Chapter 3 Tucker

This chapter focuses on writing lesson plans for the diverse student or to put it another way to not write lesson plans that are just for the average student. Lessons that are meant to teach to the middle of ability are called traditional lesson plans by the textbook. With inclusion and the result differentiated instruction adapted lessons are how teachers plan for this diverse instruction. An example of a diverse lesson plan is the laboratory approach. This approach has five steps explore, organized record of results, identify patterns, hypothesize, and test the hypothesis. This process is believable to students because they work their way to a result and understand from beginning to end. In adapting lesson instruction shifts from teaching the textbook to teaching concepts is the objective for instruction. The book also gives many ggod examples of adapted lessons to demonstrate to readers how to adapt a lesson. The focus of creating good adapted lessons is place the focus on the student and their immediate needs instead of on teaching material. In my own instruction I develop lessons with many different activities and I let the students learning lead us in through the learning process. My main goal is to teach a particular skill to all the students in my small group settings.

Tucker Chapter 2

This chapter starts with an overview of the NCTM standards and the legal apsects to the classroom that have followed. I can personally see the results of this chapter in the classroom where I teach. An inclusive policy is now the norm and time in the resource room is limited to the small group and smaller units of instruction discussed in the textbook. The textbook talks about the multiple intelligences and how to design objectives that meet these intelligences. Where I teach there is a big push to use differentiated instruction to teach an objective to a learners specific learning style. I like the reference the book makes to developing lessons to what a student already knows. This follows the scaffolding process of learning. The book also talks about how a learning disability does not mean an individual has low intelligence but instead a weakness in one or more area of learning. I have students that I see now who could be labeled gifted if tested, but suffer from a disability that makes learning difficult at times. An example is a very intelligent young student who suffers from seizures. After each seizure the student loses information that was learned and has to start over with some concepts. This chapter was a good overview of what we are dealing with at school now. With inclusion being the norm and differentiated instruction being the strategy that teachers use to make inclusion possible by tailoring objectives to meet the students personal strengths.

Tucker ch.1 and 13

I like how chapter 1 starts with explaining how we sometimes forget that an activity needs to be useful and not just fun. I find myself getting caught up in the procedures of an activity sometimes and I forget about the objective. The textbook clarifys this very nicely. I'm not sure about the textbook views on speed-drill practice activities. According to the book, speed-drill activities are not effective. I have read a lot of studies that show that these types of activites increase math fact fluency and automaticity which are the foundation for learning new concepts or as the book puts it (think-time practice activities). I just don't think memorization activities, when it comes to math facts, should be dismissed. Both have their place in instruction. While reading about real- world problems, it came to me to change the open-ended practice questions that we are doing and to make them real students and problems that they can identify with. In ch 13 I use the Match Me activities weekly. I have found them to be very effective for students to practice and become more proficient in comprehension and understanding. I have also used Take the Path, Concentration, and different forms of Scavenger Hunt. I have found these all to work very well with remediation of math skills. I am looking forward to trying some of the activities that I haven't used. I think I am going to try the Round We Go this week with a group of Kindergarten students. I am glad to see that this textbook not only gives strategies for teaching but also some good ideas to practice in the classroom.

Blog Post for ch 8,9 Writing and Word Recognition

I liked what the textbook had to say about making the writing process real to the student and giving them experiences to draw upon to write about. I have always been used to the whole writing process: rewriting, drafting and composing, revising and editing, and finally publishing and sharing usually in some type of author's chair. Now that most schools are using a daily writers workshop, this process isn't as formal as it was before. Students now are in a structured, predictable time where they will write. Instead of grammar worksheets and textbooks, schools are incorporating teacher guided writing lessons or mini-lessons to incorporate grammar into real student writing. This is much more beneficial to students because it gives them ownership of their hard work. The book suggested a semantic map to help students think through the writing process. I have used semantic maps in the past and they work especially well with students with disabilities who may not know what to write about next. It gives them an order to follow when thinking through a particular writing. The book also gave the example of portfolios to showcase student work. I think that is a great way to share their accomplishments and organize their writings. It is also a resource for future evaluations for students who may need additional support from the school. When it comes to grading, I have found the use of rubrics to be a great asset for a fair grading system that also lets students know up front what is expected of them.
When it comes to dealing with students with disabilities I think that they need more direct instruction when recognizing words. Teachers need to use all of the examples in the book to help students reach their full potential. From phonics instruction to the different approaches used in the book (VAKT, Language Experience), I think that we still need to remember to make the process enjoyable to the student. When I have used stations in a reading program I had a sight word station. Students made their own paragraghs using magnet sight words on a metal cookie tray. They would love to share the different stories that they developed. Another fun example in the book was readers theater. I know from experience that is a favorite of students. The most important aspect for all language arts is to make it real for the students.

Online Module for Missed Class

Based on Article #1

1. What are the social and mental implications for children with learning disabilities?

Most students with a learning disability have some emotional problem associated with the disability according to the article. Emotional conditions that may exist because of their learning disability or condition are as follows: emotional distress, low academic self-concept, anxiety, depression, low coping skills, and low self-esteem. These conditions may also present themselves before a learning disability is diagnosed and the disability could go unnoticed because of the earlier conditions. Students with learning disabilities are much more likely to suffer from low academic performance and social problems in school and in their lives due to these conditions. The article stated that a majority of individuals who committed suicide in LA had been diagnosed with some type of disability. This is why we as teachers need to be looking for the warning signs which are: acting out, escaping school by not attending, and problems at home. According to research, positive "affective states" can increase academic performance and social performance. This, I would argue, should be used for all students, but this is especially true of students with learning disabilities and the students who show the warning signs discussed earlier. We as teachers should help students to understand their learning disability and give them a "can do" attitude with lots of support and positive feedback.

2. Think back to when you were in school. What strategies do you remember teachers using (academic or behavioral). Think about how a child with a Learning Disability would respond to these strategies. Explain and comment.

I never really thought about the academic strategies until I came back to college to become a teacher. Now with some reflection, I can remember some teachers using "copy the textbook" strategy everyday to learn material in high school. I can also remember a whole language approach to reading in the elementary. This is basically finding a book and reading quietly in class during reading. I don't know what you did if you couldn't already read. I can't imagine a student with disabilities succeeding in this independent environment. We always had a very large class and not very much student-to-teacher interaction. Behaviorally, my teachers did not put up with anyone acting out or being disruptive in the class. I can remember the paddle being used for anyone who didn't obey the classroom rules. This was done by taking the student into the hallway and opening up all of the classroom doors so that everyone could hear the swat. I can't imagine students with disabilities being subjected to this treatment now. According to the articles that we just read, this strategy for behavior would have a devastating affect on a student with a disability. With the movement of full inclusion, behavior strategies that I grew up with needed to change.

3. How will you refine your practices to address the social needs of students with disabilities?

I will make a conscious effort to be on the lookout for social difficulties when dealing with students who have a disability in my classroom. It will be clear to everyone in the class that we treat everyone with respect as we would like to be treated. I will also use positive comments for the benefit of all students. My activities that I design for class will create an atmosphere that we all belong and I will mix ability groups and friends so that everyone can be a part of the social groups. If any student starts to show warning signs to the emotional conditions discussed in the articles, I will use all the resources available to me so that each student may succeed both academically an socially in my class.

Based on Article #3:

1. How has the evolution of medical technology changed the way we look at disabilities?

The use of MRI imaging and genetic coding has shown that there is a link between some individuals with reading disorders and a specific gene. Although, this is not the case for every individual with a reading disorder and the environment is still a factor in developing reading skills. MRI imaging is also being using to find the most effective ways to develop interventions for students with disabilities.

2. What implications will this new outlook have on teaching and mandated legislation?

The implications for teaching and legislation are that interventions and reading strategies will have to be science based approaches to receive funding. Science based approaches require research. An example is the single subject research design for collecting data to be used to determine the most effective strategies in teaching students with disabilities.

Based on Article #4 & #5:

1. The disproportionate representation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students in special education is a significant issue in education. After reviewing the article:

a. List some of the issues surrounding this topic?
The main issue in this article is dealing with students who don't speak English as their first language and how they end up in special education. This is largely due to the fact that school districts do not have any other program in place for them. Another issue in the article deals with the over-representation of ethnic groups and minorities in special education. I think what the article is getting to the heart of is that students who may not have a labeled learning disability are ending up in special education because they need help to succeed, but there is no tailored program to suit their specific need already in place.

b. Discuss how legislation has attempted to alleviate this problem?
The courts have tried to remedy these issues and the most successful attempt was in the Larry vs. Riles case. The outcome was that they found an over-representation of African Americans in special education due to IQ tests. They ruled that they couldn't use the IQ tests anymore and that these students shouldn't be placed in special education. Congress has tried to define these issues but they always leave too many generalizations, which can be interpreted as states see fit. This is why these cases are usually resolved in the court of appeals.

c. Describe the problem as you see it.
I think that the problem is that the U.S. school system is facing a situation where there is a large influx of students entering the school system who are not English speaking and there are no programs in place to adequately deal with the situation. To adequately deal with this problem, it is going to take more money and resources and no one, as of yet, is willing to pay for it. Taxpayers do not want to pay more taxes and politicians want to keep their jobs. If you want to fix this problem, than at the federal level it needs to be recognized as a situation that has to be fixed by the states, even if funds have to be diverted or raised in another way.

How children learn to read.

It was intersting to watch the video Biomapping the Brain and see the researchers looking for the signs discussed in the article "How Children Learn to Read." According to the video if a student hears a sound just a tenth of a second different than everyone else than the whole brain will interpret that information differently. This is being proven by the brain waves of students with dislexia by the researchers in the video. Students who have a language based learning disability show signs of misunderstanding sound and making connections between sounds and letters & signs. I was very interested in seeing that some students may actually be writing or doing operations that their brains are telling them from this time delay. It is not that students don't know something but instead are being given misleading information from their own interpretations. The researchers in the video combined their findings with the use of a specialized tudor to help students to become more accurate with hearing sounds and interpreting these sounds into letters and signs. I agreed whole heartedly with the article that we read which said a blanced approach to reading is the best approach. I am a student of the whole language era and I have always struggled with grammar and writing accurately. Although I have never had trouble with reading and comprehension. I worry that some school districts today are headed back with the pendulum to whole language. This only becomes more important in the future with research showing that students with disabilities require more intense phonics instruction than regular education students. I also agree with the advice to parents to be involved in their child's learning process by finding out more about the reading program that is used in their school. The warning signs listed in the article are also good advice for parents to look for to make sure that their children succeed. I think that this article would be good for any parent to read that has a child about to enter the school system. I think the video Biomapping the Brain would be good for anyone who teaches students to view. It sheds a different light onto why students with learning disabilities behave and respond the way that they do.

LD Simulations from PBS site

The LD simulations on the PBS site were a good reminder to me of how complicated the human mind can be. Every student that I work with learns differently and the challenge that I face as their teacher is to attempt to understand how each child learns so I can have the best chance of actually teaching them something that they will retain. I became VERY frustrated during the simulations. I didn't feel that I had a fighting chance, so I just started to click the "close" button on each one without even attempting it. Wow! Now I know why some of my students just "check out" and give up without even trying. I don't blame them! As I went through each academic area and experienced the simulations, I could think of a student or students that I am currently working with that are probably experiencing difficulties in that area. I began to think of teaching strategies that would assist that student...strategies that I don't normally use or don't always think of while teaching. I need to periodically visit this site to remind myself of what these kids go through in a normal day. Hopefully the empathy that will stimulate will also push me to challenge myself to strive to reach them where they are at the time. Little things like dimming the lights, eliminating background noise from computers, fans, etc., or providing a slanted writing surface could be the ticket to a successful day for a child. This will require extra effort on my part, which is why this it is so challenging to meet the needs of every child. With twenty-five kids in a room, how does a teacher meet all of their needs? Try one approach at a time and just be relentless in your quest to reach them all.