Technology Teacher 06/28/2016

• Instructing Students With High-Incidence Disabilities in the General Education Classroom

  • The focus of inclusion should be on the student
  • The services and resources should help the student build self-esteem and self-worth, while providing positive experiences. Helping students with special needs feel “ownership” and a part of the school community is a necessary component of successful inclusion.
  • Focus on multiple intelligence
  • For example, aptitude in music, sports, creative arts, dance, and drama should be highlighted in all students.
  • Adaptive curriculum
    Inclusive schools should provide curriculum programs that meet the needs of all students.
  • Adapting and enhancing the curriculum for all students is an ongoing part of teachers' roles and responsibilities.
  • Discussion about “responsible inclusion” is important to dispel some of the inaccuracies and myths about educating all students in one setting.
  • Recognizing that inclusion is an emotional issue for many people, one of the most frequently asked questions is, “Does inclusion mean all students with disabilities should be educated in general education classrooms?”
  • however, do not feel that “place” is the key issue to successful inclusion.
  • Battles (1994) suggests that the goal of inclusion is not to simply place all students in the general education classrooms, but to evaluate each student on an individual basis to determine if he/she will benefit from educational services provided in the general education classroom.
  • When a special education student is mainstreamed, his or her placement is part-time in general education and part-time in special education (Bos & Vaughn 1994)
  • hrough the collaboration of the special and general education teachers and the Individual Education Planning (IEP) committee
  • Larry is mainstreamed (placed in the general education classroom) for part of his school day. Other students such as Bill, a student with learning disabilities, is mainstreamed for the entire school day. Bill no longer attends the special education classroom and spends the entire day in his general education class.
  • Inclusion classrooms do not require students to leave the classroom for special instruction, rather the support comes to the student.
  • t is important to note that mainstreaming and inclusion are not mandated by PL 94-142; however, educating students in the least-restrictive environment is an integral component of the law.
  • Therefore, planning time for teachers becomes a factor in adapting the curriculum to challenge all students
  • This gave teachers an outlet to collaborate, share, and consult with others to problem solve together.
  • Mandatory assignment to teach an inclusion class could provoke hostile feelings, adversely affect the quality of teaching in the classroom, and frankly influence many teachers to search for different assignments.
  • Fear is a barrier to inclusion identified by teachers; the fear of responsibility, additional burdens, and the obligation to ensure that all students learn (
  • Learning strategies were identified as important for teachers to use because they provide a framework that gives students foresight into the content of the text.
  • Working in pairs is often a preferred strategy since sometimes students can explain a problem to a peer in a way that makes sense.
  • Learning strategies, textbook adaptations, grouping practices, peer tutoring, and cooperative learning are all procedures reported by students as having a positive effect on understanding, remembering, and learning material.
  • Planning for Inclusion Classrooms
  • Yes, because both the general and special education teacher are responsible for teaching all the students in the inclusion classroom and are ultimately responsible for their grades and mastery of the curriculum.
  • Gone are the days of “my kids” and “your kids” because now it is “our kids.”
  • Both teachers bring a wealth of information from two distinct but similar backgrounds. The special education teacher usually possesses the knowledge and expertise to adapt the curriculum and modify materials for special learners.
  • Issues at hand include developing joint classroom rules, deciding on the physical arrangement of the classroom, how to set up the grade book and grading procedures, who disciplines the students, and teachers' roles during whole-class and small-group instruction.
  • On the flip side of this question, no, the general education teacher is not required to plan and teach all students all the time.
  • The special education teacher role includes teaching whole-class lessons at any appropriate time, and small-group and individual lessons on an ongoing basis.
  • Pulling a group of students who need extra help or practice with a skill, regardless of academic level, is another way the special education teacher co-teaches in the classroom.
  • Working with students in flexible groups is appropriate and should be encouraged as a supportive form of teaching.
  • that flexible grouping is important in inclusive classrooms as this is a source for direct instruction and re-teaching of skills in a small supportive environment.
  • responsible inclusion to describe an orientation to the provision of educational services for students with high-incidence disabilities in the general education classroom that is based on the academic and social progress of the student (Vaughn & Schumm, in press-b).
  • We have identified several critical elements that are necessary to develop and maintain a responsible inclusion program. Each of the elements for maintaining a responsible inclusion program is contrasted with approaches taken in irresponsible inclusion models
  • Student First The first priority is the extent to which the student with disabilities is making academic and/or social progress in the general education classroom. Ongoing assessment and monitoring of student's progress is critical to success
  • Adequate Resources are Considered and Provided for Inclusion Classrooms Personnel understand that for inclusion to be successful, considerable resources, both personnel and material, are required to develop and maintain effective inclusion classrooms.
  • Models are Developed and Implemented at the School-Based Level School site personnel develop inclusive models that are implemented and evaluated to meet the needs of students and families in their community.
  • A Continuum of Services is Maintained A range of education programs are available to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities. It is not expected that the needs of all students will be met with full-time placement in the general education classroom.
  • The Service Delivery Model is Evaluated on an Ongoing Basis The success of the service delivery model is considered and fine-tuned in light of the extent to which it meets the academic and social needs of target students.
  • Ongoing Professional Development Personnel realize that for teachers and other key stakeholders to be effective at inclusion models, ongoing professional development at the school site level is required.
  • Teachers and Other Key Stakeholders Discuss and Develop Their Own Philosophy on Inclusion This philosophy on inclusion guides practice at the school and sets a tone of acceptance for all students. All school personnel are able to discuss the school's philosophy and policy regarding inclusion.
  • Curriculum and Instruction that Meets the Needs of All Students are Developed and Refined Successful inclusion provides for curriculum and instructional practice that makes adaptations for the special learning needs of students and yet challenges all students to achieve at their highest level.
  • Roles and Responsibilities of the General and Special Education Teachers are Defined Cooperative relationships between the special and general education teacher require mutual understanding of expectations and requirements that are written and intermittently reviewed.

• Education World: Dr. Ken Shore: Ten Mainstreaming Strategies

  • Ten Mainstreaming Strategies

  • Ten Mainstreaming Strategies
  • Connect with the student. Try to gain the student's trust by listening attentively to what he says and showing respect for his thoughts and concerns.
  • Help him start the day out on a positive note by giving him a high five or making an upbeat comment when he walks in the doo
  • The student will feel more comfortable in your classroom, and make better choices, if he feels supported and accepted by you.
  • Catch the student being good.
  • Your challenge with this kind of student, especially if you have a large class, is to identify areas of deficiency, catch him when he is performing well in those areas, and praise him immediately and genuinely.
  • State directions with a minimum of words. If you go over every detail, he might miss key points.
  • Give the student clear and simple directions.
  • The buddy should be a mature, responsible classmate who can help the student with classroom tasks when you are unavailable
  • Provide the student with a classroom buddy.
  • Adapt homework to the student's needs. If an assignment appears overwhelming for the student, consider shortening it
  • As his confidence and skills improve, you can increase the length of the assignment.
  • Break a task into smaller, more doable parts.
  • Feeling there is little chance they can finish the task, they might give up quickly or not even attempt it.
  • Develop a signaling system to help keep the student on task.
  • That might be as simple as walking by his desk, making eye contact with him, or pausing while you are speaking.
  • Seek parental support.
  • Find out what strategies they have found successful with their child and what suggestions they have for dealing with him in class.
  • If the student exhibits behavioral problems, try to determine the reason for his behavior through careful observation.
  • Develop a behavior modification system to improve an inappropriate or negative behavior
  • Divide a 3 x 5 card into ten boxes and tape it to the student's desk. Set a timer for 30 minutes at the beginning of the day. If the student does not call out within the 30-minute period, put your initials in a box and reset the timer.

• How do I Mainstream Special Education Students in Public Schools? | Our Everyday Life

  • Lev Vygotsky's constructivist theory of the More Knowledgable Other states that in order for special education students to grow academically as well as socially, they need to spend time with other children their age.
  • Planning and Collaboration
  • The first step in mainstreaming special education students is for the special education teacher to meet with the general education teachers.
  • ogether, the teachers can decide which classrooms are best suited to begin the mainstreaming effort.
  • it is easiest to start with classes such as art or music, particularly with students whose reading and writing skills lag behind that of their general classroom peers.
  • Introductions, Accommodations and Modifications
  • The students in the general education classes should be prepared ahead of time for their new classmate.
  • Accommodations are changes in how instruction is delivered to the special education student, such as providing an audio recording of a lecture or assigned reading. Modifications are changes to the actual curriculum, such as requiring a simpler level of writing from the special education student, in line with her abilities.
  • Monitoring Success
  • The special education teacher should maintain regular communication with the general education teachers so they can troubleshoot any difficulties with mainstreaming.
  • For example, a student with autism may find the noise of music class upsetting, but enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the art room.
  • Special education teachers can maximize chances for success by providing the student and general education teachers with the support they need, such as a paraprofessional or a teacher aide in the classroom to help the student.
  • Teamwork is the key to successful mainstreaming.

• "Mainstream Deaf Education"

  • IDEA states that every person with a   disability between the ages 3 and 21 is entitled to free public   education (inclusive if possible),
  • “Mainstreaming can have a positive impact on social skills,” says   one special education teacher. “It gives them real world repeated   practice of skills that cannot always be generalized from direct   instruction in the classroom” (Mintz 2). 
  • An assessment comparing deaf   and hearing children found “no difference in loneliness or sense of   belonging in the school” (Kreimeyer 7).
  • Alternatively,   children who are mainstreamed may feel isolated from the Deaf   community, while learning in a specialized school among other deaf   children can be comforting.
  • If a child is mainstreamed, efforts should be made to involve   the student in the Deaf community outside of school by educating the   child on Deaf history and engaging in social opportunities with   other Deaf children in the community.
  • Translators can work with the teacher to decide the appropriate type   of signing to use in the classroom (Britton 2).

• Mainstreaming Special Education in the Classroom

  • Every child has the ability to learn, but the way children learn and how much knowledge they can absorb can vary considerably
  • With mainstreaming, special education students “earn” the right to be in a regular classroom for at least one class to see if they are ready for the challenge.
  • At the same time, they realize that full-time inclusion might not provide the best learning experience for the special-needs child or the other children in the class.
  • Children who are mainstreamed will spend time in a resource room where they can receive more individualized attention from teachers.
  • By using both the regular classroom and individualized time in special education classes, pupils are exposed to mainstream students but get the attention they need for their specific challenges.
  • including disabled children in mainstream classrooms improves academic achievement, self-esteem and social skills.
  • A 2005 study conducted by the Special Education Expenditures Program (SEEP) showed that the price tag of educating a special-needs student is between $10,558 and $20,000.
  • Educating without special education services costs $6,556, by comparison.
  • is that a special-needs child can easily get lost in a regular classroom
  • they may be disruptive and may compromise the learning environment of other students.
  • Deaf children face a special challenge because the significant communication barriers between them and their mainstream classmates can cause feelings of lower self-esteem and isolation among the hearing-impaired
  • When addressing the needs of disabled students, it is important to remember the needs of the rest of the class. Including special-needs children in a regular classroom can be disruptive and make learning more difficult for the majority. However, children without special needs can benefit from interacting with children who struggle in some ways.
  • This exposure encourages children to help one another and develop empathy for other human beings, whether they suffer official “disabilities” or not.
  • we all have special needs, and many of these will be discovered by parents, teachers, mentors, employers and friends throughout our lives.

• Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | TED Talk | TED.com

  • Autism is a very big continuum that goes from very severe -- the child remains non-verbal -- all the way up to brilliant scientists and engineers.
  • I'm really concerned that a lot of the schools have taken out the hands-on classes, because art, and classes like that, those are the classes where I excelled.
  • My mind works like Google for images. Now, when I was a young kid I didn't know my thinking was different. I thought everybody thought in pictures.
  • And where I was bad was algebra. And I was never allowed to take geometry or trig. Gigantic mistake: I'm finding a lot of kids who need to skip algebra, go right to geometry and trig.
  • That praying mantis is made from a single sheet of paper -- no scotch tape, no cuts. And there in the background is the pattern for folding it. Here are the types of thinking: photo-realistic visual thinkers, like me; pattern thinkers, music and math minds.
  • this ability to put information into categories, I find a lot of people are not very good at this.
  • You know, five fatal wrecks in the last 20 years, the tail either came off or steering stuff inside the tail broke in some way. It's tails, pure and simple. And when the pilots walk around the plane, guess what? They can't see that stuff inside the tail.
  • Now, this ability to put information into categories, I find a lot of people are not very good at this. When I'm out troubleshooting equipment or problems with something in a plant, they don't seem to be able to figure out, "Do I have a training people issue? Or do I have something wrong with the equipment?" In other words, categorize equipment problem from a people problem. I find a lot of people have difficulty doing that. Now, let's say I figure out it's an equipment problem. Is it a minor problem, with something simple I can fix? Or is the whole design of the system wrong? People have a hard time figuring that out.
  • Now, the thing is, the world is going to need all of the different kinds of minds to work together.
  • We've got to work on developing all these different kinds of minds. And one of the things that is driving me really crazy, as I travel around and I do autism meetings, is I'm seeing a lot of smart, geeky, nerdy kids, and they just aren't very social, and nobody's working on developing their interest in something like science.
  • You know, five fatal wrecks in the last 20 years, the tail either came off or steering stuff inside the tail broke in some way. It's tails, pure and simple. And when the pilots walk around the plane, guess what? They can't see that stuff inside the tail.
  • The thing about the autistic mind is it tends to be fixated. Like if a kid loves racecars, let's use racecars for math. Let's figure out how long it takes a racecar to go a certain distance.
  • In other words, use that fixation in order to motivate that kid, that's one of the things we need to do.
  • What can visual thinkers do when they grow up? They can do graphic design, all kinds of stuff with computers, photography, industrial design.
  • Mentors are just essential. I cannot emphasize enough what my science teacher did for me. And we've got to mentor them, hire them.
  • "If by some magic, autism had been eradicated from the face of the Earth, then men would still be socializing in front of a wood fire at the entrance to a cave."
  • If you have a two, three or four year old you know, no speech, no social interaction, I can't emphasize enough: Don't wait, you need at least 20 hours a week of one-to-one teaching
  • But then you get the smart, geeky kids that have a touch of autism, and that's where you've got to get them turned on with doing interesting things. I got social interaction through shared interest.
  • I'm passionate about that the things I do are going to make the world a better place. When I have a mother of an autistic child say, "My kid went to college because of your book, or one of your lectures," that makes me happy.

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Technology Teacher 06/26/2016

• School of Education at Johns Hopkins University-Alderwood Middle School Makes a Difference

  • The student population includes: 36 percent on free and reduced lunch, 7 percent of whom are limited English proficient, 10 percent who qualify for special education, and 35 percent various ethnicities.
  • Results from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) indicate a gap in performance for students with disabilities, limited English proficient and students living in poverty.
  • They changed the class schedule to 80-minute periods for more in-depth instruction in the core curricula areas of mathematics, language arts, science and social studies.
  • Keys for Excellence in Your Schools (KEYS), an educational reform process developed by the National Education Association.
  • 1. Shared Understanding and Commitment to High Goals
    2. Open Communication and Collaborative Problem Solving
    3. Continuous Assessment for Teaching and Learning
    4. Personal and Professional Learning
    5. Resources to Support Teaching and Learning
    6. Curriculum and Instruction
  • In January 2002, the special education team recognized that many of their students were failing in the general education portion of their program
  • The group first identified the following set of objectives that they wished to achieve:
  • 1. To provide students consistency and high structure
    2. To meet the instructional and developmental needs of special education and struggling students
    3. To provide multi-age organization for students
    4. To provide a more cohesive range of options for students in smaller stair-steps
    5. To provide a supportive structure and a collaborative and cooperative culture for teachers and students
    6. To provide a more integrated curriculum for students
  • The team felt that the Academy had to be able to provide the full general education curricula, but the curricula needed to be delivered at a pace that was more responsive to the students.
  • The Academy is comprised of four general educators who teach language arts, math, science and social studies who joined forces with the special education teachers.
  • The special and general education staff worked together during the summer of 2002 to create curriculum maps in the content areas, institute research-based effective instructional practices, accommodations and specially designed instruction
  • The Academy staff met on a regular basis throughout the school year to discuss student performance and make program adjustments
  • Pre- and post- tests for reading and math were taken, and data on student desire to attend and participate in school and parent satisfaction with the school program collected.
  • Although several efforts have contributed to our success, the creation of the Academy for our struggling and special education students has proven to be beneficial in several ways.
  • This team is comprised of four special education teachers, one English teacher who is funded from Learning Assistance Program State funds (LAP), and two regular education teachers.
  • Academy parents also reported high satisfaction with the academic and behavioral transformation in their students.

• Special Education Inclusion - WEAC

  • Special Education Inclusion

     

    Special Education Inclusion

  • Any discussion about inclusion should address several important questions:

     
     
    • Do we value all children equally?
     
    • What do we mean by “inclusion”?
     
    • Are there some children for whom “inclusion” is inappropriate?
  • James Kauffman of the University of Virginia views inclusion as a policy driven by an unrealistic expectation that money will be saved.
  • trying to force all students into the inclusion mold is just as coercive and discriminatory as trying to force all students into the mold of a special education class or residential institution.
  • all students belong in the regular education classroom, and that “good” teachers are those who can meet the needs of all the students, regardless of what those needs may be.
  • hey wonder whether inclusion is legally required and wonder what is best for children. They also question what it is that schools and school personnel must do to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
  • mainstreaming has been used to refer to the selective placement of special education students in one or more “regular” education classes.
  • This concept is closely linked to traditional forms of special education service delivery.
  • Inclusion is a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend.
  • bringing the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to the services) and requires only that the child will benefit from being in the class (rather than having to keep up with the other students).
  • Full inclusion means that all students, regardless of handicapping condition or severity, will be in a regular classroom/program full time. All services must be taken to the child in that setting.
  • Those who support the idea of mainstreaming believe that a child with disabilities first belongs in the special education environment and that the child must earn his/her way into the regular education environment.
  • those who support inclusion believe that the child always should begin in the regular environment and be removed only when appropriate services cannot be provided in the regular classroom.
  • The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 2004, does not require inclusion. Instead, the law requires that children with disabilities be educated in the “least restrictive environment appropriate” to meet their “unique needs.”
  • IDEA recognizes that it is not appropriate to place all children in the regular education classroom. Therefore, the law requires school districts to have a “continuum of placements” available, extending from the regular education classroom to residential settings, in order to accommodate the needs of all children with disabilities.
  • he IDEA requires the IEP team to consider placement in the regular education classroom as the starting point in determining the appropriate placement for the child.
  • Section 504 requires that a recipient of federal funds provide for the education of each qualified handicapped person in its jurisdiction with persons who are not handicapped to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the handicapped person.
  • Because the categories of disabilities covered by the IDEA have expanded during the past two reauthorizations in 1997 and 2004, Section 504 is less frequently used to obtain access to public education for students with disabilities.

  • Even after several reauthorizations of IDEA, most recently in 2004, federal law leaves several questions unanswered, including three significant ones:

     
     
    • How far must schools go?
     
    • How important is potential academic achievement/social growth in making placement decisions?
     
    • What are the rights of the other children?
  • Greer vs. Rome City School District (11th Circuit Court, 1992)
  • In this case, the court decided in favor of parents who objected to the placement of their daughter in a self-contained special education classroom.
  • “Before the school district may conclude that a handicapped child should be educated outside of the regular classroom it must consider whether supplemental aids and services would permit satisfactory education in the regular classroom.”

  • The district had considered only three options for the child:

     
     
    • The regular education classroom with no supplementary aids and services;
     
    • The regular classroom with some speech therapy only;
     
    • The self-contained special education classroom.
  • However, the court said that the district cannot refuse to serve a child because of added cost.
  • the court also said that a district cannot be required to provide a child his/her own full-time teacher.
  • major message in this case is that all options must be considered before removing a child from the regular classroom.
  • no clear determination is made about when costs move from reasonable to excessive
  • The parents in this case challenged the district’s decision to place their daughter half-time in a special education classroom and half-time in a regular education classroom.
  • wanted their daughter in the regular classroom full-time.
  • found that regular education placement is appropriate if a disabled child can receive a satisfactory education, even if it is not the best academic setting for the child
  • Non-academic benefits must also be considered.

  • The four factors were as follows:

     
     
    • The educational benefits of placing the child in a full-time regular education program;
     
    • The non-academic benefits of such a placement;
     
    • The effect the child would have on the teacher and other students in the regular classroom;
     
    • The costs associated with this placement.

  • the court ruled that three factors must be considered:

     
     
    • The court should consider whether the district made reasonable efforts to accommodate the child in regular education. The school must “consider the whole range of supplemental aids and services . . .”
     
    • The court should compare the educational benefits the child would receive in regular education (with supplemental aids and services) contrasted with the benefits in a special education classroom.
     
    • The court should consider the effect the inclusion of the child with disabilities might have on the education of other children in the regular education classroom.
  • f, after considering these factors, the court determines that the child cannot be educated satisfactorily in a regular classroom, the court must consider whether the schools have included the child in school programs to the maximum extent appropriate.
  • Poolaw vs. Parker Unified School District (9 th Circuit Court, 1995)
  • the district found that the benefits of regular education placement were minimal and that the child’s educational needs could be met appropriately only by the residential placement offered by the district.
  • School District of Wisconsin Dells v. Z. S. (7 th Circuit Court, 2002)
  • In this instance, the court decided that school authorities did not have to modify the neighborhood school for wheelchairs when an accessible program was available elsewhere in the school district.
  • Courts will carefully examine the facts in individual cases to determine whether school districts have offered an appropriate placement out of a continuum of placements available for every child with disabilities who is enrolled in the district. Courts will examine IEP team processes to ensure that placements are based on the individual needs of each child.
  • no comparative data available on special education students’ academic gains, graduation rates, preparation for post-secondary schooling, work, or involvement in community living based on their placement in inclusive vs. non-inclusive settings.

  • In assessing effectiveness, a control group was compared with the students in Success For All programs. Comparative measures included:

     
     
    • Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery (1984)
     
    • Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty (1980)
     
    • Student retention and attendance.
  • The primary importance of research on Success For All is that it demonstrates that with early and continuing intervention nearly all children can be successful in reading

  • In particular, students in special education and regular education showed several positive changes, including:

     
     
    • A reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increased comfort and awareness (Peck et al., 1992);
     
    • Growth in social cognition (Murray-Seegert,1989);
     
    • Improvement in self-concept of non-disabled students (Peck et. al., 1992);
     
    • Development of personal principles and ability to assume an advocacy role toward their peers and friends with disabilities;
     
    • Warm and caring friendships (Bogdan and Taylor, 1989).
  • A restructured system that merges special and regular education must also employ practices that focus on high expectations for all and rejects the prescriptive teaching, remedial approach that leads to lower achievement (Guess and Thompson, 1989, Heshusius, 1988).

  • We must also decide that diversity (ability, racial, etc.) is valuable. It is not just a reality to be tolerated, accepted, and accommodated . . . it is a reality to be valued (York, et.al. 1993).

     

  • When considering a move from traditional/regular special educational programming to a more inclusive approach, it is important that the entire school community be involved in a thoughtful, carefully researched transition.
  • The following recommendations can help districts or buildings in designing a positive transition to a more inclusive environment:
  • • A continuum of placements, supports and services should be made available for all students, but always assume that every student’s first placement is in regular education.
     
    • All placement decisions should be based on a well-developed IEP with an emphasis on the needs of the child, her/his peers and the reasonable provision of services.
     
    • Top-down mandated full inclusion is inappropriate. Neither federal nor state law require full inclusion.
     
    • Before any new programs are developed, the building staff must agree on a clearly articulated philosophy of education (an education ethic). Teachers and support staff must be fully involved in the decision-making, planning and evaluation processes for individual students and building-wide programs.
     
    • Extensive staff development must be made available as a part of every teacher’s and paraprofessional’s workday. Areas of emphasis include: 
       
       
      • Emphasis on higher-order thinking skills
       
      • Integrated curricula
       
      • Interdisciplinary teaching
       
      • Multicultural curricula
       
      • Life-centered curricula.
       
       
       
     
    • Work toward unifying the special education and regular education systems. For instance, separate evaluators and evaluation systems are counter productive. There should be one system.
     
    • Ensure that sufficient licensed practitioners are employed to address the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of all students. In inclusive settings, reduced class sizes and/or increased numbers of teachers in the classroom are necessary.
     
    • Appeal processes must be developed that allow teachers to challenge the implementation of IEP’s and placements that they determine to be inappropriate for a child.
     
    • Involve parents and students as partners in the decision-making process.
     
    • When developing programs, consider multiple teaching/learning approaches like team teaching, co-teaching, peer partners, cooperative learning, heterogeneous grouping, study team planning, parallel teaching, station teaching, etc.
  • Real inclusion involves restructuring of a school’s entire program and requires constant assessment of practices and results.
  • Constant reflection is necessary if we ever hope to be able to make clear determinations about which specific strategies will help children to become happy, contributing citizens.

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Technology Teacher 06/23/2016

• “Redefinition” event encourages emotional empowerment | The Statesman

  • At this year’s Redefinition event, which occurred on Nov.  6 in Langmuir College, students “redefined” hurtful words that they identified by popping balloons full of paint on canvas
  • The goal of this event was to raise awareness to the campus community about how common words can offend people and how people can come and support one another through the negative experiences associated with these words
  • The artistic element consisted of throwing paint-filled balloons at a canvas full of the words people had written as having affected them the most.
  • This shows that all types of hurt can be turned into beauty.
  • Anything negative can be turned into something positive, and one way is through artistic, creative means, as done here.
  • Some points of this pledge include treating others fairly, being accountable for one’s own behavior, standing up for community dignity, respecting rights of others and celebrating and expressing pride in diversity.
  • “It basically made me feel like I was taking out evil because when we threw the balloons at the walls for the words that hurt us, it was great. We turned pain into something magical.”

• No Name-Calling: Shirts of Empowerment | OER Commons

  • Ask them to be conscious of the effects these words may have on other students.
  • Be sure to support students and make sure they are using these words to express their dislike for being called names, and not to further bully other students
  • Let students know that although you may not see it normally on students, others may make them wear these labels daily when they are name_called or bullied.

• Backgrounder: What Parents Should Know About GLSENTrue Tolerance

  • GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is the nation’s largest homosexual advocacy group focused entirely on reaching public school students as young as kindergarten age.
  • Its “Diversity Statement” explains that GLSEN is opposed to “heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia” and “other forms of oppression” in the public schools.
  • Translated into practical action, this means that GLSEN uses curricula, books and other campus-wide programs and initiatives to familiarize students with the idea that homosexual, bisexual and transgender behavior (including cross-dressing and sex changes) are normal and worthy of being embraced

• Support No Name-Calling Week!

  • No Name-Calling Week <!--StartFragment-->is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

• 3 Ways to Create an Inclusive Learning Environment | ASCD Inservice

  • The article “#IWishMyTeacherKnew shares students’ heartbreak, hopes” provides insight into some of the forces causing students to stumble.
  • Schools need to provide a welcoming experience for all students, not just those who struggle, so that effective classroom strategies can be successfully employed.
  • Differentiating: We know that everyone learns differently, so move past the “one-size-fits-all” approach to instruction and assessment
  • Provide small group or individual, direct instruction so you can tailor content delivery more accurately for specific learners’ needs.
  • Healthy Grading: Stop taking off points for behaviors like lateness, unpreparedness, or talking out of turn. While these and other behaviors are important to manage, they shouldn’t be used to mask or reflect students’ understanding of a topic.
  • The components of an enlightened grading philosophy include 
     
    1. Regular formative assessments in which quality, descriptive feedback is generated and personalized for each student.
     
    2. Opportunities for reiteration that are embedded within tests and quizzes.
  • Ensuring that students are prepared for an exam increases the likelihood of initial success—which builds confidence and purpose.
  • Relationships: The most effective way to build an inclusive learning environment comes from forming meaningful connections with your students
  • By taking some extra time and effort to view each pupil as an individual and truly believing that each student can succeed, you’ll become partners in success.
  • Putting your students’ emotional needs first is important because without feeling safe and understood, no instructional strategy will be effective.
  • By building relationships in the classroom, students will feel comfortable enough to come out and tell us what is on their minds without having to wait for an opportunity from you to do so
  • By forming a bond between you and your students and providing a sound educational framework for success, real learning will occur.

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  -This lesson provides students an opportunity to experience what it’s like to be labeled and as a result, develop empathy for those who others label. - Invite students to decorate the shirts with a name that they have been called, or have heard other students being called. Students may choose words such as “nerd,” “geek,” “gay,” “stupid,” “retard” and other offensive names. Ask them to be conscious of the effects these words may have on other students. - Once the shirts have been decorated, students can wear them for the day or you can display them in a public setting such as the school library or cafeteria. Let students know that although you may not see it normally on students, others may make them wear these labels daily when they are name-called or bullied. - Suggested Follow-Up: After students have worn or displayed the shirts, lead them in a discussion using the following questions: ‐ What did you learn about name-calling and bullying from this activity? ‐ How did it feel to wear the shirts? ‐ Do you think it’s easy for students to get rid of labels after they have been name-called?

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 06/21/2016

• Gender

  Girls tend of lighter skeletons in different Soldier and pelvic proportions than boys The differences of physical structure generally contribute to the male's greater strength greater endurance for heavy labor greater ease and running or over arm throwing and lesser ability to float in water girls and boys often choose different games at recess or girls are seen jump roping and boys are throwing balls at each other Text and Y chromosomes determine our sex represent a very small proportion of the total gene pool males and females share roughly 99.8% of their genes many parents and Educators believe that there are innate differences between boys and girls which can lead to stereotypes and development of different expectations for their behavior academic achievement and future occupations Theater that the two Sexes are born with different aptitudes to lead to voice being less verbal and Performing girls in mathematics and science They concluded that most classrooms are girl-friendly causing voice to lag behind in academic achievement Studies recommend that the current achievement gaps be limited by effectively teaching verbal skills to boys and that math mathematics science and spatial skills to girls in co-educational classrooms boys need more one-on-one verbal engagement literary immersion an opportunity for physical play Hands-On learning and exploration of all types girls need to be engaged in similar activities to develop their mathematics science and spatial skills at higher levels expectation should be high no matter what the gender is appropriate gender behavior is reinforced throughout the life-cycle by social processes of approval and disapproval and reward and Punishment by children friends in the adult closest to them children are not immune to the influence of media cartoon characters children's movies and toys help determine their gender identities which are reinforced by their same-sex peers when a child into school Educators usually continue the socialization pattern initiated by parents that reinforce the stereotyped behaviors associated with males and females Culture and Society are off and expect us to mirror the gender behaviors associated with their sex females are allowed more flexibility and their gender identification and males new bullet young men and supported by the to 6 indicating that they are much more likely than girls to commit suicide then drink use steroids suffer from undiagnosed depression and be killed by gunfire are in a car crash the boy code don't cry don't run from danger don't ask for help or let anyone know that you need help don't seek comfort from another person don't show your emotions don't hug your friends don't show tenderness and love a child may be born in a boy's body but be a girl and every other aspect of life such a child is a transgender women of color no matter what their social economic status of current and historical experiences of discrimination based on their race and ethnicity it is often a struggle to develop an identity that incorporates one's gender ethnicity race sexual orientation class and religion into the hole with one feel comfortable and self-assured Religions generally recognized and include masculine and feminine expectations as part of their doctrines students with physical disabilities May face challenges in meeting the traditional expectations of masculinity and femininity as well the 1963 Equal Pay Act requires that men and women receive equal pay for the same job but did not prevent discrimination in hiring equal rights for women men gays and lesbians continue to be contested Voice in the United States are retained at twice the rate of girls are identified as having learning disorders and attention problems at three times the rate of girls and get more C's and D's and do less homework than girls because we were raised in a sexist said you think I'll be havior is natural acceptable and often don't recognise discrimination when it occurs Sexism is the belief that males are superior to females in 2008 women representing more than 90% of the traditional female occupations and less than 10% of traditional male jobs sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination as long as it in the work place where women have been the recipients of unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior sexual harassment can be very damaging to his victims having an impact on their emotions and subsequent Behavior Boys do everything possible to prove that their masculine and not cities are gay even if it requires harassing females in each other Educators must model appropriate behavior by avoiding sexual references innuendos and jokes

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Technology Teacher 06/19/2016

• think b4 you Speak

• CHECK 4 PROGRAM | GLSEN

  • Despite changes in popular culture, 85% of LGBT students were verbally harassed in the past year, 68% avoided school functions or extracurricular activities and 30% missed at least one day of school in the past month.
  • 1. Visible, supportive educators

     

    Professional Development resources for educators

     

    
    2. Inclusive and affirming policies

     

    Policies that matter

     

    Model Laws & Policies

     

    
    3. Inclusive curriculum and resources

     

    LGBT history, themes and people  

     

    
    4. Student clubs that support LGBT issues, such as a GSA

     

    Jump Start Your GSA
  • With these four supports in place, LGBT students do enormously better:

     

    ●     Average GPA up from 2.8 to 3.3

     

    ●     Absenteeism down from 61% to 17%

     

    ●     Likelihood of not considering college cut in half, from 8% to 4%

     

    ●     Less depression and risk-taking behavior, higher self-esteem and graduation rates

• Module 5

  -Gender, the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that describe masculinity and femininity, plays a role in the academic success of students - The academic discussion concerning the causality of gender differences is ongoing; nature versus nurture remains an unresolved issue. - Achievement differences in the past have pointed toward two discernable gender gaps in achievement: female students outperformed males on reading tests, while male students outperformed females in the area of mathematics - When comparing the percentage of students rated proficient, females outperform males by more than ten points (Chudowsky & Chudowsky, 2010). - A study that examined the influence of gender on academically advanced students’ perceptions found no significant differences in students’ beliefs about their ability; however the courses they planned on taking in high school differed by gender (Rudasill & Callahan, 2010). - Female students intended to take fewer mathematics and science courses, despite the fact that no gender differences in mathematics and science self-perceptions were found. - The Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) continues to demonstrate consistent gender differences among high-ability students, with significant repercussions for the educational and career opportunities of females - The expectations in some classrooms emphasize language, sitting and working quietly, and speaking in turn; these can place young active boys in jeopardy of not learning (Tyre, 2006). - Rethink early reading readiness: Boys are less physically mature than girls; their physiological brain development is two years behind and often cannot support the early demands of classroom instruction - Create a gender-inclusive classroom culture: Materials, learning centers, and classroom activities that are physical, creative, and imaginative engage young boys and set the tone that masculine behaviors and interests are accepted. - Understand the gender learning preferences: Knowledge about learning styles, brain research, developmental readiness, and differentiation practices support classroom practices that acknowledge gender preferences. - Single-gender opportunities: Consider flexible grouping that allows for occasional single-gender learning. Students that are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) are often the targets of harassment and bullying. - Approximately one-third of LGBT students who felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation also reported that they had skipped school recently because of feeling unsafe -Student groups include advocacy groups such as the Gay-Straight Alliance or social justice groups that participated in events such as the National Day of Silence. - Culturally responsive pedagogy includes developmentally appropriate curricula designed to help students develop a sense of tolerance and respect for the differences that they will encounter in school and the larger societal community (GLSEN, 2010) -

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Technology Teacher 06/16/2016

• Helping children from low-income families succeed in class - The Washington Post

  • In some schools, as many as one-fourth of the students are homeless. The District should provide additional support for school-based staff coping with a sharp rise in homelessness, and the city should reassess supports for homeless students to identify gaps.
  • The District should ensure that all low-income students have access to meaningful activities after school and in the summer, when low-income students lose ground.
  • Poverty shouldn’t be seen as an excuse to say that low-income children can’t succeed. They can. However, poverty puts tremendous pressure on children and makes it so much harder for them to take advantage of the quality education system that the District is building.

• The Activity Gap - The Atlantic

  • One is named Ethan—a freshman at an elite college near Austin, Texas, pursuing a degree in engineering. He grew up with supportive middle-class parents who put him in extracurriculars his whole life: Boy Scouts, soccer, track, orchestra.
  • Ethan watch TV and play video games, his dad took him on hiking trips to New Mexico where they would track bears and practice navigation.
  • Ethan’s mom, meanwhile, strived to raise an engaged citizen; she even helped him register to vote when he turned 18.
  • Nicole, who also lives in Austin—though in an area far less inviting than the spacious private housing development where Ethan was raised
  • Nicole is a single mother who works in the kitchen at a three-star hotel making a wage that’s hardly enough to cover food, diapers, and clothes from Goodwill.
  • recently borrowed $9,000 to help pay for a year-long program at a for-profit college, but whether that degree will get results—whether she’ll even complete the course—is debatable.
  • She grew up poor—her father worked as a garbage collector, and her mother as a hotel maid and waitress—in a neighborhood that was so dangerous she couldn’t play outside.
  • Nicole spent her afternoons watching TV at home alone.
  • Nicole joined the dance team. But that was short-lived:
  • With uniforms and travel for competitions costing $800 annually, she had to quit after a year because her family couldn’t afford it.
  • Income-based differences in extracurricular participation are on the rise, and these differences greatly affect later outcomes.
  • While upper- and middle-class students have become more active in school clubs and sports teams over the past four decades, their working-class peers
  • "have become increasingly disengaged and disconnected," particularly since their participation rates started plummeting in the '90s, the study found.
  • But for many other children, the rising costs of sport teams and school clubs, combined with parents’ uncertain work schedules and precarious household budgets, have made extracurricular activities a luxury they can’t afford."
  • And it’s worth noting that they limited their analysis to "non-Hispanic white" high school seniors to emphasize that "the gaps we find are driven by social class and not by race or ethnicity."
  • n 1972, roughly 61 percent of low-income high school seniors, and 67 percent of their more-affluent peers, participated in one more more non-athletic extracurricular activities.
  • Some data suggests that involvement in extracurricular activities is just as meaningful as test scores when it comes to subsequent educational attainment and accumulated earnings later in life.  
  • . Research shows that the skills, habits, connections, and knowledge that kids develop in these activities help them gain self-esteem and resilience and reduce the likelihood that they’ll engage in risky behavior such as drug use, delinquency, and sexual activity.
  • And not only do extracurricular activities help kids hone "soft skills" and other abilities integral to successful careers and adult lives (such as ambition and curiosity), but they can also help boost academic performance.
  • Meanwhile, college admissions offices tend to give preference to students who have prolific resumes demonstrating their engagement outside of school—a tendency that’s grown in recent alongside increased student demand for higher education.  
  • Whereas close to 15 percent of low-income children that year had repeated one or more grades, for example, the rate was 4 percent for  middle-to-upper-class kids. And more than one out of every 10 low-income children had a parent who had served time in jail, compared with 2 percent of their wealthier counterparts. Extracurricular activities can give kids like these access to adult mentors who might otherwise be lacking in their lives.
  • Families of means have more money to spend on their children, and consumer research suggests that these parents are doling out an increasing share of their income on non-material experiences for their kids.
  • That also means they’re making "a group of children who could really benefit from a college education less and less marketable,"
  • As budget cuts force districts to reduce spending and as testing pressures and new learning mandates reshape classroom priorities, extracurriculars are often the first expenses schools cut.
  • "As Ethan prepares to graduate from college and pursue a lucrative career in engineering, Nicole is struggling to raise a child on minimum wage."

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