful, creative ideas but are not able to express themselves appropriately.
· Allow children with math disabilities to use calculators. This is so important! A student can struggle for years with basic concepts and be held back from making real progress. There are calculators these days that can do just about anything from basic addition and subtraction to order of operations and reducing fractions. Why not use this technology that is available?
· Accept work according to the individual ability of each student. Do not compare students to one another, especially from a “normal” child to a child with disabilities. Look for students to improve their individual skills and grade based on that.
· Treat each child as an individual.
· If one way doesn’t work, find another way to teach.
· Break concepts down into the smallest of pieces. Slow down the process. If it slows down the whole class to do this for one student, take the student aside and help him or her separately.
· Finally, (not really finally, there are so many other ways to help) work to make things fun. This will benefit all students, not just students with special learning needs.
Tips for accommodating students with special learning needs:
· Provide Visual and Auditory examples at all times. Rather than expect students to copy notes off the board, provide them with a copy so their full attention can be on you while you are teaching. Help students identify what is important by using colors, stars, circles, underlines, etc.
· Unless the test is in reading, read tests to students. You cannot know what a student really knows if they are being held back by a reading disability. Also, accept oral answers and refrain from using bubble sheets which can be very difficult for students with fine motor skills problems.
· Allow students to dictate work to the teacher or another student who can write it for them. So many students with difficulty writing and forming letters have wonderful, creative ideas but are not able to express themselves appropriately.
· Allow children with math disabilities to use calculators. This is so important! A student can struggle for years with basic concepts and be held back from making real progress. There are calculators these days that can do just about anything from basic addition and subtraction to order of operations and reducing fractions. Why not use this technology that is available?
· Accept work according to the individual ability of each student. Do not compare students to one another, especially from a “normal” child to a child with disabilities. Look for students to improve their individual skills and grade based on that.
· Treat each child as an individual.
· If one way doesn’t work, find another way to teach.
· Break concepts down into the smallest of pieces. Slow down the process. If it slows down the whole class to do this for one student, take the student aside and help him or her separately.
· Finally, (not really finally, there are so many other ways to help) work to make things fun. This will benefit all students, not just students with special learning needs.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Fairness
In the field of advocates for students with learning disabilities, there are few more powerful speakers than a man named Rick Lavoie. I have not had the opportunity to hear him speak personally however, I have watched some of his videos and listened to my coworkers discuss his methods. (My coworkers got to see him at a seminar but I was still in college at the time and not yet working at my school.) One of the main themes by which we operate at my school is the one Mr. Lavoie discusses in the following video clip
It is the theme of fairness—“fairness is not getting the same as everyone else, it’s getting what you need.” We operate with this principle in mind at all times, hoping to give kids the best we possibly can. The students understand this concept as well because it is explained to them early on. Perhaps Cathy needs her test read to her while the other students can read it on their own. Or, Jim dictates his paper to the teacher while she types it for him because he is unable to use his hands in the same way as the other students. So many people consider this to be “cheating” or an “unfair advantage” but would it not be a tragic disadvantage not to provide it? How would you really know how much Cathy knows about science if she can’t read the test? How will you evaluate Jim’s writing skills if he forms brilliant thoughts but is unable to form the letters on the paper? How do you really know how well any child can do unless you give them every possible advantage for success?
Kids who understand this are usually much more comfortable in the classroom because they know if the time should come where they need additional support they will receive it, too.
Mr. Lavoie describes a setting where a teacher in a regular education classroom does not give the special needs student the extra assistance because “it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else”. With this idea in mind, I must go back to my prior post from June 9, 2008 about Inclusion because it is this mentality that keeps students with learning disabilities from getting the most from their educational experience. It is this mentality that makes me question why any parent would prefer to have their child struggle through a regular education classroom as opposed to an environment where special needs are met according to the individual rather than what is “fair” for the whole class. And to be completely fair myself, I fully acknowledge that there are exceptional teachers out there who do assist their special needs students in every way possible. But I do not come across these teachers nearly as frequently as I do the other sort. I encourage you to watch this video. If you are a regular education teacher yourself, ask yourself if this theme is one you’ve found yourself saying before and then ask yourself why. Whether you believe in Inclusion or not, it makes no difference. To be truly “Inclusive” we have to reinvent our idea of fairness.
It is the theme of fairness—“fairness is not getting the same as everyone else, it’s getting what you need.” We operate with this principle in mind at all times, hoping to give kids the best we possibly can. The students understand this concept as well because it is explained to them early on. Perhaps Cathy needs her test read to her while the other students can read it on their own. Or, Jim dictates his paper to the teacher while she types it for him because he is unable to use his hands in the same way as the other students. So many people consider this to be “cheating” or an “unfair advantage” but would it not be a tragic disadvantage not to provide it? How would you really know how much Cathy knows about science if she can’t read the test? How will you evaluate Jim’s writing skills if he forms brilliant thoughts but is unable to form the letters on the paper? How do you really know how well any child can do unless you give them every possible advantage for success?
Kids who understand this are usually much more comfortable in the classroom because they know if the time should come where they need additional support they will receive it, too.
Mr. Lavoie describes a setting where a teacher in a regular education classroom does not give the special needs student the extra assistance because “it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else”. With this idea in mind, I must go back to my prior post from June 9, 2008 about Inclusion because it is this mentality that keeps students with learning disabilities from getting the most from their educational experience. It is this mentality that makes me question why any parent would prefer to have their child struggle through a regular education classroom as opposed to an environment where special needs are met according to the individual rather than what is “fair” for the whole class. And to be completely fair myself, I fully acknowledge that there are exceptional teachers out there who do assist their special needs students in every way possible. But I do not come across these teachers nearly as frequently as I do the other sort. I encourage you to watch this video. If you are a regular education teacher yourself, ask yourself if this theme is one you’ve found yourself saying before and then ask yourself why. Whether you believe in Inclusion or not, it makes no difference. To be truly “Inclusive” we have to reinvent our idea of fairness.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Inclusion?
Today I want to talk about Inclusion because it’s a relatively controversial issue, at least at my school, and I would like feedback. I discovered an excellent blog and in exploring the postings, I came across one about Inclusion from about a year and a half ago. It can be found here Segregation or Inclusion Supports.
I’ll just do a brief summary since I realize that not all my readers may be teachers. Inclusion is the practice of taking children with disabilities of all degrees and placing them in the general education classroom. The advantages of this are that students with disabilities witness socially appropriate models of behavior and have an opportunity to take part in activities with their same age peers. It is also believed that normally achieving students benefit from getting to know and learning with a child with disabilities. The disadvantages are not commonly discussed because it is the practice of most districts to allow full inclusion and, at least when I was going through college, it was the practice of the University to teach Inclusion to the future teachers.
It’s not that I have a huge problem with Inclusion and I do recognize the potential for benefit however, I have a big problem with the blog posting liked above which calls anything but Inclusion, “segregation”. The word segregation carries with it extremely negative connotation and immediately turns people off to the idea allowing children with disabilities to be educated with others who are like them. My school is one such school that takes only students with special learning needs. Nearly all of the students who attend have been in a public school Inclusion setting prior to attending. The stories they tell make me feel like Inclusion in practice isn’t the glowing, happy, let’s-all-be-friends concept that some would have you think it is. The disadvantages with Inclusion that I see come from first hand experience. One student in the past had a public school regular education teacher explain to his whole class that SLD meant “slow learning dummy” (and was serious). I have had other students who were flat out ignored by teachers in regular education classrooms; students who were bullied and called “stupid” and “retarded” more times than anyone’s self-esteem could handle and students who were given passing grades so they could be pushed through the system despite major learning disabilities. Students who come to my school from a public school are typically depressed, have low self-esteem, and are underachieving academically (as reported by parents). So is Inclusion really the best way to go or is it just something we do to make it seem like everyone is being treated fairly? Do we sacrifice the true needs of our students just to keep from using the dreaded word “segregation?” or can we possibly call specialized learning environments a less harsh, negative word? Let’s at least be open to the ideas put forth and examine the potential positives for students rather than let negative words sway us in a direction which just may not be the best way to go.
I’ll just do a brief summary since I realize that not all my readers may be teachers. Inclusion is the practice of taking children with disabilities of all degrees and placing them in the general education classroom. The advantages of this are that students with disabilities witness socially appropriate models of behavior and have an opportunity to take part in activities with their same age peers. It is also believed that normally achieving students benefit from getting to know and learning with a child with disabilities. The disadvantages are not commonly discussed because it is the practice of most districts to allow full inclusion and, at least when I was going through college, it was the practice of the University to teach Inclusion to the future teachers.
It’s not that I have a huge problem with Inclusion and I do recognize the potential for benefit however, I have a big problem with the blog posting liked above which calls anything but Inclusion, “segregation”. The word segregation carries with it extremely negative connotation and immediately turns people off to the idea allowing children with disabilities to be educated with others who are like them. My school is one such school that takes only students with special learning needs. Nearly all of the students who attend have been in a public school Inclusion setting prior to attending. The stories they tell make me feel like Inclusion in practice isn’t the glowing, happy, let’s-all-be-friends concept that some would have you think it is. The disadvantages with Inclusion that I see come from first hand experience. One student in the past had a public school regular education teacher explain to his whole class that SLD meant “slow learning dummy” (and was serious). I have had other students who were flat out ignored by teachers in regular education classrooms; students who were bullied and called “stupid” and “retarded” more times than anyone’s self-esteem could handle and students who were given passing grades so they could be pushed through the system despite major learning disabilities. Students who come to my school from a public school are typically depressed, have low self-esteem, and are underachieving academically (as reported by parents). So is Inclusion really the best way to go or is it just something we do to make it seem like everyone is being treated fairly? Do we sacrifice the true needs of our students just to keep from using the dreaded word “segregation?” or can we possibly call specialized learning environments a less harsh, negative word? Let’s at least be open to the ideas put forth and examine the potential positives for students rather than let negative words sway us in a direction which just may not be the best way to go.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Advocacy for LD students
I’ve been thinking about advocacy for students with learning disabilities and have been searching for programs, websites, blogs, etc that address this particular issue. I came across a great site called The Advocacy and Learning Center (TALC)
This site really covers a wide range of issues and I particularly like the section for teachers. In the teacher section which is near the bottom of the navigation pane, you can find articles, essays and other resources. I read one essay that really made me think. It was called “Stop Yelling, It Doesn’t Help”
I think this past school year is the first year of my teaching career where I did actually yell at my students. In the past it was unnecessary but the group I had this year was very difficult to control. All teachers agreed they were a very tough group. So I was not alone in that I resorted to yelling occasionally. The article reminded me of the reasons why this was pointless and only led to more problems but it also got me thinking in a different direction. I have never taught children without disabilities. I am not often around “normal” children and I think it’s easy to forget sometimes that these kids are different and typical strategies don’t always work with them. I wonder if this is part of the reason why schools and even parents struggle and why there is such a need for student advocacy. Particularly for students with LD, the problem is often masked by ordinary looking, speaking, and acting children. There is no major sign to indicate there is any sort of problem. So people look at a perfectly normal looking, speaking and acting child, ask them to read something and then get angry or frustrated when they can’t do it. I believe this is much the same way I got frustrated with my students enough to raise my voice in an attempt to control them—there were times when I almost forgot they needed extra patience and time from me.
I suppose the purpose of this posting is really to remind myself and others that students with LD need the help of their teachers and parents and they need the acceptance of school administrators not for looking ordinary but for learning differently. Don’t judge a book by its cover and remember that some problems that are well hidden still need to be addressed.
This site really covers a wide range of issues and I particularly like the section for teachers. In the teacher section which is near the bottom of the navigation pane, you can find articles, essays and other resources. I read one essay that really made me think. It was called “Stop Yelling, It Doesn’t Help”
I think this past school year is the first year of my teaching career where I did actually yell at my students. In the past it was unnecessary but the group I had this year was very difficult to control. All teachers agreed they were a very tough group. So I was not alone in that I resorted to yelling occasionally. The article reminded me of the reasons why this was pointless and only led to more problems but it also got me thinking in a different direction. I have never taught children without disabilities. I am not often around “normal” children and I think it’s easy to forget sometimes that these kids are different and typical strategies don’t always work with them. I wonder if this is part of the reason why schools and even parents struggle and why there is such a need for student advocacy. Particularly for students with LD, the problem is often masked by ordinary looking, speaking, and acting children. There is no major sign to indicate there is any sort of problem. So people look at a perfectly normal looking, speaking and acting child, ask them to read something and then get angry or frustrated when they can’t do it. I believe this is much the same way I got frustrated with my students enough to raise my voice in an attempt to control them—there were times when I almost forgot they needed extra patience and time from me.
I suppose the purpose of this posting is really to remind myself and others that students with LD need the help of their teachers and parents and they need the acceptance of school administrators not for looking ordinary but for learning differently. Don’t judge a book by its cover and remember that some problems that are well hidden still need to be addressed.
The image above is by Jana Christy and was found on www.flickr.com
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