5 assignment

ESE645: LESSON DESIGN FOR STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISABILITIES

Instructor Guidance

Week 5

Welcome to Week Five ESE645: Please be sure to review the Week Five homepage for this course to see:

· The specific learning outcomes for the week

· The schedule overview

· The required and recommended resources

· The introduction to the week

· A listing of the assessments

Next, be sure to read this entire Instructor Guidance page.

Overview

Last week you learned about how to design creative and relevant lessons, which focus on self-determination skills.  You also continued to develop your skills at designing lesson and learned what makes an effective lesson.  This week we will focus on the concept of differentiation and how this applies to designing individualized instruction that is relevant and supportive the various needs of all students. Strategies to differentiate content based on student readiness, interests and learning profiles will be discovered. As part of the Instructor Guidance, you are encouraged to review the weekly homepages for the course and take note of the assessments each week. Now is an appropriate time to revisit the Week Six Final Project instructions and Grading Rubric to be sure you understand the scope of what you will do in that assessment and how your participation in each of the weeks supports your success. Planning ahead is recommended!

Intellectual Elaboration

Learning Styles

“Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we reperceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life.”

―  Peter M. Senge (Links to an external site.)

Students learn in different ways. Brain research is abundant to support this. As an educator it is imperative that we remember this to create the most effective lessons to maintain the interest and motivation of our students. We often wonder why certain students "space out" on lessons or seem disinterested during parts of our instruction. This is often not boredom or their indifference; they just do not understand what is being asked of them. If we understand the various learning styles, thinking styles and multiple intelligences we can work toward designing lessons to engage a larger portion of our audience. Instructional accommodations and strategies for diverse learners are important factors in creating successful inclusive classrooms. Accommodations and strategies ensure that educators are meeting the individual needs of all students.   According to Koga and Hall (2009), “The term accommodation is used to mean an adjustment to the delivery of instruction or method of student performance and does not change the content or conceptual difficulty of the curriculum” (p. 3). Many educators naturally make slight changes to their instruction on a daily basis without realizing it. The most effective teachers get satisfaction from knowing that they have done everything in their power to ensure the success of all their students. In many cases, those accommodations could merely come from a teacher simplifying directions or rewording the manner in which information is presented to students. Students are often curious why they don't "get it" on certain lessons. If we can help them understand they may need to reframe the material in their learning style, we are teaching them a skill and a new approach of learning that will help them their entire lives. Using thinking and learning styles together will create more effective lessons. These concepts not only apply to classrooms but they also apply to professional development, collaboration and job-embedded learning. Even as adults we still maintain our personal learning and thinking styles. We become more adept at using the other styles, but we still have our preference and best methods that help us understand and learn. Below are a few examples of learning styles to consider in your work this week: Learning Styles – Dunn and Dunn (1987) The research of Dunn and Dunn (1987), as referenced in Gregory and Chapman (2006), classifies learning styles in four ways. They include auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learners.

· Auditory learners prefer songs, lectures, stories, and discussions about learning.

· Visual learners learn from diagrams, illustrations and pictures. Graphic organizers work well for this type of learner.

· Tactile learners manipulate while learning. Writing and hands-on activities comprise their learning needs.

· Kinesthetic learners learn through action; they learn by doing. They want to be physically involved in the learning process.

· Tactile/Kinesthetic learners enjoy role-playing and simulations. These students want to be physically involved in learning.

Learning Styles – Kolb (1984) Kolb (1984), as referenced in Gregory and Chapman (2007), also developed a learning styles profile. These styles include:

· Accommodators who like to try new things. They are creative risk takers.

· Convergers who are want to understand how the information is useful and relevant to them. They organize information, prefer specifics, and like clear goals.

· Assimilators who like to research, investigate, and learn all they can about a topic. They delve deep and learn from past experiences.

· Divergers who prefer caring, comfortable, nurturing environments. They learn through conversation.

Figure 11.  Learning styles.  This chart provides the characteristics of various learning styles. Source:  http://createwithalan.blogspot.com/2013/08/thinking-styles-theories-models.html (Links to an external site.)

Learning Styles – Silver, Strong and Perini (2000)

· Self-Expressive Learners – These students retain information when teachers give them choices and when teachers facilitate learning. They are innovative, creative thinkers.

· Mastery Learners – These students are observers and memorize information. They learn from teachers who present information and provide basic skills.

· Understanding Learners – These learners compare, contrast, and look for cause and effect relationships. They enjoy receiving information and probing for facts. They are analytical thinkers.

· Interpersonal Learners – These are your social butterflies. They enjoy opportunities to socialize. They like supportive environments where content is related to them.

Learning Styles – McCarthy and McCarthy (2006) McCarthy & McCarthy (2006), as referenced in Gregory and Chapman (2007), take the concept of learning styles further by also identifying the type of teaching strategies best suited to each learning style. Learners can move in and out of each learning style.

· Type 1 - Imaginative Learner (Experiencing) – This is a learner who seeks meaning. They are imaginative and need to create a reason or rationale for learning that connects to their lives. They need positive, nurturing teachers.

· Type 2 – Analytical Learner (Conceptualizing) – This learner revels in facts and learns by thinking and watching. They do well with teachers who lecture; they appreciate information.

· Type 3 – Commonsense Learner (Applying) – This learner wants usable, practical application of learning. They need problem solving to make learning intriguing.

· Type 4 – Dynamic Learner (Creating) – This student learns through trial and error. They want to teach themselves and others. They do not like rigid routines or rigid tasks.

Other Factors Teachers in all arenas should consider other factors that impact how a student learns. According to Gregory and Chapman (2007), these include:

· The noise level in the classroom.

· The arrangement of the classroom.

· Whether or not students are allowed to engage for long or short periods of time.

· Whether or not students are self-directed learners or if they need more guidance and support.

· Whether or not the student needs structure or prefers flexibility.

· Whether or not the student prefers intrapersonal or interpersonal learning.

Differentiated Instruction Differentiating instruction is about finding the approach to each lesson or topic in which each student will best identify and respond. We have talked about learning styles and thinking styles and they both have an impact. Content knowledge is also important when we consider how to adjust our lessons for our learners. We need to know where our students are in the learning cycle and be sure the lesson increases each student's level of challenge (Gregory & Chapman, 2007). Learning is a life-long process; we must constantly engage ourselves in experiences that are developmentally appropriate.  This is why one size does not fit all.   What works for some students may not work for others because students come from different backgrounds with different experiences and abilities. Here is one well-known strategy used to differentiate instruction. Grouping Students can be grouped together in small groups in order to learn from each other and to allow for easier differentiation.  Alternatively, some students do better in a large group such as a large class discussion or an assignment that has multiple layers across several units. You may also have some students who prefer to work alone. Other students may prefer to work in smaller groups of three or four or with a single partner. As we have discussed, knowing our students and their learning profile as well as their strengths and weaknesses will help you as the educator be able to make instructional decisions that affect their learning.  We could have random groups based purely on chance, ability grouping based on achievement, social grouping based on roles within the group, student interest, or simply the students can choose their own group. Differentiated Strategies To support the learning of each individual student, educators can use various strategies that will accommodate the needs of various learning needs, which include readiness, interest, abilities and learning styles.  Differentiated instructional strategies are intended to employ a variety of approaches to teach students the same information. While you can easily locate information on the internet, you may want to review Miss Taylor Brooke Stancil’s strategies as there are pages of excellent ideas.

Assessment Guidance

This section includes additional specific assistance for excelling in the discussions for Week Five beyond what is given with the instructions for the discussions. If you have questions about what is expected on any discussion for Week Five, contact your instructor using the Ask Your Instructor discussion before the due date. Discussion 1: Making It Happen:  Strategies for Self Determination Skills The Week Five assignment is another opportunity to demonstrate your ability with the course learning outcome: Incorporate self-determination skills using evidence-based strategies for students with disabilities.  You will review a short article that provides additional context and strategies for teaching self-determination skills to students with mild to moderate disabilities.  Based on the first letter of your last name you will be divided into groups to address various skills. Your initial post will be in the format of a Jing or other multimedia-based presentation to showcase the specific strategies with examples of to discuss in your initial post.   The guided response required in Discussion One is for you to reply to at least two peers critiquing at least one justification and providing a scholarly source further supporting the justification.  Be sure to closely follow the directions.  Be sure to access the Ashford Library, as there are many additional sources beyond your textbook. Assignment: Designing Lesson Plans:  Evidence-Based Strategies This assignment assesses your ability to develop lesson plans that incorporate evidence-based strategies with goals that are aligned to the current performance levels of a particular student.  This assignment supports your mastery of the course-learning outcome:  Synthesize learning within the framework of a lesson plan portfolio. Here again, you have the opportunity to create a lesson plan using those written in Week One or Week Two as a model.  In this one, you will incorporate self-determination skills for Bianca Henderson with specific goals aligned to her present levels of performance (PLOP).  Additionally, you will write a one-page rationale for the lesson plan explaining why you selected the strategies for Bianca.  Why did you believe these skills to benefit her?  What areas is she lacking in that your plan will support?   Be sure to follow the guidelines for both content and written expectations so that you are able to meet the distinguished levels on the grading rubric. As stated before, APA format is required on this narrative section of your paper.  Be sure that you include the proper format for in-text citations to support your position.  Any literature that is referenced in the body of your text must be included in your list of references.  If you have questions about APA format, please contact the Ashford Writing Center as they have a host of available resources on this and many other valuable topics.

References

Dunn, R, & Dunn, K. (1987). Dispelling outmoded beliefs about student learning. Educational Leadership, 44(6), 55-61. Gregory, G.H., & Chapman, C. (2007). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size doesn't fit all (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Koga, N. & Hall, T. (2009). Curriculum modification. Retrieved from http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/curriculum_modification Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating learning styles and multiple intelligences. Alexandria, West Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.