final exam

ARABELLE B. WACAN-CASTRODES

SPED 506

Special Ed and Effective Integration

FINAL  EXAM

1.  What are the major learning and participation barriers?

            Major learning and participation barriers include social issues, negative attitudes, lack of acceptance, unfavorable socioeconomic factors, lack of community involvement, lack of parental recognition, and lack of parental participation. These lead to exclusion and the loss of opportunities. 

2.  What are the different factors that cause barriers to learning?

            Barriers to learning may arise from a range of factors, including physical, mental, sensory, neurological and developmental impairments as well as psychosocial disturbances, differences in intellectual ability, differences in life experiences, and socioeconomic deprivation.

           

3. Disability has always been regarded as a learning barrier.  What are the most common barriers?

            The most common barriers include: visual loss, hearing loss, speech and language difficulties, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, psychological disorders, neurological disorders.

4. What are the provisions that should be extended to children with disabilities in cases where certain assessment standards in specific learning areas on account of their disabilities are not achieved?

            Learners who experience barriers to learning as a result of disability should be welcomed in ordinary school environments with the necessary support, in order that they may achieve their full potential. Teams that include parents, teachers and other relevant professionals should establish the nature and extent of support needed by the learner. In situations where children with disabilities may not achieve certain assessment standards in specific learning areas on account of their disabilities, a policy for the straddling of grades needs to be developed in order to prevent such learners from being excluded, as research has proven that grade retention does not remedy such situations. In addition, norms and standards for the provision of resources and assistive devices for learners with disabilities have to be developed in order for funding to be channeled towards providing support for such learners in mainstream schools.

           

5.  What are the barriers created as a result of socioeconomic factors?

Ø  Poor reading and print background (learners have not had preschool exposure to literacy and print in general). The parents of such learners have often had limited education opportunities.

Ø  A lack of exposure to numerical concepts.

Ø  Sensory deprivation resulting from a lack of opportunities during early childhood to explore the immediate and broader environments.

Ø  Poor oral language development as a result of a lack of communication, interaction and learning opportunities.

Ø  A poor self-image.

Ø  Children with absentee parents who often return to empty homes from school tend to experience social isolation and developmental deprivation.

Ø  The impact of alcoholism, substance abuse, violence and neglect.

Ø  Dysfunctional and anti-social behavior patterns (e.g., petty theft and lying).

Ø  Depression and hopelessness in adults and learners.

Ø  Teenage pregnancy.

Ø  Learner-headed households often require significant additional responsibilities from learners.

Ø  Mobility of families could create a lack of continuity in learning as a result of school hopping.

Ø  Changes in the family structure and family dynamics.

Ø  Late school enrolment.

Ø  Learners with challenging social conduct, including aberrant sexual behavior.

6.  What are the three major areas of differentiation? Define each one of them.

           A learning program is a phase-long plan that details:

ü  The sequencing of learning outcomes and assessment standards across the phase to ensure a coherent teaching, learning and assessment program;

ü  The core knowledge and concepts or knowledge foci selected to attain the learning outcomes;

ü  The context that ensures that teaching and learning are appropriate to the needs that exist in the communities, school and classroom; and

ü  The time allocation and weighting allocated to the different learning outcomes and assessment standards in the phase.

Ø  A work schedule is a year-long program that shows how teaching, learning and assessment will be sequenced and paced in a particular grade. It is a delivery tool, a means of working towards the achievement of the learning outcomes specified in the learning program, and it incorporates the assessment standards that will be achieved in that grade.

Ø  Differentiation at the level of the lesson, task and activity – at the interface between the proposed curriculum and the learning needs of individual pupils – implies adjusting tasks to the various interests, needs, aptitudes, experiences and previous achievements of diverse groups of pupils.

7.  Explain Differentiation.

            A differentiated curriculum offers a variety of ways for learners who differ in abilities, knowledge and skills to access a shared curriculum. Educators offer adaptations to what learners learn (content), how learners learn (process), and how learners demonstrate what they have learned (product). “Differentiation is not a recipe for teaching. It is not an instructional strategy. It is not what a teacher does when he or she has time. It is a way about teaching and learning.

8.  Give Strategies for Differentiation in Mathematics in a Gen-Ed setting. Choose any one of the learning areas.

            Strategies:

·         Identifying and describing shapes The learner feels the outside of the shape while naming the shape and its characteristics.

·         Multiple choice: Practice identifying the shape from a selection of two or more (e.g., ‘Give me the circle’. Repeat these steps until mastered.

·         Practice and generalization:

·         Sorting shapes of varying size, texture, color and thickness

§  finding the shape in the environment

§  drawing the shape

§  tracing around the shape

§  making the drawn shape into a picture

§  select the shape – by touch alone – from a small selection ‘feely bag’.

·         The following procedure is recommended for concept development:

§  Model of concept:

§  The concept is modeled to the learner using verbal cues (e.g. adult or peer shows the concept, moves behind the chair or places a plastic object behind the chair).

§  Experience the concept:

§  The learner repeatedly experiences the concept while hearing and using the language (e.g., playground equipment, classroom situations hiding behind the chair_.

§  Practice with 3-dimensional objects:

§  The learner uses 3-dimensional socio dramatic play equipment to practice the skill (e.g., Duplo doll’s house, Fisher Price garage, tea sets).

§  Practice with 2-dimensional objects:

§  The learner identifies or uses the concepts in books or worksheets.

·         The following activities provide practice at developing spatial skills in each step of the procedure

9.  Give Strategies for Differentiation in Language in a Gen-Ed setting. Choose any one of the learning areas.

            Listening Skills

v  Place the learner near the front of the class to minimize distractions.

v  Background noise should be eliminated. Keep the learner’s desk clear.

v  The positions of the teacher or another learner speaking and that of the learner experiencing a barrier are very important.

v  The position and source of light needs attention.

v  Visual distraction (pollution) (e.g., classes that are too full) should be eliminated.

v  Assistance may be given by a person or by using a technological device (e.g., hearing and FM system).

v  Listening can be supported with non-verbal cues such as gestures, sign, lip-reading, facial expressions (don’t overdo or exaggerate) and pictures to assist with comprehension of vocabulary or concepts. Never assume that the learner understood what you said. Check by asking questions.

v  Ask the learner to repeat the instruction to you.

v  Rephrase questions and sentences rather than merely repeating.

v  Do not discourage translations by other learners.

v  Learners who use SASL as a medium of communication or first language receive visual messages rather than auditory messages.

v  When giving instructions, the following is key: speech tempo and clarity shorter sentences, less information per sentence (not too wordy), longer pauses between sentences. Gaining eye contact and lowering your body to the learner’s eye level are also helpful.

v  Break verbal instructions down to two or more steps at a time.

v  Have one learner at a time speak, rather than overlapping speaking turns.

v   Encourage learners to ask questions in order to attain clarity and meaning.

v  In some cases, you may have to use extended sentences for learners.

v  Frequently used non-verbal signs could be placed on the classroom walls.

10.  How does curriculum flexibility works in an inclusive education?

            In addressing the diverse needs of the learners, the curriculum needs to be understood in its entirety. These aspects need to be considered in making the curriculum accessible to all learners. This includes:

 The content (i.e., what is taught).

 The language or medium of instruction.

 How the classroom is organized and managed.

 Teaching methods and processes.

 The pace of teaching and the time available to complete the curriculum.

 The learning materials and equipment that is used.

 How learning is assessed.

11.  Explain the Framework for Teaching Methodologies and its implication in inclusive education.

            All teaching methodologies should be underpinned by the following principles:

 The learner is the focal point of all teaching, learning and assessment.

 All learners are equally valuable.

 Lessons encourage the (full or partial) participation of all learners.

 Learner differences are an important resource for teaching, learning and assessment.

 All teaching learning and assessment should be adapted to suit the needs of learners, and not the other way round.

 Appreciation of people who are from different backgrounds (cultures, languages, religions, etc.).

 Give learners the opportunity to record their work in different ways.

 High expectations for all learners.

 Clear expectations (clarity of focus).

 The interests of the learners are considered.

 Individual learner levels.

 How learners learn best.

 The pace at which learners learn.

  

12.  What is multi-level teaching?

            Multilevel teaching is an approach that assumes the principles of individualization, flexibility and inclusion for all learners, regardless of their personal skills levels. Teachers should unconditionally accept learners who experience barriers and involve all learners in all classroom activities. In contrast to preparing different lessons for different learners, multilevel teaching advocates for one lesson with varying methods of learning, teaching and assessment. The lesson must include a variety of teacher techniques aimed at reaching learners at all levels. This means:

- Considering learners’ learning style when planning presentation methods.

- Involving learners in the lesson through questioning aimed at different levels of thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy).

- Acknowledging that some learners will need adjusted expectations.

- Allowing learners to choose a method of their preference or competence in demonstrating knowledge, skills and values.

- Accepting that these different methods are of equal value.

- Assessing learners in terms of their differences.

13.  Name the three steps in the 3-step Lesson Development to accommodate diversity

            For teachers to develop lessons that accommodate the different levels of learners, the following steps are important:

Step 1: Identify what you want to teach (content) together with the underlying knowledge, skills and values.

Step 2: Determine the teacher’s methods of presentation

Step 3: Determine the assessment standards that will determine the learners’ method of practice.

14.  Give the characteristics of effective cooperative learning activities

            Cooperative learning is a way of teaching in which learners work together to ensure that all members in the group has learnt the same content. In cooperative learning, groups are organized and tasks are structured for learners to work together to reach a goal, solve a problem, make a decision, or produce a product.

v  Face-to-face interaction

v  Equal opportunity for success

v  Individual accountability

v  Interpersonal skills

v  Learner reflection

v  Positive interdependence

15.  Chart the curriculum differentiation ladder that facilitates differentiation for learners with varying intellectual and linguistic capacity.

Ask                                                                 Example

1.    Can the learner do the same as his or

her peers?                                                                       Spelling.

If not, can… 2. Can the learner do the same activity, but with

adapted expectations?                                            Fewer words.

If not, can… 3. Can the learner do the same activity, but with

adapted expectations and materials?                  Matching the words to pictures.

If not, can…  4. Can the learner do a similar activity, but with

adapted expectations?                                In the learner’s daily

environment.

If not, can…  5. Can the learner do a similar activity, but with

adapted materials?                                      Computer spelling program?

If not, can… 6. Can the learner do a different, parallel activity?         Learn a computer-typing program, learn word processing with a spell check, write or put pictures in a journal?

If not, can…  7. Can the learner do a practical and functional

Activity with assistance?                                                    Play or work with a word puzzle, game, flashcards etc., assisted by a buddy or class aid?