Just recently I have begun to pay more attention to inclusion students that are in some of the classrooms in my little one’s primary school. It is touching to see and there is no doubt that it is a worthwhile learning experience for all students involved. The lesson to be learned is huge, because inclusion is not just about disabilities; it is about human beings learning to embrace our diversity.
Co-Teaching: Adapting and Modifying the Curriculum
From PSD.150.org, Staff News
Co-Teaching: Adapting and Modifying the Curriculum
From PSD.150.org, Staff News
Some students with disabilities need accommodations or modifications to their educational program in order to participate in the general curriculum and to be successful in school. An accommodation allows a student to complete the same assignment or test as other students, but with a change in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, response and/or presentation. This does not alter in any significant way what the test or assignment measures. A modification is an adjustment to an assignment or a test that changes the standard or what the test or assignment is supposed to measure. Examples of modifications include completing work on part of a standard or a student completing an alternate assignment that is more easily achievable than the standard assignment.
Guidelines for Adapting Curriculum
1. Focus on what the student CAN do.
2. Accommodations can be used with any student; modifications should be documented on a student’s IEP.
3. Attempt to accommodate BEFORE you modify.
4. Accommodate and modify before changing the activity.
5. Use the least intrusive support first.
6. Use age-appropriate goals, materials, and activities when planning how to adapt.
7. Not all students learn the same thing, in the same way, at the same time-AND THAT IS OK.
Related: Aligning IEPs With State Standards and Accountability Systems
10 comments:
As someone who's worked in Special Education for nearly 20 years, across two states and in more than two dozen districts, I can tell you that inclusion has come a long way. Given that, it's also been quite disheartening to see how 'behind the times' this area of Illinois is in terms of inclusion.
Self-contained special education classrooms (classrooms filled exclusively with special education students) should be few and far between. Most progressive districts include students more than they exclude them. And I've mostly experienced EXCLUSIVITY when it comes to special education students.
As you mentioned, students learn via many modalities. I'm a tactile learning...if I do it, I know it. My husband is a visual/auditory learning...he sees it or hears it, he knows it. I'm disappointed that many of the districts in this area have been less than aggressive when it comes to pushing multi-sensory learning in the classroom.
And, as you touched on, this affects not only the 'exceptional' learning...it affects his/her peers. Every student benefits from the adaptations and accommodations that are made in the classroom.
I've also been disappointed by the comments some of the middle school and high school students make towards their peers who learn differently.
Additionally, there are many students who have 504 plans in place that afford them accommodations in the classroom under the IDEA Act. These students don't have formal IEPs, but they also require and receive some of the same accommodations you mentioned.
I'm so happy to see you encourage a dialog about all those kids who are so often square pegs in round holes.
Now, I'm wondering if your headed towards a discussion about how that group (cohort) of students impacts a districts AYP. Something tells me you might be 'going there'.
In the 1970s, I had a student teacher who was wheel-chair bound--very bright, but he had been in special classes at Peoria High because of his disability--isolated from "regular" students because he couldn't walk--thinking counted for nothing. Also, I agree that students do learn from coming in contact with students with disabilities--that learning occurs probably in the lower grades because--as someone just pointed out--high school students can be very cruel to their peers with differences. I don't want to deny these students contact with other students. I am just not as certain how well inclusion works in today's classrooms that are overcrowded and already filled with students with such varying academic levels. There is no doubt that special ed students hurt AYP--but they aren't the only reason the schools are failing. The sooner we stop worrying about AYP--and go back to teaching--the better off education will be. Before it was just the low-performing schools that were complaining about NCLB--have you read the recent complaints from Morton, Dunlap, etc.?
I agree that all students don't learn in the same way, but can one teacher teach 30 students individually--with materials appropriate to each child's learning style? First of all, that is an expensive effort. 150 can't even afford to provide the paper, books, etc., necessary to teach all students the same way much less giving separate materials to individual students.
Sharon,
Montessori teachers teach a room full of children individually using minimalist materials. It can be done.
Well, I have a friend who took her two daughters out of Montessori (they had been there for a couple of years) a year ago--they were so far behind (and they are very bright girls with no disabilities)that Peoria Christian would accept them only if they repeated a grade. They are now flourishing (2nd year at PC and getting very good grades. So I can't accept your praise of Montessori--even one of their former teachers told me the same thing. First of all, Montesorri undoubtedly does not accept students with disabilities--they just let kids learn at their own pace--sometimes not a good idea.
In the districts that I've worked in where full inclusion is the norm, there as always been a teacher's aid in the mainstream classroom...sometimes more than one aid. It costs much more to have many self-contained classrooms.
And I, personally, love the Montessori approach. It's most definitely not for every child, but I think it's a great model.
How unfortunate for your friend. However, I am not singing praises of the local, long standing Montessori school. Although, it was a top notch program at one time. Every student I know who came out of there went either to PCS, Father Sweeney and/or Washington Gifted and excelled - no problems (many of them, including my daugther are currently at top notch colleges).
There is a new Montessori School in Junction City which I would HIGHLY recommend.
Additionally, Montessori does not not accept children with disabilities. They will take whomever can pay the tuition.
I agree that the Peoria school may have "dropped the ball." However, I don't think teaching to individual learning abilities is all that easy--especially, in 150 schools where there is such a wide range of varying disabilities (in reading development alone). How much of his/her own time do you think each teacher should devote to preparing one lesson and the multiple accommodation assignments
(and how many lessons and/or activities per day are already required for primary grades, especially?) I know once in my career I allowed kids to work on a series of assignments at their own pace--kids loved it--worked to get ahead, but I just about lost my mind. Until you've tried it for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week (180 days total), I don't believe you can say that it is an easy or even possible solution with 25 to 30 students in a room.
Individualizing education is where all schools are going. If you look at data reflecting the most successful schools (regardless of income levels, etc), schools that accurately benchmark students and teach to individual levels are the highest achieving overall. Individualization is no longer a special education initiative, which is why teachers need time for data analysis and planning beyond what they get now...
JC and Emerge--I understand individualization at the primary school level when learning the basics--the foundation for all learning is necessary. However, I do not believe that individualization is that possible at the high school level. I think teachers can try to use all the learning styles in their lessons--the style best suited to teaching a particular lesson, etc. At least, I have not seen or heard of any "benchmarks" at the high school level. I've been out of the loop for 5 years--the "benchmark" jargon has been introduced since my departure. So does anyone know about "benchmarks" for biology, chemistry, British literature, etc?
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