STEM Graduate Assistance

Directions: Please answer each discussion question in 150 words must use in-text citation in APA style. Answer each response in 100 words! This is due within 30 hours!

Discussion Question 1: You have a student who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to assist with his inability to focus for long periods of time and for assistance with slower processing, and one student who has a 504 accommodation for chunking (small sections at a time) of test structure and executive functioning. Discuss ways you can differentiate the same assessment for both students to create authentic data to represent each student’s level of comprehension and promote human flourishing.

Response 1 Stefanie wrote:

Both students have been identified as needing their learning broken up into smaller chunks. Needing information presented in smaller pieces can help with students that struggle to pay attention or when they think that a task is going to take too long or is too hard (Reeves, 2015). Allowing for students to include physical activity, have attention breaks, adjusting time frames for assignments, removing additional visual distractions, and playing memory games helps students to increase their focus on assigned tasks (Reeves, 2015).

Testing for students that have a hard time focusing should be offered in a quiet place without distractions and extended time when needed (Morin, 2021). If testing must occur in the classroom with other students, set a timer for five minutes, have both students bring their work up to the desk, allowing them to move their body and cause a break in the task, ask any questions, check their work, and then return to their desk (Reeves, 2015). Frequent breaks give students time to clear their mind and reset. Tests should also be given to students in small sections, so they only have to think about the section that is in front of them, not become overwhelmed when a 10-page, multiple choice test is given to them. Both students may also benefit from taking an assessment orally so the teacher can assess the student’s processing speed and focus as the questions are asked and answered.

Response 2: It can be a struggle to get students to actually use their separate setting accommodations as they understand doing so identifies them.  How do you work with students to get them to actually use this accommodation?

Discussion Question 2:

Implementing technology can greatly enhance the learning experience for students. What are some of the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom for activities? How do you feel about implementing technology-based assessments in your content area? Explain.