Professional Documents
Culture Documents
In the ELA classroom, a peer assistance program should be set up carefully with the
students’ social and academic needs in mind. Peer assistants can be matched based on
common interests, common abilities, common needs, or other factors. When setting up
a peer assistance program in my classroom, I will be careful to adequately assess the
situation that requires assistance. I will then approach the student in need of assistance
to ask if he or she might benefit from a peer assistant. It is important to ask the student
if there is anyone in particular that he or she would like to work with. A peer
assistantship should be friendly, comfortable, cooperative and accepting. I would set up
a meeting with both students to discuss goals, reservations, and requirements of the
partnership. I would then plan regular meetings to check in with both students and to
gauge progress. In the ELA classroom, students can benefit from peer assistantships on
a variety of levels. The teacher’s realization that many students can benefit from having
a note taker or a scribe will increase involvement and confidence among all students.
can be a powerful tool in improving inclusive classroom performance. It can
also strengthen bonds between students and be a real motivator for student involvement in
school. Students who tutor can help to create an inclusive environment for tutees (Chapter 8,
p. 182-183).
To set up a peer tutoring program in my classroom, I would get all students involved in some
way. Even students who are high-achieving and seek to be challenged in school can benefit
from sharing their ideas with peers. To make sure that there was not a divide between tutors
and tutees, I would incorporate peer teaching into instructional time so that all students
would have a chance to practice teaching new content to each other. I would set aside class
time to review procedures and policies for peer tutoring, including a way to document peer
tutoring meetings. Students should also be trained in how to effectively and respectfully tutor
their peers. Peer tutoring is a great anchor activity and can take place during class time when
students are at different levels of a lesson or when some students have completed an in-class
task and others are working through new content.
can increase achievement and improve attitude toward the
subject matter. Cooperative learning simply means that small groups of students work
together to complete a task. This can be adapted and modified in various ways (p.
189).
Some ways that I would implement cooperative learning would be to always specify
objectives, determine and communicate group parameters, and explain goals. I would
provide tasks where each group member could have a job, and I would provide time in
school for groups to collaborate. Cooperative learning should be productive and
focused, not just a time for friends to chat or for some students to do all of the work
while others skate by. Therefore, cooperative learning in my ELA classroom would be
monitored and intensive. I would also place an emphasis on group dynamics, effective
listening skills and effective teamwork.
can be done in many ways and helps raise awareness about the diversity
of the classroom. Helping students with special needs become true members of the class is
essential to their academic, social and emotional progress and well-being (p. 178). Building
community and breaking down stigmas in an already established middle school or high school
environment can be met with resistance, but to prevent students with special needs from being
ostracized from the school community, it is key (p. 178).
Some ways that I would build community in my inclusive classroom would be to begin class
with icebreakers and community building activities and to hold a discussion based on the values
of the inclusive classroom and the social construct of ability. Discussing disabilities rather than
pretending that they don’t exist can create comfort and acceptance in the classroom.
Community building activities can show students what they have in common with each other
and give everyone an opportunity to be themselves in a safe space. Community builders should
be challenge-by-choice activities that respect the individual while working to build up the
group.
is similar to peer assistance. Peer social initiation enlists
peers in promoting social interaction with students who are o1en withdrawn or
isolated. Children with autism are one group who could benefit from peer social
initiation (p. 181).
In my classroom, I would implement listening activities based on all literature, speech, and
expository works. I would vary the type of text that I am using for the listening activities in
order to gain student interest from all students. I would explain the purpose of the listening
activity and then have students translate what they heard into their own words. I would also
model the use of key words and how to take notes while listening. I would use topics that are
interesting and motivating to students, such as television shows, the media, etc. I would also
give guided notes for students to fill in pertinent information and also to give them an
organizational model for organizing ideas. During any lesson, I could use checking for
understanding as a listening exercise – by asking a student to repeat back directions or to
repeat a new concept asks them to translate something that they heard into their own words.
Listening can be practiced subtly or more intensively through planned lessons and units.
“provides students with a greater depth of
processing of information…” (p. 261). Teaching students the purposes of notes,
strategies for taking notes in different ways, specific formats for notes, and key
questioning techniques during note-taking can help students focus on learning in a
personalized way.
One way that I will teach note-taking skills is to have students write short
summaries. Short writing activities help students articulate their thoughts and
integrate those thoughts with new learning. Students must have the opportunity to
put learning into their own words. Otherwise, they will not own the content and it
will mean nothing to them. Guided notes are also helpful, and students can have
the option to be creative in their guided notes. I will also teach different formats of
note taking such as tables, columns, abbreviations, and lists. However, I will never
limit all students to using just one form of notes. It is important for students to find
a strategy that is comfortable and effective for him or her.
helps students become fluent in organizing
information and referencing materials. Knowing how to navigate the library’s print
and non-print resources helps the student to take ownership of his or learning and
become a more independent information seeker (p. 266-267).
To develop library skills for improving study skills, I would implement lesson plans
that involve working in the library to reinforce content. I would teach students how
to use reference books and databases for finding relevant information and for
supporting their own ideas. Students can also explore the internet for programs that
could help them study by inputting their own information. Flashcard so1ware is
available on Web 2.0 sites and can be an effective study tool. In teaching technology
and library skills, I would also teach about internet safety and reliability. Students
becoming independent in their inquiry also requires a level of responsibility.
raises student awareness about the types of studying that will be
most effective for them. Doing a learning styles inquiry in the beginning of an academic year
can get students thinking about how they learn best, helping them to take ownership of their
learning and to think critically about how they take in and process information.
In addition to doing a learning styles inquiry as a get-to-know-you activity at the start of the
academic year, I would keep a record of the different learning styles in my classroom. I would
also implement self-assessments on many assignments in which students will have the
opportunity to give me feedback on how instruction worked or did not work for their learning
style. I will also teach multiple study methods and highlight how each method can appeal to
one or more specific learning styles. I will teach my students how they can adapt content to
make sense for them and for their learning style. I will also promote inclusion of all learning
styles and modalities within the classroom, stressing that each learner learns in a different and
unique way.
for students with learning disabilities means
rearranging seating, organizing the classroom for efficient movement and calmness
for all students, and locating books and materials in accessible locations. Daily
routines and schedules should also be adapted and clearly identified for all
students, regardless of whether or not they have a high-incidence disability (p.59).
To adapt instruction for students with learning disabilities as well as for all students, I
will use backwards design in planning my instructional time. Students should always
be aware of their ultimate learning goals. This includes posting short-term and long
term objectives and essential questions. One of my goals in adapting instruction will
be to provide rubrics and assessment materials to students well before a summative
assessment is due in order to let students prepare for what will be required of them.
Another way to adapt instruction through backwards design is to constantly check
for understanding and question students effectively. Student answers should monitor
and adjust instruction. I will always base instruction on prior student knowledge and
understanding.
includes adapting test formats, providing practice tests,
reading test directions, and considering alternatives in assessments (p. 59-60).
To adapt evaluation, I will provide portfolio analyses, frequent formative assessments and
authentic summative assessments for all students. In my ELA class, summative assessment
can be based on an ongoing writing process, and it is easy and necessary to use portfolio
analysis as an alternative to multiple choice testing. I will also provide choice in assessments
in order to appeal to all students’ learning styles. I will read directions on all assessments and
check for understanding by asking students to read directions aloud. Objectives will be clear
and formative assessments will be focused and directed toward the end result of a backwards
design unit.
– teachers should monitor relationships between
students in order to protect and continually value the emotional, social and
academic development of intellectually disabled students. While students can
treat intellectually disabled students with respect in an inclusive classroom,
adolescents also have the ability to take advantage of an intellectually disabled
peer (p. 64).
I will develop social competence in my ELA classroom by establishing class procedures and
policies from the first day of school. This consistency leaves no room for surprises and holds
everyone to the same behavioral and social standards. Of course, adaptations for procedures
such as a bathroom policy must be made for students with IEPs and 504s or for any medical
reason, so I will also implement a discussion on the meaning of fairness into my introductory
classroom procedures lesson. In addition, direct instruction can be helpful in providing
structure and consistency to an ELA classroom in need of it. Students with autism o1en need
an environment that is comfortable and predicable with routines and patterns. Classroom
procedures and policies that remain consistent, especially in an English Language Arts
classroom where ambiguity can sometimes be common in content, can be key for students
with low-incidence disabilities such as autism.
3.
Establishing
Good
Relationships
with
Paraprofessionals
can help classroom
teachers better understand students with severe disabilities. In addition, having a
specialist in the classroom to work with the classroom teacher can help to better
address the needs of a child who is disabled (p. 92).
In the ELA classroom, I can use total communication both as a way to adapt
instruction for hearing impaired students but also to discuss with the entire class
how language is communicated non-verbally. Using total communication can turn
into an entire learning experience based not on a disability, but on the diverse ways
that we communicate. In addition, total communication can be used in the
classroom regardless of the hearing ability of students. American Sign Language
(ASL) is a form of expression through the English language that students may be
more comfortable with than writing or speaking. Total communication can be
implemented to differential instruction and assessments.
can help all students read
more fluently. It can also assist students with reading deficits to develop phonemic
awareness skills for piecing together words (p. 301).
In the secondary ELA classroom, phonemic awareness can be taught using an inquiry-based
model. First, I will implement listening activities that focus on similar words and phonemes,
emphasizing like sounds. To have students analyze the relationships between parts of words
and meaning in context, I will have them research a group of words and come up with the
meanings of those words’ parts in addition to the number of sounds that make up the words.
Students can also diagram words and research the history of phoneteics and how phonemic
awareness came to be understood. These activities will raise awareness of how we read and
will also stress the skills used to break down words into manageable and readable parts.
helps students to examine the structures of more complex
words and break them into pronounceable syllables. Words examined by their parts, such as
the prefix, suffix, syllables or smaller word parts (p. 305).
A common unit in which students are required to know about syllables is when teaching
Shakespearian sonnets. Before delving into Shakespeare, I would make sure to teach structural
analysis. Similar to the phonemic awareness activity, I would provide a direct instruction lesson
emphasizing the terms associated with structural analysis and how to distinguish between
parts of words and how to find syllables. I will implement the DISSECT strategy (discover the
context of the word, isolate the word’s prefix, separate the word’s suffix, say the word’s stem,
examine the word’s stem using rules of 3s and 2s and segment into pronounceable parts, check
with another person to see if they agree, try finding the word in the dictionary). As an
application activity for structural analysis, I will have students perform a structural analysis on
every word in one line of a Shakespearian sonnet. This will equip them with the skills to
inquire about unfamiliar words through using word parts and context.
requires students to sight read new passages multiple times.
Rereading leads to fluency, familiarity and comprehension. Students should be skilled in
reading a below-grade-level passage before they are required to move on to more complex
readings (p. 308).
To promote repeated readings in the ELA classroom, I will have to do more than merely asking
students to read a passage more than once on their own. A1er the first reading, students
should be formatively assessed to gauge their level of comprehension and understanding.
Before moving onto a second reading, I will figure out what needs to be further emphasized
about the text. I will then focus second readings on what was lacking from the first readings.
Before the second reading, I will have students make a checklist for themselves of what to look
for. Students should also formulate their own questions about the text or come up with
questions in peer groups. Placing an emphasis on meeting comprehension and understanding
goals through repeated reading will give this strategy meaning and relevance, and will also
help to improve overall reading ability.
such as vocabulary instruction and corrective
feedback can help students gain confidence in their reading skills will improve
comprehension in reading (p. 310).
One activity that can add text enhancements to a passage is to have one student
draw while another student reads aloud. The students should then switch so that
each student has the opportunity to listen, read and create a text enhancement. This
activity can be done using small whiteboards or paper and markers. The class can also
create text enhancements as a group by using the SmartBoard or white board. Text
enhancements can also include creating visual timelines based on a reading, visual
character profiles, or even flashcards created in sequence. A visual aid will always add
to comprehension because it provides differentiation and gives students a choice in
how they will make meaning from a text.
can always lead to increased comprehension and
comfort with a text. Students who have anxiety over reading, have difficulty with
jumping into reading, or who need a routine and plan before trying something new
will all benefit from activities that activate prior knowledge (p. 311).
To help students start thinking about and become comfortable with a text, I will ask
them the following: study the story’s title, examine pages for clue words, look for
important words, look for hard words, describe the setting of the story, and answer
whether the story was fact of fiction. Breaking down a text into these parts before
attempting to understand it as a comprehensive whole can help students prepare for
a closer readings. Also, I can brainstorm with students by introducing the main
topic(s) of a reading and having them generate related ideas. In the ELA classroom,
all students should always feel comfortable and not anxious when asked to read
something new.
reading materials can
promote thinking about new information which facilitates
recall and comprehension. Summarizing and paraphrasing
also helps students create self-generated questions,
promoting metacognition (p. 312).
I will teach students to plan for writing by preceding every writing assignment with a pre-
write. When I introduce a new writing task, I will have students pre-write in class. The class
environment presents a non-threatening space without time constraints or mechanical
standards. Students can get started on formulating their ideas before actually beginning to
address a dra1 of their assignment. I can also collect these pre-writes to formatively assess
how ready students are to continue with the planning process.
In addition to the pre-write, I will have students put the assignment in their own words and
create an outline. Making sense of the assignment is the first step in successfully completing
it, and outlining in various forms is a good way to begin the organization and synthesis of
thoughts.
–
Writing can be difficult for some students because they can become overwhelmed with
handwriting, spelling, and punctuation. To help students overcome these obstacles, the
teacher can allow dictation instead of writing, precue spelling of difficult words, encourage
students to ask for help, encourage invented spelling, encourage peer collaboration, encourage
self-checking, and use technology p. 327).
In order to limit content in my direct instruction lessons, I will focus on one small group of
information per lesson, providing ample opportunity for questioning, modeling, guided practice
and independent practice. For example, I will only introduce related literary devices in order to
help students make connections between like pieces of new content. I will also use simple
examples and build up to more complex examples. When introducing new content in the ELA
classroom, students can o1en get lost in exceptions and complicated representations of
concepts and skills in English. Words can get confusing as well as definitions. Introducing
limited content will help my students build on their previous understandings and therefore
have a more solid foundation for learning.
is the action of practice with teacher supervision and frequent checks for
understanding. Guided practice enhances instruction for all students because it gives students a
chance to practice new content at a pace that is comfortable for them while providing a safe
space for questions and misunderstandings. Guided practice should be carefully monitored so
that students do not develop incorrect understandings of new content. Therefore, checking for
understanding is essential.
In order to implement effective guided practice into my ELA direct instruction lessons, I will
always give students clear tasks to complete. I will also make sure to gauge student progress
and give corrective feedback as clearly as possible. I will have students check each others’ work
and teach new content to each other once they have mastered it in order to reinforce
understandings. For example, I will have students put ideas and concepts in their own words
and dictate or write their responses and interpretations of texts.
helps students become independent and fluent in their
understandings of new content. Independent practice in the direct instruction lesson
can be used to close the lesson and to do a final formative check for understanding.
Independent practice should be clear and monitored by the teacher.
To repeat new content in my ELA classroom, I will always provide new examples of new
content in order to repeat the content in context. I will also use effective techniques to check
for understanding such as thumbs up, exit tickets and other formative assessments. I will also
give homework based on new content that has already been mastered so that students can
further repeat new concepts.
means changing how students learn by changing the
activities used to assist learning. It is important to keep objectives and standards
the same while letting some students begin on lower-level activities and work up
to the higher-level skills. All students should achieve the same thing by the end of
the lesson, but in different ways. Teachers can adapt process by putting the class
into groups based on ability. A pre-assessment should be done to form these
groups, and students should be grouped homogenously. All groups should achieve
the same goals and objectives, but they may do this in a different order or through
different activities.
I will adapt process in my ELA classroom while implementing and teaching the
writing process. For writing assignments, students can achieve the same goals
through different processes. In order to instruct all students on effective writing
skills and practices, I can homogeneously and heterogeneously group students and
ask them to practice different tasks. Students can then rotate activities in order to
become fluent in writing skills. I will also differentiate process wherever I can in
order to appeal to all learning abilities and styles.
to students is an important aspect of differentiated
instruction because they can know what is expected of them and what comes next. The teacher
should state the purpose of the lesson, review the main ideas, and make clear transitions
between lesson elements. It is also important to remind students of the lesson structure (134).
In my ELA classroom, I will communicate lesson structure by always posting the lesson
objectives with the agenda for each lesson. Students should always know what is to be
expected of them when they enter the classroom, even if that plan might change throughout
the lesson. I will also have students copy down the agenda so that they can refer to it directly
throughout the time that they are in class. This can help students keep track of the pace of the
lesson without needing to look back at the board. Also, while students are doing independent
practice or group work, they can stay on task by referring to what they should be doing
currently and what they should be doing next.
through differentiated instruction gives students choices as to
how they can prove and convey their learning. Students should never be asked to
conform to one learning style. Teachers can adapt product by giving students choices
in how they demonstrate learning.
In my ELA classroom I will adapt product by giving students the option to choose
how they demonstrate learning. This can be done through writing, dictating,
drawing, or creating something using multimedia. For an everyday exit activity, I will
give students the option to write a response, give bullet points, draw a picture,
complete a graphic organizer, or create their own guided notes. In other formative
and summative assessments, students will also have choices that will reflect all
learning modalities.
means that teachers should use questions that
are directly related to the lesson. Questioning allows teachers to monitor students’
understanding of new content. Questioning can be helpful in inclusive classrooms to let the
teacher know if all students understand the content being presented. When
misunderstandings are evident through questions, teachers can adapt instruction in order to
address learning needs more effectively (p. 138-140).
To use effective questioning techniques in my ELA classroom, I will provide students with
extra time to answer. I will also ask specific students to try and get an answer ready before I
ask them to answer. I can also provide a list of questions to the class to have in front of them
so that students can be ready to answer questions. This also gives students more time to
formulate answers and to become confident in their responses. I will also ask for group
responses to questions, such as thumbs up or thumbs down. This questioning technique
increases participation without asking a student to be vocal.
principles “involve developing materials or the environment to improve
accessibility for all students” (p. 132). There are many universal design strategies for learning
such as equitable use, simple and intuitive use, flexibility in use, minimize errors, minimize
physical effort, and using multiple options for language, symbols, and expression.
To implement universal design in my classroom, I will create activities that are accessible to all
students. I will not assume that all students can accomplish a task based on physical or
emotional ability. I will provide opportunities for students to read out loud, read silently, and
to listen to audio versions of texts. Providing choice in how students create understandings is
an important element of universal design and differentiated instruction.
is an important way to create inclusion in the
classroom surrounding assessment. Students can take practice tests to prepare for a
test (p. 276-277), but they should also be taught skills that will help them to practice
content.
I will also eliminate timed tests so as to create comfort among all students, whether
they need extra time for a test or not. I will encourage asking questions throughout
the test and will give many practice activities similar to the test.
can help students know exactly what is required of them.
Teachers can modify test formats or use specific recommended formats. Teachers can
also read directions out loud and/or display test directions in the front of the room
(p. 276).
In my ELA classroom, I will modify tests by providing typed rather than handwritten
tests for clarity, space items to reduce confusion, and adjust the reading level of
some items when reading is not being tested. I can also make different versions of
tests with different types of questions and students can choose which test they take
based on the question types. This can be useful when teaching mainly facts and
content rather than skills.
means to set a behavioral
objective for the end of the instructional unit, set up the materials and provide the
opportunity for the student to perform on the test. Specific tasks can be placed at stations
around the room, and students can move through tasks without observing other students’
performance. Performance assessments can be graded with clear rubrics including criteria for
different levels of performance. Performance assessments give students another option to
display their learning. Performance assessments can also be adapted for different student
needs depending on the activity (p. 283-285).
I will use authentic assessments in my ELA classroom as much as possible to provide choice and
comfort in assessing student learning. I like the idea of creating nine small assignments on a tic-
tac-toe board and asking students to pick three in a row. This is a good way to ensure that all
students are showing the same learning but in different ways. I will also give three or four
choices in all assessments while keeping the rubric and the objectives constant for each
assessment so that students are achieving the same learning but in a way that they choose.
Authentic assessments also give students ownership of their learning and let them do
something that they may be more invested in than a straight multiple choice test.
– in using portfolios for assessment,
“students and teachers collect and organize relevant products to document
performance and progress in different areas of academic and behavioral
functioning” (p. 285). Student portfolios can be tailored and adapted in so many
ways. Students can put together a portfolio based on research, writing, steps to a
project, or a culmination of work done over a long period of time.