Real Teachers-Real Strategies 12: Does Size Really Matter?

 Teaching Tips  No Responses »
Mar 272012
 

Our next winning teaching idea comes from Joelle of McMinnville, OR. She is a Structure Learning Program Teacher to high school students. Her idea is using a visual comparison and thought provoking questions to help them understand that special needs are everywhere and how to advocate for themselves.

The Project: We Need a Bigger Tank?

Goldfish are able to live in all sizes of bodies of fresh water, but a small fish in a small tank will always remain small. A big fish in a small tank would not have enough resources to thrive. My thought is to have two fish tanks of different sizes and measure the growth of the fish throughout the year. The idea is to build awareness in students with disabilities about advocacy and inclusion and how important these things are to their education, self esteem and life after high school.

 

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to compare how being a student with special needs is similar to being a small fish in a big pond (resource room), or a big fish in a small pond (self-contained classroom). They will be able to write and imagine what their life would be like if they were given more opportunities in a bigger tank. Similarly, what would it be like if their big tank were a little smaller and they didn’t have to struggle for resources.

Materials:

The materials needed would be two fish tanks of different sizes (example 10 gal tank and 20 gal tank), goldfish, food, tank equipment such as filters, air pumps, and cleaning supplies, tank lamps, tank decorations and measurement tools for fish growth.

This project depends on the district policy to allow fish tanks in the classroom and has to be cleared by the school board in certain situations; however, I feel that the information the students take away is well worth the effort.

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Brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education for the Teacher Grant Ask: http://www.weareteachers.com/teaching-ideas/grant/teaching-idea?app=17017&grantId=75

 

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 9: Open Your Eyes Through These Hearts

 Teaching Tips, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Mar 062012
 

Our next exciting teaching idea comes from Jackie of Piedmont, SC, a Special Education Teacher who works with special needs students. She has developed a unique emotional “outlet” for her students to express themselves. It is such a great success students and parents alike ask if Jackie will hold the event each year!

The Project: Poetry Slam.

An annual poetry slam is held for special needs students in my self-contained classes. We spend a whole month (April-National Poetry Month) creating original works of poetry. The students range from severe learning disabilities to emotional/behavioral issues. We have a poetry slam, held in a “coffeehouse” atmosphere. There is not a dry eye in the house once these kids reach the podium and deliver their poems filled with love, fear, acceptance, and inspiration. Self confidence triumphs!

Learning Objectives:

The learning experiences through this Poetry Slam are endless. Their reading fluency and comprehension skills increase but more importantly, self confidence soars. These students do not always have an “outlet” for their emotions. Having them create works of poetry without the worry of the mechanics of writing instills a sense of freedom. Their true feelings of self worth and importance comes shining through their poems. People look forward to their poems each and every year!

I look forward to this Poetry Slam and the month of April every year. Everyone who attends this rewarding experience ask if I am doing it the next school year. To see these students who struggle in so many areas of their lives come alive through their writing makes me cry tears of joy. Poetry month ends up being very therapeutic for the students and everyone involved. I am so glad this experience happens every year.

Materials Needed:

Every year I borrow the props for the poetry slam. This proves to very time consuming. We also ask for donations for the refreshments after the slam. I would love to purchase a stool, podium, poetry books, floor lamp and video camera to capture each and every moment. I could purchase dvds so each student could have the event to take home to enjoy for years to come. Having video equipment and the props will help this annual event come alive!

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 Brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Teacher Grant Asks: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=17055&grantId=75

 

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 8: A Magical Transformation

 Special Needs Community, Teaching Tips  No Responses »
Feb 292012
 

From Struthers, Ohio, Laurie is an Intervention Specialist for students Pre-K through 4th grade. Laurie helped an autistic student, Michael, learn how organize his day and thus be more in control of himself. Michael’s success with this idea in elementary school carried over to middle school success to be fully included. Now that is a terrific teaching tool!

The Project: Michael’s Magical Transformation.    

Michael is an autistic student who as most autistic children had a difficult time initiating conversation with other people, tantruming, and adapting to change easily. We began with a binder with his daily schedule and slowly added pictures of who he was to greet daily, a feelings page, social stories and other pages as the need arose. As the binder got heavier and more organized, Michael felt more in control of his days and gained self control in all areas. His success has carried over to middle school.

Learning Objectives: 

Since initiating this binder with our Michael, we have also used the idea with other students who had difficulty with similar things. The binders are interactive (velcro) so that the students can manipulate their choices and feel more in control of their daily lives both in school as well as out. They will learn the skills that they need to function better whether they are ADD, ADHD, LD or autistic. It will help them to focus on their particular needs for the school day and life skills.  

We have used this system that we used for Michael with other students in our district that had similar needs. This system has worked with other autistic students but also just as well with students who had ADD or struggled with organizational skills. Michael is now an 8th grader fully included at our Middle School. He no longer tantrums at school or at home. Yay, Michael!

Materials:

 3 ring binders, notebooks, daily schedules, velcro, markers, laminating materials, dry erase markers & erasers.

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Brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Teacher Grant Asks: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=16862&grantId=75

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 5: Creating Books for Articulation

 Teaching Tips  1 Response »
Feb 012012
 

This teaching strategy is brought to us by Virginia of Andover, MA. She is a Speech/Language Pathologist for students in Early Learning through 2nd grade. Virgina’s teaching technique is to engage her students in a creative adventure to put together a story of the sound or letter they are targeting in their lesson.

Her project: Creating Books for Super Articulation.

Using Target Sounds for the lesson, the students name a stuffed animal or puppet as the main character, such as Ricky Raccoon for ‘r’ words. Using a picture of Ricky along with others chosen by the students they build a book of Ricky’s likes, dislikes, activities, habitat, friends, etc. Each page starts with “Ricky the Raccoon…” This sense of adventure and creating is great for motivating articulation practice of /r/, as well as practicing sentence structures, asking questions making it a multisensory experience. Ricky and the book go home for practice with the student’s parents. Huge interest & success!

Her students really enjoyed this project and have a new one entitled “Lily the Leopard.” This book will incorporate not only /l/, but the vowelized /r/ combinations needed… ar, er, ir, or, ur.

Learning Objectives:

Practice of learned skills including: phonemic awareness, placement, production; syntax: organization/formulation of verbal expression; benefit of model/imitation of therapist and parents; and independent experience. The results are increased sound production and intelligibility from single words to connected speech! Great motivating lessons for articulation practice, intelligibility, and building confidence as an effective communicator.

Materials:

Pictures, construction paper, glue,  laminate, markers/computer printed labels and sentence starters, and homework sheet, as well as a small puppet or stuffed animal that can travel home with the book for a week’s practice.

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Brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Teacher Grant Asks: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=17630&grantId=75

 

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 4: Conflict Resolution Skills

 Teaching Tips  2 Responses »
Jan 242012
 

Our next post is from Lisa from Suffolk, VA, a middle school/high school Special Education teacher. Her strategy is to teach conflict resolution skills with differentiated instruction so each student can learn the skill according to how they learn best.

Her strategy: a Conflict Resolution Menu.

“The students have been learning a unit on how to deal appropriately with conflict. Proper problem solving skills and techniques to all types of possible conflicts they may come across. Since all students learn differently, I created a unit assessment that was Differentiated Instructional (DI) focused. This menu has 3 appetizer activites, 3 entree activities, and 3 dessert activities to choose from. Each student may choose the activities they feel most comfortable doing to demonstrate mastery.”

Learning Objectives:

“The students will demonstrate their knowledge on conflict resolution and problem solving techniques that they can carry with them into adulthood. These skills will help them handle peer conflicts, issues with teachers, and even frustration that may occur from academics. Being able to properly identify a conflict and the appropriate way to handle that conflict is a skill that will help them be successful in school as well as in life.”

Materials:

Conflict resolution lesson, art supplies, conflict resolution menu, problem solving scale, PowerPoint (student choice)

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This post is brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Grant Asks: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app= 17846&grantId=75

 

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 3: Engaging Reluctant Readers & Writers

 Special Education Classroom, Teaching Tips  No Responses »
Jan 192012
 

This post comes from Jennifer in Lima, New York. She is a 1st-2nd grade teacher in Special Education, and her strategy is to help reluctant readers and writers get excited about doing just that: reading and writing!

Her project: Language Experience Stories. 

 

 “Students who are not yet excited about reading or who are hesitant to write need a hook. So we made them the characters in the story. I surveyed the children regarding things they like to do. They chose swimming. We created a list of things they did when swimming. I then brought in a blow up swimming pool and other items (floaties, pool toys). We then took pictures of them in the (empty) pool using the item or pretending to swim. From the pictures they wrote their sentences for their stories.”

Learning Objectives:

“Students learned to plan out a story, write their own sentences and then read their story to others. Their confidence grew and they were very proud of their accomplishments. When writing students used a promethean board rather than paper and pencil to make it different for them. Here they were more willing to stretch out the words and were more willing to stay on task.

“The children who created these stories were not enthusiastic about reading or writing prior to writing these stories. During the process they became more involved and excited. Once the story was complete and in their hands they loved it! Not only were they authors who could read their story, they were in the story! They wanted a copy to keep in their classroom and one to have at home. Parents also shared how proud their children were when they brought these stories home.”

Materials:

“With this story it was chart paper, a blow up pool, pool toys, floaties, camera, and a promethean board. Computer and printer were used to create and print the book. With other language experience stories the materials were different depending on the topic that they chose.”

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Brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Teacher Grant Asks: http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=16609&grantId=75

 

Real Teachers-Real Strategies 2: A Radio Broadcast

 Special Education Classroom, Teaching Tips  No Responses »
Jan 162012
 

Our second post in this series is from Matthew in Carteret, NJ. He teaches 7th and 8th graders.

His idea: Fireside Chats.

Students learning about the Great Depression had the opportunity to step into the shoes of President Roosevelt and create their own fireside chat radio broadcast based on the events of the 1930′s. Students learn the material in the classroom and then record an audio broadcast using the software program Audacity. The tasks involved are research, writing a script, and performing the broadcast. The project has different modalities so that each student in the group can shine in his/her own way.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to understand the impact that the events of the Great Depression had on America. They will also be able to relate the information they have learned to today’s economy. Students will enhance their research, writing and technology skills throughout the process of the project.

As well, this project was a collaboration between the students’ social studies and language arts classes. It took place in a variety of settings in our 8th grade. Both in-class support students and self-contained students had the opportunity to create their own group broadcast. The students learned tangible skills while also learning the important characteristics of teamwork.

Materials:

Audacity, an opensource audio recording program. Microsoft word, to type the script. Microphones to record the broadcast. EBSCO and Grollier online for research.

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This post is brought to you by We Are Teachers partnership with PCI Education’s Teacher Grant Asks:  http://www.weareteachers.com/ideas/partnerask/teachingidea?app=16996&grantId=75

 

Struggling Reader Series: Identifying Letters

 Teaching Tips  5 Responses »
Dec 152009
 

by Kristi Lindsay

My four year old, Jadon, struggled with writing lower case “b” and “d”. “Which way does ‘b’ go and which was does ‘d’ go?” he asked. He can say their names, knows their sounds, and can match them up with their uppercase letters. But, sometimes, he gets the two confused. bread

Have you ever noticed how similar some of the lowercase letters are? Look at “b” and “d” or “p” and “q”. Or how about lower case “h”, “n”, and “m”? As a teacher, I remember how my struggling readers had a hard time identifying these letters. They could say the letters’ names, sounds, and even write them in isolation, but often got them confused when reading or used the wrong one by accident as a letter reversal when writing.

I figured there had to be a way to help him remember which letter is “b” and which is the “d”. Then it hit me: bread and drink! I remembered an afternoon talk show episode that discussed a simple way to identify which “bread” and which “drink” were ours at a formal table setting. “Bread on the left and drink on the right,” said the host as she held up her left hand with pointer and thumb in the shape of a circle and three other fingers together pointing up like the shape of a “b” for “bread.” Her right hand was the opposite in the shape of a “d” for “drink.” While the simple hand gestures helped me identify my bread and drink, I also realized the “b” and “d” could help my son.

Try it: make a “b” with your left hand and “d” with your right hand. They are in alphabetical order when held up in front of you! Silly and simple? Yes, but since sharing the “b” and “d” hand trick with Jadon, I often see him holding up his hands and saying “a, b, c, d,” accenting the “b” and “d” with his hands.

Struggling readers can’t sound out words if they can’t recognize the letters in the words. Providing these little reminders gives them tools to be better readers. If your child struggles to identify letters, come up with silly visuals to help him or her remember them. It can be as easy or as silly as “b for bread and d for drink!”

Take the “Arrrddd!” Out of Standardized Tests

 Teaching Tips  1 Response »
Sep 142009
 

Incorporate Teaching & Test-Taking Strategies Now to Minimize Anxiety at Test TimeCompass2

In a society where standardized tests are reality in many states, teachers are faced with an ever-present dilemma: “Should I, or should I not, teach to the test?”

Both sides of the debate have merit. In a world where teacher salaries, school funding, and student promotion are sometimes determined by test scores, it is seemingly impossible not to teach to the test. However, many feel that teaching to the test limits meaningful learning in the classroom, especially for students with special needs, in special ed, and students with learning differences.  

The following activities are recommended for educators to combine meaningful learning with test-taking strategies, thereby facilitating overall academic achievement and standardized test success:

1. Provide repeated exposure to standardized test format. Broaden the curriculum by applying standardized test format and test-taking procedures in other areas of the curriculum. Repeated exposure to standardized test format takes away some of the anxiety experienced when students are faced with “real” standardized tests.

2. Teach necessary components in bite-sized pieces. In an effort to avoid students feeling overwhelmed by too much at one time, break necessary skills down into individual components. For example, when teaching writing, break lessons down into individual components such as topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence. Allow plenty of time for struggling readers and learners to succeed in one area before moving on to the next.

3. Tailor modifications to meet the needs of each child with learning differences. Not every modification works for every child. Providing more time for one student may not be as beneficial as having a test administrator read the test aloud. Large print accommodations do not benefit all students, and in some cases, may cause them to see the test as longer and more intimidating.

4. Teach test-taking strategies.

• Emphasize first and foremost: read directions thoroughly.
• When reading long selections, teach students to read the questions first so that they know what information they are looking for.
• Have them underline key words and phrases and make notes in the margins.
• For multiple-choice items, teach students to cross out wrong answers with a pencil before choosing the correct answer from the choices remaining.
• Teach the importance of reading all of the choices before answering.
• To help students avoid feelings of frustration and inadequacy by spending too much time focusing on one difficult passage, question, or test area:
           o Help them understand that it is okay to skip an item and come back to it after the remainder of the questions have been answered.
           o Have them circle the question number so they know which one to return to quickly.

5. Encourage critical thinking skills across the curriculum. Provide opportunities each day for students to “think outside the box” in an effort to improve critical thinking skills. Encourage creativity, instead of letting the pressure of standardized tests stifle it.

6. Make every effort to reduce the pressure for students. Employ test-taking strategies as a routine in the classroom, not just at standardized test time. Help them understand these tests scores don’t make or break their grades. Emphasize that all students should do their best, and leave it at that.

Authored by Rachel Kaspar
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“I feel the most important requirement in success is learning to overcome failure. You must learn to tolerate it, but never accept it.”
–Reggie Jackson, Major League Baseball Player

Getting Organized

 Teaching Tips  No Responses »
May 272009
 

TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR THE INCLUSIVE SECONDARY CLASSROOM

Planning is the Key to SuccessOrganization is the key to success for middle school and high school students on a good day, as well as an important life skill they will carry into adulthood. For students with special needs or in special education classes, organization is essential to learning. As students enter the secondary grades, they must keep track of locker combinations, class schedules, homework assignments, and extracurricular activities. Many students feel pressured to stay organized or flounder, and even more so for youth and teens that are struggling learners.

Students who have attention problems, learning differences, or autism often have an especially difficult time keeping up with all their activities. They need your expertise on being a solution builder specific to their special needs. Special educators such as inclusion teachers, content mastery center teachers, and self-contained classroom teachers can help these students achieve success. By providing them with their own daily planner and instructions to use it, a writing journal or a graphic organizer, you can also help develop basic life skills, such as writing skills, critical thinking, and communication skills.

To begin with, make sure to list the agenda for the day, homework, long-term assignments, and test dates intakingnotes a visible place in your classroom. It takes little time to write these things on the board or on an overhead projector. You can even type your agenda on a PowerPoint slide and post it on a classroom computer.

There are a variety of teacher resources and special education materials to use for your students to see and write down important class information. This will also reinforce their organization and writing skills.

Having a visible agenda for your special ed students does two things. It allows them to anticipate what is going to happen in your classroom that day, and it also gives them a better chance at keeping up with their daily assignments.  It will also helps them think about the resources they need for the day or will need for upcoming assignments or tests.

As soon as students come into your classroom each period, instruct them to write the agenda and homework assignment in their planner. For example, they might write, “In class: paragraph practice worksheet. Homework: Write multi-paragraphs on dream vacation in word bank journal.”  Instruct them to do this in each of their classes. Have students get into the habit of writing in the planner at the beginning of each class period. At the end of the day, they can look in their planner and engage critical thinking skills to decide which books need to be taken home to complete their homework assignments.

You can also build communication skills between students with parents through the planner and get them involved in their child’s success. Set up an arrangement where parents check their child’s planner each night and make sure assignments are completed. They can then write notes to you in the planner, or simply sign next to that date to let you know they have seen everything. Thus, the student is held accountable at home and at school and develops successful life skills for their future.

Using a planner not only helps students stay organized and keep from falling behind in school, it instills a lifelong method for organization and journal writing that will help them as they enter college and the  workplace.
For more information on study skills such as organization and comprehension skills, take a look at the comprehensive study skills program, Teaching Study Strategies, on PCI Education’s website.

There are teacher resources available in a variety of formats to assist your struggling learners. You can choose from reproducible binders, student workbooks, software programs, curriculum guides, and more. You may also request a PCI catalog on-line for the most current special education materials available in math, history, reading, language arts, science, communication, and assistive technology, as well as educational materials for nonreaders and autism resources.