Education mod. 3 assignment (w)

Mod3UtilizingInformationtoSupportCurriculumDesign.docx

Utilizing Information to Support Curriculum Design

The information provided in an IFSP or IEP is a required element of the curriculum design process. As a teacher, one must incorporate the accommodations into the lesson for the class. Although each child will have specific learning needs, the design process does not have to be overwhelming. In most cases, minor accommodations are all that is needed to support the identified accommodations in the IEP.

For example, a child who is a second language learner may only need a translator to explain the directions. A child with a physical disability may need an object moved or an item placed in a certain location. In many cases, the accommodations you make for a child with a special need can also benefit other children in the class who may have a specific struggle but who have not yet been identified as having a special need.

More examples of accommodations are provided by Head Start: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/children-disabilities/article/materials-adaptation

The following video addresses strategies to support children who have not yet been identified as qualifying for a special need, but who may benefit from classroom modifications.

Supporting Children Who Do Not Qualify for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/supporting-children-who-do-not-qualify-individuals-disabilities-act-idea

In some cases children meet multiple categories for special accommodations. Twice exceptional children may be a second language learner and gifted, or a child with a social and motor delay. Working with children with multiple exceptionalities requires the teacher to consider how to support different areas of development and learning at the same time. The following video identifies a group of twice exceptional learners and how their learning needs were met. Although the video does not specifically focus on ECE settings, the information addressed can promote strategies to support twice exceptional children in your own practice.

2e: Twice Exceptional

As you begin the design process, consider how accommodations can be relevant to all learners and what minor changes you can make to the learning environment to continue to support growth and development for children with special needs.

Mod3Communication.docx

Communication

When working with children, the teacher, family, and child are all part of the learning experience. In an ECE setting that supports DAP, the teachers learns about the individual needs of the child through their own interactions and observations. However, this can only provide one piece of the picture. The families can provide a great deal of insight into the child that can support educators in their classroom facilitation. For children with special needs, understanding the specific needs of the children and how these align with information provided in an IFSP and IEP requires a great deal of collaboration and communication. The following video addresses strategies to collect information and learn about the child and the family in the process.

Gathering Input and Feedback

For families with children with special needs, there is often a unique form of support required to enhance the collaboration. For families who have children with special needs, the educator is often a key part of the support system. Not only does the teacher provide care and learning experience for the child, they may also provide resources and support for the families. The need to partner with the families can be just as important to the families themselves as it is to the child.

In all educational settings, communication is a critical part of collaboration. When designing curriculum, communicating about the current needs of the child guides the design and development process. For example, a family may share a recent update from a doctor or specialist who is also providing care for the child. The information may change the way the teacher designs the lesson or arranges the room. If the child is old enough to communicate, it is also important to involve them in the learning process. The child can share their interests and insights that can enhance their own learning experience.

The following video addresses communication between teachers, families, and children. While viewing the video, consider how you might use some of these strategies in your own practice.

Working with Families: Communication and Coordination

When developing curriculum for children with special needs, the IFSP or IEP is a key piece of the process. The information shared in these reports provides valuable insight into the needs of the specific learner. However, communicating and supporting the learner also requires consistent and supportive communication between all individuals involved in the process.

Mod3PersonalizedLearning.docx

Personalized Learning

In an ECE setting, the goal is to provide a learning environment that promotes development while aligning with developmentally appropriate practice. When working with children with special needs, the individual learning goals and support will vary based on their specific abilities. In order to access these abilities, many children will need a personalized learning plan that identifies the specific types of support needed to meet their learning requirements and enhance development. The personalized learning plans are typically called Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Program (IEP). The IFSP is used for infants and toddlers while an IEP is used for older preschoolers.

These plans outline the specific exceptionality of the child and identity modifications that are necessary to support the learner in a manner which is developmentally appropriate. The IFSP is a collaborative plan that requires input from both the family and the educator to identify areas of need and construct learning experiences that will support the individual needs of the child. The goal of the IFSP is to establish a working partnership between the home and the school to support a collaborative and consistent learning experience that extends beyond the classroom. For example, if a child with a motor delay is working on self-feeding, both the family and the teacher would use the same strategy at meal times to keep the support consistent.

IEP

An IEP is similar to an IFSP but is designed to meet the needs of older children.

Based on Federal Requirements, an IEP must contain the following areas.

1. Present levels of performance. A statement of the child’s present strengths and levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.

2. Disability. Identification of the child’s disability and how it may interfere with the child’s learning.

3. Measurable annual goals and short-term objectives (or benchmarks). A statement of measurable annual goals based on the child’s strengths and levels of performance. The goals must include academic (readiness) and functional goals. Short-term objectives for meeting the annual goals are required if the child has significant cognitive delays.

4. A statement of the specific special education and related services and supplementary aids to be provided to the child and a statement of the program modifications and supports for school personnel that will be provided.

5. An explanation of the extent, if any, that the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class.

Cook, R. E., Klein, M. & Tessier, A. (2016). Adapting Early Childhood Curriculum for Children with Special Needs. New York: Pearson.

Additional information on the IEP process can be found here: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/children-disabilities/article/individualized-education-program-iep-basics

This video, Inclusion, IEPs, and Special Needs Laws , examines IEPs and the role of educators in supporting children in the classroom. As you watch the video, reflect on how the concepts apply to your own experiences.

In any setting, the information provided in an IFSP or IEP can guide the teacher in providing quality curriculum for the children in their care.

LessonPlanTemplate.docx

Annotated Lesson Template Guide

When creating your lesson you will use this template to design the activity. The areas in Black indicate what should be addressed in each box. The Red text provides you with examples and tips to help fill out these sections. When you complete the lesson, ALL sections should be filled in on the chart.

Your Name:

Age/level of Student:

Demographics of Students:

Date:

Length of Activity:

Developmental Domain(s) Covered:

Activity Title:

Remove all red writing

Goals:

What do you want the students to learn in this lesson?

*Think in terms of developmental goals/levels/outcomes

Rationale:

What is your reason for wanting the students to learn this?

*What are developmental needs for the age group?

DAP (Developmentally Appropriate)

How do you know this is DAP? According to what standards will you know this is developmentally appropriate?

*Provide specific examples of how this meets elements of developmentally appropriate practice.

*If you have specific state standards, you will include these here.

How will you assess the student’s prior knowledge in order to do this activity successfully?

What do students need to know in order to do this activity correctly?

*This portion should address key developmental abilities needed to successfully carry out the activity. These are not just academic skills; think in terms of developmental levels. You may need to include developmental concepts beyond the specific focus of the activity. For example, a lesson plan focusing on language development may also require social and emotional areas to be present.

Lesson Activities and Steps

In this column, you will tell the details of your plan

Materials & Resources

In this column, you will tell what materials you will use.

Assessment of Activity

How will you know that the students have met the goals that you have for them? What will you look for? How will you know it was a success?

*This is not a numerical score. Think about the outcome for your activity and what type of behaviors you would anticipate.

Assessment Tools

Is there a tool you will use to show how students did with this activity?

*Tools can be a variety of methods, including observations or a sample of the child’s work.

Procedures

Indicate, in great detail, how you will do this activity. *This should be a step-by-step guide to follow. If you were to pass this to another teacher, would the teacher be able to carry out the activity based on your directions?

Before you begin, you should think about:

· How will you start?

· How will you gain the children’s attention?

· What materials will you need to gather?

· What specific statements would you use to introduce the activity?

· What prep work will you need to do beforehand?

Main Activity

· Write step-by-step procedures of how you will do this activity. Be VERY specific.

· Indicate what the teacher should say and do.

· Indicate what you want the children to do.

· A good way to look at it is if you were sick and you had a sub, does that person have all the directions needed to do that activity?

Closing the Activity

· What will you do to let the children know the activity has ended? *Do you have specific words to use?

· Will the children have to help clean up?

· Do they need to transition to another activity? For example, if they will go outside, how will you keep them engaged while you wrap up the activity and move them to the next stage?

What resource or materials will you use?

*List the specific materials and resources you will use in this section. Think of this as a recipe and include the ingredients.

Response Required

How will you extend the learning after the activity has been completed?

*How can you connect this to another learning center or activity for children? How can you continue to promote the same developmental goals?

Response Required

Will other items be needed for the extension?

*List materials, resources, support needed to extend learning activity

Response Required

Evaluation and Reflection

Take time to reflect and evaluate your current lesson plan. Provide a substantial response to each of the following questions:

· How does this activity align with the developmental needs of children for your selected age group? Be specific in your response.

· How does this activity support the specified developmental domain?

· How could this activity be modified to meet the specific learning needs of individual children?