week 6 assignment #1 resources for learning disabilities topics

I researched two articles related to the teacher and one related to the parents.

"Teaching Students with Disabilities" can provide some general and useful strategies for teaching children with disabilities. As mentioned in the article, there are a variety of disabilities, teachers could put a statement in their syllabus inviting students and parents to meet with the teachers privately is a good step in starting a conversation with those students who need accommodations and feel comfortable approaching the teachers about their needs. One part I learn the most is to keep these questions in mind when I design the course. (from Scott, 1998):

• What is the purpose of the course?
• What methods of instruction are absolutely necessary? Why?
• What outcomes are absolutely required of all students? Why?
• What methods of assessing student outcomes are absolutely necessary? Why?
• What are acceptable levels of performance on these student outcome measures

Nowadays, more and more students have the attention problem, so I selected "Teaching Students with ADHD". This article gives specific tips which can help the teachers to arrange a more friendly environment for students with ADHD, such as seating, information delivery, and students work. Every suggestion in  "Teaching techniques for students with ADHD" section provides the teachers with more organizable process accommodating to the students.      

When I was a preschool teacher, I knew it's crucial if the teacher could cooperate with parents, so I selected the last article in parents' view "Helping Children with Learning Disabilities". I believe it's very helpful if the teacher can identify the parents' difficulties and provide some useful resources and mental support. I especially like the tip 5 about " Take care of yourself too". In my experience, students learn better when they are in the healthy and relaxing environment no matter in or off classroom!

week 5 assignment #2

Reflection on Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students

 I like this article very much and have a better understanding of the purpose of UDL. In addition to expounding the significance of the UDL and its principles, this article also made me realize the responsibility of being a teacher.  In my view, teaching is an art. A wise teacher knows that a key element in teaching is having a plan to spark the "fire" on the topic. When students generate the internal motivation, they usually learn better. But how to find the "wood" to ignite is another story. With UDL, teachers assess and understand a student's strength and weakness, try to apply his advantage and complement with his downside.  From the two examples, both teachers demonstrated this essence. From their teaching, I got to know many useful websites, I believe if I could apply them well, the teaching could be more effective.

    But, for a pre-service teacher, I personally recognize the most challenging part for me in UDL is how to assess and analyze students' all aspects. Nowadays, I believe the teachers need to expand our view about assessment first because the content or purpose of evaluation represents our value and expectation. And if we really implement "reflection" in teaching, teachers should understand the essence of the assessment. Of course, it's not easy for me growing up in Asia country with the very traditional concept of assessment value students but as a modern teacher, I totally agree with the spirit of UDL and know it's the right direction. Besides, this reflection makes me reinforce the knowledge of  UbD, if I could have the clear idea about assessment in mind, I believe it's easier for me to design the activities and know where I should find the resources. Just as the teachers showed from the article, they apply many digital sources and allow students to practice collaboratively or independently.  The most important thing is that behind the surface teaching, they both have a positive attitude toward their students and therefore every student can feel the teachers' intentions in such a dynamic learning environment where students come to believe that learning is fulfilling, consuming, and deeply satisfying!

Reference

Patti Ralabate(?) Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students, retrieved from the website, http://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-meeting-needs-all-students

week 5 case study

Project: I am a good reader!

Author: YiYi Chou
Subject: Social Study
Grade Level(s): 1st grader

Project Description  

This project is designed based on the student in my observation field. When I did the observation, the teacher just introduced the book (the Manual of MOMMY). 

The boy whom I targeted didn't have enough attention span in class, this feature often makes him lost some key ideas in class. Instead of it, he liked to talk, move around. These traits make me value him as a kinesthetic learner. So I follow the theme to create three lessons for the targeted boy. In Taiwan, we don't have so-called interest-center time as in the United States. Therefore, try to apply STEE and UDL adjusting regular curriculum and allow him to move meaningfully. And from the responses of other students, the boy can realize what he misses from the teaching.

Goals

Project Goals:

1. Students will express what he read by applying his intelligence.
2. Students will develop the ability to collaborate with peers.

Lesson 1

Lesson Goal: the student will summarize the story.

State Standards

New York State Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3

Methods

• SETT:

S--the boy is a kinesthetic learner.
E-- the book, post-it, and computer.
T-- the student can pay attention to the details in the story.

T-- the student can be motivated by the YouTube clip.

Procedures

Anticipatory Set:

Time Frame: 5 minutes

• Encourage him to retell the story as the sample from YouTube.
• Share students with clip," How to retell a story".

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Provide him with a strategy which allows him to walk around the classroom handing out the post-it to some willing helper.
• Model how to politely ask classmates for help. 
• Explain the main idea of the sharing is to write down what are the important parts in their mind.

Provide Guided Practice:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Accompany the boy to finish the first post-it. After the process, discuss the result and think about how to make more effectively or efficiently. 
• Demonstrate how to analyze the answer from the classmate, and how to organize the post-it when peers finish them later on.

Provide Independent Practice:

Time Frame: 15 minutes

• Allow the boy to discuss the details with the peers by moving back and forth.
• If he has the problem, he can call for the teacher any time.

Wrap-Up

Think, Pair, Share:
Time Frame: 10 minutes

After collecting all post-it, have the boy sequence the notes by sticking them on the worksheet.

Assessment

formal

       No formal assessment in this lesson. 

Informal

       student’s courtesy.

       student's worksheet.

Materials

Other Resources

·         post-it

Lesson 2

Lesson Goal: the student will edit the retelling line, discuss the details with classmates, and create some actions.

State Standards

New York State Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1

Methods

• SETT:

S--the boy is a kinesthetic learner.
E-- the book, finished worksheet, and computer.
T-- the student can edit the summary, write the lines if needed and add some actions.

T-- the student can finish the line by using the word processor.

Procedures

Anticipatory Set:

Time Frame: 5 minutes

·         Review the worksheet done on the previous day.

·         Encourage him to all post-it and read quietly.

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Demonstrate the writing convention and the tips to link all post-is as a summary by using word-processor.
• Demonstrate how to use word-processor and explain the rubric for the retelling.

Provide Guided Practice:

Time Frame: 15 minutes

• The boy can rehearse and get some feedback from the teacher when he finishes the draft.
• Encourage him to create some actions when he retells the story.

Provide Independent Practice:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Have student finish the final scripts by using word-process.
• Allow the boy practice the retelling.

Wrap-Up

Think, Pair, Share:
Time Frame: 5 minutes

• Invite the boy to rehearse in front of whole class or some students with the printed script. 

Assessment

Formal

      No formal assessment in this lesson.

     

Informal

·         student’s actions.

·         student's worksheet.

Materials

Other Resource

·         computer or tablet 

Lesson 3

Lesson Goal: the student will retell the story with proper actions.

State Standards

New York State Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.6

Methods

• SETT:

S--the boy is a kinesthetic learner.
E-- the regular class.
T-- the student retell the story in front of the class.

T-- have the final writing project on Smartboard.

Procedures

Anticipatory Set:

Time Frame: 2 minutes

·         Tell students they are going to see the presentation of the story. 

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Time Frame: 3 minutes

• Share with them how to behave when they attend this kind of activity.

Provide Guided Practice:

Time Frame: 5 minutes

• Demonstrate how to present the show by explaining the rubrics again.

Provide Independent Practice:

Time Frame: 10-20 minutes

• Have student(s) retell the story.
• When the student(s) present the summary of the story, project the writing on Smartboard. 

Wrap-Up

Think, Pair, Share:
Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Invite students to give feedback and encourage presenter(s) to share what they learn from the process.

Assessment

Formal

     student's performance. ( see rubrics)

     

Informal

      student’s ability of time arrangement.

Materials

Other Resource

·         Smartboard

week 4 assignment #3

Lesson Overview

Title: Travel to a Foreign country!
Author: YiYi Chou
Subject: Social Study
Grade Level(s): 9th

Unit Description  

This unit is designed as a UDL approach to support student having a digital field trip. For most students, field trips are the best activity because they provide an exciting break from regular curriculum and a memorable, authentic experience that will enhance the learning. However, within the huge continent, those meaningful destinations become not doable and costly. But the virtual field trips (VFTs) can make students’ dream come true.

VFTs provide a variety of forms. Students can travel to a historic site or museums, witnessing any scientific experiments or processes at organizations, etc.  They differ from the traditional style and can use technology in either asynchronous or interactive synchronous formats.

Goals

Unit Goals:

1. Students will practice the ability to research.
2. Students will develop the ability to collaborate with peers.

Lesson Description for Day 1

Students will decide on a destination and do some research on the following day activity.

State Standards

New York State Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.7
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.1.E
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.6

Lesson Goals:

• students will be able to research relevant information through the platform.
• students will develop the capability of evaluation and organization by applying graphic organizer.

Methods

Anticipatory Set:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Share students with “10 questions foreigners like to ask Chinese people”.
• Have them to discuss the questions.
• Tell them the best way to get the answers is to get first-hand information.

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Introduce the VFTs: AirPano and tell students what we are going to do is to research relevant information on the platform.
• Divide students into small of four and demonstrate how to fill the graphic organizer by showing them the duty of each role in the group and provide them time to discuss.

Provide Guided Practice:

Time Frame: 25 minutes

• Show the rubrics and demonstrate how to explore the function on the platform by picking up a location.
• When demonstrating the graphic organizer, ask for students to share their research result.

Provide Independent Practice:

• Allow students to have group discussion finishing their worksheet.
• Teacher circulates the class and provides assistance for the graphic organizer or AirPano.

Wrap-Up

Think, Pair, Share:
Time Frame: 10 minutes

After finishing group work, each group keeps their assignment and every student write a paragraph-long essay to introduce their finding in VFTs independently as an exit ticket.

Assessment

Formal

      The graphic organizer. (see rubric)

     

Informal

       students’ participation. (see rubric)

Materials

Other Resources

·         computer, tablet, or smartphone

·         access to the internet

·         Smartboard

Lesson Description for Day 2

Students will make a UDL book based on their previous graphic organizer.

State Standards

New York State Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.1.C
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2.A

Lesson Goals:

• students will obtain knowledge by having UDL.
• students will develop the capability of using UDL book.

Methods

Anticipatory Set:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

l   Review the graphic organizer done on the previous day.

l   Encourage them to create their own digital travel guide based on the information they had researched

l   Show students book sample done before.

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Time Frame: 10 minutes

• Show the rubrics and demonstrate how to explore the function on the platform.
• Remind them to follow their role in the group according to the previous lesson.

Provide Guided Practice:

Time Frame: 20 minutes

• Each one in the group can select or create their own avatar to share their selections. For example, the person who wrote the features of the location can be a character to share the beauty or even teach Mandarin by using Google Translation, and the rest of students can explain the local history and introduce new word respectively.

• Allow them to discuss if they need adjust.
• When demonstrating the UDL book, call on students to create interesting for the digital helper.

Provide Independent Practice:

• Have students finish their UDL books.

• Teacher circulates the class and provides assistance for UDL book or adjust the content.

• After finishing the book, have each student write a paragraph to introduce their own book as a teaser.

Wrap-Up

Think, Pair, Share:
Time Frame: 15 minutes

• Each group presents their UDL Books.

Assessment

Formal

      The graphic organizer. (see rubric)

     

Informal

       students’ participation. (see rubric)

Materials

Other Resources

·         computer, tablet, or smartphone

·         mini-microphone

·         access to the internet

·         Smartboard