Teaching Students With Disabilities Article

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Special education field advisory

One of the challenges of special education in the modern, standards-focused environment is the fact that while special education almost by definition demands individualized attention on the part of the teacher, standardized tests evaluate students according to a set standard outside of the parameters of their specific curriculum. In response to this, the article entitled "Special Education Field Advisory," a memorandum written by James P. DeLorenzo of the University of the State of New York discusses the importance of IEPs or Individualized Educational Programs to give students the support they need. All students classified as having a disability in New York State must have an IEP aligned to state standards that still takes into consideration the student's special concerns. The Committee on Special Education meets with the students' mainstream teachers as well as special education teachers to ensure an IEP is adapted to both the needs of the school and the curriculum requirements of New York States as a whole. The goal of the IEP is to bring the special education student as close as possible to the general standards for all students as a whole. The steps of the process of curriculum development for the special education student involve identifying the gap between state standards and the student's level of functioning and striving to meet that gap.

As a professional educator, it is easy to come up with some very specific scenarios that are well-suited to the steps outlined in the article. For example, a student with dyslexia might need talking books, resource room assistance in reading to compensate for his disability, and some modified assignments to eventually bring up his reading to grade level; a student with a visual impairment might need Braille. Even if the ability of the student to meet the final standards might vary, there are still elements of mainstream standards embedded within the IEP. However, for students with more profound deficits, the ability to align the IEP with curricular standards might be much more challenging, given some students might never be able to come close to grade level. Moreover, there is the larger question if students with even moderate learning differences (such as those who have a more visual and kinesthetic orientation) should be brought to meet a standardized ideal or if the standards should be broader in nature with respect to different aspirations of students. On a high school level, where some students might prefer a vocational educational track, the idea of common standards for all once again comes into question.

However, I can see how I could apply the ideas of the article to my classroom by teaching concepts in many different ways, to make it easier to differentiate instruction. Including more visual and hands-on aspects to the learning experience can make it easier for struggling readers to understand. This will make optimizing the learning environment for the special education student much easier as the curriculum design will have built in modifications to make differentiation easier.

4 key ideas:

1. Students with special needs have IEP (individualized education plans) to ensure that they can meet standards to the best of their abilities.

2. IEPs are individualized yet aligned with curriculum standards.

3. IEPs are regularly evaluated, annually and throughout the year, to see if they are meeting the goals for the student.

4. IEPs are designed to bring students as close to state standards as possible.

Reference

DeLorenzo, J. (2014). Special education field advisory. University of the State of New York.

"Math anxiety: Can teachers help students reduce it?"

Anxiety is not helpful in achieving goals in most spheres of human life and math is no different. The article "Math anxiety: Can teachers help students reduce it?" notes that math anxiety has both a skills-based and a psychological component. Students have challenging early experiences with math and the idea that they are not 'numbers people' becomes a part of their identity and self-perception. Although claiming to be poor at reading is not socially acceptable, the same is not true about claiming to be bad at math, although there can be serious personal consequences if someone cannot understand numbers. There is also evidence that a teacher's math anxiety can be transferred at an early age to a student. Suggestions to reduce anxiety include improving teacher training to reduce teachers' own levels of anxiety; reducing the time pressures of math tests and focusing on accuracy instead; and having children write about their anxiety as a cathartic exercise, so they better understand why math is troubling for them.

Reducing math anxiety is clearly an important consideration for the professional educator, given that it can be difficult to reach students who have an extremely strong internalized negative self-concepts regarding math. The teacher must be cognizant of the negative internalized self-concepts students have regarding their ability to excel in math to change this mentality.

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Particularly amongst female students, there are strong cultural pressures that are difficult to resist that encourage the student to associate their evolving sense of identity with someone who is 'bad in math.' Also, reflecting the 'scaffolded' nature of learning, students with poor early preparation will find higher-level concepts and more complex math more difficult to understand. They may blame themselves rather than give math another try.

In addition to the suggestions provided in the article, I think one of the most useful ways to alleviate math anxiety is to constantly review previous concepts, to give students a sense of personal accomplishment. Focus first on what students can do before stretching them. Sometimes teachers are afraid students will become bored if they review too much or feel that this time is wasted. However, building student confidence is critical in helping overcome math anxiety. I personally feel that this is more important than journaling about the student's feelings on math, given that this can be a self-reinforcing mechanism of the student's lack of confidence and can also devolve into whining about assignments. Students need to feel good about themselves in the act of doing math. Another strategy I would use is to offer nontraditional assignments that do not feel like math assignments, such as using numbers in hands-on activities like building a paper airplane where students must measure width and diameter, cooking where students must work with fractions, or simulating going to a store.

4 key ideas:

1. Math anxiety is a real phenomenon and can interfere with a student's ability to excel in math.

2. Math anxiety is not the same as being 'bad at math:' individuals who have the competency to do a math problem can still become overwhelmed in their working memory with anxiety.

3. Social influences can foster math anxiety

4. Teachers must take proactive strategies to alleviate math anxiety, including reinforcing fundamental skills and investing students with coping mechanisms that enable them to succeed.

Reference

Beilock, S. & Willingham, D. (2014). Math anxiety: Can teachers help students reduce it?"

American Educator, 28-43

"The magic of words: Teaching vocabulary in the early childhood classroom"

One of the challenges early childhood educators face is the vast discrepancies that often exist between students' levels of literacy preparation when they enter the classroom. One of the most notable gaps which exists is in regards to vocabulary. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds often have vastly more limited vocabulary from students from wealthier demographics and vocabulary size bears a strong influence upon a student's comfort with the written language and ability to read. Students from advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds know an estimated twice as many words as students who do not during the critical preschool years which sets the tone for literacy for a student's future academic career. Common Core standards will place increasing emphasis on literacy, information-based subjects (versus fiction), and integrated models of literacy. This will require increasingly sophisticated vocabulary knowledge. The article also attempts to bust certain vocabulary myths about children, including the idea that children are absorbent 'word sponges' that can effortlessly acquire vocabulary. There is also no automatic 'spurt' or burst in vocabulary acquisition that suddenly enables children to learn easily what once came with difficulty to them. The article denies the value of simply learning through storybooks and that active conversation is enough to learn.

The claims of this article are extremely controversial given they touch upon scientific claims about how people acquire language. Many of the premises, such as the idea that phonetic training is superior to whole word recognition, is highly contentious. In my own experience in education, I would say that it is highly variable with the individual. Some students seem to acquire vocabulary and reading fluency much easier than others. Forcing a child with a strong gift for reading to constantly drill grammar might be counter-productive; also, I do find that there is great value for all students in selecting relatable, interesting fictional material. However for some children who are not as innately easy readers, particularly those who come from the more reading-challenged backgrounds due to socio-economic circumstances described in the article,….....

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