Somebody Else's Kids

I am planning for class with a student to have in my classroom from Somebody Else’s Kids by Torey Hayden and the student I am choosing to work with is Lori. Lori was an adopted twin child who lives with a now widowed father. Lori is full of energy and kindness and hardly seems like a child with a learning disability when you simply communicate with her (Hayden, 1981). Lori is a hyperactive student who struggles to learn or even copy material due to lesions in her brain. She struggles to process written symbols, but does very well with oral mathematics at or above her grade level (Hayden, 1981).

Accommodations

In order for Lori to be successful in my class, it means that I must make the proper adjustments to my lesson plans so that Lori has a fair opportunity to succeed given her learning disability. For instance, in order to address Lori’s hyperactive nature I would plan on her sitting in the front row of my classroom as well as allowing her to stand and walk around during any activities that were not direct instruction so long as she did not distract other students. By keeping Lori in the front of the room, she is more likely to stay engaged and pay attention and by allowing her to walk around and move she will be able to burn some of her hyperactive nature when in the classroom and trying to learn.

Furthermore, I would make changes in my lesson plan for Lori by not making her write down problems in walk around activities but rather already have the problems printed out for her. This would keep Lori from wasting time to write down problems while she already struggles to copy material down.  Lori would also benefit from guided notes so I would print out handouts for her where all the notes require her to do is fill in a few blanks for definitions rather than write the entire definition down. Having Lori using guided notes would allow her to access all of her notes in a well-organized format. Additionally, I would provide Lori with interactive practice problems through Khan Academy or look into purchasing Algebra Tiles so her learning is hands-on and helps her identify symbols better.  

In Lori’s situation I feel that it could be beneficial for her to have the option of watching video or hearing the lesson/lecture afterwards as compared to review notes, so I as a teacher could create a video the evening before the lecture explaining the material for Lori and then have the material sent to her through e-mail or the school website. Moreover, Lori could be given support on her tests by allowing for oral examinations where one teacher asks the questions and another proctor can assist her through the test in writing down the material to show that she knows it. By allowing Lori to take her exam in the format that she is most comfortable with, she has the best chance for herself to be successful and demonstrate her knowledge of the material.

Since Lori has a twin sister who does very well academically, I could look into having her sister and her father support her outside of the classroom to help her academically with her struggles to understand written symbols and communicate in writing. By communicating with her family, Lori can have a support system at home as well as her teachers and peers at school to help her learn and succeed (National, 1997).

Lori’s academic success is the most important thing for me as well as leading her into the world with the skills necessary for a career that she can love pursuing. In order to meet those goals, Lori should be given support in class research projects as students work to find careers in mathematics that interest them with Lori receiving help writing her paper from myself or a teacher with student services who can write down the spoken word that she delivers for her paper.

Drawbacks

Some of the accommodations that are being made for Lori have drawbacks that have to be taken into consideration with the benefits as a teacher trying to help a student with a learning disability. For example, by allowing Lori to simply fill in the blanks for definitions she is less likely to think about this definition in a way that will stick in her mind. By forcing the students to write down the entire definition they are forced to read the definition at least once and proceed to write it down so the definition is in their mind by reading and writing whereas copying down a few words to fill in blanks can become lazy and unengaging.

Another drawback of the mentioned accommodations for Lori is the idea of how she struggles to copy down material and interpret written symbols. In mathematics, symbols are involved in almost every mathematical step so giving oral examinations would be helpful, but some things would need to be given with paper like graphing and plotting data plots and performing data analysis.

Lori’s learning disability makes direct instruction for the class hard to complete while supporting her without using guided notes all of the time. Mathematics is a subject that teachers can present in a very clear manner through direct instruction so having to use a student-centered learning environment more often means that Lori may miss out on some of the information that students will discover through inquiry based learning experiences. This loss of an opportunity would mean that it would be my responsibility to help Lori through those conversations and to ensure that she understood the material. In order to make sure that Lori can comprehend the material, I would make it a point to include her in the discussions whenever possible.

Additionally, because Lori cannot sit still for long periods of time it is unlikely that she will have the focus to sit down at home to review material or visit sites like Khan Academy for extra tutorials or practice problems when she is struggling. This means that Lori, even when she is having a tough time, may not have the ability to help herself study difficult material. This issue with study can become even more troublesome when we think about Lori taking an exam and having not study for that exam and being asked to take the test without preparing on her own for the material. Lori would need reminders and support from myself and at home to help her prepare for tests and quizzes.

Potential Issues

While trying to help Lori, I may run into some potential issues. One issue would be that Lori requires the help of a special education teacher, but did not meet the evaluation requirements for special education services so she is not recognized as a student with a learning disability (National, 1997). Another possible challenge is that Lori cannot get any peer support from her classmates to assist her in learning this new material and struggles without peer help.

In addition, I have not had an experience in the classroom yet with a student with a learning disability before so this would be a learning curve for me trying to help them to the best of my ability. This struggle would encourage me to seek help from my school’s STAT teacher who acts as an assistant to teachers with questions about how to best teach their students.

More issues include Lori’s self-esteem and motivation to succeed if she is still struggling. Throughout the book she gives everything her best effort, but what would happen if she eventually just gave up? Being unsuccessful can be frustrating for students who have never experienced it, but it can be even more frustrating for students who experience it constantly. They could begin to have low expectations of their abilities and have a fixed mindset where their mental capacity is stagnant and they have no way of changing it. As teachers for struggling students like Lori, it is our duty to stay with them and push their expectations and meet them where they currently are and inspire them for growth in the abilities through class growth mindset activities.

When we think about Lori’s issues with learning through writing and the lack of an ability to copy down information, it really makes teaching much more difficulty because these two skills are the building blocks of education and learning for students without disabilities. Students write down definitions and make connections to these words and then through copying down notes can review these materials later. Lori’s disability makes learning difficulty, but not impossible. Lori needs a system to meet her where she is academically. This would require a teaching aid for her in all of her courses as well as an alternative method to learn the material through online and interactive means.

Sources

Hayden, T. L. (1981). Somebody else’s kids. United States: Putnam Pub Group (T).

National, the. (1997). Addressing students’ needs: Importance of knowing your students. Retrieved August 11, 2016, from Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, http://www.cirtl.net/node/2543

504 Plan vs. IEP

504 Plan vs. IEP

Source

Team, T. U. (2014, June 27). The difference between IEPs and 504 plans. Retrieved July 21, 2016, from Understood, https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/504-plan/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans

Summary

When we look at the similarities and differences between 504 Plans and IEP's, we can see that both

are aimed at helping individuals with disabilities in the classroom. In my opinion, 504 plans see 

much more flexible with many options for students, but IEPs appear to hold more support through

schools due to their funding and larger teams of educators. IEPs seem to have more state standards

and set rules because of their state funding which I feel can lead to better results in learning for

students with disabilities, but also may take more time to gain access to for new students after

evaluation because of the need to align with the student's needs as well as state standards. While both

programs are different in many ways, I believe that both plans are asking the correct questions and

taking the proper steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities are given all of the proper tools in

their educational careers. 

The History of Special Education

The History of Special Education

Timeline:

http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/the-history-of-special-education-310563bd-5fc5-41dd-8bc0-21d6ac77882b

The current status of Special Education is run by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 that protects the rights of students with disabilities to ensure that they receive the appropriate attention for their needs. In addition, Special Education currently has efforts from teachers and school systems all over focusing on being as culturally responsive as necessary for students to be successful. Special Education has several issues that need attention badly. One issue is that many special education teachers lack the resources to best serve their students due to lack of funds so many teachers turn to online donors and crowdfunding (Understanding IEP, 2009). Moreover, many students may have learning disabilities that may not qualify them for special education and in which case their teacher may not know of their learning disabilities (Understanding IEP, 2009). This student could struggle without the proper tools for their learning. Many students will continue to struggle in education without the proper education to meet their needs with proper funding and correct assessment for those who need it. 

Resources:

Skiba, Russell J.; Simmons, Ada B.; Ritter, Shana; Gibb, Ashley C.; Rausch, M. Karega; Cuadrado, Jason; Choong-Geun Chung. (Spring 2008).  Achieving Equity in Special Education:  History, Status, and Current Challenges.  Exceptional Children (Vol. 74  Issue 3, p264-288. 25p.)

Understanding IEP Law and Special Education. (2009). Retrieved July 17, 2016, from http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/IEP-law.html

Framing Our Reading Part 4

	Text Citation or Link	Rationale for Choosing	Text Frame(s)	Strategies Used and Resource
Engagement Example	Physics Talk: Understanding Motion	This article looks at constant and average speed and then discusses the Doppler Effect. This article would be valuable for a vocabulary overview guide because of the difficulty that can results between understanding constant and average speeds.	Concept/ Definition	Concept of Definition Map  (McLaughlin book)

The graphic organizer that I would use would be a Concept of Definition Map. I like this for mathematics and physics mostly because of how few words and sentences are necessary to create a good definition map. In mathematics, I feel that when you make definitions too long and specific, some student may get lost in the translation and this can simplify the learning process for them. I also like that connections that this strategy can make for students as buzz words to relate to new concepts they are learning. In order to create a concept of definition map, students should first select a focus word and then answer the following questions about the focus word: What is it? What can we determine about it? What are some examples? Next, you can ask students to find some things that are similar to the focus word. In addition, if time is available, then you could ask students to read a related text and revisit the concept of definition map afterwards and make summaries about the definition map. After this activity is over, I would ask students to reflect on how the concept of definition map helps us to understand new material either in the textbook or selected readings.

Terms: Constant speed, average speed, and Doppler Effect

Constant speed- For my students, I would hope that they would be able to break down constant speed with a definition map and come up with the idea of speed that does not change or remains constant. Some examples would be cars set on cruise control or a runner who is holding a certain running pace as they run.

Average speed- For my students, I would look for them to think of the definition of speed and how it would be the distance traveled over a certain time frame. An example of this would be a car that travels at 40mph for 1 minute and 20mph for 1 minute with an average speed of 30mph.

Doppler Effect- For my students, I would not expect them to come up with many examples for this besides map speed radar or how sound waves travel from a moving object. I would probably help them through this definition map by giving examples of how pitch changes as objects move closer and then pass by, like a car driving by down the road.

Example of Concept of Definition Map

This Graphic organizer would be effective because while this article is very straightforward and the vocabulary seems simple besides the Doppler Effect, the strategy could be difficult for more complex articles and readings. The mathematical understanding that comes from this physics concept are difficult to comprehend and average and constant speed could be troubling for some students. The mathematics behind this can make it easier for students to relate to the differences between average and constant. Hopefully they can work together through the material to understand this difference and draw some conclusions about how sound travels differently.

References

Eisenkraft, A. (2010). Active physics: A project-based inquiry approach (3rd ed.). Mount Kisco, NY: It's About Time.

McLaughlin, M. (2015). Content area reading: Teaching and learning for college and career readiness (Second ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Framing Our Reading-Part III

	Text Citation or Link	Rationale for Choosing	Text Frame(s)	Strategies Used and Resource
Engagement Example	Physics Talk: Understanding Motion	This article looks at constant and average speed and then discusses the Doppler Effect. This article would be valuable for a vocabulary overview guide because of the difficulty that can results between understanding constant and average speeds.	Concept/ Definition	Vocabulary Overview Guide (Buehl book)

Vocabulary Overview Guide is a reading comprehension strategy that students can undertake by selecting new or difficult vocabulary as they are reading and then setting them aside to explore the meaning of these words in more detail. By making students comprehend new vocabulary, we as teachers can improve their literacy and help students grow and conquer new material while working through new concepts. 

One way that students can learn more effectively is by creating Vocabulary Overview Guides where students can preview terms that they will encounter in their article readings and start to draw connections to the definitions of these terms. The goal of this strategy is help students see that learning new vocabulary is more than simply looking up terms in the dictionary and it can be engaging. Furthermore, when students are engaged in the vocabulary learning process, material becomes much more retainable rather than if students were to just study vocabulary terms for a test and then forget their meaning later. Another advantage of vocabulary overview guides is that students can work together and share their associations of words with their definitions, which could help students who struggle with vocabulary to create new connections and ways to remember terms.

In my experience, getting a preview of new terms before reading activities allowed me to consider what material I was going to learn and it also forced me to read the sections containing new or difficult terminology more in depth which usually would lead to a much better understanding of the concepts in the end.  By using this process to introduce new material to students, they can start to take ownership of the learning of new vocabulary.

The lesson that I have in mind would use this article in class and have students read through the vocabulary overview guide before students read the lesson. The Vocabulary Overview Guide for this article would include the terms: constant speed, average speed, velocity, frequency, and Doppler Effect. Then I would include clues for each term and then leave a blank space where students could guess the definition and then adjust their guess after reading the article. 

After reading the article, I would discuss these terms with the students to work through them. I would either have students use group discussion to work through these terms or come together as a class based on what I feel is appropriate within the class and how the students have handle new vocabulary previously. 

This reading strategy would be effective because while this article is very straightforward and the vocabulary seems simple besides the Doppler Effect, the strategy could be difficult for more complex articles and readings. The mathematical understanding that comes from this physics concept are difficult to comprehend and average and constant speed could be troubling for some students. The mathematics behind this can make it easier for students to relate to the differences between average and constant. Hopefully they can work together through the material to understand this difference and draw some conclusions about sound travel and speed. 

References

Buehl, D. (2013). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Eisenkraft, A. (2010). Active physics: A project-based inquiry approach (3rd ed.). Mount Kisco, NY: It's About Time.