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One Size Does Not Fit All: Working With the Classroom Teacher to Modify Curriculum SPED Academy Facilitated By Sara Fridley Region 3 Education Service Agency [email protected] Feb. 23, 2006 “Currently, students are required to adapt . . . to the prevalent teaching practices and instructional materials and assessment instruments. Those who can’t adapt are viewed as being deficient in their ability to learn.” - Marie Carbo, Educating Everybody’s Children 3 Key Ways to Differentiate Instruction • Process – Activities – Calls on students to use key skills • Content – What we teach students – Materials and methods used • Product – How students show what they have learned – Should also allow students to extend what they learned Key #1 – Adapt Process • Students use key skills – Bloom’s Taxonomy – Multiple Intelligence Theories • Common focus – Vary student activities NOT goals • Teacher uses a variety of methods • Modify the environment More Than One Way to Get There Process Differentiation Examples • Modify their environment (fidgets) • Graphic Organizers • Add elements to traditional lessons – Color – Movement – Time adaptation • Metacognition – Learning Logs – Scaffolded Instruction • Choice of tasks Creature Comforts Grades K-12 • Students must feel safe (intellectually) • Tolerance for sitting will ALWAYS be at different levels for different people. • Even adults benefit from Fidgets or Movement • Set ground rules in the classroom. • Remove “it” if/when it becomes a toy or distraction Tactile Fidgets Grades K-12 • • • • • Paper clip Cellophane tape rolled backwards around a finger Pipe cleaners Stress balls Pocket Fidget (small item kept in the child’s pocket) • Carpet square under desk – Swimming “noodles”, rough towel Visual Fidgets Grades K-12 • Lava lamp • Fish tank • Mobile Nomadic Learners • “If we build in enough movement during the class period, students will be less likely to move on their own.” • Motion resources – Minds in Motion • http://doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/mindsinmotion/ – Learning on Their Feet • Crystal Springs Books Ideas for the Nomadic Learner • • • • Mini Field Trip A Home Away From Home Music Stand Learning Rocking Chair Reversal Graphic Organizers • http://www.writedesignonline.com/organi zers/ • http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/stu dents/learning/lr1grorg.htm Math Word Problem Graphic Organizer • Helps students take step-by-step approach • Start with easy ones first • For strong auditory learners – Use tape recorder to rephrase question & explain the process & answers Act It Out – Visual Clues Grades 4-12 • Vocabulary strategy for the Kinesthetic Learner – Place students into groups – Provide 60 seconds to figure out how to Act Out a vocabulary word • Example – PERIMETER (walking around edge of room) Color Increases Understanding • Using color for key concepts can increase memory retention up to 25% Teach in Color • Color Code – – – – Key Concepts Colored Pens Color with Sunshine Highlight grammar • Colored Acetate – – – – Number chart Sliding mask Highlighting tape Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome • Painted Essay A Simple Start • “Color Code” key concepts – Easy in modern classrooms • White boards & computer software – Key terms in all content areas – Math (parts of equations) – Language arts (parts of speech, important vocabulary, editing) • Correct “with sunshine” • Students do their own color coding Color Coding Words • By Prefixes and Suffixes • By Syllables • • • • • REDUNDANT • EXPLORATION Antisocial Submarine Geology Agreeable The Painted Essay Good Strategies Go K-12 • Use elementary reading strategies with older kids – Because they may still need them!!!! – Examples • • • • Word sorts Flip charts Word banks Making words Vision & Learning • “25% of students in grades k-6 have visual problems that are serious enough to impede learning.” (American Public Health Association) • “It is estimated that 80% of children with a learning disability have an undiagnosed vision problem.” (Vision Council of America) 20/20 does not mean that vision is perfect! • The 20/20 vision test does not test how well you see at reading distance. In fact, the 20/20 test fails to evaluate many other important aspects of normal vision such as: – Eye focusing – Eye coordination – Eye teaming (binocular vision) – Eye movement – Visual perceptual skills – Color vision Visual Learner • Images go directly to long-term memory in brain • Humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text • Words processed sequentially – Keyboard • Images processed simultaneously – Camera Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome • 12% of population • Contrast problems (only 1 symptom) – Black text on bright white paper – Striped patterns on carpet clothes seem to move – Vertical/horizontal blinds • Leads to classroom difficulties – Restlessness – Difficulty staying on task Use Colored Paper or Acetate • Contrast problems (only 1 of many symptoms) • Strategies – Use dull colored paper for writing to reduce glare – Use colored acetate over black text on white paper – Use a bookmark when reading to avoid losing place • http://www.hale.ndo.co.uk/scotopic/ – Has an excellent simulation of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome • http://www.irlen.com/sss_main.htm Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome • Contrast problems (only 1 symptom) • Strategies – Use dull colored paper for writing – Use colored acetate over black text on white paper – Use a bookmark when reading to avoid losing place • http://www.hale.ndo.co.uk/scotopic/ • http://www.irlen.com/sss_main.htm Turn Your Paper Sideways • Grades 2-7 (or higher if needed) • A trick for lining up numbers when working with multi-digit numbers in columns – TURN THE PAPER SIDEWAYS & use the lines as column guides – Also provides novelty (brain trigger) Tools for Learning • Focus Frame – Isolates individual math problems or sentences – Helps lower distractions • Bookmarks – Use to keep place while reading – Add colored acetate Metacognitive Instruction • Thinking about one’s own thinking • Provide students with tools to improve organizational skills – Planning steps necessary to complete task – Ordering steps into correct sequence – Monitoring progress on those steps • “Silent Language” Example of “Silent Language” 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Teacher completes problem, reciting steps (modeling) Teacher & student complete next problem, with student reciting steps Student completes another problem, while reciting steps Student completes next problem while whispering steps Student completes next problem using silent language to provide self-instructions 3 5 + 2 7 Correct “With Sunshine” • Use yellow highlighter to identify incorrect answers • Give student option to correct and receive partial (or whole) credit – Option – require students to explain in writing what they did wrong and how they corrected the problem 1). •Instead of “checking” wrong – highlight wrong answers •Student is then required to correct it •Student is also required to explain (written or oral) what the error was and how they corrected it •Understanding the mistake and the process Key #2 – Adapt Content • Materials & methods • Accommodate students’ different starting points – Skills/standards – Readiness • Some students ready for more complex or abstract levels • Some students ready for independent work Content Differentiation Examples • • • • Multiple texts Interest centers Learning contracts Support systems – Audiotapes – Mentors – Study partners Identify Standards & Skills • Work with classroom teacher to identify exactly which skills/standards for each student – Are they at grade level? – If not, go to the appropriate grade level standards! • Unpack standards with teacher – What do those standards really mean? – Put them into kid-friendly language. – What skills are part of them? Unpacking Standard Example Audio & Print Resources • Hearit – http://www.hearitllc.com/ – Tools to improve speech discrimination • American Printing House for the Blind – http://www.aph.org • Library Reproduction Services – http://www.lrs-largeprint.com • Recorded Books, Inc. – http://www.recordedbooks.com Smaller is Better • For students who are overwhelmed by size and weight of textbooks – Get administrative permission! – Carefully cut pages out – Laminate & hole punch pages • OR use the clear page protectors – Bind by chapter • OR simply photocopy the pages Overhead Textbook Visuals • Photocopy textbook pages – Use transparencies – Visual aid Key #3 – Adapt Product • Culminating learning experience that occurs after many days or weeks of study • Demonstration and extension of what they know, understand, and are able to do Product Differentiation Examples • CHOICE – Variety of assessment types – Tiered Assignments – Independent Study Oral Response • Taped responses – Work great for students who struggle to put their words onto paper Tiered Assignments • Provides choices of tasks – Mix of optional & required assignments • Should address all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (if mastery is expected) • Layered curriculum & student contracts are different versions of tiered assignments Variables to Consider • Readiness – in reading, math, & beyond • Complexity & Challenge of both process & product • Pace of learning and production • Grouping practices • Use of assessment results to inform teaching and learning Principles to Guide Differentiated Classrooms • Focus on essentials • Attend to student differences – NO strategy works on ALL students • Assess often and use it to make adjustments/modifications • Mutual respect • Be flexible • Doesn’t happen 100% of the time!!!! Simple Ways to Start • Modify the environment • Add elements to existing lessons – Movement/manipulation – Color – Graphic organizers – Taped responses • Adjust time