Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Unit Considerations for a Variety of Learners
As a special education teacher, modifying units/lessons and general classroom activities is second nature to me. At any given time I will have students in the same class, whose reading levels vary from pre-primer through 8th grade level. All of my lessons need to be structured so that all students can participate and be successful. Sometimes all it requires is reading directions verbally and providing more feedback. Other times it requires several different versions of the same task. Any test I give has at least three modified versions. For me the more difficult task is making sure that higher level learners are being challenged to work at the top of their performance ability. Often it is easy to let them slide by while I am working to involve the other lower level functioning students.
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2 comments:
It is so true that the special education teacher is the master at differentiation. A perfect education world would have a IEP for each student. Interesting reflection that it is at times the higher achiever who may get over looked.
Do you find that all of the work that you do in terms of administering different levels of the same assessment pays off in the long run? Does it make an effect on the student, in terms of do you find levels of success in all levels of abilities, or only with the higher levels? I only wonder due to trying to gauge where my special education students will be successful in the future, because you hit the point on the head; there is a large gap between the students that I currently have, and I have concerns about those who are low level in the middle and high school settings.
As always, very thought provoking.
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