Tips, Tricks and Strategies

Presented by Catherine Taylor, PhD Disability Services Counselor UH Maui College 10/17/18

Training Objectives

Understand the inherent challenges of students who learn

differently (primarily students with disabilities)

Evidence-Based practices and strategies

Identify and Practice strategies to implement in the

classroom

PAIR & SHARE 1. Turn to your elbow partner

2. Discuss your concerns

3. Come up with at least 2 common questions

4. Return to big group

5. Share questions to the group

6. We will create a list of these questions and address them during the presentation

Parking Lot

Definition: Learning Disability 1. Neurological Disorder

2. Skills most affected are reading, writing, math, listening, speaking and reasoning.

3. Does not include visual, hearing, motor disabilities, mental disability, emotional disturbance or environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage

4. Invisible

How Come? Heredity – runs in the family

Problems during pregnancy and birth – long birth

Incidents after birth – - Head injury,

- nutritional deprivation,

- exposure to toxic environments

Atypical brain organization

How Difficult Can It Be? F.A.T (Frustration, Anxiety, Tension)

City Video

https://vimeo.com/134226914

Who are our students who learn differently?

Manifestations of Learning Disability

Trouble learning numbers, letters

Difficulty learning and understanding left-right, up-down, before-after, first-last, yesterday-tomorrow.

Extreme restlessness, lack of ability to concentrate, impulsive behaviors

Difficulty following directions or learning routines

Manifestations of Learning Disability

Difficulty with memory

Issues with higher order cognition Trouble generating or elaborating on ideas

Difficulty developing and organizing ideas

Lack of opinion or sense of audience

Difficulty with creativity or critical thinking

Problems with Socialization

Sometimes Awkward

TIPS & Tricks

Relationship

Relevance

RELATIONSHIP - Empathy Myths

Accommodations best option

Tutoring the only way to help

Smart kids can’t have a learning disability

Dyslexia is about seeing letters backwards

Lazy

Realities

•Accommodations are just to provide equitable access

•Provides a way to catch up but does not address weak cognitive skills

•Usually funny, creative, smart – LD affect how they receive, process or express information

•Difficulty with what is heard to what is seen as low reading comprehension

•Work twice as hard and as long to complete the same tasks as “neurotypical” students

Henry Winkler

“AS A CHILD I WAS TREATED LIKE AN IDIOT AND CHASTISED CONSTANTLY.”

Relevance

TEACHING PEDAGOGY and Strategies

RIGOR

Accessing Curriculum Universal Design for Instruction

◦ provides “a framework for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning.

◦ provides rich supports for learning and reduces barriers to the curriculum while maintaining high achievement standards for all.”

◦ UDL guidelines, developed by CAST, promote the development of curriculum that includes

◦ multiple means of representation,

◦ multiple means of action and expression, and

◦ multiple means of engagement. ◦ https://www.washington.edu/doit/equal-access-universal-design-instruction

Universal Design For Instruction https://www.washington.edu/doit/videos/index.php?vid=13

Multiple Means of Representation

Use DUAL Code

-Use multiple formats or multiple representation in teaching concepts

-Written and auditory

-Written and Video

-Auditory and Activity

MULTIPLE MEANS OF ACTION AND EXPRESSION

ACTION: Access

Vary methods for response and navigation

◦ - Alternatives to physically responding

◦ Alternatives to physically interacting with materials

MULTIPLE MEANS OF ACTION AND EXPRESSION

Multiple Means of Engagement

Recruit interest by:

Multiple Means of Engagement Provide a safe space for learners – an accepting and supportive classroom climate

Meet basic needs

Vary level of novelty or risk

Minimize Threats and Distractions Vary level of sensory stimulation –noise or visual, pace of work

Vary social demands required for learning

Avoid negative experiences

ACTIVITY Form groups of 3

Identify a topic or lesson in your course where you would like to find different ways to use Universal Design for Instruction.

Problem solve with your group

SHARE WITH THE GROUP YOUR IDEAS

FEEDBACK?

REMEMBER

You don’t have to change everything at one time.

Commit to changing one feature in one class and build your

lessons over time. Doing it all at once will be overwhelming.

The most important part is making the change in your

pedagogy to ensure equitable access to your curriculum.

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

ASSESSMENTS www.learningscientist.org

Collaborative Quizzes

Generate enthusiastic discussion

Student takes quiz individually – grade.

Quiz returned to student – students partner up in small groups to discuss quiz and

make changes accordingly, then turn in test again.

Grading – individual quiz 75%, group quiz 25% - average scores

ASSESSMENTS

Mix Up Quiz structure

Change quiz structures for better assessments

Ongoing quizzes provide ongoing opportunities for retrieval

Improve attendance and participation

One-Minute Paper

Very short in-class writing activity (1 minute or less to complete) Instructor-posed question

Examples of Prompts:

What was the most important concept you learned in class today?

What was the “muddiest” or most confusing concept covered today?

Recommend end of class to give students that need extra time to complete task.

ASSESSMENT

Quiz after questioning Students are given the opportunity to ask questions about potential content of the

quiz or areas of difficulty

If question stimulates discussion, it becomes a quiz question

Online Quizzes completed before class ◦ Address most frequently missed problems or issues

PROMOTING EQUITABLE ACCESS AND STUDENT SUCCESS

Discussion and Q&A

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EXIT PASS One minute paper: Please write down

◦In your opinion, What idea struck you as things you could do or put into practice from today’s training.

◦Please turn in as you leave the room.

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Catherine Taylor, PhD, CRC, LMHC Phone: (808)984-3227 Email: cataylor@Hawaii.edu Website: www.maui.hawaii.edu/disability