10 Takeaways by Chase Ebanks

10 Takeaways by Chase Ebanks https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg Sped 336 Reflection en-us 2023-04-30 16:38:56 UTC 2023-04-30 19:18:01 UTC hello@padlet.com Number 1: Effective Inclusion ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573022875

There are four principles of effective inclusion. The first principle indicates that all students, with or without disabilities, should have equal access to anything in the classroom, including curriculum, materials, and generally being a part of any classroom. The next principle is that individual strengths are used to perform challenges within a diverse population. This means that all students can perform challenges to the best of their ability using their unique skill set. Besides that, inclusion is only effective if it is reflective, designed for all people, culturally-responsive, evidence based, and if it uses differentiated methods or practices of teaching. Finally, inclusion can only work if everyone involved collaborates with one another including parents, teachers, principals, therapists, and students. Without a positive classroom community, effective inclusion cannot exist.

Using this information, I need to create a positive classroom where students have equal access to anything in the classroom, strengths are used and celebrated, everyone is collaborative and reflective, and all practices or teachings are diversified and support each students' needs.

]]> 2023-04-30 16:40:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573022875 Number 2: Least Restrictive Environment ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573022936

There are 10 options for placements for students in school. These options are a continuum based on the students level of need. Students can be placed in a general education classroom, resource room, self contained classroom, residential school, home bound instruction, hospital instruction, or a mixture of some. While there are all of these options, it is very important to place students in the least restrictive environment where they can be successful academically, socially, and emotionally. Keep in mind that students with disabilities should not always be put in a self-contained classroom because there is evidence that they are positive and successful when included with gen ed students.

When figuring out where to place students with disabilities, it is important to place them in THEIR least restrictive environment. A least restrictive environment is where a student will be able to function to the best of their ability and be successful. It is important to keep these different placements in mind in the future to collaborate with team members to support the student's environmental needs.

]]> 2023-04-30 16:40:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573022936 Number 3: Student Involvement ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023013 It is important to involve students in the decision making processes! Students, at various ages, know what works for them and what doesn't. They also know what they like and don't. When it comes to the IEP process, students can be included before, during, and after. Before the meeting, you can discuss the main point of the meeting and how to act appropriately during it. During the meeting, have the student introduce themselves along with their strengths and needs. Finally, after the meeting, students can provide feedback on the meeting and or be a part of their own progress monitoring.

Knowing this information, I will be sure to include students in their plans in the future. I can ask them about their strengths, challenges, likes, dislikes, and more! Students know more about themselves and can advocate for themselves more than people realize. It is important to keep them in the loop just as much as everyone else.]]> 2023-04-30 16:40:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023013 Number 4: English Language Learners ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023104 In many areas, including Findlay, there are many students who have moved here from other countries. Many of these students and their family members speak little to no Englsih. These students may also have some different struggles and difficulties compared to their peers in school. These students are assimilating, or using the knowledge of their own culture to build on the knowledge and applications of popular American culture. In other words, these students start to learn the language, practice customs, and more to be like the rest of the new population or culture. Students who are immigrants can have a hard time assimilating in America. In and out of the classroom, they can experience racial tension, rejection, fear from authority figures, and they may be reluctant to converse with others about anything including making friends and asking for help. These students may also feel curious, shock, depression, and confusion.

In order to support these students and their families who are immigrants, there are many strategies that can be implemented. Some strategies include using materials in their native language, communicating using their native language and English, offer intensive English programs, and ask for volunteers or other members of the community to support their needs. Finally, it is important to try and learn some of their language and culture. Doing this can help you and the students connect, communicate better, and build a good relationship. These are strategies I can use to support and build a relationship with these students and families in my future classrooms.]]> 2023-04-30 16:41:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023104 Number 5: Positives of Co-Teaching ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023174 From my experience and horror stories from peers, I have only ever heard of 1 good co-teaching experience. Therefore, many people think that there aren't any advantages to co-teaching and many shy away from that opportunity. However, there are many advantages to co-teaching for students and teachers. For example, teachers share responsibilities and lower their work load. There are more advantages including mutual goals, less teacher isolation, increased collaboration, decrease student to teacher ratio, increased efficiency, fewer behavior incidents, and more.

With that being said, I know many schools are moving to a push-in and pull-out method of teaching for intervention specialists. This means that they will be in the gen ed classroom and a resource room throughout the day. When they push-in to the gen ed classroom, both teachers can co-teach in a few different ways. I believe that I should have an open mind during these opportunities because of the positives listed above. When that happens, it makes all of our lives easier and we create a more positive and successful environment for all students.]]> 2023-04-30 16:41:12 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023174 Number 6: Building Relationships ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023502
Building relationships and rapports with your students is one of the most important things in teaching. If students are not comfortable with a person or know their expectations, they may tend to act out more than others. Some ways to build rapport with your students include actively listening to them, asking them about their interests, personal lives, strengths, and weaknesses, and more. You should also share your own interests and stories to allow students to make connections with you. You may also try to support them outside of the classroom at their athletic events, musicals, art shows, and more. Finally, it is important to show students that you are empathetic and you are there to support them in all aspects of their lives. You can do this by complimenting them and discussing how you can support each other.

Along with building rapport, I also found it important to build and support student self-esteem. To do this, you can use appropriate humor, teach mindfulness and stress reducing strategies, use conflict resolution and peer mediation programs, conduct meetings at the student language level, be aware of nonverbal communications, and regularly acknowledge and praise students. When using these strategies, students feel heard and supported and therefore, they can start to develop their other skills.

With all of this information, I will be sure to use these strategies to build a rapport with my students, parents, and even my coworkers. This will help to create a safe, positive, and collaborative learning environment to support all students needs.

]]> 2023-04-30 16:41:24 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023502 Number 7: Multicultural curriculum ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023684 Multicultural curriculum has 4 different approaches. The first approach is contributions, which includes various ethnic heroes, holidays, highlights, and culture events into curriculum. The second approach is additive, which includes content, concepts, themes, and issues related to various cultures that are added to the curriculum. The third approach is transformation which enhances the curriculum by encouraging students to examine and explore content, concepts, themes, issues, problems, and concerns from various cultural perspectives. The final approach is social action which encourages students to identify social problems and take action to solve them.

When you have students in your classroom who are from another culture, country, religion, or other diversities, it is important to use curriculum that they can connect with to help them learn. It is also important to make them feel like their ideals are being used within the classroom to include them. These approaches above will help support that connection and drive inclusion.]]> 2023-04-30 16:41:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023684 Number 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023826 Maslow's hierarchy of needs begins with the largest part of the pyramid at the base. In this foundational piece are the child's physiological needs such as food, water, shelter, and warmth. The next part of the pyramid is security which includes safety, employment, and assets. The next part of the pyramid is social needs including family, friendship, intimacy, and belonging. The second level from the top of the pyramid is esteem including your self-worth, accomplishment, and confidence. The final and top part of the pyramid is self-actualization or inner fulfillment.

It is very important to be aware of these needs because these need to be met for every student beyond their academic needs. As a mandated reporter, I need to make sure that all students have these basic needs. From there, I can support them to start moving up the pyramid and gain those lifelong needs.]]> 2023-04-30 16:41:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023826 Number 9: Whole-Language Approach ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023925 The whole language approach integrates reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking in which you are learning to read and write at the same time. In this approach, the curriculum is developmental and is organized based on themes. As you begin teaching using this approach, it is important to use familiar terms to learn new words and phrases. When reading, texts should be authentic, relevant, functional, meaningful, and decodeable.

I think that this approach to language is very useful. I have read that this approach can support students who are having challenges to learn language. When they can make more connections, one of them will click, then everything else falls into place. I think that in the future, for example, when teaching the letter M, I will have the students say the letter and sound, write the letter using various medias and manipulatives, listen to someone else say the letter and sound, give examples of the sounds in words, and more.]]> 2023-04-30 16:42:00 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573023925 Number 10: Self-Regulated Strategy Development ebanksc https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573024012 Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is a 6 step process to help students improve their academic skills with independence. The first step is to develop and activate background knowledge based on the topic, concept, or skill that is being taught. The second step is to discuss the strategy. The third step is to model how to use the strategy. The fourth step is to memorize the strategy. The fifth step is to allow and support the use of the strategy in the classroom. Finally, the last step is to foster independence when using the strategy. An example of SRSD is when you are writing an essay, you must have it structured in a specific order. The teacher will demonstrate this order and what information needs to be in each section. Then, allow the students to practice using this strategy on a future essay. Finally, this will become common practice for the students for the rest of their essays. (Ex. The beginning of an essay may look like this: Hook, Introduction, Topic/Thesis (HIT))

This process could be useful for students with disabilities because it provides routines, repeated practices, accommodations, and the ability to begin working independently. This process can be used not only for writing, but other subjects and skills as well.]]> 2023-04-30 16:42:12 UTC https://padlet.com/ebanksc/ovxkqgvosapn4sgg/wish/2573024012